Category Archives: Common Questions
Is Intended To reply allegations and misconceptions on Internet about Islam and queries of Muslims and non Muslims to understand Islam better.
The Muslim’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day
The Muslim’s attitude towards this holiday should be clear:
1- He should not celebrate it, or join others in their celebrations of it, or attend their celebrations because it is forbidden to celebrate the festivals of non-Muslims.
Ath-Thahabi 
said: “If the Christians have a festival and the Jews have a festival, which is peculiar to them, then the Muslim should not join them in that, just as he does not join them in their religion or their direction of prayer.”
In addition to this, when the Muslims imitate non-Muslims, this makes the latter happy and fills their hearts with joy. If any Muslim girl celebrates this holiday because she sees Margaret or Hilary or whoever does so, then this undoubtedly reflects the fact that she is imitating them and approves of their behavior. But Allaah Says (what means):“O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allaah guides not the wrongdoing people.”[Quran 5:51]
One of the bad effects of imitating them is that this increases their number, as this makes it look as if they have more supporters and followers. How can it be appropriate for a Muslim who recites in every Rak’ah (prayer unit) Allaah’s words (which mean): “Guide us to the Straight Way, The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray”[ Quran 1:6-7], to ask Allaah for guidance to the Straight Path of the believers and to keep him away from the path of those who have earned His anger and of those who went astray, and then deliberately follows their path and imitates them?Statistics indicate that Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in popularity. So it is clear that the Feast of Love is one of the festivals of non-Muslims and that it is second only to the festival of Christmas. So it is not permissible for Muslims to participate in such celebrations, because we are commanded to differ from them in their religion, customs and other things that exclusively belong to them, as is stated in the Quran, Sunnah (Prophet’s tradition) and scholarly consensus.
2- He should not help the non-Muslims in their celebrations because it is one of the rituals of disbelief. Helping them and approving of what they do is helping them to manifest disbelief and make it prevail, and approving of it. The Islamic religion does not allow a Muslim to approve of disbelief or help others to manifest it and make it prevail.
Hence, Ibn Taymiyyah said: “It is not permissible for the Muslims to imitate them in anything that is specifically part of their festivals, whether it is food, clothing, bathing, lighting fires, or changing a custom of daily life or worship.”
3- He should not help any Muslims who celebrate it. Rather, it is obligatory to denounce them, because for the Muslims to celebrate the festivals of non-Muslims is an evil action which must be condemned. Ibn Taymiyah said: “Just as we should not imitate them in their festivals, we should not help a Muslim to do that as well; rather, he should be told not to do that.”
Based on this, it is not permissible for Muslim businessmen to deal in gifts for Valentine’s Day, whether they are particular kinds of clothes, red roses, or whatever. Similarly, it is not permissible for the one who is given a gift on this occasion to accept it, because by accepting it, he is showing approval of this holiday.
One Daa’iyah (caller to Islam) said: we went to a flower shop in one of the Muslim countries and we were shocked to find it completely prepared for this occasion, with red carpets at the entrance, red placards and red decorations. We were met by one of the people who worked there, and we asked him why they had done so much to decorate the place for this occasion.
He said that these preparations had begun early, and that there had been so many orders… Then he told us that he had been amazed by that, because he was a new Muslim who had left Christianity. He had known about that before he became Muslim, so how come his customers were Muslims and not Christians?
Other shops ran out of red roses, which were being sold at high prices. When one of the female Du’aat entered upon the female students who were gathered in the lecture hall, she was dismayed to find them all carrying something red. One had a red rose, another had a red scarf, or a red handkerchief, or a red bag, or red socks…
Among the things that have been seen among the Muslims on this holiday:
a- All the female students agreeing with their friends to tie a red ribbon on the right wrist.
b- Wearing something red (a blouse, hair clip, shoes…). This reached such an extent last year that when we entered the classroom we found most of the students wearing it, as if it was a uniform.
c- Red balloons on which are written the words “I love you”. They usually bring these out at the end of the school day, in an area far from where the teachers can see them.
d- Writing names and hearts on their hands, or just initials.
e- Red roses are widespread on this day.
Groups of girls entered their lecture rooms on February 14, each of them wearing something red, with red heart-shaped stickers on their faces, wearing red make-up. They started to exchange red-colored gifts and kiss one another warmly. This happened in more than one university in the Muslim world, even in an Islamic university. In other words, they were celebrating Saint Valentine’s Day.
On that day, secondary schools (high schools) were astonished by the large numbers of female students who brought red roses of the finest quality, colored their faces with red cosmetics, wore red earrings, and started to exchange gifts and warm greetings, in celebration of this day.
Valentine’s Day has come to a number of Arab and Muslim countries, and has even reached the heartland of Islam (the Arabian Peninsula). It has reached societies which we had thought far removed from this insanity. In Riyadh, the price of roses has risen incredibly, to an extent that a single rose costs 36 riyals (10 dollars), whereas before this day it cost 5 riyals. Gift shops and card shops compete in designing cards and gifts for this occasion, and some families hang up red roses in the windows of their homes on this day.
In some of the Muslim countries, shopping centers and hotels have organized special celebrations for Valentine’s Day. Most of the stores and business places are covered in red. One of the finest Gulf hotels was full of balloons and dolls. Following the customs of the Feast of Love and the pagan myths, one restaurant owner put on a dramatic production with “Cupid”, the idol of love in the Roman myths, nearly naked and carrying a bow and arrow. He and his cohorts were looking to select “Mr. & Mrs. Valentine” from among the people present.
Less expensive restaurants also celebrated this day in their own way. Some stores replaced their regular plates with heart-shaped plates, used red tablecloths and linens, and put a red rose on each table for the man to present to his beloved.
We must oppose these things by all possible means. The responsibility rests with us all.
4- We should not accept congratulations on Valentine’s Day, because it is not a holiday or an ‘Eed for the Muslims. If the Muslim is congratulated on this occasion, he should not return the congratulation. Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “With regard to congratulating others with the congratulations used by the non-Muslims on such occasions, it is prohibited by scholarly consensus, such as congratulating them on the occasion of their festivals or fasts, wishing them a blessed festival, etc.
Finally, we must explain the true nature of this holiday and other festivals of the non-Muslims to those Muslims who have been deceived by them, and explain to them that it is essential for the Muslim to be distinguished by his religion and to protect his ‘Aqeedah (belief) from anything that may damage it. This should be done towards the Ummah (Muslim nation) for the sake of Allaah and in fulfillment of the command of enjoining good and forbidding evil.
An Interesting dialogue between a Meeladi(pro-Meelad dude) and a Muwahhid
This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. [The Glorious Quran: Chapter 5 – Al-Maa’idah (The Table Spread): Verse 3]
There is nothing that would bring you closer to Jannah and farther from the Fire but it has been clarified [by me] to you. [Muhammad SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam: Reported in Masnad Ahmad]
A very interesting dialogue that reveals the reality of Celebrating the Birthday (Mawlid) of the Prophet SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam!
Characters: Two Muslims
Meeladi: Pro Mawlid Celebrations
Muwahhid: True follower of Quran and Sunnah (as interpreted by the early generations of the Salaf-us-Saliheen)
Meeladi: Assalamualaikum.
Muwahhid: Wa’alaikum assalaam. How come you are here so early? Haven’t you gone to the shop today?
Meeladi: Today is Eid-Milaad-un-Nabi. Most shops and markets are closed.
