My View Regarding Islam-QA.com

Bismillaahi ar-Rahmaani ar-Raheem.

All praises and thanks are due to Allaah, we seek His Help and we seek his Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides then none can misguide him, and whosoever Allaah leaves to stray then none can guide him.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allaah, the One Who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is His servant and messenger.

As for what follows:

I received an email from a fellow Salafee brother in UK (which I don't think there's a need to mention his name), advising me against Islam-qa.com, the website attributed to Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Munajjid.

The advice against the website is on the basis of the statements of Shaykh Ahmad bin Yahyaa an-Najmee rahimahullaah and Shaykh Rabee' ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee hafizahullaah regarding Shaykh al-Munajjid, amongst which Shaykh al-Munajjid is described as close to the way of the Ikhwaanees, that he is Surooree, or that he is the head of Qutubiyyah.

So I say, Wallaahu a'lam, this matter is beyond my knowledge, and I appreciate the sincerity of the brother in advising me, for he would like me to be on righteousness and the correct path just as much as he like it for himself, in line with the hadeeth,

"None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." (Bukhaaree & Muslim)

May Allaah bless the brother for this.

However, I'd like to explain my view and position regarding Islam-qa.com

I find that the site is filled with explanations on the different aspects of the Deen, with evidences from the Qur'aan and Sunnah. The site also makes great effort in quoting the statements of scholars of the past and present, including the Kibaar al-'Ulamaa', the likes of Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah ibn Baaz, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen and others, not forgetting the statements of Lajnah Daa'imah.

It is due to this that I post articles from the site, to benefit from the statements of the scholars. And hardly do we find an article solely by Shaykh al-Munajjid himself.

Even if the article is "signed off" by Islam Q&A, as from what I know, the site has its own committee that maintains it.

Thus, my position is that I will continue to post articles from the site for the benefit that I have stated above.

With regards to Shaykh al-Munajjid, whether he is Surooree or Qutbee or Ikhwaanee, I am in no position to give any say but I will quote from Imaam Maalik who said:

"The statement of any person can be accepted or rejected except the statement of the occupant of this tomb." And he pointed to the tomb of the Prophet sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.

What is in accordance to the Sunnah, we shall take it and what is not in accordance to the Sunnah, we shall leave it.

Wallaahu a'lam

Biography of Shaykh Ahmad ibn Yahya an-Najmee

The shaykh died last Thursday, 24th July 2008. May Allah shower His mercy on his soul.

Refer to the following link for the Shaykh's biography.

http://www.fatwa-online.com/scholarsbiographies/15thcentury/ahmadannajmee.htm

Sikapku terhadap bersongkok/berkopiah

Pernah aku tidak bersetuju terhadap kebiasaan masyarakat yang hanya memakai songkok untuk solat atau tatkala ke masjid, lebih-lebih lagi terhadap mereka yang akan keluar rumah dengan tidak bersongkok, lalu mengenakannya hanya tatkala tiba di masjid.

Aku tidak setuju kerana yang aku faham, Sunnah Rasulullah sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam kalau berkopiah/berserban adalah sepanjang hari, kerana ia adalah sebahagian dari pakaian Baginda.

Maka bagiku, kalau seseorang ingin bersongkok/berkopiah/berserban, hendaklah sepanjang hari.. bukan seperti sebahagian imam masjid, yang akan pakai baju Melayu ke masjid dengan berkopiah putih. Setelah tiba di masjid, baru beliau berserban dan berjubah.

Walaupun aku tak menafikan baiknya berhias untuk solat, namun bagiku, kebiasaan begini tidak selaras dengan Sunnah yang dicontohkan Rasulullah sallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, sebagaimana yang telah aku sebutkan tadi.

Begitu juga, pernah aku baca tulisan Syeikh Al-Albani yang membid'ahkan perbuatan mengkhususkan pemakaian jubah dan serban hanya pada hari Jumaat.

Maka para teman akan dapati aku akan ke masjid dan solat berjemaah dan menghadiri kelas tanpa songkok/kopiah kerana memang pada hari itu aku tidak keluar rumah dengan bersongkok/berkopiah.

Dan aku terbaca dalam kitab Syarah Adab & Manfaat Menuntut Ilmu oleh Syeikh Muhammad bin Shalih al-'Utsaimin, yang aku tukil sebagai berikut:

Adapun kalau yang dilakukan oleh Rasulullah karena kebiasaan, apakah kita disyari'atkan untuk mengikuti beliau, misalnya memakai 'imamah (sorban penutup kepala) dan jubah? Jawabnya: "Ya, kita disyari'atkan untuk mengikutinya." Namun apa arti mengikuti Rasulullah di sini? Apakah kita harus memakai seperti yang dipakai oleh beliau ataukan hanya mengikuti jenis yang dipakai oleh beliau? Jawabnya adalah yang kedua, karena Rasulullah itu memakai pakaian yang dipakai oleh masyarakatnya pada waktu itu. Atas dasar ini maka kami katakan: "Bahwasanya yang Sunnah adalah memakai pakaian yang menjadi kebiasaan masyarakat, selama hal itu tidak diharamkan, namun jika diharamkan maka wajib menjauhinya."

Dan bersongkok/berkopiah bukanlah kebiasaan masyarakat Melayu lagi. Ya, walaupun orang memakainya ke masjid, tapi tak lagi kebiasaan dalam erti kata memakainya sebagai sebahagian pakaian harian.

