Dought & clear - Affirmation that Allah has two feet

I am a seeker of knowledge and I am confused: do we affirm that Allah
has two feet, as is mentioned in the mawqoof hadeeth the isnaad of
which ends with Ibn 'Abbaas, "The kursiy (foot stool) is the place of
the feet"? Or dowe affirm that Allah has one foot, as it says in the
hadeeth: "… until the Lord of Glory places His foot in it (Hell)" (or,
according to another report, "… His foot on it…")? If Allah has two
feet, will Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,place both of His
feet onHell, taking into accountthe fact that the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) "His foot" appears in the
genitive (or possessive) and as we know, the genitive singular is
general in meaning?
Praise be to Allah.
One of the confirmed attributes of Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, is the foot.
The evidence for that is the report narrated by al-Bukhaari(6661) and
Muslim (2848) fromAnasibnMaalik,according to which the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Hell will keep
saying, 'Are there any more (to come)?' until the Lord of Glory, may
He be blessed and exalted, places His foot on it, then it will say,
'Enough, enough, byYour glory!' And all its parts will be integrated
together.
Al-Bukhaari(4850) and Muslim (2847) narrated that AbuHurayrah(may
Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "Hell and Paradise disputed, and Hell said:
'Ihave beenfavouredwiththe arrogant and proud.'Paradise said: 'What is
the matter with me, that no one will enter me except the weak, humble
and downtrodden?' Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, said to
Paradise:'You are My mercy by which I will show mercy to whomsoever I
will of My slaves.' And He said toHell: 'You are My punishment with
which Iwill punish whomsoever I will of My slaves. And each of you
will be full.' As for Hell, it will not be full until Allah, may He be
blessed and exalted, places His foot on it and it says, 'Enough,
enough.' Then it will be full and all its parts will be integrated
together, and Allah will not treat any of His creation unjustly. As
for Paradise, Allah will create a creation just for it."
This indicates that it is confirmed that Allah, may He be exalted, has a foot.
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Kursiy (foot
stool) is the place of the two feet, and the size of Throne cannot be
known."
This was narrated byIbn Khuzaymahinat-Tawheed, 1/248, no. 154; Ibn Abi
Shaybah inal-'Arsh, 61; ad-Daarimi inar-Radd 'ala al-Muraysi;
'Abdullah ibn al-Imam Ahmad inas-Sunnah; and al-Haakiminal-Mustadrak,
2/282 – heclassed it assaheehaccording to the conditions of the
twoshaykhs(al-Bukhaari andMuslim), andadh-Dhahabiagreed with him. It
was also classed assaheehby al-AlbaaniinMukhtasaral-'Uluw, p. 102; and
by Ahmad Shaakir in'Umdatat-Tafseer, 2/163.
AbuMoosaal-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Kursiy is
the place for the two feet, and it creaks as a saddle creaks.
Narrated by 'Abdullah ibn al-Imam Ahmad inas-Sunnah; Ibn Abu Shaybah
inal-'Arsh, 60; and by Ibn Jareer, al-Bayhaqi and others. Its isnaad
was classed as saheeh inal-Fath, 8/47 and by al-Albaani inMukhtasar
al-'Uluw, p. 123-124
These two reports confirm that Allah, may He be exalted, has two feet,
and this is the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah.
Imam Abu 'Ubayd al-Qaasim ibn Salaam (may Allah have mercy on him)
said: These hadeeths which say that our Lord smiles at the despair of
His slaves when things will soon change, and that Hell will not be
filled until your Lord places His foot on it, and that the Kursiyis
the place for the two feet – these hadeeths, as narrated, are true in
our opinion; they were narrated from trustworthy narrators to other
trustworthy narrators. But if we are asked about their meaning, we do
not explain them, and we have never seen any scholar discuss their
meanings.
Narrated by al-Bayhaqi inal-Asma' wa's-Sifaat, 2/198; Ibn 'Abd al-Barr
inat-Tamheed, 7/149
InFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah(2/376) it says: What we must do
isaffirm that which Allah has affirmed for Himself, such as two hands,
two feet, fingers and other attributes that are mentioned in the
Qur'an and Sunnah, in a manner that is befitting to Allah, may He be
glorified, without distorting the meaning, discussing how, likeningHim
to His creation or denying any of His attributes, because He, may He
be glorified, says(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)):"He is Allah, (the) One.
Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need,
He neither eats nor drinks).
