Praised Manners - Dought & clear - The rights of one Muslimover another include those that are obligatoryand those that are mustahabb

We know the hadeeth ofthe Messenger (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him) about the rights of one Muslim over another. My question is:
Will we be sinning if we do not fulfil one of these rights towards our
Muslim brother? i.e., will we incur a burden of sin thereby?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The rights that one Muslim has over another are many, some of whichare
individual obligations that are required of each person,and if he
fails to do themhe is sinning. Others are communal obligations; ifsome
people do them, the burden of sin is waived for the rest. And some are
mustahabb (encouraged) but not obligatory, so the Muslimis not sinning
if he does not do them.
Al-Bukhaari (1240) and Muslim (2162) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: "The rights of one
Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of salaam,
visiting the sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations, and
saying yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who
sneezes."
And Muslim (2162) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: "The rights of one Muslim over another are six." It
was said: What are they, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: "If you meet
him, greet him with salaam; if he invitesyou, accept the invitation;
if he asks for advice, give him sincere advice; if he sneezes
andpraises Allaah, say Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you);
if he falls sick, visit him; and if he dies, attend his funeral."
Ash-Shawkaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meantby the
words "The rightsof the Muslim" is that they should not be omitted and
doing them is either obligatory, or recommended to such an extent that
it is very similar to being obligatory and should not be omitted. The
word "right" (haqq) maybe used in the sense of obligatory, as was
mentioned by Ibn al-A'raabi.
End quote from Nayl al-Awtaar, 4/21
1.
Returning the greeting of salaam is obligatory ifthe greeting is given
to one person. If it is given to a group, then it is obligatory upon
the group (fard kifaayah or communal obligation; if one of the group
returnsthe greeting, the obligation as been met). With regard to
initiatingthe greeting, the basic principle is that it is Sunnah. It
says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (11/314):
Initiating the greeting is Sunnah mu'akkadah (a confirmed Sunnah)
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Spread the greeting of salaam amongst yourselves." It is obligatory
to return the greeting if it is given to one person. If the greeting
is given to a group, then in their caseresponding is a fard kifaayah
(communal obligation); if one of them responds the sin is waived from
the others, but if they all respond, they have all done what is
required, Whether they respond all together or one after another. If
they all refrain from responding,then they are all sinning because of
the report which says: "The rights of one Muslim over another are
five: returning (the greeting) of salaam…"
End quote.
2.
Visiting the sick it is a communal obligation. Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
Visiting the sick is a fard kifaayah (communal obligation).
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 13/1085
See also the answer to question no. 71968
3.
Attending funerals is also a fard kifaayah (communal obligation). See
the answer to question no. 67576
4.
With regard to acceptinginvitations, if the invitation is to a wedding
feast, then the majority of scholars are of the view that it is
obligatory to accept unless there is a legitimate shar'i reason not to
do so. If it is for something other than a wedding feast, the majority
are of the view that it is mustahabb. But there are conditions for
accepting invitations in general terms. For details of that please
seethe answer to question no. 22006
5.
With regard to saying Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you)to
one who sneezes, there is a difference of opinion concerning the
ruling.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 4/22:
This saying Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you) is Sunnah
according to the Shaafa'is.
According to the Hanbalis and the Hanafis, it is obligatory.
The Maalikis said – and itis an opinion among the Hanbalis – that it
is a communal obligation. It was narrated from al-Bayaan that the
stronger view is that it isan individual obligation (fard 'ayn),
because of the hadeeth: "It is the duty of every Muslim who hears him
(the one who sneezes) to say: Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on
you). End quote
The more correct opinion is that it is obligatory on the one who hears
the sneezer praise Allah (by saying "Al-hamdu Lillah"), because of the
report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6223) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) who said: "Allaah likes the act of sneezing and dislikes
theact of yawning, so if any one of you sneezes and praises Allaah
(says 'al-hamdu Lillaah'), it is aduty on every Muslim who hears him
to say to him, 'Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).'"
