Questions 35

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Questions asked to Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin ‘Abdullah al-‘Ajlaan [May Allaah Preserve him]
Former Member of Permanent Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia
Teacher in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah al-Mukarramah since 1410AH
After Salaat al-Maghrib
17/8/1433 – 7/6/2012

Question: I smoke and I know it is wrong, but can I give an expiation by giving in charity every day?

Answer: This is not permissible and Haraam upon you. A person can’t say, ‘I will drink alcohol and give in Sadaqah later.’ No my brother, it is not permissible and Haraam. It is binding upon the Muslim to stay away from sinning, if the Muslims realises the reward of Allaah that he can gain by doing good deeds and realises the punishment of Allaah if he does bad deeds, then he would fear Allaah and return to Allaah with Tawbah. Sins have a bad effect on a person, they lead to even great sins and evils and they lead to having evil and bad characteristics however doing good deeds to doing other good deeds and having praiseworthy characteristics. So it is binding upon the Muslim to look at the greatness of Allaah next time he decides to sin and the favours of Allaah that He blessed him with, the favours of wealth, the favours of health and being free from sickness, so then would you trade this all with disobedience to Him? So Allaah gives you wealth then use it in obeying him and disobeying him. Others have been afflicted with various forms of severe illnesses, cancer, brain damage and the likes because of their sinning, may Allaah protect us, so the Muslim should fear that if they disobey their Lord then they could be afflicted with a severe punishment.

It is not permissible for a Muslim to knowingly engage in interest and say afterwards, ‘I will give a share in Sadaqah’ this is Haraam. Some ignorant people say, ‘Get the benefit of having the money and give the interest away in charity.’ No my brother! This is not permissible and by doing this you will be at war against Allaah and His Messenger. Yes, if you didn’t know, then finish the contract of the loan and give the interest away in charity, this is OK. 

Question: Is it permissible for me to pray my Witr after the Athaan of Fajr?

Answer: Some of the scholars stated you can, because it is still part of the night. Others said that the time of Witr is now over as the morning has begun so now you can make it up but you must pray in even units of Rak’aat and not odd numbered Rak’aat. Perhaps this second view is more correct. So if the Athaan for Fajr goes and you haven’t prayed your Witr then you should make up the Witr in odd numbers and pray this at the time of Duhaa [i.e. from the time the sun has fully rose until the mid-day heat before Zawwaal] because the difference here is that one prays during the night, two by two, and when he wants to conclude, he concludes with an odd number of Rak’aat. But if he is making it up during the day, then the time of Witr is gone and he must make it in even numbers. So if he has a habit of praying 3 Rak’aat for Witr then he must make it up by praying 4 Rak’aat, two by two. If he has a habit of praying one Rak’aah for Witr then he must make it up praying 2 Rak’aat etc.

Question: I have a problem with the issue of fasting on Saturday, some of the scholars have said it is Makrooh and others said it is worse than fasting the day of ‘Eid.

Answer: No my brother, the scholars differed but from what I know I don’t know any of the scholars that were that harsh. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] commanded ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin ‘Aas [May Allaah be Pleased with him] to fast a day and then skip a day. If this is the case then fasting on Saturdays and Fridays is inevitable. And this was described as being the best forms of fasting. And it was also well known that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin ‘Aas [May Allaah be Pleased with him] used to fast a lot and was known for his acts of worship even though he was a very young man. He would fast during the day and stand during the night and his father asked his wife about him and she said, ‘What a great man ‘Abdullah is?’ However, ‘Abdullah’s once wife complained to ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that he doesn’t spend any time with me, he fasts during the day and he doesn’t sleep at night, so ‘Umar [May Allaah be Pleased with him] passed the verdict upon them that he should spend every fourth night with his wife, based upon the analogy that we are allowed to marry four wives. So he could stand during the night for three nights and on the fourth night he should go to his wife.

Whatever the case, fasting the fast of Dawood, to fast a day and to break the next day and so on, then this is best form of fasting and thus is will inevitably mean that he will fast Saturdays.

Question: My auntie is old and she has enough money to do Hajj but her husband is old and is not able to accompany her, can she perform Hajj without her Mahram?

Answer: No my sister, you can’t do Hajj without a Mahram. If Hajj has not been made easy for her then it is not obligatory for her to perform it in the first place and this is from the conditions of Hajj being obligatory upon a woman, that she has a Mahram that can take her. So she should wait until it is made easy for her.

