Is it permissible to celebrate the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘baanand to distribute sweets to children to let people know that Ramadan is approaching?

Is it permissible to celebrate the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan,
as it is a part of the people's heritage in some countries? To clarify
further, some groups in our country have a customof distributing
sweets to children and they told us that it is just to express joy at
the approach of Ramadan. Is there anything wrong with celebrating this
night if the celebration is limited only to distributing sweetsto
children?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not prescribed in Islam to celebrate the night of the fifteenth
of Sha'baan, whether that is by spending the night in prayer, dhikr
and reading Qur'aan, or by distributing sweets or giving food to
people and so on.
It is not known in the saheeh Sunnah that this night is to be singled
out for acts of worship or customs.
The night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan is just like any other night.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
It is not permissible to celebrate the occasion of Laylat al-Qadr or
any othernight, or to hold celebrations on other occasions such as the
night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan, the night of the Mi'raaj, or the
Prophet's birthday (Mawlid) and so on, because these are innovations
that have been introduced into the religion and were not narrated from
the Prophet(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or any of his
Companions. And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours (i.e.,
Islam) will have it rejected." And it is not permissible to help
others to hold these celebrations by giving money or gifts or
distributing cups of tea, and it is not permissible togive speeches
and lectureson these occasions, because that comes under the heading
of approving of them and encouraging them. Rather it is obligatory to
denounce them and not to attend them. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 2/257-258
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
We have some customs that we grew up with and that have been passed
down to us, on some occasions, such as making cakes and cookies on Eid
al-Fitr, and preparing platters of meat and fruit on the night of the
twenty-seventh of Rajab and the fifteenth of Sha'baan, and different
kinds of sweets that must be prepared on the day of 'Ashoora'. What is
the Islamic ruling on that?
He replied:
As for expressing joy and happiness of the days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid
al-Adha, there is nothing wrong with that if it is within the limits
prescribed in Islam, such as preparing food and drink and the like. It
isproven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "The days of at-Tashreeq are days of eating and drinking and
remembering Allah, may He be glorified and exalted." This refers to
the three days following Eid al-Adha, when the people offer their
sacrifices and eat from the meat and enjoy the blessings that Allah
has bestowed upon them. Similarly, on Eid al-Fitr there is nothing
wrong with expressing joyand happiness so long as it does not overstep
the limits set by Islam.
As for expressing joy on the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab or
the fifteenth of Sha'baan or the day of 'Ashoora', this issomething
for which thereis no basis. Rather it is forbidden and the Muslim
should not attend if he is invited to such celebrations. The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Beware of newly
invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation
(bid'ah), and every innovation is a going astray."
The night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab is what some people claim is
the night of the Mi'raaj during which the Messenger (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) was taken up to Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted. There is no proof of this date from a historical point of
view, and everything for which thereis no proof is false, and that
which is built on falsehood is also false. Even if we assume that this
event took place on that night, it is not permissible for us to
introduce on that date anyof the symbols of festivals or acts of
worship, because no such thing is proven from the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) or from his Companions who were the
closest of people to him and the keenest of people to adhere to his
Sunnah and follow his path.

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Ruling on one who forgets to make up missed fasts before the next Ramadaan comes

