His voice is beautiful but he recites Qunoot in Fajr every Friday; should I pray Taraweeh behind him?

We have an imam in our area whom Allaah has blessed with a beautiful voice which sends shivers down the spine, but this imam has a habit which is closer to innovation: he recites Qunoot in Fajr every Friday. What is the ruling on praying behind him even if it is a naafil prayer, such as qiyaam al-layl (night prayers) in Ramadaan [i.e., Taraweeh]? Please note that there are many mosques – praise be to Allaah – but their imams have ordinary voices.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The scholars differed concerning the ruling on reciting Qunoot in Fajr prayer every day. Some of them are of the view that it is Sunnah, and others are of the view that it is a reprehensible innovation (bid’ah).

The second view is the correct one. That has been discussed in the answer to question no. 20031.

Thus it is clear that what this imam is doing is something innovated for which there is no basis.

So he should be advised to think again about what he is doing, and he should follow one of the two opinions mentioned above: either to recite Qunoot in Fajr every day or to forego reciting Qunoot, depending on what evidence he thinks is most valid.

Secondly:

With regard to praying Taraweeh behind him, there is no reason why you should not do so, because the fact that he recites Qunoot in Fajr has nothing to do with Taraweeh prayer. Moreover, it seems that he recites Qunoot in Fajr on Friday on the basis of a misinterpretation, thinking that there is some special virtue in that.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:

What is the ruling on going to different mosques, seeking out an imam with a beautiful voice, because of the khushoo’ (humility) and proper focus on prayer which result from that?

He replied:

It seems – and Allaah knows best – that there is nothing wrong with that, if the aim is to seek help by means of that in developing proper humility and focus in prayer, and to find joy in prayer and find tranquillity in his heart, because not every voice brings joy. So if the aim in going to hear the voice of one imam or another is the desire to seek good and to perfect one’s focus in prayer, then there is nothing wrong with that; rather it is to be appreciated, and he will be rewarded according to his intention. A person may attain khushoo’ behind one imam and not behind another, because of the difference between the two recitations and the two prayers. So if the intention behind going to a distant mosque is to listen to the imam’s recitation because of his beautiful voice, and to benefit from them, and so that he will focus properly in his prayer, and not just because of whims and desires or for a change of scene, rather it is for the purpose of benefit and knowledge, and seeking to attain khushoo’ in prayer, then there is nothing wrong with that. It is proven in the saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people who will receive the greatest reward for prayer is those who walk the furthest [to the mosque], then those who walk the next furthest.” So if his intention is also to increase the number of steps he takes, that is also a good aim. End quote.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (11/328, 329).

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/122701

Ruling on offering congratulations at the beginning of the Hijri year

What is the ruling on offering congratulations on the occasion of the Hijri new year and saying “Kull ‘aam wa antum bi khayr” or praying for blessing, or sending a card with best wishes for blessings in the new year?

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on congratulating people on the occasion of the Hijri new year, and how should one reply to a person who offers congratulations?

He replied:

If someone offers you congratulations, then respond to him, but do not initiate such greetings. This is the correct view concerning this matter. So if a person says to you, for example, “Happy New Year”, then you can say, “May Allaah make it a good and blessed year for you.” But you should not initiate such a greeting, because I do not know of any report that the salaf [early generations of Islam] congratulated one another on the occasion of the new year, rather the salaf did not regard the first of Muharram as the first day of the new year until the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr said concerning offering congratulations on the occasion of the hijri new year:

Praying for another Muslim in general terms, in phrases that are not meant as a kind of ritual on special occasions such as Eid, is acceptable, especially if what is meant by this greeting is friendship and to show a friendly face to one’s fellow Muslim. Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “I do not initiate the greeting but if someone greets me I return the greeting, because responding to the greeting is obligatory. But being the first to offer congratulations is neither Sunnah nor forbidden.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/21290

‘Umar did not seek the help of Allaah by virtue of the status of al-‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)

Hadeeth: Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that when they suffered drought, ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) would seek rain by virtue of al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, and he would say: “O Allaah, we used to ask You for rain by virtue of our Prophet and You gave us rain. Now we ask You for rain by virtue of the paternal uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain” and they would be given rain. Is this saheeh? Is this evidence that it is permissible to seek the help of Allaah by virtue of the status of the awliya’ (close friends of Allaah)?.

