Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li’l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/237

It is a good idea to point out to those who are interested in Islam, when they find some matters difficult to understand or they find some rulings hard to accept, that Paradise is surrounded with difficulties and Hell is surrounded with desires, and that Allaah has issued His commands to His slaves in order to test them and see if they will do well. Earning the Lord’s pleasure and gaining the honour of admittance to His Paradise is not something that is easy in all aspects or something that a person can attain without any difficulty. It is not like that at all. Rather we have to be patient and strive to overcome our nafs (self), and put up with a lot of difficulties in order to please our Lord, be honoured by Him and be saved from His wrath. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, we have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds [i.e. those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allaah’s sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet]”

[al-Kahf 18:7]

“Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed”
[al-Mulk 67:2]

“And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the Cause of Allaah) and As-Saabiroon (the patient), and We shall test your facts (i.e. the one who is a liar, and the one who is truthful)”

[Muhammad 47:31]

And there are many similar verses.

We ask Allaah to make us and you among those who call others to true guidance, who bring the Muslims back to the straight path, and bless us all with insight into the purpose for which we were created, and to increase the numbers of daa’iyahs among us, for He is Able to do all things.

Men’s ‘awrah and wearing pants with shirt tucked in

Is it permissible for a Muslim man to wear his shirt tucked in his pants, showing the shape of his legs, buttocks, etc., especially in some countries where women are not ashamed to look at them? And when they perform prayer, shouldn’t they be wearing a long shirt covering their private parts while they prostrate?

Praise be to Allah.

The `awrah (private parts to be necessarily covered) for men includes what is between the navel and the knees as stated by the Prophet SAWS (peace be upon him), so covering it is obligatory according to Islamic law. Wearing shorts that disclose the thighs or show the shape of the buttocks, does not cover the `awrah. Neither does a dress that is transparent and displays skin complexion, nor a tight dress that shows the size, shape or bends of the `awrah. All of this is prohibited (haraam) in front of people whether the women are ashamed of looking at it or not (as asked in the question). If the trousers (or pants) are wide enough and not tight, then one may tuck his shirt in it as long as it does not display his `awrah. Covering the `awrah is obligatory during the prayer and outside it. What many people do is cover their `awrah while going to prayer but are negligent of it outside the prayer. This is a clear mistake and a wrong act which happens due to lack of understanding or as a result of a misunderstanding of the matter.

May Allah cover our sins in this world and in the hereafter.

Contrary to what I thought, there have been quite a few views/people interested in the blog.. So I have decided to become more regular in posting insha’ Allah.. but I need some suggestions.

If anyone has suggestions or topics they would like me to post on please post a comment.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Eid

It is essential that it be established in the mind and heart of every Muslim that the Sunnah – which is the words, deeds and approval that are attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – is one of the two parts of divine Revelation that were revealed to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The other part of the Revelation (Wahy) is the Holy Qur’aan.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.

4. It is only a Revelation revealed”

[al-Najm 53:3-4]

It was narrated from al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Yakrib (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Verily I have been given the Qur’aan and something similar to it along with it. But soon there will be a time when a man will be reclining on his couch with a full stomach, and he will say, ‘You should adhere to this Qur’aan: what you find that it says is permissible, take it as permissible, and what you find it says is forbidden, take it as forbidden.’ But indeed, whatever the Messenger of Allaah forbids is like what Allaah forbids.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2664). He said: It is hasan ghareeb with this isnaad. It was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2870).

This is what was understood by the righteous salaf (may Allaah be pleased with them):

Hassaan ibn ‘Atiyah said in al-Kifaayah by al-Khateeb (12):

Jibreel used to bring the sunnah down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as he used to bring the Qur’aan down to him. End quote.

Narrated by al-Daarimi in his Sunan (588) and by al-Khateeb in al-Kifaayah (12). It was attributed by al-Haafiz in al-Fath (13/291) to al-Bayhaqi, and he said: With a saheeh isnaad.

The importance of the Sunnah is first of all that it explains the Book of Allaah and is a commentary on it, then it adds some rulings to those in the Book of Allaah.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad صلىالله عليه وسلم) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought”

[al-Nahl 16:44].

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in Jaami’ Bayaan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi (2/190):

The commentary of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the Qur’aan is of two types:

1 – Explaining things that are mentioned in general terms in the Holy Qur’aan, such as the five daily prayers, their times, prostration, bowing and all other rulings.

