Question #22704: How to be successful in life

Question #22704: How to be successful in life

Question :

How to obtain success and prosperity in this world and hereafter.What kind of success or prosperity that islam want the ummah islam gain in this world.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety… these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.

There follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to what the means he is able to attain. These means include the following:

1 – Faith and righteous deeds:

This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”

[al-Nahl 16:97]

Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.

The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah – with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief.

They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: “How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.

2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good. This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allaah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah’s Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward”


[al-Nisa’ 4:114]

Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.

3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.

The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allaah knows best.

4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one’s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a du’aa’ or taught a du’aa’ to his ummah, as well as urging them to seek the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du’aa’ (supplication) must be accompanied by action. So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, ‘Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’ open the door to the Shaytaan.” (Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allaah will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types:

1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allaah.

2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allaah’s will.

Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.

5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allaah says:

“verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest”

[al-Ra’d 13:28]

Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward.

6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’aa’ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:

“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).

And he said, “Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).” (Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).

If a person utters these du’aa’s, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allaah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.

7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it.

8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity.

It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.

The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him”

[al-Talaaq 65:3]

i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allaah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.

If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.

See al-Wasaa’il al-Mufeedah li’l-Hayaat al-Sa’eedah by Shatkh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di

Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:

1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)

2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)

3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)

4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such punishment.

5- The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.

6- Beseeching Allaah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).

7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.

8- Affirming one's hope in Him.

9- Truly putting one’s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.

10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur’aan, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.

11-Seeking forgiveness.

12-Repentance.

13-Jihad.

14-Salaah (prayer).

15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal.

See Alhomoom – Dealing with Worries and Stress, in the Books section of this site.

And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.


Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #83599: He borrowed some tapes of lectures and cannot contact their owners

Question #83599: He borrowed some tapes of lectures and cannot contact their owners

Question :

I have some tapes of lectures that I borrowed from some people a few years ago, and they are still with me. Some of them I can contact easily and some of them I cannot contact easily. What should I do with these tapes now, knowing that I do not think that they would be upset or annoyed if they knew about this? Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Whoever borrows something must return it to the owner, whether it is great or small, important or insignificant, fulfilling the trust as enjoined by Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due”

[al-Nisa’ 4:58]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A trust belongs to the one who entrusted it to you.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1264) and Abu Dawood (3534); classed and saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

What you must do is return these tapes to their owners, or get in touch with them and ask them to let you off. If you cannot get in touch with them or find out about some of them, then give what you have of theirs in charity, on the basis that if you find them you will give them the choice between two things: either they will have the reward for that charity, or you will have the reward and will give them a replacement for their tapes.

Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who had a lot of pledges and he did not know who the owners were. He said: If you cannot find out who they are, or who their heirs are, then I think that you should sell them and give their price in charity. If you find their owners after that, give them the choice between having the reward (for that charity) or being given compensation. Al-Mughni (4/264).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Wealth whose owner cannot be found should be spent on the interests of the Muslims, according to the majority of scholars such as Maalik, Ahmad and others. If a person has in his possession wealth that was seized by force or that was borrowed, or that was placed in trust with him or was given as a pledge, and he cannot find the owners, then he may give it in charity on their behalf, or spend it on the interests of the Muslims, or hand it over to a just person who can spend it on the interests of the Muslims and legitimate purposes. … ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood bought a slave woman and went into his house to get the money to pay for her, and he came out and could not find the seller. He started to go around among the poor and give the price in charity to them, and he said: “O Allaah, it is on behalf of the owner of the slave woman; if he accepts that, all well and good, otherwise it will be for me, and I will owe him the equivalent on the Day of Resurrection.”

Similarly some of the Taabi’een issued fatwas stating that whoever steals from the war booty and repents after it has been distributed, should give charity on their behalf. These fatwas were approved by the Sahaabah and Taabi’een who heard of them, such as Mu’aawiyah and others in Syria.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (29/321).