Muwahhid: Ahan! So you are celebrating Eid today!
Meeladi: Why? Aren’t you celebrating?
Muwahhid: Well, actually there are only two Eids in Islam; Eid Al-Fitar and Eid-ul-Adha.
Meeladi: There is this third Eid as well which is called ‘Eid Milaad-un-Nabi.’
Muwahhid: Hmmm, tell me one thing, for this third Eid… do people go on this Eid day to Eid Ground for performing Eid prayer?
Meeladi: No, there is no prayer for Eid Milaad-un-Nabi.
Muwahhid: Then why do you perform prayers for the rest of the two Eids?
Meeladi: Because those have to be performed.
Muwahhid: Why?
Meeladi: Because those have been prescribed to be performed.
Muwahhid: Isn’t there any order for performing the prayer of Eid Milaad-un-Nabi?
Meeladi: Well I guess there won’t be any… that’s why no one performs it.
Muwahhid: Is there any order anywhere for celebrating the Eid Milaad-un-Nabi?
Meeladi: In fact have never heard of any order, but it is not even prohibited.
Muwahhid: Is the prayer for this Eid prohibited?
Meeladi: Well even that’s not prohibited!
Muwahhid: Then why don’t you perform it?
Meeladi: What do you want to say?
Muwahhid: What I want to tell you is that there is no proof for this Eid in Islam. Had this Eid been part of Islam then just like the other two Eids there would have been a prayer for it, its virtues would have been mentioned in ahadith, Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam would have described and elaborated its instructions and rulings.
Meeladi: Does that mean that people who celebrate it are mistaken?
Muwahhid: Islam is not the name of actions of Muslims (what they do or do not do), Islam is the name of Quran and Hadith… whatever is proven as per Quran and Hadith is part of Deen, and whatever is not proven is not part of Deen. If anyone makes it part of Deen then they are adding something to the original Deen and this is a grave sin, this is what is termed as ‘Bid’ah’. Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam seriously warned his Ummah against Bid’ah.
Meeladi: Didn’t anyone celebrate this Eid during the times of the Companions (Sahaba) and their followers (Taba’een)?
Muwahhid: Not at all. Never. Not even any Imam or Muhaddith did celebrate this Eid after the Sahaba and Taba’een. The four Imams of Ahlul Sunnah never even heard of the name of this Eid.
Meeladi: How can this be possible that a Muslim loves Rasool Allah Sal Allaho Alyhe Wasallam but at the same time lets his birthday pass by silently?
Muwahhid: Well that’s possible and has actually been the case as well. You can never prove from any historic account that any of the Sahaba, Taba’een, and Imams of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) ever celebrated this Eid. The real proof of the love for Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam is established by following the Quran and Sunnah, not be celebrating this Eid.
Meeladi: Christians celebrate the birth of their Prophet as Christmas (Eid-e-Milaad), our Prophet is the most esteemed of all, then why shouldn’t we Muslims celebrate the birth of our Prophet???
Muwahhid: Well Christians also call their Prophet as son of God, should then we also call our Prophet as God or son of God just imitating the Christians? My dear brother! This is why Quran and Hadith have termed the Christians as misguided because they do everything against the teachings of their Prophet… celebrating Christmas is the way of Christians that they themselves invented, this is not the teaching of Prophet Essa Alaihissalaam. And our beloved Prophet SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam told us:
“Beware of the extravagance/exaggeration in matters of religion. Those before you have perished because of extravagance/exaggeration in the matters of religion.” [An-Nasaa’i]
Meeladi: Do you mean to say that Eid Milaad-un-Nabi is a useless tradition? Muwahhid: If this was a good thing to do then why did Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam and his Sahaba not do it, was there any shortage of resources at that time… people who were celebrating two Eids, what would have kept them off from celebrating the third one as well?
Meeladi: Well there are many things that we have today but those were not there during the times of Sahaba, today we travel in cars and aero planes, you should then travel by donkeys and horses following the Islam of Sahaba!!!
Muwahhid: My dear brother! Scientific inventions do not affect Islam, religious inventions affect Islam, Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam said:
“Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islaam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” [Sahih Bukhaari, Sahih Muslim]
So this makes it clear that every innovation is not bad and rejected but only that innovation is bad and rejected that has something to do with Deen and its affairs, and is practiced under the assumption of it being part of Deen and a source of reward, so all the innovations that people have invented under the umbrella of Deen – all of the are rejected.
Meeladi: Then why do you celebrate the happiness at the birth of a child?
Muwahhid: There is difference between celebrating a happiness and being happy. At the birth of a child, every human being feels happy; naturally, not religiously! As far celebrating this happiness is concerned, for that Shari’ah has instructed to perfprm ‘Aqeeqah on the seventh day… so for any matter where Shari’ah gives any instruction then that’s part of Deen. Now you tell me has Shari’ah given any instruction to celebrate Eid on 12 Rabi-al-Awwal or has it encouraged us to do so? Not at all. Also, at the birth of a child, the happiness is celebrated only once not every year. Is Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam born on 12 Rabi-al-Awwal every year? The happiness on the birth of a child is celebrated on the seventh day not on his/her birthday, and that too only once not every year.
Meeladi: They say that Abu Lahab freed his bondwoman on the birth of Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam.
Muwahhid: That’s because he was happy on the birth of his nephew, he did not free his bondwoman because a Prophet has come to earth. If this was so much an appreciated matter then did Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam after announcing his Prophethood ever order to revive this action of Abu Lahab? What Abu Lahab did was just celebrating the happiness as per the worldly custom, the birth of child in any family is a cause of happiness, Abu Lahab’s freeing his bondwoman was not because he considered this day as Eid. If Abu Lahab loved the Prophethood of his nephew then he would never have displayed the worst hatred towards Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam and neither would have a whole Surah in the Noble Quran been revealed condemning his wife. Then if we consider the action of Abu Lahab as a justification for Eid-Milaad-un-Nabi then it mean that this Eid, though, is not a Nabawi-Sunnah, but it is certainly a Abu-Lahabi-Sunnah!
Meeladi: I have heard that there is some difference of opinion among the historians about the correct date of birth of Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam, what is the reality then?
Muwahhid: It is the Will of Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala to not to allow them consensus in this matter, so that the proof of Islam’s true nature remains maintained, people remain saved from this Bid’ah… this is what we say that this day was never celebrated among the earlier generations, it is a later innovation, if 12 Rabi-al-Awwal had been celebrated in any capacity in the times after him, then all the Muslims would have been in consensus about the date of birth of Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam.
Meeladi: OK let’s accept that the birth of Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam was not celebrated among the earlier generations but now in the modern scientific age isn’t is possible to find out the correct date of birth of Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam?
Muwahhid: See brother, there is consensus among all the historians on the date of death and that is 12 Rabi-al-Awwal, but the modern research about the date of birth of Rasool Allah Sal Allaho Alyhe Wasallam suggests it to be 9 Rabi-al-Awwal. ‘Rehmat-ul-lil-Alameen’by Qazi Suleman and ‘Seerat-un-Nabi’ by Maulana Shibli Numaani have all the account of this research.
Meeladi: Then where did this Eid Milaad-un-Nabi come from?
Muwahhid: Well this is something that those who celebrate this Eid should be able to tell, however this is for sure that during the period ranging from time of Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam until the time of Muhaddith Imams, it never existed.
Meeladi: If that’s the case then we are really committing a serious mistake, if our righteous predecessors did not celebrate this Eid then why should we do?