Praise be to Allaah.

The hadeeth referred to by the questioner is a saheeh hadeeth which was narrated by al-Bukhaari, but anyone who studies it will find that it is evidence that one should not seek help from Allaah by virtue of the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of anyone else, because tawassul (using a means to achieve a goal) and al-waseelah is the thing that helps you to achieve that goal. The waseelah referred to in this hadeeth (“we used to ask You for rain by virtue of our Prophet and You gave us rain. Now we ask You for rain by virtue of the paternal uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain” and they would be given rain) is seeking the help of Allah by virtue of the du’aa’ of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as a man said: “O Messenger of Allaah, our wealth has been destroyed and the roads are cut off, so pray to Allaah to help us.” And because ‘Umar said to al-‘Abbaas: “Get up, O ‘Abbaas, and pray to Allaah, so he prayed to Allaah.” If this had come under the heading of seeking Allaah’s help by virtue of a person’s status only, then ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) would have sought the help ofo Allaah by virtue of the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before doing so by virtue of the status of al-‘Abbaas, because the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is greater before Allaah than that of al-‘Abbaas or anyone else. If this hadeeth came under the heading of seeking the help of Allaah by virtue of status that it would have been more appropriate for the ameer al-mu’mineen ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) to seek the help of Allaah by virtue of the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), not the status of al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib.

To sum up, there is nothing wrong with seeking the help of Allaah by means of the du’aa’ of a person who it is hoped will have his du’aa’s answered because of his righteousness. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to seek the help of Allaah by means of the du’aa’ of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for them. Similarly, ‘Umar sought the help of Allaah by means of the du’aa’ of al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allaah be pleased with him). So if you think a man is righteous and likely to have his du’aa’s answered because his food, drink, clothing and housing are halaal, and because he is known to be a man of worship and piety, there is nothing wrong with asking him to pray to Allaah for you and ask for what you like, on condition that this does not stir up self-admiration in this person whom you ask to make du’aa’ for you. If it does stir up self-admiration, then it is not permissible for you to doom him by making this request of him, because that will harm him.

I also say: This is permissible, but I do not recommend it. I think that each person should ask Allaah by himself, without appointing any intermediary between him and Allaah. That brings a greater hope and is nearer to fear of Allaah. I also encourage anyone who asks his brother whose du’aa’s he hopes will be answered to make du’aa’ for him, to intend thereby to treat him kindly – i.e., the one who will make du’aa’ – and not do it for the sake of meeting his own needs, because if he asks him for the sake of meeting his own needs, then it will become like asking him for money and the like, which is blameworthy. But if he intends thereby to benefit his brother who will make du’aa’ by treating him kindly, then treating a Muslim kindly is something for which a person will be rewarded, as is well known – and that is better. And Allaah is the source of strength. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/277).

For more information on the hadeeth about ‘Umar seeking the help of Allaah by virtue of al-‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) and the fact that this tawassul was by virtue of his du’aa’ and not of his status, please see the book al-Tawassul by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him), pp. 50-68.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/118099

It is not permissible to congratulate the kuffaar on their festivals in any way whatsoever

In light of Christmas and the coming New Year, here is a relevant article:

It is not permissible to congratulate the kuffaar on their festivals in any way whatsoever

What is the ruling on eating the food (rice, meat, chicken or cake) that is given to us by a Christian friend that he made for his birthday or for Christmas or the Christian New Year? What is your opinion on congratulating him by saying, “Insha Allaah you will continue to do well this year” so as to avoid saying Kull ‘aam wa antum bi khayr (approx. “season’s greetings”) or “Happy New Year” etc?.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for a Muslim to eat things that the Jews and Christians make on their festivals, or what they give him as a gift on their festivals, because that is cooperating with them and joining in with them in this evil, as is explained in question no. 12666.

It is not permissible for him to congratulate them on their festivals in any way whatsoever, because that implies approval of their festival and not denouncing them, and helping them to manifest their symbols and propagate their innovation, and sharing their happiness during their festivals, which are innovated festivals that are connected to false beliefs that are not approved of in Islam. See also question no. 47322.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/81977

Why we can't Attach Our Feet in Salaah

Author: Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdil Wahhaab al 'Aqeel

Topic: Did you know

Reference: Audio tape - more about reference here...