Question: What is the minimum threshold (Nisaab) for Zakaat to be made binding on paper money? Do the same rules apply to paper money as they do to gold and silver?

Answer: The minimum threshold for gold is 20 mithqaal, 2o dirham. The minimum threshold for silver is 200 dirham; these thresholds for gold and silver are fixed. The minimum threshold for silver, silver that was calculated in the early days, is equivalent to 56 Saudi Riyals; however the value of gold and silver fluctuate, so we need to calculate the minimum threshold based on these new prices by taking the lowest price between the two, gold or silver.

Benefits of Surah al-Jumu’ah for the Student of Knowledge

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By Shaykh Sa’d bin Naasir ash-Shithree [May Allaah Preserve him]

If the student of knowledge reflects on some of the final Surah’s of the Quraan he will find great benefits and lessons on the methodology that the student of knowledge must adopt when trying to seek knowledge and how one can be turned away from gaining knowledge. One of these Surah’s is Surah al-Jumu’ah.

1. Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the King (of everything), the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

The Surah begins with Praise and Glorification of Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified. Regardless of the situation of man, Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, remains free from any imperfection and the opposite of imperfect, which is perfection, is affirmed for Him, and this is the meaning of Tasbeeh in the beginning of the Surah.

The Surah then goes on to state:

2. He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur'an, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad ). And verily, they had been before in mainfest error;

Meaning, we were all misguided until Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, sent to us a Messenger teaching us and giving us knowledge. Therefore, the student of knowledge must pay attention to this point, we are all ignorant and giving thanks to Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, for teaching us is extremely important, and actin upon the knowledge were learn, otherwise we will fall into the way of those who came before us who didn’t appreciate this favour.

The Messenger of Allaah [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] was sent to the believers, he raised their status, but those who have knowledge from them are even more elevated because of the virtue of having knowledge. So the next Aayah says…

3. And He has sent him (Prophet Muhammad ) also to others among them (Muslims) who have not yet joined them (but they will come). And He (Allah) is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

4. That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Mighty Grace.

Meaning, knowledge is a Favour and Blessing from Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, and we don’t know anything except by His Will and Favour upon us.

5. The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the) Taurat (Torah) (i.e. to obey its commandments and to practise its legal laws), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them). How bad is the example (or the likeness) of people who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah. And Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers, etc.).

Then Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, goes on to describe those who came before us and didn’t give thanks for the blessings of knowledge. They were given knowledge and they disrespected it, or they mocked the rulings that Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, commanded them with, or they sought loop-holes in what they were prohibited with, or they failed to act upon the knowledge that they were given or they failed to enjoin good or forbid evil by it. All in all, they didn’t give thanks to Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, for teaching them thus they became like the parable of a donkey carrying books, therefore they didn’t benefit from having knowledge.

6. Say (O Muhammad ): "O you Jews! If you pretend that you are friends of Allah, to the exclusion of (all) other mankind, then long for death if you are truthful."

Meaning, Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, is challenging those who sought knowledge but without any sincerity for Allaah nor did they act upon it, so when death comes, their knowledge will not benefit them as they lacked in their level of Tawheed and sincerity to Allaah and they had no deeds to back up their knowledge.

7. But they will never long for it (death), because of what (deeds) their hands have sent before them! And Allah knows well the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers, etc.).

8. Say (to them): "Verily, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to (Allah), the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, and He will tell you what you used to do."

Meaning, they will never ask for death as they were not sincere. As for the student of knowledge, he seeks knowledge for the sake of Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, and he seeks His Reward by it, by acting upon it and staying away from His Punishments and what He has Prohibited us from doing. Therefore, the student of knowledge is sincere, humble and active and not insincere, ungrateful to his Lord, proud and lazy.

9.  O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salat (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salat (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing), that is better for you if you did but know!

Now the attention is turned to the student of knowledge. Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, has explained how He has Sent a Messenger as a favour upon us and the negligence of the people before us when Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, Sent to them a Messenger and a book to teach them. So in this Aayah, the student of knowledge is directly addressed.

Oh you who believe, oh you student of knowledge, when the call is made, leave off your worldly activities and come to the remembrance of Allaah, and remembrance in this Aayah refers to eh Khutbah of Jumu’ah. So the student of knowledge is not heavily busied with the Dunya and his time is proportioned for seeking knowledge.

