Fathwa - Combining an intention to fasting on Monday andThursday with another fast

Question
Is it permissible to fast the six days of Shawwaal every Monday and
Thursday with both intentions of fasting the six days of Shawwaal
andfasting on Mondays and Thursdays to attain both rewards? What is
the ruleon combining more than one intention in one deed? For example,
is it permissible to fast in Ramadhaan and on Mondays intend the fast
of Ramadhaan along with the Sunnah of fasting on Mondays?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad,
is His slave and messenger.
Combining more than one intention in a single deed is what is known
among the people of knowledge as "At-Tashreek". Its ruling is that if
it is done in terms of means or in intersecting matters, it is valid
and the required purpose of both acts of worship is achieved. For
example, if someone performs Ghusl due to Janaabah on Friday for the
sake of Friday and forthe sake of eliminating his Janaabah, then his
Janaabah is eliminated and he attains the reward of having a bath on
Friday. If one of the two acts of worship is not intended but the
other is intended for itself, it is valid to combine them and this
does not detract from theact of worship like performing the prayer of
greeting the Masjid with an obligatory or some other Sunnah prayer.
Greeting the Masjid is notintended for itself but what is intended is
occupying the place with prayer and this happened.
If this is established, thenknow that there is no harm in combining
between fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and any other fasting.
Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays is recommended because they are the
days when deeds are presented to Allaah The Almighty. The Prophet,
liked fasting them for his deeds to be raised while he is fasting.The
Prophet, said: "Deeds are presented (to Allaah) on Monday and Thursday
and I like my deeds to be presented when I am fasting." [As-Suyooti on
the authority of Abu Hurayrah; Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
The questioner should not combine the intention of obligatory fasting
with any voluntary fasting. The intended meaning of fasting on Mondays
and Thursdays is achieved without the need of an intention.
Allaah Knows best.

Caution against apathy - II

Causes of apathy
There are many causes of apathy and they vary in importance. Some of
them are: insincerity in performing deeds, ostentation, and a lack of
religious knowledgethat makes one ignorant of the reward of deeds and
the virtues of patience. Also, being attached to this worldly life and
forgettingthe Hereafter, perhaps because ofobeying or being occupied
with one's spouse and children, causesone to neglect many acts of
obedience, and if one is not alert,to misunderstand religion itself.
This may seem a strange possibility, but what is even morebizarre is
for one to understand the nature of this religion and taste the
sweetness of faith, and then stop working for its development.
Additionally, other causes include: committing sins and evil deeds and
consuming money procured through unlawful or doubtful means.
As for why those who call others to Islam fall prey to apathy, the
reasons are numerous:
·Being unclear of one's goals behind his or her propagation, which
should be: seeking the satisfaction of Allaah The Almighty, liberating
people from slavery to any entity other than the Lord of the worlds
and establishing the religion of Allaahon earth.
·Weakness of belief in the goal orthe means employed inDa'wah.
·Extremism that drives one to despair and abandoning his or her work
·Apprehension because of the many impediments and obstaclesin the path
ofDa'wahand the preacher, which Allaah The Almighty has tested all
previous callers to Islam with.
·Independence and reclusiveness that leads to misery and boredom.
·Adopting limited methods of propagation and not considering new means
that may assist in conveying the message to peopleand at the same
time, retain the principles ofDa'wahand its spirit.For example, people
may avoid a variation in the modes of address, whereas everyone should
be spoken to in a manner that suits their level of intellect and the
medium they prefer: audio or print, or other forms. Likewise, there is
sometimes no variation in the method of delivering lectures of
knowledge and the Quran, in terms of place and means.
·Forgetting the persistent enmityof Satan.
·Being heedless of the challenge the disbelievers present for Muslims
and that they utilize every means to turn us away from our religion
and contrive plots against us.
·The illusions and whispers of the devil that sow fear and cast doubts
in the heart of the caller about the soundness of the way that he or
she is following.
In addition to the aforesaid causes, there are diseases of the heart:
envy, suspicions about others, hatred, love of fame, arrogance and
negligence in performing acts of worship, such as the daily prayers
andThikr(remembrance of Allaah The Almighty). Also, apathy may
stemfrom believing victory is out of reach, always expecting immediate
results, having a lack of stability because there is no sense of
direction, leaving work uncompleted and moving on to something else,
looking at those lesser in terms of knowledge andworship, thereby
undermining the morale, and socializing with those who seek this
worldly life, thus being negatively influenced by them.
