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Question I have a question regarding what is commonly know as Acapella. Acapella is a form of instument-free music. Typically perfomed by a group of singers some of whom sing lyrics whilst the rest make the sound of intruments with their mouths. Some songs however are sung with only lyrics and no fake instrumental music. I understand and accept that music is Haraam and i am not questioning that. I want to however know would this be allowed and under what circumstances. If they are not singing about immoral acts and there are no women singing would this be acceptable? To me this is not unlike the listening to Naats and Nazms as many people do not understand what they are listening to and merely enjoy how its sounds. Answer In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh The word “a cappella” is used for both singing without musical instruments as well as for vocal music. Therefore, both issues are discussed separately. Singing There exist many proofs that prohibit singing. Here under are a few: Allāh Ta’āla says in the Qur’an وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ (لقمان:6) There are those amongst men who purchase vain speech without knowledge, to mislead from the Path of Allāh and throw ridicule on (the Path). For them there is a humiliating chastisement. (Luqmân: 6( Ibn Mas’ūd (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) was asked regarding this verse and he replied, “It is music, by the oath of that being there is not deity except Him.” – (Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba 11/101 Majlis al-‘Ilmi) Ibn ‘Abbās (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) says, “It is singing and the purchasing of singing women.” – (Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba 11/101 Majlis al-‘Ilmi) Ikrima (Rahimahu Allāh) regarding this verse says, “It is singing.” – (Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba 11/101 Majlis al-‘Ilmi) Mujāhid (Rahimahu Allāh) regarding this verse says it is singing and listening to it (Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba 11/101 Majlis al-‘Ilmi) Sa’īd ibn Jubayr (Rahimahu Allāh) says, “It is singing and its like.” (Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba 11/102 Majlis al-‘Ilmi) عن أبي مالك الأشعري قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ليشربن ناس من أمتي الخمر . يسمونها بغير اسمها . يعزف على رءوسهم بالمعازف والمغنيات يخسف الله بهم الأرض . ويجعل منهم القردة والخنازير - ابن ماجه Abu Mālik al-Ash’ari (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) narrates that the Prophet of Allāh (SAW) said: “Soon people from my Umma will consume alcohol and call it with another name. On there heads will be instruments of music and singing women. Allāh will make the ground swallow them up, and turn them into monkeys and swine.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah) There are also some narrations permitting certain types of singing for specific occasions such as the narration of Sahīh Bukhāri: عن عائشة قالت دخل علي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم وعندي جاريتان تغنيان بغناء بعاث فاضطجع على الفراش وحول وجهه ودخل أبو بكر فانتهزني وقال مزمارة الشيطان عند النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم فأقبل عليه رسول الله عليه السلام فقال ( دعهما ) . فلما غفل غمزتهما فخرجتا – صحيح البخاري ‘Āisha (RA) narrates that the Prophet of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath. The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, “Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam)?” The Prophet of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) turned his face towards him and said, “Leave them.” When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they left. (Sahih al-Bukhari) The Prophet of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) has prohibited singing accompanied by musical instruments. Similarly, he has prohibited such singing without music which makes a person heedless of the hereafter. Singing accompanied by tambourine drums (daff) is permitted for certain occasions such as for announcement of marriage; in expressing joy on those days which Shari’a has permitted e.g., ’Eid and post-marital feast; or for assistance in a journey (the travelers would recite a form of poetry to make the camels ride faster and for them to take their mind off of the discomforts of the travel.) Mufti Shafi (ra) writes that the Shari’a has not prohibited any action except that it in itself is a vile deed or disliked due to external reasons. The example for the former is disobedience of Allāh, ascribing partners to Allāh, etc. An example of the latter is doing transaction during the time of the adhān of Jumu’a. The transaction itself is permissible, but by engaging in it during the adhān of Jumu’a it delays a person from going to the masjid (السعي الي الجمعة). Obviously, the first category which comprises of vile deeds is unlawful at all times and under all circumstances. The ruling for the second category is not the same, as it can be permissible for some while impermissible for others; permissible at certain times and impermissible at other times. The ruling will differ according to the situation. The issue of singing falls in this second category. Shaykh ‘Alauddin al-Kasani in his Bada’i al-Sana’i writes: وأما المغني فإن كان يجتمع الناس عليه للفسق بصوته فلا عدالة له وإن كان هو لا يشرب لأنه رأس الفسقة وإن كان يفعل ذلك مع نفسه لدفع الوحشة لا تسقط عدالته لأن ذلك مما لا بأس به لأن السماع مما يرقق القلوب لكن لا يحل الفسق به Translation: As for a singer, if he gathers people around to entertain them with his voice, then he will not be considered an upright person (عادل), even if he does not drink, as he is the leader of sinners. If he sings to himself in order to dispel loneliness, then he will still be considered as upright as there is nothing wrong in doing so since a melodious voice is something that sooths the heart, however it is not permissible to entertain with it. Bada’i al-Sana’i (6/269) Dar al-Kutāb al-‘Arabi Ibn Humām in his Commentary on Al-Hidāya, Fath al-Qadīr in the chapter of Shahāda writes: قال في الهداية ( ولا من يغني للناس ) لأنه يجمع الناس على ارتكاب كبيرة…قال أبن الهمام: ونصوا على أن التغني للهو أو لجمع المال حرام بلا خلاف…ثم قال: فإن قلت : تعليل المصنف رحمه الله يجمع الناس على كبيرة يقتضي أن التغني مطلقا حرام وإن كان مفاده بالذات أن الاستماع كبيرة لأنهم إنما يجتمعون على الاستماع بالذات لأن كون الاستماع محرما ليس إلا لحرمة المسموع ، وليس كذلك فإنه إذا تغنى بحيث لا يسمع غيره بل نفسه ليدفع عنه الوحشة لا يكره .وقيل لا يكره إذا فعله ليستفيد به نظم القوافي ويصير فصيح اللسان .وقيل ولا يكره لاستماع الناس إذا كان في العرس والوليمة ، وإن كان فيه نوع لهو بالنص في العرس .فالجواب أن التغني لإسماع نفسه ولدفع الوحشة خلافا بين المشايخ . منهم من قال : لا يكره ، إنما يكره ما كان على سبيل اللهو احتجاجا بما عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه أنه دخل على أخيه البراء بن مالك وكان من زهاد الصحابة وكان يتغنى ، وبه أخذ شمس الأئمة السرخسي رحمه الله . ومن المشايخ من كره جميع ذلك ، وبه أخذ شيخ الإسلام ، ويحمل حديث البراء بن مالك أنه كان ينشد الأشعار المباحة التي فيها ذكر الحكم والمواعظ ، فإن لفظ الغناء كما يطلق على المعروف يطلق على غيره .قال صلى الله عليه وسلم { من لم يتغن بالقرآن فليس منا } وإنشاد المباح من الأشعار لا بأس به .ومن المباح أن يكون فيه صفة امرأة مرسلة ، بخلاف ما إذا كانت بعينها حية ، وإذا كان كذلك فجاز أن يكون المصنف رحمه الله قائلا بتعميم المنع كشيخ الإسلام رحمه الله ، إلا أنا عرفنا من هذا أن التغني المحرم هو ما كان في اللفظ ما لا يحل كصفة الذكر والمرأة المعينة الحية ووصف الخمر المهيج إليها والدويرات والحانات والهجاء لمسلم أو ذمي إذ أراد المتكلم هجاءه لا إذا أراد إنشاد الشعر للاستشهاد به أو لتعلم فصاحته وبلاغته … فأما الزهريات المجردة عن ذلك المتضمنة في وصف الرياحين والأزهار والمياه المطربة… فلا وجه لمنعه على هذا .نعم إذا قيل ذلك على الملاهي امتنع وإن كان مواعظ وحكما للآلات نفسها لا لذلك التغني والله أعلم… وفي مغني ابن قدامة : الملاهي نوعان : محرم وهو الآلات المطربة بلا غناء كالمزمار والطنبور ونحوه ، لما روى أبو أمامة أنه عليه الصلاة والسلام قال { إن الله تعالى بعثني رحمة للعالمين ، وأمرني بمحق المعازف والمزامير } .والنوع الثاني مباح وهو الدف في النكاح ، وفي معناه ما كان من حادث سرور . Translation: In Al-Hidāya it is written, “nor (is the testimony of those is accepted) who sing for people, due to the fact that he will be gathering people to indulge in a major sin.” Ibn Humām commenting on this writes: The Jurists have clearly stated that singing for futile reasons or for the purpose of collecting money is unlawful without a difference of opinion in it. He later writes: If you were to say, the reasoning of the author of gathering people upon a major sin indicates that singing in general is unlawful, even if there is a benefit in the singing. The listening to songs is a major sin due to the fact that they have gathered to listen to the song itself and the listening only becomes unlawful if what is listened to is unlawful. The reality of the matter is not so, since if a person sings in a manner that no one hears him and does it for himself to remove loneliness, then it is not impermissible. Some Jurists say that it is not impermissible if it is done to learn and benefit from the rhythm of the poem in order to become eloquent in speech. And some Jurists say that it is not impermissible for people to listen to it if it is on the occasion of marriage and post-marital feast, even if there is some form of futility, since there is explicit text regarding (the permissibility of songs in) marriage. The answer to this is that there has been a difference of opinion on the issue of singing for oneself or to remove loneliness amongst the Jurists. There are those who state that singing is not impermissible, only that form is impermissible which done in futile. They take proof from the narration of Anas bin Mālik (Radiyallāhu ‘Anhu) that once he visited his brother, Barā’ bin Mālik, who was considered to be one of the ascetics of the Sahāba and was singing. Shams al-A’ima al-Sarakhsi takes this view. From the Jurists are also those who do not permit any form of singing, and Shaykh al-Islām takes this view. They interpret the narration of Barā’ bin Mālik that he was reciting permissible forms of poetry which contain wisdom and advice, as the word ghinā how it is used for its normal meaning (singing), it is also used for other meanings. The Prophet of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) has said: من لم يتغن بالقران فليس منا Who so ever does not recite the Qur’ān in a melodious voice is not from us. There is no harm in saying permissible poetry. From those things permitted in poetry is describing the traits and qualities of an unspecified and unknown woman as opposed to a specific woman (as this will not be permissible). If the matter is such, then it is possible that the author is of the opinion of all forms of singing being unlawful, as was the view of Shaykh al-Islam, except we will say that this is in regards to those unlawful songs which have words that are impermissible e.g., describing body parts meant to be concealed, characteristics of living woman, wine and enticing people towards wine, discussions of internal family affairs, ridiculing a Muslim or non-Muslim citizen, etc. This is when the intentions of the person is to ridicule a person and not to say poetry in order to explain a word or to become more eloquent. As for songs free from these evils such as the description of flowers and streams, etc. there is no reason for its impermissibility. Yes, if they are accompanied by musical instruments, then it will be unlawful even if the words are of wisdom and advice, due to the instruments and not the song. And Allāh Knows Best. In Al-Mughni of Ibn Qudāma, it is written that musical instruments are of two types. a.) Unlawful – Those instruments which exclusively for entertainment e.g., flute mandolin, etc. Due to the narration of Abu Umāma that the Prophet of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) said, “Allāh has sent me as a mercy for mankind and has instructed me to break the violin and the flute. b.) Lawful – The use of tambourine drums (daff) in marriage and similar joyous occasions. (Fath al-Qadīr 6/481 Rashīdiyya) End of Translation From the above detailed explanation of Ibn Humām, the following points can be understood: 1. Singing in itself to remove loneliness is permissible by the consensus of the Hanafi Jurist. Those that have stated to be impermissible are stating it regarding the songs which contain words that are inappropriate. 2. Songs accompanied by music is unlawful according to all the Hanafi Jurist. 3. Those musical instruments, for which the sole purpose is entertainment, are unlawful. Those instruments that are at times used in futile and at times used for announcements will be permissible to use in marriages and other similar occasions and impermissible at other times. Singing in today’s time will not be permissible as it is either for entertainment, accompanied by music, or have inappropriate words. See also Ahkām al-Qur’ān (3/203 Section written by Mufti Shafi’) Non-instrumental music – vocal music Due to the fitna of today’s time, vocal music will also not be permissible. Vocal music, as found in the background of many anāshīd, is done solely for entertainment and has become a common substitution for music. It carries the same disastrous and poisonous affects of music. At times, it becomes difficult to differentiate between a cappella and music produced from musical instruments. In fact, sometimes the harms of vocal music become graver than that of music produced from musical instruments, since those that are religiously inclined recognize the unlawfulness of music and abstain from it, but do not apply the same cautiousness towards a cappella. Thus, they begin listening to a cappella and become affected by its tune just how a person would have been affected by music produced by musical instruments. For some, a cappella has been the means to start the evil habit of listening to music itself. It has become a hidden virus which is lingering within the Muslim communities and people are oblivious to it. May Allah make the Muslim umma aware of all that which is detrimental to the imān and give the ability to abstain from it, Amīn. And Allah knows best Wassalam Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri, Student Darul Iftaa Checked and Approved by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah Source

