Pilgrimage, & Dought & clear, - * He wants to do Hajj first and his father wants him to get married first

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Will I be disobeying my father because of the following?
1. My father (may Allah have mercy on him) wanted me to start looking to get married, but I refused because I wanted to complete my postgraduate studies.
2. The money that I saved was sufficient to get married (the marriage contract only). Please note that I have a job.
3. Then I was not able to travel in order to complete my postgraduate studies, so I decided to start a small business in the hope that I could earn some money with which to do Hajj. This project was a partnership between me and him; it was a piece of land (the price of which was not enough to do Hajj). We were planning to change the house in which we live because of the annoyance caused by the neighbours, may Allah guide them.
4. My father refused to do Hajj with this money because he said that it was my money, not his.
5. After a discussion which did not lead anywhere, I said: I am going to do Hajj, but he told me to get married first.
6. Now – after he died in Ramadan – they are asking me to do what he wanted me to do, but I am telling them that I want to do Hajj first.
7. The land is now yielding enough money to perform the obligatory Hajj; he and I paid off the debt (the price of the land) before he died.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Hajj is obligatory and should be done at the earliest opportunity according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 41702.
If the available money is sufficient for either doing Hajj or getting married, then precedence should be given to marriage if there is a need for that and there is the fear of falling into haraam. If there is no (urgent) need for marriage, then Hajj should be given precedence.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Mughni(5/12): If (the individual) needs to get married and fears that he may encounter hardship, then he should give precedence to marriage, because it is obligatory in his case and he cannot do without it, so it is like spending on his maintenance. If there is no such fear, he should give precedence to Hajj, because marriage is voluntary and should not be given precedence over the obligatory Hajj. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to delay Hajj until after getting married for one who is able to do it? That is because of what the youth are facing nowadays of temptation, both great and small.
He replied:
There is no doubt that marriage, for one who has the desire and urgent need for it, takes precedence over Hajj, because if an individual has overwhelming desire, in that case marriage becomes one of the necessities of life, like eating and drinking. Hence it is permissible for one who needs to get married and does not have any money to be given zakaah funds with which to get married, just as the poor person may be given food to suffice him and clothes with which to cover his ‘awrah out of the zakaah funds.
Based on that, we say: if he needs to get married, then he should give marriage precedence over Hajj, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, stipulated that in order for Hajj to be obligatory, one must be able to do it, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:97].
In the case of one who is young and it does not matter for him whether he gets married this year or next year, then he should give precedence to Hajj because it is not necessary for him to give precedence to marriage.
End quote fromFataawa Manaar al-Islam, 2/375
Based on that, if you do not have any fears (of falling into haraam) if you delay marriage, then you should hasten to do Hajj first, and Allah will compensate you with good, because Hajj is one of the important obligatory duties and rituals of Islam.
You do not have to carry out your father’s wishes with regard to this matter, either during his lifetime or after his death, because that would result in your delaying Hajj when there is no need to do so.
Secondly:
You should have tried to please your father by giving precedence to marriage over completing your postgraduate studies. It was narrated from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that marriage is obligatory if either of the parents tell you to get married.
Al-Mirdaawi said: Is it (marriage) obligatory if the parents, or one of them, tell the son to get married? Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he has parents who are telling him to get married, then I tell him to get married. Or if he is a young man who fears that he may commit sin, I tell him to get married.
By saying this, he made the parents’ instructions to get married equivalent to fearing that one may commit sin.
End quote fromal-Insaaf, 8/14
Thirdly:
There is nothing wrong with a father doing Hajj with his son’s wealth; in fact there is nothing wrong with a person doing Hajj with another person’s wealth in general. But if a person was not able to do the obligatory Hajj because he could not afford the expenses, then he became able to afford it if someone else pays for it, does he have to accept this money in order to do Hajj? There is a difference of opinion among the fuqaha’ concerning that.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He is not obliged to do Hajj if someone else spends on it, and he does not become able to do it thereby (and thus it does not become obligatory for him), whether the one who gives him the money is a relative or otherwise, and whether he gives him a means of transportation and provisions, or he gives him money. However, it was narrated from ash-Shaafa‘i that if a person’s son gives him money that enables him to do Hajj, then he is obliged to do it, because he has enabled him to do Hajj without feeling that he owes a favour to anyone, and no harm or annoyance will result from that. Therefore he is obliged to do Hajj, as would be the case if he possessed sufficient provisions and a mount.