Indeed, only those whom Allaah The Almighty protects, are saved from
that and from being overcome by apathy when treating one's state of
indifference.
Treatment of apathy
Allaah The Almighty provided a remedy for every disease, apathy being
one of the severest spiritual kind. When left unnoticed, it leads an
inflicted person toward deviation and mayvery well cause his or her
ultimate destruction. Hence, treatment is very important, by utilizing
every means that prevent the disease from occurring and eradicating it
if it has already developed. The following are some of the most
important means that would be useful in that regard:
-Avoiding the causes that lead to this disease, which is the most
crucial factor in helping safeguard a person from its evil. Moreover,
it is necessary to realize the gravity of the illness and the
significance of avoiding it, through precautionary measures or proper
treatment.
-Supplicating to Allaah The Almighty and seeking His help, as He is
the One Who responds to the prayer of the distressed; and indeed,
whoever is afflicted in faith and fears destruction, is in the worst
state of distress. Moreover, it is only He Whose help is sought in
everything, as the Prophet,, commanded Mu'aathto say at the end of
every prayer:"Allaahumma a'inni 'alaa thikrika wa-shukrika wa-husni
'ibaadatik (O Allaah, Help me to remember [only] You, thank You and
worship You perfectly)."
-Enhancing, renewing and caring to increase one's faith by
intensifying worship, for this is the true provision of the believer
that alleviates his or her sufferingon the trying path to Paradise.
-Having confidence in the oversight of Allaah the Almighty and
increasing one's remembrance of Him. This necessitates fearing,
glorifying, loving and imploring Him, and believing in His knowledge
and omnipotence. By invoking Him, one's heart becomes tranquil; but,
perhaps the greatest of all acts, is strengthening one's bondwith the
Quran through frequent recitation, understanding, contemplation and
application. Moreover, one is required to consider it as a judge and
refer allissues and disputes to its authority; surely, the one who is
not guided by the Quran will be led astray by his or her fancies.
-Sincerity and piety; Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{O you who
have believed, if you fearAllaah, He Will Grant you a criterion
[between right and wrong].}[Quran 8:29]
-Purifying hearts from animosity,rancor, jealousy and ill thoughts of
others; this helps to open the heartand guard its integrity.
-Seeking knowledge, as it is very important to attend religious
lectures and circles ofThikr. Knowledge is the way to knowing and
fearing Allaah The Almighty, and it is the provision of one's heart.
-Being moderate in worship and all righteous deeds.
-Organizing one's time and constantly calling oneself to account.
-Adhering to the society of Muslims and strengthening the ties of brotherhood.
-Maintaining relations with thosewho may also be overcome by apathy
and aiding them in avoiding deviation.
-Having been brought up according to the comprehensive methodology of
the Prophet,, which is a deterrent to listlessness.
-Performing numerous good deeds and not the exact same ones.Thikr,
recitation of the Quran, prayers, reading useful books, enjoining
good, forbidding evil, helping others to fulfill their needs and
relieving the troubled, are but a few examples.
-Following the paradigm of the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention, and the sincere preachers, in their zeal, punctuality and
righteousness, steadfastness, noble aims and determination. A Muslim's
first concern should be Paradise and main purpose, seeking the
satisfaction of Allaah The Almighty by continuing to worship, until
death arrives.
-Remembering death frequently, fearing an evil demise, visiting the
graves and seeing people in the throes of death. This urges a Muslim
to repent without delay, have a content heart and a body yearning to
worship. On the other hand, forgetting about death leads a person to
adopt the opposite.
-Remembering Paradise and Hell and reading their descriptions in the
Quran and the Sunnah; this would strengthen the determination of a
Muslim and sharpen his or her resolve.
-Increasing and carrying on in righteous deeds, while avoiding
slackness. This is especially important with respect to routine acts
of worship, because a person who abandons a voluntary deed is very
close to leaving an obligation as well.
