Justice, -

Justice is the balance that Allaah has imposed for His creatures and
established for fulfilling rights. It is one of the foundations upon
which this world is established, and without it life can neither be
orderly nor reformed. Justice leads to bringing people together and
urges them to be obedient to Allaah. It is also a cause of development
and increase of wealth, growth of the young generations and prevalence
of security for those in power and authority. Due to the importance of
justice, it was said,"Life continues with justice and disbelief, but
cannot continue with injustice and Islam."
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,"Justice is the
foundation upon which everything has been established. When matters
pertaining to this life are based on justice, then it will remain on
the right course, even if the person who establishes this justice does
not have in the Hereafter any share. On the other hand, if this life
is not based on justice, it will not be on the right course, even if
the person who does not establish justice has faith that he will be
rewarded for in the Hereafter."
He also said,"Justice is the right that every person has over another,
under all circumstances; and injustice is prohibited and disallowed,
under all circumstances."
Due to the high and sublime status of justice, we find
theSharee'ahraising its importance and ordering people and urging them
to establish justice. In this respect, Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:
·}O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice,
witnesses for Allaah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and
relatives.{]Quran 4:135[
·}O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allaah ,
witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent
you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.{]Quran
5:8[
In these two verses, Allaah The Exalted commands the believers to
adopt justice as one of their morals and characteristics by using the
word "Qawwaam", which is a mode of hyperbole that declares Justice as
one of the manners instilled in them. In another general and
comprehensive verse, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed,
Allaah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and
forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you
that perhaps you will be reminded.{]Quran 16:90[
Issues of Establishing Justice
We are commanded to be just in everything. Here, we draw the attention
to some fields where justice apparently occurs:
1- Governance:In this field, establishing justice is required by
giving people their due rights and refraining from giving rights to
those who do not deserve them, providing equal opportunities to people
according to what is sufficient to each one of them and employing
people in their appropriate place according to their abilities. It was
narrated in aHadeeththat the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said that a just ruler is one of those who will be protected by the
shade of Allaah on the Day of Judgment.
2- Judiciary:Settling disputes between people must be based on
justice, without the least trend of bias. This must occur in settling
disputes in courts, applying the prescribed punishments, other
disciplinary punishments and retributions. Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}And when you judge between people, to judge with
justice.{]Quran 4:58[ It was narrated in aHadeeththat the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"When you judge between
people be just."In anotherHadeeth, he,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam,said:"Judges are of three types: One of them will enter
Paradise and the other two types will enter Hell. The one who knows
the truth and judges accordingly will enter Paradise; The one who
knows the truth and deviates in his judgment will enter Hell;
likewise, the one who ignorantly judges among people will enter Hell."
3- Giving Testimony:One is required to be just when he gives testimony
by informing of what he saw or heard, but if he testifies with what
contradicts what he saw, then he is to be deemed as a person who
testifies to falsehood. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
·}And when you testify, be just.{]Quran 6:152[
·}And ]they are[ those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they
pass near ill speech, they pass by.{]Quran 25:72[
4- Treating Wives:Justice in treating one's wives is by giving each
one of them her due share of financial maintenance, residence and
staying over at her house. The Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
warned Muslims against being unjust in treating wives, where he
said:"When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them, he
will come on the Day of Judgment with his side sloping."
5- Treating Children:Acting justly with one's children is when the
parents give equal share of gifts, upbringing and any other thing they
can afford to give. It was narrated in aHadeeth, that the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"Fear Allaah and treat
your children fairly."
A Muslim is required to be just in all his dealings and what has been
mentioned above are just examples of showing justice.
Also, a Muslim is required to be just even with his enemies, as Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}And I have been commanded to do
justice among you.{]Quran 42:15[
When the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, sent Abdullaah ibn
Rawaahah, may Allaah be pleased with him, to estimate the tax that was
to be paid for the dates in the fields of the people of Khaybar, they
wanted to bribe him, so he said,"By Allaah, I have come to you after
leaving the most beloved person to my heart and my hatred for you is
greater than my hatred for apes and pigs. However, my love for him and
hatred for you can in no way prevent me from being just with you."When
they heard this, they said,"Upon this ]justice[, both heaven and earth
are established."
As Muslims, when we adhere to justice in our manner and behavior and
consider it as a method of life, we spread the feeling of security,
assurance and enhance the welfare of our societies. Moreover, when we
adhere to justice, we reveal the greatness and sublimity of Islam
before others. Thereby, they will desire to know about this religion
and to embrace it, as it was the example of the early Muslims. We ask
Allaah The Exalted to grant us justice, in both calmness and anger.

