Question #46955: She inherited some gold bracelets from her mother and she did not pay zakaah on them

Question #46955: She inherited some gold bracelets from her mother and she did not pay zakaah on them

Question :

I inherited some bracelets from my mother, and I do not think that my mother paid zakaah on them all her life. Now I have started to seek knowledge, and I need money to buy books etc. Please note that my husband spends on us and provides food, drink and clothing, but he regards these matters as secondary and does not give me the money that I need for that.
Is it permissible for me to sell these bracelets and spend the money on seeking knowledge, whilst making a promise that if Allaah blesses me with wealth I will give some money to pay off the zakaah on these bracelets? Or do I have to sell them and pay the zakaah on them? Can I spend some of it on things other than seeking knowledge, or can I only use the money for seeking knowledge?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: Zakaah is not due on gold unless it reaches the nisaab (minimum threshold), which is 85 grams.

If these bracelets reach the nisaab, or your mother had other gold that when added to the bracelets reached the nisaab, then zakaah is due on them. If it does not reach the nisaab then no zakaah is due.

Secondly: The scholars differed as to whether zakaah is due on gold that is prepared for use (jewellery). In the answer to question no. 19901 we have stated that the more correct view is that zakaah is due on it.

If your mother did not pay zakaah on these bracelets all her life, because she asked someone who told her that it was not obligatory to pay zakaah on them, or because she did not know that it was obligatory to pay zakaah on them, then you do not have to pay zakaah for past years. But if she knew that zakaah was due on them but she did not pay it out of negligence, then you have to pay the zakaah that she did not pay in past years, because it is a duty that is owed to Allaah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about a woman who did not know that it is obligatory to pay zakaah on jewellery until recently. Should she pay zakaah for past years?

He replied: What I think is that she does not have to pay zakaah for the past, because the custom in this country and what is usually stated by the Shaykhs is the well known view of Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him), and the well known view of Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) is that there is no zakaah on jewellery that is prepared to be worn or lent. Based on this, she does not have to pay zakaah for the past, but she has to pay zakaah for the year in which she came to know that zakaah is to be paid on jewellery, and for future years, because the correct view that is supported by the evidence is that zakaah is due on jewellery, even if it is used. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (18/142)

He was also asked about a woman who has owned some jewellery for four years; should she pay zakaah for the past years or not?

He replied:

The correct scholarly view is that it is obligatory to pay zakaah on jewellery if it reaches the nisaab.
As for her question: does she have to pay zakaah on the past years?

The answer is that if she believed that it was obligatory to pay it, this is regarded as negligence on her part, so she has to repent to Allaah and pay zakaah for the time that has passed. If she did not believe that it was obligatory to pay zakaah on it, either because she did not know that or because she was uncertain because of the difference of opinion among the scholars concerning that, then she found out that zakaah is obligatory, then she must pay zakaah for the year in which she came to believe that zakaah is due on jewellery. End quote.

Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (18/146)

Thirdly: In the event that you do not have to pay zakaah on these bracelets, then they are your property and you may dispose of them however you wish. You can sell them and spend the money on seeking knowledge and on other things. In the event that you do have to pay zakaah on them, then you must pay it immediately and it is not permissible for you to delay it. So either pay the zakaah from wealth other than these bracelets if you have other wealth, or sell them and pay the zakaah from the price, and the rest of the money will be yours to spend as you wish.

Fourthly: You should have hastened to pay the zakaah before the estate was divided, because zakaah is regarded as a debt, and the scholars are unanimously agreed that paying off debts should be done before the estate is divided. See question no 21271.

As you divided the estate before paying the zakaah, the zakaah is divided among all the heirs and each of you must pay part of it, according to his share of the estate. If one of you voluntarily pays all of it, that will suffice and he will have done good.

Conclusion:

If you know that your mother did not pay zakaah on these bracelets because she did not know that it was obligatory to pay zakaah on them, or she followed a scholar who said that jewellery is not subject to zakaah, then you do not have to pay zakaah on them. But if you know that she did not pay zakaah out of negligence although she knew that it is obligatory, then you must pay the zakaah.


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Question #5000: Ruling on music, singing and dancing

Question #5000: Ruling on music, singing and dancing

Question :

I have always heard that music, singing and dancing are haram in Islam. I went to this other site for the first time,XXX, and typed in music and all of these articles appeared which said music,dancing, and singing in Islam is halal??? They said "as long as the 2 sexes are not close together and their is no drinking going on" etc. and they even have hadiths that try to prove our Prophet Muhammed s.a.w was ok with this??? I am very confused now... Could you PLEASE give a full, detailed explanation about the Islamic ruling on music, singing and dancing and when it is allowed, if it is even allowed at all.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Ma’aazif is the plural of mi’zafah, and refers to musical instruments (Fath al-Baari, 10/55), instruments which are played (al-Majmoo’, 11/577). Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated from al-Jawhari (may Allaah have mercy on him) that ma’aazif means singing. In his Sihaah it says that it means musical instruments. It was also said that it refers to the sound of the instruments. In al-Hawaashi by al-Dimyaati (may Allaah have mercy on him) it says: ma’aazif means drums (dufoof, sing. daff) and other instruments which are struck or beaten (Fath al-Baari, 10/55).

Evidence of prohibition in the Qur’aan and Sunnah:

Allaah says in Soorat Luqmaan (interpretation of the meaning):

“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah…” [Luqmaan 31:6]

The scholar of the ummah, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: this means singing. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this means playing the drum (tabl). (Tafseer al-Tabari, 21/40).

Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this aayah was revealed concerning singing and musical instruments (lit. woodwind instruments). (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/451).

Al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this includes all manner of haraam speech, all idle talk and falsehood, and all nonsense that encourages kufr and disobedience; the words of those who say things to refute the truth and argue in support of falsehood to defeat the truth; and backbiting, slander, lies, insults and curses; the singing and musical instruments of the Shaytaan; and musical instruments which are of no spiritual or worldly benefit. (Tafseer al-Sa’di, 6/150)

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The interpretation of the Sahaabah and Taabi’in, that ‘idle talk’ refers to singing, is sufficient. This was reported with saheeh isnaads from Ibn ‘Abbaas and Ibn Mas’ood. Abu’l-Sahbaa’ said: I asked Ibn Mas’ood about the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), ‘“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks’ [Luqmaan 31:6]. He said: By Allaah, besides Whom there is no other god, this means singing – and he repeated it three times. It was also reported with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that this means singing. There is no contradiction between the interpretation of “idle talk” as meaning singing and the interpretation of it as meaning stories of the Persians and their kings, and the kings of the Romans, and so on, such as al-Nadr ibn al-Haarith used to tell to the people of Makkah to distract them from the Qur’aan. Both of them are idle talk. Hence Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Idle talk” is falsehood and singing. Some of the Sahaabah said one and some said the other, and some said both. Singing is worse and more harmful than stories of kings, because it leads to zinaa and makes hypocrisy grow (in the heart); it is the trap of the Shaytaan, and it clouds the mind. The way in which it blocks people from the Qur’aan is worse than the way in which other kinds of false talk block them, because people are naturally inclined towards it and tend to want to listen to it. The aayaat condemn replacing the Qur’aan with idle talk in order to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah without knowledge and taking it as a joke, because when an aayah of the Qur’aan is recited to such a person, he turns his back as if he heard them not, as if there were deafness in his ear. If he hears anything of it, he makes fun of it. All of this happens only in the case of the people who are most stubbornly kaafirs and if some of it happens to singers and those who listen to them, they both have a share of this blame. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/258-259).

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“[Allaah said to Iblees:] And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allaah’s disobedience)…” [al-Israa’ 17:64]

It was narrated that Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “And befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice” – his voice [the voice of Iblees/Shaytaan] is singing and falsehood. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This idaafah [possessive or genitive construction, i.e., your voice] serves to make the meaning specific, as with the phrases [translated as] “your cavalry” and “your infantry” [later in the same aayah]. Everyone who speaks in any way that is not obedient to Allaah, everyone who blows into a flute or other woodwind instrument, or who plays any haraam kind of drum, this is the voice of the Shaytaan. Everyone who walks to commit some act of disobedience towards Allaah is part of his [the Shaytaan’s] infantry, and anyone who rides to commit sin is part of his cavalry. This is the view of the Salaf, as Ibn ‘Abi Haatim narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas: his infantry is everyone who walks to disobey Allaah. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan).

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Do you then wonder at this recitation (the Qur’aan)?