-Being patient and training oneself to be so. Undoubtedly, the way of
knowledge, worship andDa'wahis lengthy, strenuous and full of troubles
and hardship.We seek the help of Allaah The Almighty to keep us
steadfast on His religion and grant us a good end.

Caution against apathy - I

All praise be to Allaah The Almighty, Who created and proportioned,
Who destined and guided; and may prayers and peace be upon the Prophet
of guidance,, and those who are guided by him.
Success is the goal of those who work hard; and, Allaah The Almighty
has made it contingent on purifying, disciplining and refining the
soul, as He Says (what means):
·{He has certainly succeeded whopurifies himself.}[Quran 87:14]
·{He has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who instills
it[with corruption].}[Quran 91:9-10]
Furthermore, Allaah The Almightysent His Prophet,, as a teacher and a
mentor, as He Says (what means):{It is He Who Has Sent among the
unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and
purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they
were before in clear error.}[Quran 62:2] Hence, the Prophet,, was
careful to elevate and cleanse the souls of his Companions.
And such is the practice of all those who seek to draw close to Allaah
The Almighty. The Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and their
followers, all reformed and purified their souls.The Prophet,, endured
much hardship in calling his people to Allaah The Almighty. Every
night, he used to stand before his Lord, bowing and prostrating,
supplicating to Him and seeking His help, in full submission and
humility to Him. And so, for an entire year, this practice became
obligatory on all Muslims becauseof its great effect in reforming
their hearts, motivating them and keeping them steadfast. Therefore,
even today, though it is no longer mandatory, praying at night is
indispensable.
Thus, all Muslims, particularly those who seek religious knowledge and
those who call others to Allaah The Almighty, are required to
prioritize the reform and discipline of their souls, maintain their
relationship with Allaah The Almighty and take care of their manners
toward others. This should be the starting point for inviting other
people toward the faith and rectifying them.
Purification, beautification and striving
Among the most important guidelines in reforming the soul, is to
purify it from following its desires, which bring about countless
diseases. Since the source of an illness can only be treated by
countering its effects, the heart can be cured by acting in a way that
contradicts one's whims. Allaah The Almighty concisely mentioned this,
when He Said (what means),{But as for he who feared the position of
his Lord and prevented the soul from[unlawful] inclination, Then
indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.}[Quran 79:40-41]
The other requisite to the rectification of the self, is to truly
struggle for it, to be among those Allaah The Almighty mentions, when
He Says (what means):{And those who strive forUs - We will surely
guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allaah is with the doers of
good.}[Quran 29:69] An important aspect of striving is to be resolute;
so, when one forsakes a certain desire and Allaah The Almighty tests
him or her by facilitating its causes, he or she must be patientand
determined. Otherwise, if thesoul is irresolute, it will become
accustomed to being that way and be prone to corruption.
The third step in reforming the soul is to beautify it, by instructing
it to do righteous deeds until it gets used to them and doing them
becomes an inherent characteristic. The Prophet,, said:"Knowledge and
forbearance are obtained by training for, and perseverance in
attaining, them. The one who earnestly seeks goodness will be granted
it and the one who avoids evil, will be protected against it."There is
no doubt thatone's deeds have a correlation to the heart. Every
quality that is in the heart is reflected on one's body; equally,
every deed that is performed by the limbs, influences the heart. This
is only one aspect that showcases the wonderful link between the
heartand the body.
Caution against apathy
When the soul is purified from following its base desires and is
beautified by its righteous deeds and virtues, a person is required to
then shift his or her focus to the manner of his or her performance of
religious duties and favorable acts, and refrainingfrom prohibitions
and disliked deeds.
Thus, even when a person is doing what is permissible, it is essential
to ensure having a pure intention, because laziness and negligence are
part of human nature. The Prophet,, said:"Every act of worship and
obedience witnesses a primary surge followed by a state of slackness.
A person who remains within the boundaries of my Sunnah, even at times
of slackness, will prosper. Otherwise, he [or she] would be on the
path towards ruin."
In his book,Madaarij As-Saalikeen, Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid:"It is inevitable
that worshippers become dispassionate. Yet, even during such a phase,
if a man adheres to what is right and remains steadfast without
neglecting obligations or committing unlawful acts, he is expected to
eventually return to a state that is perhaps even better than his
former one."