Therefore, this day, the day of Friday has become day of seeking knowledge for everyone, whether they are a student of knowledge or not. So when the call is made, come to the Masjid and listen to the Khutbah attentively, without talking and paying attention.

10. Then when the (Jumu'ah) Salat (prayer) is finished, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah (by working, etc.), and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.

Meaning, the student of knowledge must be sincere in the time he seeks knowledge and the time when he is away from his studies. So when he disperses throughout the land, he seeks the bounty of Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, in the various ways it may come. Either he seeks food and drink which will help him gain strength to gain more knowledge or he disperses through the land benefitting others with the knowledge he has learned.

11. And when they see some merchandise or some amusement [beating of Tambur (drum) etc.] they disperse headlong to it, and leave you (Muhammad ) standing [while delivering Jumu'ah's religious talk (Khutbah)]. Say "That which Allah has is better than any amusement or merchandise! And Allah is the Best of providers."

This Surah finishes with a warning for the student of knowledge, meaning, if he is not sincere in the knowledge he learns then you could be considered as one of those who leave the Messenger standing. Therefore, be sincere in seeking knowledge and then Allaah will teach you, as He is the best of Providers.

Also in this Aayah is a lesson for the student of knowledge to pay attention to what he does with time and leave what doesn’t benefit him.

[Taken from lecture, ‘Naseehah li at-Tulaab al-‘Ilm, 27/9/1433]

Questions 34

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Questions asked to Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin ‘Abdullah al-‘Ajlaan [May Allaah Preserve him]

Former Member of Permanent Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia
Teacher in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah al-Mukarramah since 1410AH
After Salaat al-Maghrib
17/8/1433 – 7/6/2012

Question: When does one say the Dua’a for entering the Masjid?

Answer: When he enters the Masjid, so when he passes through the doors he says the Dua’a because these are the specific bounds of the Masjid.

He says:

أعوذ بالله العظيم وبوجهه الكريم وسلطانه القديم من الشيطان الرجيم

اللهم صل على محمد اللهم اغفر لي ذنوبي وافتح لي أبواب رحمتك

‘I seek refuge in Allaah  al-‘Atheem, in His Noble Face, in His Everlasting Dominion, from Shaytaan the accursed.

Oh Allaah! Send Blessings upon Muhammad and Oh Allaah forgive my sins and open the doors of Your Mercy for me.’

This is to enter. When he wants to exit he should say;

اللهم إني أسألك من فضلك

‘Oh Allaah! I ask you for Your Favours.’

Question: Is the one who is rich and gives in Sadaqah better than the one who is poor and doesn’t?

Answer: The scholars differed. Who is better, the rich who is thankful or the poor who is patient? We say both are upon goodness even if the scholars differed on their ranks. Some of them said that the rich who gives thanks is better as he benefits others. others say the poor who is patient is better as he is baring difficulty, but what is correct is that they are both upon goodness, like ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab [May Allaah be Pleased with him] said, “Richness and poverty are both ways that one gets close to Allaah.” So it depends on the individual and his heart, either his heart is filled with thanks or patience.

Question: Who should one say in Rukoo and in Sujood?

Answer: He should say in Rukoo:

سبحان ربي العظيم

‘How Perfect is my Lord, The Magnificent’

And in Sujood he should say,

سبحان ربي الأعلى

‘How Perfect is my Lord, the Most High’

What is required is that we should say this at least once, if one repeats this then this is better and if one wants to add to these after saying them at least once, by saying his own supplication then he will be rewarded for it.

Question: Do we need to complete seven circuits in Tawaaf even if it is a voluntary Tawaaf?

Answer: Yes my brother, all Tawaaf must have seven circuits. You can’t do a Tawaaf with three or four or five or six circuits, it must be seven. If the Iqaamah or Salaah is called then you can stop to pray and continue where you left off but you must complete seven circuits. If it is a Tawaaf which is Waajib then you must complete it but if it is a voluntary Tawaaf then you may leave it if you decide to do so.

Question: What is ruling on praying behind a Soofee who believes that we can ask the deceased for help? And is this practice considered as Shirk?