And you laugh at it and weep not,

Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)”

[al-Najm 53:59-61]

‘Ikrimah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that al-sumood [verbal noun from saamidoon, translated here as “Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)”] means “singing”, in the dialect of Himyar; it might be said “Ismidi lanaa” [‘sing for us’ – from the same root as saamidoon/sumood] meaning “ghaniy” [sing]. And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him): When they [the kuffaar] heard the Qur’aan, they would sing, then this aayah was revealed.

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning) “Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)” – Sufyaan al-Thawri said, narrating from his father from Ibn ‘Abbaas: (this means) singing. This is Yemeni (dialect): ismad lana means ghan lana [sing to us]. This was also the view of ‘Ikrimah. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).

It was reported from Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not sell singing slave women, do not buy them and do not teach them. There is nothing good in this trade, and their price is haraam. Concerning such things as this the aayah was revealed (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah…’ [Luqmaan 31:6].” (Hasan hadeeth)

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zinaa, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari ta’leeqan, no. 5590; narrated as mawsool by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 91).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This is a saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, where he quoted it as evidence and stated that it is mu’allaq and majzoom. He said: Chapter on what was narrated concerning those who permit alcohol and call it by another name.

This hadeeth indicates in two ways that musical instruments and enjoyment of listening to music are haraam. The first is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “[they] permit” which clearly indicates that the things mentioned, including musical instruments, are haraam according to sharee’ah, but those people will permit them. The second is the fact that musical instruments are mentioned alongside things which are definitely known to be haraam, i.e., zinaa and alcohol: if they (musical instruments) were not haraam, why would they be mentioned alongside these things? (adapted from al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 1/140-141)

Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth indicates that ma’aazif are haraam, and ma’aazif means musical instruments according to the scholars of (Arabic) language. This word includes all such instruments. (al-Majmoo’, 11/535).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: And concerning the same topic similar comments were narrated from Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Saa’idi, ‘Imraan ibn Husayn, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Umaamah al-Baahili, ‘Aa’ishah Umm al-Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Anas ibn Maalik, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Saabit and al-Ghaazi ibn Rabee’ah. Then he mentioned it in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, and it indicates that they (musical instruments) are haraam.

It was narrated that Naafi’ (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Ibn ‘Umar heard a woodwind instrument, and he put his fingers in his ears and kept away from that path. He said to me, O Naafi’, can you hear anything? I said, No. So he took his fingers away from his ears and said: I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he heard something like this, and he did the same thing. (Saheeh Abi Dawood). Some insignificant person said that this hadeeth does not prove that musical instruments are haraam, because if that were so, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have instructed Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) to put his fingers in his ears as well, and Ibn ‘Umar would have instructed Naafi’ to do likewise! The response to this is: He was not listening to it, but he could hear it. There is a difference between listening and hearing. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Concerning (music) which a person does not intend to listen to, there is no prohibition or blame, according to scholarly consensus. Hence blame or praise is connected to listening, not to hearing. The one who listens to the Qur’aan will be rewarded for it, whereas the one who hears it without intending or wanting to will not be rewarded for that, because actions are judged by intentions. The same applies to musical instruments which are forbidden: if a person hears them without intending to, that does not matter. (al-Majmoo’, 10/78).

Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the listener is the one who intends to hear, which was not the case with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both); what happened in his case was hearing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) needed to know when the sound stopped because he had moved away from that path and blocked his ears. So he did not want to go back to that path or unblock his ears until the noise had stopped, so when he allowed Ibn ‘Umar to continue hearing it, this was because of necessity. (al-Mughni, 10/173)

(Even though the hearing referred to in the comments of the two imaams is makrooh, it was permitted because of necessity, as we will see below in the comments of Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him). And Allaah knows best).

The views of the scholars (imaams) of Islam

Al-Qaasim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Singing is part of falsehood. Al-Hasan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: if there is music involved in a dinner invitation (waleemah), do not accept the invitation (al-Jaami by al-Qayrawaani, p. 262-263).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The view of the four Imaams is that all kinds of musical instruments are haraam. It was reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that there would be among his ummah those who would allow zinaa, silk, alcohol and musical instruments, and he said that they would be transformed into monkeys and pigs… None of the followers of the imaams mentioned any dispute concerning the matter of music. (al-Majmoo’, 11/576).

Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The four madhhabs are agreed that all musical instruments are haraam. (al-Saheehah, 1/145).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The madhhab of Abu Haneefah is the strictest in this regard, and his comments are among the harshest. His companions clearly stated that it is haraam to listen to all musical instruments such as the flute and the drum, even tapping a stick. They stated that it is a sin which implies that a person is a faasiq (rebellious evil doer) whose testimony should be rejected. They went further than that and said that listening to music is fisq (rebellion, evildoing) and enjoying it is kufr (disbelief). This is their words. They narrated in support of that a hadeeth which could not be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They said: he should try not to hear it if he passes by it or it is in his vicinity. Abu Yoosuf said, concerning a house from which could be heard the sound of musical instruments: Go in without their permission, because forbidding evil actions is obligatory, and if it were not allowed to enter without permission, people could not have fulfilled the obligatory duty (of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil). (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/425).

Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about playing the drum or flute, if a person happens to hear the sound and enjoy it whilst he is walking or sitting. He said: He should get up if he finds that he enjoys it, unless he is sitting down for a need or is unable to get up. If he is on the road, he should either go back or move on. (al-Jaami’ by al-Qayrawaani, 262). He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The only people who do things like that, in our view, are faasiqs.” (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/55).

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Among the types of earnings which are haraam by scholarly consensus are ribaa, the fee of a prostitute, anything forbidden, bribes, payment for wailing over the dead and singing, payments to fortune-tellers and those who claim to know the unseen and astrologers, payments for playing flutes, and all kinds of gambling. (al-Kaafi).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining the view of Imaam al-Shaafa'i: His companions who know his madhhab (point of view) stated that it is haraam and denounced those who said that he permitted it. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/425).

The author of Kifaayat al-Akhbaar, who was one of the Shaafa’is, counted musical instruments such as flutes and others, as being munkar (evil), and the one who is present (where they are being played) should denounce them. (He cannot be excused by the fact that there are bad scholars, because they are corrupting the sharee’ah, or evil faqeers – meaning the Sufis, because they call themselves fuqaraa’ or faqeers – because they are ignorant and follow anyone who makes noise; they are not guided by the light of knowledge; rather they are blown about by every wind. (Kifaayat al-Akhbaar, 2/128).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the view of Imaam Ahmad, his son ‘Abd-Allaah said: I asked my father about singing. He said: Singing makes hypocrisy grow in the heart; I do not like it. Then he mentioned the words of Maalik: the evildoers (faasiqs) among us do that. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan).

Ibn Qudaamah, the researcher of the Hanbali madhhab – (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Musical instruments are of three types which are haraam. These are the strings and all kinds of flute, and the lute, drum and rabaab (stringed instrument) and so on. Whoever persists in listening to them, his testimony should be rejected. (al-Mughni, 10/173). And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him); If a person is invited to a gathering in which there is something objectionable, such as wine and musical instruments, and he is able to denounce it, then he should attend and speak out against it, because then he will be combining two obligatory duties. If he is not able to do that, then he should not attend. (al-Kaafi, 3/118)

Al-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars of all regions are agreed that singing is makrooh and should be prevented. Although Ibraaheem ibn Sa’d and ‘Ubayd-Allaah al-‘Anbari differed from the majority, (it should be noted that) the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Adhere to the majority.” And whoever dies differing from the majority, dies as a jaahili. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/56). In earlier generations, the word “makrooh” was used to mean haraam, then it took on the meaning of “disliked”. But this is to be understood as meaning that it is forbidden, because he [al-Tabari] said “it should be prevented”, and nothing is to be prevented except that which is haraam; and because in the two hadeeths quoted, music is denounced in the strongest terms. Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) is the one who narrated this report, then he said: Abu’l-Faraj and al-Qaffaal among our companions said: the testimony of the singer and the dancer is not to be accepted. I say: if it is proven that this matter is not permissible, then accepting payment for it is not permissible either.

Shaykh al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said: What Ibraaheem ibn Sa’d and ‘Ubayd-Allaah al-‘Anbari said about singing is not like the kind of singing that is known nowadays, for they would never have allowed this kind of singing which is the utmost in immorality and obscenity. (al-I’laam)

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible to make musical instruments. (al-Majmoo’, 22/140). And he said: According to the majority of fuqahaa’, it is permissible to destroy musical instruments, such as the tanboor [a stringed instrument similar to a mandolin]. This is the view of Maalik and is the more famous of the two views narrated from Ahmad. (al-Majmoo’, 28/113). And he said: …Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned that the scholars were agreed that it is not permissible to pay people to sing and wail… the consensus of all the scholars whose views we have learned about is that wailing and singing are not allowed. Al-Shu’bi, al-Nakha’i and Maalik regarded that as makrooh [i.e., haraam]. Abu Thawr, al-Nu’maan – Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him) – and Ya’qoob and Muhammad, two of the students of Abu Haneefah said: it is not permissible to pay anything for singing and wailing. This is our view. And he said: musical instruments are the wine of the soul, and what it does to the soul is worse than what intoxicating drinks do. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 10/417).