QUESTION How do I know that I have seen the Prophet Muhummad (Allah bless him & give him peace) in my dream? ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, To see our beloved master, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in a dream is certainly very virtuous and a blessing from Allah Most High upon the person who was fortunate to see him. When one dreams of the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), then one has certainly seen him. Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “He who saw me in a dream has certainly seen me, for Shaytan can not take my form.” (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim) The Hadith commentators and scholars have given different interpretations as to the meaning of this Hadith: 1. That it is similar to seeing the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in real life, but one will not be called a Companion (sahabi), and one will not be legally responsible to carry out the orders given in the dream, because moral responsibility is not based on dreams. 2. The Hadith is regarding those that were present at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), meaning whosoever saw him in a dream was given a glad tiding that he will also see him whilst awake. This meaning is also supported by another Hadith where the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace) said “Whosoever sees me in a dream will soon see me whilst awake” (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim). 3. That whosoever saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace) in a dream, the dream is true and genuine. It is not merely an imagination, for the Shaytan cannot come in ones dream and portray to be the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). (All three interpretations related by Mulla Ali al-Qari in his al-Mirqat, 9/24). The scholars have differed as to whether the dream is true in the case where one does not see the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in his recognized features and qualities that have been transmitted in the traditions. Some scholars are of the view that the dream will only be true and genuine if the person sees the Prophet of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in his recognised features. This opinion has been attributed to Qadi Iyadh al-Maliki. The majority of the scholars, however, including Imam Nawawi, are of the view that if a person dreams the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) then his dream is true, regardless of whether he sees him on his recognized features or otherwise. If a person was to see the blessed Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in his unrecognized features, for example, he saw him without a beard, or with full grey hair, etc… then this dream will need to be interpreted. The differences in appearance may be due to the good or bad habits of the dreamer. According to the variation of people’s personalities, their dreams differ. Some dream him old, whilst others dream him young. Some see him pleased, whilst others see him disturbed. Therefore, the dream will need to be interpreted by a person who is qualified in this field, and who has taqwa and piety. (See: Mirqat al-Masabih, 9/25) In light of the above, if one has a dream of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) then he has surely seen him. One should not doubt this, as this has been clearly mentioned in the Hadith. However, there are two points here which need to be remembered and understood properly. The Status of Dreams Firstly, dreams are not a source of evidence in Shariah. Therefore, if one received any order or guidance in the dream from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), then there are two possibilities: 1) If the order and command is in accordance with the laws of Shariah, then it will be a source of evidence, but only for the one who saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in his dream and not other people. The one who was ordered by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) to carry out a certain act, should attempt to implement it. However, it will not be binding on him similar to the other injunctions that are established in the Qur’an and Sunnah, neither will this dream be a source of evidence for others. 2) If the command is contrary to the established teachings of Shariah, it will not be accepted; neither will it be a source of evidence for anyone. It will not be permitted to act according to the dream. The reason for this is that, the science of interpreting dreams is very complex and not every individual is privileged to understand and interpret dreams. One may make a mistake in remembering or understanding a dream. People’s dreams could differ according to their own personality and condition of their faith (iman). It is reported by Shaykh Ali al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (Allah have mercy on him) that a person saw a dream that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace) was ordering him to consume alcohol. He became very disturbed by this, thus referred to the scholars of his time. One of the great scholars, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Urat (Allah have mercy on him) gave the interpretation of the dream by saying: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) did not say “Consume alcohol” (ishrab al-khamr), rather He said: “Don’t drink alcohol” (la tashrab al-Khamr). However, due to the disorder of your mind, you understood the contrary”. (Mazahir al-Haq, 4/325). It becomes clear from the above that, those who innovate things in Islam and base it upon dreams are clearly contradicting the spirit of Shariah. They must refrain at once from this practice. The second aspect to remember here is that the main objective should be to act upon the injunctions of Shariah and follow the beautiful ways of our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him & give peace). Salvation and success do not depend on dreams. If a person was to see the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in his dream, but kept back from obeying his command and acting upon his Sunnah in his day-to-day life, it will not be sufficient for salvation in the hereafter. During the days of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace), numerous people like Abu Jahl and Abu Lahb saw the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) regularly, but remained dwellers of hell, as they did not earn the pleasure of Allah Almighty and his beloved (peace and blessings be upon him). On the other hand, we have people like Uwais al-Qarni (Allah be pleased with him) who was not fortunate to see the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), but was regarded amongst the very pious people. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is reported to have said to Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him): “The best from the Tabi’ins (followers of the Companions) is a person called Uwais. He has a mother and has been afflicted with leprosy. (When you meet him) ask him to seek forgiveness for you (from Allah). [sahih Muslim] It is thus clear from the above that the main objective should be acting upon the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). If one implements his teachings in one’s life and then sees him in a dream, then surely it is very virtuous. However, if one kept back from obeying his commands, then seeing the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is by no means a sign of success. And Allah Knows Best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK Source

Question: Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, Dear Shaykh, I’ve got a question from my wife about menstruation. I have little bit understanding about the fiqh of menstration but the following situation I could not solve yet. Hopefully you can be of help. Normally my wife always has a certain cycle for her period of menstruation. But now it was a little bit different. Let me try to explain. Her period started on Thursday the 7th of March around 12.30 and ended on Monday the 11th around 6.00 in the morning. From Monday the 11th of March 6.00 till Tuesday the 26th of March 5.00 she was clean. From the 26th of march 5.00 till the 30th of march 6.00 she bleeded again. From the 30th of march 6.00 till the 3rd of April 23.00 she was clean. On the 3rd of April 23.00 she started to bleed again. Her question is as follows: Does the period from the 26th of March till the 30th of March count as her menstruation period or does the new bleeding which started on 3rd of April count as her menstruation? Also, which period counts as istihaada and which period counts as hayd? The period from the 26th till the 30th, for her it did not feel like a normal menstruation. But the bleeding that started on the 3rd does feel like a normal one. I hope I’m clear enough with the above and hope that we will receive an answer as soon as possible. Additional information on the months prior to March: In January her period started on the 7th around 12.30 and it ended on the 13th around 5.30. From the 13th of January till the 4th of February she was clean. Her next period started on the 4th of February around 12.30 and ended on the 10th. From the 10th of February till the 7th of March 12.30 she was clean. Answered by Umm Yusuf Abdul Sattar Verified by Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful First, we would like to commend you for keeping such an accurate and detailed record of your bleeding and purity. Having the dates, as well start and end times, allows us to complete precise calculations. In situations of abnormal bleeding, we use a woman’s previous cycles to help her determine which part of her bleeding is menstruation, which is purity, and which is istihada. Istihada is that blood that a woman experiences that is not menstruation. During istihada, a woman should complete her ritual obligations, such as fasting and praying. In your situation, we would assign 3 days, 7 hours as menstruation and 25 days as purity. The bleeding you experienced from March 26 to March 30 will be taken as purity/istihada, and not menstruation. To reach the allotted 25 days, you will need to wait an additional 1 day, 19.5 hours after you began bleeding on April 3 (11 pm); from that point, you will count 3 days and 7 hours of menstruation. We’ve created a table that lays out the information you provided, as well as the ruling for this specific situation. You should continue to apply this pattern as long as you experience irregular bleeding. Should anything change, you should consult with a scholar, as the rulings are based on a specific set of circumstances. Allah knows best (Click on chart to read)

So, Who's Right? Shaykh Hasan Ali [HD]

Regarding the Allegations of Mawlana Ahmed Raza Khan against the Ulama of Deoband Some Statements of Mawlana Ahmed Raza Khan against the Ulama of Deoband ~~~ Back to Table of Contents

Birth Control & Contraception What is the Islamic verdict on contraception and birth control in general? Is it only permissible at times of need? ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, First of all, it should be known that, one of the main aims of marriage in Islam is procreation. Islam encourages its followers to reproduce in large numbers in order to increase the size of the Ummah of our Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace). Allah Most High says in the Qur’an: “So now hold intercourse with your wives and seek (the children) what Allah has ordained for you.” ( Surah al-Baqarah, V: 187) In a Hadith recorded by Imam Abu Dawud, Imam an-Nasa’i and others, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Marry women who are loving and reproduce in abundance, for I shall outnumber the other nations by you.” It is clear from the above, that Shariah encourages its followers to abstain from practicing birth control, especially, when it is given a formal, organized and general approach. Therefore, one should refrain from practicing contraception unless necessary. As far as the Shar’i ruling is concerned, there are two categories of birth control and the ruling of each is different. The ruling of each category is as follows: 1) Permanent Irreversible Contraception This type of contraception is carried out when the couple decide never to have a baby. It is done with a sterilization operation carried out either on the man (Vasectomy) or the woman (Tubectomy) and renders the couple incapable of ever having children. The ruling with regards to this is that, it is unlawful (Haram) to carry out such operations. There are many Narrations of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and clear texts of the Fuqaha (Jurists) which determine this. The Companion, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) said: “We use engage in Jihad in the company of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and our wives did not accompany us. We said: O Prophet of Allah! Shall we not castrate ourselves? He forbade us from doing so.” (Sahih al-Bukhari) The great Hanafi Jurist, Allama Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) says: “Castration of humans is Haram.” (Radd al-Muhtar). Imam al-Ayni (Allah have mercy on him) says: “Castration (and sterilization, m) is prohibited with the consensus of all the scholars.” (Umdat al-Qari) However, in cases of extreme necessity, Irreversible contraception will become permissible. For example, a woman’s life is in danger or repeated pregnancies gravely damage her health, etc. This however, should be advised by a Muslim qualified doctor. 2) Temporary Reversible Contraception There are many methods by which reversible contraception can be performed. Coitus interruptus (Withdrawal method), the pill, using of the condom, i.u.d, spermicidal, just to mention a few. The ruling on reversible contraception is that, it is somewhat disliked (makruh tanzihan) if practiced without any reason. If there is a genuine reason, then it will be totally permissible with the permission of the wife. Some of the reasons (for the permissibility of reversible contraception), which the Fuqaha mention, are: a) Physical state of the woman, b) Weakness and illness, c) The couple are on a distant journey, d) The couple’s relations are unstable and divorce is likely, e) Spacing out children in order to give them adequate care and attention, If contraception is practiced due to a reason contrary to the teachings of Shariah, then it will not be permissible. Some of these reasons are: a) Fear of poverty and not being able to provide, b) For the fashion of keeping small families and imitating the Kuffar, c) Being ashamed of having a girl, There are many narrations from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) which signify the permissibility of reversible contraception, but at the same time indicate it to be undesirable. Sayyiduna Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) says: “We used to practice Coitus interruptus (Withdrawal method) while the Qur’an was being revealed. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) knew of this and did not prohibit us.” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim ) This has more or less been mentioned by the scholars in their books. (See Imam Nawawi in his commentary of Sahih Muslim, Mulla Ali al-Qari in al-Mirqat, Ibn Abidin in his Radd al-Muhtar and others. For more details, please refer to my book on this subject titled Birth Control and Abortion (Revised Edition), available from the Darul Iftaa, Leicester, UK. And Allah Knows Best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK Source