2 – Adding rulings to the rulings of the Qur’aan, such as the prohibition on being married to a woman and to her paternal or maternal aunt at the same time. End quote.

Secondly:

As the Sunnah is the second of the two parts of Revelation, it is inevitable that Allaah will protect it, so as to preserve the religion from distortion and additions or subtractions.

Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Ihkaam (1/95):

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)”

[al-Hijr 15:9]

“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): “I warn you only by the Revelation (from Allaah and not by the opinion of the religious scholars and others). But the deaf (who follow the religious scholars and others blindly) will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned [i.e. one should follow only the Qur’aan and the Sunnah (legal ways, orders, acts of worship, and the statements of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم , as the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did)]”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:45]

Allaah tells us that the words of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are all Wahy (revelation), and Wahy is undoubtedly Dhikr, and Dhikr is preserved according to the text of the Qur’aan. Thus it is correct to say that his words (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are all preserved by Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, and He has promised that none of them will be lost to us, because that which Allaah preserves can certainly not be lost at all; it has all been transmitted to us and Allaah has established proof and left us with no excuse. End quote.

Thirdly:

Once it is established that the Sunnah is part of the divine revelation, it is essential to note that there is only one difference between it and the Qur’aan, which is that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, may He be exalted, which was revealed verbatim to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whereas the Sunnah may not be the words of Allaah, rather it is only His Revelation, so it need not necessarily come to us verbatim, but the meaning of it comes to us.

Once we understand this difference, we see that the point in transmission of the Sunnah is to convey the meanings, not the exact same words that were uttered by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Islam tells us that Allaah only preserves the words of the Qur’aan in full, and He preserves the general meanings of the Sunnah, and that which explains the Book of Allaah, not the exact words and phrases.

However, the scholars of this ummah throughout the early centuries strove to preserve the sharee’ah and the Sunnah. They have transmitted to us the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as he said them, and they distinguished between the reports that were right and wrong, true and false.

Hadeeth means the words, actions, approval or attributes that have been narrated from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). A hadeeth may either confirm things that are mentioned in the Qur’aan, such as prayer, zakaah, etc., or it may give details of things that are mentioned in the Qur’aan in general terms, such as the numbers of rak’ahs in each prayer, the thresholds for paying zakaah, the details of Hajj, etc. It may also explain rulings which are not mentioned in the Qur’aan, such as the prohibition on being married to a woman and her (paternal or maternal) aunt at the same time.

Allaah revealed the Qur’aan to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and commanded him to explain it to the people, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought” [al-Nahl 16:44]

The hadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a revelation (wahy) from his Lord. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only a Revelation revealed” [al-Najm 53:2-4]

Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to call mankind to worship Allaah alone, and to disbelieve in any (god) apart from Him, and (He sent him) to bring the glad tidings of Paradise and warnings of Hell:

“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, And as one who invites to Allaah [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allaah (Alone)] by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light (through your instructions from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah the legal ways of the Prophet) [al-Ahzaab 33:45-46 – interpretation of the meaning]

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was anxious over this ummah; he did not know of anything good but he told them of it, and he did not know of anything evil but he warned them against it:

“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious over you; for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful” [al-Tawbah 9:128 – interpretation of the meaning]

Every Prophet was sent only to his own people, but Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to all of mankind:

“And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [al-Anbiyaa’ 21:101 – interpretation of the meaning]

Because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) conveyed the revelation that was sent down to him from His Lord, it is obligatory to obey him. Indeed, obedience to him is obedience to Allaah:

“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allaah” [al-Nisaa’ 4:80 – interpretation of the meaning]

Obedience to Allaah and His Messenger is the way to salvation and victory, and to happiness in this world and in the Hereafter:

“And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell‑fire and will be admitted to Paradise)” [al-Ahzaab 33:71 – interpretation of the meaning]

Hence it is obligatory for all people to obey Allaah and His Messenger, because therein lies their success and salvation:

“And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad) that you may obtain mercy” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:132 – interpretation of the meaning]

Whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger only harms himself, he does not harm Allaah in the slightest:

“And whosoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment” [al-Nisaa’ 4:14 – interpretation of the meaning]

Once Allaah and His Messenger have decided a matter, no one has the right to choose concerning that or to object to it; rather it is obligatory to obey and to believe in the truth:

