1a] How did Allaah open the chest of His noble Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings

1a]
because the narrators are trustworthy and well known. End quote.
The incident of his chest being opened is also mentioned in some
reports at other times, at the age of ten, and when his mission began,
but these are weak reports. See: al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah al-Saheehah
(1/103).
Ibn Katheer said in Tafseeral-Qur'aan il-'Azeem (4/677):
Allaah says "Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad)?"
meaning, did We not open your heart for you, i.e., We illuminated it
etc. This is like the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): "And whomsoever Allaah wills to guide, He opens his
heart to Islam." [al-An'aam 6:125].
And it was said that what is meant by the verse "Have We not opened
your breast for you (O Muhammad)?" is the opening of his chest on the
night of the Isra', but there is no contradiction because the opening
of his chest includes what was done on the night of the Isra' as well
as the metaphorical meaning of opening his heart. And Allaah knows
best. End quote.
3 – It says in Rooh al-Ma'aani (30/166):
It was said that what is meant is: Did We not relieve your distress
and worry by showing you the reality of things and the insignificance
of this world, so that enabled you to bear hardship by mans of turning
to Allaah with du'aa'.
It was narrated from the majority that what is meant is: Did We not
bestow upon him wisdomand enable him to receivethat which was revealed
to him after it was difficult for him?
4 – Ibn 'Ashoor said in al-Tahreer wa'l-Tanweer (1/4850):
Opening his breast is a metaphor for the blessings that were bestowed
upon him and enabling him to attain all levels of perfection, and
informing him that Allaah is pleased with him, and glad tidings of the
victory that the religion would attain. End quote.
See: Subul al-Huda wa'l-Rashaad (2/59).
5 – Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Tafseer Soorat al-Sharh (p.1):
This opening is metaphorical, not physical. The opening of the heart
may be done so that it is able to receive the decree of Allaah of both
types, the shar'i decrees of Allaah, which means religion, and the
decree of Allaah which has to do with the calamities that may befall
man. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

1] How did Allaah open the chest of His noble Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings

1]
How did Allah the exalted dissect the messenger's chest (PBUH), when
He theexalted says:
"Have We not expanded thee thy breast?"
Is it true that it was by Gabriel's hands during themessenger's life?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, honoured His Prophets and
Messengers with immense blessings, first and foremost among which, and
the highest in status, was the blessing ofProphethood, as He chose
them to be close to Him and to bestow His mercy upon them.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"but Allaah chooses of His Messengers whom He wills"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:179]
"And also some of their fathers and their progeny and their brethren,
We chose them, and We guided them to the Straight Path"
[al-An'aam 6:87]
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, chose His Prophet and Close
Friend Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for more
honour and bestowed a high status upon him, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Had not the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy beenupon you (O Muhammad
صلى الله عليه وسلم), a party of them would certainly have made a
decision to mislead you, but (in fact) they mislead none except their
own selves, and no harm can they do to you in the least. Allaah has
sent down to you the book (the Qur'aan), and Al-Hikmah (Islamic laws,
knowledge of legal and illegal things, i.e. the Prophet's Sunnah --
legal ways), and taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is
the Grace of Allaah unto you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)"
[al-Nisa' 4:113]
As part of this Grace, Allaah opened the chest of His Noble Messenger
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and He referred
to this great blessing in a soorah of theQur'aan that will be recited
until the Day of Resurrection. It is called Soorat al-Sharh.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"Have We not opened your breast for you ((O Muhammad?"
[al-Sharh 94:1]
The opening of the chest of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah
be upon him) points to a number of important meanings:
1 - Allaah opened his heart to Islam as a religion and law, which is
the greatest thing to which the heart may be opened. This is the
interpretation of Ibn 'Abbaas, as reported by al-Bukhaari in a
mu'allaq report in his Saheeh (Kitaab al-Tafseer/Baab Soorat al-Sharh,
p. 982).
2 - Allaah opened the chest of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in order to fill it (his heart) with
wisdom,knowledge and faith, as itwas interpreted by al-Hasan al-Basri.
The scholars mentioned in their commentaries on this incident of the
opening of the Prophet's chest, which happened twice during his life.
The first occurred when he was small and living among Banu Sa'd.
It was narrated from Anasibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that that Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) whenhe was playing with the other boys. He took
hold of him and threw him to the ground, then he opened his chest and
tookout his heart, from which he took a clot of blood and said: "This
was the Shaytaan's share of you." Then he washed it in a vessel of
gold that was filled with Zamzam. Then he put it back together and
returned it to its place. The boys went running to his mother -
meaning his nurse - and said: Muhammad has been killed! They went to
him and his colour had changed. Anas said: I usedto see the mark of
that stitching on his chest.
Narrated by Muslim (162).
The second occurred on the night of the Isra'.
Abu Dharr used to narratethat the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The roof of my house was
opened when I was in Makkah, and Jibreel (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) came down and split open my chest, then he washed
it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden basin filled with
wisdom and faith and emptied it into my chest. Then he sealed it..."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (349) and Muslim (163).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fath
al-Baari (7/204):
Some of them denied thathis chest was opened on the night of the
Isra', and said that this only happened when he was small and living
among Banu Sa'd. But that cannotbe denied because there are many
reports about it.... All that has been narrated about his chest being
opened, his heart being taken out and otherextraordinary events must
be accepted withoutobjection or trying to interpret it other than what
it appears to mean, because Allaah si Able to do all that and none of
that is impossible. Al-Qurtubi said in al-Mufhim: No attention should
be paid to denials of the opening of his chest on the night of the
Isra', because the narrators are trustworthy and well known. End quote
:->