Contraception can be divided into two categories: Irreversible (or permanent) contraception Reversible (or temporary) contraception[1] Irreversible contraception Irreversible contraception is usually carried out by means of a sterilisation operation. Normally, there are two types sterilisation operation; one is performed on the male and the other on the female. Male sterilisation (vasectomy) Male sterilisation involves severing the vas, the tubes which deliver the sperm from the testes to the penis, through an incision in the scrotum. This procedure is usually performed in a doctor’s office using local anaesthetic and takes less than thirty minutes.[2] Female sterilisation (tubectomy or tubal ligation) When a woman ovulates, an egg is shed from the ovary and moves down the fallopian tube. If the egg meets a sperm, conception takes place. Sterilisation blocks the path of the sperm through the tube. Eggs are still released by the ovaries, but are broken down and safely reabsorbed by the body. The operation usually involves cutting or blocking the fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from the ovaries to the womb. This prevents the eggs from reaching the sperm and becoming fertilised. It can be a fairly minor operation, with many women returning home the same day. As the ovaries aren’t affected by this procedure, periods will continue as normal, with the ovaries continuing to release the same hormones. Tubal occlusion doesn’t cause menopause or affect a woman’s sexual desire or pleasure. [3] Islamic viewpoint on irreversible contraception Under normal circumstances, irreversible contraception, whether it is in the form of vasectomy or tubectomy, is absolutely prohibited in Shari’ah. Islamic law has prohibited castration. Sa῾d ibn Abi Waqqās radiallahu anhu narrates, “The Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam forbade ῾Uthmān ibn math῾ūn radiallahu anhu from abstaining from marriage. If he had allowed him, we would have castrated ourselves.”[4] (Sahīh al-Bukhāri) Abdullah ibn Mas῾ūd radiallahu anhu says, “We used to engage in Jihād with the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam and we had no one (with whom we could fulfil our desires). So we asked if we could get ourselves castrated. The Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam forbade us from doing so.” [5] Ibn Abidīn rahimahullah categorically states that castration is impermissible.[6] The common thread between vasectomy and castration is that both destroy the power of reproduction in a man, although the ability to have conjugal relations still exists in both. Mufti Abdur Raheem Lajpuri rahimahullah states that the action of permanently preventing reproduction is impermissible, hence under normal circumstances irreversible contraception is impermissible.[7] Mufti Khalid Saifullah Rahmani hafizahullah states the same in kitāb al-fatāwā.[8] The impermissibility is further endorsed in Ahsan al-Fatawa. Despite the clear prohibition of male and female sterilisation, scholars mention that in cases of absolute necessity, it will be permissible to carry out an irreversible method of contraception.[9] The scholars should be consulted to gauge the necessity in any specific case. Reversible contraception Contraceptives work by preventing a man’s sperm from fertilising a woman’s egg, and this can be done in several different ways. There are two main types of contraception: 1) Barrier methods - which physically prevent sperm from swimming into the uterus and fertilising the woman’s egg. 2) Hormonal methods - which alter a woman’s hormonal cycle to prevent fertilisation.[10] The general ruling with regards to reversible contraception: Allāmah Kāsāni (Allah have mercy on him) states in Bada’i` al-Sana’i`, “It is disliked to engage in contraception (`azl) with one’s wife without her permission. This is because intercourse with ejaculation is the means to having a child, and having a child is her right. By resorting to contraception [without her permission], having a child is prevented, which is akin to being a reason for not fulfilling her right. However, if the contraception was with the wife’s agreement (rida), then it is not disliked. In such a case, she will have willingly forgone her right.”[11] The Fuqahā’ further mention that to practice reversible contraception without any reason is somewhat discouraged (makrūh tanzīhī). If reversible contraception is practiced due to a valid reason, then it will be permissible without any dislike whatsoever. For example: a) A woman is weak and unable to sustain pregnancy at the moment. b) Being on a journey or away from home. c) When there is discord between the husband wife and divorce seems likely. d) Fear of older siblings being subjected to any form of difficulty if another child is born. e) Fear that the child will become corrupt due to the corruption in the time and area one dwells in. f) Spacing out children in order to give them adequate and equal attention.[12] Some forms of contraception are enumerated below: 1) Coitus interruptus/withdrawal method (῾azl) Coitus interruptus, also known as ‘withdrawal’ or the pull out method, is Latin for ‘interrupted intercourse’. What happens is that the man pulls out his reproductive organ out from that of his spouse before ejaculation. [13] This was a common method in the time of the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam. [14] This method is permissible as explicitly stated by the Fuqahā. 2) The rhythm method This method is also known as fertility awareness, periodic abstinence or the calendar method. It is a way of avoiding pregnancy by simply not having intercourse during the days when a lady ovulates. The rhythm method of contraception is far less reliable. It is based on the average 28-day menstruation cycle. The idea is to time sexual intercourse outside of the period of ovulation. This method is also permissible by way of analogy on the withdrawal method. 3) Condoms There are two types of condoms; male and female. A condom is a barrier contraceptive – it blocks the route a sperm would take to fertilise an egg. They can be made from latex rubber, polyurethane, or lambskin. Condoms stop the sperm from reaching the egg. It creates a physical barrier – this barrier makes sure fertilisation (pregnancy) does not occur. Apart from being made mainly of very thin latex rubber or polyurethane, male condoms contain a lubricant, as well as a spermicide that either destroys or damages the sperm. Extra spermicide is also available in most pharmacies. [15] Using a male condom is permissible also. A condom will not be regarded as a foreign object being inserted into the female’s private part. Instead, it will be regarded as a tābi῾ (follower in ruling) of the male private part as without the male reproductive organ it cannot be used. Hence, it is dependent on the male reproductive organ. However, a female condom will be disliked as it is inserted into a female’s inner private part independently. 4) Intra-Uterine Devices (IUD) This is also known as IUCD, coil, loop and the copper T. An IUD is a small, T-shaped plastic device that is wrapped in copper or contains hormones. The IUD is inserted into one’s uterus by a doctor. A plastic string tied to the end of the IUD hangs down through the cervix into female private part. The IUD can be checked to see if it is in place by feeling for this string. The string is also used by the doctor to remove the IUD. Research shows an IUD works before fertilisation occurs.[16] Types of IUDs Hormonal IUD: The hormonal IUD, such as Mirena, releases levonorgestrel, which is a form of the hormone progestin. The hormonal IUD appears to be slightly more effective at preventing pregnancy than the copper IUD. The hormonal IUD is effective for at least 5 years. Copper IUD: The most commonly used IUD is the copper IUD (such as Paragard). Copper wire is wound around the stem of the T-shaped IUD. The copper IUD can stay in place for at least 10 years and is a highly effective form of contraception. Both types of IUD prevent fertilisation of the egg by damaging or killing sperm. The IUD also affects the uterine lining (where a fertilised egg would implant and grow).[17] This is somewhat disliked and discouraged. The Fuqahā have stated that it is disliked to insert something into a woman’s private area without any pressing need.[18] 5) Diaphragms The diaphragm is a dome-shaped bowl made of thin, flexible rubber that sits over the cervix. The diaphragm keeps sperm from entering the uterus by blocking the cervix. For added protection, spermicide is put into the bowl of the diaphragm and along its edges before inserting the diaphragm high into a woman’s genital’s so it covers the cervix. The diaphragm is inserted up to 6 hours before having relations. More spermicide must be used each time a girl has relations while wearing the diaphragm. Additional spermicide should also be used if a girl is going to have relations more than 3 hours after she inserted the diaphragm. After relations, the diaphragm must be left in for at least 6 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. The diaphragm can be removed by placing a finger into the woman’s private parts to pull it out. This is somewhat disliked and discouraged also. The Fuqahā have stated that it is disliked to insert something into a woman’s private area without any pressing need. 6) Oral contraceptive pills The oral contraceptive pill (also called “the Pill”) is a daily pill that contains hormones to change the way the body works and prevent pregnancy. Hormones are chemical substances that control the functioning of the body’s organs. In this case, the hormones in the Pill control the ovaries and the uterus. Most birth control pills are “combination pills” containing a combination of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation (the release of an egg during the monthly cycle). A woman cannot get pregnant if she doesn’t ovulate because there is no egg to be fertilized. The Pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and reach any eggs that may have been released. The hormones in the Pill can also sometimes affect the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for an egg to attach to the wall of the uterus.[19] Oral contraceptive methods are permissible to use also provided there is no harm. One should consult a doctor before using these pills. 7) Contraceptive injections Contraceptive injections contain a progestogen hormone which is similar to the natural progesterone that women produce in their ovaries. There are two types of injection. Depo-Provera protects one from pregnancy for 12 weeks and Noristerat protects for eight weeks. Both of these are very effective. The main way they work is to stop the ovaries releasing an egg each month (ovulation). They also: · Thicken the mucus from the cervix. This makes it difficult for sperm to move through it and reach an egg. · Make the lining of the uterus (womb) thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg. The hormone is injected into a muscle, usually into one’s bottom. Depo-Provera can also sometimes be given in the arm.[20] This method is permissible also provided there is no harm. One should again consult a doctor to see if it is a suitable method for one. 8) Implant An implant is a small flexible rod that is placed just under the skin in the upper arm. It releases a progestogen hormone similar to the natural progesterone that women produce in their ovaries and works for up to three years. The main way it works is to stop the ovaries releasing an egg each month (ovulation). It also: · Thickens the mucus from the cervix. This makes it difficult for sperm to move through the cervix and reach an egg. · It makes the lining of the uterus (womb) thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg. This method is permissible also provided there is no harm. One should again consult a doctor to see if it is a suitable method for one. 9) progestogen-only pill (POP) The progestogen-only pill (POP) contains a progestogen hormone which is similar to the natural progesterone women produce in their ovaries. Progestogen-only pills are different to combined pills because they do not contain any estrogen. The POP works in a number of ways: · It mainly works by thickening the mucus from the cervix. This makes it difficult for sperm to move through it and reach an egg. · It makes the lining of the uterus (womb) thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg. It sometimes stops the ovaries releasing an egg (ovulation). This is the main action of one POP, Cerazette. This may mean that Cerazette is more effective than other POPs, but research has not yet confirmed this.[21] This method is permissible also provided there is no harm. One should again consult a doctor to see if it is a suitable method for one. 10) IUS (Intrauterine system) An IUS is a small T-shaped plastic device which releases a progestogen hormone. This is similar to the natural progesterone that women produce in their ovaries. A trained doctor or nurse will put the IUS into the uterus (womb). The IUS has two soft threads at one end which hang through the opening at the entrance of one’s uterus – cervix – into the top of one’s private organ. This is somewhat disliked and discouraged. The Fuqahā have stated that it is disliked to insert something into a woman’s private area without any pressing need.[22] 11) The contraceptive vaginal ring The contraceptive vaginal ring is a flexible, transparent, plastic ring. It is placed in the vagina where it releases two hormones – estrogen and progestogen. These are similar to the natural hormones that women produce in their ovaries and are like those used in the combined pill. The vaginal ring releases a constant dose of hormones into the bloodstream through the vaginal wall. The main way it works is to stop the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (ovulation). It also thickens the mucus from the cervix. This makes it difficult for a sperm to move through it and reach an egg. It makes the lining of the uterus (womb) thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg. 12) Birth control patches The birth control patch is a thin, beige, 1¾-inch (4½-centimeter) square patch that sticks to the skin. It releases hormones through the skin into the bloodstream to prevent pregnancy. Hormones are chemical substances that control the functioning of the body’s organs. The combination of the hormones progesterone and estrogen in the patch prevents ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries during a girl’s monthly cycle). If an egg isn’t released, a girl can’t get pregnant because there’s nothing for a male’s sperm to fertilise. The hormones in the patch also thicken the mucus produced in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to enter and reach any eggs that may have been released. The hormones can also sometimes affect the lining of the uterus so that if the egg is fertilised it will have a hard time attaching to the wall of the uterus.[23] This method is permissible provided there is no harm. One should consult a doctor to see if it is a suitable method for oneself. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Mawlana Faraz Ibn Adam, Student Darul Iftaa UK Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.daruliftaa.net [1] http://www.essortment.com/types-birth-control-63181.html [2] http://www.contracept.org/vasectomy.php [3] http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/female-sterilisation/Pages/Introduction.aspx http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Female_sterilisation [4] وفي صحيح البخاري عن سَعْد بْنَ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، يَقُولُ: «رَدَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُونٍ التَّبَتُّلَ، وَلَوْ أَذِنَ لَهُ لاَخْتَصَيْنَا» (رقم الحديث 4786) [5] وفي صحيح البخاري عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: كُنَّا نَغْزُو مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْسَ لَنَا نِسَاءٌ، فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَلاَ نَسْتَخْصِي؟ «فَنَهَانَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ» (رقم الحديث 5071) [6] وفي الدر المختار من نسخة رد المحتار وَأَمَّا خِصَاءُ الْآدَمِيِّ فَحَرَامٌ (ج 6 ص 388 أيج أيم سعيد) وفي فتح باب العناية ولا يجوز خصاء الآدمي لأنه تمثيل به وهو حرام.(ج 5 ص 180) [7] كذا في فتاوى رحيمية ج 10 ص 183 دار الإشاعت [8] كذا في كتاب الفتاوى ج 6 ص 229 زمزم [9] كذا في فتاوى رحيمية ج 10 ص 182 دار الإشاعت [10] http://www.avert.org/birth-control-contraception.htm [11] وفي بدائع الصنائع وَيُكْرَهُ لِلزَّوْجِ أَنْ يَعْزِلَ عَنْ امْرَأَتِهِ الْحُرَّةِ بِغَيْرِ رِضَاهَا؛ لِأَنَّ الْوَطْءَ عَنْ إنْزَالٍ سَبَبٌ لِحُصُولِ الْوَلَدِ، وَلَهَا فِي الْوَلَدِ حَقٌّ، وَبِالْعَزْلِ يَفُوتُ الْوَلَدُ، فَكَأَنَّهُ سَبَبًا لِفَوَاتِ حَقِّهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْعَزْلُ بِرِضَاهَا لَا يُكْرَهُ؛ لِأَنَّهَا رَضِيَتْ بِفَوَاتِ حَقِّهَا (ج 2 ص 334 دار الكتب العلمية) [12] كذا في أحسن الفتاوى [13] http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/coitusinterruptus.htm [14] وفي صحيح البخاري عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ: «كُنَّا نَعْزِلُ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالقُرْآنُ يَنْزِلُ» رقم الحديث 5209) [15] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152833.php [16] http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/contraceptivecoil.htm [17] http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/intrauterine-device-iud-for-birth-control [18] وفي ذخر المتأهلين (ويكره وضعه) أي: وضع جميعه (في الفرج الداخل) لأنه يشبه النكاح بيدها , “محيط”. (ص 170 دار الفكر) وفي البحر الرائق وَفِي شَرْحِ الْوِقَايَةِ ثُمَّ وَضْعُ الْكُرْسُفِ مُسْتَحَبٌّ لِلْبِكْرِ فِي الْحَيْضِ وَلِلثَّيِّبِ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ وَمَوْضِعُهُ مَوْضِعُ الْبَكَارَةِ وَيُكْرَهُ فِي الْفَرْجِ الدَّاخِلِ. اهـ. وَفِي غَيْرِهِ أَنَّهُ سُنَّةٌ لِلثَّيِّبِ حَالَةَ الْحَيْضِ مُسْتَحَبَّةٌ حَالَةَ الطُّهْرِ وَلَوْ صَلَّتَا بِغَيْرِ كُرْسُفٍ جَازَ.(ج 1 ص 193 أيج أيم سعيد) وفي شرح الوقاية ثُمَّ وَضْعُ الكُرْسُفِ مُسْتَحَبُّ للبكرِ في الحيض، وللثَّيب في كلِّ حال، وموضعُهُ موضعُ البكارة، ويُكْرَهُ في الفرج الدَّاخل (وفي بين السطور “عللوه بأنه يشبه إدخال اليد مع الاستغناء عنه) ج1 ص 122 مكتبة إمدادية وفي المحيط البرهاني ومما يتصل بهذا النوع من المسائل (32ب1) أن اتخاذ الكرسف سنّة عند الحيض، الثيّبْ يستحب لها اتخاذ الكرسف بكل حال لأنها لا تأمن خروج شيء منها فيحتاط في ذلك خصُوصاً في حالة الصلاة. وأما البكر فيستحب لها وضع الكرسف في حالة الحيض فلا يستحب لها ذلك في غير حالة الحيض. والطاهر إذا صلّت بغير كرسف وأمنت أن يخرج منها شيء جازت صلاتها، والأحسن أن تضع الكرسف. وعن محمد بن سلمة البلخي رحمه الله أنه يكره للمرأة أن تضع الكرسف في الفرج الداخل، قال: لأن ذلك يشبه النكاح بيدها.(ج 1 ص 401-400 إدارة القرآن) وفي رد المحتار وَفِي شَرْحِ الْوِقَايَةِ: وَضْعُ الْكُرْسُفِ مُسْتَحَبٌّ لِلْبِكْرِ فِي الْحَيْضِ وَلِلثَّيِّبِ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ، وَمَوْضِعُهُ مَوْضِعُ الْبَكَارَةِ، وَيُكْرَهُ فِي الْفَرْجِ الدَّاخِلِ. اهـ. وَفِي غَيْرِهِ أَنَّهُ سُنَّةٌ لِلثَّيِّبِ فِي الْحَيْضِ مُسْتَحَبٌّ فِي الطُّهْرِ، وَلَوْ صَلَّتَا بِدُونِهِ جَازَ. اهـ (ج 1 ص 289 أيج أيم سعيد) [19] http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/contraception_birth.html [20] http://www.fpa.org.uk/helpandadvice/contraception/contraceptiveinjection#how-it-works [21] http://www.fpa.org.uk/helpandadvice/contraception/progestogenonlypillpop [23] http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/contraception_patch.html Source

Meaning if the Hadith "Women will be Clothed yet Naked" Hanafi Fiqh > Daruliftaa.com Respected Scholars in Islam! I have heard the following abridged hadith: Imam Muslim ® narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen…” one of whom was, “women who are clothed yet naked…” According to Imam Ahmad ® he said: “Curse them, for they are cursed.” Can you please narrate the whole hadith and explain its true meaning and interpretation. ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, The Hadith in full is as follows: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “There are two types of people who will enter the Hell-fire, whom I have not (as yet) seen: People having whips similar to ox-tails with which they will beat people, and (secondly) women who will be dressed yet appear to be naked. They will seduce men and be inclined towards them. Their heads will be like the swaying humps of bacterial camels. They will neither enter paradise, nor smell its fragrance, even though its fragrance can be smelt from such and such distance.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 2128) In this Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) describes two types of people who will enter the fire of Hell, whom he had not seen. In other words, these two types of actions lead one to punishment and Hell in the Hereafter. May Allah Almighty save us all, Ameen. The meaning of “women who will be dressed yet appear to be naked” (as explained by Imam al-Nawawi and others) is that they will be semi-nude. Part of their body will be covered whilst the other will remain exposed. This is clearly manifested today; in that many women wear short skirts and expose their arms, neck, hair, etc. Imam al-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) mentions some scholars stating that the meaning is, women will wear see-through and transparent clothing in a way that the colour of their body will be visible. This, again, is quite common today, in that many women wear very thin clothing, thus exposing their skin-colour. A third interpretation, also recorded by Imam al-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him), is that they will be blessed in abundance with the various gifts and bounties of Allah, yet they will not be grateful. The meaning of “They will seduce men and be inclined towards them” is that they will walk and act in order to seduce strange men. The meaning of “Their heads will be like the swaying humps of bacterial camels” is that they will style their hair to certain stylish hairdos, or style their hair like a hump. (See: Sharh of Nawawi on Sahih Muslim, P. 1603) In summary, the above Hadith is one of the marvels (mu’jizah) of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). Imam al-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) states: “This Hadith is from the miracles of prophet-hood (nubuwwah), for these two types of people now exist. This Hadith also condemns these two actions.” (ibid) The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) envisaged the situation of certain individuals and their actions, thus informed his companions (Allah be pleased with them) and us about them. Thus, the moral of the Hadith is to abstain and refrain from these actions, for they lead one to the fire of Hell. And Allah knows best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK

Imitation Of Females In Male Attire And Vice Versa It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men, and he said: “Throw them out of your houses.” Bukhari It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam cursed the man who wears women’s clothing and the woman who wears men’s clothing. Abu Dawood ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam cursed masculinized women. Narrated by Abu Dawood The Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam stated, "A woman who dons male clothing is distant from Allah’s mercy, as is a man who dons female clothing." (Al-Kabaair Lith-thahabi) Al-Nawawi said, this indicates that it is haraam for men to imitate women and vice versa, because if it is haraam with regard to clothing then imitating them in one’s movements and tone of voice is even more abhorrent. So it is haraam for men to imitate women and vice versa with regard to clothing that is unique to one sex, and the one who does that is subject to the threat of being cursed.