“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error [al-Ahzaab 33:36 – interpretation of the meaning]

A person’s faith is not complete until he loves Allaah and His Messenger, and love implies obedience. Whoever wants Allah to love him and forgive his sins must follow the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31 – interpretation of the meaning]

Love of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not simply the matter of words to be repeated, rather it is the matter of belief and conduct, i.e., obedience to what he commands, belief in what he tells us, avoidance of what he forbids, and avoidance of worshipping Allaah in any way except that which he prescribed. When Allaah had perfected this religion and the Messenger had conveyed the message of his Lord, Allaah took him to be with Him. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left this ummah with clear proof in which there is no ambiguity. No one deviates from it but he is doomed:

“This day, those who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. 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 – interpretation of the meaning]

By the grace of Allaah, the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) preserved the ahaadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them), then the righteous salaf who came after them compiled them in books which are known as the Sihaah (Saheehs), Sunan and Musnads. The most sound of them are Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim, the four Sunans, the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and the Muwatta’ of Imaam Maalik, etc. Allaah has perfected this religion. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not know of anything good but he taught it to his ummah, and he did not know of anything evil but he warned them against it. So whoever introduces anything into the religion, of bid’ah (innovation) or myths, such as praying to the dead or circumambulating (tawaaf) their tombs, or praying to the jinn and awliya’ (“saints”), and other things that have not been prescribed by Allaah and His Messenger, all of that is to be rejected and not accepted, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not a part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1718)

From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri

Assalamu Alaykum,

The topic of what colours are appropriate for muslim women to wear comes up frequently. I think this fatwa will be of benefit to clarify any confusion insha’ Allah.

Q: Does women’s hijab have to be black? Is it haraam for a woman to wear coloured clothes even if it fulfils the conditions of hijab? If it is haraam, then is there a hadeeth or verse to prove that? What is meant by saying it should not be an adornment in itself?.

Praise be to Allaah.

The conditions of the hijab of the Muslim woman have already been explained in the answer to question no. 6991.

It is not one of these conditions that it should be black. A woman may wear whatever she wants, so long as she does not wear a colour that is only for men , and she does not wear a garment that is an adornment in itself, i.e., decorated and adorned in such a way that it attracts the gaze of men, because of the general meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“…and not to show off their adornment…”

[an-Noor 24:31]

This general meaning includes the outer garment, if it is decorated. Abu Dawood (565) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Do not prevent the female slaves of Allaah from attending the mosques of Allaah, but let them go out unadorned.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 515.

It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood:

“ ‘Unadorned’ means not wearing perfume… they are commanded to go out like this and are forbidden to wear perfume lest they provoke men’s desires with their perfume. That also includes other things which are forbidden because they provoke desire, such as beautiful clothing and visible and expensive adornment.”

What a woman must do if she appears before non-mahram men is to avoid clothes that are decorated and adorned, which attract the gaze of men.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (17/100):

It is not permissible for a woman to go out in a decorated garment that attracts people’s gaze, because this is something that tempts men.

It also says (17/108):

The dress of the Muslim woman need not only be black. It is permissible for her to wear any colour of clothing so long as it covers her ‘awrah, does not resemble men’s clothing, and is not so tight as to show the shape of her limbs or so thin as to show what is beneath it, and does not provoke temptation.

And it says (17/109):

Wearing black for women is not a must. They may wear other colours that are worn only by women, do not attract attention and do not provoke desire.

Many women choose to wear black, not because it is obligatory, but because it is farthest removed from being an adornment. There are reports which indicate that the women of the Sahaabah used to wear black. Abu Dawood (4101) narrated that Umm Salamah said:

“When the words ‘and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)’ [al-Noor 24:31 – interpretation of the meaning] were revealed, the women of the Ansaar went out looking as if there were crows on their heads because of their garments.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

The Standing Committee (17/110) said: This is to be understood as meaning that those clothes were black in colour.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Assalamu Alaykum,

This article by Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saleh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on him) delivered a short yet powerful message to all muslims, not only students of knowledge.

Advice to the Students of Knowledge

Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saleh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

I sincerely advise, myself first, and my Muslim brothers, especially the students of knowledge not to make haste and be quick when a new issue befalls a person until he verifies the situation, gains knowledge and then speaks, so that he does not speak about Allah without knowledge.