Degrees of apathy
Based on the above, it is inevitable that everyone will experience a
period of listlessness and apathy. However,it may be of either of
these types:
1.General: this impacts all acts of worship and instills an intense
dislike toward them; it is the most dangerous kind and is a state of
the hypocrites.
2.Specific: this is characterized bya sense of lassitude regarding
certain acts of obedience, along with undesirability, but not hatred;
such is what many immoral Muslims are mired in.
3.Physical: sometimes, there is a desire to perform good deeds, but
there is a feeling of weariness and disinterest; and this is how many
Muslims are. The danger here lies in the fact that one's time passes
by, and hisor her life is wasted without having done anything
beneficial. What is even more dangerous is if he or she deteriorates
to a worse level and ends up being like the hypocrites in their
neglect of obligations and other good deeds.
Hence, even the Prophet,, used to seek refuge with Allaah The Almighty
from weakness andlaziness every morning and evening, and teach his
Companionsto do the same. Moreover, when the believers were slow in
their response to the call forJihaad(fighting or struggling), Allaah
The Almighty reproached them for it and urgedthem to race each other
and hasten in doing righteous deeds, and motivated them by describing
the reward of such forerunners in faith.
Apathy and the caller to Islam
Listlessness is a disease that afflicts everyone, regardless of their
degrees of faith. However, itis particularly alarming if it affects
the callers to Allaah The Almighty and those who seek knowledge.
Therefore, it is necessary to evade it by all meansand immediately
treat it if one does fall prey to it.
Since prevention is better than cure, one should make a habit of being
attentive so as to steer clear of any symptoms of apathy that may
gradually lead to ruin. Ifthat happens, the remedy and cure would be
very difficult. The diseases of the heart are like a plant, easy to
uproot in its early stages; however, if it grows and becomes firm in
the earth, removing it requires strong men and tools.
Moreover, an ill heart presents with simple symptoms, but, if left
untreated, will choke a person in its grip and turn into a chronic and
incurable problem. Therefore, as callers to Allaah TheAlmighty, we are
required to examine ourselves and ponder our condition. If there is
any sign of apathy, we are immediately obliged to look for the cause
and seek treatment.
Aspects of apathy
Apathy manifests itself in many ways, some of which are as follows:
·Sense of lethargy and disinterestin performing acts of obedience
·NeglectingThikr(remembrance of Allaah The Almighty) and recitation of the Quran
·Hardness of the heart, such that it is not moved by Quranic verses or sermons
·Indifference toward committingacts of disobedience and letting that
become a habit
·Lack of responsibility and realization of being entrusted with a great trust
·Lack of eagerness in performingDa'wah(propagation to Islam)
·Weakness of the bonds of brotherhood among those who should love each
other for the sake of Allaah The Almighty
·An intense concern with this worldly life and indulging oneselfin its
pleasures at the expense of doing righteous deeds
·Idle talk, increasingly engaging in disputes and self-praise
·Creating problems
·Bothering oneself with petty issues and neglecting serious
andbeneficial work that serves the Ummah
·Weakness of faith and an indifference toward violations of the
commands of Allaah The Almighty
·Wasting time
·Exhibiting no readiness to handle responsibility and avoiding serious
work, instead indulging in actions with no objectives
·Demonstrating a chaotic demeanor in one's work
·Criticizing every positive act
·Postponing good deeds
·Possessing excessive wishes.

The believer does not curse

When the Prophet,, guided the one who was seeking salvation to control
his tongue, this was an indication of the grave dangers of the tongue,
particularly when one gives it free rein. Getting used to abusingand
cursing is one of the greatestdangers of the tongue. Many people think
too lightly of this and therefore curse their children,
transportation, those who contradict their views, and even those with
whom they are joking. Hence, we will state someof what was reported in
warning against the dangers of cursing and making a habit of this.
The Meaning and Dangers of Cursing
Cursing means the deprivation and exclusion of goodness or of the
Mercy of Allaah The Almighty, and this can never be the habit ofthe
believers. The Prophet,, said,"The believer does not slander, curse,
or speak in an obscene or foul manner."In aHadeethon the authority of
Abu Hurayrahthe Prophet,, said:"It does not befit a man of truth to be
a curser."
