Hajj & Umrah, - Social wisdoms in Hajj - I

Allah Has Created people to be different in their living; some are rich and some poor, some well-off, affluent and high-esteemed, and others indigent, miserable and astray in life. That is great wisdom decreed by Allah, so that people would exchange work, cooperate with one another, and use one another to achieve their requirements and needs: the rich person spends his money, and the poor person exerts his effort in labor for remuneration. In confirmation of that, Allah Almighty Says )what means(:}Do they distribute the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who Have Apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and Have Raised some of them above others in degrees ]of rank[ that they may make use of one another for service. But the Mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate.{]Quran 43:32[
Had the difference been limited to the exchange of benefits, it would have been good. But some rich people exalt themselves above the poor, and their arrogance produces hatred among the poor. On the other hand, some poor people envy the rich, with the result that the rich boycott and neglect them; arrogance among some rich people versus hatred among some poor people, and haughtiness among some dignitaries versus envy among some of the common people. In this way, the social classes of the same nation have mutual aversion to each other, cooperation disappears, bonds are undone, and production decreases. The remedy of that disease lies in the religious acts of worship in general, and Hajj in particular, which has a practical healing and effective decisive medicine to put an end to haughtiness, and lay the foundation for equality between all people in the form of )putting on the same clothing of( Ihram, performing Tawaaf, Sa‘y, and so on. In Hajj, no one could be distinguished from others with a particular uniform, clothing, appearance or adornment, because all of them are equal in their simple united appearance. That is indeed equality between individuals as well as between races and peoples, in compliance with what Allah Says )which means(:}O mankind, indeed We Have Created you from male and female and Made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the Sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.{]Quran 49:13[
Our Messenger, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, nor a white-complexioned to a black-complexioned except by virtue of piety."Is Hajj then, from this point of view, worthy of the care of reformers, the concern of the sincere and the effort of the passionate?
We are all subject to our habits and governed by our traditions as a result of the house in which we live, the school in which we learn, and the environment surrounding us. A lot of our customs and habits are bad and harmful, the majority of our traditions are invalid and superstitious, and the greater part of what we agree upon is false and ignorant. Worship, as they said, is a second disposition, and to be released from traditions is very difficult upon a lot of people. When a reformer likes to straighten the crookedness of his nation, and push it towards the pathways of perfection, he encounters the rocks of habits and traditions. He may perish and die before changing his people from a familiar habit, given that "people are slaves of their traditions". Hajj comes to release the individual from his habitual customs, and change his familiar traditions. Hajj, in this way, enables the pilgrim to govern himself, control his deeds, give up bad customs, and come away from awful traditions to the immense field of piety, virtues and spiritual elevation. That is because the pilgrim becomes a sovereign over his own self after having been a slave of his habits.
In confirmation of that, Allah Almighty Says )what means(:}Hajj is ]during[ well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein ]by entering the state of Ihram[, there is ]to be for him[ no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj. And whatever good you do – Allah Knows it.{]Quran 2:197[
The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, stated that Hajj brings the Muslim out of his sins, misdeeds, bad customs and habits, saying:"Whoever performs Hajj during which he does not have sexual intercourse )with his wife( nor commit wickedness, will become )as sinless( as he was on the very day his mother gave birth to him."Is Hajj, in this sense, not worthy of the care of educationalists and psychologists? What is worthier of care than a worship-based practical system that releases man from the slavery of loss, and joins him to )Allah( The Most Merciful with a strong bond of truthfulness, certainty and faith? Countries allocate money to physical sports and military exercises, a system for which our youth in schools are preparing. Without doubt, sport is a source of strength, valor, courage and gallantry, and an important support pillar in the construction of the glory of the Ummah. Islam was a forerunner in recognizing the virtue of sport, when it commanded people to learn racing, archery, horsemanship, swimming and swordfight to prepare for Jihaad in the way of security, truth and peace. It joined sport with acts of worship, so that the emotion and feeling would share with the heart in performing it. Thus, sport becomes a physical power and a spiritual worship which has its glorious benefits in this world, and its great reward in the Hereafter.

Dought & clear, - The boss is mistreatingan employee and not giving him his due wages; is it permissible for the accountant to restore the employee’s right without the knowledge of the bossso as to redress the wrong that has been done?