As, the person who gives judgment is an emissary between the people and Allah; he conveys the Shari’ah of Allah as has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam):

“The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets”

(Ahmad (5/196). Aboo Dawood, at-Tirmidhi and others);

and the Prophet (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam) has also said:

“The judges are three: (only) one of the judges being in paradise and he is the one who knew the truth and judged according to it.”

Related by Abu Dawood with the following wording:

“The judges are three; one of the judges is in Paradise and two are in the Fire. With regards to the one in Paradise then he is the man who knew the truth and judged according to it. The man who knew the truth and was unjust in his ruling is in the Fire, and the man who judged between the people out of ignorance is in the Fire.”

Also of importance, when a new issue befalls you, draw your heart towards Allah and feel in need of Him so that he causes you to understand and imparts knowledge to you; especially in grave and important matters, where many people remain in ignorance.

Some of my teachers mentioned to me that it is befitting for the person who has been questioned on an issue, to seek forgiveness from Allah even more; deducing that from Allah’s statement,

{{Surely, we have revealed to you the Book in truth that you may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you; so do not be a pleader for the treacherous. And seek the forgiveness of Allah, certainly, Allah is ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.}}

(Surah an-Nisaa’ (4):105-106)

An increase in seeking forgiveness necessitates the wiping away of the repercussions of sins, which is one of the causes of forgetting knowledge and becoming ignorant, as Allah says,

{{So, because of their breach of their covenant. We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their proper places and forgot a good part of the message that was sent to them.}}

(Surah al-Maa’idah (5):13)

Imam ash-Shaafi`ee once said:

I complained to Wakee` (*) about my poor memory. So he advised me to abandon disobedience. and he said, ‘know that knowledge is light. And the light of Allah is not bestowed upon a disobedient.

So it is certainly possible that seeking forgiveness causes Allah to give a person enlightenment.

Footnotes:* Wakee’ Ibn al-Jarraah was a famous scholar from the Salaf and one of the teachers of Imam ash-Shaafi`ee. He died in the year 196H.

Question: What is the ruling on someone who prays while some part of his Awrah (parts of the body that should be covered during the prayer) are uncovered and he does not realize it until after completing the prayer when someone informs him about it. Is his prayer correct or it is required from him to repeat the prayer?

Answer by Shaikh Saleh ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan (hafidhahullah), ‘No doubt that covering the awrah is from the conditions of Salaat with its pillars. Ibn Abdur-Barr (rahimahullah) said, ‘There is a consensus of the people of knowledge upon the annihilation of the Salaat if one prays while in the state of nakedness while he is able to dress himself.’ Or he said something similar. So, covering the Awrah is from the conditions of the soundness of the Salaat.

 However, there are details concerning what is mentioned in the question that the one who performed the prayer did not realize that some parts of his Awrah were uncovered until after he had completed his Salaat and those present near him informed him about it. If what was uncovered was too much, then the prayer has to be repeated. If what was uncovered was little and not intended, then the prayer is correct Insha’Allah based upon the narration,

 Narrated Amr ibn Salama, ‘…When my father returned, he said, ‘…The Prophet said, ‘…when the time for the prayer becomes due, …let the one amongst you who knows Qur’aan, the most should, lead the prayer.’ So they looked for such a person and found none who knew more Qur’aan than I because of the Qur’aanic material which I used to learn from the caravans. They therefore made me their Imam (to lead the prayer) and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years, wearing a Burda (i.e. a black square garment) proved to be very short for me (and my body became partly naked). A lady from the tribe said, ‘Won’t you cover the private part of your reciter for us?’ So they bought (a piece of cloth) and made a shirt for me…’ [Saheeh al-Bukharee]

So, it is proved that if some part of the awrah is uncovered, and it is a small part and unintended then the prayer is correct. However, if it was intentionally left open and he did not cover it while he was able to, then his prayer is incorrect, even if it was an insignificant (part of the awrah). And Allah knows best.’ [Arabic text of the Fatawa can be found at, www.alfuzan.com Fatawa no. 16603]

Recently it has become wide spread to receive an e-mail or a text message that includes a du’a or an advice. It reads: “I ask you by Allah to forward it”, or they might say: “if you forward it you will receive good news”. What is the ruling on such messages? Will I be sinful if I do not forward it?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Using modern means of communication such as mobile phones and e-mail to spread advice, exhortations, reminders and guidance is a good deed, because it is possible to reach hundreds of people with one click of the button. It is well known that the one who guides others to do good is like the one who does it, and that the one who calls others to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, as Muslim (2674) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever calls others to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.”