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:We have quoted above
the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, in which it says: "if any one of you
sneezes and praises Allaah (says 'al-hamdu Lillaah'), it is a duty
(haqq) on every Muslim who hears him to say to him, 'Yarhamuk Allaah
(may Allaah have mercy on you).". al-Tirmidhi included the hadeeth of
Anas under the heading: Chapter on what was narrated about it being
obligatory to say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)when one
who sneezes says Al-hamdu Lillah (Praise be to Allah). This indicates
that it is obligatory in his view, and this is the correct view,
because of the hadeeths that clearly indicate that it is obligatory
and there was nothing to contradict that, and Allah knows best.
One of them is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah mentioned above, and
another is his other hadeeth, "There are five (rights) that the Muslim
has over his brother," which is also mentioned above. Another is the
hadeeth of Saalim ibn 'Ubayd, in which it says: "Let those who are
with him say to him: Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)."
And another is the report narrated by at-Tirmidhi from 'Ali who said:
The Messengerof Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"The Muslim has six (rights) over his fellow-Muslim: he shouldgreet
him with salaam when he meets him; he should respond when heinvites
him; he should say Yarhamuk Allah (mayAllah have mercy on you)if he
sneezes; he should visit him if he falls sick; he should attend his
funeral if he dies; and heshould love for him whathe loves for
himself." He (at-Tirmidhi) said: This is a hasan hadeeth. It was also
narrated via another isnaad from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him). Some of the scholars spoke negatively about
al-Haarith al-A'war (one of the narrators). In the same chapter it is
also narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Abu Ayyoob, al-Bara' and Abu Mas'ood.
And another of these hadeeths is that which was narrated by
at-Tirmidhi from Abu Ayyoob, according to which the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "If one of you
sneezes, let him say Al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah); and let him
say 'ala kulli haal (in all circumstances). And let the one who
responds tohim say: Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you). And
let him say: Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslih baalakum (May Allah guide you
and set your affairs straight).
There are four kinds of proof in the hadeeth quoted above ("if any one
of you sneezes and praises Allaah (says 'al-hamdu Lillaah'), it is
aduty (haqq) on every Muslim who hears him tosay to him, 'Yarhamuk
Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you)"):
(i) there is a clear statement that it is obligatory to
say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you), which cannot be
interpreted in any other way;
(ii) it is made obligatory by use of the word haqq
(translated above as duty);
(iii) it is made obligatory by use of the word 'ala (on).
This word clearly means that it is obligatory
(iv) it is enjoined. There can be no doubt that there are
many duties that are proven tobe obligatory on the basis of less
evidence than this. And Allah knows best.
End quote from Haashiyat Ibn al-Qayyim 'ala Sunan Abi Dawood, 13/259
He also said: The apparent meaning of the hadeeth mentioned above is
that saying Yarhamuk Allah is an individual obligation upon everyone
who hears the one who sneezed say Al-hamdu Lillah; it is not
acceptable for just one of them to say it. This is one of the two
scholarly opinions, which was favoured by the Maalikis Ibn Abi Zayd
and Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi, and it cannot be otherwise.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 2/437
6.
With regard to giving him advice if he asks for it, it is most likely
that offering advice is a communal obligation.
Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The apparent meaning of the words of Ahmad and our companions is that
it is obligatory to offer advice to the Muslim, even if he does not
ask for it, as is the apparent meaning of the reports.
End quote from al-Adaabash-Shar'iyyah by Ibn Muflih, 1/307
Al-Mullah 'Ali al-Qaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"If he asks you for advice" means if he asks you for advice, then
giveit to him; it is obligatory.It is also obligatory to give advice
even if he did not ask for it.
End quote from Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh, 5/213
al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is clear that what is meant by "duty" (haqq) here is that it is
obligatory. This is different from the wordsof Ibn Battaal who said
that what is meant is theduty of respect and companionship. It
seemsthat what is meant here is that it is a communal obligation.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 3/113
And Allah knows best.

Our attitude and duties towards New Year's Eve

· The first day of the Christian yearshould be regarded as an ordinary
day. We should not show any sign of celebration.