He begets not, nor was He begotten;
And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-3]
"There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer"
[ash-Shoora 42:11].
So we take these (attributes) as true in a real sense, not
metaphorical. As for going to extremes in affirming attributes that
are not mentioned in the Qur'an or sunnah, we have to refrain from
doing so.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Bakr Abu Zayd, 'Abd al-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh,Saalih al-Fawzaan,
'Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan, 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullah ibn Baaz. End
quote.
Shaykh 'Abd ar-Rahmaanal-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) said: This
hadeeth confirms that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has a
foot. Ahl as-Sunnahaffirm that Allah has what is mentioned in this
hadeeth in a true sense, as they affirm all other divine attributes,
as they affirm that He has two hands and two eyes, and they say that
He, may He be exalted, has two feet, as is mentioned in the well-known
report from Ibn 'Abbaas that describes the Kursiy (footstool) and says
that it is the place for the feet– i.e., the feet of the Lord, may He
be glorified and exalted.
The view about the feet and hands is the same, and there is no room
for differentiation.
End quote fromSharh al-Waasitah, p. 172
What is proven is that Allah, may He be exalted,will place His foot on
Hell. We believe in this but we stop at this point and refrain from
going further (in discussion). We do not say that He will place both
of His feet on it, just as we do not say that He wrote the Torah with
His two hands. Rather we adhereto what has been narrated, because with
regard to the divine attributes, the matter is based on tawqeef (i.e.,
limiting it only to what has been narrated in sound texts).
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - Ruling on using hairbrushes made out ofboar (pig) bristles

Is it permissible to use a hairbrush made out of boar bristles? It is
said that these bristles (which pigs have instead of fur or hair) are
good for the hair, sothey are used in the manufacture of these
brushes. But I am not sure whether it is permissible to use it, and
people differ concerning this matter. Ihope that you can explain.
Praise be to Allah.
The fuqaha' differed as to whether boar bristles are najis (impure).
The majority of Hanafis, Shaafa'is and Hanbalis are of the view that
theyare najis (impure). The Maalikis are of the view that they are
taahir (pure).
According to the view that they are najis, it is not permissible to
use them when they are wetor to let them touch anything that is wet,
because najaasah (impurity) is transmitted by wetness.
Inal-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah(20/35) it says: The majority are of the
view that boar bristles are najis, so it is not permissible to use
them because that is using something that is najis in and of itself.
According to the Shaafa'is, if a khuff (leather slipper) is stitched
with thread made from boar bristles, the place where the stitches are
cannot be made pure by means of washing or using dust, but it may be
overlooked and forgiven, so the individual may offer obligatory and
naafil prayers in them because it is too difficult to avoidthis thing.
According to the Hanbalis, if it was stitched when wet it must be
washed, and it is permissible to use a sieve made of impure bristles
if it is dry, because the impurity is not transferred, but it is not
permissible to use it if it is wet because the impurity is transferred
by wetness.
The Hanafis regarded it as permissible for those who do stitches to
use boar bristles in cases of necessity.
The Maalikis were of the view that boar bristles are taahir (pure), so
if they are cut off with scissors it is permissible to use them, even
if theyare cut when the pig is dead, because the matter has nothing to
dowith whether the animalis alive or dead. But it is mustahabb to wash
them because there is some doubt as to whether they are taahir (pure)
or najis (impure). But if the bristles are plucked, then they cannot
be taahir (pure). End quote.
It also says (26/102):
The Maalikis are the onlyones who say that boar bristles are taahir
because they (the bristles) are taahir whenthe boar or pig is alive.
This applies if the bristles are cut off and not plucked. If they are
plucked then the roots are najis but the ends are taahir.
They quoted as evidencefor that the verse in which Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):"…and of
their wool, fur, and hair (sheep wool, camel fur, and goat hair), a
furnishing and articles of convenience (e.g. carpets, blankets, etc.),
a comfort for a while" [an-Nahl 16:80]. This verse appears in the
context of reminding people of Allah's blessings, so the apparent
meaning is that it includes animals both dead and alive.
They also quoted as evidence the hadeeth of Maymoonah (may Allah be
pleased with her) according to which the Messenger (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said concerning a sheep of Maymoonah's
(that had died) when he passed byit: "It is only haraam to eat it."
According to another version: "Only its meat is haraam for you; you
are allowed to make use of its skin."