Why do You Always go Crying to Your Mum? By Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera In the name of Allah, the Inspirer of truth. In life, it is quite natural that things don’t always necessarily go the way we want them to. Life is full of difficulties, challenges and obstacles. What defines whether a person will be successful in this life is the knowledge of how to deal with these problems in a correct and wise way. This is what our religion teaches us – belief in Allah and the firm acceptance that He is our Lord and Sustainer helps us to rise above our self-centred natures as we have a higher authority to invoke, to please, to seek support from and from whom we receive rewards in this life and the next. A believer’s trust in Allah makes him understand that despite all the apparent negativities that may surround him at any point in his life, if he continues to do the right thing in the right way, that is according to deen, then Allah will help him and guide him towards a better end, as Allah is the Wise, the All-knowing. Complaining about our spouses Many of us may have witnessed within our own family or elsewhere a married couple experiencing problems with each other – a few months into the marriage when the romantic period, where everything seemed to smell of roses, is gone, the defects of the spouse begin to become apparent. Each begins to see shortcomings in the other that they hadn’t noticed thus far and may even begin to regret having married his/her partner. So the first thing they do, particularly so for women, is that they call their mother. Mothers will quite naturally be partial to their own son or daughter. This is the reality and mothers are not to be blamed for that, it’s just the way they are (and may Allah bless them for it as the positive aspect of this is truly beneficial for us). Even supposedly ‘tough’ fathers are sometimes guilty of this favouritism too! In a related story, it is mentioned that there was a woman who called her mother every single time she had a problem with her husband. While her mother would normally listen to her complaints and both would engage in a back-biting session, on one occasion the woman was surprised to hear a different answer from her mother. She asked her: “Have you prayed to Allah first to resolve your matter?” The daughter was very surprised as her mother had never asked anything like this before. She continued: “Look my girl. I love you a lot, but I think it’s unfair for us to keep talking about your husband like this.” The daughter was dumbstruck. She was completely caught by surprise by the response, because this was the same mother who had always listened attentively to her and supported her, who would suggest retorts to the husband and who had blindly taken her side in every situation. Surprising as it may have been to the daughter, the mother had become aware of the fact that supporting her daughter in back-biting the son-in-law was not helping the situation in any way. The mother then explained: “You and your husband have a very special relationship, which I don’t have with your husband. Whatever happens between the two of you, it’s much easier for you to resolve it amongst yourselves, to overlook and to be patient and forgive each other. I’m looking at the situation as a third party, with emotional attachments to you alone and not to him, so I don’t want you to call me anymore about this problem.” The words of the mother hit home and the daughter understood that it was her own responsibility to deal with her issues. Soon Allah most High gave her the wisdom to approach them herself and the problems were soon resolved between husband and wife. This mother had some wisdom in what she said to her daughter. Many parents are not like this and will continue to carelessly engage in back-biting to support their children. If our parents speak ill of our spouses, even if they are perfect for us, we will also inevitably begin to think ill of them. Although it is very difficult, we must be able to politely tell our parents that what they expect and what we expect from our spouses may not be the same thing and that nothing more needs to be said. Emotional blackmail Another common problem between spouses that can be extremely detrimental for relationships is the concept of ‘emotional blackmail’. When tensions rise, the husband can be quick to say, “I’ll divorce you!” and the wife may be even quicker to respond, “Give me a divorce then! If you don’t like me, why don’t you really do it?” Although in most cases they don’t really mean what they are saying at all, but are simply in a state of heightened emotion and getting carried away, spouses may say things like this to each other. In some extreme cases, these sorts of outbursts even lead to actual divorces, despite the fact that they didn’t really mean any of it when the argument started. We must understand that the words we utter from our mouths can have a significant impact on our lives, whether we consider them seriously or not. So important an issue is the impact of words that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to change the names of people who had names carrying bad meanings, replacing them with pleasant ones. On one such occasion he came across a man who was called Hazn, meaning ‘the aggrieved one’, and so changed his name to Sahl, meaning ‘easy-going’. Just as names and the words we utter have an impact on us, so too must we realise that if we keep saying bad things to each other, whether we actually mean them or not, then Shaytan will seize that opportunity to create discord between two people, especially spouses. Sometimes people are simply not in the right state of mind to consider things calmly: the husband may have had a rough day at work, struggled through terrible traffic and when he arrives home he may be stressed, hungry, tired and frustrated. Similarly, the wife may have had a particularly tiring day at home, with the children playing up or just feeling the mental drain of no adult company all day. So in those moments it is especially important to reflect on how we should greet each other, what we say to each other and the way we say it as well. Fostering Love We must be able to admit that we all make mistakes and sometimes behave with each other in ways we shouldn’t. But even when we realise that we have made a mistake in our behaviour, our arrogance keeps us from going to our partner and saying salaam, from making peace. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “The one who says salaam first, is free from arrogance” (Bayhaqi). This arrogance is the very thing that keeps us from reconciling – we carry a false notion that if we admit our own fault, our spouse will always try to take advantage over us. In reality, admitting the mistake to the wife or husband will most likely make love increase. The practice of admitting mistakes and reconciling with our partner will increase the probability that they will also return the favour when a mistake is made by him or her. Saying kind words, bringing gifts, being the first one to say salaam, asking about how each other’s days have been and overall trying to make the other understand that we really care; these are the things that ‘score points’ with our spouse. We have to make an active effort to do these kinds of things and we must be aware of what our spouses need. Men and women are not the same and will appreciate different things. Women may feel cared for through gifts while a man presented with the same gift would find it an insult to his manhood! A man may simply crave his wife’s womanly attention and care. At the end of the day, the more points a couple can score with each other the happier and more romantic their relationship will be. Many men think that as soon as children arrive they become more important than their wives. In the example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and the Companions, the focus of love is on the relationship between spouses, not between parents and children. The parent-child relationship should be more focussed on tarbiya, that is bringing up children with sound moral and social values. Researchers are now saying that the wife should have more priority in the eyes of her husband than the children, due to the fact that a happy and loving relationship between husband and wife in a family means they are more likely to be on the same page when it comes to this tarbiya and raising their children. Otherwise, if there is a dispute between the two of them, it is sadly often seen that out of spite for the other the wife or husband will sometimes allow the children to do things that the other one doesn’t approve of! Thus the children become tools by which the spouses poke at each other in their dispute. It can easily be seen the kinds of values these children will grow up with. If the husband and wife both make each other their first priority, these issues should not arise and they are more likely to have a healthier and happier household. Dealing with differences As human beings we are all created with unique personalities, and thus it is expected that our mentalities will not always be on the same wavelength as our partners’. As time goes on and the marital relationship becomes more mature, the husband and wife may both come across many issues on which they don’t think the same way and this is perfectly normal! These differences shouldn’t have to cause any problems in the marriage unless the husband or the wife, or both, state blatantly that they are not on the same page. Such a statement can generally prove to be very detrimental as it indicates to the other person that “we are different” or “we should not be together.” In cases of difference in opinion, being outspoken without considering the emotions of the other can be extremely detrimental to the relationship. Instead, both should assess the situation and try to find out what makes his or her partner think differently and thus come to a compromising middle point. From the very initial stages of marriage we should always be considering these sorts of issues to allow us to build a good relationship in the long run. Rather than allowing anything to escape our lips in a fit of rage, we should consider the implications that our words will carry in the future and how these words will impact the relationship. It’s unfortunate that so many couples have overlooked these problems and year after year they have had to endure a terrible relationship with their partner. It may come to a point where they completely give up hope on making things better and learn to live in dispute forever! Imagine the message that this gives to the children of such a family. Children will learn the secrets to living a happy life from their parents. Where else will they learn it from? All that is shown on television are the sensationalist dramas that represent to them the worst kinds of family disputes: disloyalty, unfaithfulness, infidelity, abuse. These are what make the TV shows juicy but sadly they are only reflections of what a child may be seeing in their own household between their very own parents. Seeking help At this point, whether our marriage is in its early stages or further ahead down the line, we must understand that having problems in a relationship is normal but we must not let it stay in that state for long – active steps must be taken to make our relationships better. The first thing one can do is to contact someone who can help. It doesn’t matter if it has already been 20 years. This someone can be an Islamic scholar with whom you have a good relationship and you have confidence in the soundness of his Islamic knowledge and practice; it can be an uncle or an aunt who understands you and can give good advice; or it can even be a dear friend. This is where good social relationships can come to our assistance. Identify the cause of the problem and ask someone to help in solving it. These problems may sometimes be caused by certain personality traits, or a specific issue such as jealousy, arrogance, or lust for certain haram things etc. There are specific adhkar and other a’mal that can help in such cases and help us to get rid of these problems. The key here is making the intention to seek out our own flaws, find solutions for them and then to take proper actions. If a doctor gives us medicine for a problem that we’ve had for a long time, then we must expect to spend some time and effort to follow the prescription of the doctor properly to get rid of the long-standing disease. Similarly, when an Islamic Scholar, a Shaykh, gives us a spiritual prescription to solve the issues in our family life that we may have had for years, we also must be careful and diligent and expect to spend some time in following those guidelines to rid us of our problem. Our deen is an all-encompassing lifestyle. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) dealt with all of these kinds of issues and has left a perfect example for us to follow. We should never hesitate to ask for help and guidance from others and must make continuous and abundant du’a to Allah most High. We should establish relationships with the respected ‘ulama, so that we can turn to them when we need assistance. Good relationships with family and friends are extremely beneficial for helping to resolve household disputes should they arise, so we should always maintain good ties with the people around us. Islam is a social religion and we are social beings —we have not been enjoined with hermitic life, or with an existence living alone, angry with everyone else. It is mentioned in a hadith that the believer is a place of affection: there is no good in the one who is not affectionate and interacting well with others and people do not interact well with him (see Musnad Ahmad). Thus good social interaction can take us to great heights. We must commit to identify the root of the problems we face in our relationships, seeking help from Allah. We should act upon wise counsel with determination and strive to build a strong relationship with our spouse which inshaAllah will in turn ensure the sound upbringing and nurturing of our children. Transcribed by Mohammad Asif ul Haq Edited by Mirina Paananen