In our view, the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) make Hajj binding on one who has a means of transportation and sufficient funds to cover the costs of the journey. However, in the case where someone else offers to over these costs, he is not regarded as having the means or the money to obtain the means, so Hajj is not obligatory for him. The same applies if his father offers to help him, because we do not think that the father will not feel that he owes him a favour in this case.
End quote fromal-Mughni, 3/87
To sum up: it is obligatory for you to hasten to do Hajj, so long as you do not think that you will fall into haraam as a result of delaying marriage, and you should ask Allah, may He be exalted, for forgiveness for having gone against your father’s instructions when he told you to get married first.
We ask Allah to help and guide you.
And Allah knows best.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Commentary on the verse “He is created from a water gushing forth, Proceeding from between the back-bone and the ribs” [at-Taariq 86:6-7]

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What is the commentary on the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Proceeding from between the back-bone [as-sulb] and the ribs [at-taraa’ib]” [at-Taariq 86:6-7]?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
What the verse means is a reminder to man of his origin and that he was created from a water gushing forth, and that the One Who created him by means of His power and might is able to recreate him for the Reckoning. Az-Zamakhshari said: If you say: what is the connection between the words“So let man see…”[v. 5] and the verse that comes before it (“There is no human being but has a watcher over him”-- v. 4)? I would say: The connection is that when He said that over every human being there is a watcher, He followed that by advising man to think of his starting point in the first creation, so that he may know that the One Who created him is able to recreate him and recompense him, so let him strive for the Day of resurrection and recompense, and let him not cause his watcher to record anything but that which will make him happy in the Hereafter.
End quote fromTafseer al-Kashshaaf.
Thesulb(translated above as backbone) is the back, according to the consensus of the commentators. As for thetaraa’ib(translated above as ribs), the scholars differed as to what it is and where it is located.
Imam at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The commentators differed as to what is meant byat-taraa’iband where they are located. Some said that the wordat-taraa’ibrefers to the place where the necklace goes on a woman’s chest. This was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, ‘Ikrimah and others.
Others said that the taraa’ib is the area between the shoulders and the chest. This was narrated from Mujaahid and others among the early generation.
Yet others said that what is meant is that it emerges from between a man’s back and upper chest. This was narrated from Qataadah.
And there were other opinions which suggested that it refers to the arms, legs or eyes, or that it refers to the ribs that are below the back, or that it refers to the essence of the heart.
Then he – i.e., at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) – said: The correct view concerning that, in our opinion, is the view of those who said that it is the place where the necklace goes on a woman’s chest, because that is the well-known usage in the Arabic language and in Arabic poetry.
This view that was favoured by the imam of the mufassireen (Qur’an commentators), that what is meant is a man’s backbone and the taraa’ib of a woman, which is the place where her necklace goes, is also the view that was favoured by Imam al-Qurtubi in hisTafseer(16/343, 5/20) and by al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer in hisTafseer(8/375). It was also favoured by al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) who said:
It should be noted that Allah has explained that some this water, which is the nutfah (sperm drop), comes from the sulb, i.e., it is the man’s water, and some of it comes from the taraa’ib, i.e., it is the woman’s water. This is what is referred to in these verses in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So let man see from what he is created!
He is created from a water gushing forth
Proceeding from between the back-bone (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib)”
[at-Taariq 86:5-7].
Because what is meant by as-sulb is the man’s back and what is meant by at-taraa’ib is the woman’s taraa’ib, which is the place where her necklace goes.
Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 3/194
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) favoured the view that what is meant is the sulb and taraa’ib of the man. He said:
There is no difference of opinion concerning the fact that what is meant by as-sulb is the back of the man. However there was a difference of opinion concerning at-taraa’ib.
It was said that what is meant is the man’s taraa’ib too, that is the bones of the chest, the area between the collar bone and the breast. And it was said that what is meant is the taraa’ib of the woman.
The former view is more likely to be correct, for the following reasons:
1.
Because Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Proceeding from between the back-bone (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib)”, and He did not say that it proceeds from the back-bone (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib). So the man’s water must necessarily come from between these two different places, as He said concerning milk (interpretation of the meaning):“from between excretions and blood” [an-Nahl 16:66].
2.
Moreover, Allah has told us that He created man from a nutfah (sperm drop) in more than one place, and the nutfah is the water of the man. This was also stated by the linguists. Al-Jawhari said: The nutfah is pure water, whether it is a small amount or a large amount, and the nutfah is the water of the man…
3.
