Social Concerns, - What Do Scholars Say about Intermixing? - I

• Imaam Ash-Shaafi‘i, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in his book Al-Umm, "I do not like women to be buried with men in a single grave as long as there is no necessity. However, if this is necessary, then the man should be in front and the woman in the back along with a separator of dust between them."
Imaam Ash-Shaafi‘i, may Allaah have mercy upon him, hated mixing men and women even if they were dead in the grave not feeling the presence of one another, so, what should we say about college students who sit with the boy’s thigh stuck to his girlfriend’s thigh while they are alive, with desire running in their veins and each of them wants the other?
• Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in At-Turuq Al-Hukmiyyah fi As-Syaasah Ash-Shar‘iyyah:
Some Islamic jurists rightly stated that it is allowable for the ruler )concerned authorities( to spoil the clothing of women who impermissibly expose their adornment with ink or so if this is suitable. This is considered the least financial punishment, as the Commander of the Believers ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, prevented women from walking with men or intermixing with them in the roads.
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said in Al-Fataawa )15/297(,"Unlike the man, the woman should be protected and preserved; hence, she was specified with the command to wear the Hijaab )Islamic covering( and refrain from showing her adornment before non-Mahram )marriageable( men. Therefore, she, unlike the man, must abide in her house and must abide by Hijaab, because the appearance of women without necessity causes temptation, and men are in charge of them."
• Shaykh Ahmad Shaakir, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, narrated on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her, that she said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why are we not allowed to perform Jihaad )armed struggle( like men? Why do we receive half the share of inheritance available to males?” Thereupon, Allaah The Almighty revealed )what means(:}And do not wish for that by which Allaah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allaah of his bounty. Indeed Allaah is ever, of all things, knowing.{]Quran 4:32[
Shaykh Ahmad Shaakir, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on this Hadeeth )narration( saying, "This Hadeeth refutes the allegations made by the contemporary liars who are keen on spreading immorality among the believers to be as immoral as the non-Muslims. They encourage women to leave their houses to enlist in the army, where their arms and thighs are exposed and their front and back are shown, intending, in fact, to entertain the young soldiers who are deprived of women in the army; in imitation of the dissolute Jews and Westerners, may the successive curses of Allaah be upon them until the Day of Judgment."
• Dr. Saalih ibn Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan said in his book Rulings Pertaining to Muslim Women:
Today, the enemies of Islam - rather, the enemies of humanity, including the disbelievers and hypocrites who have a disease in their hearts -- are embittered by the chastity and honorable status of the Muslim woman under Islam.
That is because the enemies of Islam want women to serve as a tool of destruction and a trap by which they can seduce and prey on those who have weak faith and those who have a perverted nature, after getting her to fulfill their frenzied desires. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Allaah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow ]their[ passions want you to digress ]into[ a great deviation.{]Quran 4:28[
The Muslims who have a disease in their hearts want the woman to be a cheap commodity displayed before lascivious ‎people. They want her to be an object, exposed before their eyes so they can enjoy her beauty or reach of her what is uglier than that.
That is why they endeavor to get the woman out of her house to work side by side with men, or to serve men as a nurse in hospitals, a stewardess on board planes, a teacher or professor in mixed schools, an actress or singer in theaters, or a broadcaster in the mass media where she would seduce men by her voice and beauty.
Immoral magazines have taken seductive ‎pictures of girls as a means for promoting and marketing themselves. Similarly, some businessmen and companies exploit such pictures to promote their products.
These conspiracies led women to abandon their natural and true duty inside her house, which forced husbands to hire foreign female maids to raise their children and take care of the affairs of their households, and this has resulted in great evil and much temptation.