I work as an accountant and we have an employee who was laid off suddenly. He is owed approximately 33,000 and the labour laws in the country in which I am working stipulate that a one month’s salary be paid as compensation for sudden dismissal. Please note that the employee borrowed 12,000 from the company a while ago, and the owner of the company did not give him anything more than 12,000 from a total amount owed of 33,000. When I saw that blatant mistreatment, I did not include this loan in his account.
Is that haraam?
Please note also that I know full well that it is blatant mistreatment that has been done to this employee, and he has a family in another country, and his dismissal was sudden.
Praise be to Allah.
This mistreatment that has been done to this employee does not make it permissible to you to conceal the loan that he owes, because you have been entrusted with this work of yours, and Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due” [an-Nisa’ 4:58]. The trust and the contract between you and the company do not allow you to deduct the loan. Furthermore, your work as an accountant is a kind of testimony as to whether this loan did or did not take place. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you)” [an-Nisa’ 4:135].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words “be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you)” mean: do not take special care of him because he is rich or feel sorry for him because he is poor; Allah will protect both of them and indeed He is closer to them than you, and He knows best what is in their best interests.
End quote fromTafseer Ibn Katheer(Dar Tayyibah edn.), 2/433
Do you think that if the wrongdoer regrets this mistreatment in the future, and restores the rights of the one who was wronged, or if the relevant authorities get involved and restore to him his rights, what will be the situation with regard to this loan that was not documented?
What if your action is discovered and they find out what you did? Undoubtedly that will cast aspersions upon all your work.
What you must do is to do whatever you can to support both the wrongdoer and the one who was wronged. In the hadeeth it tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Support your brother whether he is a wrongdoer or is wronged.” A man said: O Messenger of Allah, I will support him if he is wronged, but what do you think if he is the wrongdoer? How can I support him?” He said: “Stop him or prevent him from wrongdoing; that is supporting him.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6952
So show sincerity towards the wrongdoer in order to make him stop his wrongdoing, and support the one who is wronged in ways that will help him to get back his rights without betraying your trust. One of the things you can do to help him is to explain the system to him and tell him how he can get back his rights.
We put a question to Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) about the ruling on an accountant or financial trustee of a company intervening to take money from the owner of the company and give it to someone he thinks has been wronged.
The shaykh replied: It is not permissible for the accountant to take money from the owner of the business and give it to the one who he thinks has been wronged; rather he should offer sincere advice to the wrongdoer and help the one who has been wronged without touching the money with which he has been entrusted. End quote.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - The variation of pronouns in the Qur’an is a sign of its eloquence and miraculous nature

A non muslim wants to know the reason why the quran was also revealed in reported speeches. An example is where Allah says in Al Inshiqaq vs 24.And Allah knows best what they gather( of good and bad deeds). That is Allah mentioning his name in terms of 2nd person.
Praise be to Allah.
The Qur’an was revealed in a plain Arabic tongue; one aspect of the literary style of the Arabs is that the speaker may refer to himself sometimes in the first person, sometimes in the third person, sometimes in the singular and sometimes in the plural. This variation is part of eloquence and good style. No one can understand this except those who know Arabic and have a sufficient grasp of its different ways of expression.
The Qur’an was not revealed in only one style, as the questioner thinks; rather it uses a variety of different styles; this is part of its miraculous nature and eloquence.
Dr ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-Mutayri says in his bookDa‘aawa al-Taa‘ineena fi’l-Qur’an al-Kareem(p. 304): One of the literary styles of the Arabs is for the speaker to refer to himself in the first person and in the third person. For example, a speaker may say, “I did such and such; I went; I instruct you, O So and so, to do such and such.” And sometimes he may also say of himself that “So and so – meaning himself – instructs you to do such and such, and forbids you to do such and such; or he likes you to do such and such.” This is like when an ameer (ruler) or king says to his people: “The Ameer asks you to do such and such.” What he is trying to emphasise is that his instructions are based on the fact that he is a ruler or king; this is more eloquent than saying to them, “I am the king and I am telling you to do such and such.” Saying “The king instructs you…” is more eloquent than saying “I am the king and I am instructing you…”
This kind of style also appears in the Qur’an. The one who does not know Arabic may think that Allah cannot speak of Himself in the third person, and that He must say “I have sent down to you, O Muhammad, the Book with truth, confirming what came before it” and the like. But this reflects ignorance of the literary style in Arabic and how it is part of Arabic eloquence. Undoubtedly for Allah to speak of Himself in the third person is more eloquent than saying “Alif-Laam-Meem, I am Allah, there is no god but I, the the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. I sent down to you the Book with truth, confirming what came before it…” (cf. Aal ‘Imraan 3:1-3).
End quote.
It is known from Arab literary custom that they do not persist in one style in their speech; rather they move from one style to another, even in a single passage, let alone when there are two different passages (on two different occasions). This is part of Arabic literary style that serves to keep the listener’s or reader’s attention.
Az-Zarkashi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Moving from one style to another serves to make speech flow more smoothly, helps the listener to focus, renews his interest and avoids the boredom that may result from always adhering to one style.
Haazim said inMinhaaj al-Bulagha’: They become bored when the style persists in using the first person or the second person, so they move from second person to third person. By the same token, a speaker may change the pronoun and play with the words, sometimes using the first person to speak of himself, and sometimes using the second person or third person. Hence speech that persists in using a particular pronoun, whether it is the first or second person, is not regarded as good; rather it is more appropriate to move from one to the other.
Then az-Zarkashi (may Allah have mercy on him) gives different examples of such usage and their effectiveness in conveying the message.
See:al-Burhaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’anby Badr ad-Deen az-Zarkashi, 3/314-330
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - She is asking how she can teach her mother and sister about the rulings on tahaarah (purification)