What is the ruling on one who forgets to make up missed fasts before
the next Ramadaan comes?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The fuqaha' are unanimously agreed that forgetting is an excuse which
means that there is no sin or accountability in all matters, because
of a great deal of evidence in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, but they
differed as to whether the fidyah is still required in cases of
forgetfulness.
With regard to the issue offorgetting to make up missed Ramadaan fasts
before the next Ramadaancomes, the scholars are also unanimously
agreed that they must still be made up after the second Ramadaan, and
they are not waived as a result of forgetting.
But they differed as to whether the fidyah (whichis feeding a poor
person) is required when making up the missed fast (after the second
Ramadaan has come and gone). There aretwo points of view:
1 – That the fidyah is not required, because forgetting is an excuse
that means there is no sin and the fidyah is waived.
This was the view of most of the Shaafa'is and some of the Maalikis.
See: Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (3/445); Nihaayat
al-Muhtaaj (3/196); Minah al-Jaleel (2/154); Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel
(2/263).
2 – That the fidyah is required, and forgetting is an excuse that
means there is no sin only.
This was the view of al-Khateeb al-Sharbeeni among the Shaafa'is, who
said in Mughni al-Muhtaaj (2/176):
It seems that it means there is no sin only, and that the fidyah is not waived.
This was also stated by some of the Maalikis.
See: Mawaahib al-Jaleel Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel (2/450).
The more correct view is the former, in sha Allaah, for three reasons:
1 – The general meaning of the verses and ahaadeeth which say that
people are not held accountable for forgetting,such as the verse in
which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error"
[al-Baqarah 2:286]
2 – The basic principle thatone is not subject to any expiation or
fidyah except with evidence, and there isno reliable evidence in
thiscase.
3 – There is a difference of opinion as to whether thisfidyah is
required in the first place, even in the caseof one who delays
makingup the fasts deliberately. The Hanafis and Zaahiris are of the
view that it is not obligatory and ShaykhIbn 'Uthaymeen was of the
view that it is only mustahabb, because there is no report to suggest
that it is prescribed exceptfrom the actions of some of the Sahaabah,
which is not strong enough to suggest that people be obliged to follow
it, let alone oblige them to do it in a case where Allaah has granted
an excuse.
See the answer to question no. 26865 .
To sum up, he only has to make up the missed fasts, and he does not
have to feed the poor, so he should make them up after Ramadaan.
And Allaah knows best.

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How prayer accelerates the treatement of the sick

Your Lord says, "Call on Me and I will answer you.Those who are too
proudto worship Me will enter Hell abject." (Qur'an, 40:60)
According to the Qur'an, prayer, meaning "calling, giving expression,
requesting, seeking help," is a person's turning sincerely to Allah,
and seeking help from Him, theAlmighty, the Compassionate and
Merciful, in the knowledge that he is a dependent being. Illness is
one of those instances when a person feels this dependence most and
draws closer to Allah. Furthermore, sickness is a test, devised in His
Wisdom, that takes place by His Will, and is a warning to remind
people of the transience and imperfection of this life, and is also a
source of recompense in the Hereafter for the patient and submissive.
Those without faith, on theother hand, imagine that the way to
recovery is through doctors, medicinesor the advanced technological
capabilities of modern science. They never pause to think that itis
Allah Who causes their physical system to functionwhen they are in
good health, or Who creates the healing medicines and doctors when
they are ill. Many turn only to Allah when they arrive at the opinion
that doctors and medicines are inadequate. People in such situations
seek help only from Allah, realising that only He can free them from
their difficulty. Allah has revealed this mindset in a verse:
When harm touches man, he calls on Us, lying on his side or sitting
down or standing up. Then when We remove the harm from him he carries
on as if he had never called on Us when the harm first touched him. In
that way We make what they have done appear good to the profligate.
(Qur'an, 10:12)
The fact is, however, that even in good health, or without
tribulations or other difficulties, a person must pray and give thanks
to Allah for the comforts, good health and all the other blessings He
has imparted.
One very important aspect of prayer is this: In addition to praying
out loud, it is also important for a person to make everyeffort to
pray through his or her deeds. Prayer by action means doing everything
possible to attain a certain wish. For example, in addition to
praying, a sick person may also have to visit an expertdoctor, use
medicines that will be of benefit, and receive hospital treatment if
necessary, or some other form of special care. Because, Allah has
linked everything that happens inthis world to specific causes.
Everything in the world and in the universe happens in accordance with
these causes. Therefore, the individual must take the requisite
measures in accordance with these causes, and yet await the outcome
from Allah, with humility, submission and patience, in the knowledge
that it is He Who brings about their results.
The positive effect of faith and prayer on the sick and the way these
accelerate treatment is a matter that has attracted the attention of
and is recommended by doctors. Under the heading"God and Health: Is
Religion Good Medicine? Why Science Is Starting to Believe," the 10
November,2003, edition of the famous magazine Newsweek took the
curative effect of religion as its cover story. It reported that faith
in God raised people's morale and helped them recover more easily, and
that science hadalso begun to believe that people with religious faith
recover more easily and quickly. According to a Newsweek survey, 72%
of Americans say they believethat praying can cure someone and that
prayer facilitates recovery. Research in Great Britain and the USA has
also concluded that prayer reduces patients' symptoms and accelerates
the recovery process.
According to research conducted at Michigan University, depression and
stress are observed to lesser extent in the devout.And, according to
findings at Rush University in Chicago, the early death rate among
people who worship and pray regularlyis some 25% lower than in those
with no religious convictions. Another study conducted on 750 people,
who underwent angiocardiography, provedscientifically the "curative
power of prayer." It was established that the death rate among heart
patients who prayed decreased by 30% within a year after their
operations.
Examples of the prayers mentioned in the Qur'an are:
And Ayyub when he called out to his Lord,"Great harm has afflicted me
and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful," We responded to him
and removed from him the harm which was afflicting him and restored
his family to him, and the same again with them, as a mercy direct
from Us and a Reminder to all worshippers. (Qur'an, 21:83)