Muslim Women: Achievements and Virtues By Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf How does a woman fulfill her relationship with Allah Most High, and at the same time, also serve the community? There are many extremes in this. For example, some people believe that women should not be educated at all; that they should be kept completely ignorant so that they don’t know anything beyond the basics of their faith. This is completely rejected by our deen. Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi, for example, compiled the famous work Bahishti Zewar and aimed it particularly toward women. The comprehensiveness of the book suggests it is a work that ought to live on the bookshelf of every home and used as a guidance for every aspect of a woman’s (and indeed her family’s) life. Indeed, such is the usefulness of the book that it is not uncommon to find muftis using Bahishti Zewar as a reference point nowadays. There is the other extreme, too. There are women who discover some Islamic knowledge by way of their own research and suddenly, they believe they are qualified to derive and deliver Islamic rulings. Seeking knowledge is commendable in its own right, as is the desire to follow Islamic rulings. At the same time, one must realise that there is an established and functional system that exists for Muslims to acquire knowledge and rulings. It is when individuals fail to appreciate and engage with this conventional, mainstream system that rogue, isolated and wayward ideas and theories are formulated. There was a case a few years back where a woman gave the adhan for Friday prayer and another woman led a congregation of men and women. Needless to say, both actions are contrary to the Shar’ia. Of course, in both of these examples the women felt they were doing the right thing. Some would argue these women were bringing Islam into the twenty-first century by introducing gender equality to the mosque. What the women failed to realize is that Islam welcomes individuals looking to revive the faith, but does not require individuals to innovate new practices. After all, Islam has its own code of equality which was established over a thousand years ago independent of any western ideas. Why would Islam suddenly need to be introduced to a modern-day conception of equality? Here, I would like to mention narrations that show the role of women in education and transmission of knowledge from one generation to another. Undoubtedly, mothers are the first source of information for their children. A look into Islamic history throws up many examples of great scholarly figures like ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Imam Bukhari and Muslim, and we find that they were brought up in the laps of their mothers. Who knew that young Abu ‘Abdillah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il of Bukhara, later known as Imam Bukhari, would shape the understanding of many Muslim scholars and laymen that came after him? There can be no doubt that the mothers of these monumental scholars made a significant contribution to their success. The famous idiom “Behind every great man is a great woman” could not be more relevant than in the life of Imam Shafi’i, who was brought up by his mother alone, who was a widow. Clearly, many women get closer to Allah Most High than men do because of their devotion and sacrifice for Islam. This is something that our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not overlook; our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would frequently consult with his wives. Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), the Wife of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) The first example is a very famous incident about Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) during the Treaty of Hudaybiya. The Companions travelled from Madina to Makka with the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to perform the umra but were prevented from doing so by the non-Muslim Makkans. The stand-off was overcome when an agreement—the Treaty of Hudaibiya—was signed, permitting the Muslims to perform umra the following year. Because the Muslims had come with a desire to perform umra this year, they were very disappointed and disheartened. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) asked them to shave their heads and sacrifice their accompanying animals, so they could come out of the state of ihram (pilgrim sanctity). However, due to their disappointment, they appeared reluctant to do so. So, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) went inside his tent with concern and told Umm Salama, his wife, about what was going on. She told him (Allah bless him and give him peace) to go and sacrifice his animal and shave his own head in front of everyone. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came out from his tent and did exactly what Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) suggested. The advice of Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) proved sound, as the Companions immediately tried to emulate the Prophet’s actions and thus carried out his command. The Daughter of Abu Bakr, Asma’ (may Allah be pleased with them) Asma’ bint Abi Bakr was a great Companion from the time she was young. She was the older sister of ‘A’isha and the daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them all). When the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) were migrating to Madinah, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took all of his wealth with him. He did not leave much behind for his family. In his home, there were a few family members; his two daughters, his blind father and perhaps one or two other people. Abu Bakr’s father kept complaining and asking about what Abu Bakr had left behind for them. So Asma’ (may Allah be pleased with her) got some pebbles and covered them up with a cloth and then took her grandfather’s hand, letting him feel the pebbles from over the cloth. Thinking they were coins, the grandfather said that Abu Bakr has left a lot for them. From this we can see how Asma’ (may Allah be pleased with her) used her wit to deal with the situation. The Daughter-In-Law of Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) When ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was the caliph, he was patrolling the streets at night. He decided to take a break and was resting in front of a house. From inside the house he heard a mother and a daughter talking. The mother instructed the daughter to add water to the milk they had so that they would have more to sell. The daughter reminded her that the caliph had outlawed this practice. Though the mother retorted that the caliph wasn’t around to witness this rather dubious practice, the daughter asserted that Allah Most High was the Ever Present, the Ever Watchful and refused to do it. Like any father, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted pious spouses for his children. The following day, he ascertained that one of his sons, ‘Asim, was looking to get married. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) proposed a marriage between ‘Asim and the girl and they got married. ‘Asim and his wife had a daughter who was known as Umm ‘Asim, who later on married ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Marwan, the brother of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (one of the powerful caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty). This daughter gave birth to the great caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was the one who, in a period of two and a half years, sorted out the situation of the Muslim ummah for a while and dealt with all the injustices that had taken place. So it can be seen how piety, especially in women, filters down to others because they have such a great influence and impact on their children and grandchildren. Owing to the amount of time a mother and child spend together, a more direct and intimate relationship is established. It could be said that the mother’s characteristics are passed down to her child and therefore there is great responsibility on a mother to be an excellent role model. The Daughter of Imam Malik It is said that when Imam Malik, a great Imam of fiqh and hadith, was teaching, there would be pin drop silence despite the very large class size. The respect he had for the prophetic hadiths would also be seen in the people who listened to him; people would sit in awe whilst studying hadith with the Imam. The Imam would listen to his students and whenever a student would make a mistake, there would be a knock on the door near to where Imam Malik would sit to alert them to the mistake. The knock was from his daughter who had memorized her father’s entire hadith collection, the Muwatta’. Sometimes a young man would pass by the gathering and Imam Malik would remark that Allah Most High grants knowledge and tawfiq only to those He wishes. The boy, who was his son, was not interested in studying and when he would pass by, Imam Malik would make this comment. His daughter, on the other hand, was memorizing and learning from a young age. Imam Malik never prohibited her from engaging in the class. After all, she was observing the etiquette of hijab. There has been no prohibition for women studying the religion as long as the rules and regulations of hijab are observed. The Daughter of ‘Allama Samarqandi Among the Hanafi scholars of the 4th and 5th century, there is a great scholar by the name of ‘Allama Samarqandi, the author of Tuhfat al-Fuqaha’ (The gift to the jurists). Among his students was Badr al-Din al-Kasani who also became a great jurist, may be even greater than his teacher. Among the other students of Allama Samarqandi was his own daughter. She was such a great jurist that many people asked for her hand in marriage but she refused. She said that she would only marry someone who could teach her something new. ‘Allama Kasani wrote a commentary on his teacher’s work called Bada’i’ al-Sana’i’. He presented the work to his teacher and when she read it, she realized and appreciated the knowledge that he possessed and accepted his proposal. Thereafter, all subsequent fatwas issued by this household were jointly signed by the father daughter and son-in-law. This shows that a woman, too, can be a muftiya and jurist. Unfortunately, we do not see enough of this today. The more sacred knowledge that a woman sincerely acquires, the more observant she becomes of her religion and the more she becomes modest in the sight of Allah Most High. The mother of the last ruler of Granada, Spain ‘A’isha Umm Muhammad was the mother of Muhammad, the last ruler of Granada, Spain. On the day that he had to surrender Granada to the Christians, he began weeping. What his mother said to him on this occasion has been written down in books and recorded in history. She said to her son: “O person of vile nature, were you not from noble Arab ancestry? I am ashamed that you were born to me. Your senselessness and impotency has ashamed me to even own you. Were a stone born to me instead! Don’t cry today like a woman over what you could not defend like a man.” Such was his mother. Instead of succumbing to the maternal instinct of consoling her child, she objectively accounted her son. This is a great example of how women, at times, keep their senses in situations where men may become despondent and defeated. This is really important given a woman’s influence within the Muslim community. Nobody is going to deny a woman’s contribution to the Muslim society as long as it is done in the right way. The problem we have today is that people are pursuing liberalism and buying into aspects of extreme feminism. Though some goals of it may be praiseworthy, it is largely misguided. Motherhood is an extremely cherished concept not only in our faith, but in any human civilization. The problem with some feminists is that motherhood is looked down upon. A woman that chooses to be a housewife or a full-time mother is perceived as less successful than a career woman. A woman being on the board of a big company, meanwhile, is a special thing; it seemingly raises her esteem in the eyes of others and almost gives people a cause for celebration. But a woman raising great sons and daughters, for example, doesn’t really attract the same kind of celebration. Celebration of motherhood is very important. The way to deal with feminism today is to celebrate motherhood as much as possible. Celebration of Motherhood: the Story of Hajar (Upon Her be Peace) Hajar (upon her be peace) was left in the desert by her husband Ibrahim (upon him be peace) according to the command of Allah Most High. She had nothing. No food. No extra clothing. No water. Ibrahim (upon him be peace) did not even initially provide her an explanation as to why he was leaving her there in Makka. He just took her there, turned around and started to leave. She managed to ask whether this was according to a command of Allah Most High. When he responded in the affirmative, she told him that Allah Most High will not abandon her. Immediately, her maternal instincts kicked in. Her son became thirsty, and she began to run back and forth searching for water seven times in between the mounts of Safa and Marwa. This act of hers was so significant that, thousands of years on, millions of Muslims still emulate this action of hers as a rite of hajj. Her action of searching for water appeared so simple but Allah Most High made it so significant. It is an achievement of motherhood. It is from this event that we get the blessed water of ZamZam. One could say zamzam is a gift of motherhood. Also, this is probably the only religious rite the world over in the major religions that celebrates a woman’s action. The Story of Umm Sharik (may Allah be pleased with her) At the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), there was a female Companion by the name of Umm Sharik (may Allah be pleased with her). She embraced Islam early on and was a very active member of the community. Umm Sharik decided to give da’wa to the people of the community. She went to the houses of those who were not Muslim and talked to the women about the new faith of Islam, and they started embracing it. Umm Sharik was very successful, and eventually, her tribe found out what was happening. They wanted to punish her and stop her propagation. Her tribe was travelling somewhere and she was tied up outside a tent in the hot desert without any water or shade for several days. After a few days, she became dehydrated and was completely disoriented, so much so, that she did not know what was happening anymore. One day at noon, when the sun was at its peak and it was really hot, the members of her tribe retired into their tents to take an afternoon nap leaving her alone outside. At this point, she suddenly saw a pot of water coming down from the heaven towards her. She drank from it. It moved away, then it returned and she drank from it again until she was completely satiated and refreshed. Once her tribe woke up and they saw how refreshed she was, they began to wonder what had happened. She told them about the occurrence and how she had received the water, but nobody believed her. They said that she must have taken the water from their supplies somehow while they were asleep. The tribespeople began to check their water supply and found that no water was missing. It was at this point that the truth of her words dawned on them and they all accepted Islam. Her example shows us that if the active people in the community take their obligations seriously, then they can be a source of guidance for their entire community. Likewise, if people are active in wrongdoing, it can filter down to their community and bring about unwanted consequences. Most problems today exist because of ignorance. There are individuals who are successful in their secular work or career but are not too concerned about their faith. Sometimes, when such people decide to do something for their faith, they may do so with a lot of zeal but it is generally with superficial knowledge of the faith. Their Islamic knowledge is sometimes not even enough to get them through their day-to-day obligations, let alone refute or convince others. Such people then stand up to defend the faith against Islamaphobia and other vile attacks against Islam. Although their intention may be praiseworthy, their defense takes the form of “reforming the faith.” They end up trying to apologetically convince people that Islam shares the same values as the secularists, and suddenly you have women leading Friday prayers, calling the adhan and other such activities that are unsanctioned in the faith. These people feel they are sincere in their faith, and want to do something for it, but often forget they lack the correct knowledge or qualification. So out of their ignorance, they engage in ideas and actions that are contrary and far removed from Islam. Such people think they are helping Islam, when, in fact, they are actually hurting it. Establishment of the Qarawiyyin University While the famous Azhar University is commonly known as being the first university to be established back in 361 A.H., there already existed another less famous university called Jami’ al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco. The Qarawiyyin was founded and built by a woman called Umm al-Banin Fatima bint Mohammed ibn Abdillah al-Fihri. Her father was very wealthy and had taught her well. She was a jurist, and used her inheritance to build Qarawiyyin, a madrasa for students to stay in and learn sacred knowledge. Similarly, Fatima’s sister, Maryam bint Abdillah, founded the Jami’ al-Andalus on the other side of Fez. These women used their wealth for the cause of Islam and did something no man had hitherto accomplished. Similarly, the wife of the caliph Harun al-Rashid had a water canal built, called the Zubayda Canal in Makka, as a water source for the pilgrims to address the difficulty that existed of a reliable water supply. An impressive aqueduct was used to carry the water to the pilgrims and can still be seen today. These examples show that women, like men, can be activists, savvy problem solvers and visionaries. Unfortunately, there are some people who are suppressed so much that they feel they cannot do anything for their faith, while on the other hand there are those who become prey to the Shaytan, and their misplaced zeal leads them to focus on the absolute wrong things and they end up dividing the community. The Daughter of Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab was a great tabi’i (an immediate successor to the Companions) also known as the leader of the tabi‘in (sayyid al- tabi‘in). His daughter learned all the hadith that he knew. She was so beautiful and knowledgeable that many people sought her hand in marriage. ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who became the caliph of the Ummayyads also asked for her hand in marriage but Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab refused. He had her marry an impoverished student of his. Once after marriage, her husband put on his cloak to leave the house. She asked where he was going and he said to study with her father. She told him to take his cloak of and sit down and she would teach him the knowledge of Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab. Her husband said about her that she was the most beautiful and the most knowledgeable about the Sunna, and she knew the rights of her husband. Hadith on the Reward for Women Women are getting rewarded automatically for doing things that they have to do as part of their human life cycle. They are getting the same reward that men would get for doing things which take a long time to do. They are getting so many rewards in those nine months and beyond. Allah Most High has made both men and women different but at the same time they both can achieve the great stations in the sight of Allah Most High. Asmaa bint Yazeed (may Allah be pleased with her) came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said may my father and mother be sacrificed for you O Messenger of Allah. I am a representative of the women to you. God has sent you as a messenger to all the men and women, we have believed in you and your God. Now we women have been confined to the houses, we bear your children, men have been preferred over women in terms of Friday and the other congregational prayers, visiting the sick, attending funerals, doing hajj after hajj, and more than that, jihad in the path of Allah. When you men go out for hajj, umra, or jihad, we look after your property, we weave your clothes, and we bring up your children. Will we not share with you in the reward? [Note here that the women aren’t seeking to do what men do; they recognise their responsibilities but want to know if they will get a share of the reward.] The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) then completely turned around to the companions and said to them, ‘Have you heard any woman asking about her religion better than this?’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we never thought any woman could have been guided to do this’. Then the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) turned to her and said ‘Understand O woman, tell the other women behind you, that a wife looking after her husband, seeking his contentment and going along with him is equal to all that.’ The woman went back with her face shining with happiness (Usd al-Ghaba 1:1313). A woman looking after all of her husband’s interests, playing the role of the mother and the woman of the house, is getting an equal amount of reward as her husband when he is out earning a living and generally meeting all his obligations. The woman is playing a great role which is important for the progeny to continue and for the family to work as a whole. Shaykh Akram Nadwi, in his book the Muhaddithat, the female hadith scholars in Islam, has compiled numerous volumes on the lives of the women hadith scholars. In his introduction, he writes, “I have worked through much material over a decade and I have spent more than ten years compiling biographical accounts of nearly eight thousand muhaddithat.” Interestingly, he notes that not one of them has been reported to have considered the domain of family life inferior or to have neglected the duties therein or considered being a woman undesirable or inferior to that of a man. These stories and incidents are only a few examples to show us the zeal of women, their willingness to participate in society and their desire to achieve great feats in this world. Crucially, women can achieve all this, whilst at the same time playing the role of a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. Transcribed by Rabiah Nargis Edited by Abdul Aziz zamzam academy

Staying away from pornography and masturbation I have a serious problem…this problem is on masturbation and watching pornogrophy. I know these actions are Haraam, but I have such a weakness. Every time I repent to Allah, and promise myself I won’t do it, but always go bsck to the same sin. Please help me, I feel ss though I am a loser and is lost. I need to overcome this and somehow try to control my nafs. Answer In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Pornography and masturbation are evil and despicable sins which ruin the life of an individual. One is deprived of the sweetness of Imaan. His heart and soul becomes dull and develops an aversion towards Ibaadah and nearness to Allah Ta’ala. It is imperative a Muslim constraints his Nafs. Allah Ta’ala says “Verily the Nafs is inclined to evil” (12:54) The example of the nafs is like a small child; it always demands to get what it wants. The parents of the child know what is beneficial for the child and what is not. They do not accede to everything the child wants even if the child screams or cries. Rather, they take measures to discipline the child. They refine him into a respectable person having good qualities. Similarly, we need to refine our nafs and not allow it everything it wants. Brother in Islam, remember that even if no human eye is watching us, the ever watchful Allah knows the innermost regions of our heart. The true believer fears Allah’s judgement and knows that no act will go unaccounted for and that even his own eyes will bear witness against him on the Day of Judgement. Allah Ta’ala says: “They may hide (their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (them) from Allah, for He is with them (by His Knowledge), when they spend the night in such that He does not approve, And Allah ever encompasses what they do.”(4:108) Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alahi Wa Sallam) warned us that there is a zinaa of the eyes just as there is a zinaa of the private parts.[1] The negative consequences of pornography are too many to mention. In brief, it robs one of true human values and spirituality. In the case of a married person, while being physical with the spouse, the mental state is being controlled by the pornographic sights. The real life and essence of Imaan is lost. If a person is sincere in making Tawbah from this evil act, he can be rehabilitated according to his level of sincerity. The biggest question to ask yourself is what if the angel of death comes to you in such a state…. Here under are few tips which may help you overcome your problem 1. Stay away from all such avenues that spurs ones carnal desires, such as immoral friends, malls, beaches etc. 2. Protect ones gaze from falling upon non-mahram (unlawful) women. The Prophet (Sallallhu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: “I have not left a Fitnah (trial, calamity or cause for calamity) after me more than (the fitnah) with women for men” (Bukhari and Muslim). 3. You should not use the internet unless there is a genuine need for it. One cannot place butter into a hot pan and expect it not to melt, likewise you cannot touch an electrical wire and expect not to get shocked. Similarly, if you access immoral websites, you are bound to fall into sins. 4. Try to keep your laptop or computer in a place where everyone can see what you are doing. If at any time you feel like browsing through porn websites or feel like masturbating, switch off your computer and immediately engage in something else. 5. Do not to remain alone or idle. An idle mind is a devils workshop. 6. Frequent the Masajid and the company of pious people. Identify a spiritual guide and benefit from his spirituality. Going out in Tableegh is also useful. 7. In order to make sure you follow these rules, any time if you happen to do Haraam, give some charity to the local masjid. Make sure this amount is realistic and reasonable. 8. If you are unmarried, try to get married as soon as you can. Nabi (Sallallahu `alayhi wasallam) advised: “O group of youth whoever has the ability to marry then he should marry for verily this is a means of lowering ones gazes and protecting ones chastity. Whoever cannot do so then he should take to fasting for verily this is a shield for him.”(Bukhari) 9. Before you sleep every night, think about death and how you will be buried in the grave with no-one to assist you and help you. Imagine Ghusl (pre-burial bathing)being done to you, you will then be enshrouded with the Kafn, people will be crying, the Janaza Salaah will be performed and then your body will be carried to the graveyard and then you will be buried in the depths of the ground. Who will be there to assist you on that day? Every day, take out some time before you go to sleep and think about death. Insha’Allah, this will remove the ghaflat (heedlessness) from your Nafs. Continuously make Dua to Allah to help you abstain from such sins. Make as much as Taubah as possible. If your Taubah is sincere, Allah Ta’ will grant you the Taufeeq to refrain from sins. Always, keep trying. Never give way to the subtle whisperings of Shaytaan. At first, refraining from sins might be extremely difficult, but after constant struggle and punishing of the Nafs, the Nafs will finally become tamed and then you will feel pleasure in refraining from sins. Allah Ta’ala will indeed help the person who strives to become closer to Him. Abu Huraira( Radhiallahu Anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I am just as My slave believes me to be and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding his lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly.(Muslim) And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Arshad Ali Student Darul Iftaa Trinidad Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. http://www.daruliftaa.net/