Muwahhid: May Allah bless you… Finally you have understood my point.
Meeladi: Well I have certainly understood your point, but can you explain one thing to me, people who celebrate Eid-Milaad-un-Nabi they do so with a good feeling and intention and there is a hadith: ‘Actions are but by intentions’
Muwahhid: My dear brother! Bid’ah is actually that action that is done with good intention but the action itself is wrong and hence rejected. For an action to be accepted by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, not only good intention but also compliance with Sunnah is a precondition, otherwise the action is just a ruin. You find this condition mentioned over and over again in the Noble Quran.
Meeladi: So, is there no reward at all for Eid Milaad-un-Nabi?
Muwahhid: Brother! When it is not part of Islam to begin with, then how can it be a source of reward… this is a bid’ah… addition in Deen is not a negligible sin. You are asking about reward, whereas on the day of resurrection (Yawm al-Qiyaamah) these people (innovators) will not even be offered water from the Haud al-Kawthar , Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam himself will not allow these people to come close to him.
Listen! There is a hadith, Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam said:
“I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and them. I will say those people are from me. It will be said, ‘You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.’ Then I will say, ‘Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the religion) after me! “ [Sahih Bukhari]
Meeladi: Indeed, it’s a serious matter. You have really frightened my by mentioning this hadith. It is so kind of you that you have guided me to the right way. Insha’ Allah I will guide my family and friends too so that they should repent from all the Bid’ahs and deviations and preserve on Kitaab-o-Sunnah.
Muwahhid: May Allah enable us all to do good deeds. Aameen.
* * *
Rasool Allah SalAllaahu Alyhi Wasallam said:
“Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences. I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation (Bid’ah) and every innovation is a going astray.” [Ahmad & Tirmidhi]
***
Source: salaf-us-saalih.com
Jesus… a Follower of Muhammad?
The Second Coming of Jesus
There are a large number of authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that clearly indicate the second coming of Jesus.
Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet as saying:
By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Mariam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Al-Bukhari)
Jabir ibn `Abdullah said, “I heard the Prophet saying, ‘A party of my nation will never stop fighting for the truth victoriously until the Day of Rising.’ He said, ‘Then Jesus son Mary (peace be upon him) will descend and their amir will say, “Come and lead us in prayer,” but he will say, “No. Some of you are amirs over others,” as Allah’s showing honor to this nation.'” (Muslim)
A Follower of Muhammad
The above two hadiths show that according to Islam, Jesus will return to the earth as a follower of the final Prophet Muhammad. And at the second coming, it is inconceivable that Jesus will bring a new Law.
Even at the first coming, he was working within the framework of the earlier Law of Moses. So, if Jesus does not follow the Law of Muhammad, he should follow the Law of Moses, which is most unlikely.
We should remember that the religion of Allah has been completed through the final Prophet, and so there is no question of another Law at all; so Jesus has got to follow the Law of Muhammad.
We know that some “Christians” do not follow Jesus. They follow St Paul and his version of the religion of Jesus. So one of the first duties of Jesus will be to bring the Christians back to the true religion he preached and practiced, namely submission to the One God.
Also, the Jews who are still waiting for the Messiah will be made to realize that the real Messiah was indeed Jesus and they need to recognize that fact, and follow the Messiah (Christ) Jesus.
When the Christians and the Jews follow Jesus, they will be Muslims. By the second coming of Jesus, the confusions regarding Jesus will disappear and we can imagine a situation where Jews, Christians and Muslims join together to pray behind Islam’s prophet Jesus, or behind a Muslim Imam.
Three Expectations
One important point to note in this connection is the correlation between the expectations about the coming of a prophet or messiah in all the three Abrahamic religions.
Jews expect the Mashiach (Messiah; literally “the Anointed One” ) as a political and military deliverer and king. The Christians believe the Messiah to be a divine incarnation and “savior”, who came to liberate the people from sin. And the Muslims believe the Messiah to be a sign to the world sent by God with a significant prophetic mission to the Children of Israel.
In all the three cases the word, Messiah (Arabic: Masih) is used for the expected prophet. Both Christians and Muslims believe Jesus to be the Messiah, while the Jews reject him and continue to expect the Messiah even now.
No one can deny the continuity of the same religious tradition through the three religions, though sectarianism has clouded the whole issue of common religious heritage.
One of the important links among the three religions ought to be the Messiah; especially as he serves as a link between Judaism and Islam. Because, he is the expected Messiah of the Jews, who clearly foretells to his followers of the coming of the Paracletos – the final Prophet.
Besides, he is properly described by Allah Almighty in the Qur’an as a “sign” to the world. But most people did not properly understand the sign and consequently misconstrued his mission.
Jews Believing in Jesus?
As Jesus was a sign from Allah, there was an aura of wonder and mystery around him, which caused a lot of speculation among his followers after his time.
And there ought to be a way of clearing the cloud of mystery around Jesus before the end of the world. So Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an what means:
*{That they said in boast, “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of Allah”;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them…}* (Quran’ 4:157-159)
Indeed these verses have generated a lot of controversy about the implication of certain words. A few points are worthy of note here:
The reference is clearly to the future; and the verse tells us of something that will happen in the future which will make the People of the Book to believe in Jesus. And we should note that by “the People of the Book” not merely the Christians but also the Jews are meant.
Referring to the doubts and confusion in the minds of the people (i.e. People of the Book) regarding “the death” and the “raising” of Jesus, Allah emphatically tells us that they did neither kill him nor crucify him; but raised him up to Himself.
Believing in Jesus
The verses quoted above clearly say that all the People of the Book will believe in Jesus before he dies. Obviously, “believe in him” indicates the right belief about Jesus, that is, that Jesus was a prophet of God preaching His Oneness.
We know that neither the present day Jews nor the present day Christians have this belief about Jesus. So the reference in the verse is obviously about future Jews and Christians who will be made to realize the truth about the Messiah and will have to accept that truth.
The occasion for this is when Jesus himself appears again and clears all misunderstandings about him. And then the Jews will realize that he was the Messiah they were expecting; and the Christians will realize that he was not the Son of God who died on the cross. And if there are any Muslims who reject the return of Jesus, they too will realize the truth about him.
And in the above verse, we may note the expression “before he dies”. This expression is attributed to People of the Book sometimes; i.e. in the sense of “before their death”.
But this cannot be; if so it would mean that all the Jews and Christians who lived after Jesus’ time would realize the truth of Jesus before their death till Judgment Day.This is most unlikely. Rather the correct meaning of the verse must be that Jesus, on his second coming will bring the Jews and the Christians of that future time, not only to the truth of himself, but also to the true religion.
A careful evaluation of all the points related to the matter would lead us to the conclusion that Islam teaches that Jesus will come again and he will not bring a new Law then; so he would follow the Law of Muhammad.
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
{و نحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد}
If Allah is omnipresent [in His essence] as He said in the Qur’an: ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,’[1] [and as understood by many people] then how was the revelation sent to the messengers & prophets?
Allah’s knowledge[2] & power[3] is everywhere and in every place; Allah, the Most Exalted, Himself is above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty.
With regards to the aforementioned Ayah, then the correct tafseer according to the understanding of the Salaf [pious predecessors][4] is that it refers to the knowledge of Allah or to that of the angels of Allah that have been commanded by Him to record the actions of all human beings.[5]
The following example is useful in illustrating that what is meant by ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,[6]’ actually refers to the angels. When it is said that so & so king or leader is at war with so and so king or leader, what is actually implied is that those who are fighting against each other in reality are the soldiers on the battle field and not the kings and leaders themselves.