…and from it is the saying of Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, in a Sunnah from the Sunan of Salaat; and it is the spacing in the Salaat; that a Muslim stands beside his Muslim brother and attaches is feet, knees and shoulders to his brother without being excessive or negligent, as was legislated by the Messenger – صلى الله عليه وسلم – who said:

“You will straighten your lines or Allaah will separate between your hearts or faces.”

This is why when the hearts have become separated during this time, so did the feet. Why is it that we can’t attach our feet to each other’s feet? It is because our hearts are detached from one another, if our hearts were attached to one another, our feet would also be attached. This is why if a person who loves you and whom you love were to put his foot over yours, you would not get upset, you would not say; ‘why is he bothering me’, this is because your heart loves him. But because there is a detachment between you and him, you cannot stand that he attaches his foot to yours let alone that he puts his foot over yours.

This is why Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he describes his state at the time of the Messenger of Allaah – صلى الله عليه وسلم – and his state after that, he says; “At the time of the Messenger – صلى الله عليه وسلم – we would attach our feet to our brother’s feet, and our knees to our brother’s knees, and our shoulders to our brother’s shoulders, in obedience to the Messenger’s orders – صلى الله عليه وسلم - , but if we were to do so today, he would escape like an obstinate mule.”

By Allaah I saw with my own eyes here in Madeenah, a man wanted to attach his foot to his brother’s foot, by Allaah his brother cut his Salaat, he cut his Salaat and left the whole first line and went to the second line. He left the first line to escape this Sunnah, and the cause of this is ignorance, may Allaah preserve you. This is why we must teach the people the Sunnah of the Prophet – صلى الله عليه وسلم – because people are enemies to what they are ignorant of.

http://subulassalaam.com/articles/article.cfm?article_id=79

The Ultimate Aim of Yoga

I'd like to quote from the Chairman of the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia himself, Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin, which was quoted by The New Paper in an article on page 16, a few weeks back:

"Many Muslims in the country fail to understand the ultimate aim of Yoga. It combines physical movements, religious elements, chanting and worshiping for the purpose of achieving inner peace and ultimately be one with God."

Thus, it is a COMBINATION of physical, mental and spiritual elements to be one with God..

Thus, to say that the mere physical form of Yoga is permissible is a false claim and judgement.. Because it is obvious that Yoga is not an exercise but converted in to an exercise, compared to Silat or other Martial Arts that are really meant as an exercise..

To form an analogy between Yoga and Silat is obviously an invalid qiyas.

What would we say if someone were to take some forms of movements from the Muslim prayer and make it into an exercise?

Wallahu a'lam

George Yeo akui hikmah disebalik pengharaman insurans dan wang faedah

TURUT AMBIL KIRA PENCAPAIAN DUNIA ISLAM Yeo: Pendekatan demikian bantu semai sikap saling hormat-menghormati antara Islam dengan bukan Islam

MASYARAKAT dunia harus melihat agama Islam pada perspektif yang meluas dengan turut mengambil kira pencapaian penting dalam Dunia Islam.

Ini kerana pendekatan sedemikian mampu membantu menyemai sikap saling hormat-menghormati di kalangan masyarakat Islam dan bukan Islam hari ini.

Kegagalan masyarakat untuk berbuat demikian akan hanya mengakibatkan seseorang itu memperlekehkan hubungan antara kaum dan dalam mencari penyelesaian terhadap masalah-masalah yang ada.

Demikian pandangan Menteri Ehwal Luar, Encik George Yeo, semasa berucap dalam majlis makan malam semasa merasmikan Persidangan Projek Pemerintahan Global S. T. Lee di Hotel Four Seasons Jumaat lalu.

Dalam ucapannya, Encik Yeo memberikan contoh satu pencapaian Islam yang seharusnya dijadikan iktibar kepada masyarakat dunia - iaitu nilai-nilai Islam yang mengharamkan insurans dan kadar faedah.