Dought & clear, - Can khulwah be avoided if another woman is present?.

My wife told me that a gas canister ran out at home and has to be
changed, but I am not at home. Can a worker come to install the gas
canisters at home when I am not present? Please note that there is
another sister who will be with my wife in the house so as to avoid
leaving her on her own with the worker.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are unanimously agreed
that it is haraam to be alone with a non-mahram woman (khulwah),
because of the saheeh hadeeth: "No man should be alone with a woman
unless there is a mahram with her." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5233;
Muslim, 1341.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a non-mahram man is
alone with a non-mahram woman, with no third person present, this is
haraam according to scholarly consensus.
End quote fromSharh Saheeh Muslim, 9/109
As-San'aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This hadeeth indicates
that it is haraam to be alone with a non-mahram woman, and there is
consensus on this point.
End quote fromSubul as-Salaam. 1/608
Secondly:
There is nothing wrong with a woman allowing a non-mahram man to enter
her husband's house when he is absent, as long as two conditions are
met:
1.Her husband should have given her permission to do that
2.There should be no khulwah (i.e., she should not be alone with him);
rather there should be a mahram with her such as her father or
brother, or anyone for whom it is permanently forbidden to marry her.
If she does not have a mahram with her, but there is another woman
with her, khulwah may be avoided thereby, but it is not permissible
for a woman to put herself in that situation unless the woman is
trustworthy and the man who is with them in that place is also
trustworthy and there is no fear that he could overpower the two
women.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a non-mahram man is
alone with a non-mahram woman, without a third person being present
with them, this is haraam according to scholarly consensus; this is
different from if a man is with a number of non-mahram women, in which
case the correct view is that it is permissible.
End quote fromSharh Saheeh Muslim, 9/109
As-San'aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It says in the hadeeth
that "the third one present with them is the Shaytaan". Can someone
other than the mahram take his place in that regard, so that there
will be someone with them in order that khulwah will be avoided? It
seems to be the case that he may take his place, because the reason
for the prohibition is the fear that the Shaytaan may cause temptation
between them.
End quote fromSubul as-Salaam, 1/608
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with the man allowing a
non-mahram to enter his house, on condition that he is not alone with
his wife and that he is trustworthy. However the basic principle, and
the best precaution to safeguard religious commitment, is that he
should not allow that unless there is a mahram present.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Raising Muslim children in the West to have an aversion to pigs