Ibn Abi Shaybah (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported that a man broke a mandolin belonging to another man, and the latter took his case to Shurayh. But Shurayh did not award him any compensation – i.e., he did not make the first man pay the cost of the mandolin, because it was haraam and had no value. (al-Musannaf, 5/395).

Al-Baghawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in a fatwa that it is haraam to sell all kinds of musical instruments such as mandolins, flutes, etc. Then he said: If the images are erased and the musical instruments are altered, then it is permissible to sell their parts, whether they are silver, iron, wood or whatever. (Sharh al-Sunnah, 8/28)

An appropriate exception

The exception to the above is the daff – without any rings (i.e., a hand-drum which looks like a tambourine, but without any rattles) – when used by women on Eids and at weddings. This is indicated by saheeh reports. Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made allowances for certain types of musical instruments at weddings and the like, and he made allowances for women to play the daff at weddings and on other joyful occasions. But the men at his time did not play the daff or clap with their hands. It was narrated in al-Saheeh that he said: “Clapping is for women and tasbeeh (saying Subhaan Allaah) is for men.” And he cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women. Because singing and playing the daff are things that women do, the Salaf used to call any man who did that a mukhannath (effeminate man), and they used to call male singers effeminate – and how many of them there are nowadays! It is well known that the Salaf said this.

In a similar vein is the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), when her father (may Allaah be pleased with him) entered upon her at the time of Eid, and there were two young girls with her who were singing the verses that the Ansaar had said on the day of Bu’aath – and any sensible person will know what people say about war. Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Musical instruments of the Shaytaan in the house of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!” The Messenger of Allaah had turned away from them and was facing the wall – hence some scholars said that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) would not tell anybody off in front of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he thought that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not paying attention to what was happening. And Allaah knows best. He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) said: “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for every nation has its Eid, and this is our Eid, the people of Islam.” This hadeeth shows that it was not the habit of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions to gather to listen to singing, hence Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq called it “the musical instruments of the Shaytaan”. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of this appellation and did not deny it when he said, “Leave them alone, for every nation has its Eid and this is our Eid.” This indicates that the reason why this was permitted was because it was the time of Eid, and the prohibition remained in effect at times other than Eid, apart from the exceptions made for weddings in other ahaadeeth. Shaykh al-Albaani explained this in his valuable book Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarab (the Prohibition of Musical Instruments). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of young girls singing at Eid, as stated in the hadeeth: “So that the mushrikeen will know that in our religion there is room for relaxation.” There is no indication in the hadeeth about the two young girls that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was listening to them. The commands and prohibitions have to do with listening, not merely hearing, just as in the case of seeing, the rules have to do with intentionally looking and not what happens by accident. So it is clear that this is for women only. Imaam Abu ‘Ubayd (may Allaah have mercy on him) defined the daff as “that which is played by women.” (Ghareeb al-Hadeeth, 3/64).
An inappropriate exception

Some of them make an exception for drums at times of war, and consequentially some modern scholars have said that military music is allowed. But there is no basis for this at all, for a number of reasons, the first of which is that this is making an exception with no clear evidence, apart from mere opinion and thinking that it is good, and this is wrong. The second reason is that what the Muslims should do at times of war is to turn their hearts towards their Lord. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: ‘The spoils are for Allaah and the Messenger.’ So fear Allaah and adjust all matters of difference among you…” [al-Anfaal 8:1]. But using music is the opposite of this idea of taqwa and it would distract them from remembering their Lord. Thirdly, using music is one of the customs of the kuffaar, and it is not permitted to imitate them, especially with regard to something that Allaah has forbidden to us in general, such as music. (al-Saheehah, 1/145)

“No people go astray after having been guided except they developed arguments amongst themselves.” (Saheeh)

Some of them used the hadeeth about the Abyssinians playing in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as evidence that singing is allowed! Al-Bukhaari included this hadeeth in his Saheeh under the heading Baab al-Hiraab wa’l-Daraq Yawm al-‘Eid (Chapter on Spears and Shields on the Day of Eid). Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that it is permissible to play with weapons and the like in the mosque, and he applied that to other activities connected with jihaad. (Sharh Muslim). But as al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: whoever speaks about something which is not his profession will come up with weird ideas such as these.

Some of them use as evidence the hadeeth about the singing of the two young girls, which we have discussed above, but we will quote what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, because it is valuable:

I am amazed that you quote as evidence for allowing listening to sophisticated songs the report which we mentioned about how two young girls who were below the age of puberty sang to a young woman on the day of Eid some verses of Arab poetry about bravery in war and other noble characteristics. How can you compare this to that? What is strange is that this hadeeth is one of the strongest proofs against them. The greatest speaker of the truth [Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq] called them musical instruments of the Shaytaan, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of that appellation, but he made an exception in the case of these two young girls who had not yet reached the age of responsibility and the words of whose songs could not corrupt anyone who listened to them. Can this be used as evidence to allow what you do and what you know of listening (to music) which includes (bad) things which are not hidden?! Subhaan Allaah! How people can be led astray! (Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/493).

Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was young at that time; nothing was transmitted from her after she reached the age of puberty except condemnation of singing. Her brother’s son, al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad, condemned singing and said that it was not allowed to listen to it, and he took his knowledge from her. (Talbees Iblees, 229). Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: A group of the Sufis used this hadeeth – the hadeeth about the two young girls – as evidence that singing is allowed and it is allowed to listen to it, whether it is accompanied by instruments or not. This view is sufficiently refuted by the clear statement of ‘Aa’ishah in the following hadeeth, where she says, “They were not singers.” She made it clear that they were not singers as such, although this may be understood from the wording of the report. So we should limit it to what was narrated in the text as regards the occasion and the manner, so as to reduce the risk of going against the principle, i.e., the hadeeth. And Allaah knows best. (Fath al-Baari, 2/442-443).

Some people even have the nerve to suggest that the Sahaabah and Taabi’een listened to singing, and that they saw nothing wrong with it!

Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said: We demand them to show us saheeh isnaads going back to these Sahaabah and Taabi’een, proving what they attribute to them. Then he said: Imaam Muslim mentioned in his introduction to his Saheeh that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak said: The isnaad is part of religion. Were it not for the isnaad, whoever wanted to could say whatever he wanted to.

Some of them said that the ahaadeeth which forbid music are full of faults. No hadeeth was free of being criticized by some of the scholars. Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The ahaadeeth which were narrated concerning music being haraam are not full of faults as has been claimed. Some of them are in Saheeh al-Bukhaari which is the soundest of books after the Book of Allaah, and some of them are hasan and some are da’eef. But because they are so many, with different isnaads, they constitute definitive proof that singing and musical instruments are haraam.

All the imaams agreed on the soundness of the ahaadeeth which forbid singing and musical instruments, apart from Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali, but al-Ghazzaali did not have knowledge of hadeeth; and Ibn Hazam, but al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) explained where Ibn Hazam went wrong, and Ibn Hazam himself said that if any of (these ahaadeeth) were saheeh, he would follow that. But now they have proof that these reports are saheeh because there are so many books by the scholars which state that these ahaadeeth are saheeh, but they turn their backs on that. They are far more extreme than Ibn Hazam and they are nothing like him, for they are not qualified and cannot be referred to.

Some of them said that the scholars forbade singing because it is mentioned alongside gatherings in which alcohol is drunk and where people stay up late at night for evil purposes.

Al-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The response to this is that mentioning these things in conjunction does not only mean that what is haraam is what is joined together in this manner. Otherwise this would mean that zinaa, as mentioned in the ahaadeeth, is not haraam unless it is accompanied by alcohol and the use of musical instruments. By the same token, an aayah such as the following (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, he used not to believe in Allaah, the Most Great,

And urged not on the feeding of Al‑Miskeen (the poor).”

[al-Haaqqah 69:33-34]

would imply that it is not haraam to disbelieve in Allaah unless that is accompanied by not encouraging the feeding of the poor. If it is said that the prohibition of such things one at a time is proven from other reports, the response to that is that the prohibition of musical instruments is also known from other evidence, as mentioned above. (Nayl al-Awtaar, 8/107).