In the following Ayah, the recording angels which have been mentioned, have been commanded by Allah to record the actions and deeds of all human beings, so these angels are closer to each person then his or her own jugular vein.‘ (Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and the one on his left (to note his or her action).’ [7]
And Allah knows best.
Footnotes:
[1] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16. [TN]
[2] Refer to the saying of Imam Mãlik bin Anas [d.179 AH] ‘Indeed Allah is above the heavens & His knowledge is in every place. Narrated by Imam Abdullah bin Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in ‘As-Sunnah page 5, & Imam Abu Dawud in ‘Masaail of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal page 263. [TN]
[3] It was said to Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal: Allah is above the seven heavens and above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty and His power & knowledge is in every place. He replied: Yes. Allah is above His Arsh and nothing escapes His knowledge. Reported by Imam Al-Khalaal in ‘As-Sunnah’ and Imam Ibn Qayyim narrated it in ‘Ijtimaaul-Al-Juyoosh’ page 77. [TN]
[4] Refer to the abridged edition of Tafseer Al-Baghawi [d.516 AH] by Dr Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Ali Zaid, printed by Darus-Salaam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16, page 892: [‘what is meant by] We are nearer to you is: nearer to you by [Allah] having all the knowledge. [TN]
[5] Refer to Bayaanu-Talbeesil- Al-Jahmiyyah of Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 5 page 315, printed by King Fahad Complex, Madinah, KSA, 1426 AH, edited by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Ghafees, in which Imam Ibn Taymiyyah has discussed in depth that either the meaning of And We are nearer to him then his jugular vein is either the knowledge of Allah or that of the Angles; and has reconciled both meanings in a beautiful manner and refuted all the objections and doubts that might arise or have risen from the people of innovation. [TN]
[6] It has been narrated by Ibnul-Mundhir on the authority of Juwaibir who asked the student of Abdullah Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them both], Ad-Dahhaak regarding the saying of Allah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein’ Ad-Dahhaak replied: There is nothing more closer to the son of Adam then his jugular vein and Allah is nearer to him then that [by His knowledge]. Refer to Addurrul-Al-Manthoor Fee At-Tafseeri bil-Ma’thoor by Jalalud-Deen As-Suyutee [d. 911AH] Volume 7 page 517, printed by Darul-Ahyaa At-Turaath Al-Arabi first edition 1421 AH/2001 CE.
[7] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 17. [TN]
Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari
al-‘Allaamah Abdullah Rawpuree
Reference: Fataawaa Ahlil-Hadeeth, Book of Iman – Page 175
What Does Islam Teach About Justice? Neither love nor hatred can be allowed to compromise justice.
There is one word that captures the essence of all Islamic laws and all Islamic teachings; one word that describes the overriding value that permeates all Islamic values. Justice. The Qur’an says: “We sent aforetime our messengers with clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that men may stand forth in Justice.” [Al-Hadeed 57:25].
The sole purpose of sending the prophets was to establish Justice in the world and end injustice. Broadly speaking, doing justice means giving everyone his due. But this simple statement camouflages all the complexities of life in their myriad and ever-changing relations; all the temptations; all the apprehensions and concerns; all the conflicts and dilemmas. To guide the people, Allah sent down the prophets with clear signs, the Book, and the Balance. The Book contains the revelations that spell out what’s fair and unfair or right and wrong. The Balance refers to our ability to measure and calculate so we can follow the path shown by the Book and explained by the Prophets.
Together these sources taught us what are the rights of Allah, of other people, and of our own persons on us and how to balance them. A life lived in obedience to Allah, then, is a continuous balancing act, both individually and collectively.
Under normal circumstances many people can be just. But Islam commands its followers to be just even in the face of strong conflicting emotions. In dealing with other human beings, two major impediments to justice are love and hatred. See how the Qur’an teaches us to overcome the first impediment when we are dealing with our closest relatives or even ourselves. “O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” [An-Nisa 4:35]
Here is the resolution from the Qur’an of the perennial conflict between self-interest and justice. Be just, even if it is against your narrowly defined self-interest or of those very close to you. Ignorant people think they are protecting their self-interest by being unjust to others. Their decision to be just or unjust may be based on a cold calculation of self-interest. But real faith in Allah elevates one beyond that narrow-mindedness. These verses remind us that the real protector of interests of all people is also Allah and He will protect us when we follow His command to be just. The justice demanded by Islam permits no favoritism.
The other equally potent impediment is hatred. Here again Qur’an commands: “O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to Piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” [Al-Maidah 5:8]
In other words you cannot do injustice even when you are dealing with the enemy. The natural, uneducated, and uncivilized tendency is to treat the enemy as less than a human being; one who has no rights and deserves no justice or fairness. It was as true in the pre-Islamic tribal jahilya (based on ignorance) society as it is today. See how Islam directly curbs it. It is a command to the believers, with a reminder that Allah is watching you, that enmity of others cannot be used as an excuse for committing injustices against them.
Justice does require retribution and Islam does call for, “an eye for an eye.” But it does not mean an innocent eye for an innocent eye; it means the eye of the perpetrator for the eye of the victim. It is amazing how those who call the latter as barbaric, actually rally for the former when a real crisis develops.
Fourteen hundred years ago these commands created a society where rich and poor, friend and foe, Muslim and non-Muslim, the ruler and the ruled, were all treated equally and all of them could count on receiving justice. The qazis (judges) were independent and no one, including the khalifah was above the law. If a dispute arose between the Khalifah and an ordinary person, both had to appear in court and provide their evidence. Islamic history is full of stories of this justice that filled the earth wherever Muslims ruled in their golden era.
Even during their period of decline, we find sporadic incidents that are just unparalleled. One example from recent history may suffice here. During the British Rule in India, once a dispute arose between Hindus and Muslims over a piece of land. Hindus claimed it belonged to a temple while Muslims claimed it to be mosque. Emotions were high on both sides and the possibility of a riot was real. The English judge could not find any means of ascertaining the truth. It was one group’s words against the other’s. Finally the Judge asked both groups if they could trust the testimony of any person. They could. It was a particular Muslim imam (religious leader) who was known for his piety. The person was requested to come to the court as a witness in a very charged atmosphere, with the entire community urging him to help them win the case through his testimony. His testimony was brief. “The Hindus are right,” he said. “The Muslim case is baseless.” He had not betrayed the community. He had once more affirmed its unflinching commitment to truth and justice above all else.
That is the justice the world needs today.
“Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; and when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice: verily how excellent is the teaching which He gives you! For Allah is He Who hears and sees all things.” [An-Nisa 4:58]
Taken from Al-Balagh online news magazine.
By Khalid Baig
The Truth about Jesus (pbuh)
“[Jesus] said, ‘Indeed, I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.’ ” Qur’an 19:30
Islam is a religion of pure monotheism, or, in other words, the worship of The One and only true God – known as “Allah” in Arabic. Islam is also a religion of many great Prophets and Messengers, one of whom is Jesus (peace be upon him), a man whose name is known in almost every household. A man highly respected and revered by two major faiths: Islam and Christianity. What does this man, Jesus, have to do with Islam?