That which is described as gushing forth or being emitted forcefully is the water of the man; the water of the woman is not described in these terms. End quote.
I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een, 1/145-146
This is the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Ashoor, Ibn Sa‘di and Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, as it says inLiqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 45. See similar comments inal-Liqa’ ash-Shahri, no. 45
Al-Qurtubi narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) that what is meant is: it comes forth from the sulb of the man and the taraa’ib of the man, and from the sulb of the woman and the taraa’ib of the woman. End quote.
Tafseer at-Tabari, 20/4
This view was also favoured by Imam Ibn Juziy (may Allah have mercy on him, in hisTafseer. See:Tafseer at-Tasheel by Ibn Juziy, 785
Secondly:
The second question is that scientific facts that have been discovered today say that the man’s semen is produced in the testes that contain cells that are made for that purpose, not in the area of the back or chest. So how come the Qur’an describes the emission of gushing water as coming from between the back and the ribs?
The answer is that this is one of the scientific miracles of this great Book. Modern medicine has discovered that this place -- between the backbone and the ribs -- is the place where the cells that will form the testes first grow, and at a later stage of embryonic development they descend to the scrotum below the abdomen.
Dr. Muhammad Dawdah says:
The scientific fact is that the primordial cells of the testes in the male or the ovaries in the female accumulate in the backs of the parents during the embryonic stage, then they come out of the back from the area between the start of the spinal column and the start of the ribs, then the ovaries migrate towards the pelvis in the vicinity of the uterus, and the testes migrate to the scrotum where the temperature is lower, otherwise they will fail to produce sperm and become subject to the risk of developing into cancerous tumours if the journey is not completed.
The phrase “Proceeding from between the back-bone (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib)” is sufficient to describe the history of how offspring develop; it includes all the events that point to the existence of a prior blueprint and perfect design in creation, from their initial formation in the backs of their parents and their migration behind the intestines, starting from the area between the backbone and the ribs, until they reach their final destinations and until the parents are born, reach puberty and get married, and the offspring are created from something like a drop of water in which no human characteristics or features appear, namely the sperm which is alive and moves by itself until it is mixed with its counterpart, then the nutfah is formed, which is“drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman)”(cf. al-Insaan 76:2).
“He is created from a water gushing forth, Proceeding from between the back-bone (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib)”[at-Taariq 86:5-7]. These are scientific facts that science has only recently discovered, although they were proven thirteen hundred years ago. The fact is that the sulb of the man is his spinal column and his taraa’ib are the bones of his chest … If we turn to embryology we will find in the development of the man’s testes and the woman’s ovaries that which will explain these verses that have been unclear to many people…
Both the testes and the ovaries, in the initial stages of their development, are near the kidneys, in a location between the backbone and the ribs, that is, between the midpoint of the spine and opposite the lowest ribs. Then when the testes and ovaries have migrated to their final locations in the body, they are supplied with arterial blood and controlled by nerves that are connected to a place in the body that is located between the backbone and the ribs. Thus the truth of what the Holy Qur’aan said has become clear, but science has only discovered it recently, thirteen hundred years after this Book was revealed. After developing, the testes and ovaries both descend to their places in the body. The testes descend to their place in the scrotum and the ovaries descend to their place in the pelvis, near the fallopian tubes. In some cases this descent is not complete and the testes stop partway, failing to go all the way to the scrotum; in this case surgery is required. End quote.
Taken from
http://islamtod ay.net /questions /show_questio n_content.cfm? id=10335
Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali al-Baarr (may Allah preserve him) says:
The verse says that the gushing water comes from between the backbone and the ribs, and we say that this water (semen) is formed rather in the testes as the egg is formed in the ovary in the woman. So how can we reconcile the scientific fact with the Qur’anic fact?
The testes and ovary are formed from the genital tubercle between the sulb and taraa’ib of the foetus. The sulb is the spinal column and the taraa’ib are the ribs. The testes and ovaries are formed in this exact region, i.e., between the backbone and the ribs, then the testes descend gradually until they reach the scrotum (outside the abdomen) at the end of the seventh month of gestation; the ovaries descend to the female’s pelvis. … However, nourishment continues to reach the testes or ovaries via the circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems from the point where they originated, i.e., from between the backbone and ribs. The arteries that supply the testes or ovaries come from the aorta, from between the backbone and the ribs, and the veins coming from the testes end in the same region, i.e., between the backbone and the ribs. The nerves to the testes and ovaries come from a group of nerves that exist beneath the stomach, between the backbone and the ribs. The lymphatic vessels also end in the same area, i.e., between the backbone and the ribs.