Namun tak bererti aku tidak akan memakai baju Melayu bila ke masjid. Cuma aku tidak bersongkok/berkopiah, lebih-lebih lagi jika aku menaiki bas atau MRT, kerana akan ternampak janggalnya kerana pakaianku (bersongkok/berkopiah) bukan kebiasaan masyarakat.

Namun, ku renungi kembali.. Sikapku mmg wajar, namun setibanya di masjid, aku harus mengenakan kopiah kerana kebiasaannya orang berkopiah bila di masjid, terlebih lagi majlis ilmu..

Benar juga.. Cuma jika dihujah demikian, perbincangan ini dah kembali kepada apa yang disebutkan di awal tadi.. masih tidak selaras dengan Sunnah Rasulullah..

Dan aku renungkan.. wajibnya bersongkok/berkopiah ketika menghadiri majlis ilmu di masjid?

Hadith Jibril berkenaan Islam, Iman dan Ihsan menunjukkan Malaikat Jibril (yang menyerupai manusia) memakai pakaian yang sebaik-baiknya (dengan berjubah putih) dan rambutnya hitam (yakni rapi).. dan tidak disebutkan beliau berkopiah atau berserban..

Dari hadith ini aku simpulkan sebagai pegangan diriku sendiri, yang dituntut adalah memakai pemakaian yang menunjukkan penampilan yang baik ketika ke masjid dan ke majlis ilmu, tidak semestinya berkopiah/bersongkok.

Bahkan tidak mengapa kalau imam masjid sendiri tidak berkopiah, sebagaimana ada sebuah video di Youtube menunjukkan seorang imam masjid tidak berkopiah, walaupun jemaahnya berkopiah.

Wallahu a'lam

Is it permissible for him to open a business offering treatment with ruqyah and cupping?

I am a young Muslim man who is among those who call people to the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Three years ago I started to recite ruqyahs that are prescribed in sharee’ah for people, according to proper guidelines but not in any organized fashion, in return for money which I use on some of my needs. Allaah decreed that my ruqyahs be accepted and Allaah has healed many people at my hands and guided others to the right path and helped them to believe in His Oneness and to keep away from shirk, despite the hassles that I have faced from some of the charlatans, biased people and those who seek to prevent shar’i ruqyah which they describe as bid’ah and haraam earnings. Too many people started coming to me and urging to help them because there are no people who devote their time to reciting ruqyah. All of these people are coming to me for ruqyah in my home which is very humble, which causes me a lot of hardship and difficulty, and it bothers my family because people knock at the door so much, and I have started to neglect my other duties because of reciting ruqyah for them because I feel too shy to refuse. I thought of renting a place which I can use specifically for reciting ruqyah as prescribed in sharee’ah and cupping in return for approximately 20 riyals for doing ruqyah for one person, and that charge will go towards paying the rent and some of my essential needs. But I was surprised when some Muslims who claim to have knowledge denounced me for specializing in this and said that specializing in this was a bid’ah and was not known among the salaf of this ummah, and that money earned in this way is haraam.
It is permissible to open a clinic for ruqyahs that are prescribed in sharee’ah and cupping in return for money, especially since I am in need and am not well off, and I have responsibilities towards my family, and I am suffering from a chronic illness and cannot do heavy work, and the Muslims are in need of someone who can specialize in ruqyah and call them to Tawheed and forbid them from shirk?
If it is permissible to open a Qur’aanic clinic, then after that I find a job, there are further questions to be answered:
1- Should I stop doing ruqyah and take this job even though this would result in several negative consequences such as not being able to do this good deed and this will create a vacuum in this area?
2- Should I combine both and try to reconcile between them without letting one of them affect the other?
3- Should I refuse to work and be content with doing ruqyah because it benefits others and serves the interests of the Muslims?
If it is not permissible to open a Qur’aanic clinic:
1- Should I stop doing ruqyah altogether?
2- Is it better to carry on doing ruqyah in my house and not specialize in it, and put up with people’s annoyances?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

If the situation is as described, that you recite ruqyahs that are prescribed in sharee’ah and the people really need that, then we ask Allaah to reward you and help you and guide you. There is nothing wrong with you receiving payment in return for that.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: We heard of some people who treat others by means of the Qur’aan; they recite Qur’aan and du’aa’s that are prescribed in sharee’ah over water or olive oil as a remedy for witchcraft, the evil eye and madness (the touch of the shaytaan), and they receive payment for that. Is this permissible according to sharee’ah? Does reciting over water or olive oil come under the same ruling as reciting over the sick person himself?

He replied:

There is nothing wrong with receiving payment for reciting ruqyah for one who is sick, because it is proven in al-Saheehayn that a group of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set out on a journey and travelled until they made came near one of the Arab tribes. (These people were either kaafirs or very stingy, as Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in al-Madaarij). They asked them for hospitality but they refused to do so. Then the leader of that tribe was stung, and they tried everything but nothing helped him. Then some of them said, Why don’t you go to those people who are staying (nearby)? Maybe some of them have something. So they went to them and said, O people, our leader has been stung and we have tried everything and nothing helped him. Do any of you have something? One of them said, Yes, by Allaah. I will perform ruqyah for him, but by Allaah we asked you for hospitality and you did not give us anything, so we will not perform ruqyah for you unless you give us something in return. So they agreed on a flock of sheep, then he started to blow on him and recite Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen. Then he recovered quickly from his complaint and started walking, and there was nothing wrong with him. Then they have them what they had agreed to, and some of them (the Sahaabah) said, Let us share it out. The one who had performed ruqyah said, Do not do anything until we come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and tell him what happened, and we will wait and see what he tells us to do. So they came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him what had happened. He said, “How did you know that it is a ruqyah?” Then he said, “You did the right thing.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2115) and Muslim(4080).