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (15/406), concerning one who is keeping a trust for someone else: If the situation is as described, then if you wish you may keep it and try to find out about the man you mentioned, or if you wish you may give what you have with you in charity to the poor, or donate it to a charitable project with the intention that the reward for that will go to the owner. Then if the owner or his heir comes to you later on, tell him what happened. If he accepts it, all will and good, otherwise give him the same amount, and you will have the reward in sha Allaah.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #81160: Introduction to the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik

Question #81160: Introduction to the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik

Question :

How many ahaadeeth are there in the Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

This is a brief introduction of the book entitled Muwatta’ al-Imam Maalik; we ask Allaah to benefit us thereby.

Firstly:

Al-Muwatta’ is one of the great books of Islam which includes a number of marfoo’ ahaadeeth and mawqoof reports from the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and those who came after them. It also includes many rulings and fatwas of the author.

The Muwatta’ is so called because its author made it easy (watta’a) for the people in the sense that he made it easily accessible to them.

It was narrated that Maalik said: I showed this book of mine to seventy of the fuqaha’ of Madeenah, and all of them agreed with me (waata’ani) on it, so I called it al-Muwatta’.

Secondly:

The reason why it was compiled: Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in al-Istidhkaar (1/168) that Abu Ja’far al-Mansoor said to Imam Maalik: “O Maalik, make a book for the people that I can make them follow, for there is no one today who is more knowledgeable than you.” Imam Maalik responded to his request, but he refused to force all the people to adhere to it.

Thirdly:

Imam Maalik read the Muwatta’ to people for forty years, adding to it, taking away from it and improving it. So his students heard it from him or read it to him during that time. So the reports in al-Muwatta’ are many and varied because of what the Imam did of editing his book. Some of his students narrated from him before it was edited, some during the process, and some at the end of his life. Some of them transmitted it in full whilst others narrated part of it. So a number of transmissions of the Muwatta’ became well known, the most important of which are:

The transmission of Yahya ibn Yahya al-Masmoodi al-Laythi (234 AH). This is the most famous transmission from Imam Maalik, and most of the scholars based their commentaries on it.

The transmission of Abu Mus’ab al-Zuhri, which is distinguished by the additions contained therein. It is the last version transmitted from Maalik and it is still in circulation among the scholars.

The transmission of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Maslamah al-Qa’nabi (221 AH). This is the largest version of the Muwatta’, and ‘Abd-Allaah is one of the soundest of people with regard to the Muwatta’, according to Ibn Ma’een, al-Nasaa’i and Ibn al-Madeeni.

The transmission of Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybaani.

The transmission of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Salamah al-Fahri al-Masri.

And there are many others. Shaykh Muhammad Fu’aad ‘Abd al-Baaqi (may Allaah have mercy on him) spoke about the narrators of the Muwatta’ and discussed fourteen versions of it, in his introduction to the edition of the Muwatta’ that he edited (pp. 6-16).

These versions differ in the order of the books and chapters, and in the number of marfoo’, mursal, and mawqoof ahaadeeth. The wording of the ahaadeeth also differs greatly.

Fourthly:

The number of ahaadeeth in the Muwatta’ differs from one version to another, and according to the system of numbering [?]. That is because some scholars counted every report from the Sahaabah or Taabi’een as a separate hadeeth, whilst others did not count them in their numbering. Hence it is sufficient for us to mention the numbers that are mentioned in some of the edited versions of the Muwatta’, which are:

The version transmitted by Yahya al-Laythi (which is the most famous version, and this is what is usually meant by al-Muwatta’): It was numbered by Shaykh Khaleel Sheeha, and the number of ahaadeeth that he counted was 1942, including both marfoo’ and mawqoof reports.

The version transmitted by Abu Mus’ab al-Zuhri was numbered in the edition published by the Mu’sasat al-Risaalah. The number of hadeeth in this edition is 3069, which includes everything, even the words of Imam Maalik, hence the number is greater.

Fifthly:

The conditions he followed in his book are among the most reliable and strongest of conditions. He followed a method of erring on the side of caution and choosing only sound reports.

Al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There is nothing on earth after the Book of Allaah that is more correct that the Muwatta’ of Maalik ibn Anas.