'Kita berada di tengah-tengah krisis kewangan. Banyak yang ditulis mengenai pengharaman pembayaran insurans dan wang faedah dalam Islam. Kita pernah mentertawakan pengharaman yang aneh ini, namun terdapat kebijaksanaan dalamnya,' ujar Encik Yeo.

Beliau berkata keprihatinan yang tersemat berhubung beberapa peraturan kewangan Islam adalah mengenai bahaya moral apabila kepentingan mereka yang membuat tuntutan mula menyimpang.

'Apabila kita lihat masalah dunia kewangan hari ini dan apa punca krisis ini, ia disebabkan keinginan mereka yang membuat tuntutan itu ditentang. Jadi, ada sesuatu dalam kewangan Islam yang betul-betul masuk akal,' ujar Encik Yeo.

Encik Yeo menambah, dalam memerangi pengganasan, dunia juga harus mengenang pencapaian Islam dalam membangunkan kegemilangan tamadunnya seperti pemerintahan Islam di Samarkand, Bukhara, Damsyik, Baghdad, Kahirah dan Cordoba.

Encik Yeo juga merujuk kepada sebuah pameran tamadun Islam di Musee d'Orsay, sebuah muzium di Paris.

Pameran yang sama juga kini boleh dilihat di Muzium Seni Islam di Doha, Qatar, yang direka arkitek Amerika Syarikat kelahiran China, Ieoh Ming Pei.

Projek Pemerintahan Global ini merupakan sebuah projek tiga tahun yang bakal mengumpulkan pemikir- pemikir dan pengamal-pengamal terbaik dari seluruh dunia Barat dan Timur untuk membangunkan wawasan dan saranan tentang cara memerintah dunia, termasuk Asia yang pesat membangun.

'Apabila kita membincangkan tentang pemerintahan global, ia perlu dibina atas dasar menghormati sesama manusia dan menghormati kepelbagaian yang ada padanya.

'Dalam pemerintahan global, secara dasarnya kita harus mengiktiraf kepelbagaian dan perbezaan ini,' ujar Encik Yeo.

Projek yang merangkumi beberapa kumpulan kerja itu akan menghasilkan sejumlah kertas kerja, pelan dasar, artikel akademik dan buku sepanjang projek tersebut.

Beberapa bengkel dan persidangan antarabangsa turut dirancang.

It dipengerusikan bersama oleh Dekan Sekolah Dasar Awam Lee Kuan Yew (LKYSPP), Profesor Kishore Mahbubani and Pengarah Pusat Asia dan Globalisasi (CAG), Profesor Ann Florini.

[BH, 8 Dec 2008. http://cyberita.asia1.com.sg/singapura/story/0,3617,131889,00.html?]

Ibn Shamsud-Deen:

Kebenaran akan unggul juga. Hikmah pengharaman bayaran insurans dan wang faedah kini diakui dan dirasakan oleh orang bukan Islam, Allahu Akbar!

Tapi sedih sekali bila orang Islam sendiri masih terlibat dengan insurans.. bukan sahaja mereka jahil tentang pengharamannya, malah mereka merasakannya sebagai suatu keperluan, na'udzu billah..

Apakah kerana dirasakan sebagai keperluan, jika ada ulama atau majlis fatwa yang mengeluarkan fatwa mengharamkannya, akan muncul pihak2 tertentu dan suara-suara sumbang membantah fatwa tersebut atas "hujjah" ianya suatu "keperluan yang bermanfaat", sebagaimana muncul suara tersebut membantah fatwa yang dikeluarkan Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan M'sia berkenaan Yoga?

Inilah petanda akhir zaman...

Contemporary VS Classical

In the period where more people tend to recite the Qur'an following the melodious styles of contemporary recitors such as Shaykh Mishary Rashid al-Afasy, I seem to find more peace, comfort and tranquility in the classical recitations the likes of Shaykh Shuraym, Shaykh Mahmoud al-Husary, Shaykh Abdullah Basfar.. the style of recitation that those lovers of Mishary might find boring or monotonous..

But it is in these classical recitations that somehow I feel the beuaty of the Quranic recitation with clear tajweed.. unlike the contemporary ones which at times sound like mere melody.. especially when recited by imitators who perhaps tend to follow the melody more than actually paying attention to Tajweed..

I don't know.. it's just what i feel..