There is nothing wrong with reciting over water or olive oil to treat the sick person, the one on whom a spell has been cast or the one who is insane, but reciting over the patient and blowing over him is better and preferable. Abu Dawood (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated with a hasan isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited over water for Thaabit ibn Qays ibn Shammaas and poured it over him. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is nothing wrong with ruqyah that does not involve shirk.” Muslim (4079). This saheeh hadeeth is general in meaning and includes ruqyah recited over the patient himself and ruqyah recited over water and olive oil etc. And Allaah is the Source of strength. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (19/338).

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked about a man who performed ruqyah for people in return for payment, and he did not know anything but that which was proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he referred to the books of trustworthy scholars concerning that.

They replied:

If the situation is as you describe and you treat the sick with ruqyahs that are prescribed in sharee’ah, and you do not recite any ruqyahs except those that are proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and you are keen to refer concerning that to that which was stated by the great scholar Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his well known books, and what was written by the great scholar Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Zaad al-Ma’aad and other similar books by Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, then you work is permissible, and your efforts are appreciated and will be rewarded in sha Allaah. And there is nothing wrong with you receiving payment for that, because of the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) to which you referred in your question. End quote.

The hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri is the hadeeth mentioned above, about reciting al-Faatihah as a ruqyah for the man who had been stung by a scorpion.

As ruqyah is permissible and it is permissible to receive payment for it, it makes no difference whether that is in your home or in a rented place, or in separate premises, so as to ward off hardship for the family at home. There is no basis for those who object to that on the grounds that it is not known that the salaf earned a living in this manner; once it is proven that job is permissible and that being paid for it is permissible, the view that this profession is haraam is the view of one who speaks without knowledge.

Al-Bukhaari said in his Saheeh in Kitaab al-Ijaarah (the Book of Employment): Chapter on what is given for reciting the Opening of the Book (al-Faatihah) as a ruqyah for an Arab tribe. Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The most deserving thing for which you receive payment is the Book of Allaah.” End quote.

Secondly:

In the answer to question no. 71303 we stated that there is a difference of scholarly opinion with regard to receiving payment for cupping. The correct view is that it is permissible and is not haraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) only disallowed it in the sense of it being makrooh, not haraam.

Thirdly:

There is nothing wrong with you opening a clinic to treat people with ruqyah and cupping, as stated above. Even if you find other work, you do not have to give up ruqyah; you could combine both types of work if you think that is appropriate, without it affecting you or your family.

If treating the sick with ruqyah offers a good opportunity to call them to Allaah, advise them and direct them towards what is good – as you say – then you should not give up this work, even if other work becomes available to you. This is a way of doing good to others.

The one who offers this treatment should remember that Allaah is always watching him, in secret and in public, so he should be easy going with people and not press them for payment or the cost of the treatment, and he should remind them that healing is in the hand of Allaah alone. He should remind them to repent to Allaah and give up the sins that lead to many problems and calamities.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/60162/ruqyah

Is epilepsy caused by the jinn?

Since epilepsy is caused by jinn, how do we explain the black woman who came to the Prophet (saaws) asking for him to invoke Allah for her cure of her illness of epilepsy and coming uncovered, but there was no mention of jinn possession? Or is there a mistake in translation and it wasn't really epilepsy?

Praise be to Allaah.

Epilepsy in most cases is caused by the jinn, and in some cases by some defect in the body, brain or nerves, or mood swings, or some weakness in the physical structure. All of these may cause loss of consciousness or unbalanced behaviour. The black woman’s epilepsy may have been caused by the jinn, but there was no need to mention the cause, which is why the narrators only mentioned what needs to be done when epilepsy occurs, for whatever reason, of making du’aa’ and performing ruqyah, or bearing it with patience and seeking the reward from Allaah.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

The hadeeth about the black woman is narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari (5652) and Saheeh Muslim (2576). In some versions of the hadeeth there is an indication that her epilepsy was caused by the jinn. For example, in a version narrated by al-Bazzaar, she said, “I am afraid that the evil one may cause me to become uncovered.” Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: “It may be understood from some of the different versions of the hadeeth that what Umm Zafar was suffering from was the kind of epilepsy caused by the jinn and not that which results from dysfunction in the brain.”

Fath al-Baari, hadeeth no. 5652.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/9117/ruqyah


Ibn Shamsud-Deen:
If that's the case, I'd say "panic attack" is also caused by jinn. This is due to the fact that jinns can attack a person who is in a state of shiddah al-ghadab (too happy, too sad, too angry or too frightened) and the "trigger factor" to a panic attack is usually something that scares or frightens the person a great deal. Wallahu a'lam

Reciting Qur’aan over water for ruqyah and heating it because the weather is cold

I am a young Muslim man who has been affected by some kind of sihr (witchcraft). With regard to ruqyah by reciting Qur’aan, can I recite the Qur’aanic verses myself over the water? Do I have to remove all my clothes when doing ghusl? And finally, is it permissible to heat the water because the weather is cold?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

We ask Allaah to heal you, make you well and divert away from you that which you are experiencing.

Secondly:

It is permissible for you to recite Qur’aan over water and to drink some of it and wash yourself with it. This has been discussed and what should be recited to cure spells has been mentioned in the answer to question no. 12918.

With regard to what you mention about reading for yourself over water; in Saheeh al-Bukhaari (5735) and Saheeh Muslim (2192) it is narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) blew over himself and recited al-Mi’wadhatayn during his final sickness. When his pain got worse, I would recite over him and wipe his hand over him, seeking its blessing.