· Everyone should check his familyand children lest they celebrate
itdue to the influence of a friend ora TV channel, or due to a sense
ofcuriosity or imitation. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn
'Umar both, that the Prophet, , said: "Each of you is a caretaker and
each of you is responsible for those under his care. The ruler is a
caretaker of people and is responsible for his subjects. The man is a
caretaker of his family and is responsible for his family members. The
woman is a caretaker of her husband's house and children and is
responsible for them. The servant is a caretaker of his master's
property and is responsible for it. Each of you is acaretaker and is
responsible for those under his care." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Al-Munaawi said, "It is incumbent upon each of you to dispense justice
if one is a ruler and not to be treacherous if he is ruled. Everyone
is a caretaker andis responsible for those under hiscare in the
Hereafter. The one who has anyone under his care has to be fair with
them, and do what is beneficial for them in terms of religious and
worldly matters as well as all relevant things. If he fulfills that,
he will receive a great reward. Otherwise, one of those who were under
his care may ask him for his rights in the Hereafter." [ Faydh
Al-Qadeer [
· Congratulations and gifts must not be exchanged with either Muslims
or non-Muslims who celebrate the night of the birthday of Christ .
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "It is forbidden by unanimous agreement of
scholars to congratulate the disbelievers on their specific rites,
such as their feasts and fasting, by saying, for example, "Merry
Christmas!" or "Happy feast!" and the like. Even if the Muslim who
says that does not become a disbeliever for doing so, he has certainly
done something that is forbidden. Thisis equal to congratulating them
on prostrating to the cross. It is agreater sin in the sight of Allaah
The Almighty and more reprehensible than congratulating them on
drinking alcohol, committing adultery andthe like. Many people who do
not practice any religion do that, and they are unaware of the
ugliness of their actions.
The one who does that exposes himself to the Wrath of Allaah The
Almighty if he congratulates someone on a sin, religious innovation or
disbelief.
Righteous scholars used to avoid congratulating despots on coming to
power and those who were ignorant on assuming the office of a judge,
teacher or Mufti (a scholar who is qualified to issue religious
verdicts) to save themselves from the wrath of Allaah The Almighty and
for fear of losing their status in His sight. If the Muslim
congratulates themto avoid the evil he anticipates from them and says
nothing but good words and supplicates for their guidance and success,
thereis no harm in that. Guidance is sought from Allaah The Almighty."
[ Ahkaam Ahl Ath-Thimmah [
· It is not permissible to take a holiday from studies, official or
private work.
· It is not permissible to contact live programs over the satellite
channels and radio stations to request songs, or send greetings and
the like, unless one contacts these stations to disapprove of such
acts. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri that he
heard the Messenger of Allaah, , saying: "Whoever among you sees evil,
let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then
with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his
heart – and that is the weakest level of faith." [Muslim]
· Muslim merchants should fear Allaah The Almighty and not sell
anything that helps to depict andcontribute to the celebrations of
that rite. Ibn Al-Haajj said, "Itis unlawful for the Muslim to sell
the Christians meat, food, clothing or to lend them riding animals,
because in doing so he will be helping them with their disbelief,
something that should be disallowed by Muslim rulers." [ Fataawa Ibn
Hajar Al-Haytami [

Imitating non-Muslims and the celebration of the New Year

Nowadays, whenever anybody visits some of the Muslim countries, they
find that the circumstances within them are quite different to what
they would have expected. One only needs to set foot in these
countries and begin to wander their streets to witness the
tragicbehaviour of its inhabitants.
When one observes the level of joy and ecstasy as the different
classes of people within the Muslim communities prepare to receive
Christmas and New Year's Eve, it seems impossible to believe what one
previously heard about the Muslim countriesand how its people were
adhering to Islam.
The entrances of hotels, cafés and stores are festooned with Christmas
decorations; photographers dress up as Santa Claus and go around
taking souvenir photos of people; florists compete in selling their
produce for people who rush to buy it for this occasion regardlessof
the price. Some Muslims prepare to hold parties in their houses and
hotels and these hotels have tempting special offers for people to
hold their parties in their halls and party rooms during that period.
The media plays a huge part in propagating these celebrations; it
prepares various television programmes and series in anticipation of
these events.