Please help me with the problem of addiction to pornography. Salam , I have hifzed 18 paras alhamdulillah but i have a serious problem being hafiz it shouldn’t be happened i have addicted to pornography i do repent sincerly but tauba gets break due to shaitani waswasas pls help me in my problem jazakallah Answer In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. When dealing with the problem of pornography, you will have to focus on the root causes of your addiction to eliminate it. You will also have to build a firm determination to give it up with the Tawfīq (Divine Ability) of Allāh Ta‛ālā. After admitting that you have a problem, below are practical steps you should take to eliminate your addiction with the Divine Help of Allāh Ta‛ālā who has power over all things: 1. Stay far away from the danger of pornography. This means that you should take all necessary steps to remove the means of watching pornography before the desire comes to do so. If it is a picture or video stored on your computer, hard-drive, etc., delete it immediately. Also, if you have downloaded any pornography, delete all of it as well as your browsing history and bookmarks, and empty your cache. If it is on a CD or DVD, destroy it immediately. If it is the facility of adult programming on television, do everything possible to disconnect the service immediately. Get rid of all pornographic material in your home or office. 2. Control your thoughts. The desire to watch pornography begins in a person’s mind by lustful thoughts cast by Shaytān (the Devil). A person desires to watch pornography because he finds it interesting. If the thought of watching pornography comes to your mind, you should control your mind by eradicating the thought of pornography being interesting. The moment the desire to watch it enters your mind, you should think of it to be extremely harmful to watch. You must abhor watching pornography. 3. When you are alone and have nothing to do, find something good to do. If you cannot find anything good to do when the evil thoughts come to mind, go outside and take a walk until the evil desire to watch pornography goes away. 4. If you are watching pornography on a computer, keep the computer in a place where there is no privacy for the user. Also, use the internet only when necessary. If you do not have anything useful to do on the internet, do not spend your time merely surfing through various websites. Rather turn off the computer and engage in some other useful activity. 5. Be proactive if the pornography is displayed unwillingly while browsing the internet. Close the window immediately. When you are browsing the internet, be a responsible individual and exercise restraint from all sites related to pornography in the slightest way. 6. Seek protection in Allāh Ta‛ālā from Shaytān when he whispers the evil desire of watching pornography in your heart. If after taking all steps to distance yourself from pornography, the desire comes to watch it, recite immediately: أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيم I seek protection in Allāh Ta‛ālā from Shaytān (the Devil) the accursed. لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ There is no strength (to ward off evil) and there is no power (to do good) except by Allāh Ta‛ālā, the most High, the Great. 7. If you ever do watch pornography out of weakness, feel guilty and remorseful. Make sincere Tawbah (repentance) from your heart and turn towards Allāh Ta‛ālā. Plead to Him to save you from the evil of your soul and the plots of Shaytān (the Devil). Even if you repeat the sin of watching pornography again and again, do not let the day pass and you have not made Tawbāh (repented) for the sin. 8. Develop the quality of Taqwā (consciousness of Allāh Ta‛ālā) within you. This is achieved by performing all your Salāh punctually, reciting Qur’ān often, making Dhikr of Allāh Ta‛ālā and performing other virtuous actions. 9. Adopt the company of the pious people. Befriend the ‛Ulamā’ of your locality, remain close to them and take benefit from their discourses. Go out for some time in Tablīgh (in the Path of Allāh Ta‛ālā to propagate Dīn). By changing your environment, you will automatically abhor the sin of pornography and you will eventually find it easy to refrain from it. 10. Supplicate to Allāh Ta‛ālā often to help you to overcome your weakness. True power to save yourself from all sin is only from Allāh Ta‛ālā. In your supplications, recite the following Du‛ā, keeping in mind its meaning when reciting it: اَللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا الإِيمَانَ، وَزَيِّنْهُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا، وَكَرِّهْ إِلَيْنَا الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الرَّاشِدِينَ Oh Allāh! Make Īmān beloved to us and beatify it in our hearts, and make disbelief, sinfulness and disobedience detestable to us, and make us from amongst the rightly-guided ones. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Mahmood Patel Azaadville, South Africa Student Darul Iftaa Checked and Approved by Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.daruliftaa.net

Pornography and Masturbation Addiction Assalaamu Alaikum, my dear brother in Islam. I need your help. I have a problem, a problem that I cannot control and I don’t know what to do. The problem I have is watching porn and masturbation. I know this act is a shameful act, but i do not know what to do.I have tried waking the entire night,praying the night Salah, and making dua to Allah to help me. I cannot control this habit, and I feel as though it has become an addiction to me, and is causing my heart to lose its Iman. Please help me brother, give me a zikr to do, anything that can help me overcome this problem. I stayed away from watching these Haraam stuff during Ramadan, but as soon as Ramadan was over, I continued, please help me and tell me what can I do to stop this problem, to help me stop watching porn and masturbating. Please tell me what can I do. Jazaakallah. Answer In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Alhamdulillah, we commend you on your sincerity and good intentions to give up the filthy and heinous sins of watching pornography and masturbation. Kindly refer to the following article on pornography addiction: Pornography is a technological form of adultery and fornication and a major sin. It is even worse than fornicating with an animal or even worse than fornicating with a corpse. An animal is a living creation; a corpse is also a creation, albeit dead. Pornography exhibits pictures. There is no life at all in them. Imagine a lifeless object playing havoc in one’s heart, mind and soul. The eyes are polluted with the evil that’s on the screen. The mind and soul reacts to those lifeless pictures. If one engages in an illicit relationship with a corpse, what’s the difference between that and lifeless pictures? How low can we stoop to allow lifeless pictures to control and fulfill our passions? Furthermore, pornography addiction could be worse than drug addiction. A drug addict could be rehabilitated and detoxified. Over time, the effects of drugs come out of his system. In the case of a porn addict, the sight of porn pictures may remain in his heart and mind for a long time. At times, the sight remains whilst in Salaah or in other forms of Ibadat. In the case of a married person, while being physical with the spouse, the mental state is being controlled by the pornographic sights. The negative consequences of pornography are too many to mention. In brief, it robs one of true human values and spirituality. The real life and essence of Eemaan is lost. If a person is sincere in making Tawba from this evil act, he can be rehabilitated according to his level of sincerity. One should not be despondent and never despair. People who fornicated at night clubs and casinos made Tawba and became the Walis of Allah. Why can’t you? The biggest question to ask yourself is what if the angel of death comes while seeing this…. We advise you to immediately undertake the following remedial measures to solve your addiction: 1. Restrict your internet usage to the bare minimum and only out of need and necessity. 2. Use the computer in a common place when people are around you. 3. Request some elderly person who you respect, your parents, your wife or any other person to invigilate you when you are using the internet. 4. Imagine the disgrace and shame that will overcome you if your wife, parents or teacher comes to know of the filthy act that you have done. Where would you hide your face if the entire public comes to know of the sin that you are involved in? 5. Before you sleep every night, think about death and how you will be buried in the grave with no-one to assist you and help you. Imagine Ghusl (pre-burial bathing)being done to you, you will then be enshrouded with the Kafn, people will be crying, the Janaza Salaah will be performed and then your body will be carried to the graveyard and then you will be buried in the depths of the ground. Who will be there to assist you on that day? Every day, take out some time before you go to sleep and think about death. Insha’Allah, this will remove the ghaflat (heedlessness) from your Nafs. 6. Keep yourself occupied at all times. Keep a Tasbeeh(rosary) in your pocket and whenever you have time and you are not really doing anything, take out your Tasbeeh (rosary) and make Dhikr. Remember that “An idle mind is a devils workshop”. Remain firm and resolute in your quest. Never give up hope. Always, keep trying. Never give way to the subtle whisperings of Shaytaan. At first, refraining from sins might be extremely difficult, but after constant struggle and punishing of the Nafs, the Nafs will finally become tamed and then you will feel pleasure in refraining from sins. Insha’Allah, one day Allah (Ta’ala) will open up his treasures of Ma’rifat and Mahabbah to you. Aameen. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) says: و الذين جاهدوا فينا لنهدينهم سبلنا “And those who strive to attain our pleasure; we shall definitely guide them to our paths” (Al- Qur’an, 29: 69) In the above verse, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) promises those who make an effort to gain the love of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala). The promise of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) will definitely come to pass, there can be no doubt about that. All that is required is that we continue striving in this path and we will surely attain the Ma’rifat of Allah (Ta’ala). Kindly refer to the following link for details on curing masturbation: http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/19499 And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Ismail Desai, Student Darul Iftaa Durban, South Africa Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. Source