Answer: It is Waajib for every Muslim is to follow the example of the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] and to abstain from becoming into sects, becoming misguided. The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] told us, and what he said is true as this Ummah is now split, that this Ummah will split into 73 sects, all of them in the fire except one. When asked which one, he [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “The path of Me and My Companions are upon today.”

There are many sects today, so it doesn’t mean that it is restricted to 73 sects, rather it means that these 73 are the heads or the roots of various sects and then each sect from the 73 will have its own splitting, splitting 5, 6 or 10 times. Each of these sects are at logger heads with the other, even though they originate from the same splitting. 

However, Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah are those who hold firm to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah [Peace and Blessings ofAllaah be Upon him], they hold onto the Sunnah and they don’t deviate from it.

So it is Waajib upon every Muslim to make sure he is free from the splitting into sects, because splitting into sects leads us to be misguided and these sects are known to have split based on some form of misguidance. All the forms of misguidance aren’t the same; some forms of misguidances are less severe than others, some have split based on clear cut Kufr, may Allaah protect us. Some have split based misunderstandings of the religion. So it is Waajib upon the Muslim to cling on to the Sunnah of the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] and tread upon the path of the Sunnah with the understanding of the Salaf as-Saaleh, the Companions [May Allaah be Pleased with them all] and those who followed them in goodness and those scholars who came after them, like the four Imaams [May Allaah have Mercy on them]. So the Muslim must be aware of splitting into sects and groups and stay away from this, because splitting can lead to one leaving Islaam because of some Kufr he may fall into or something less severe than this.

It is also binding upon the Muslim to pray behind someone who is a Msulim and has Taqwaa, however if he prays behind someone who is a Faasiq, someone who sins, then the Salaah is correct and Saheeh, All Praise is for Allaah, but praying behind someone who has Taqwaa is better.

Question: We live in Britain and some of the brothers have some transactions with some of the banks there. The local Imaam that we pray behind has urged them to buy these houses in which the transactions include interest, so are we allowed to pray behind him?

Answer: Your Salaah behind is Saheeh and correct, All Praise is for Allaah, even if the person you’re praying behind is involved in doing Haraam. However, it is binding upon the Muslim to avoid falling into Haraam and when it comes to Halaal and Haraam must make sure he is doing the right thing. This is because, Allaah, the Glorified and the Exalted, has not made something Haraam except that there is an alternative which is better that is Halaal. Allaah has made business is permissible but has forbidden interest. Allaah has made marriage permissible but has forbidden fornication. Allaah has made various wholesome drinks permissible but has forbidden alcohol etc. If there is something Haraam and disgusting then there will always be a wholesome and permissible alternative. So we must make sure that all the avenues of right and wrong are looked into before making such decisions. 

Benefits From The Explanation of Hadeeth Actions are By Intentions

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“The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhaaree (1) and Muslim (1907)]

Shaykh Sa’d bin Naasir ash-Shithree [May Allaah Preserve him] said:

 

Former Member of Permanent Committee of Major Scholars, Saudi Arabia

This Hadeeth highlights the importance in having firm resolve in doing an act of worship, once a resolve is established then this counts as an intention. For example, if Zakaat is due and he has firm resolve to give in Zakaah in his heart, then the intention has formed.

Another way of forming an intention, added to having resolve, is having the ability in wanting to do something. This has been mentioned by some of the Usooliyeen who say fall under a terminology called Dalaalah al-Iqtidaa’, meaning if someone intends to do something and has the ability to do it then when he stands to do it, having resolve and ability, his intention has formed.

This hadeeth also sets out another important principle that actions without intentions have not reward. Therefore, it highlights the importance of having intentions when doing good deeds. Others from the scholars stated that the doing a good deed without having the intention means that the deed is accepted however it may not be rewarded, this is the view of Hanafees. They argued that having an intention before setting out to do a good deed makes the good deed more perfect, but without an intention the deed is accepted but your reward is nullified. Their reasoning was based on the fact that intention may exist or not but the command has been fulfilled, therefore intention in the linguistic sense to complete the command has been completed.

However, the most correct view is that the action being correct depends on the intention, so the action is not valid and not rewarded if one doesn’t have an intention. This is the most correct view because we are looking at the technical terminology within the Shariah and not what the intention means in the linguistic sense, therefore forming an intention is necessary in attaining the reward as well have the good deed accepted, this is the view of the majority of the scholars.