In my country in the west, pigs are a big part of the culture. Not
only in eating but also in stories for children, cartoons en dolls or
othing play things. Is it forbidden or at the least not recommended to
make my child familiar with the pig? Should I avoid my child seeing
this animal.
Praise be to Allah.
Undoubtedly the concepts and ideas that a child learns about and
experiences in the early stages of his upbringing will have an impact
on him for much longer than the parents and teachers of the child
themselves realise, and that does not go away once that stage is
passed; rather they will remain and form an important part of his
make-up and thinking, and will have a clear impact on the formation of
his identity and culture.
InSaheeh al-Bukhaari(6130) and Muslim (2440) it is narrated that
'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I used to play with
dolls in the house of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), and I had friends who would play with me, and when the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came in,
they would hide away from him, but he would send them one after
another to play with me.
The scholars stated that Islam only granted a concession to children
to play with such toys, even though it forbids images and the making
of images, because of the role that playing with such toys plays in
preparing the child mentally for what he will do in the future.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
An exception is made for this from the prohibition on keeping images.
This was stated definitively by 'Iyaad and was narrated from the
majority. They regarded it as permissible to sell toys to girls to
train them from an early age in caring for their houses and children.
End quote fromFath al-Baari, 10/527
Undoubtedly the pig is not only an impure animal or something that is
haraam to eat, or other things that are said about it or other Islamic
rulings that have to do with it; it is also a cultural element of the
Christian West, and part of the identity of those nations.
InSaheeh al-Bukhaari(2222) andSaheeh Muslim(155), it is narrated that
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:"By the One in
Whose hand is my soul, soon the Son of Maryam) will descend among you
as a just judge, he will break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish
the jizyah, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept
it."
Ibn Battaal (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The reason for breaking the cross and killing the pigs is because they
are part of the religion of the Christians who are fabricators and
transgressors. Hence the Prophet told us that 'Eesa will change what
they attributed to him, as Muhammad changed it and told them that they
were following falsehood in that regard. This indicates that 'Eesa
will come to confirm the corrections introduced by the law of
Muhammad, and will judge with justice between people.
End quote fromSharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari, by Ibn Battaal, 6/604
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This indicates we should object to evil deeds and remove them, and
remove the symbols of evil, and killing the pigs comes under this
heading. It is also indicative of the view favoured by our madhhab and
that of the majority, which is that if we find a pig in non-Muslim
lands or elsewhere, and we are able to kill it, we should kill it; and
it proves false the odd opinion held by some of our companions and
others, who said that pigs should be left alone if they are not
causing any harm.
End quote fromSharh Muslim, 11/221
To sum up:
Pigs are an animal that is not respected, and one of the symbols of
disbelief and lies against Allah, may He be exalted. So it is not
right for a Muslim to raise his children to like them or pay attention
to them or be fond of them, whether that is in a picture book or a toy
or a cartoon and so on. Rather what is prescribed is to point out that
they are connected to their false religion and are one of its symbols,
and that they have no protection or sanctity in sharee'ah, and we
should explain that according to the child's level of understanding,
so that when he grows up, he will have a proper understanding of the
shar'i rulings having to do with them.
With regard to making your children avoid seeing pigs, if what is
meant by that is a passing glance or seeing a picture of a pig in
passing, this is something that is difficult to do, and we do not
think that it is necessary. Rather all that is required is that the
child should not become used to them or care about them or pay any
attention to them.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - His parents think that he does not offer the naafil prayers, but he prays them in secret for fear of showing off. Should he tell them about that?

My parents usually scold me whenever i do not pray the optional
prayers after the fardh prayer. I actually pray these prayers at home
after returning from masjid and my parents think i dont pray because i
return faster from the masjid after i get scoldings. When i am scolded
i obediently listen but do not reply because i feel when i will tell
them that i do a better thing by praying the optional prayer at home,
i will show off which is haraam. I am also aware that they will be
pleased by hearing that i do a better thing. Kindly suggest on whether
i should continue as i am doing (leave them dissapointed) or should i
inform them that i do pray at home (may be a show off).
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Concealing acts of worship and not doing them openly is better than
doing them openly and announcing them. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"If you disclose your Sadaqat (alms-giving), it is well, but if you
conceal it, and give it to the poor, that is better for you. (Allah)
will forgive you some of your sins. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with
what you do"
[al-Baqarah 2:271].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The words "but if you
conceal it, and give it to the poor, that is better for you" indicate
that giving charity in secret is better than giving it openly, because
that is further removed from showing off, unless giving it openly will
serve a greater purpose by setting an example for people, in which
case it is better in that respect.
End quote fromTafseer al-Qur'an al-'Azeem, 1/701
Secondly:
The Sunnah indicates that it is better to offer the naafil prayers at
home. Al-Bukhaari (6113) and Muslim (781) narrated that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "You should pray in
your houses, for the best of a man's prayer is in his house, apart
from the obligatory prayers."
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) stated that one of the
benefits of that is that praying at home is closer to sincerity and
further removed from showing off.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Offering voluntary
prayers at home is better, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "You should pray in your houses,
for the best of a man's prayer is in his house, apart from the
obligatory prayers."Narrated by Muslim. It was narrated from Zayd ibn
Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "A man's prayer in his house is
better than his prayer in this mosque of mine, apart from the
obligatory prayers." Narrated by Abu Dawood. And that is because
praying at home is closer to sincerity and further removed from
showing off.
End quote fromal-Mughni, 1/443
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 22209
Thirdly:
If not telling your parents will result in what you mentioned, then in
this case it is better to tell them, so as to ward off suspicion and
negative thinking of you. Moreover, perhaps by telling them – as you
said – it will make them feel happy, and making parents feel happy, by
obeying them and doing good, is part of honouring them, which is
something that is prescribed and that one should be eager to do.
With regard to the fear of showing off, you have to strive to make
yourself sincere, and ask Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, to
help you to do that.
May Allah help us and you to be sincere in worshipping Him, may He be
exalted, and may He protect us all from the evil of our own selves,
for He is able to do that.
And Allah knows best.