It was narrated that al-Rabee’ said: I heard al-Shaafa’i say: If Maalik was uncertain about a hadeeth he would reject it altogether.

Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah said: May Allaah have mercy on Maalik, how strict he was in his evaluation of men (narrators of hadeeth).

Al-Istidhkaar (1/166); al-Tamheed (1/68)

Hence you will find that many of the isnaads of Maalik are of the highest standard of saheeh. Because of this, the two Shaykhs al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated most of his ahaadeeth in their books.

Note: Imam al-Shaafa’i made the comment quoted above before al-Bukhaari and Muslim wrote their books, as was noted by al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his summary of ‘Uloom al-Hadeeth (pp. 24-25).

Sixthly:

In compiling his book, Maalik followed the method of compilation that was current during his time, so he mixed the hadeeths with the words of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een and fiqhi opinions. The reports of the Sahaabah number 613 and the reports of the Taabi’een number 285. In one chapter the marfoo’ ahaadeeth appear first, and are followed by the reports of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, and sometimes he mentions the actions of the people of Madeenah, so his book is a book of fiqh and hadeeth at the same time, it is not just a book of reports only. Hence you will find that some chapters have no reports, rather they contain the views of the fuqaha’ and the actions and ijtihaad of the people of Madeenah. An example of that is the chapter on produce on which no zakaah is due, and the chapter on the fast of one who kills another by mistake, and so on.

We also find that it is limited to sections on fiqh, etiquette and the actions of day and night. There is nothing in his book about Tawheed, zuhd (asceticism), the Resurrection, stories and tafseer.

See: al-Fikr al-Manhaji ‘inda al-Muhadditheen by Dr Humaam Sa’eed, p. 111-118; Manaahij al-Muhadditheen by Dr Yaasir al-Shimaali , p. 285ff; Muqaddimah Tahqeeq al-Muwatta’, ed. Fu’aad ‘Abd al-Baaqi.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #21975: Giving zakaah to someone who wants to get married

Question #21975: Giving zakaah to someone who wants to get married

Question :

One of my friends wants to get married, but he does not have enough money to cover the expenses of getting married. Is it permissible for me to help him and to count that money as part of my zakaah?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, it is permissible to give zakaah to someone who wants to get married, if he does not have enough money to get married. This is included in the eight categories mentioned in the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“As-Sadaqaat (here it means Zakaah) are only for the Fuqaraa’ (poor), and Al-Masaakeen (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allaah’s Cause (i.e. for Mujaahidoon — those fighting in a holy battle), and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allaah. And Allaah is All-Knower, All-Wise”

[al-Tawbah 9:60]

The one who does not have enough money is poor, so it is permissible to give him zakaah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: If we find a person who can earn enough for food and drink and accommodation, but he needs to get married and does not have enough to do so, is it permissible for us to get him married using zakaah funds? The answer is: yes, it is permissible to get him married using zakaah funds, and to give him the mahr in full.

If it is said: how come it is permissible to get a poor man married using zakaah funds even if what is given to him is a large amount? We say: because a man’s need to get married is urgent, and in some cases it may be like his need for food and drink. Hence the scholars said that the one who is obliged to spend on a person must marry him off if he can afford that. So the father must marry his son off if the son needs to get married but does not have the means of doing so. But I heard that some fathers forget how they were when they were young, and when their sons ask them to help them get married, they say: “Pay for marriage from your own pocket.” This is not permissible, and it is haraam if he is able to get him married. His son will confront him on the Day of Resurrection if he does not get him married when he is able to.

Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 440-441.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about giving zakaah to a young man who cannot afford to get married. He said:

It is permissible to give zakaah to this young man, to help him get married, if he cannot afford it.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 14/275.

The Standing Committee was asked:

Is it permissible to give zakaah to a young man who wants to get married in order to guard his chastity?