Can there be any doubt, after all this, that the testes and ovaries receive nourishment and blood from, and are connected to nerves that come from, between the backbone and the ribs?
The material for formation of the sperm in the man and the eggs in the woman comes from an area between the backbone and the ribs, in addition to the fact that the sperm and eggs develop from cells that originate between the backbone and the ribs. So this verse is a complete miracle, as it says “from between the back-bone (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib)” and it does not say “from the backbone and the ribs”. The word “between” is not only eloquent; it is also scientifically precise.
Modern science affirms that the water that does not gush, and only flows, is secretions from the vagina and Bartholin’s glands that are connected to it. These secretions play no role in the formation of the foetus; rather their function is to lubricate the vagina. But modern science has discovered something amazing: the sperm is carried by gushing water, which is the semen, but the egg in the ovary forms in the Graafian follicle surrounded by water. When the follicle ruptures, the water gushes forth and is caught by the fimbriae of the fallopian tube, where it meets the sperm to form the “Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman)” (cf. al-Isnaad 76:2). This water carries the egg just as the man’s water carries the sperm. In both cases the water gushes, and both emerge from between the backbone and the ribs, from the reproductive organs, the testes and ovaries.
Once again the miraculous scientific meaning of the Qur’anic verses has become clear: gushing water from the testes, carrying the sperm, and gushing water from the Graafian follicle carrying the egg.
End quote
Khalq al-Insaan bayna at-Tibb wa’l-Qur’aan, p. 114-124
And Allah knows best.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Tafseer of the verse “So on that Day no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin” [ar-Rahmaan 55:39]

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What is the meaning of the verse that says that man will not be questioned about his sin on the Day of Resurrection?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Perhaps the questioner is referring to the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“So on that Day no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin” [ar-Rahmaan 55:39].
This is one of the verses in Soorat ar-Rahmaan that speak of the terrors of the Day of Resurrection and explain that one aspect of the terror of that great Day is that no human or jinn will be questioned about his sin.
The scholars have given a number of interpretations for this verse:
1.
That humans and jinn will not be questioned on the Day of Resurrection by way of finding out about their sins, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, knows best about them. But He will question them by way of making a statement or a rebuke or telling off. This is more frightening and serves to emphasise the horror of what will happen on the Day of Resurrection.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin” – why? Because everything is known. What is meant here is that there will be no questioning by way of finding out, because all things are known. As for the kind of asking that is intended as a stern rebuke, that will take place. Allah, may He be exalted, says:
“And (remember) the Day (Allah) will call to them, and say: What answer gave you to the Messengers?
Then the news of a good answer will be obscured to them on that day, and they will not be able to ask one another”
[al-Qasas 28:65]
“Except those on the Right, (i.e. the pious true believers of Islamic Monotheism);
In Gardens (Paradise) they will ask one another,
About Al-Mujrimoon (polytheists, criminals, disbelievers, etc.), (And they will say to them):
What has caused you to enter Hell?
They will say: We were not of those who used to offer their Salat (prayers)”
[al-Muddaththir 74:39-42].
And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to the people of Hell when they are thrown into it (interpretation of the meaning):
“Did there not come to you, your Messengers with (clear) evidences and signs? They will say: Yes”
[Ghaafir 40:50].
So they will not be asked about their sin by way of finding out; rather they will be asked by way of telling off and rebuking. What is mentioned about humans and jinn being asked about their sins (“Did you do it or not?”) is questioning that is aimed at rebuking and telling off. There is a difference between questioning that is aimed at finding out and questioning that is aimed as a rebuke, so there is no contradiction between the verses. The verses that speak of them being questioned refer to questioning by way of rebuke and the verses that say that they will not be questioned refer to questioning that is aimed at finding out, because everything is already known and recorded. End quote.
Tafseer al-Qur’aan(from al-Hujuraat to al-Hadeed), p. 317
2.
One of the frightening events that will take place on that Day is that Allah will place a seal on the hearts of the disbelievers and hypocrites, and their hands and feet will speak of what they used to do. They will not be questioned at that time; rather their bodies will be questioned and will bear witness against them, speaking of their sins.