What are the actual affects of watching pornographic movies & pictures Answer Your question on viewing porn has been brought to my attention in the social department. Firstly though, I would like to ask you, why would anybody, especially a Muslim want to watch porn? Brother, before I go on to discuss this matter further, let me remind you about how most of these porn pics are made. You are probably aware of it but I shall remind you. Most of the girls and women are forced to perform in these movies after being kidnapped from their homes or home countries and traded as “sex slaves” into some foreign country. There is no guarantee that anybody’s daughters, sisters or wives may not fall into the hands of these evil men who kidnap these women. The women are treated in the most vile way, beaten up, tortured, starved and brutally punished if they resist. Many end up dead in gutters or alleys if they stubbornly resist against being used this way. Nobody ever knows who they are because their identities have been confiscated by their kidnappers. Let me go further. The lust that feeds individuals who watch this filth becomes insatiable and they need greater “highs”, so what do they do? They turn to child porn!! Can you imagine your child or the child of a family member being subjected to this vile treatment? (May Allah Ta’ala save us, ameen). Babies and very young girls and boys are used, to the extent that they are made to perform bestial acts with animals. Rest assured that nearly all these children die or are killed as they loose their “usability” very quickly. Every person who thinks of watching porn should examine their conscience as to what type of “industry” they are supporting. Even the kuffar have come to realize the great harm this industry is causing to society. Do yourself a favour, for just one full day, cover your eyes and ears completely, that is, shut out all visual and auditory stimuli and consciously deprive yourself of these gifts Allah Ta’ala has given you. At the same time, go about your daily activities in this state. This deprivation will be for one day and in this world only. Thereafter try to picture, if you can, the sort of deprivation in store for one who deliberately abuses and scorns the senses which Allah Ta’ala has bestowed upon one. What I am trying to say is that the effects of viewing porn won’t be just on one’s memory. Zina of the ears, heart, eyes and mind (perhaps even hands and loins) occurs when one views porn. One becomes involved in the process of totally and deliberately devastating one ‘s contact with Allah Ta’ala and firmly establishing a bond with shaitaan. May Allah Ta’ala save us from such a catastrophe. Amen. I have pointed out the moral and ethical issues of viewing porn to you. However, try to remember, porn does not just exist in pornographic movies, It exists in adverts, on television etc. I am including two articles which will highlight just how rife this malady is and how we as Muslims need to be very vigilant. Defining Pornography Reprinted from Young Muslims, ymonline.org, edited slightly by Zawaj.com for readability Have you ever notice the magazines staring at you from one side of the checkout lane of every supermarket? I have. So one day I decided to take action. I turned the first magazine in every row to its backside. Not surprisingly, when I returned the next day they were turned back. Why did I turn them over? Because they were pornographic. Why were they turned back? Because they sell. Perhaps most Muslims think that pornography is only that uncensored filth that is accessible through XXX movies and certain Internet sites, but in fact, by Islamic standards, much of what is considered normal in advertising is actually pornographic. The purpose of flailing these seductive images is to arouse the lower desires of people and to weaken their self-restrain and taint their thoughts. It bombards the Muslim, especially the youth, with indecent and suggestively seductive images. Unfortunately, most Muslims are so oblivious of the presence and influence of these Shaytanic (Satanic) images, that they regularly view them through various types of media. Defining Pornography Pornography is defined in the English language as an indecent form of art or literature. Islam also views it as indecent and terms it as faahisha in the Quran. Allah says (what means): “Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds whether open or secret.” Faahishah is translated as “shameful deeds” because it refers to every bad deed that is noticeably ugly to human beings. In many places in the Quran, Allah (swt) refers to zinaa, adultery and fornication as a faahishah. In another verse, Allah (swt) refers to the marrying of one’s father’s wife also as being a faahishah because, like adultery, anyone with a pure nature will clearly see it as hideous. Allah (swt) also calls the crime of the people of Lut (as), homosexuality, a faahishah. Likewise to view pictures of nudity, sexual suggestion, intimacy between two people, or a person of the opposite gender who is improperly covered (Islamically) is also an ugly sin to anyone who wishes to adhere to piety. Television One of the most pervasive tools of pornography is the television. Shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “Baywatch” have no other purpose except to display blatant degrees of nakedness and indecent scenes of intimacy. Movies also succeed in conveying lewd imagery by almost always including a love/lust story in the story line. However there are other forms of pornography on TV that are much more subtle. For example, most Muslims would not realize that the viewing of several sports events includes pornographic images. The swimsuits that are worn by both men and woman during the Olympics are iniquitously revealing. They expose the ‘awrah of a woman and a man for their respective genders and the opposite gender. The word ‘awrah refers to those parts of the body which are Islamically prohibited to expose in front of another (either the opposite gender or the same gender). For example, it is a must for a woman to cover all of her body except for her face and hands in front of men who are permissible for her to marry – that is her ‘awrah. Likewise the man’s ‘awrah is everything between his navel and knees while in front of a woman or a man. The skimpy swimsuits worn by these athletes just don’t meet the Islamic dress code. Underwear Ads Another subtle example regards women who view advertisements that contain pictures of other women modeling bras and underwear. The ‘awrah of Muslim women in front of other Muslim women doesn’t allow these areas of the body to be exposed and hence it is haram for even a woman to view them. It is also important to keep in mind that a person could be “clothed but naked” as Rasoolullah (saws) said. For example, competitors in races usually wear some sort of bodysuit that adheres very tightly to their skin and the exact shape of their body parts is apparent. This is almost equivalent to being naked, since it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what is under such type of clothing. Lowering the Gaze When such images become prevalent in a society, what is deemed pornographic changes drastically. The very standard of modesty, which should be a defining characteristic of Muslim dress and behavior, will become degraded. The Islamic standard must be upheld. The true believer fears Allah’s judgement and knows that no act will go unaccounted for and that even his own eyes will bear witness against him on the Day of Judgement. Allah (swt) says: “Until, when they reach it (Hell-Fire) their hearing and eyes and skin will testify against them as to what they used to do.” Rasoolullah (saws) warned us that there is a zinaa of the eyes just as there is a zinaa of the private parts. The Islamic solution to living in a society where pornographic images are so visible is to lower one’s gaze. Allah (swt) says: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well aquainted with all they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof. “ The scholars of tafseer say that this means that both men and woman are obliged to direct their sight away from that which is haram and that there is no harm in looking at that which is halal (such as viewing one’s spouse while they are uncovered). In regard to these verses Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) says: “So He (Allah) put purity after lowering of the gaze and protecting of the private parts. For this reason lowering the gaze away from the prohibited things warrants three great benefits. The first of them is the sweetness of Imaan and the pleasure that comes from it, which is more sweet and pleasing than that which he diverted his eyes away from for Allah’s sake. Verily, whoever abandons a thing for Allah’s sake, He (swt) compensates him with better than it. The second benefit is a light in the heart and quality of intuition. And the third benefit is the strength of the heart and steadfastness and courage. So Allah (swt) would give him, by His strength, the ability of wisdom and substantiation, and the devil would flee from him as it has been mentioned in the saying, “Whoever fears his whims, the devil would race out of his shadow.” Indeed, the opposite is also true. This is because the eyes are the most direct path to the heart. One who allows his whims to overwhelm him and indulges his eyes in the viewing of haram things has weakened his heart, corrupted his soul, and invited shaytan to control him. How to Lower our Gaze “If I were not a Muslim, I would have contacted AIDS!” proclaimed my friend. “The ayahs in Surah Nur about lowering our gazes doesn’t affect me anymore”, expressed another youth, talking about the intense temptations felt by today’s youth. Difficulty in lowering the gaze by both the young and old is readily perceived on the street, weddings, parties and even in the Masjids. What has gone wrong with our Ummah? Us Muslims, called by Allah, our Creator, as the best Ummah, Model Community, custodians of Truth and the Upholders of Morality behaving in this way? Why are we adopting the attitudes and routes of the Kuffar? How can we rectify ourselves? What follows are a series of practical, though graphic advice which can work for us and set us free from Satan’s stronghold, insha Allah. Prophet Muhammad, Sallallhu alayhi wa sallam, by way of warning and as a reminder said: “I have not left a fitnah (trial, calamity or cause for calamity) after me more than (the fitnah) with women for men” (Bukhari and Muslim). Also was related by our Prophet : “The world is sweet and verdant, and Allah having put you in it in your turn watches how you act; so fear the world and fear women, for the first trial of the Bani israel had to do with women” (Muslim) Being optimistic, a ray of hope was also wisely provided during Prophet’s Last Sermon on way to avoid the above pitfall: “If the Ummah hold on to the Quran and the Sunnah, it will not go astray”. When Allah created us humans will all the desires and urges, He also revealed to us sufficient and complete guidance to contain them through proper channels. All we need to do is seek this guidance, contemplate on it and implement it. “This day I have perfected you deen for you, completed my favors upon you and chosen Islam as your deen” (5:3) Realize the fact that the great Sahabas were humans beings too. Biologically they were no different from us, they too had desires and temptations of the human species, and yet they controlled them in the best of ways. We can too, insha Allah. To posses sensual passions is Human, to control them is Muslim. When confronted with a luring situation, like passing by a non-mahram on the street, office, or a school, Satan is constantly tempting us to glare at her with evil thoughts. Satan is probably excitingly saying with a big smile `Yes’, `Yes’, `Yes’, when we steer into the bait he is setting. During these situations immediately and consciously realize that when we give a second or following glances, we are obeying Satan. “O you who believe, follow not the footsteps of the devil…” (24:21). By immediately averting our gazes and disobeying Satan, we are giving him a one two punch in the face which leaves him frustrated, accursed and defeated. Satan rebelled and was expelled by Allah, so lets all rebel against Satan and expel him from our hearts. Satan intents to fight a war against the believers, so lets gather our forces behind Quran and Sunnah and defeat him. Remember that even if no human eye is watching us, the ever watchful Allah is constantly monitoring the innermost regions of our heart. Our eyes, limbs, tongue and private parts will all be witnesses for or against us on the Day of Judgement and not an atoms worth of our deeds will remain unexamined. Psychologically our minds are conditioned to associate our thoughts of stealing clothes from a store to being in handcuffs and hauled into a police van. Likewise, we should condition our minds to bring the verses of Surah Nur in front of our eyes during any tempting situation and imagine that during that particular instance Allah (SWT) is speaking to us directly: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that will make for greater purity for them…Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty…O you believers! Turn you all together towards Allah that you may attain success” (24:30,31). What a beautiful guidance and what a sublime reward for implementing it. With practice, the above associations and the remembrance of Allah during tempting situations will prevent us from getting stuck by devilish arrows. Successful controlling our gazed also depends upon our avoidance of sinful situations. Al Islamic idiom (Usul Al-Fiqh) says: “Anything that leads to haraam is haaram in itself”. Therefore cutting any unlawful situation in their bud is what we should strive for. Performance of a pious deed is rewarded and avoidance of a sinful deed is also rewarded, Al-Hamdulillah. One of the biggest culprits which encourage us to disobey the ayahs in Surah Nur, are the movies. In the name of entertainment, to please our peers and children and as an excuse to do something together as a family, we astonishingly allow the development of un-Islamic scenes and dialogues in front of our eyes. Can we ever imagine (Na’udubillah) any Sahaba renting the latest hit from Blockbuster videos, or listening to music with luring lyrics at high volume? Likewise, we watch news on TV and stare at the anchorwomen, female gymnasts, and female swimmers who are scantly dressed. Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, was once approached by a women with a proposal for marriage. He took a single glance at her and turned his face way. Jabir bin Abdullah reported: “I asked Allah’s messenger about the sudden glance on the face of a non-Mahram. He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes” (Muslim). Thus we are not suppose to stare at the faces of non-Mahrams of opposite gender, be they our fellow students, elders, saleswomen or the one of TV. Pious ladies of the Prophet’s household were even ordered to do purdah in front of a Blind Sahaba. Upon the curious question as to why purdah when the blind Sahaba can’t see them, Prophet wisely replies: “But you could see him” (Ahmed, Trimidhi, Abu Dawood) Each one of us may have become culprit of not obey the ayahs in Surah Nur. It is not too late to realize these short comings and work at rectifying ourselves. Above all, we should always ask forgiveness of Allah (SWT). Indeed blessed are those Muslims who are able to check their gazes, thus conserving their precious time and energy, and working in the cause of Allah to reclaim our positions as the superpowers of the world. Let’s contemplate on the above humble advises and constantly make the following supplication: “O Allah help us in controlling our sensual desires until we get married, and after our marriage, let our desires be only towards our spouses…ameen” Insha’allah, we Muslims will have the courage to adhere to our deen through all these vile temptations which confront us and may we remain steadfast on the STRAIGHT PATH which Allah Ta’ala has favoured for us. Ameen. and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Sister Fadila SOCIAL DEPT. CHECKED AND APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Source

Defining Pornography Pornography is defined in the English language as an indecent form of art or literature. Islam also views it as indecent and terms it as faahisha in the Quran. Allah says (what means): “Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds whether open or secret.” Faahishah is translated as “shameful deeds” because it refers to every bad deed that is noticeably ugly to human beings. In many places in the Quran, Allah (swt) refers to zinaa, adultery and fornication as a faahishah. In another verse, Allah (swt) refers to the marrying of one’s father’s wife also as being a faahishah because, like adultery, anyone with a pure nature will clearly see it as hideous. Allah (swt) also calls the crime of the people of Lut (as), homosexuality, a faahishah. Likewise to view pictures of nudity, sexual suggestion, intimacy between two people, or a person of the opposite gender who is improperly covered (Islamically) is also an ugly sin to anyone who wishes to adhere to piety.