Can a person start fasting six days of Shawwaal when he still has days to make up from Ramadaan?

If a person fasts six days of Shawwaal after Ramadaan when he has not
yet completed the Ramadaan fast because he did not fast ten days
ofRamadaan for a legitimate reason will he have the same reward as a
person who fasted all ofRamadaan and followed itwith six days of
Shawwaal, i.e. will he be like a person who fasted for a lifetime?
Please explain to us, may Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
The precise rewards for the deeds which people do for the sake of
Allaah issomething which is known only to Allaah. If a person seeks
the reward from Allaah and strives to obey Him, his reward will not be
lost, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his (righteous)
deedsin the most perfect manner to be lost." [al-Kahf 18:30]. If
someone has missed some of the days of Ramadaan, he should fast them
first, then fast six days of Shawwaal, because he cannot follow the
fast of Ramadaan with six days of Shawwaal unless he has completed his
Ramadaan fast.
And Allaah is the source ofstrength. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah,

She wants to open a beauty salon and is asking about offering her services to non-Muslim women

I live in the United States and I am planning to open a hair salon,
but I heard that it is not permissible to offer this service except to
Muslim sisters who wear hijab. But in fact the location of this salon
will be in a place where there are no Muslims and the Muslim women who
come to it will be coming from far away, which is another matter
altogether. At the same time I cannot close the door to non-Muslim
women; rather from experience when I was a student in university
studying cosmetology it seems to me that this field is an opportunity
for da'wah because non-Muslim women will ask about why I wear hijab
and sometimes we have a detailed discussionwhich may lead to one of
them being guided, if Allah wills. In addition to that, most of my
neighbours are non-Muslim, as are some of our relatives, and all of
them want me to offer my services to them. What is your opinion?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
For a woman to work as ahairdresser for women is permissible in
principle, solong as that is not accompanied by any haraam things that
usually accompany this kind of work.
See the answer to question no. 120891
Secondly:
If most of the people in the place where you choose to work are not
Muslims and your work will basically be with kaafir women, then it is
not permissible for you towork in the field, because all of the
required guidelines on working in that field cannot be adhered to with
those who do not believe that these things are haraam and do not
adhere to thatat all. Undoubtedly working in that field will be
helping them in not covering and in making a wanton display and
uncovering, and even nakedness and changing the creation of Allah.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of themeaning):
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness
andpiety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And
fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment"
[al-Maa'idah 5:2].
Thirdly:
With regard to the issue of mixing with these women and calling them
to Islam, this is a noble and important matter. However, it is not
permissible to participate with them in whatever they do of sins, or
to help them in that. It is not permissible to commit a certain sin
for the sake of a hoped-for or imagined interest. It is possible to
achieve the interest of da'wah by other ways or in other places where
it is not necessary to help them in sin.