Jesus as a Prophet & Messenger
In Judaism, Jesus (peace be upon him) is denied as the Messiah. This is in stark contrast to Christianity, where he is worshipped as a deity, or the son of God. Islam takes the middle ground and actually acknowledges Jesus as an honourable Prophet and Messenger of God, as well as the Messiah. He is neither God nor is he part of a Trinity.
Muslims view Jesus in the same way they view all Prophets of God – highly respected and loved. To disbelieve in him or any other Prophet or Messenger within Islam, such as Moses, Abraham or Muhammad (peace be upon them), takes one out of the fold of Islam. Prophets are not worshiped, because doing so is an act for God alone, since it is He who created them and all that exists.
Jesus as God
The concept of Jesus being God or the begotten son of God is inconsistent with the old testament, the Qur’an and numerous passages within the New Testament.
As numerous Qur’anic verses clearly indicate, Jesus was not God, nor was he the begotten son of God, as it does not befit His Majesty to have children. Claiming that God has a son would mean to attribute human qualities and limitations to the All-Mighty, and God is far removed from such imperfection.
A Christian must ask him/herself, does the idea of a god who was once a weak helpless child, one who could not survive without food, drink or sleep, be the same Omnipotent, All Mighty God described in the Old Testament? Surely not!
As for those who continue in their blasphemy, God says;
Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Mary, the noble virgin, holds a great status within Islam and an entire chapter within the Qur’an is named after her. Allah says:
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also recalls her high status with his statement: “The best of the world’s women was Mary (at her lifetime).”
The Birth of Jesus
The Angel Gabriel was sent to Mary in the form of a man, with glad tidings of a child who was to be born miraculously without a father.
Some claim that his miraculous birth is evidence of Jesus’ divinity. However, Jesus was not the first to come into existence without a father, as Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) before him had neither a father nor mother. God says:
Surely, if Jesus is worshipped due to having no father, Adam is more deserving of worship since he was created without either parent.
What was his message?
Jesus was sent to the Children of Israel to confirm the message of the past Prophets – to believe in the One True God (Allah). He was also taught by Allah the Books of old (i.e. the previous revelations), as God says:
As an honourable obedient Messenger of God, Jesus submitted willingly to God’s commands. As such, he was a “Muslim” – one who submits to the will and commandments of God.
The Miracles of Jesus
Jesus performed great miracles by the will and permission of God. One of his greatest miracles was that he was conceived with no father. He also spoke as a baby in the cradle to defend his mother against the children of Israel who accused her of fornication.
Jesus also gave life to the dead, cured the leper and the blindall by the will of God:
The fact that Jesus (peace be upon him) performed miracles does not mean that he was anything more than a humble slave of God (Allah) and His Messenger. In fact many Messengers performed miracles, including Noah, Moses and Muhammad (may peace be upon them all) and these miracles only took place by the permission of Allah, so as to prove the authenticity of the Messenger.
Crucifixion or Cruci-fiction?
The Islamic perspective is that Jesus was not crucified, but rather raised up to the heavens. This point is further clarified in the following verses of the Qur’an:
The Return of Jesus
Muslims believe that Jesus will reappear before the Hour, i.e. Day of Judgement, and descend back to earth. God says:
He will descend as a Muslim (one who submits to God’s laws) and call others to Islam, rejecting those who took him as other than a slave and Messenger of the One True God. Jesus was born, will return and die, as a Muslim.
Conclusion
Muslims view Jesus in the same way they view all Prophets of God. They respect and love him dearly, however, they do not worship him, as worship is for God alone who created him and everything that exists. Jesus is not god, nor is he the son of god, nor is he three entities in one.
God tells the Muslims to come to common terms and understanding between them and the People of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians). He says:
“Say: ‘O People of the Scripture! Come to a word that is equitable between us and you: that we will not worship anything except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah.” But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to God].’”Qur’an 3:64
Download a PDF format: http://www.iisna.com/pamphlets/pdf/11.jesus.pdf
The Importance of Tawheed and how Ikhwanul Muslimeen neglect Tawheed
Bismillaah al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu ‘ala rasulullaah
Amma ba’d
1- I first invite you to read this brief article by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan: The True Meaning of The Statement of Tawheed
2- Then – if you read Arabic – go through this: A site of Shaikh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslaan [Website of Shaikh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslaan, a genuine scholar who used to be an Ikhwanee before Allaah guided him to the correct Islam and then to be a Shaikh, maa shaa Allaah; may Allaah preserve him and make him a means of Allaah guiding many Ikhwanees to Salafiyah (following the Prophet, salallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and his sahaabah in ‘aqidah, manhaj, manner of worship, and character; and understanding each ayah and each hadeeth in the manner the Messenger taught the sahaabah). Ameen.]
3- And then feel free to benefit from the following notes taken from a manhaj class last year, notes read to us from the work of Shaikh Ahmad an-Najmee (rahimahullaah) regarding the errors/deviance of the Ikhwanul Muslimeen or “Ikhwanees”:
Allaah says in Surat al-Kahf (ayat 103-105):
Say (O Muhammad): Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? “Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds! “They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight.
Who are the greatest losers?
Those who are lost, thinking they’re upon good. The one who does not meet Allaah with Tawheed; he does not know the Islamic religion. The Sufis think they can make du’aa to the creation, or that awliya can perform kiramat (miracles). The one who grows up among the Sufis, do you think they will be safe from these bid’ah and shirk? No, except he whom Allaah saves.
Ikhwanees have neglected Tawheed. [The deviant] Hasan al-Banna was brought up with Sufis (proof can be found on pg. 27 of his own book – Al Ikhwan Al Muslimun, Ihdaf sana’at Tarikh), and used to attend a nest of shirk that is the Mashhad (shrine) of Zainab. In Damna Hur, he met with the people of the Sufi order, and took from them that path. (pg. 28 of his own book).
This Jama’ah of Ikhwanul Muslimeen is rooted in Sufi Order. Why do you [Ikhwanees] not look at the ‘aqidah of Tawheed and read a single aya? [Allaah says:]
And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah.(Al-Jinn:18)
And they call to Wahdat ul-Wujud (the deviant belief that everything is Divine, that Allaah is everywhere, and that He is in His creation, and that Allaah’s presence is the only presence.) [The Hindus and Budhists believe the same thing.] (pg. 70-71, again of al-Bannah’s own book)
Hasan’s brother said: “After ‘Isha, my brother [Hassan al-Bannah] used to sit with the Hasafia…”
At the shrine of Zainab (daughter of the Prophet, salallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), people would make tawaff and make du’aa to it; al-Bannah gave khutbas there. Al-Bannah did not forbid shirk that happened right around him, refusing to deal with this (shirk such as du’aa to Zainab, tawaaf of shrine).
The Ikhwanees observe shirk around the graves – du’aa to the dead, tawaaf, ruku’ – and don’t put forth any effort to remove this shirk. And al-Bannah called himself a da’ee (caller).
Shaikh Ahmad An-Najmee said:
It is obligatory that if you call to Allaah, and witness shirk [being committed with Allaah], that you call them to Tawheed and refute shirk. Al-Bannah went to the graves and gave lectures, giving the impression to the regular people that this was alright. [This created a problem for people who held al-Bannah in high esteem.]
Al-Bannah himself wrote in his own book (pg. 33, Al-Ikhwan Al Muslimun, Ihdaf sana’at Tarikh) that after fajr on Friday, he and his people used to walk three hours [20 KM] to the grave of Zainab [the shrine] inside the masjid, pray Jumu’ah, eat lunch and relax, pray ‘asr and then go home.