Mu’ammar said: I asked al-Zuhri how he used to blow over himself. He said: He used to blow into his hands then wipe them over his face.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The words “in his final sickness” do not mean it is limited to that, rather ‘Aa’ishah indicated that this happened at the end of his life and that it was not abrogated. End quote.

Thirdly:

It is not essential to remove all one’s clothes when doing ghusl, whether it is ghusl for ruqyah or to cleanse oneself from janaabah and so on. What matters is that the water should reach the skin.

‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) would do ghusl without taking off his clothes, because of his deep modesty (may Allaah be pleased with him). Narrated by Ahmad (543) with a hasan isnaad.

In Kitaab al-Ghusl of his Saheeh, Imam al-Bukhaari included a chapter entitled: One who does ghusl naked when he is alone and in seclusion, but whoever can cover himself, covering is better. Bahz ibn Hakeem narrated from his father, from his grandfather, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that Allaah is more deserving that we be modest before Him than other people.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: When he said it is better, this means that it is permissible to wash oneself when naked, and this is the view of the majority of scholars. End quote.

There is nothing wrong with heating the water and reciting over it.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/96793/ruqyah

What conditions should be met by a “raaqi”*?

There was a debate about those who read Qur’aan to treat people with ruqyah*. Some people said that it is not permissible for ordinary people to use the Qur’aan to treat people with ruqyah; this should only be done by those who are well-versed in knowledge of sharee’ah. Others say that it is sufficient for the one who wants to use ruqyah to have memorized the Book of Allaah, to have a sound belief, to be righteous and to have taqwa. I hope that you can dispel our confusion on this matter and give us the shar’i ruling.
[*Ruqyah = reciting the Qur’aan over a sick person for purposes of healing;
raaqi = the person who does this.]

Praise be to Allaah.

The correct view is that it is permissible for every reader who can recite the Qur’aan well and who understands its meanings, has a sound belief, does righteous deeds and is of upright conduct to use ruqyah. It is not essential for him to have knowledge of minor matters or to have studied all branches of knowledge in depth. This is because of the story of Abu Sa’eed and the man who had been stung by a scorpion, “… and we did not know that he ever did ruqyah before that incident”, as is stated in the hadeeth. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2276; Muslim, 2201). The raaqi must have a good intention and want to benefit the Muslim; he should not be concerned with money or payment, so that his reading will be more beneficial.

And Allaah knows best.

From Al-Lu’lu’ al-Makeen min Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen, p. 22.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/7874/ruqyah

Haraam issues in modern anaasheed and the conditions of nasheed being permissible

Are the modern nasheeds permissible ‘video clips’? Is it not similar to the normal songs of ‘kuffar’? Are these video clips permissible although it includes women wearing makeup and showing their faces and hands, many sound effects and men without beards. Is it permissible for all this to be displayed? Please answer in details. May Allah reward you!.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Nasheeds have changed from what they were at first.

Unfortunately nasheeds and munshids (nasheed-“singers”) have sunk to this level. Whereas nasheeds used to have meanings of faith, jihad and knowledge, they have now – in many cases – become akin to the songs of evildoers, with softening of the voice, putting a picture of the munshid on the cover of the tape, and making video clips to accompany the nasheed, which contain haraam things such as the presence of women or evildoers, and using musical instruments. The best of them nowadays are those that use sound effects that mimic the sound of musical instruments. No attention is paid to the meaning, rather all the attention is focused on the tune and other sound effects. Otherwise tell me how a munshid can produce a nasheed in English which the [Arab] listeners enjoy listening to so much even though they do not understand a single word of it?!

Nasheeds have overtaken other kinds of educational and beneficial audio material and nasheed groups have proliferated in the Muslim world. These groups do not hesitate to publish pictures of their groups in newspapers and magazines wearing identical clothing, and their faces often proclaim their going against the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as they have shaved their beards. Some Qur’aan readers whom Allaah has blessed with beautiful voices and talent in reading that makes one weep have followed in their footsteps. Some of them became very keen to go down that path and released some recordings which do not befit their status. So you may find one of them producing a recording with some clean-shaven evildoers and pictures of women appearing in the video clip with the nasheed. The camera zooms in on the face of the munshid when he is looking his best and he stares soulfully into the camera and behaves like a pop singer.

We are not exaggerating, and we are not talking about things that do not happen. These munshids who publish their pictures and mobile phone numbers know that women are tempted by them, and they know what effect their movements and looks and images have on that weak section of mankind. Unfortunately we only see them producing more of these nasheeds with images.

Hence some of the prominent Shaykhs who permitted nasheeds at first were upset by what nasheeds and munshids have become – and this was before they found out about the video clips – so they retracted the view that it is permissible or they stipulated conditions for it to be said to be permissible. Among these prominent Shaykhs are: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).

1. He said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

I think that Islamic nasheeds have changed from what they were before. They were done with voices that were not enchanting, but now they are done with enchanting voices, and they are also accompanied by evil and corrupting tunes and they say that they are accompanied by the duff, but all of this means that one should keep away from these nasheeds. But if a man comes to us and sings anaasheed that have a sound meaning, and which do not include any nonsense, and uses his voice only with no musical instruments, there is nothing wrong with that. Hassaan ibn Thaabit used to recite poetry in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Duroos wa Fataawa al-Haram al-Madani, 1416 AH, question no. 18.