Some of them said that “idle talk” does not refer to singing; the refutation of that has been mentioned above. Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This – the view that it means singing – is the best that has been said concerning this aayah, and Ibn Mas’ood swore three times by Allaah besides Whom there is no other god, that it does refer to singing. Then he mentioned other imaams who said the same thing. Then he mentioned other views concerning the matter. Then he said: The first view is the best of all that has been said on this matter, because of the marfoo’ hadeeth, and because of the view of the Sahaabah and the Taabi’een. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him), after quoting this Tafseer, said: Al-Haakim Abu ‘Abd-Allaah said in the Tafseer of Kitaab al-Mustadrak: Let the one who is seeking this knowledge know that the Tafseer of a Sahaabi who witnessed the revelation is a hadeeth with isnaad according to the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Elsewhere in his book, he said: In our view this hadeeth has the same strength as a marfoo’ report. Although their tafseer is still subject to further examination, it is still more readily acceptable than the tafseer of those who came after them, because they are the most knowledgeable among this ummah of what Allaah meant in his Book. It was revealed among them and they were the first people to be addressed by it. They heard the tafseer from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and in deed. And they were Arabs who understood the true meanings of (Arabic) words, so Muslims should avoid resorting to any other interpretation as much as possible.

Some of them said that singing is a form of worship if the intention is for it to help one to obey Allaah!

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: How strange! What type of faith, light, insight, guidance and knowledge can be gained from listening to tuneful verses and music in which most of what is said is haraam and deserves the wrath and punishment of Allaah and His Messenger? … How can anyone who has the least amount of insight and faith in his heart draw near to Allaah and increase his faith by enjoying something which is hated by Him, and He detests the one who says it and the one who accepts it? (Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/485)

Shaykh al-Islam said, discussing the state of the person who has gotten used to listening to singing: Hence you find that those who have gotten used to it and for whom it is like food and drink will never have the desire to listen to the Qur’aan or feel joy when they hear it, and they never find in listening to its verses the same feeling that they find when listening to poetry. Indeed, if they hear the Qur’aan, they hear it with an inattentive heart and talk whilst it is being recited, but if they hear whistling and clapping of hands, they lower their voices and keep still, and pay attention. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 11/557 ff)

Some say that music and musical instruments have the effect of softening people’s hearts and creating gentle feelings. This is not true, because it provokes physical desires and whims. If it really did what they say, it would have softened the hearts of the musicians and made their attitude and behaviour better, but most of them, as we know, are astray and behave badly.

Conclusion

Perhaps – for fair-minded and objective readers – this summary will make it clear that the view that music is permissible has no firm basis. There are no two views on this matter. So we must advise in the best manner, and then take it step by step and denounce music, if we are able to do so. We should not be deceived by the fame of a man in our own times in which the people who are truly committed to Islam have become strangers. The one who says that singing and musical instruments are permitted is simply supporting the whims of people nowadays, as if the masses were issuing fatwas and he is simply signing them! If a matter arises, they will look at the views of fuqahaa’ on this matter, then they will take the easiest view, as they claim. Then they will look for evidence, or just specious arguments which are worth no more than a lump of dead meat. How often have these people approved things in the name of sharee’ah which in fact have nothing to do with Islam!

Strive to learn your Islam from the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your Prophet. Do not say, So-and-so said, for you cannot learn the truth only from men. Learn the truth and then measure people against it. This should be enough for the one who controls his whims and submits himself to his Lord. May what we have written above heal the hearts of the believers and dispel the whispers in the hearts of those who are stricken with insinuating whispers. May it expose everyone who is deviating from the path of Revelation and taking the easiest options, thinking that he has come up with something which none of the earlier generations ever achieved, and speaking about Allaah without knowledge. They sought to avoid fisq (evildoing) and ended up committing bid’ah – may Allaah not bless them in it. It would have been better for them to follow the path of the believers.

And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless and grant peace to His Messenger who made clear the path of the believers, and to his companions and those who follow them in truth until the Day of Judgement.

Summary of a paper entitled al-Darb bi’l-Nawa li man abaaha al-Ma’aazif li’l-Hawa by Shaykh Sa’d al-Deen ibn Muhammad al-Kibbi.

For more information, please see:

Al-I’laam bi Naqd Kitaab al-Halaal wa’l-Haraam, by Shaykh al-‘Allaamah Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan

Al-Samaa’ by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn al-Qayyim

Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarab, by Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him)


Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #21844: Qualities of a mufti

Question #21844: Qualities of a mufti

Question :

What are the qualities which a person must attain if he wants to set himself up to issue fatwas?


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Abu ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Battah mentioned in his book al-Khala’ that Imaam Ahmad said: No man should set himself up to issue fatwas until he has attained five qualities:

1. He should have a good intention, for if he does not have a good intention, he will not be blessed and there will be no blessings in his words.

2. He should be knowledgeable, forbearing, dignified and calm.

3. He should have a strong grasp of knowledge.

4. He should have a strong personality and not be affected by people’s criticism.

5. He should know what people are like.

This is what Ahmad said, and this is indicative of his status and knowledge. These five qualities are the foundation for issuing fatwas. If any of them are lacking, there will be a commensurate defect in the mufti.


A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 4/153. (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #50687: He loves Islam but he cannot give up classical music!

Question #50687: He loves Islam but he cannot give up classical music!

Question :

I am a person who believes in the existence of Allaah; no matter how far I stray from Allaah, I turn back to Him with humbleness. But I listen to classical music and I think that it is the best thing in my life. It does not provoke desire, rather it helps me to review myself and my mistakes. I feel that Islam is a backward religion when I hear those who say that all kinds of music are haraam.
What is your opinion of a person who prays, fasts and calls non-Muslims to Islam, but he listens to clean music that is free of immoral content, or even of human voices?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

We were very happy to read your introduction and what you say about your belief in Allaah, may He be exalted, and that no matter how far you stray you come back to Him with humbleness. This is a characteristic that befits the wise who humble themselves before the greatness of their Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, who are certain of their weakness and the greatness of their need for Allaah to help them and guide them.

Secondly:

We were saddened by some of the phrases in your question, which we would not like to hear from such a wise believer, but when we thought about how many people there are who block the path of goodness, and how many there are who lead people astray and propagate corruption, we felt that such things are to be expected, but we are sure that they will soon cease.

One of the things in your letter that saddened us was the fact that you listen to music, and say that it is the best thing in your life, and that it helps you to review yourself and your mistakes, and that you accuse Islam of backwardness when you hear that music is haraam.

If you had thought hard about these phrases and sentences before writing them, your hand would never have written them and your lips would never had uttered them. But you have written them and sent them so we must pause and examine them, because of the duty of offering sincere advice that Allaah has enjoined upon us, and so as not to conceal knowledge that Islam has forbidden us to conceal.

1 – With regard to music:

It is forbidden and is not permissible to play musical instruments or listen to songs and tunes. The majority of scholars say that it is haraam, including the four imams of fiqh: Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on them all).

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Among my ummah there will be people who will regard as permissible adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5590). See also: al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani (91).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

This hadeeth indicates that musical instruments are haraam; this includes all types of instruments.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (11/535).

And he said:

It is well known that during the best three generations of which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of generations are my generation among whom I was sent, and the one that follows them, and the one that follows them”, neither in the Hijaz nor in Syria nor in Yemen nor in Iraq nor in Egypt nor in Khorasan was there anyone among the people of goodness and religious commitment who would gather with others to listen to this innovated type of singing for the purpose of purifying the hearts. Hence it was regarded as makrooh by the imams such as Imam Ahmad and others, and al-Shaafa’i regarded it as one of the innovations of the zindeeqs (heretics) when he said: In Baghdad I left behind something that was innovated by the zindeeqs who called it taghbeer (a type of singing) and diverted the people from the Qur’aan thereby.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/77).

See also the answer to question no. 5000 and 5011.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: If the zamr (a kind of pipe or flute),which is the least evil of musical instruments, is haraam, then what about those which are worse such as the ‘oud (a stringed instrument), tambour (drum) and yaraa’ (a reed instrument)? No one who has had the slightest whiff of knowledge should hesitate to regard them as haraam, and the least that can be said is that they are the symbol of corrupt evildoers and wine drinkers.

Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (1/228).

2 – With regard to your saying that it is the best thing in your life, this is something astounding. What about the Qur’aan? What about the hadeeths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? How can you prefer the words of man to the words of Allaah, may He be exalted? How can you think that musical instruments are better for your heart and soul and mind than the words of Allaah, may He be exalted, and the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?