They used to go the graves, specifically to either make du’aa (bid’ah in this situation, because he specifically traveled to the grave and specifically to make du’aa there) or pray:
Shaikh Ahmad An-Najmee (rahimahullaah) made the following observations about Hassan al-Bannah, founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen:
1- al-Bannah diluted these people (by going to these shrines) into believing that du’aa to the grave, or tawaaf around the grave, or sacrifice, or vowing to other than Allaah is from Islam.
2- al-Bannah gave power to the grave-worshippers.
3- al-Bannah accepted the mushrikun, even though their ‘aqidah may have been that of the Rafidah, who believe their imams are mistake-free. [Only Allaah is Perfect!] Never did al-Bannah tell the Shi’a, or Qadariah, or Mu’tazila to leave their ‘aqidah. [Note: Prophets are mistake-free regarding sins and in (conveying) the religion]
4- al-Bannah called the Shi’a his “brothers”, even though they call their imam “perfect”, even though they say that Angel Jibril (‘alaihi salaam) erred in sending the Qur’an to the Prophet, even though they curse Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and ‘Uthman, also calling them “kufar”, even though they call ‘Aisha an adultress (despite Allaah exonerating her in the Qur`an], even though they say the Qur`an is incomplete…
5 – al-Bannah tried to bring the Muslims together regardless of ‘aqidah, instead of trying to bring them together upon correctness, upon the correct ‘aqidah, upon the truth. [al-Bannah] said: “The Shi’a and Sunni are Muslimun. They are united upon the banner of la illaha il Allaah.” [The deviant al-Bannah of Ikhwan al-Muslimeen] also said: “Our problems with the Jews is not religious, because the Qur`an encourages us to be with them, and Allaah has praised the Jews. And every time, the Qur`an deals with them, it deals with them on an economical level.”
6- al-Banna’s erroneous beliefs that tawassul is not from ‘aqidah. His 15th Principal from his book of 20 principals is: if du’aa is attached to tawassul, then this is from the brances of the deen and not from ‘aqidah.” [Nadharat fi Risalit Ta’lim]
[Note: Legislated Tawassul are three:
a- asking righteous people to make du’aa to Allaah for you;
b- asking by Allaah’s Names and Attributes; and
c- to ask by virtue of one’s good deeds.
If it was legislated to make tawassul through the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) after his death, ‘Umar would not have asked ‘Abbaas to make du’aa to Allaah for rain. Ibn Taymiyyaah said: The sahaba used to make tawassul through the du’aa of the Prophet when he was ALIVE, but when he died, they sought tawassul with the du’aa of ‘Abbas…Du’aa is an act of ‘ibaada, and has to be done according to the Sunnah (and du’aa to other than Allaah is Major Shirk).]
7- al-Bannah attached himself to a Sufi ‘Aqidah, in the Hisafia tariqa. He admitted this and admitted (pg. 28 and pg. 29) to sitting with them [Jamiati Al Hisafia]. He actually started a Sufi order. And he was chosen as their secretary. The leaders of the Ikhwanees had an Ash’aree ‘aqidah, distorting Allaah’s attributes. They make the Attributes like a puzzle and a riddle, but Allaah’s religion is clear (bayinah).
Ten Points Regarding the Manhaj of Ikhwaanul-Muslimeen
by the Muftee of Jeezaan, Shaykh Ahmad ibn Yahyaa an-Najmee (rahimahullaah)
From his book: Al-Fataawa al-Jaliyyah ‘anil-manaahij ad-Da’wiyyah (pgs 102-104)
The noble Shaykh (rahimahullaah) said:
The definition of Ikhwaanul-Muslimeen is: they are those who follow and attach (themselves) to Hasan al-Banaa, and there are some observations upon their manhaj, the most important of which follow:
1) Carelessness and neglect in regards to Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah, which is the most important thing in Islaam, and the servant’s Islaam is not correct except by it.
2) Their silence and approval of the people being upon Shirk al-Akbar (major Shirk), from du’aa to other than Allaah, and circumambulation (tawaaf) of the graves, and swearing oaths to their inhabitants, and sacrificing by their names, and what is similar to that.
3) That verily the founder of this manhaj is soofee; he has a connection to the Soofiyyah, taking the bay’ah from ‘Abdul-Wahhaab al-Hasaafee upon his Hasaafiyyah ash-Shaadhiliyyah Tareeqah (soofee order).
4) The presence of innovation amongst them, and their establishing worship by it; rather it is the basis of their manhaj. They attest that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhee wa salaam) attends their sittings of dhikr and forgives them for what has proceeded from their sins, in their saying:
“The Ilaah sent prayers upon the noor [i.e. the Prophet] which appeared
for the ‘aalameen (all that which exists), and outshined the sun and the moon, this is the beloved [i.e. the Prophet] attending with the beloved and has forgiven for all that which has passed and taken place.”
5) Their call to (establishing) the khilaafah, and this is a bid’ah, for verily the Messengers and those who followed them were not commanded except with the call to at-Tawheed. The Most High said:
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allaah (Alone), and avoid at-Taaghoot (all false deities and objects of worship).” An-Nahl (16):36
6) The non-existence of al-walaa` wal-baraa` amongst them or its weakness. And they make that clear through their da’wah to closeness between [those upon] the Sunnah and the Shee’ah, and the saying of their founder: “We cooperate [with each other] in that which we agree upon, and we excuse each other in that which we disagree in.”
7) Their hatred for Ahlut-Tawheed, and the people [who traverse] the path of Salafiyyah, and their loathing of them and they make that plain in their statements regarding the country of Saudi Arabia, which was established upon at-Tawheed, and teaches at-Tawheed in its schools and in its institutions and universities; and from the murder of Jameel ar-Rahmaan al-Afghaanee because he was calling to at-Tawheed, and he was one who had schools in which he taught at-Tawheed.
8.) Their scrutiny and pursuit of the mistakes of the rulers, and searching for their shortcomings, whether it is true or a lie, and spreading them amongst the inexperienced youth so as to cause them to hate and loathe them [the rulers] and to fill their hearts with hostility towards them.
9) The foul disgusting hizbiyyah (blind partisanship and bigotry) which they ascribe to. So they support and have closeness on account of this hizb (party), and show enmity and oppose on account of it.
10) Taking the bay’ah (oath of allegiance) to work for the Ikhwaanee manhaj with the ten conditions which its founder mentioned, and there are other observations to be made which it is possible that we take them later.
TN: These ten conditions or pillars of the bay’ah of Ikhwaanul-Muslimeen are mentioned in al-Banaa’s Majmoo’atur-Risaa’il (p.268), where he said: “O you brothers who are truthful! The pillars of our bay’ah are ten, so memorize and hold on to them:
(1) Understanding
(2) Sincerity
(3) Action
(4) al-Jihaad
(5) self-sacrifice
(6) Obedience
(7) firmness and strength
(8) Impartiality
(9) Brotherhood
(10) Trust.”
Translated by Aboo Sufyaan ‘Uthmaan Beecher
Islam for Humanity 
April Fool? – ruling on lying in Islam
Mar 28
Posted by Admin
Praise be to Allaah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides, none can lead astray, and whomsoever He sends astray, none can guide.