2. He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

There has been a lot of talk about Islamic nasheeds. I have not listened to them for a long time. When they first appeared there was nothing wrong with them. There were no duffs, and they were performed in a manner that did not involve any fitnah, and they were not performed with the tunes of haraam songs. But then they changed and we began to hear a rhythm that may have been a duff or it may have been something other than a duff, and they began to choose performers with beautiful and enchanting voices, then they changed further and began to be performed in the manner of haraam songs. Hence we began to feel uneasy about them, and unable to issue fatwas stating that they were permissible in all cases, or that they were forbidden in all cases. If they are free of the things that I have referred to then they are permissible, but if they are accompanied by the duff or performers are chosen who have beautiful and enchanting voices, or they are performed in the manner of indecent songs, then it is not permissible to listen to them.

Al-Sahwah al-Islamiyyah (p. 185).

3. Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

As for that which is called Islamic nasheeds, they have been given more time and effort than they deserve, to such an extent that they have become an art form which takes up space in school curricula and school activities, and the recording companies record huge numbers of them to sell and distribute, and most houses are full of them, and many young men and women listen to them, and it takes up a lot of their time, and they are listened to more than recordings of Qur’aan, Sunnah, lectures and useful lessons.

Al-Bayaan li Akhta’ Ba’d al-Kuttaab (p. 342).

4. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

I remember full well that when I was in Damascus, two years before I migrated here to ‘Ammaan, some of the Muslim youth started to sing some anaasheed that had sound meanings, intending thereby to counteract the Sufi songs like the Busayri poems and others, and they recorded that on tapes, but soon it was accompanied by beating the duff! At first they used it in wedding parties, on the basis that the duff is permissible in such parties, then the tapes became widespread and copies were made of them, and they started to be used in many homes, and they started to listen to them day and night, whether there was an occasion or not. That became their way of relaxing. But that is due only to their whims and desires and their ignorance of the shaytaan’s tricks, so he diverted them from paying attention to the Qur’aan and listening to it, let alone studying it, and it became forsaken by them, as it says in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) will say: ‘O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’aan (neither listened to it nor acted on its laws and teachings)’” [al-Furqaan 25:30].

Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarb (p. 181, 182).

It is regrettable that some of those who appoint themselves to issue fatwas have reached such a level that they issues fatwas to adult women allowing them to perform nasheed in front of men, and even on satellite channels in front of millions, and these female performers use musical instruments which are forbidden in sharee’ah, but are permitted by this so-called mufti.

Secondly:

The guidelines and conditions of permissible nasheeds:

By studying the words of the scholars and trustworthy Shaykhs we may compile a list of guidelines and shar’i conditions which must be fulfilled for the nasheed to be permissible. That includes:

1. The words of the nasheed must be free of haraam and foolish words.

2. The nasheed should not be accompanied by musical instruments. No musical instrument is permitted except the duff for women on certain occasions. See the answer to question no. 20406.

3. It should be free of sound effects that imitate musical instruments, because what counts is what appears to be the case, and imitating haraam instruments is not permissible, especially when the bad effect is the same as that which happens with real instruments.

4. Listening to nasheed should not become a habit which takes up a person’s time and affects his duties and mustahabb actions, such as affecting his reading of Qur’aan and calling others to Allaah.

5. The performer of a nasheed should not be a woman performing in front of men, or a man with an enchanting appearance or voice performing in front of women.

6. One should avoid listening to performers with soft voices who move their bodies in rhythm, because there is fitnah in all of that and it is an imitation of the evildoers.

7. One should avoid the images that are put on the covers of their tapes, and more important than that, one should avoid the video clips that accompany their nasheeds, especially those which contain provocative movements and imitations of immoral singers.

8. The purpose of the nasheed should be the words, not the tune.

There follow some of the comments of the scholars which include the guidelines and conditions mentioned above.

1. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

To sum up, what is well known in the Islamic religion is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not prescribe for the righteous, devoted worshippers and ascetics of his ummah to gather to listen to poetic verses recited to the accompaniment of clapping or the beating of a duff. It is not permissible for anyone to deviate from following him and following that which he brought of the Book and wisdom, whether that has to do with inward or outward matters, either for an ordinary man or a member of the elite. But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted concessions allowing some kinds of entertainment in weddings and the like, and he allowed women to beat the duff during weddings and other celebrations.

As for the men of his era, not one of them used to beat the duff or clap, rather it is proven in al-Saheeh that he said: “Clapping is for women, and tasbeeh is for men” and he cursed the women who imitate men and the men who imitate women.

Because singing, beating the duff and clapping are things that women do, the salaf used to call a man who did those things effeminate, and they called men who sang effeminate, and this is well known among their sayings. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (11/565, 566).

2. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Islamic anasheed vary. If they are sound and contain nothing but calling people to what is good, and reminding them of what is good, and obedience to Allaah and His Messenger, and calling people to defend their homelands against the plots of the enemy, and preparing to face the enemy and so on, there is nothing wrong with that. But if they are something other than that, and they promote sin and and are performed before mixed audiences of men and women, or audiences in which women are uncovered in the presence of men, or any other evil action, then it is not permissible to listen to them. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (3/437).

3. He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

Islamic nasheeds are like poetry: if it is sound then it is sound and if there is anything objectionable in it then it is objectionable.

The conclusion is that you cannot pass one judgement on all types of nasheed, rather each should be examined on its own merits. There is nothing wrong with sound nasheeds, but nasheeds which contain anything objectionable or promote anything objectionable are objectionable and evil. End quote.

Shareet As’ilah wa Ajwabah al-Jaami’ al-Kabeer (no. 90/A).