On the basis of reasoning they concluded that the dead animal is
regarded as pure when alive, and issue of whether the hair (or
bristles) is pure has nothing to do with whether the animal is alive
or dead.
The most correct view is that the bristles of pigs and the hair of
dogs andother animals are taahir (pure).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:With
regard to hair growing on a body that is impure, Imam Ahmad had three
reports:
1.That all kinds of hair are pure, even the hair of dogs and the
bristles of pigs. This is the view favoured by Abu Bakr 'Abd
al-'Azeez.
2.That all kinds of hair are impure, as is the view of ash-Shaafa'i.
3.That if the hair of the dead animal was pure when it was alive, then
it is pure, as in the case of sheep and mice; but the hair of animals
that are regarded as impure when they are alive is also impure, as in
the case of dogs and pigs. This is the view favouredby the majority of
his companions.
The most correct view is that all hair is taahir (pure), whether it
comesfrom a dog, a pig or other animals. This is unlike the saliva.
Based on that, if the dog's hair is wet and it gets onto a person's
clothes, there is no problem with that, as is the view of the majority
of the fuqaha', Abu Haneefah and Maalik, and of Ahmad according to one
of the two reports from him. That isbecause the basic principle
concerning substances is that they are pure, and we cannotregard
anything as impure or haraam except on the basis of evidence to that
effect, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"He has explained to youin detail what is forbidden to you,
exceptunder compulsion of necessity"
[al-An 'aam 6:119]
"And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them
until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid"
[at-Tawbah 9:115].
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in the
saheeh hadeeth: "One ofthe most serious sins a Muslim may commit is to
ask about something that was not forbidden, then it becomes forbidden
because of hisasking."
Inas-Sunanit is narratedfrom Salmaan al-Faarisi in a marfoo' report
that he said: "What is permissible is that whichAllah has permitted in
His Book, and what is forbidden is that which Allah has forbidden in
His Book. And what He has said nothing about is that which He has
forgiven. As that is the case, the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "The purification of the vessel of one of
you, if it is licked by a dog, is to wash it seven times, the first of
which should be with dust." All versions of this hadeeth mention
nothing except licking; they do not mention anyother parts of the dog,
so regarding the dog itself as impure is a conclusion that is reached
only by analogy… With regard toevery animal that was said to be
impure, the argument concerning itshair or feathers is like the
argument concerning the hair of the dog. If it is said that every wild
animal that has fangs and every birdthat has talons is impure – except
cats and whatever is smaller than them, as is the view of many of the
scholars, thescholars of the people ofIraq, and it is the better known
of the two reports from Ahmad – then the issue of the hairor feathers
of such creatures is subject to the same argument, whether it is
impure or not. There are two reports from Ahmad, oneof which says that
it is pure. This is also the view of the majority, such as Abu
Haneefah, ash-Shaafa'i and Maalik. The second view is that it is
impure, which is the view favoured by many of the later companions of
Ahmad. The view that it is pure is the correct view, as stated above.
End quote fromal-Ikhtiyaaraat al-Fiqhiyyah dumna al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/264
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with using a hairbrush made out
of boar bristles, and it does not matter if it touches wet hair, but
avoiding that is preferable, so as to avoid an area of scholarly
difference of opinion.
And Allah knows best.

Allah: Arabic name for God, Allah the most Merciful, Allah the Creatorand Lord of the Universe

If we see a beautiful picture painted on good canvas, do we not think
that an artist produced it?
If we see an automatic machine, regularly manufacturing articles, are
we not led to think that there is an engineer who made, designed
andinvented its system?
If we see a book written in any scientific field, surely we are aware
that an author wrote it?
Surely the picture could not have been created without an artist!
Surely the machine could not work without an engineer!
Surely the book could notbe written without an author!
Is it possible to say that this book in your hand was written by chance?
Would you believe it if someone told you that it happened that the
paper was scattered by wind, and ink was spilt on it, and thus the
book was written?
Basic human sense does not believe such a supposition but rather,
makes fun of it. Thus everything needs a maker or a creator; nothing
can come into existence without there being an originator: the
creator.
Look at the sky and do you not wonder how the bright and beautiful sun
sends down its light and heat to the people on earth? Look at the land
upon which we live and ask how do plants grow on it?
Look at the water we drink, the air we breathe;the sun when it sets
and the night when it comes; then, look at the beautiful stars which
are impossible to count, and the light of the moon.
Look, and then think how these wonders werecreated and who then
created them? Are they created by themselves or do they have a creator
who made them?