Remember – may Allaah guide you and enlighten you – that the Qur’aan of the Most Merciful and the “recitation” of the Shaytaan – namely songs – cannot be joined together in the heart of the believer. You would not say that music and songs are the best thing in your life unless you have been deprived of the Qur’aan of the Most Merciful. Remember that the Shaytaan cannot make songs and music attractive to you in your heart and in your life until after he has turned you away from the Book of Allaah, may He be exalted. So you have to hasten to set your heart aright and turn back from what you are doing, so that you can strengthen your heart by obeying the Most Merciful and His words, and humbling yourself before His rulings.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

What is meant is that forbidden songs are the “recitation” of the Shaytaan, because when the enemy of Allaah wanted to bring together these wrongdoers, he resorted to making music and musical instruments attractive to them, and if it comes from a beautiful woman or a handsome boy, that is more likely to make his “recitation” attractive to them, and to replace the joy of the Glorious Qur’aan with the joy of listening to music.

Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (1/254)

3 – With regard to your saying that music helps you to review yourself and your mistakes, this is also very strange. What about reviewing yourself when you wrote these words? Did you review yourself when you said “it is the best thing in my life”? or that “Islam is backward if it forbids it”?

Did you review yourself and your mistakes with music and then offer prayers on time, or observe voluntary fasts, or pray at night when people are sleeping, or uphold family ties, or spend your money for the sake of Allaah, or seek Islamic knowledge? We are certain that music did not help you with these things and that whatever you did of them, music was not the cause behind them.

Remember that thinking of death, the grave, the meeting with Allaah and what Allaah has prepared for the sinners is what makes the Muslim review himself time after time, and improve his life for the better, and erase his sins and mistakes from his life. You should be certain that if what you say had any shred of truth, you would see the musicians and those who listen to music among the best and most moral of people, but is that in fact the case?

4 – As for your accusing Islam of being backward when you hear of the prohibition on music, this is the most serious thing that you have said. You have read what your Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and you know what all the scholars, including the four imams, have said. So all you have to do is be obedient to your Lord, may He be exalted, and respond to the command of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), following the way of goodness, knowledge and obedience that was followed by the Sahaabah, Tabi’een and those who came after them. How can you compare between the ruling of Allaah and your own reasoning? How can you spurn the way that was followed by the best of mankind and follow a different way that none of the righteous ever followed?

Remember that the religion of Allaah does not follow the whims and desires of anyone. Allaah is the One Who has created the universe and mankind, and He knows what is best for them in this life and in the Hereafter, so He issues commands and prohibitions for what is best for them in both realms.

Thirdly:

We are happy to learn that you are one of those who call people to this religion, and that you are among those who pray and fast, but we wish you well and whatever advice we give is that which is best for you. Carry on with your worship and calling people to Islam, but beware of sin and beware of this music and the immoral words that may accompany it. Songs generate hypocrisy in the heart and make it sick; they do not guide to any good or forbid any evil, on the contrary these songs promote love and haraam meetings, and even if these instruments are not accompanied by words, they still make the heart sick and do it no good.

Allaah has given you something better than this, namely His Book, in which He speaks. So read it and listen to it being read by readers whom Allaah has blessed with beautiful voices, and you will see a great difference in your heart and your life after that. Allaah has guided many people who were kuffaar after they listened to the verses of the Qur’aan, and you are more deserving of being guided in this manner than others.

You can also listen to permissible nasheeds, which are filled with good words, wisdom and exhortation, and you can enjoy listening to sounds that Allaah has created, such as the sounds of birds and waves, for they are what still the heart, not the sounds of musical instruments that Islam has forbidden us to use.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) discussed singing in detail in his book Ighaathat al-Lahfaan min Masaa’id al-Shaytaan; try to get a copy and read it, for you will find much useful material in it, in sha Allaah.

Finally:

The best advice we can give you is to fear Allaah, may He be exalted, and to seek knowledge from sound sources. Read Qur’aan a great deal and listen to it being read by those who read it well. Turn to Allaah with du’aa’, asking Him to set your affairs straight.

We ask Allaah to guide you to all that is good.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.


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

Question #11427: Attending the festivals of the mushrikeen and congratulating them

Question #11427: Attending the festivals of the mushrikeen and congratulating them

Question :

Is it permissible to attend the celebrations of Christian festivals and congratulate them?


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: it is not permissible for the Muslims to attend the festivals of the mushrikeen, according to the consensus of the scholars whose words carry weight. The fuqaha’ who follow the four schools of thought have stated this clearly in their books… Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a saheeh isnaad from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that he said: “Do not enter upon the mushrikeen in their churches on the day of their festival, for divine wrath is descending upon them.” And ‘Umar also said: “Avoid the enemies of Allaah on their festivals.” Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr that he said: “Whoever settles in the land of the non-Arabs and celebrates their new year and festival and imitates them until he dies in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 1/723-724).

With regard to congratulating them on their festivals, this has already been answered in Question no. 947, which we advise you to refer to.


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

Question #47705: Can she give charity from her housekeeping money without her husband’s knowledge?

Question #47705: Can she give charity from her housekeeping money without her husband’s knowledge?


Question :

My husband gives me some money for myself and my daughters every month, and I set aside a certain amount for charity without consulting him. Is it permissible to do this or do I have to consult him and ask him if he agrees to me giving this money in charity or not?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with a woman giving charity from her husband’s wealth if he has given her permission to do so. This permission may be explicit (verbal), such as if he says to her: “You can give such and such of my wealth in charity, or whatever you wish.”

Or this permission may be implicit, such as if people ordinarily agree to such things or it is known from her husband’s attitude that he will agree to that and will not object.

In that case there is nothing wrong with her giving charity from her husband’s wealth, and she will have the reward for that charity as will her husband too.

But if he does not allow her, or if she knows that he would not agree to that, then in that case it is not permissible for her to give anything from his wealth in charity.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (4/301):

Is it permissible for a woman to give a small amount in charity from her husband’s wealth without his permission? There are two views. One is that it is permissible, because ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No woman spends anything from her husband’s household, without causing any harm, but she will have the reward for that, and he will have a similar reward because he earned it, and she will have a reward because she spent it, and the storekeeper will have a similar reward, without it detracting from the reward of any of them in the slightest.” And he did not mention the issue of permission.

It was narrated from Asma’ that she came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I have nothing but that which al-Zubayr gives me. Is there any sin on me if I give charity from that which is given to me? He said: Give whatever you can. According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari: “Give charity.” Agreed upon.

The custom is to allow that and agree to it, and this implies permission.

The second view is that it is not permitted, but the first view is more sound.

If he forbids her to do that and says “Do not give anything in charity, do not donate a small or large amount of my wealth,” then it is not permissible for her to do that. End quote.

The fact that it is not permissible for a woman to give any of her husband’s wealth in charity except with his permission is the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (3565) from Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “A woman should not spend anything from her husband’s household except with his permission.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allaah, not even food?” He said: “That is the best of our wealth.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

“Except with the permission of her husband” means explicit or implicit permission, as stated in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood.

The Standing Committee was asked about a woman who gave charity from her husband’s wealth without permission.

They replied: The basic principle is that a woman does not have the right to give any of her husband’s wealth in charity without his permission, except small things that are customarily given, such as upholding ties with neighbours and those who ask for help by giving small amounts that will not affect her husband, and the reward will be shared between them as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, … then they quoted the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah that is mentioned above. End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (10/81).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible for a woman to give charity from her husband’s wealth on her own behalf or on behalf of one who is dead?

He replied: It is well known that the husband’s wealth belongs to the husband and it is not permissible for anyone to give charity from the wealth of anyone else except with his permission. If the husband has given her permission to give charity on her own behalf, or on behalf of whomever she wishes among her deceased loved ones, there is no sin on her, but if he has not given permission then it is not permissible for her to give anything in charity, because it is his wealth and it is not permissible to take the wealth of a Muslim without his consent. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (18/472)

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #69973: Is it permissible to take a loan from the government’s social fund?

Question #69973: Is it permissible to take a loan from the government’s social fund?

Question :

The government in our country offers a loan to young people who graduate instead of employing them in government service. Is this loan halaal or haraam?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

The scholars are unanimously agreed that if it is stipulated that a loan be repaid with an additional amount, this is riba, which is haraam.

Every loan in which it is stipulated that something extra be paid back is haraam, and there is no difference of scholarly opinion on this point. Ibn al-Mundhir said: They are unanimously agreed that if the lender stipulates that the borrower should pay something extra or give him a gift, and he gives the loan on that basis, then taking the extra amount in return for that is haraam.

It was narrated that Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Ibn ‘Abbaas and Ibn Mas’ood forbade loans that brought benefits. End quote. Al-Mughni (4/211)

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: Every additional amount given in return for a loan or favour that benefits the lender is riba, even if it is just a handful of animal feed. That is haraam if it is stipulated. End quote.

Al-Kaafi (2/359).

Based on this, if the loan is riba-based, whereby it is stipulated that the amount borrowed be repaid with interest, then it is not permissible for you to take this loan, because the contract is based on riba, and it is clear to you that riba is a major sin. May Allaah make you independent of means so that you have no need of this loan and similar schemes.