The fact of the matter is that all of these actions represent a
comprehensive imitation of western culture and can only be the result
of very low levels of faith or indeed a total lack of it; to exhibit
this type of behaviour is to strip oneself from the distinction and
superiority of Islam and it is also an evil which makes Muslims who
partake in such celebrations be included in the saying of the Prophet
: "He who imitates a people will befrom among them (on the Day of
Judgement)." [Abu Daawood] Andin another narration, he said: "The one
who imitates people other than us (i.e., in faith) is not from us. Do
not imitate the Jews or the Christians." [Tirmithi]Imaam Ahmad said:
"The very least that this Hadeeth entails is the prohibitionof
imitating them (i.e., the Jews and the Christians); although it is
also apparent that the Hadeeth labels the one who does so as a
disbeliever (as 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 [
When Muslims imitate non-Muslims their rank in the Sight of Allaah
decreases. This is because a Muslim is superior to a disbeliever, so
if he were to imitate a disbeliever then he would descend from his
lofty rank to that which is inferior and this is a form of being
ungrateful for the bounties of Allaah and an insult to the religion of
Islam because Islam is superior to everything else and nothing should
be given priority over it.
Islam has established a path to guidance which differs from the
culture and customs of the disbelievers regardless of whether they are
from the people of the book or otherwise. Islam abrogates all previous
religions and legislations and ourMuslim nation is the one to be
followed and not one which should blindly imitate others.
Anas ibn Maalik said: "The Prophet arrived in Madeenah while people
were celebrating two particular festivals, so he asked: "What is (the
significance of) these two days?" Some peoplereplied: ' They are days
which we used to celebrate during the pre-Islamic era.' So the
Messenger replied: "Allaah has replaced them for you with two days
which are better, the day of 'Eed Al-Fitr and 'Eed Al-Adh-haa" "
[AbuDaawood] . Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to
celebrate New Year, because is it not one of the celebrations of
theMuslims.
Muslim merchants and traders must not participate in any aspect of
celebrating this day; they should not imitate the Christian merchants
in the types of merchandise they sell during this period and they
should refrain from decorating their shops with special lights and
other kinds of decorations to commemorate this occasion.
Imaam Ibn Al-Haajj mentioned in his book which mentioned the sayings
of the Maaliki school of opinion in Islaam: "It is not permissible for
any Muslim to sell the Christians anything distinctly used during
their religious celebrations, whether it is meat, grease or clothing;
they should also refrain from assisting them in any of the affairs of
their religion, because this is a form of honouring disbelief and
aiding them in their disbelief and the Muslim leaders should forbid
the Muslims from doing so. This is the ruling of Imaam Maalik and
others and I do not know of any Islamic scholar who differed with this
ruling."
It is our religious duty to boycott these celebrations; are we
unableto prevent our children and othermembers of our household from
participating in these immoral celebrations? How can a Muslim father
watch his children preparefor these parties on New Years Eve and
remain silent? Some parents even participate in this by purchasing
items for the parties and by making their own plans for that night
with their friends and relatives so that the way is paved for their
children to spend the night with their girlfriend or boyfriend by
listening to music, dancing, intermixing with the opposite sex and
many other acts that Allaah has prohibited and which would make
morality shed tears and chastity protest.
Such parents seem to consider these actions as normal, despite the
fact that they will certainly beheld to account for the cultivation
and upbringing of their children. Allaah Says what means: " O you who
have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose
fuel is people and stones…" [Quran 66: 6] Did such fathers, who did
not prevent their children from celebrating the New Year protect
themselves andtheir children from the Hellfire?
Fear Allaah in your behaviour and actions; remain firm on His
obedience and refrain from disobeying Him; encourage your wives and
children to adhere to Islamic rulings and assist them inthis; rebuke
them and restrain them from committing sins so that you may protect
yourselves from the Hellfire.
Many Muslims do not seem to realise that these celebrations are an
integral part of the Christian religion and form part of its rituals.
Being joyful and participating in their religious celebrations is in
fact a celebration and an honouring of disbelief, which has a
devastatingimpact upon the creed and faith of a Muslim.
How can a Muslim rejoice at any celebration of the non-Muslims while
he reads the book of Allaahin which He Almighty Says what means: "
Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the
polytheists wishthat any good should be sent down to you from your
Lord…" . [Quran 2:105 [
How can a Muslim rejoice while he reads the words of Allaah where He
Almighty Says what means: "Many of the People of the Scripture wish
they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of
envy from themselves…" [Quran 2: 109 [
How can any Muslim compromisehis creed and faith and join the
Christians in their rituals of disbelief while Allaah Says what means:
"They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be
alike…" [Quran 4: 89]and, "If they gain dominance over you, they would
be [i.e., behave] to you as enemies and extend against you their hands
and their tongues with evil, and they wish you would disbelieve."