The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said in the Hadeeth:

‘Li-kulli’: meaning for all, the laam here can either mean for specific or for belonging. So for all those who intend, the reward is specific to them or it belongs only to them.

‘Maa nawaa’: meaning what they intended, this wording is general, so all those who intend will have the reward.

Intentions can be made for various reasons:

1) That we intend to do a particular action e.g. I am praying the Salaah for Fajr

2) That we are doing something for a particular reason e.g. I am wearing Ihraam for Hajj

3) That we are doing it for Allaah Alone 

4) To gain reward in the Hereafter

‘Mun’: means those whoever, again this is general, so whoever intends…

‘Hijrah’: this is to move from the land of Kufr to land of Eemaan, this type of Hijrah valid and present until the Last Day as the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said “There is no Hijrah after al-Fath (i.e. conquering of Makkah)” meaning, there is no Hijrah to Makkah after this day and thus no-one can be called a Muhaajir after this day.

[Taken from the Explanation of Nawawee’s Forty Hadeeth]

Shaykh ‘Abdul-Kareem ibn ‘Abdullah al-Khudayr [May Allaah Preserve him]

Member of Permanent Committee of Major Scholars, Saudi Arabia

The Hadeeth of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab [May Allaah be Pleased with him] has always been placed at the beginning of the book of the scholars because it reinforces the fact that sincerity and Ikhlaas comes before we do any act of worship.

The meaning of the Hadeeth is that there is no action that is accepted unless if one intends in his heart to do it, having Ikhlaas for Allaah, and does the deed without negligence. Sometimes negligence is there and the deed is accepted however the reward is decreased.

E.g. the Hanafees say that Wudhoo is not an act of worship so we don’t need a Niyyah for it, but the correct view is that any deed that is intended to get close to Allaah, the Most High, needs a Niyyah otherwise the act is fruitless.

Majority of the scholars say that an act that is a means to fulfilling a command or an obligation is also an act of worship, so this needs an intention too, however Imaam Abu Haneefah [May Allaah have Mercy on him] held the opinion that Wudhoo is not a means to fulfilling the command, which in this case is Salaah.

[Taken from Sharh Taqreeb Takhreej al-ahaadeeth wa Taqreeb al-Asaneed wa Tarteeb al-Maasneed]

Questions 33

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Questions asked to Shaykh Salih ibn Muhammad al-Luhaydan [May Allaah Preserve him]

Former Chief Judge and Member of Permanent Committee of Senior Scholars

Asked in his Masjid after Salaat al-‘Ishaa

21/10/1433- 8/9/2012

Question: What’s the difference between يأس and قنوط  (both being translated as despair)

Answer: Both these words mean the same thing but if they are mentioned together then they have a more specific meaning;  يأسis to have no hope in something and قنوط is to totally despair in something happening, meaning he believes something is impossible to happen.

Question: Our manager at work is preventing us from wearing the Thobe and forcing us to wear western clothes, so what is your advice in this?

Answer: There is no doubt that preventing people to wear this is wrong and it’s not permissible for him to do this, but if you are forced to wear it then there is nothing wrong with this if he is fully covered. However, if you are able to leave this job for the sake of Allaah, then Allaah Knows that he has given up his job for his sake and this would be better.

Question: In our contract with our company, it states that we can’t work for another company. Is this condition allowed?

Answer: It is permissible for the company to state this and especially if one agrees to this condition then the Muslims must stick to the conditions they agree to.  

Question: I have some money left over from a Riba transaction, what should I do with the extra money?

Answer: The Ayah in Surah in Baqarah gives us the answer: “…but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums).” [Baqarah 2:279] so if anybody has money left over from Riba then he should spend this money in an Islamic way which will benefit others, he should no destroy the money or use it to benefit himself but he should use it to benefit others.

Question: Do we hold our hands below the navel in Salaah?

Answer:  The Sunnah is for the person praying to hold the left hand with the right hand at the wrist and where he places it is a broad scope. If he places it below or above the navel all of it is permissible, rather he follows whatever is easy for him to practice. Some people whilst praying focus too much on where he has placed his hands and others place their hands so high it is just below their beard, so he doesn’t concentrate properly during Salaah. The hadeeth that states we should place the hands above the navel is Saheeh, the hadeeth of ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib [May Allaah be Pleased with him].

Question: Does Laylat al-Qadr move from date to date depending on the location?