3.
Because of the horror of what the disbelievers encounter on the Day of Resurrection, they will be recognised by the blackening of their faces and the bleariness of their eyes. So there will be no need to ask them about their sins when the signs of disgrace have already appeared on them. This is also a source of great terror and a difficult situation on the Day of Resurrection. This does not contradict the true questioning that will occur at another stage, because the Day of Resurrection will be a long day, with various stages.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The verse (interpretation of the meaning):“So on that Day no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin” [ar-Rahmaan 55:39]is similar to the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):“That will be a Day when they shall not speak (during some part of it), And they will not be permitted to put forth any excuse” [al-Mursalaat 77:35-36]. This is one stage. And there will be another stage during which people will be questioned about all their deeds. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):“So, by your Lord (O Muhammad SAW), We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do” [al-Hijr 15:92-93]. Hence Qataadah quoted the words“So on that Day no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin” [ar-Rahmaan 55:39]and said: The questioning will have occurred, then a seal will be placed over the people’s mouths, and their hands and feet will tell of what they used to do.
‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, quoting from Ibn ‘Abbaas: He will not ask them, Did you used to do such and such? Because He knows better than they do about that. Rather he will say: Why did you do such and such? This is another view.
Mujaahid said concerning the verse: The angels will not ask about the sinners, because they will be known by their marks (blackened faces – cf. ar-Rahmaan 55:41). This is a third view.
It seems that this will come when instructions have been issued to take them to Hell. At that time they will not be asked about their sins; rather they will be taken to it and thrown into it, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):“The Mujrimoon (polytheists, criminals, sinners, etc.) will be known by their marks” [ar-Rahmaan 55:41], i.e., by marks that will appear on them.
Al-Hasan and Qataadah said: They will recognise them by their blackened faces and the bleariness of their eyes. I say: Similarly, the believers will be recognised by the bright marks on their faces and limbs from the traces of wudoo’. End quote.
Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem, 7/499
Al-‘Allaamah al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent…” [al-A‘raaf 7:6]. This verse indicates that Allah will question all people on the Day of Resurrection. There are similar verses, such as the following:
“So, by your Lord (O Muhammad ), We shall certainly call all of them to account”
[al-Hijr 15:92]
“But stop them, verily they are to be questioned”
[as-Saaffaat37:24]
“And (remember) the Day (Allah) will call to them, and say: What answer gave you to the Messengers?”
[al-Qasas 28:65].
And there are other verses that indicate the opposite of that, such as the following:
“So on that Day no question will be asked of man or jinn as to his sin”
[ar-Rahmaan 55:39]
“But the Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.) will not be questioned of their sins”
[al-Qasas 28:78].
The answer (to this apparent contradiction) consists of the following points:
1.
This is the best answer because it is what is indicated by the Qur’aan, which is that questioning is of two types: questioning by way of rebuke and telling off, which usually starts with the word “Lima(Why)…?”, and questioning that is aimed at finding out, which usually starts with the word “Hal…?” (an Arabic word which signals that what follows is a question). If the question starts with the wordLima, it is a question by way of rebuke; and if it starts with the wordHal, it is a question aimed at finding out.
We can see from the context of the Qur’aan that all questions that will be put to them, as stated in the Qur’aan, are questions that are intended as a rebuke, as in the verses in which Allah says:
“But stop them, verily they are to be questioned. ‘What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another (as you used to do in the world)?’”
[as-Saaffaat 37:24-35]
“Is this magic, or do you not see?”
[at-Toor 52:14]
“Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves”
[az-Zumar 39:71]
“Did no warner come to you?”
[al-Mulk 67:8]
and there are other similar verses.
And Allah will ask the Messengers: What did you respond? – As a rebuke to those who disbelieved in them. This is similar to the questioning of the girl who was buried alive, for what sin she was killed? (cf. at-Takweer 81:9) – this is a rebuke to the one who killed her.
2.
On the Day of Resurrection there will be various stages, at some of which they will be questioned and at others they will not be questioned.
End quote.
Daf‘ Eehaam al-Idtiraab ‘an ‘Aayaat al-Kitaab, p. 15
And Allah knows best.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Who are the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Are the sinners included with them?

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I hope you can give the tafseer (commentary) on this passage:
“Say (O Muhammad SAW): Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?
Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!