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Is it permissible to try tochoose verses and prescribed du‘aa’ for ruqyah, or is it obligatory to limit it to what has been narrated?

Is it permissible for the purpose of shar'i ruqyah to try to choose
verses, saheeh hadeeths and proven du'aa's? Or is it obligatory to
follow what is the proven in the saheeh hadeeths that speak
specifically of ruqyah as prescribed in sharee'ah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If the one who performs ruqyah does so by recitinggeneral verses of
the Qur'aan or general prayersseeking refuge with Allah or other
du'aa's for ruqyah, or whatever Allah may inspire him with of saheeh
du'aa's that are appropriate to the situation, without restricting it
to the specificruqyahs that have been narrated, there is nothing wrong
with that in sha Allah, because of the general meaning of the words of
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him: "Whoever among
you is able to benefit his brother,let him do so." Narrated by Ahmad,
13973; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 6019
And the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There
is nothing wrong with a ruqyah that does not involve shirk." Narrated
byMuslim, 2200.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The scholars are unanimously agreed that ruqya is permissible if three
conditions are met:
It should be done by reciting the words of Allah,may He be exalted, or
His names and attributes, and in Arabic or in a language the meaning
of which is understood, and with the belief that ruqyah has no effect
in and of itself; rather it is only effective by the will of Allah,
may He be exalted.
They differed as to whether that is a condition; the correct viewis
that it is essential to payattention to the above-mentioned
conditions. In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that 'Awf ibn Maalik said:
We used to recite ruqyahs during the jaahiliyyah, and we said:
OMessenger of Allaah, what do you think about that? He said: "Recite
your ruqyahs to me. There is nothing wrong with a ruqyah that does not
involve shirk."
And he narrated from Jaabir: The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) forbade ruqyah, then the family of 'Amr
ibn Hazm came to the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, we had a ruqyah that we
used to recite for scorpion stings, but you have forbidden ruqyah.
They recited it to him and he said: "I do not see anything wrong with
it. Whoever among you can benefit his brother, let himdo so."
Some scholars adhered to this general meaning and regarded as
permissible any ruqyah that brings benefits even if the meaning does
not make sense. But the hadeeth of 'Awf indicates that any ruqyah that
leads to shirk is forbidden, and anything that does not make sense
cannot be guaranteed not to lead to shirk, so it is forbidden as a
precaution. And the final condition is essential. … al-Qurtubi said:
Whatever (ruqyah) is by reciting the words or names of Allah is
permissible; if it is narrated in a report (from the Prophet
(blessings andpeace of Allah be upon him)) it is mustahabb.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 10/195
Al-Khattaabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to ruqyah, what is forbidden is that which is not in
Arabic, because it is not known what it means and perhaps it may
involve witchcraft or kufr (disbelief). But if the meaning is clear
and it contains mention of Allah, may He be exalted, then it is
permissible to use it for ruqyah.
End quote from Ma'aalim as-Sunan, 4/226
Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ruqyah is of four types: that which is mentioned inthe Sunnah – it is
prescribed and mustahabbto use it as ruqyah; that which is shirk or
bid'ah – itis haraam to use it as ruqyah; that which is a permissible
du'aa' in which there is no shirk or bid'ah, but it is not something
that was narrated from the Prophet(blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him and his family) – it is permissible to use this as ruqyah.
Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said
concerning ruqyah: "Thereis nothing wrong with it so long as it is not
shirk."
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb, 6/14
See also the answer to question no. 141669
And Allah knows best.

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