My question is about my little sister. When her menstruations start, should I be the one to tell her about ghusl and stuff (cause Im pretty sure that my mom doesn't know about that stuff ...)? And should I explain that stuff to my mom also? It would be really akward cause I'm the child and she is the mom..
How could I talk them about it?
Also I want to ask: If someones menstruations haven't started yet, but she's having vaginal discharge, should she do ghusl? Because she would have to do it many times a day because of it.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
There is no doubt that teaching children what they need to know about their religion comes under the heading of obligatory education and care that Islam has enjoined upon parents towards their children. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones” [at-Tahreem 66:6].
Mujaahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Fear Allah, and advise your families to fear Allah.
Qataadah said: He should instruct them to obey Allah and tell them not to disobey Allah, and he should discipline them in accordance with the teachings of Islam, and he should enjoin them to follow the teachings of Islam and help them to do so. If you see any act of disobedience towards Allah, then you should make them stop it and rebuke them for it.
Something similar was stated by ad-Dahhaak and Muqaatil: It is the Muslim’s duty to teach his household, both his family members and his servants, what Allah has enjoined upon them and what Allah has forbidden to them.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 8/167
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ruler of the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of his household and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for her flock.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (853) and Muslim (1829).
He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also said: “Your child has a right over you.” Narrated by Muslim (1159).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ash-Shaafa‘i and his companions (may Allah have mercy on them) said: Fathers and mothers are obliged to teach their children that which will be obligatory upon them when they reach puberty. So the parent or guardian should teach them how to purify themselves, how to pray and fast, and so on; they should teach them that fornication and adultery, homosexuality, stealing, consuming intoxicants, lying, backbiting and so on are all haraam; they should teach them that once they reach puberty, they will become accountable, and they should teach them how to recognize when they have reached that stage.
End quote fromal-Majmoo‘. 1/26; see alsoal-Majmoo‘, 3/11
Secondly:
If your mother does not know the rulings connected to reaching puberty, as often happens in places that are far away from knowledge and scholars, such as desert regions, Western countries, and so on, then the mission of teaching and calling people to Allah must be undertaken by whoever in the family has that knowledge, whether that is a boy or girl, the closest, then the next closest.
So long as you have some knowledge of the Islamic rulings that are needed, and you know that your sister is about to reach puberty, then you must teach her what she needs to know of these rulings, and you should choose the best and most appropriate way of doing so.
In fact, we think that your teaching her may be more beneficial and easier than the mother teaching her, because of your closeness in age and because you will understand one another easily.
Then you should also teach your mother what she needs to know of religious rulings that you think she does not know.
You can also seek help in doing that, along with direct teaching, by telling your mother about beneficial Islamic media channels, such as trustworthy educational websites and good Islamic satellite channels that follow the way of Ahl as-Sunnah, if there is something that will benefit your family in a language that they know.
There is no need for any shyness or the like in any of these matters. There are still people who do not know many rulings that they need to know, and the one who knows them is obliged to help them to learn them, whether they are young or old.
It was narrated from Zaynab, the daughter of Umm Salamah who said: Umm Sulaym came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, Allah is not too shy to tell the truth. Does a woman have to do ghusl if she has an erotic dream?...
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (130) and Muslim (313).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
She only said that as an apology before asking her question, for which there was a need, because it was something that women usually feel shy to ask about and mention in the presence of men.
This shows us that it is appropriate for the one who has a question to ask about it, and not to refrain from asking out of shyness. That is not really shyness, because all shyness is good and shyness does not lead to anything but good, but refraining from asking in this case is not good, rather it is bad, so how can it be shyness? … ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: How good were the women of the Ansaar; shyness did not prevent them from understanding matters of their religion. And Allah knows best.
End quote fromSharh Muslim.
Thirdly:
The vaginal secretions that come from women several times every day do not require ghusl; rather ghusl is only required in the case of janaabah (impurity following sexual activity) or when a woman becomes pure following her menses.
And Allah knows best.