And Muslim (1893) narrated from Abu Mas’ood al-Ansaari (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“The one who tells another about something good is like the one who does it.”

If a Muslims writes some advice about the adhkaar for morning and evening, for example, and sends it to a hundred people, and many of them follow his advice, then he will have a great reward for that.

Hence we should make use of these means of communication and raise the level of the messages that are transmitted through them, so that they will be most effective and beneficial.

But sadly some people mix this good deed with a bad deed, which is a kind of lying and falsehood, such as saying, “If you forward this, you will hear some good news”! This is a kind of fortune-telling. There is no shar’i evidence that the one who receives advice and passes it on to another will hear good news, rather he may hear bad news, or good news, or he may not hear anything at all.

The same applies to the one who says, “I am entrusting you with this to forward it and spread it, or else you will be sinning if you do not do that,” or “Such and such will happen to the one who does not forward it.” All of this is false and there is no basis for it. The one to whom it is sent does not have to do anything and there is nothing to oblige him to forward it, and he is not sinning if he does not do that. There is no basis for stating that someone is sinning without any proof from sharee’ah, and there is no basis for speaking of the unseen future which no one knows except Allaah.

Stating that reward or punishment will come as the result of actions done is something that must be referred to Allaah. Whatever He has permitted is what is halaal, and whatever He has forbidden is what is haraam, and reward and punishment are in His hand. Whoever says anything about that without proof is lying. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم):‘(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al‑Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge’”

[al-A’raaf 7:33]

These people think that they are making people spread good by encouraging and warning them, but they are mistaken and they are overstepping the mark. They should limit themselves to that which is mentioned in sharee’ah, which is sufficient, praise be to Allaah, such as saying: “Whoever spreads this good, there is the hope that he will have a reward like that of all those who act upon it.” That should be sufficient to encourage people to spread it.

This explains the importance of knowledge, because most of those who do this only do it because of ignorance, like those who fabricated ahaadeeth and attributed them to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the basis of spreading good and encouraging people to do good, but they ended up telling lies of a type for which the one who tells them is given a stern warning, but he thought that he was earning reward!

Our aim is to point out the falseness of this method and to warn people against it. Hence we say:

The one who receives any of these false messages should advise the one who sent it and explain to him that he should stop using these false incentives, and he should not believe what it says in the message, that if he forwards it such and such will happen to him and if he does not forward it such and such will happen to him, because this is a kind of lie, as stated above.

May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.

And Allaah knows best.

From IslamQA

Assalamu Alaykum,

I’ve been wondering about this recently.. Alhamdulellah I found an answer and hope it is of benefit insha Allah

Question: How vigilant should a woman be about ascertaining when her menstrual period has come to an end? Does she have to wake up (with an alarm clock’s help) at Fajr time to go and check if her period has ended with time enough to spare for her to bathe and pray? Or, should she just wake up whenever she wakes up and then go and and check? My question is not about how to clinically determine that the period is over. I’m clear about that. I just want to know how vigilant she has to be.

Answered by Sheikh Muhammad Muhammad Sâlim `Abd al-Wadûd
A woman does not have to wake up at Fajr time during the last days of her menstrual cycle. She is not burdened with discovering the exact moment that her menstrual period comes to an end.

The women used to send samples of cotton to `Â’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) so she could judge for them when their periods came to an end. She would simply tell them not to be in such a hurry.

This shows us that showing an exaggerated concern for determining when the period comes to an end is contrary to the practice of our Pious Predecessors.

We also have the general axiom of Islamic Law that “certainty is not removed by doubt”. In this case, the woman knows she is on her period. She is not under any legal burden to act upon the possibility that her period is over. Therefore, she is not required to wake up at Fajr time to determine whether her period might be over.

Likewise, we have the principle of Islamic Jurisprudence known as istishâb al-hâl. This means that in Islamic Law, the default assumption is that things are still as they have previously been. Since the woman is already on her period, she is free to continue to assume that she is on her period until evidence shows her that it is otherwise. She is not called upon to go out of her way and verify that she is still on her period. When it becomes clear to her that her period is over, then she should take her bath and resume her prayers.

The matter is one in which there is great flexibility and leniency. It should never be a source of worry or anxiety for any woman.

Taken from  Islam Today