They replied:

That is permissible if he cannot afford the customary expenses of marriage where there is no extravagance.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/17.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #72516: Meaning of the verse “So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea)”

Question #72516: Meaning of the verse “So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea)”

Question :

What is the meaning of the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea)” [Yoonus 10:92]?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

This verse in Soorat Yoonus comes in the context of describing the attitude of the tyrant Pharaoh towards the Prophet of Allaah Moosa (peace be upon him) and those of the Children of Israel who believed with him. That was when Moosa (peace be upon him) set out with the believers to migrate to the blessed land, and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them in order to bring them back and punish them. During their lengthy travels, they came to the sea and could not go any further, but Allaah honoured His Prophet Moosa and the believers who were with him by making the sea dry for them so that they could walk across it, so they crossed over in the sight of their enemies, whilst they were looking on. The enemy of Allaah Pharaoh, in his arrogance and foolishness, set out in a ship behind Moosa and the people who were with him, but he and those who were with him drowned in the same sea that Moosa and the believers with him had crossed.

When death was surrounding the tyrant on all sides, and the waves of the sea were tossing him around, and he was sure that drowning was to be his unavoidable fate, he said: “I believe that none has the right to be worshipped but He (Allaah) in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am one of the Muslims (those who submit to Allaah’s Will)” [Yoonus 10:90]. But it was too late, the time for repentance had passed and the time for believing ended once death approached, and the evildoer lost all strength and wiles.

Undoubtedly the death of this extreme tyrant in such a manner is one of the greatest signs which demonstrate the consequences of stubbornness, wrongdoing and arrogance. Hence Allaah wanted to establish and confirm this sign, so as to dispel any doubt or confusion. So He decreed that the body of the Pharaoh should appear motionless and dead on the shore, so that his people and those who used to worship him could see him, and that would be the most eloquent lesson to them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you! And verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Ayaat”

[Yoonus 10:92]

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Ibn ‘Abbaas and others of the salaf said that some of the Children of Israel doubted the death of Pharaoh, so Allaah commanded the sea to throw out his body, whole but lifeless, wearing his well known armour, onto a raised portion of land, so that they might see that he was indeed dead. Hence Allaah says “So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body” i.e., we will raise you onto a prominent part of the land. “your (dead) body” – Mujaahid said: your body. Al-Hasan said: a body in which there is no soul. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Shaddaad said: whole and complete, i.e., not decomposed, so that they may recognize him and be certain that it is him. Abu Sakhr said: with your armour. There is no contradiction between any of these opinions, as we shall see below in sha Allaah.

The words “that you may be a sign to those who come after you” means, so that this will be proof of your death for the Children of Israel, and will show that Allaah is the One who is All-Powerful, and the forelock of every living being is in His hand, and nothing can resist His wrath.

Tafseer Ibn Katheer (2/565)

And this is what happened. The Children of Israel saw Pharaoh lying dead with their own eyes, so he was a sign for those who saw him then, and he is a sign for all those who come after him and hear the story of his death.

There is nothing in this sign to indicate that his body would be preserved until the Day of Resurrection, as some people imagine. That is interpreting the Qur’aan in a manner that is farfetched. If the purpose had been to preserve the body of the Pharaoh for all those people who came after him, so that they could see his dead body for themselves, then his body would have remained well known to all those who came after him and those who heard his story, so that the lesson could be learned and the sign made manifest and the promise fulfilled. What happened to his story so that people forgot it and for so many centuries no one remember it, until the archaeologists claimed that they had found the body of the Pharaoh who was drowned?

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said: The meaning of Allaah’s words, “that you may be a sign to those who come after you” is: so that there would be evidence for the Children of Israel that you were indeed dead, and that Allaah is the All-Powerful, and the forelock of every living being is in His hand, and no one can escape His punishment, even if he is in a position of authority and power among people. This does not imply that the body of the Pharaoh would remain preserved until our times, as the ignorant think, because the purpose of his body being thrown from the sea was so that it would be known that he had died and to confirm that for those among the Children of Israel who doubted it. This purpose was fulfilled, and the body of Pharaoh is like any other body, it is bound to disintegrate and nothing will be left of it but that which is left of any other body, which is the end of the tailbone, from which each person’s body will be created anew on the Day of Resurrection, as it says in the hadeeth. So the body of Pharaoh is no different from the body of anyone else. And Allaah knows best.

Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan (1/question no. 132).

But it may be said here that if it were to so happen that the Pharaoh’s body appeared again, and the experts in history and archaeology were to confirm that this is the body of the Pharaoh who is mentioned by Allaah in His Book, that would be an indication of the truth of what the Qur’aan says about the body of Pharaoh being delivered (from the sea).

The scholar Taahir ibn ‘Ashoor (may Allaah have mercy on him) says: One of the subtleties of the Qur’aan is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “So this day We shall deliver your (dead) body (out from the sea) that you may be a sign to those who come after you”. This is something the like of which was not mentioned by anyone who wrote about Pharaoh; it is one of the scientific miracles of the Qur’aan, as the verse is in accordance with historical facts.”

Al-Tahreer wa’l-Tanweer (1/2065)

Conclusion: The body of Pharaoh was delivered from the sea that day and protected from decomposition, but that does not necessarily mean that it will be preserved until the Day of Resurrection. If it is proven by the archaeologists and historians that the body of Pharaoh is still preserved today, and it is what is displayed in some museums, it is not permissible to claim that this preservation is a miracle from Allaah for all people, rather it is just historical confirmation that is in accordance with what is in the Qur’aan, and that is the miracle.

And Allaah knows best.


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Question #83969: Ruling on short-term mudaarabah (buying and selling) in mixed and haraam shares

Question #83969: Ruling on short-term mudaarabah (buying and selling) in mixed and haraam shares


Question :

What is the ruling on short-term mudaarabah (buying and selling) in mixed and haraam companies in the stock market?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is not permissible to buy shares in companies that deal in haraam things, such as riba etc, whether the haraam is small or great, because a share is part of the company’s wealth, and its dealing in haraam means that everyone who invests in it is a partner in that haraam.

Secondly:

It is not permissible to trade in mixed and haraam shares, by buying, selling or investing, whether that is short term or long term, because it is not permissible to sell haraam things, whether in small or large amounts. A contract that involves that is a contract which it is not permitted to enter into.

Dr. Muhammad ibn Su’ood al-‘Usaymi (may Allaah preserve him) said: Some people differentiate between mudaarabah (buying and selling) and long-term investment and say that the one who engages in mudaarabah does not have to worry if he buys a share in a company that gives or takes riba-based loans. My response is to ask these people: What shar’i justification do you have for the profit that you make on the shares when they go up? He will never have any answer but to say: I am a partner in that company.

Similarly I say to him: what if the company were to make a loss a few minutes after you bought shares? Can you deny your connection to the company so that you will not have to bear any loss? Of course he will not be able to do that, and he will bear the same losses as all other regular shareholders. Not only that, if the company were to merge with another company or it were to be sold to another company, or it went bankrupt or was no longer on the stock market or its licence was taken away, all of that would have an effect on the mudaarib (one who buys and sells within a short period of time) and investor alike. So there is no difference between the mudaarib and the investor. End quote.

He was also asked about the ruling on mudaarabah (buying and selling) in mixed shares?

He replied:

It is not permissible according to the majority of scholars, except in the case of “pure” shares, whether it is mudaarabah or investment. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.


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Question #5901: If an eclipse is a natural phenomenon, then why should we feel scared and pray?

Question #5901: If an eclipse is a natural phenomenon, then why should we feel scared and pray?


Question :

It is now known that eclipse is nothing but a normal process that occurs after a regular interval (that can be known) of the moon coming between the sun & the earth. Then why was it that Holy Prophet(pbuh) used to pray at that time, though it didn't cause any danger!?


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

When the sun was eclipsed at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he commanded someone to call out “al-salaatu jaami’ah (prayer is about to begin)”, and he led the people in prayer. Then he addressed them and explained to them the reason for the eclipse, and declared their jaahili beliefs to be null and void. He explained to them what they should do, such as praying and making du’aa’ and giving in charity. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allaah; they do not become eclipsed for the death or life of anyone. If you see that then call upon Allaah and magnify Him, and pray, and give in charity.” The Muslims did not know when an eclipse would happen, but when it did happen, they would hasten to do what Allaah had prescribed, such as praying etc.