4. The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:

It is permissible for you to replace these songs with Islamic nasheeds which contain words of wisdom and exhortation and lessons, which promote keenness to follow Islam and invoke Islamic feelings, which put one off evil and the things that promote it, and which motivate the one who “sings” them and the one who hears them to obey Allaah and discourage them to disobey Him or transgress His limits; they make one keen to protect His sharee’ah and strive in jihad for His sake. But you should not take that as a habit which one persists in, rather that should be something that is done only sometimes, on special occasions such as weddings or when travelling for jihad and so on, and when one feels low, in order to revive the spirit and motivate oneself to do good, or when one feels inclined towards evil, so listening to such nasheeds may ward that off. End quote.

Fataawa Islamiyyah (4/533); we have quoted the fatwa in full in the answer to question no. 47996 and 67925.

5. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There may be another sin involved in that [i.e., nasheeds], which is that they may be performed in the manner of immoral songs and performed according to the rules of eastern or western music which makes the listeners enjoy it and makes them dance and behave in a foolish manner. So the aim becomes the tune and the enjoyment thereof, and not nasheed per se. This is a new error, and it is an imitation of the kuffaar and immoral people. That may lead to a further error, which is imitating them in turning away from the Qur’aan and forsaking it, and being included in the general meaning of the complaint of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) will say: ‘O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’aan (neither listened to it nor acted on its laws and teachings)’” [al-Furqaan 25:30]. End quote from Tahreem Alaat al-Tarb (p. 181).

6. He also said:

If these anaasheed contain Islamic meanings and are not accompanied by any instruments such as the daff, tablah drum and so on, then there is nothing wrong with them, but we must point out an important condition of their being permissible, which is that they should be free of anything that goes against sharee’ah, such as exaggeration and the like. Then there is another condition, which is that they should not become a habit, because that distracts the listeners from reading Qur’aan which is encouraged in the Sunnah, and it also distracts them from seeking beneficial knowledge and calling people to Allaah. End quote.

Majallat al-Asaalah (issue no. 2, 15 Jumaada al-Aakhirah 1413 AH).

7. In the answer to question no. 11563 we mentioned a number of guidelines, which we will mention again here, because they are useful:

Not using forbidden musical instruments in nasheed.

Not doing it too much or making it the focus of the Muslim’s mind, occupying all his time, or neglecting obligatory duties because of it.

Nasheed should not be recited by women, or include haraam or obscene speech.

They should not resemble the tunes of the people of immorality and promiscuity.

They should be free of vocal effects that produce sounds like those of musical instruments.

They should not have moving tunes which make the listener feel “high” as happens to those who listen to songs. This is the case with many of the nasheeds which appear nowadays, so that the listeners no longer pay any attention to the good meaning of the words, because they are so entranced by the tunes.

We have too high an opinion of our brothers who perform nasheeds and recite Qur’aan to think that they could be a cause of fitnah for young men and women, and a cause of their being distracted from obedience to Allaah. They know how great an effect their voices and pictures may have on males and females; if you go to chat rooms you will see very weird things. You will see a woman who is infatuated with a munshid or one who cannot sleep unless she is listening to the voice of So and so, and those who call themselves ‘aashiqat fulaan (lover of So and so – a munshid) and you see men and women venerating those munshids, giving them titles and high status, even though some of them are not religiously committed at all, and some of them have fallen into the trap of singing immoral songs, and if you go to some websites that have these nasheeds, you will be surprised at how often these nasheeds are downloaded and how many people have no interest in listening to Qur’aan and useful lectures.

We ask Allaah to set the affairs of all of us straight.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/91142

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"Shall I inform you of the greatest sins and in another variation he repeated this three times. We the companions said, "Certainly, O messenger of Allah! He (saw) said: "Associating anyone with Allah, disobedience to parents".
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Should every country be obliged to follow a particular madhhab (school of thought)?

Should every country be obliged with a specific school of thought? Should it be the only school of thought to be taught in this country, not any other madh-hab? I mean to teach the rulings prescribed by a specific school of thought regardless the other opinions? May Allah reward you!.

Praise be to Allaah.

With regard to ijtihaad and taqleed, people in a country fall into two categories:

1 – The scholars and mujtahids who have reached a level of shar’i knowledge where they have the tools of ijtihaad and instinbaat, whereby they are able to derive rulings. Their duty is to follow the truth wherever they see it, on the basis of evidence.

2 – The vast majority of people – those who have not specialized in study of shar’i sciences or have not reached the level of being able to engage in ijtihaad and being qualified to issue fatwas. These are the majority of people, or those who are educated and specialized in other fields of knowledge.

Their duty – in both shar’i and natural terms – is to ask the people of knowledge and take from them. We see this in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you know not”

[al-Nahl 16:43]

So the people of each country are obliged to ask the scholars and follow their fatwas, but they are not to follow absolutely in the sense that they regard the one whom they follow as infallible and sacred, with the right to legislate and decide religious issues on the basis of their own ideas– as happened among the Jews, Christians, Raafidis, extreme Sufis and Baatinis – because that is going beyond the bounds of religion and taking rivals and gods besides Allaah, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allaah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilaah (God — Allaah) Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)”

[al-Tawbah 9:31]

The idea behind obliging people to follow the fatwas of the scholars is to enable them to learn the rulings of sharee’ah via the specialists who have studied the principles and usool of sharee’ah and have reached the stage of being qualified in that field of knowledge based on evidence, not sanctity given in the name of the Lord or in the name of “sainthood” and other such false notions.

Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (20/211):

Allaah has enjoined upon mankind to obey Him and obey His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but He has not enjoined upon this ummah to obey anyone in particular in all that he enjoins or forbids, apart from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Even the Siddeeq of this ummah and the best of them after its Prophet (i.e., Abu Bakr) said: “Obey me so long as I obey Allaah, but if I disobey Allaah, then you are not obliged to obey me.” They are all unanimously agreed that there is no one who is infallible in all that he enjoins or forbids except the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Hence more than one of the imams said: The words of any person may be adopted or abandoned except the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). End quote.

Secondly:

There remains the question of defining the scholars or scholarly references who are to be relied upon.

We may say that there are two scholarly sources to whom reference should be made at an ummah-wide level and at an individual level. They are:

1. Contemporary resources, represented by fiqh councils and sharee’ah committees which are established by trustworthy religious scholars; individual scholars who are qualified and specialized in shar’i sciences, from whom the people should learn and benefit from their guidance, especially with regard to issues in people’s daily lives and in novel, contemporary issues, and also with regard to matters which need to be reviewed and thoroughly re-examined in the light of shar’i and rational evidence, paying attention to people’s interests and warding off evils, alleviating difficulty and avoiding hardship, in cases where following one of the four madhhabs may cause difficulty and hardship, because one of the basic aims of sharee’ah is to make things easy, not cause hardship.

2. Classical resources, namely the four well known madhhabs, the Hanafi, Maaliki, Shaafa’i and Hanbali. These resources are more deserving of being followed and their teachings adhered to, because the laws that people agree to refer to and use to judge between themselves; the curriculum that is decided for seekers of knowledge in halaqahs and schools and at different academic stages that those who specialize in sharee’ah and fiqhi knowledge go through; the legacy which should be well established in people’s minds, and form their fiqhi culture; the source that everyone who does not have the opportunities that the mujtahideen have to study many issues and reach a conclusion concerning it; and the discipline that puts an end to conflicts and disputes in society and blocks the door to whims and desires and weird opinions – all of that is represented in the four madhhabs, which is the greatest reason why they should be followed.

Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab says in his essay entitled al-Radd ‘ala man attaba’a ghayra al-Madhaahib al-Arba’ah (2/624) (which was published in a collection of his essays):

The wisdom of Allaah dictated that this religion and its guidelines should be protected by means of appointing leaders of the people concerning whom the ummah is unanimously on their knowledge and understanding, and that they reached the highest level of knowledge of rulings and fatwas among ahl al-ra’y wa’l-hadeeth. So the people became dependent on them for fatwas, and referred to them to understand rulings. So Allaah guided them to set guidelines for their madhhabs and explain foundations and principles, so that the madhhab of each imam has its own guidelines, principles and categories, in the light of which rulings and issues of halaal and haraam are to be understood.

This is by the mercy of Allaah towards His slaves, and it is one of the ways in which He preserves this religion.

Were it not for that, people would have seen strange things, whereby every fool who was filled with self-admiration could have tried to mislead the people; so you would have seen such fools claiming to be great imams, saying that they were the guide of this ummah and the only ones to whom people should refer and rely on, to the exclusion of all others.

But by the mercy and grace of Allaah, this door, which could have lead to grave danger, has been blocked and these great evils have been kept away. That is a sign of His great mercy and kindness towards His slaves.

Despite this, there are still those who claim to have reached the level of ijtihaad and talk about issues of knowledge without following any of these four imams.

The claims of some of them may be accepted because of evidence which proves their claims, and others may be rejected. As for those who did not reach this level, they have no choice but to follow those imams and join in what all the ummah joined in. End quote.

He also said (2/628):

If it is asked: What do you say about the fact that Imam Ahmad and other imams forbade imitating or following them, or writing their words, as Imam Ahmad said: Do not write down my words or the words of So and so; learn as we learned? This appears often in their words.

We say: No doubt Imam Ahmad (may Allaah be pleased with him) told them not to study the opinions of the fuqaha’ and spending time on memorizing them and writing them down, and he enjoined instead: spending time on studying the Qur’aan and Sunnah, seeking to memorize and understand and write and study them; writing down the reports of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een rather than the words of those who came after them; determining which reports were sound and which were unsound, what may be followed and what is odd and should be rejected. No doubt this is what one should pay attention to and spend one’s time learning, before anything else.

Whoever studies that and attains a high level of knowledge – as Imam Ahmad enjoined people to do – his knowledge will become close to that of Ahmad. For this person there are no restrictions, and we are not speaking about him here. Rather what we are speaking about is restraining those who have not reached this pinnacle, who understand only a little, as is the case with people nowadays, and as has been the case for a long time; even though many claim to have reached this pinnacle, most of them have not progressed beyond a beginner level.

The one who studies the history of fiqh and legislation will realize that throughout all stages it was built on the efforts of some scholars who became known among people for their knowledge, and news of their virtue and piety spread far and wide, then people began taking religious rulings from them, in most cases referring to their statements and fatwas.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een (1/17):

Religion, fiqh and knowledge became widespread in the ummah, narrated from the companions of Ibn Mas’ood, the companions of Zayd ibn Thaabit, the companions of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar and the companions of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas. Most of the knowledge that the people have comes from the companions of these four. For the people of Madeenah, their knowledge came from the companions of Zayd ibn Thaabit and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar. For the people of Makkah, their knowledge came from the companions of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas. For the people of Iraq, their knowledge came from the companions of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood. End quote.