Truthfulness is one of the pillars on which the moral survival of the world depends. It is the foundation of praiseworthy characteristics, the cornerstone of Prophethood, the result of taqwaa. Were it not for truthfulness, the rulings of all divinely-revealed laws would collapse. Acquiring the characteristic of lying is akin to shedding one’s humanity, because speaking is an exclusively human trait.
(Bareeqah Mahmoodiyyah, Muhammad al-Khaadimi, 3/183)
Our purely monotheistic sharee’ah warns against lying in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and there is consensus that it is haraam. The liar will have bad consequences in this world and in the next.
According to sharee’ah, lying is not permitted except in specific cases which do not lead to loss of rights, bloodshed or slander of people’s honour, etc., but which concern saving lives, reconciling between people, or creating love between husband and wife.
There is a never a day or a moment when sharee’ah permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he wants based on lies. One of the things that have become widespread among the common people is the so called “April Fool’s Day”, where they claim that the first day of the fourth solar month is a day when lying is permitted without being subject to any shar’i guidelines.
Many bad things may result from this, some of which we will mention below.
The prohibition of lying.
1. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“It is only those who believe not in the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allaah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars”
[al-Nahl 16:105]
Ibn Katheer said:
“Then Allaah tells us that His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not a fabricator or a liar, because only the most evil of people who do not believe in the signs of Allaah, the kaafirs and heretics who are known amongst the people for telling lies, tell lies about Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most truthful of people, the most righteous, the most perfect in knowledge, action, faith and certain belief. He was known amongst his people for his truthfulness; none of them doubted that, to such an extent that he was known amongst them as ‘al-Ameen (the trustworthy) Muhammad.’ Hence when Heraclius, the ruler of Rome, asked Abu Sufyaan about the characteristics of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), one of the things he asked was, ‘Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said?’ He said, ‘No.’ Heraclius said: ‘If he refrained from telling lies about people he would not go and tell lies about Allaah.’
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/588)
2. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 33; Muslim, 59)
al-Nawawi said:
“What the commentators and most of the scholars said – which is correct – is that this means that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who has these characteristics resembles the hypocrites in this sense.
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘he is a pure hypocrite’ mean that he strongly resembles the hypocrites because of these characteristics. Some of the scholars said: this is concerning one in whom these characteristics predominate; one in whom these characteristics rarely appear is not included in this. This is the favoured view concerning the meaning of this hadeeth. Imaam Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated this meaning from the scholars and said: ‘The meaning of this according to the scholars is hypocrisy in one’s actions.’”
(Sharh Muslim, 2/46-47)
The most evil kinds of lies are:
1. Lies told about Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
This is the most serious kind of lie, and the one who does this is subject to a severe warning. Some of the scholars said that the one who does this is to be denounced as a kaafir.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: ‘Verily, those who invent a lie against Allaah will never be successful”
[Yoonus 10:69]
It was narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Do not tell lies about me. Whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 106).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell.”
(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 110; Muslim, 3).
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“… ‘Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell’, i.e., let him take his place in Hell where he will abide and settle; it is not like a manzil or camp where he stays for a while and then moves on.”
(Tareeq al-Hijratayn, p. 169)
Lying also includes lies told about or to other people, such as
2. Lying in buying and selling.
It was narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three to whom Allaah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection and He will not look at them or praise them, and they will have a painful torment.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) repeated this three times. Abu Dharr said: “May they be doomed and lost, who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “The one who lets his garment hang below his ankles, the one who reminds others of his favours, and the one who disposes of his goods by swearing a false oath.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 106)
It was narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of cancelling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1973; Muslim, 532)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
“Allaah has enjoined truthfulness and honesty, and He has forbidden lies and concealment with regard to matters which should be known and revealed to people, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon: ‘The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of cancelling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.’ And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allaah as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety’
[al-Maa’idah 5:8].”
(Minhaaj al-Sunnah, 1/16)
3. The prohibition on lying about visions and dreams
This refers to when some of them claim to have seen such and such in a dream, but they are not telling the truth, then in the morning he starts to tell the people something that he did not see.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever tells of a dream that he did not see will be commanded [on the Day of Resurrection] to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it. Whoever eavesdrops on people’s conversation when they dislike that – or they try to get away from him – will have molten copper poured in his ears in the Day of Resurrection. And whoever makes an image will be punished and will be told to breathe life into it, and he will not be able to do so.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6635)
Al-Manaawi said:
“ ‘to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it’ – because tying one to the other is not possible ordinarily. He will be punished until he does that, and he will never be able to do it. It is as if he is saying that he will be enjoined to do something that he can never do, and is being punished for it. This is a metaphor for continuous punishment… The reason why barley (sha’eer) is mentioned specifically is because dreams are connected to feelings (shu’oor); the words sha’eer (barley) and shu’oor (feelings) come from the same root in Arabic.
The punishment for that is so severe – even though lies when awake may cause more damage, because they may involve testimony that may lead to execution or a hadd punishment – because lying about a dream is a lie about Allaah, may He be exalted, for dreams are a part of Prophethood, so they come from Him, and lying about the Creator is worse than lying about created beings.
(Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/99)
4. The prohibition of speaking about everything that one hears
It was narrated that Hafs ibn ‘Aasim said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘It is sufficient lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears.’”
(Narrated by Muslim, 5)
With regard to the meanings of the hadeeth and reports on this topic, they discourage speaking about everything that one hears. For usually a person will hear both true things and lies, so if he were to speak of everything that he hears, he would be lying, by telling of something that did not happen. We have stated above the view of the people of truth: that lying means telling of something in a manner other than the way it happened. It is not conditional upon it being done deliberately, but its being done deliberately is a condition of it being a sin. And Allaah knows best.”
(Sharh Muslim, 1/75)
5. Lying in jest
Some people think that it is permissible to tell lies if it is in jest. This is the excuse that they use for telling lies on April 1st or on other days. This is wrong. There is no basis for this in the pure sharee’ah. Lying is haraam whether the one who does it is joking or is serious.
Lying in jest is haraam just like other kinds of lies.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth.’”
(narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 12/391)
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 8/89, and classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jaami, 2494)
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, you joke with us.’ He said, ‘But I only speak the truth.’”
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1990)
Abu ‘Eesa said: this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth.
A similar hadeeth was narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat (8/305) and classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 9/17
‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Laylaa said: the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that they were travelling with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “What are you laughing at?” They said, “Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5004; Ahmad, 22555 – this version narrated by Ahmad).
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7658)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed from his father from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “None of you should take the belongings of his brother, whether in jest or otherwise. Whoever has taken the stick of his brother, let him return it.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5003; al-Tirmidhi, 2160 in brief)
The hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7578
6. Lying when playing with children
We must beware of lying when playing with children, because that will be written down (in the record of deeds of) the one who that. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against doing that. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “My mother called me one day when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting in our house. She said, ‘Come here, and I will give you (something).’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘What do you want to give him?’ She said, ‘I will give him a date.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘If you had not given him something, you would have been lying.’”
And 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: ‘Whoever says to a child, ‘Come here and take this,’ then does not give him something, this is counted as a lie.’”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4991)
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-‘Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1319.
7. Lying to make people laugh
It was narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah said: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Woe to the one who talks to make the people laugh and tells lies, woe to him, woe to him.’”
(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 235. He said: this is a hasan hadeeth. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990).
The punishment for lying:
The liar is warned of destructive punishment in this world, and humiliating punishment in the Hereafter.