Answer: Laylat al-Qadr depends on the sighting of the moon and it doesn’t depend on calculation, if it falls on the 27^th night then it is on that night and it doesn’t change from place to place, there is only one Laylat al-Qadr.

Question: If one adopts a boy or girl, does that child become a Mahram for your wife once they reach the age of puberty (and does the girl need to cover her hair)?

Answer: There is a difference between adoption and being a guardian, as adoption which includes the child taking your name is not allowed in Islaam. However, if someone becomes a guardian of an orphan and takes care of him then there is great reward in this and if the orphan was young and it was breastfed by their persons wife or daughters or sisters it grows up under your care then he will be a Mahram for them but he will not inherit from them. In times of Jaahiliyyah they used to adopt children and they would take the family name as though he was the actual son, and it is a well-known that Zayd bin Haarith was raised and brought up by the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him], he was treated like a son and when Zayd’s father came to take him home he was given a choice to be under the guardianship of the Prophet or return to his father, Zayd chose to be with the Prophet. The lineage of the Prophet was known, he was the son of Abdul-Mutallib and he was from Quraysh so the Prophet came from a noble family yet Zayd was not given that name.

Question: I am student in the university and it says on my Iqaamah that I’m not allowed to work, yet I have debts, so am I allowed to work during the evening when I’m not studying?

Answer: You must abide by these conditions and it is not permissible for you to work during the evening. Rather in your free time you should be revising and studying and this is what the university expects for you to do, the university has rights to make these conditions as those who don’t study properly and then leave the university, then they are effecting the reputation of the university. Therefore, it is upon every student to gain as much as knowledge it can and help the university by producing students who are knowledgeable.

Question: My mother is old, she doesn’t have periods, and she has enough money to do Hajj but she has no Mahram, can she travel with other women to do Hajj?

Answer: In the Hadeeth which is in Saheeh Bukhaari that it is not permissible for a woman, look here, the wording is general, all types of women are prevented here whether she has menses or not, whether she is old or young. So no woman who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to travel except if she has a Mahram with her and the scholars have explained that for a woman to do Hajj then she must have a Mahram, if she has no Mahram then she is considered as one of those who don’t have the ability.

Question: Is it permissible to love or hate someone for other than the sake of Allaah?

Answer: Loving and hating which will be benefit you is that which is done for the sake of Allaah, people should be loved for their piety and people hated for their disobedience. People shouldn’t be loved or hated for worldly matters if this is done then they will have no reward, but if someone hates someone for a worldly matter then he has fell into sin.

Question: My family has two options, either they return to a non-Muslim country where they will assist their mother and a need sister or they go back to Egypt. What advice would you give?

Answer: It is not permissible to live in a non-Muslim country to help a person, what the person must do is look after himself before trying to help other people. So this person has the ability to go to a Muslim country then he must do so and it’s not permissible to go to the non-Muslim country.

Question: The statement of Allaah, “Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah. None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers.” [A’raaf 7:99] does this include the Kuffaar and the Muslims as well?

Answer: Yes, it applies to Muslims and Kuffaar and this is a very dangerous matter. There is a story mentioned in the Quraan (cf. Surah Khaf) where two people had a garden and he felt safe from the Plan of Allaah and he found everything destroyed, it doesn’t say that this person was a believer or not, but once he realised he made a great mistake which was feeling safe from the Plan of Allaah he then repented from it.

Question: If a person is kind to his own children but he is harsh with his step-children, what do you advise?

Answer: Justice is required from this man in all affairs, he should become angry for no reason and if there is a need to be angry then he must be just in this.

Question: What is the ruling on attending the funeral of the Kuffaar?

Answer: The Muslim is rewarded for attending the funeral of the believer; praying upon him will mean he will have a mountain worth of reward. If he then follows the bier to the graveyard then he will have the reward of two mountains. However, about the Kuffaar, we are allowed to make Dua’a for them whilst they are alive but once they have passed on then we can’t do this as their life is over and we will no longer be with them, whether it is in this life or the hereafter. So if a Kaafir dies then it is not permissible to pray over them as the Ayah in the Quraan tells us.

Question: Is it permissible to babysit children of the Kuffar in the church?

Answer: If she is being paid for this then there is nothing wrong with this and she should try and be a positive influence on them.