When an eclipse happened, they would be afraid that is was a warning of impending disaster, so they would turn to Allaah and pray to Him to ward off that which they feared. When astronomy and the calculations of the movements of the sun and moon became well known in later times, and it became known that the experts could know when an eclipse was likely to happen, the scholars (‘ulamaa’) pointed out that this did not change the ruling, and that the Muslims still had to do what they were commanded to do at the time of an eclipse, even if they knew about it in advance. But it is not prescribed to concern ourselves with the matter of predicting eclipses, because that is not what Allaah and His Messenger commanded us to do. The scholars also explained that an eclipse may be a sign or a cause of something bad happening to people. When the questioner says that eclipses do not cause hrm, she is speaking without knowledge and objecting to the sharee’ah of Allaah. People do not necessarily know of the events which Allaah causes to happen at the time of an eclipse, and some people may know about that whilst others do not. It could be that because of the Muslims’ prayers, Allaah wards off bad things which are known only to Him. The Muslim must submit to the ruling of Allaah and act in accordance with His sharee’ah, and have faith in His wisdom, because He is the All-Knowing, All-Wise, may He be glorified and exalted.

(Written by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak).

Solar and lunar eclipses are two of the signs of Allaah with which He scares His slaves and reminds them of some of the things which will happen on the Day of Resurrection, when the sun will be wound round and will lose its light and be overthrown and the stars will fall (cf. al-Takweer 81:1), and the sight will be dazed, the moon will be eclipsed and the sun and moon will be joined together (by going into one another, or folded up, or deprived of their light) (al-Qiyaamah 75:8-9). This is why Muslims should be alarmed by eclipses. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fear Allaah very much, and one day he came out in an agitated state, thinking that the Hour had begun, when the sun was eclipsed during his lifetime… This is indicative of the great extent to which he kept the Hour in mind and feared it. We, on the other hand, have become negligent and most people no longer think of eclipses as anything other than a natural phenomenon which they go out to watch with special glasses, carrying cameras. They limit themselves to the worldly scientific explanation without understanding the reminder of the Hereafter which it brings. This is one of the signs of hard-heartedness and a lack of concern about the matters of the Hereafter. It reflects a lack of fear of the onset of the Hour, and ignorance of the aims of sharee’ah and the reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to feel fear when these eclipses happened. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to stand to pray the eclipse prayer, because they believed that if indeed the Hour had come, they would not then be counted negligent of their prayer, and if this eclipse was nothing to do with the Hour, then they would not lose anything by praying, for they would have earned a great reward. We ask Allaah to make us among those who fear Him and who are afraid of the Hour. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.


Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #72833: Doing one’s own work during official work hours

Question #72833: Doing one’s own work during official work hours

Question :

What is the ruling on doing my own work during work hours, knowing that I do not have anything to do?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

If the second job requires leaving the workplace of the first job, then it is clear that this is not permitted, because it is breaking the conditions of the first job. The first job stipulates that he should stay there until this hour until this hour, and the Muslims are bound by their conditions. If the other job does not require him to leave the first workplace and will not conflict with it or delay it, and he is only doing something when he finds free time during his work, it seems that this does not do any harm, because so long as he is not busy during this time, then the time is wasted and not put to good use.


Shaykh A. D. Khaalid ibn ‘Ali al-Mushayqih. (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #71359: What is the soorah that is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan?

Question #71359: What is the soorah that is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan?

Question :

Which surah of Al-Quran when recited is equal to reciting 1/2 Al-Quran?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

There are many ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of certain soorahs of the Qur’aan, some of which are saheeh, but many of them are da’eef (weak) or munkar. That includes the hadeeth which speaks of the virtue of Soorat al-Zalzalah and says that it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. A number of munkar ahaadeeth were narrated concerning that. They are as follows:

1 – It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ (i.e., Soorat al-Zalzalah) is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2894) and al-Haakim (1/754).

