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.