Cursing a Believer is a Great Crime
Cursing a believer is a great crimethat a Muslim should never dare to
commit. To illustrate the enormity of this crime, it is enough to
mention theHadeethwhere the Prophet,, said:"Cursing a believer is like
killing him."Commenting on thisHadeeth, An-Nawawisaid,"According to
the apparent meaning of the Hadeeth, both killing and cursing are
equal in prohibition, however, killing is graver."Other scholars
said,"Cursing a believer is like killing him with respect to
prohibition, guilt and deprivation. This is because cursing is
deprivation of the mercy of Allaah The Almighty,and killing is
deprivation of life."
Beware of the Rebounding of the Curse!
When a person curses somethingthat does not deserve to be cursed, the
curse rebounds and comes back onto him, even if that which is cursed
is the subjugated wind. In aHadeethonthe authority of 'Abdullaah Ibn
'Abbaasit was mentioned that the wind blew away a man'souter garment
and, thereupon, he cursed the wind. The Prophet,, said to him:"Do not
curse the wind because it is commanded [by Allaah to blow]. Whoever
curses something and itdoes not deserve the curse, the curse will turn
back upon him."
Do Not Curse an Animal or a Mount
People often think of this as something trivial and they curse animals
as well as their means of transport. Such people are heedless of the
fact that doing so, they themselves mix with cursed things. It was
narrated that the Prophet,, was on a journey on which there was also a
woman from theAnsaarriding a she-camel. The she-camel annoyed her and
so she cursed it.Having heard her, the Messenger of Allaah,,
said:"Take off the load on its back and set it free because it is
cursed."'
Cursing a Specific Person
According to the consensus of the scholars, cursing is prohibited.
Imaam An-Nawawisaid,
There is a consensus among the scholars that cursing is prohibited.
Linguistically, cursing means to deprive or expel. In the Sharee'ah,
it means deprivation of the Mercy of Allaah The Exalted. For a person
whose status and end are not decisively known, it is not permissible
to deprive him of the Mercy of AllaahThe Almighty. Therefore, they
[the scholars] have said, 'It is not permissible to curse a specific
person, whether he is a Muslim or a disbeliever, unless there is a
Sharee'ah text that tells us that a specific person died or will die
as a disbeliever, like Abu Jahl and Satan; and it is impermissible to
curse a mount. However, cursing by general description is permitted
such as cursing women who artificially lengthen their hair or those
who have theirhair artificially lengthened for them, women who tattoo
or have themselves tattooed, the two parties of a Riba [interest]
transaction, those who produce images, evildoers, oppressors,
disbelievers and those who misappropriate the limits of theirland.
This is general cursing that does not specify someone in particular.
Cursing is from the Gravest of theGrave Major Sins
The MuslimUmmah(nation) has been afflicted by some of its youth who
joke with each other only by sending curses and abuse, as they
recklessly curse fathers and mothers. They do thisdespite the fact
that this is one ofthe grave major sins as the Prophet,, said:"One of
the gravest of grave major sins is when a person abuses his
parents."It was then asked,"O Messenger of Allaah, is it possiblethat
one could abuse his own parents?"The Prophet,, replied:"Yes, when he
abuses thefather or mother of another person and the latter returns
the insult."
Parents are the cause behind one's existence in this life and so they
should not be harmed, even by as little as being shown the signs of
tedium and annoyance infront of them by using the word "uff".
Therefore, what about those who curse their parents? These people are
in fact committing a grave major sin and deserve the supplication of
the Prophet,, against them as in theHadeethwhere he said,"May Allaah
curse the one who slaughters for the sake of anything other than
Allaah, the one who shelters a man who causes mischief upon the earth,
and the one who curses his parents."
Purify Your Tongue from Cursing
If cursing is dangerous, obscene and offensive to that extent, thenthe
believer, who seeks salvation on the Day when neither wealth nor
children will be of benefit to him, must refine and purify his tongue
from this disaster. He should recall the prohibition of the Prophet,,
in theHadeethwhere he said:"Do not curse one another invoking the
curse of Allaah, the wrath of Allaah, or thefire of Hell."
We ask Allaah The Almighty to purify our tongues, hearts and bodies
from everything that stirs His wrath.