These include:
1. Hypocrisy in the heart.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allaah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies”
[al-Tawbah 9:77]
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “You may know the hypocrite by three things: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.”. He said: “Recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And of them are some who made a covenant with Allaah (saying): “If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakaah and voluntary charity in Allaah’s Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous.”
Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakaah or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse.
So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allaah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies.
[al-Tawbah 9:75-77].”
(Musanaaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 6/125)
2. Guidance to evildoing and to the Fire
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said:
“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Truthfulness is righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allaah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evildoing, and evildoing leads to Hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written as a liar.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5743; Muslim, 2607)
al-San’aani said:
This hadeeth indicates that whoever continues to speak the truth, it will become a feature of his, and whoever deliberately tells lies and persists in it, it will become a feature of his. This is the same as any other good or evil characteristic, if a person persists in it, it becomes a feature of his.
This hadeeth indicates how serious the matter of telling the truth is, and that it may lead a person to Paradise, and it indicates how ugly lying is and how it may lead a person to Hell. This is in addition to the consequences in this world, for the one who tells the truth will have his words accepted by people, and his testimony will be accepted by judges and he will be liked for what he says, whereas for the liar the opposite will be the case.
Subul al-Salaam, 2/687
3. His testimony will be rejected
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
[The reason why the testimony of the liar is rejected]
The strongest reason why testimonies, fatwas and reports may be rejected is lying, because it corrupts the very essence of the testimony, fatwa or report. It is like the testimony of a blind man concerning sighting the new moon, or the testimony of a deaf man concerning having heard the admission of someone. The lying tongue is like some faculty that is no longer working, indeed it is even worse than that, for the most evil thing a man may possess is a lying tongue.
A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/95
4. Blackening of the face in this world and in the Hereafter
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allaah (i.e. attributed to Him sons, partners) their faces will be black” [al-Zumar 39:60]
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Hence on the Day of Resurrection Allaah will make blackened faces the sign of the one who told lies about Him and His Messenger. Lying has a great effect in blackening the face and covering it with a mask of shame which every truthful person will be able to see. The feature of the liar is clearly visible in the face, and everyone who has the eyes to see can see it. But Allaah will bless the truthful person with dignity and respect, so whoever sees him will respect him and love him, and He will give the liar humiliation and shame, so whoever sees him will loathe him and despise him. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
A’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/95
5. The liar will have the flesh of his cheeks torn to the back of his head
It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to say to his companions, ‘Has anyone among you seen a dream?’ Then whoever Allaah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, ‘Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, ‘Let’s go!’… so we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an
iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did just as he had done with the other side. Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said to me, ‘Move on, move on!’ (Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): ‘As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5745)
The comments of the Salaf on lying:
1. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “A man may speak the truth and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for evil the size of a needle. Or a man may tell lies and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for truth the size of a needle.
2. And it was narrated that he said: “It is not correct to tell lies whether in jest or in seriousness,” then ‘Abd-Allaah recited the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)”
[al-Tawbah 9:119]
3. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq said: “Beware of lying, for it has nothing to do with faith.”
4. It was narrated that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas said: “The believer may acquire all sorts of characteristics except treachery and lying.”
5. It was narrated that ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “True faith is not achieved until one gives up lying in jest.”
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 5/235, 236)
Permissible kinds of lies
Lying is permissible in three cases: war; reconciling between two disputing parties; and a husband lying to his wife or vice versa for the sake of love and harmony.
It was narrated from Umm Kalthoom bint ‘Uqbah that she heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “He is not a liar who reconciles between people and narrates something good or says something good.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2546; Muslim, 2605)
It was narrated that Asmaa’ bint Yazeed said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘It is not permissible to tell lies except in three (cases): when a man speaks to his wife in a way to please her; lying in war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.’”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1939)
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7723
April fool
But with regard to “April Fool” (in Arabic, Kidhbat Neesaan or the lies of April), the origin of this lying is not known for sure. There are differing opinions concerning that:
Some of them said that it developed from the celebrations of spring at the equinox on March 21.
Some of them said that this innovation appeared in France in 1564 CE, after the introduction of a new calendar, when a person who had refused to accept the new calendar became the victim of some people who had subjected him to embarrassment and made fun of him, so he became a laughing-stock for others.
Some of them said that this innovation goes back to ancient times and the pagan celebrations connected to a specific date at the beginning of spring, so this is the remnant of pagan rituals. It was said that hunting in some countries was unsuccessful during the first days of the hunt in some countries. This was the origin of these lies which are made up on the first day of April.
Le poisson d’avril
The Europeans call “April Fool” le poisson d’avril (lit. “April fish”). The reason for this is that the sun moves from the zodiacal house of Pisces to the next house, or because the word poisson, which means fish, is a distortion of the word passion, which means suffering, “so it is a symbol of the suffering endured by Jesus (peace be upon him), according to the claims of the Christians, and they claim that this happened in the first week of April.
Some of the kuffaar call this day All Fools’ Day, as it is known to the English. That is because of the lies that they tell so that those who hear them might believe them and thus become a victim for those who are making fun of him.
The first mention of April Fool in the English language was in a magazine known as Dreck Magazine. On the second day of April in 1698 CE, this magazine mentioned that a number of people were invited to come and watch the washing of black people in the Tower of London on the morning of the first day of April.
One of the most famous incidents that happened in Europe on April 1st was when the English newspaper, the Evening Star, announced in March 1746 CE that the following day – April 1st – that there would be an parade of donkeys in Islington, in England. The people rushed to see these animals and there was a huge crowd. They continued waiting and when they got tired of waiting, they asked about when the parade would be. They not find anything, then they knew that they had come to make an exhibition of themselves, as if they were the donkeys!
‘Aasim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Qurawayti
After knowing this reality,let us make a promise to ourselves never to celebrate this day. We have to learn from the Spanish and adhere to the reality of Islam and never allow our faith to be weakened again.
I say: it does not matter what the origins of April fool are. What matters more is knowing the ruling on lying on this day, which we are sure did not exist during the first and best generations of Islam. It did not come from the Muslims, but rather from their enemies.
The things that happen on April fools’ day are many. Some people have been told that their child or spouse or someone who is dear to them has died, and unable to bear this shock, they have died. Some have been told that they are being laid off, or that there has been a fire or an accident in which their family has been killed, so they suffer paralysis or heart attacks, or similar diseases.
Some people have been told about their wives, that they have been seen with other men, and this has led them to kill or divorce their wives.
These are the endless stories and incidents that we hear of, all of which are lies which are forbidden in Islam and unacceptable to common sense or honest chivalry.
We have seen how Islam forbids lying even in jest, and it forbids frightening a Muslim whether in seriousness or in jest, in words or in actions.
This is the law of Allaah in which is wisdom and care for people’s circumstances.
And Allaah is the Source of Strength.
Share this:
Posted in Articles, Common Questions
Leave a comment
Tags: april fool in islam, april fool lying in islam, April Fool? - ruling on lying in Islam, april foolprohibited in islam, april1 islam, Blackening of the face in this world and in the Hereafter, fools day in islam, Guidance to evildoing and to the Fire, Le poisson d’avril, Lying in buying and selling, Lying in jest, Lying to make people laugh, Lying when playing with children, Permissible kinds of lies, The comments of the Salaf on lying, The liar will have the flesh of his cheeks torn to the back of his head, The most evil kinds of lies in islam, The prohibition of lying, The prohibition of speaking about everything that one hears, The prohibition on lying about visions and dreams