But if this loan is a “goodly loan” and does not involve riba, and the borrower is required to repay only what he took, and no more, then there is nothing wrong with taking out this loan and benefiting from it.

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #10016: How to raise righteous children

Question #10016: How to raise righteous children

Question :

I find disciplining my children difficult and often become angry and beat them. Can you give me any advice on the subject, as well as any books that would be appropriate to read?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Raising and educating children is one of the duties required of parents. Allaah has enjoined that in the Qur’aan, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also enjoined that. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allaah, but do that which they are commanded”

[al-Tahreem 66:6]

Imam al-Tabari said, commenting on this verse:

Here Allaah is saying: O you who believe in Allaah and His Messenger, “Ward off yourselves” teach one another that which will protect those who do it from the Fire and ward it off from them, if it is done in obedience to Allaah and they do it in obedience to Allaah. The phrase “and your families against a Fire” means, and teach your families to do acts of obedience to Allaah so that they may protect themselves from the Fire.

Tafseer al-Tabari, 18/165

Al-Qurtubi said:

Muqaatil said: This is a duty that he owes to himself, his children, his family and his male and female slaves. Ilkiya said: We have to teach our children and families religious commitment and goodness, and what they cannot do without of etiquette. This is what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And enjoin As-Salaat (the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salaat (prayers)]”

[Ta-Ha 20:132]

And Allaah said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of near kindred”

[al-Shu’ara’ 26:214]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“And teach them (children) to pray when they are seven years old.”

Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 18/196

The Muslim – any Muslim – is a daa’iyah who calls people to Allaah, so the first people whom he calls should be his children and family who are close to him. When Allaah commanded His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to call people, He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of near kindred”

[al-Shu’ara’ 26:214]

because they are the first people to whom he should do good and show mercy.

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the parents the responsibility of raising the children and made that obligatory upon them.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ruler is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s household and is responsible for her flock. A servant is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for his flock.” He said: and I think he said, “A man is the shepherd of his father’s wealth and is responsible for his flock. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 583; Muslim, 1829.

Part of your duty is to bring them up from a young age to love Allaah and His Messenger and to love the teachings of Islam. You should tell them that Allaah has a Paradise and a Hell; that His Hell is hot and its fuel is men and stones. The following story contains an important lesson.

Ibn al-Jawzi said:

There was a king who had a lot of wealth, and he had a daughter and no other children. He loved her very much, and he used to let her enjoy all kinds of entertainment. This went on for a long time. Beside the king there lived a devoted worshipper, and whilst he was reciting one night, he raised his voice saying, “O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones “ [al-Tahreem 66:6 – interpretation of the meaning]. The girl heard his recitation and said to her servants, “Stop!” But they did not stop. The worshipper started to repeat the verse, and the girl kept telling them to stop, but they did not stop. She put her hands to her collar and tore her garment, and they went to her father and told him the story. He went to her and said, “My dear, what happened to you tonight? What made you weep?” and he hugged her. She said, “I ask you by Allaah, O my father, to tell me, does have Allaah have a Fire the fuel of which is men and stones?” He said, “Yes.” She asked him, “Why did you not tell me? By Allaah I will not eat any good food or sleep on any soft bed until I know whether my abode is in Paradise or Hell.”

Safwat al-Safwah, 4/437-438

You have to keep them away from the places of immorality and misguidance; do not leave them to grow up with evil things from the television etc, then after that expect them to be righteous, for whoever sows thorns cannot harvest grapes. That should be done when they are young, so that it will be easy for them when they grow up, and they will get used to it, and it will be easy for you to tell them what to do and what not to do, and it will be easy for them to obey you.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Teach your children to pray when they are seven years old, and smack them if they do not do so when they are ten, and separate them in their beds.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 495; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5868

But the educator must be merciful, forbearing, easy-going and approachable, not foul-mouthed or unkempt, arguing in a manner that is better, far removed from insulting, rebuking and beating, unless the child is one of those who willfully disobey and rejects his father’s commands and neglects his duties and does haraam things; in that case it is better to use stern measures with him, without causing him harm.

Al-Minaawi said: For a father to discipline his child when he reaches the age of discernment [??] means that he should raise him with the characteristics of the righteous believers and protect him from mixing with evildoers; he should teach him the Qur’aan and good manners and the language of the Arabs, let him hear the Sunnah and the sayings of the Salaf and teach him the religious rulings that he cannot do without. He should warn him then smack him if he does not pray etc. That will be better for him than giving a saa’ in charity, because if he teaches him properly, his actions will be among his ongoing charity, whereas the reward for a saa’ of charity is limited, but that will last as long as the child lives. Discipline is the nourishment of the soul, and training it for the Hereafter.

“O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell)…”

[al-Tahreem 66:6 – interpretation of the meaning]

Protecting yourself and your family from it means reminding them of Hell. Discipline includes preaching, warning, threatening, smacking, detaining, giving and being kind. Disciplining one who is good and noble is different from disciplining one who is difficult and ignoble.

Fayd al-Qadeer, 5/257

Smacking is a means of correcting the child; it is not something that it wanted in and of itself, rather it is resorted to if the child is stubborn and disobedient.

There is a system of punishment in Islam, and there are many punishments in Islam, such as the hadd punishments for adultery, theft, slander, etc. All of these are prescribed in order to set the people straight and put a stop to their evil.

Concerning such matters the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised parents to deter their children from doing wrong.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hang your whip where the members of the household can see it, for that will discipline them.”

Narrated by al-Tabaraani, 10/248; its isnaad was classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 8/106

Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4022, it is hasan.

So raising children should be a balance between encouragement and warning. The most important element of all is making the environment in which the children live a good one, by providing the means whereby they may be guided; this means that their educators should be religiously committed, including their parents.

One of the ways in which a parent may be successful in raising his children is to use a cassette player to play tapes of teachings, Qur’aan recitation, khutbahs and lessons of scholars, for there are many available.

With regard to the books that you asked about, which you can refer to with regard to raising children, we recommend the following:

Tarbiyat al-Atfaal fi Rihaab al-Islam by Muhammad Haamid al-Naasir and Khawlah ‘Abd al-Qaadir Darweesh

Kayfa yurabbi al-Muslim waladahu by Muhammad Sa’eed al-Mawlawi

Tarbiyat al-Abna’ fi’l-Islam by Muhammad Jameel Zayno

Kayfa nurabbi Atfaalana by Mahmoud Mahdi al-Istanbuli

Mas’ooliyat al-Abb al-Muslim fi Tarbiyat al-Walad by ‘Adnaan Ba Haarith

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #39679: The answer to the question posed by disbelievers, “Can Allaah create a rock that He cannot lift?”

Question #39679: The answer to the question posed by disbelievers, “Can Allaah create a rock that He cannot lift?”

Question :

This is a question, which is supposedly asked by missionaries. “Can Allah create a rock which He can’t lift?’ How do we respond to this?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

This question – and others like it – contain a great contradiction. Many disbelievers try to use such questions in their debates with Muslims, seeking to force the respondent to say either “No He can’t” in which case they will say, “How can He be a god if He cannot create something?” or if he says, “Yes, He can,” they will say: “How can He be a god if He is unable to carry or lift this rock?”

The answer is:

This question is not valid at all because the power of Allaah is not connected to irrationalities. How can He be a god if He is unable to lift their “rock,” when one of the attributes of Allaah is power? Can there be any attribute in any created thing that is greater than the attributes of its Creator?

Professor Sa’d Rustam answered this question in a sound scientific manner, which we will quote in full here. He said:

The power of Allaah – which is undoubtedly absolute and unlimited – is connected to things that are rationally possible, not things that are rationally impossible. No matter how absolute and limitless His power, it must still remain within the bounds of possibility, and it is not connected to irrationalities. This is not a limitation of it. In order to clarify this point we will give some examples:

We ask all of these bishops and theologians: Can God create another god like Him? If they say yes, we say to them: How can this created being be a god if he is created? How can he be like God when he has a beginning, whereas God exists from eternity? In fact the phrase “creating a god” is a sophism or false argument, and is a contradiction in terms, because the mere fact that something is created means that it cannot be a god. This question is like asking could God create “a god who is not a god”? it is self-evident that the answer can only be: The power of Allaah has nothing to do with that, because the idea that something can be a god and not a god is illogical and is irrational, and the power of Allaah has nothing to do with irrationalities.

Another example: We may also ask them: Can God really expel anyone from under His control? If they say yes, they have imposed a limit on the control of Allaah, and if they say no – which is correct – they have agreed with us that the power of Allaah is absolute and has nothing to do with irrationalities, because it is rationally impossible for any created being to be expelled from the control of its Creator.