Its isnaad includes Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah al-‘Anzi, concerning whom al-Bukhaari and Abu Haatim said: his hadeeth is munkar. Ibn Hibbaan said: his hadeeth is very munkar; he narrates munkar hadeeth that have no basis and deserve to be ignored. See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (4/452).

Yamaan is the only one who narrated this hadeeth, alone among the companions of ‘Ata’, and he is not acceptable as a sole narrator of a hadeeth, rather the fact that he is the sole narrator indicates that it is munkar. And Allaah knows best.

The majority of scholars are the view that the hadeeth is to be regarded as weak because of Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah, in contrast to those scholars who classed it as saheeh. It was classed as da’eef by al-Tirmidhi when he said, after quoting it: it is ghareeb and we know it only from the hadeeth of Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah. It was also classed as such by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in al-Tamheed, where he said: It is one of the ahaadeeth of the Shaykhs, not one of the ahaadeeth of the imams. And it was classed as da’eef by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (8/687), by al-Dhahabi in Talkhees al-Mustadrak, by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/367) and by al-Shawkaani in al-Fath al-Rabbaani (12/5930). Al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (1342): it is munkar.

2 – It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’, it will be equivalent to half of the Qur’aan for him.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2893).

Its isnaad includes al-Hasan ibn Saalim al-‘Ajali. Al-Mazzi said: He is a Shaykh who is unknown and recited only one hadeeth. Al-‘Aqeeli said: He is unknown with regard to transmitting hadeeth. Ibn Hibbaan said: he narrates from trustworthy narrators things that do not sound right.

See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (1/396()

The scholars are unanimously agreed that this hadeeth is also to be regarded as da’eef. It was classed as da’eef by al-Tirmidhi when he said, after quoting it: It is ghareeb. Al-‘Aqeeli said: It is not known, as stated in Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (1/396). It was also classed as da’eef by Ibn Hibbaan in al-Majrooheen (1/279), and al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan (2/497). Al-Dhahabi said in Mizaan al-I’tidaal (1/523): it is munkar. Al-Albaani said likewise in al-Da’eefah (1342).

3 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ in one night, it will be equivalent to half of the Qur’aan for him.” Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni in ‘Aml al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (691).

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (1342): It was narrated by Abu Umayah al-Tarsoosi in Musnad Abi Hurayrah (2/195), but its isnaad is very weak (da’eef jiddan); it includes ‘Eesa ibn Maymoon al-Madani, who was classed as da’eef by a number of scholars. Abu Haatim and others said: His hadeeth is to be rejected. End quote.

Ibn Hajar said in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (3/268): Its isnaad includes a narrator who is very weak. End quote.

From the above it is clear that there is no saheeh report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about Soorat al-Zalzalah being equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. But it seems that some of the imams of the salaf followed this hadeeth and, based on their own ijtihad, stated that the important meanings that are contained in this soorah are equivalent to half of the principles that the Qur’aan referred to.

It says in Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq (3/372): It was narrated that Ma’mar said: I heard a man narrating that ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.

It was narrated from Ja’far that Hishaam ibn Muslim said: I heard Bakr ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Muzani say: ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is half of the Qur’aan.

Abu ‘Ubayd narrated a mursal report from al-Hasan al-Basri: “ ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan, and ‘By the (steeds) that run’ (Soorat al-‘Aadiyaat) is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.”

See: al-Itqaan by al-Suyooti (2/413).

It was narrated that ‘Aasim ibn Abi’l-Nujood al-Imam al-Muqri’ said:

It was said that whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ it is as if he has recited half of the Qur’aan.

Ibn Hajar said in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (3/270): its men are thiqaat.

Al-Manaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/367):

Because the greatest objective of the Qur’aan is to explain the creation and the resurrection, and ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ refers only to the resurrection, therefore it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. This was referred to by al-Qaadi.

End quote.

This is the ijtihaad of some of the salaf, and it is not permissible to attribute it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It does not mean that it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan in terms of reward.

And Allaah knows best.


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