The scholar and commentator Ahmad Pasha Taymoor (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Madhaahib al-Fiqhiyyah al-Arba’ah (16-17): Before the emergence of these madhhabs, at the time of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, fatwas were taken from the qurra’s among them, who were the bearers of the Book of Allaah and understood its meanings. When their era finished and the generation of the Taabi’een came after them, the people of each country followed the fatwas of the Sahaabah who had been among them, and they did not go beyond that except in a few matters that reached them from others. So the people of Madeenah for the most part followed the fatwas of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar; the people of Kufah followed the fatwas of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood; the people of Makkah followed the fatwas of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas; and the people of Egypt followed the fatwas of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas.

After the Taabi’een came the fuqaha’ of the various regions, such as Abu Haneefah, Maalik and others whom we have mentioned and whom we have not mentioned. So the people of each region followed the madhhab of the faqeeh for the most part. There are reasons why some of these madhhabs spread in other lands and some became extinct… End quote.

That does not mean that one should blindly adhere to one madhhab or opinion, in the sense of obliging people to follow it to the letter without any ijtihaad or effort to correct it. Rather the point is that the school of fiqhi thought that people, seekers of knowledge and scholars should study should be taken from one of the four madhhabs. Then, if it becomes clear to one who is qualified to engage in ijtihaad that the madhhab is mistaken on a specific issue, he should reject that fatwa and follow the view that he thinks is correct from the other madhhabs.

Thus people may adhere to the academic way which was followed by the salaf and imams, and they may rid themselves of some of the negatives that resulted from ignorance and blind following.

It says in Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraheem (2/10, tape 2):

Following one of the four madhhabs is correct, rather it is like consensus, and there are no reservations about that, such as saying that one follows one of the four, because they are qualified imams according to consensus.

People have two extremes and a moderate way with regard to that:

Some people do not think that we should follow any madhhab at all. This is wrong.

Some follow their madhhab to the letter without paying any attention to study or research.

Some people think that following a madhhab is correct and there are no reservations about it, so wherever they find stronger evidence with one of the four or with someone else, they follow it. In cases where the issue is supported by a text or is clear, no attention should be paid to the madhhabs, but if there is an issue concerning which there is no text or it is not clear, but there are some views concerning it in these madhhabs, and you see stronger evidence with a scholar who differs from these four madhhabs, then you may follow that. End quote.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/28):

What is the ruling on restricting oneself to the four madhhabs and following their opinions in all circumstances and at all times?

Answer:

- The one who is able to derive rulings directly from the Qur’aan and Sunnah should derive them as those who came before him did. There is no justification for him to follow a view when he believes that the correct view is something opposite. Rather he should follow what he believes is true. It is permissible for him to follow (another scholar) with regard to that which he is not able to work out himself and he needs an answer concerning it.

- It is permissible for one who is not able to derive rulings to follow one whom he feels comfortable following. But if he feels any sense of unease he should ask until he feels comfortable.

- From the above it is clear that their views should not be followed in all situations and at all times, because they may be wrong; rather the truth of what they say, for which there is evidence, should be followed. End quote.

It also says (5/54-55):

All of these came after the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and were among the best people of their time (may Allaah be pleased with them). They strove hard to base their rulings on the Qur’aan and the ahaadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). That on which the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) were unanimously agreed and which they explained to the people is the truth. Their views have been transmitted to us and have spread among Muslims in all lands. Many of the scholars who came after them followed them because they trusted them and felt comfortable entrusting their religious commitment to them, because they agreed on the general principles that they followed and spread their views among the people. Those who followed them of the ordinary people and acted according to what they learned of their views may be attributed to the ones they followed. Yet (the ordinary Muslim) has to ask those whom he trusts of the scholars of his own era and cooperate with them in order to understand the correct view on the basis of evidence.

From the above it is clear that they are followers of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Messenger is not a follower of them. Rather what he brought from Allaah of the laws of Islam is the basis to which all these imams and others referred. Any Muslim may be called haneefi because he follows the easy haneefi way which is the way of Ibraaheem and the way of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

See also questions no. 5523, 5459, 23280 and 26269.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/103339

PS. So it's time for MUIS not to be restricted to the Shafi'ee madhhab..

Specifying a prayer rug for the Imam in the mosque

In reference to an earlier entry (http://ibnshamsuddeen.multiply.com/journal/item/541/Praying_on_rugs):

I'd like to mention the habit or custom of specifying a prayer rug for the imam in the mosque, referring specifically to Singapore's context.

The question is, does the imam need a prayer rug when the whole mosque is already carpeted? And quite often we find that he has a large rug, and a smaller rug on top of it..

Subhanallah.. how many rugs does he need? What's so special about the imam that he needs more than a rug, even if he is in need of a rug? Isn't it sufficient that the mosque is already carpetted and that he is already standing in front of the congregation, indicating that he's an imam?

Let's not forget the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam used to pray in mud and water, even in the qiyaam of Ramadan.. and he did not ask for anything to be placed on the ground..

So i shall extract from the earlier entry for us to contemplate on:

6- The same applies to the practice in many mosques of having a rug that is just for the imam, which is set out for him to pray on, even though the mosque is carpeted. Why is he distinguished from the other worshippers??

This is not appropriate because there is no need for it, and because that may make him feel somewhat superior to the people.

The point is that putting down rugs in a carpeted mosque is a bid’ah unless there is a reason for that, such as it being very cold, or the floor being rough or the first carpet being naajis (impure) or filthy, and so on.

And Allaah knows best.

PS. How many of us pray without using a rug, especially at home?