A third example: One day one of the disbelievers asked me: Can your Lord create a rock that is so huge that He would be unable to move it? And he added in a sarcastic manner: If you say, yes He can, you will have stated that your Lord is unable to move the rock, and this indicates that He is not a god, but if you tell me, No, He cannot, you will have admitted that He is not able to do all things, therefore He is not a god.

I answered this disbeliever simply: Yes, it is not part of the power of Allaah that He is able to create a rock that He is unable to move, because everything that Allaah creates He is able to move, but the fact that it is impossible for the power of Allaah to be connected to the creation of this supposed rock does not indicate that He is lacking in power. Rather – on the contrary – it is indicative of His complete power, because this question of yours is like asking: Can Allaah be unable to do something that may be rationally possible? No doubt, if we say no, this does not mean that the power of Allaah is limited, rather it is an affirmation of the completeness of His power, because not being incapable means having power. If we say that Allaah cannot be unaware of or forget anything, saying that does not mean that He is incapable or is lacking, rather it is an affirmation of His perfection and complete power and knowledge.

The Four Gospels and the Epistles of Paul and John deny the divinity of Christ as it is denied by the Qur’aan, by Sa’d Rustam.

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #83999: She works in a company is owned by numerous partners including riba-based banks

Question #83999: She works in a company is owned by numerous partners including riba-based banks

Question :

I work in a company whose capital is funded by five different partners, including two riba-based banks.
These partners who founded this company own a piece of land and they are bringing in utilities such as drainage, electricity and water, then they will divide it and sell it to purchasers, selling it either for cash or by instalments, with a fixed annual interest rate of 7%; please note that the transactions may not go through in some cases. My job in this company is in the secretarial division (administration work). I have been spending and saving from my salary during the time I have worked for this company, which is now 5 years, and I did not know that there might be something dubious about this money and these savings in an Islamic bank. Is my work in this company whose wealth is mixed halaal or haraam? What is the ruling on the money that I have saved, and how should I dispose of it? If it is only makrooh, will I enter the fire of Hell or be punished because of it? Please advise me and save me from this confusion and torment that I am in.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Working for companies whose wealth is mixed is makrooh, according to the majority of scholars, but it is not haraam unless the work itself is haraam or involves helping others in doing things that are haraam, such as working in the riba-based bank itself.

Makrooh does not mean haraam, so the one who does that is not sinning, but it is better for the Muslim not to do that and to avoid it, and to look for work that is permissible.

Secondly:

Selling by instalments is permissible, but two points should be noted:

1- The contract should be free of clauses imposing a penalty in the event of late payment, because this is stipulating riba, and it is not permissible to write such a clause or sign for it.

2- The instalment plan should be made directly by the company that owns the product, with no involvement of any riba-based bank. That is because the involvement of the riba-based bank in this transaction means that it will pay the whole amount on behalf of the purchaser, then it will receive the instalments, so in fact this contract is a riba-based loan. The bank will lend the agent one hundred, for example, and the agent pays it on behalf of the bank to the seller, then it will take one hundred and twenty in instalments. This is forbidden riba, as is obvious.

Thirdly:

If the company is selling the land in a permissible manner – without the intervention of a riba-based bank – then your work is permissible and the salary that you get is permissible. But it is better for you to look for purely halaal work, as stated above.

If the company is selling it in a haraam manner, such as if it stipulates late-payment penalties, or the bank is involved in the instalment payments, then we should look at the nature of your work in this case. If it involves helping in this haraam transaction, such as writing or recording or checking etc, then your work is haraam, and the salary that you get from it is haraam, but what you took before you found out that it is haraam is yours to keep and you do not have to give it in charity.

Whatever you got after you found out that it is haraam, you should get rid of it by giving it in charity, and you must also leave this job.

If the job you do is partly permissible and partly haraam, then you should strive to work out how much of it is haraam and get rid of the corresponding amount of your salary. See question no. 81915.

If your work does not involve helping others to do haraam, rather you work in a department that has nothing to do with sales by instalment for example, then we hope that there is no sin on you for this job,

We ask Allaah to guide you.

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #22282: Woman doing wudoo’ because of ongoing discharge

Question #22282: Woman doing wudoo’ because of ongoing discharge

Question :

My brothers in Islam, I am faced with a difficult problem concerning tahaarah (purity). I read some of your answers but I did not find what I am looking for. Sometimes – not all the time – I experience a yellowish or whitish discharge. According to what I have read, this breaks wudoo’ and I have to do wudoo’ when the time for prayer comes. But often I do wudoo’ before the time for prayer comes if I know that it will be difficult to do wudoo’ in the place where I will be going. Is my wudoo’ counted as valid, and what should I do about the prayers I have offered in these circumstances if my wudoo’ was not valid? May Allaah reward you with good.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Whoever has an ongoing problem that breaks wudoo’, such as incontinence, istihaadah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding), etc., has to do wudoo’ for each prayer, and put something over his private parts that will prevent the impurity spreading further to affect other parts of his body or clothing. When he purifies himself he does so for a purpose, so that is not done before the time of prayer. So he has to pay attention to that, and fear Allaah as much as he can, for He has not made any hardship in religion. With regard to the prayers you did previously, what was done in ignorance is valid and will be rewarded in sha Allaah, so there is no need to repeat it.


Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com)

Question #39678: The story of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter

Question #39678: The story of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter

Question :

This is a question about the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Night Journey. I would like to know whether the following story is true. During Mi’raj the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) smelt a pleasant smell like that of musk and when he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) questioned about it Jibreel (upon him be peace) answered that it is the smell coming from the beautician who worked in the Pharaoh’s palace (during Musa (upon him be peace) time). She was a secret convert but one day her faith was revealed when the comb fell from her hand and she said “Bismillah”. When Pharaoh heard of this he burnt her and her children . It is said that her infant son spoke to her at that moment and asked her to remain calm and steady in her faith. Due to her great eemaan Allah had elevated her position. Is this story true? Or are there any similar stories? Is this based on a Christian or Jewish source?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

The story of the hairdresser of the daughter of Pharaoh is narrated as follows:

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: “On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey (Isra’), a beautiful fragrance came to me. I said: O Jibreel, what is this beautiful fragrance? He said: This is the fragrance of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter and her children. I said: What is their story? He said: Whilst she was combing the hair of Pharaoh’s daughter one day, the iron comb fell from her hand and she said, ‘Bismillaah (in the name of Allaah).’ The daughter of Pharaoh said: ‘My father?’ She said: ‘No. My Lord and the Lord of your father is Allaah.’ She said: ‘I will tell him about that.’ She said: ‘Yes.’ So she told him and he summoned her and said: ‘O So and so, do you have a Lord other than me?’ She said: ‘Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allaah.’ He ordered that a baqarah (lit. “cow”) made of copper be heated up, then he ordered that she and her children be thrown into it. She said: ‘I have a request to make of you.’ He said: ‘What is your request?’ She said: ‘I would like my bones and my children’s bones to be gathered together in one cloth and buried.’ He said: ‘This will be done for you.’ He ordered that her children be thrown into it in front of her, one by one, until they came to the last one who was an infant boy who was still being breastfed. It was as if she wavered because of him, but he said: ‘O mother, go ahead, for the punishment of this world is easier to bear than the punishment of the hereafter.’ So she went ahead.” Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Four infants spoke: ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), the companion of Jurayj, the witness of Yoosuf and the son of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter.

Narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (1/309), al-Tabaraani (12280), Ibn Hibbaan (2903) and al-Haakim (2/496).

Al-Dhahabi said in al-‘Aluw (84): This hadeeth has a hasan isnaad. Ibn Katheer said in al-Tafseer (3/15): There is nothing wrong with its isnaad. Its isnaad was classed as saheeh by the scholar Ahmad Shaakir in his commentary on al-Musnad (4/295). Al-Arna’oot said in Takhreej al-Musnad (5/30-31, no. 2821): Its isnaad is hasan.

Thus it is clear that this story is saheeh and is proven from our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is not taken from Jewish or Christian sources.

With regard to the phrase “He ordered that a baqarah (lit. “cow”) made of copper be heated up”, Ibn al-Atheer said in al-Nihaayah (1/145): Al-Haafiz Abu Moosa said: It seems to me that this does not refer to something that was made in the shape of a cow, rather it may have been a vast pot or kettle, which they called a baqarah, taken from the word tabaqqur which means vastness, or it may have been something that could have held a whole cow because of its large size, so it was called thus.

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #50726: Is it obligatory to pay the zakaah for trade goods on shop fittings and lost goods?