[Quran 60: 2 [
Fear Allaah and thank Him for having guided you to Islam and for
making you distinct and superior by sending Muhammad , the Prophet of
mercy, especially for you. Allaah has made you the best nation that
was ever sent to mankind, provided you adhere to Islam andfollow the
Prophet .
Be proud of your religion, because it is the only one that is based on
sound creed, just legislation and honourable manners. Do not be
deceived by what many people do for they are unaware of the reality of
Islam; resist these evil innovations which have conquered our
communities by boycotting these celebrations and be as Allaah Says
(what means): "Follow [O Mankind] what has been revealed to you from
your Lord and do not followother than Him any allies…" [Quran 7: 3]and
do not be as Allaah Says (what means): "And be not like those who
forgot Allaah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the
defiantly disobedient." [Quran 59: 19]but do everything that will make
you prosper in this life and the Hereafter.

When there is a Sick Person in Our House

Illness is a trial from Allaah The Almighty, with which He, The
Exalted, afflicts whomever He wills from among His servants; totest
this person and purify them from any sins. The Prophet said: "A pious
Muslim's situation is amazing, for it is all good; and this is not for
anyone except for the pious Muslim. If he is granted[from Allaah]
welfare, he is thankful and this is good for him.If he is inflicted
with distress he is patient and this is good for him." [Muslim]
A member of the family may become ill and bedridden; or there may be
elderly members that need special care. Cases suchas these definitely
require a greatdeal of concern and conscientiousness. A feeling of
tranquility and psychological comfort are necessary in a patient's
room, which is a positive factor in the process of recovery. This
requires:
• Caring for the patient and supplicating Allaah The Almighty that He
cures him, in a way that helps the patient feel optimistic and pleased
with the decree of Allaah The Almighty. We supplicate for the patient
by saying, "Ath-hib Al-Ba's Rab An-Naas. Ishfi wa anta Ash-Shaafi,la
Shifaa' Illa Shifaa'uk, Shifaa'an la Yughaadiru Saqama." (Remove pain,
O Lord of people. Cure for You are the Healer and there is nocure
except Yours, [Your cure is] acure that leaves no illness.)
[Al-Bukhaari]
• Another Du'aa (supplication) forthe sick is: "Allaahumma Rab
An-Naas, Muth-hib Al-Ba's, Ishfi anta Ash-Shaafi, wala Shaafi Illa
ant, Ishfi Shifaa'an la Yughaadiru Saqama." (O Allaah, Lord of people,
Remover of pain. Heal for You are The Healer and there is no healer
except You. Cure a cure that leaves no illness.) [Ahmad and
Al-Bukhaari]
• The lighting in the patient's room should be suitably low to give a
feeling of comfort and peace. Care should be taken so that the lights
do not point directly into the patient's eyes. When the patient needs
sufficientlighting to be able to read, this can be provided if his
condition allows it.
• Ventilation in the room should be suitable without letting the
patient be exposed to strong air currents.
On opening windows to freshen the air in the room, a partition should
be placed so that air currents do not directly blow towards the
patient. Limiting theair flow can also be achieved by opening the
windows slightly. Maintaining a constant temperature in the patient's
room is also very important.
• Maintaining the room's cleanliness without upsetting thepatient by
taking care to use disinfectants [avoiding toxins likechorine] in the
cleaning process, and trying to minimize the circulation of dust
particles and noise pollution that result duringcleaning.
• Having plants and flowers in the patient's room [or as a view from
his window] because it provides a kind of joy and refreshment, and
helps the patient to be more comfortable psychologically. Changing the
arrangement of the flowers from time to time imparts a feeling of
change and prevents boredom. Itis important to take care to keep
strongly scented flowers away from the patient's bed if his health
requires that.
• Fulfilling the patient's needs and providing his requirements
without him having to repeatedlyrequest them.
• If the patient is able to serve himself, it is best to have his
medications nearby within reach,on a table near o him; along witha
glass of water, paper tissues, a small clock, a Quran, a book he
enjoys, a small radio and so on.