Performing qasar Salaah while travelling to one's destination Q: 1. If someone intends traveling to a place more than 55 miles (i.e. 88 km) from his hometown but intends staying at his destination for more than 15 days, will he do qasr while traveling to that place? 2. If a person intends going to a place more than 55 miles (i.e. 88 km) from his hometown. After reaching he intends to stay for 15 days. Later on he changes his mind and intends to stay for 2 days. Will he be musafir or muqeem? A: 1. While traveling he will make qasar. However once he reaches his destination, since he intends staying there for more than 15 days, he will perform complete Salaah. 2. Upon reaching his destination, since he intended staying for 15 days, he will be a muqeem. Through later on changing his mind and intending to stay for 2 days, he will not become a musaafir. Hence he will continue to perform complete Salaah. And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. ( من خرج من عمارة موضع إقامته ) من جانب خروجه وإن لم يجاوز من الجانب الآخر ( قاصدا ) ولو كافرا ومن طاف الدنيا بلا قصد لم يقصر ( مسيرة ثلاثة أيام ولياليها ) من أقصر أيام السنة ولا يشترط سفر كل يوم إلى الليل بل إلى الزوال ولا اعتبار بالفراسخ على المذهب ( بالسير الوسط مع الاستراحات المعتادة ) حتى لو أسرع فوصل في يومين قصر ولو لموضع طريقان أحدهما مدة السفر والآخر أقل قصر في الأول لا الثاني ( صلى الفرض الرباعي ركعتين ) وجوبا ... ( حتى يدخل موضع مقامه ) (الدر المختار 2/ 121-124) (و) يبطل ( وطن الإقامة بمثله و ) بالوطن ( الأصلي و ) بإنشاء ( السفر ) والأصل أن الشيء يبطل بمثله وبما فوقه لا بما دونه (الدر المختار 2/ 132) وكذا إذا عاد من سفره إلى مصره لم يتم حتى يدخل العمران ولا يصير مسافرا بالنية حتى يخرج ويصير مقيما بمجرد النية كذا في محيط السرخسي ثم المعتبرة المجاوزة من الجانب الذي خرج منه حتى لو جاوز عمران المصر قصر وإن كان بحذائه من جانب آخر أبنية كذا في التبيين وإن كان في الجانب الذي خرج منه محلة منفصلة عن المصر وفي القديم كانت متصلة بالمصر لا يقصر الصلاة حتى يجاوز تلك المحلة كذا في الخلاصة (1/139) Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Difference of Opinion regarding the Barelwis being of the Ahl-Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah Fatwas from two leading Deobandi institutes Deoband.org Translated by the Deoband.org Team Fatwa from Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband Question: What say the scholars of the faith and muftis of the firm Shari’ah about the following matter. For almost the past two years this difference is increasing day by day and the people associated with the elders of Deoband are being divided into two factions. Therefore, guide us by writing a detailed answer that is supported with proofs and with references to books to the following issues: Is the Deobandi and Barelwi difference of a peripheral nature (furu’i) or of a fundamental (usuli) nature and in beliefs? One group says that the controversy is of a peripheral nature and that the hard stance taken by our scholars and elders of Deoband was temporary and momentary since both parties are from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jama’ah, adhere to the Hanafi madhhab and to the beliefs elucidated by the Asha’ris and Maturidis, and in tariqah follow the right path. They add that since anti-Islamic elements are rising, the Deobandis and Barelwis should unite and counter them. In light of past experiences, can such an alliance actually be successful? Is it permissible for Deobandis to move from their basic stance and positions in fiqh, and participate in [ceremonies of] ‘urs, mawlids, fatihah etc? The other group says that the elders of Deoband’s difference with the Barelwis are not only of a peripheral nature but also of a fundamental nature (usuli) and in beliefs. For example differences relating to nur wa bashar, ‘ilm al-ghayb kulli, mukhtar al-kull, hadhir wa nadhir,[1] prostrating in front of graves etc. are from the more important and main ones. Their books also contain fatwas of kufr against the elders of Deoband. Therefore, before uniting with them, they should be asked to remove such fatwas of kufr from their books, disassociate themselves from them and rectify their beliefs. The first group provides proofs for the permissibility of mawlid, ‘urs, etc. using some saying of the elders of Deoband such as Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi’s (may Allah mercy him) Haft Mas’alah and some statements from Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya (may Allah mercy them both). The question is whether it is permissible to attend the Barelwis’ meetings of mawlid, ‘urs etc. if an expedience (maslahah) can be seen? Is it permissible to tolerate their actions due to an expedience and call to unite with them? Is this difference of a fundamental nature, one relating to beliefs or one of a peripheral nature? Are the Barelwis also from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jama’ah? Are the bid’ah of the Barlewis permissible and lawful in themselves according to Deobandi scholars? What is the reality of the pictures of the na’layn sharifayn (shoes of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)? Is it permissible to take blessings from them, to kiss them and place them over one’s head etc? These issues are spreading rapidly in Pakistan. It is the case until now that these people give importance to the fatwas issued by the ‘ulama of Deoband and it is hoped that they will refrain from doing anything that is contrary to the Shari’ah. Please elaborate, may you be rewarded. With salam Questioner: [Mawlana] Isma’il Badat[2] Madinah al-Munawwarah 18/10/1417 Answer: With praise to Allah, and peace and blessing to the Prophet. The view of the second group is correct that the dispute between the Deobandis and Barlewis is not of a peripheral nature but of a fundamental nature and related to beliefs. The view of the first group is incorrect that the two groups only have differences that are of a peripheral nature, that both are from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jama’ah, adhere to the Hanafi madhhab and the beliefs of the ‘Asha’ris and Maturidis and follow the right path in Tasawwuf because the Barelwis (Radakhanis) have made additions to the beliefs of the Ahl al-Sunnah and incorporated issues that are of a peripheral nature (furu’i) into being a part of the religion that really have no base in Hanafi fiqh. For example, they have added four fundamental issues into beliefs: The issues of nur wa bashr,[3] complete ‘ilm al-ghayb,[4]hadhir and nadhir[5] and mukhtar al-kull.[6] And in the issues (masa’il) that are of a peripheral nature (furu’i): calling those apart from Allah, prostrating in front of graves, circumambulating (tawaf) graves, making vows to those apart from Allah, presenting offerings to graves, mawlid, ta’ziyyah and many other things that they have created and which are evidently bid’ah. In Tasawwuf they have also mixed many un-Islamic elements like qawwali, ecstasy (wajd) and spiritual music (sima’) etc. In addition, the statement of the first group that the hard stance of the Deobandi ‘ulama was temporary and momentary is also untrue; rather it is correct that Deobandiyyat is the name of holding tight to the Sunnah and rejecting bid’ah. The elders of Deoband have always practiced on the verse: “Now, proclaim what you are commanded to.” (15:94) They never showed softness in matters of religion. However, they have always avoided confrontation and encounters, and condemning others with kufr, and have always tried to improve the situation with gentleness and wisdom. Their followers should also adopt this method today. The treatise Faysalah Haft Mas’alah was written before the Deobandi maslak took shape; to derive proof from it is incorrect. As far as such statements of Shaykh Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Saharanpuri (may Allah have mercy on him) are concerned, we are unaware of them. It is also unlawful to attend the Barelwi gatherings of mawlid, ‘urs etc. due to any expediency and their impermissibility is mentioned in the verse: “They wish that you become flexible (in your faith), so that they should become flexible (in their hostile attitude),” (68:9) and this is indicated in the verse: “For you is your faith, and for me is mine.” (109:6) Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Thanawi (may Allah mercy him) wrote in Imdad al-Fatwa (5:302): “The evils of customary practices and bid’ah are not worthy of being overlooked.” The summary of the question and answer mentioned in 4:380 is that those who attend ‘urs and other bid’ah, and those who unnecessarily honour them and revere them conform to the hadith: “Whoever honours a person of bid’ah has helped in destroying Islam.”[7] As far as the matter of some bid’ah being lawful is concerned, it means that these matters are lawful per se such as remembering the holy birth of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) but fall into the category of bid’ah and become unlawful because of the strict adherence to certain conditions and stipulations. As for the picture of the na’layn sharifayn, then there is no basis for this. Taking blessing from them, kissing them and putting them over one’s head has no foundation. Mawlana Thanawi has retracted from his treatise Nayl al-Shifa bi Na’l al-Mustafa in his Imdad al-Fatawa 4:378. And Allah knows best; His knowledge is most perfect and solid. Written by [Mufti] Sa’id Ahmad Palanpuri Servant of Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband 23/11/1417 This answer is correct: [Mufti] Nizam al-Din, Mufti of Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband 25/11/1417 [Mufti] Muhammad Zafir al-Din, Mufti of Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband 25/11/1417 [A question of a similar strain as the above was also sent to the muftis of Mazahir al-‘Ulum Saharanpur. For brevity’s sake, the question has been omitted. The answer was as follows:] Fatwa from Mazahir al-‘Ulum Saharanpur Answer: The ‘ulama of Deoband who were mentioned in the above question,[8] their students and khalifahs were all strong followers of the Sunnah and strongly opposed everything that falls into the circumference of bid ‘ah according to the principles of Shari ‘ah because the Noble Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said that every bid ‘ah is a deviation and it is because of this that they were meticulous in safeguarding the Ummah from this divergence. Regarding this, their short and lengthy books are well known and famous; their refutations and fatwas are mentioned in Al-Barahin al-Qati’ah, Al-Muhannad ‘ala ‘l-Mufannad, Al-Shihab al-Thaqib, Imdad al-Fatawa and Islah al-Rusum. They have with much thinking and composure, while keeping their scholarly responsibilities in view, very openly and sternly refuted every bid’ah (that which is associated with beliefs and actions), and not just that of the Barelwis but rather in whichever region they came to know of them. This position of theirs was not temporary. Bid’ah can never be a Sunnah, therefore its refutation also cannot be temporary. There is no permission in the Shari’ah to adopt a soft stance in refuting it. Millions of people repented from bid’ah and attached themselves to the Sunnah on account of the refutation of bid’ah that the elders of Deoband carried out and that firmness with which they opposed the people of bid’ah. If anyone says today that there should be no strictness in refuting bid ‘ah or that, on account of some sort of expediency (maslahah), they should be adopted due to some allegorical interpretation (ta’wil), then such a person is not Deobandi even if he claims to have an attachment to the elders of Deoband. Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalawi (may Allah sanctify his grave) was a very staunch Deobandi; he did not like even the slightest diversion from the maslak of his elders. His entire life and works bear witness to this. Anybody who attributes to him a soft stance in bid’ah is not true to his word. The word “Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jama’ah” is applied to the Ash’aris and the Maturidis. Ahmad Rada Khan Barelwi and his group are in no way connected to these groups. The beliefs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had the knowledge of the complete unseen (‘ilm al-ghayb kulli) as held by Ahmad Rada Khan and that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was entrusted with all powers of disposition are not held by the Ash’aris and Maturidis, has not been mentioned by anyone in the books of ‘aqa’id, and is not mentioned in any way in their books. Both these issues are clearly against the Qur’an and hadiths; these have been created by the Barelwis. If anyone regards the Barelwi sect to be from among the Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jama’ah, then this is his clear error. We the undersigned want to make clear to all Muslims that even now we are strict in following the Deobandi maslak which came to us from our elders of the first generation;[9] we do not allow any kind of softness in this regard. And Allah is the one who grants accordance (tawfiq). [Mawlana] Muhammad ‘Aaqil, head of teachers [Mawlana] Muhammad Salman, deputy nazim[10] [Mufti] Maqsud ‘Ali, mufti of the madrasah [Mufti] ‘Abd al-Rahman, mufti of the madrasah Stamped with the seal of the Dar al-Ifta of Mazahir al-‘Ulum Saharanpur Islah Mafahim par Tahqiqi Nazr, (Lahore; Madrasah Khuddam Ahl al-Sunnah, 2006) p.435-442. _____________________________ Nur wa bashar – whether the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is human or light; ‘ilm al-ghayb kulli – whether the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has all knowledge of the unseen; mukhtar al-kul - whether the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has complete right of disposition; hadhir wa nadhir - whether the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is present and watching everything. [↩] Mawlana Isma’il Badat Madani is a graduate of Mazahir al-‘Ulum, Saharanpur, and a khalifah of Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalawi Madani. He is presently resident in Madinah al-Munawwarah. [↩] The famous Barelwi scholar and debater, Muhammad ‘Umar Icharwi, wrote a book, Miqyas Nur, to prove that reality (haqiqah) of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was light (nur) while his outward was human (bashari). He writes on p.24, “This verse establishes that the reality (haqiqah) of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was not human (bashari), rather his haqiqah was nuri …” He further writes on p.73, “It becomes evident from these hadiths that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was a superior nur and the moon was a nur of a lesser degree. The superior nur split the lesser nur into pieces. This power of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) is contradictory [at odds] to haqiqah bashariyyah and thus proves that the haqiqah of the Messenger was not bashari but it was pure nur.” He writes on p.90, “Allah Most High described in this verse the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) as pure nur, which proves that he is in reality a nur and only has human attributes.” [↩] Ahmad Rada Khan Barelwi writes, “It is without a doubt that the Almighty has given His Noble Beloved (Allah bless him and grant him peace) the complete knowledge of everything from the first till the last. From the east to the west, from the Throne till the earth, everything was shown to him. He was made witness to the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. From the very first day till the last day all of the knowledge of what was and what shall be (ma kana wa ma yakun) has been shown to him. From all of the above, not even an iota is outside the knowledge of the Prophet. Great knowledge has been encompassed by the Noble Beloved (Allah bless him and grant him peace). It is not just of a summary type but what is small and big, every leaf that falls and every grain in the darkness of the earth are in their entirety known to him individually and in detail. Much praise to Allah. In fact, that which has been discussed is not, never, the complete knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace and send peace on his family and companions, all of them); but this is a small part of the Prophet’s knowledge …” (Anba al-Mustafa, p.486) [↩] The hakim al-ummah of the Barelwis, Ahmad Yaar Khan Gujarati, writes, “In the world, the legal meaning of hadhir and nadhir is that a spiritually strong person sees the entire world in the way he sees the palm of his hand, and hears voices from both far and near, or travels the entire world in an instant and assists those with needs over thousands of miles.” (Ja’al-Haq, chapter: Hadhir wa Nadhir ki Bahth) [↩] Amjad ‘Ali A’zimi, the deputy (khalifah) of Ahmad Rada Khan Barelwi, writes in Bahar-i-Shari‘ah (p.1: 30-31), a book of fiqh for the general public, “Our Master, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), is the absolute deputy of Allah Most High. He has been given control (tassaruf) over the entire universe. He may do as he desires, give to whomsoever he wishes, take from anyone whatever he desires. None in the universe can deny his rulings. The entire universe is under his governance and he is under the authority of none except Allah. He is the owner (malik) of all humans. Anyone who does not accept him to be his owner (malik) remains devoid of the sweetness of the Sunnah. All the earth is his property. Paradise is his estate. The angels of earth and the sky are under his authority. The keys to paradise and hell have been given to him in his noble hand. Sustenance, goodness and other types of blessings are distributed from his noble office. This world and the hereafter is a portion of his blessings. The rulings of Shari‘ah have been delegated to his authority. He may make impermissible (haram) for anyone whatever he decides. Similarly, he may make permissible (halal) whatever he wishes and exempt whatever obligation (fard) he desires.” [↩] Kanz al-‘Ummal, part 1, hadith number 1102. [↩] Imam Rabbani Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and Shaykh al-Islam Mawlana Husayn Ahmad Madani (may Allah mercy them both). (Translator) [↩] This is in reference to the first generation of the ‘ulama of Deoband. (Translator) [↩] Both Mawlana Muhammad ‘Aaqil and Mawlana Muhammad Salman are khalifahs and sons-in-law of Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalawi. [↩] ~~~ Back to Table of Contents

Are Barelwis considered to be Ahl-Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah? ~~~ Back to Table of Contents

Question: From the time of Prophet (S.A.W.) until Molvi Raza Khan Barelvi has anyone supported the thinking and sayings of Molvi Raza Khan like: a.) Prophet (S.A.W.) is Noor and not Bashar. b.) He is Haazir Naazir c.) Alimul Ghaib d.) Mukhtaar Kul If the answer is yes then who and when? Please provide answer with reference. Jazakallah Answer: To regard anybody other than Allah to be the knower of the unseen, Mukhtaar-e-Kul, omnipresent and all observant were the beliefs of the Mushrikeen (polytheists). Allah Taala and Nabi (S.A.W.) have refuted such beliefs as the Quran and the books of Hadith bear testimony to this fact. In order to mislead man Shaitaan introduced these baseless beliefs among the Shiite sect, therefore according to the Shiites their Imam is Mukhtaar-e-Kul, omnipresent, all observant and the knower of the unseen. Through the Shiite sect these false beliefs also penetrated the ignorant Sufis as well as the general masses. It is for this very reason that in every era the Ulamaa and Fuqahaa have tackled and refuted such beliefs and classified these people as Kuffar. Nabi (S.A.W.) according to his Thaat (personality) is Bashar (human) and according to his Sifaat (qualities) he is Noor (light) just as how a tube light is glass according to its Thaat and when it illuminates it looks as if it is in itself Noor (light). In the similar manner, Nabi (S.A.W.) is the Noor of guidance. The Christians believe that Isa (A.S.) is a part of Allah; therefore it is possible that these beliefs penetrated the ignorant Sufis and Muslims that Nabi (S.A.W.) is also a part of Allahs Noor. However, Moulana Ahmad Radhaa Khan supported such futile and baseless beliefs and substantiated them and authored many booklets to oppose the Ulamaa-e-Haqq, therefore he became known as the founder of these beliefs. We do not know for sure who else supported these beliefs prior to Moulana Ahmad Radhaa Khan. For further information please refer to Barelviat Talsam Fareb Yaa Haqeeqat by Dr. Abu Adnaan Suhail and Math-hab Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat of Allamah Muhammad Ramadhaan sahib. And Allah Taala knows best Ilyaas bin Hashim Limbada Attested to as correct by: Mufti Muhammad Ashraf Darul Iftaa Jameah Mahmoodiyah Springs Source ~~~ Back to Table of Contents

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Dies Maqam e Ibrat King inside that unmarked grave. The person who spent life in palaces, in all possible comforts, is now in there!! Death is the reality that can't be denied.... Smart is the person who prepares for death before death. Source

Ownership of Mahr Q. If a husband gives his wife Mahr at the time of the Nikah, what authority does the wife have over it? If she remarries, does she have to return the Mahr to the previous husband? (Question published as received) A.The wife is the sole owner of the Mahr she receives and has full authority over it. If she remarries, she does not have to return the Mahr to the previous husband as it belongs to her. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ismaeel Bassa Confirmation: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians Nasihah (Advice): Mahr (dowry) Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said: “Whoever marries a woman with the intention of not paying her Mahr (dowry) whether it be a meager amount or a huge amount, and he passes away in that state, he will meet Allah as a fornicator.” (Majmauz Zawaaid)

Hadhrat Sa'd's (Radhiyallahu Anhu) Message For The Muslims. During the battle of Uhud, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) inquired: “Where is Sa'd bin Rabee? I do not know of his condition.” Thereafter one of the Sahaabah was sent to search for him. He went to the spot where the bodies of the martyrs were laying. He shouted Hadhrat Sa'd's (Radhiyallahu Anhu) name to see if he was alive. At one place, while he was announcing that he was deputed by Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to enquire about Sa'd bin Rabee' (Radhiyallahu Anhu), he heard a feeble voice coming from one direction. He turned to that direction and found that Sa'd (Radhiyallahu Anhu) was lying among the martyrs and was about to breathe his last. Hadhrat Sa'd (Radhiyallahu Anhu) was heard saying: “Convey my Salaam to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) with my message, O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), may Allah Ta’ala grant you on my behalf a reward more exalted and more handsome than any reward that Allah Ta’ala has ever granted a Messenger on behalf of any of his followers. Thereafter he said to the one who was sent to search for him: “Inform my Muslim brothers that nothing will absolve them from blame on the Day of Qiyaamah, if the enemy succeeds in reaching Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and killing him before all of them die’.” With these words, Sa'd (Radhiyallahu Anhu) breathed his last and departed from the world. The Sahabah have given a true proof of their devotion to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). While they suffered wound after wound and were on their last breath, they had no complaint nor wish on their lips and could not think of anything else except about the safety and welfare of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). May we be blessed with an atom of the true love that the Sahabah bore for Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). يَا رَبِّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ

Regarding Tawassul and Du'a Aqeedah of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jummah regarding Tawassul Regarding the Omnipresence Of The Prophet Sallallaahu 'alayhi Wasallam See HERE ~~~ Back to Table of Contents

Saying ‘Ya Rasulallah’ believing Rasoolullaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam is "haazir and naazir" Source When visiting or passing by the graveyard of Muslims, the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has taught us to say these words: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَنَا وَلَكُمْ أَنْتُمْ سَلَفُنَا وَنَحْنُ بِالْأَثَرِ “Peace be upon you O people of the graves. You have preceded us, and we will join you.” The reason why we use second person pronoun is that according to the hadith, the people in the grave can actually hear the person saying salaam to them. And they even reply back. However, the living cannot hear them. (Mirqatul Mafatih vol. 4 pg. 255-256, Maktaba Rasheediya) Therefore, how can one use this to substantiate believing that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) is haazir and naazir i.e. omnipresent and omniscient? The Barelwis, when they say ‘Ya Rasulallah’, say it believing that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) is haazir and naazir. It is this belief that is against the teachings of Islam, because according to Islamic teachings, only Allah Ta’ala has total and perfect knowledge of everything. In other words, when the Barelwis say ‘Ya Rasulullah’, they say it with a corrupt and non-Islamic belief. However, when we say ‘Ya Ahlal Quboor’ we do not say it with any corrupt and non-Islamic belief. Therefore, how can one use the later to justify the former? Ml. Faizal Riza Correspondence Iftā Student, Australia Checked and Approved by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Dārul Iftā, Madrasah In῾āmiyyah More information here: Seeking the assistance of the Prophet (SA) ~~~ Back to Table of Contents