Question #50726: Is it obligatory to pay the zakaah for trade goods on shop fittings and lost goods?

Question :

I have a shop in which there is equipment worth 80,000 riyals, and there are people who owe the shop debts totalling 80,000 riyals. There was a fire in the shop 6 months ago and new merchandise has been and renovations have been done, which together add up to 40,000, of which 35,000 has been borrowed in the name of the shop, to be paid back in instalments.
My first question is: should we pay zakaah on the total amount of equipment that was in the store before the fire? Total cost + debts – new stock and renovation.
My second question is: A full year has not yet passed since the renovations; should we pay zakaah on it or only on the whole shop and the debts that we are owed?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

The goods that are found in a shop fall into two categories:

1 – Those that are prepared for sale, whether they are real estate, food, clothes, or other kinds of goods that are sold.

2 – Those that are not prepared for sale, rather they are for producing goods or are to be used, such as manufacturing equipment, cars, furniture, cameras and computers, etc.

The first category are those that are called “trade goods” and these are the ones on which zakaah must be paid. As for the second category, they are known as fixed assets, and no zakaah is due on them.

In the answer to question no. 42072 we stated that it is obligatory to pay zakaah on trade goods, and we explained the nisaab (minimum threshold), and the fact that fixtures that are not prepared for sale are not subject to zakaah.

In the answer to question no. 22449 we explained that it is permissible to pay zakaah on trade goods in kind, and that it does not have to be paid in cash.

For information on how to calculate zakaah on trade goods, please see the answer to question no. 26236, in which it explains that zakaah is to be paid on the sale price, not the purchase price.

Conclusion:

If the time for paying zakaah on your shop has come, then you should take stock of what you have in the shop, such as the goods that you have there, and add them to whatever you have of cash, and add that total to the debts that you hope will be paid back, then pay zakaah on the total at a rate of one-quarter of one-tenth.

As for the debts which you have no hope that they will be paid back because they are owed by people who delay payment or who are poor, then no zakaah is due on them until you take possession of them and start to reckon a new year from the day you receive them. In order to be on the safe side, when you receive them pay zakaah for one year only, even if several years have passed. See question no. 1346.

The debts that you owe are not to be deducted from the wealth on which you have to pay zakaah, according to the more correct scholarly view. See question no. 22426.

The goods that were lost in the fire are not to be added to the total of goods in the store.

As for the things that you put in the store after the fire, if they have to do with furnishings, décor and fixtures, then as we have stated above, no zakaah is due on them, so they should not be included among the goods in the store that are subject to zakaah. If they are goods that are for sale, then if you bought them with the shop’s funds and profits, then zakaah should be paid on them when you pay zakaah for the shop’s good even if one year has not yet passed. If you bought them with other money that does not belong to the store, then you should count one year from the time when you acquired the wealth with which you bought them.

We ask Allaah to compensate you with good and to bless you with a goodly provision.

And Allaah knows best.


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

Question #10490: Some of those who are called to Allaah, when they are told to fear Allaah they say “Mind your own business”

Question #10490: Some of those who are called to Allaah, when they are told to fear Allaah they say “Mind your own business”

Question :

One of things that I find very difficult when I try to advise some people or warn them of some evil that they are doing, is that they say, “This does not concern you, mind your own business, don’t interfere in my private affairs.” What is the ruling on what they say?


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Their words are false and a rejection of the truth. Allaah is dislikes such a response. The evidence for that is what it says in the saheeh hadeeth narrated from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The most beloved of speech to Allaah is when a person says: ‘Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, wa tabaaraka ismuka wa ta’aala jadduka, wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, blessed be Your name and exalted be Your majesty, and there is no god but You).’ The most hated of speech to Allaah is when one man says to another, ‘Fear Allaah,’ and the other says, ‘Mind your own business!’”

(al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, no. 2598)

You have to persist in da’wah, and bear patiently the things you suffer, as Luqmaan said to his son:

“O my son! Aqim-is-Salaah (perform As-Salaah), enjoin (on people) Al-Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allaah, polytheism of all kinds and all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments (ordered by Allaah with no exemption)”

[Luqmaan 31:17 – interpretation of the meaning]


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

Question #47030: Selling a sacrificial animal, and the acceptable age for an animal for ‘aqeeqah

Question #47030: Selling a sacrificial animal, and the acceptable age for an animal for ‘aqeeqah

Question :

1. can anyone distribute money by selling a goat that was offered to be slaughtered in the name of Allah for family welfare.
2. can a goat less than one year of age is acceptable for Aqeeka (for new born baby two for boy, 0ne for girl).
these are needed please do reply these questions.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible to sell part of the sacrificial animal or udhiyah, or to sell all of it, except in cases where it is done in accordance with the purpose of the sacrifice, because what a person has given to Allaah cannot be sold at all.

It says in al-Mughni: It is not permissible to sell any part of it – i.e., the sacrificial animal – but if the butcher is poor and he gives him something because he is poor, in addition to the wages that he gives him, that is permissible, because he is entitled to take some of it because of being poor, not as payment for his work. End quote (3/222)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: It is haraam to sell any part of the udhiyah, whether the meat or anything else, even the skin. The butcher should not be given anything from it in partial payment for his work, because that is like selling. (Risaalah Ahkaam al-Hadiy wa’l-Udhiyah)

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible to dispose of it – i.e., the udhiyah – in ways that would prevent going ahead with the sacrifice, such as selling, giving away, giving as a pledge and so on, unless he replaces it with something that serves the purpose pf sacrifice better, not for his own ends. If he selects a sheep for sacrifice then he decides that he wants to keep it for some reason and replaces it with one that is better so that he can keep it, that is not permissible, because he is taking back something that he had set aside for Allaah for his own ends and not for serving the purpose of sacrifice in a better way.

With regard to rams, which are male sheep, the ram should have reached the age of one year in order for it to be permissible as a sacrifice, but the Sunnah shows that it is permissible to sacrifice a jadh’ah. The majority of scholars say that this applies only to jadh’ah of sheep, not of goats. A jadh’ah of sheep is one that is six months old, but the older it is than six months the better, because some of the madhhabs say that jadh’ah means one that is a year old.

The evidence that indicates that the desirable age according to sharee’ah is one year is the marfoo’ hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him):

“Do not slaughter anything but a two-year-old animal, unless it is too difficult for you, in which case slaughter a jadh’ah sheep.”

Narrated by Muslim 1963.

The apparent meaning of the hadeeth is that a jadh’ah of sheep is only acceptable if a two-year-old is not available. But the majority of scholars interpreted that as referring to what is mustahabb, and they quoted the following as evidence:

1 – It was narrated from one of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that “a jadha’h is sufficient for what a two-year-old is sufficient.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i (4383) and Abu Dawood (2799); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.

2 – It was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We sacrificed a jadh’ah of sheep along with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Narrated by al-Nasaa’i (4382). Its isnaad was classed as qawiy by al-Haafiz in al-Fath, and as saheeh by al-Albaani. See the commentary on Zaad al-Ma’aad (2/317).

It should be noted that the same conditions are stipulated for ‘aqeeqah as for udhiyah: the animal should be free of faults and of the proper age. The evidence for that is qiyaas (analogy), on the basis that both are sacrifices.

Thus it may be known that it is acceptable for you to sacrifice a sheep that has reached the age of six months. And Allaah knows best.


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Question #45638: How to tell a young child about the meaning of the Shi’ah

Question #45638: How to tell a young child about the meaning of the Shi’ah

Question :

I have a nephew who is 8 years old and once he came to me and asked me, who are the Shi’ah? I did not know what to say to him but I told him he would know when he grew up. But he did not like this answer. After my other nephew, who is ten years old, told him “I am Sunni” he answered him by saying “I am Shi’i!” How can I answer him in a way that is appropriate to his age and will convince him?.


Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

If a child asks about the Shi’ah, he can be told that these are people who are not good, they commit sins and do wrong things, and they slander the companions and wives of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who are the best of people after the Prophets, and we do not like them because of that. If he has seen them on TV touching graves or celebrating ‘Ashoora’, he can be told that what they are doing is not permissible, and we do not worship anyone but Allaah alone; we do not prostrate to any grave or to any of His creation, and we do not strike ourselves or our children. Thus the child will understand that these people are not good, rather they are erring and deviating. The information given to a child should suit his level of understanding.

In order to correct what has happened, it should be said to the child: We are Sunnis, we follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we do not introduce innovations into our religion. We do not do what these people do. If the child is able to watch some of the wrong actions of the Shi’ah, this should be accompanied by clear warnings about them. You can also look at trustworthy websites that warn against the Shi’ah and explain why they are misguided.

And Allaah knows best.


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