Social Concerns, - What Do Scholars Say about Intermixing? - II

• Shaykh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy upon him, answering the advocates of permissiveness and necessity of intermixing between the sexes:
In answer to the Director of San‘aa’ University, Abdul-‘Azeez Al-Muqaalih, who wrote an article in As-Siyaasah newspaper in 24/7/1404 AH, calling for intermixing between the sexes in educational institutions, arguing that both men and women used to perform prayer in the same mosque during the lifetime of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, Shaykh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said:
There is no doubt that this call represents a serious violation of the Islamic Sharee'ah )Islamic legislation(, because the Sharee'ah does not call for intermixing between the sexes but rather forbids it and stresses such forbiddance. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as ]was[ the display of the former times of ignorance.{]Quran 33:33[
•}O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves ]part[ of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allaah Forgiving and Merciful.{]Quran 33:58[
•}And tell the believing women to reduce ]some[ of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which ]necessarily[ appears thereof and to wrap ]a portion of[ their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.{]Quran 24:31[
•}And when you ask ]his wives[ for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.{]Quran 33:53[
There are many other verses in the Quran calling women to remain in their houses for fear of temptation, as long as there is no necessity for them to leave the house.
It was narrated on the authority of Usaamah ibn Zayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:“I am not leaving behind me a more harmful temptation for men than women.”]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
It was also narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:“The world is sweet and green )alluring(; and verily, Allaah is making you succeed each other, generation after generation in order to see how you act. So, beware of this world and beware of women, for they were the first trial of Banu Israel.”]Muslim[
It is known that when male and female students sit at the same desk, this causes temptation, particularly when the female students do not adhere to the Hijaab )Islamic covering(. There was no intermixing between men and women during the lifetime of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam -- neither in the mosque nor in markets; rather, rows of women were always behind those of men. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:“The best of the men's rows )in prayer( is the first row and the worst ‎is the last; and the best of the woman's rows is the last and the worst is the first.”The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also used to command his Companions to wait for a while until the women had left the mosque. He also commanded women not to walk in the middle of the road, and used to go to the women to preach to them after the men at the conclusion of the ‘Eed prayer because they were at a distance, unable to hear the Khutbah )sermon(.
• Shaykh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also said in answer to Al-Jazeerah newspaper, issued in 15/4/1403 AH, where some writers suggested mixed education in elementary schools:
This is a very dangerous and evil suggestion. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:“Command your children to perform prayer when they are seven years old, and beat them for )not offering( it when they are ten, and separate them in beds.”]Abu Daawood[
The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to prevent boys and girls from sharing the same bed after the age of ten because such intermixing may lead to immorality.
• Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was asked the following question:"I am a young man from a rich family. I study at a mixed school and this helped me establish shameful relationships with girls. I have committed many sins and I want to know what I should do to get rid of my misery. Is there repentance for me? What are the conditions of repentance?"
In his response to this question, Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy upon him, called upon rulers to protect their people from the causes of evil and temptation, particularly the Fitnah )trial( of intermixing between the sexes. In addition to sincere intention and true determination, this can be achieved through establishing schools, institutes, and universities only for girls. Women have the right to learn just as men, but they must be separated from men.
Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported, “A woman came to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and ‎said, "O Messenger of Allaah! Only men benefit from your‎‏ ‏teachings, so please devote some of your time to us; a day on which we may come ‏to you so that you may ‎teach us about what Allaah The Almighty has taught you." The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said‏:“Gather on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a ‎place."They gathered and he went to them ‎and taught them what Allaah The Almighty had taught him”. ]Al-Bukhaari[
This apparently proves that a special place should be dedicated to the education of women, since the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not tell them to attend with men.
• Dr. Muhammad Ismaa‘eel Al-Muqaddim said in his book ‘Awdat Al-Hijaab:
The example of those who underestimate the matter of prohibited intermixing between men and women under the pretext that they are habituated to adherence to chastity and virtue, is that of a people who put an amount of gunpowder near a lighted fire and then claim that there will not be an explosion because there is a warning written on the gunpowder that it should not burn. This is merely illusion that is removed from reality because it contradicts the nature of things. Those who invented intermixing are now suffering from its catastrophic results and calling to have it cancelled.

Dought & clear, - When they need to write the Gregorian date.

Some of the offices of al-Muntada al-Islami are in countries which use
the Gregorian calendar. We use the Hijri calendar, but this causes us
problems when we deal with government departments which do not use the
Hijri calendar, or when drawing up budgets, paying salaries and
preparing financial reports for the appropriate departments in those
countries.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with using both dates, so long as the Hijri
date is written first, followed by the equivalent Gregorian date. The
Hijri date is based on the lunar months, which are clear and can be
readily observed by anyone who has eyes to see, but the Gregorian
months do not have any clearly visible signs and can only be known
through calculations. Hence the Islamic sharee'ah uses the Arabic
months for the dates of fasting, Hajj, I'tikaaf and so on. Beginning
with the Hijri date is also a manifestation of the symbols and
features of Islam among those who do not know them. And Allaah knows
best.