They are as in need of a maker or a creator, as a house which needs a
builder to be built; or a chair, on which we sit, needs a carpenter to
be made; or a picture needs an artist in order to be painted, or a
book needs an author to be written. And certainly Allah is their
Creator and Maker Who created everything.
Let us ponder about ourselves and our bodies,and ask: Who created us
in this unique way? Who gave us two eyes with which to see? And the
tongue with which we talk? And two hands withwhich we work? And
twolegs with which we walk? And two ears with which we hear? Who
created the food we eat and the water we drink?
Not the farmer who cultivated the crops or the plumber who connected
the pipes. Without food and water, one will surely die.
Who gave us the air which we breathe? Without air, surely we will
suffocate and die.
Indeed, our Creator is He Who created the heavens, the earth,
water, air and the stars. And He is All-Great and All-Powerful. It
is He Who created and provided us with all these amenities of life.

Allah is the arabic word for God

Allah is the standard Arabic name for "God". The term is best known in
the west for its use by Muslims as a reference to God. Arabic-speakers
of all faiths, including Christians and Jews, use the word Allah to
mean"God". The Muslim and Christian Arabs of today have no other word
for"God" than Allah.
In Islam, Allah is the only deity, transcendent creator of the
universe, and the judge of humankind. Some Islamicscholars feel that
"Allah" should not be translated, because they perceive the Arabic
word to express the uniqueness of "Allah" more accurately than the
word"god" for two reasons:
1. The word "god" can take a plural form"gods", whereas the word
"Allah" has no plural form.
2. The word "god" can have gender as male god or female god (called
goddess) whereas the word "Allah" does not have gender.
Tawhid (Tawheed, Tauheed)is the Islamic concept of monotheism
(Oneness of God). In Islam, Tawhid means to assert the unity of Allah.
The opposite of Tawhid isShirk, which means"division" in Arabic,
referring to idolatry.
Shaykh Saduq, one of themost distinguished of Shi'a
scholarsexpressed:"Verily, God is One, Unique, nothing is like Him, He
is Eternal; Hearing, Seeing, Omniscient, Living, Omnipotent, above
every need. He cannot be described in terms of substance, nor body,
nor form, nor accident, nor line, nor surface, nor heaviness, nor
lightness, nor color, nor movement,nor rest, nor time, nor space. He
is above all the descriptions which can be applied to His creatures.
He is away from both extremes: Neither He is just a non-entity (as
atheists and in a lesser degree Mutazilites implied), nor He is just
like other things. He is Existent, not like other existing things."
Shi'a do not believe that God can or will ever be seen, and also
reject the notion of Him having body parts, or any parts whatsoever.
In a new study, Vander Hoven, a psychologist from Netherlands,
discovered the effect of reading the Noble Qur'anand repeating the
word ALLAH both on patients and on normal persons.
The Dutch professor confirms his discovery with studies and
researchapplied on many patientsover a period of three years. Some of
his patients were non-Muslims, others don't speak Arabic and were
trained to pronounce the word"Allah" clearly; their resultwas great,
especially on those who suffer from dejection and tension.
Al-Watan, a Saudi daily has reported that the psychologist was quoted
to say that Muslims who can read Arabic and who read the Noble
Qur'anregularly are enjoying a great chance of protecting themselves
from psychological diseases. The psychologist explained how each
letter in the word "Allah" affects healing of psychological diseases.
Vander Hoven pointed out in his research that pronouncing the first
letter in the word "Allah" which is the letter (A), released from the
respiratory system, controls breathing. He added that pronouncing the
velar consonant (L) inthe Arabic way, with the tongue touching
slightly the upper part of the jawproducing a short pause and then
repeating the same pause constantly, relaxes the aspiration. Also,
pronouncing the last letter which is the letter (H) makes a
contactbetween the lungs and the heart and so this contact controls
the heartbeat.
What is exciting about this study is that this psychologist is a
non-Muslim, but interested in Islamic sciences and searching for the
secrets of the Noble Qur'an.
Allah (SWT), The Great and Glorious, says in the Noble Qur'an: "We
will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls,
until itwill become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it
not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all
things?" (41:53)
"ALLAHU AKBAR [Allah (SWT) is great], Allah (SWT) keeps me going day
and night. Without Allah (SWT), I am no one. But with Allah (SWT), I
can do everything. Allah (SWT) is my strength."