Tafseer al-Ikhlaas, al-Falaq and an-Naas

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By Shaykh Hussayn bin ‘Abdul-‘Azeez aal ash-Shaykh [May Allaah Preserve him]

Imaam and Khateeb of Masjid an-Nabawee and a Senior Judge in the High Court in Madeenah

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ {1}

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ {2}

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ {3}

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ {4}

1. Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, (the) One.
2. "Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).
3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten;
4. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."

[Surah Ikhlaas112:1-4]

The virtues of this Surah has been narrated in various Ahaadeeth, such as what is narrated in the authentic narration that its recitation is like a third of the Quraan in reward.

Also, this Surah affirms the Tawheed in Allaah, so the one who loves to recite it and its meaning then he becomes Loved by Allaah. Therefore this Surah and Tawheed are both loved to the believer.

It is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would recite this Surah as well as Surah al-Kaafiroon in the two Sunan of Fajr, in the two Ra’kaat after Tawaaf and the two Sunan of Maghrib.

This Surah was revealed because someof the Mushriks of Quraysh asked the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] about the lineage of Allaah so this Surah was revealed, this was reported in Sunan at-Tirmidhee.

‘Allaah’: This is the One true God which is known by the Fitrah of every human.

‘the One’: Meaning He is Alone, Perfect and none has these qualities except He.

‘As-Samad’: meaning He is Self-Sufficient, He doesn’t need others rather we need Him. He is sufficient for Himself, He is perfect and He doesn’t need anything to survive unlike humans.

‘There is nothing like him’: There is nothing comparable to Him.

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ {1}

مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ {2}

وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ {3}

وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ {4}

وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ {5}

1. Say: "I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak,
2. "From the evil of what He has created;
3. "And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness; (or the moon as it sets or goes away).
4. "And from the evil of the witchcrafts when they blow in the knots,
5. "And from the evil of the envier when he envies."

[Surah al-Falaq 113:1-5]

These final two Surah’s of the Quraan were given to the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] as a means of protection from all forms of illnesses and he was commanded to seek protection from them.

It is reported that The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “I have not been given anything like these two before so we should ask by them.” Meaning we should seek Ruqya with them.

Therefore, these final two Surahs are beneficial for the body as well as the areas of ‘Aqeedah they address.

‘To seek refuge’: Meaning, to turn to Allaah, the Mosy High, and put trust in all our affairs in Him.

‘The Lord’: The Lord refers to Allaah, the Mos High, being the King, His is the Dominion, He Decrees, He Creates, He Sustains, He Gives life and He Gives death. These are all characteristics of a Lord and fall into our belief in Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah.

‘The daybreak’: the scholars of Tafseer have said that this means we seek refuge in Allaah from the morning sunrise. Others said it can refer to seking refuge in Allaah, the Most High, in all the evils the day has ahead of us.

‘With He has Created’: this is general, thus we seek refuge in all the evils that may occur during the day.

‘Evil’: It is important to know that evil cannot be attributed to Allaah, the Most High. It states in Surah al-Jinn that the evil is only attributed to the creation, thus we cannot say a evil thing that has occurred is from Allaah, the Most High, rather He Willed it to occur.

‘…evil of the darkening’: meaning we sought refuge in Allaah from the evils of the days and now we seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of the night. So the darkening refers to the sunset and beyond, meaning the night. This is because the worse of creation come out at night, from jinn, human and animals.

‘Nafaath’: This refers to the person who does withcraft and all forms of magic.

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ {1}

مَلِكِ النَّاسِ {2}

إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ {3}

مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ {4}

الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ {5}

مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ {6}

1. Say: "I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind,
2. "The King of mankind,
3. "The Ilah (God) of mankind,
4. "From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering in one's heart after one remembers Allah)

[Surah an-Naas 114:1-4]

‘Lord of Mankind’: Here Allaah, the Most High, has attributed Himself tobe the Lord of Mankind, thus this is a honour and a form of respect given the children of Aadam.

‘The King’: Meaning, He Created mankind, He Controls what they have, His is the Dominion over them with Justice, the Eternal King.

‘The God of Mankind’: Meaning the only true Lord that mankind have.

‘Khanaas’: Khannaas is derived from the root word Kha - na - sa, the same root word in which the word ‘khunas’ or planets is derived from. So the Khannaas are those who orbit or move around the people, referring to the evil Shayaateen.

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