Dought & clear, - Ruling on celebrating Valentine’s Day.

What is the ruling on Valentine's Day?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Valentine's Day is a jaahili Roman festival, which continued to be
celebrated until after the Romans became Christian. This festival
became connected with the saint known as Valentine who was sentenced
to death on 14 February 270 CE. The kuffaar still celebrate this
festival, during which immorality and evil are practised widely. For
more details on this celebration, please see: Celebrating Valentine's
Day .
Secondly:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to celebrate any of the festivals
of the kuffaar, because festivals come under the heading of shar'i
issues which are to be based on the sound texts.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Festivals are part of sharee'ah, clear way and rituals of which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way"
[al-Maa'idah 5:48]
"For every nation We have ordained religious ceremonies which they must follow"
[al-Hajj 22:67]
-- such as the qiblah (direction faced in prayer), prayer and fasting.
There is no difference between their participating in the festival and
their participating in all other rituals. Joining in fully with the
festival is joining in with kufr, and joining in with some of its
minor issues is joining in with some of the branches of kufr. Indeed,
festivals are one of the most unique features that distinguish various
religions and among their most prominent symbols, so joining in with
them is joining in with the most characteristic and prominent symbols
of kufr. No doubt joining in with this may lead to complete kufr.
Partially joining in, at the very least, is disobedience and sin. This
was indicated by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) when he said: "Every people has its festival and this is our
festival." This is worse than joining them in wearing the zinaar (a
garment that was worn only by ahl al-dhimmah) and other
characteristics of theirs, for those characteristics are man-made and
are not part of their religion, rather the purpose behind them is
simply to distinguish between a Muslim and a kaafir. As for the
festival and its rituals, this is part of the religion which is cursed
along with its followers, so joining in with it is joining in with
something that is a cause of incurring the wrath and punishment of
Allaah. End quote fromIqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem(1/207).
He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him): It is not permissible for
the Muslims to imitate them in anything that is uniquely a part of
their festivals, whether it be food, clothing, bathing, lighting
fires, refraining from a regular habit, doing acts of worship or
anything else. It is not permissible to give a feast or to give gifts,
or to sell anything that will help them to do that for that purpose,
or to allow children and others to play games that are part of the
festivals, or to wear one's adornments.
To conclude: the Mulsims should not do any of their rituals at the
time of their festivals; rather the day of their festival should be
like any other day for the Muslims. The Muslims should not do anything
specific in imitation of them. End quote fromMajmoo
al-Fataawa(25/329).
Al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If the
Christians have a festival, and the Jews have a festival, it is only
for them, so no Muslim should join them in that, just as no Muslim
should join them in their religion or their direction of prayer. End
quote fromTashabbuh al-Khasees bi Ahl al-Khamees, published inMajallat
al-Hikmah(4/193)
The hadeeth to which Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah referred was
narrated by al-Bukhaari (952) and Muslim (892) from 'Aa'ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) who said: Abu Bakr came in and there were
two young girls of the Ansaar with me who were singing about what had
happened to the Ansaar on the day of Bu'aath. She said: And they were
not (professional) singing girls. Abu Bakr said: "Musical instruments
of the shaytaan in the house of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)?!" and that was on the day of Eid.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "O Abu Bakr, every people has a festival and this is our
festival."
Abu Dawood (1134) narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) came to Madeenah, they had two days when they would play. He
said: "What are these two days?" They said: "We used to play on these
days during the Jaahiliyyah." The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has given you instead
of them two days that are better than them: the day of al-Adha and the
day of al-Fitr." This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inSaheeh AbiDawood.
This indicates that festivals are among the characteristics by which
nations are distinguished, and it is not permissible to celebrate the
festivals of the ignorant and the mushrikeen (polytheists).
The scholars have issued fatwas stating that it is haraam to celebrate
Valentine's Day.
1 -Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
In recent times the celebration of Valentine's Day has become
widespread, especially among female students. It is a Christian
festival where people dress completely in red, including clothes and
shoes, and they exchange red flowers. We hope that you can explain the
ruling on celebrating this festival, and what your advice is to
Muslims with regard to such matters; may Allaah bless you and take
care of you.
He replied:
Celebrating Valentine's Day is not permissible for a number of reasons.
1- It is an innovated festival for which there is no basis in Islam.
2- It promotes love and infatuation.
3- It calls for hearts to be preoccupied with foolish matters that
are contrary to the way of the righteous salaf (may Allaah be pleased
with them).
It is not permissible on this day to do any of the things that are
characteristic of this festival, whether that has to do with food,
drinks, clothing, exchanging gifts or anything else.
The Muslim should be proud of his religion and should not be a weak
character who follows every Tom, Dick and Harry. I ask Allaah to
protect the Muslims from all temptations, visible and invisible, and
to protect us and guide us.
End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen(16/199)
2 - The Standing Committee was asked: Some people celebrate
Valentine's Day on the fourteenth of February every year. They
exchange gifts of red roses and wear red clothes and congratulate one
another. Some bakeries make red coloured sweets and draw hearts on
them, and some stores advertise products that are especially for this
day. What is your opinion on the following:
1- Celebrating this day
2- Buying things from the stores on this day
3- Storekeepers who are not celebrating it selling things that may
be given as gifts to people who are celebrating it?
They replied:
The clear evidence of the Qur'aan and Sunnah - and the consensus of
the early generations of this ummah - indicates that there are only
two festivals in Islam: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Any other
festivals that have to do with a person, a group, an event or anything
else are innovated festivals, which it is not permissible for Muslims
to observe, approve of or express joy on those occasions, or to help
others to celebrate them in any way, because that is transgressing the
sacred limits of Allaah, and whoever transgresses the sacred limits of
Allaah has wronged himself. If the fabricated festival is also a
festival of the kuffaar, then the sin is even greater, because this is
imitating them and it is a kind of taking them as close friends, and
Allaah has forbidden the believers to imitate them and take them as
close friends in His Holy Book. And it is proven that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a
people is one of them." Valentine's Day comes under this heading
because it is an idolatrous Christian festival, so it is not
permissible for a Muslim who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to
observe it or approve of it or congratulate people on it. Rather he
has to ignore it and avoid it, in obedience to Allaah and His
Messenger, and so as to keep away from the causes that incur the wrath
and punishment of Allaah. It is also haraam for the Muslim to help
people to celebrate this or any other haraam festival by supplying any
kind of food or drink, or buying or selling or manufacturing or giving
or advertising etc., because all of that is cooperating in sin and
transgression and is disobedience towards Allaah and His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness
and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And
fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2]
The Muslim must adhere to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah in all his
affairs, especially at times of fitnah when evil is widespread. He
should be smart and avoid falling into the misguidance of those who
have earned Allaah's anger and who have gone astray, and the evildoers
who have no fear of Allaah and who do not have any pride in being
Muslims. The Muslim must turn to Allaah and seek His guidance and
remain steadfast in following it, for there is no Guide except Allaah
and no one can make a person steadfast but Him. And Allaah is the
source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.
3 - Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) was asked:
Among our young men and women it has become common to celebrate
Valentine's Day, which is named after a saint who is venerated by the
Christians, who celebrate it every year on February 14, when they
exchange gifts and red roses, and they wear red clothes. What is the
ruling on celebrating this day and exchanging gifts?
He replied:
Firstly: it is not permissible to celebrate these innovated festivals,
because it is an innovation for which there is no basis in Islam. It
comes under the heading of the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever introduces anything into this
matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected."
Secondly: it involves imitating the kuffaar and copying them by
venerating that which they venerate and respecting their festivals and
rituals, and imitating them in something that is part of their
religion. In the hadeeth it says: "Whoever imitates a people is one of
them."
Thirdly: it results in evils and haraam things such as wasting time,
singing, music, extravagance, unveiling, wanton display, men mixing
with women, women appearing before men other than their mahrams, and
other haraam things, or things that are a means that leads to
immorality. That cannot be excused by the claim that this is a kind of
entertainment and fun. The one who is sincere towards himself should
keep away from sin and the means that lead to it.
And he said:
Based on this, it is not permissible to sell these gifts and roses, if
it is known that the purchaser celebrates these festivals or will give
these things as gifts on those days, so that the seller will not be a
partner of the one who does those innovations. And Allaah knows best.