They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight”
[al-Kahf 18:103-105].
What I am asking for is an explanation of who are the greatest losers in respect of their deeds among the Muslims? Is the one who does not follow the Messenger of Allah with regard to the command to let the beard grow one of the greatest losers in respect of their deeds, or is this not connected to what Allah says in this verse?
I also hope you will explain the du‘aa’ of the Prophet and Messenger of Allah for forgiveness for those who shave; are they the ones who shave their beards?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
This verse is from Soorat al-Kahf, which is a Makkan soorah (revealed in Makkah). It was revealed concerning the kuffaar idol-worshippers whose devils lead them astray and made their actions seem good to them, so they thought that they were guided and that the Muslims were misguided. Allah, may He be exalted, tells us about that in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):“And verily, they (Satans / devils) hinder them from the Path (of Allah), but they think that they are guided aright!” [az-Zukhruf 43:37]. And He, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):“A group He has guided, and a group deserved to be in error; (because) surely they took the Shayatin (devils) as Awliya (protectors and helpers) instead of Allah, and consider that they are guided” [al-A‘raaf 7:30]. And Allah, may He be exalted, stated that they are disbelievers when He said in the same passage (that you asked about):“They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter).” [al-Kahf 18:104].
The fact that these verses were revealed concerning the mushrikeen is something about which there can be no doubt, because this verse is Makkan (revealed in Makkah), as we stated above. This does not mean that it cannot include others; it also includes the Jews and Christians, according to the wording, the meaning and the ruling. And it includes the followers of innovation and misguidance, commensurate with what their beliefs and actions include of misguidance and things that are contrary to sharee‘ah. So the nullification of their good deeds – in these verses – is complete in the case of the kuffaar, mushrikeen and apostates; as for the followers of innovation and misguidance among the Muslims, their deeds are not nullified completely; rather those that are innovated and contrary to sharee‘ah are nullified.
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: al-Bukhaari narrated that Mus‘ab said: I asked my father – i.e., Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas – “Say (O Muhammad SAW): Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?”: does this refer to the Harooris (Khaarijis)? He said: No; they are the Jews and the Christians. As for the Jews, they rejected Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); as for the Christians, they disbelieved in Paradise and said that there is no food or drink in it. The Harooris are the one who broke Allah’s Covenant after ratifying it (cf. al-Baqarah 2:29). and Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) used to call them the evildoers (al-faasiqeen).
‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, ad-Dahhaak and others said: They are the Harooris, i.e., the Khaarijis.
What is meant by these words of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is that this verse includes the Harooris as well as the Jews, Christians and others; it does not mean that it was revealed specifically concerning the former and not the latter. In fact it is more general in meaning than this; this verse was revealed in Makkah, before the message was addressed to the Jews and Christians, and before the Khaarijis even existed. It is general in meaning and applies to everyone who worships Allah in any way that is not pleasing to Him, thinking that he has got it right and that his deeds are acceptable, when in fact he has got it wrong and his deeds are rejected, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Some faces, that Day, will be humiliated (in the Hell-fire, i.e. the faces of all disbelievers)
Labouring (hard in the worldly life by worshipping others besides Allah), weary (in the Hereafter with humility and disgrace).
They will enter in the hot blazing Fire”
[al-Ghaashiyah 88:2-4]
“And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust”
[al-Furqaan 25:23]
“As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing”
[an-Noor 24:39].
And in this verse, He says: “Say:Shall We tell you” i.e., shall We inform you
“the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds”. Then He explains who they are and says:
“Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life” i.e., they did invalid deeds that were not in accordance with sharee‘ah, and were not prescribed, pleasing to Allah or acceptable.
“while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds” i.e., they believed that they were doing something good, and that they were accepted and loved.
End quote fromTafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/201, 202
It is worth noting that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on the verses from al-Ghaashiyah – which are mentioned above in the quotation from Ibn Katheer – and said that they refer to the Day of Resurrection, and that the faces of the disbelievers on that day will be humiliated, that is disgraced. But that is not in this world. SeeMajmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 16/217-220
Thus it is known that the verse does not include the one who disobeys Allah, may He be exalted, and shaves his beard. Rather the verses speak about the worship of anything other than Allah, and it is known that the verse was originally revealed about the disbelievers, and the inclusion of the followers of innovation under that heading is done of the basis of analogy.
Secondly:
The hadeeth of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) – which states that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Allaah, have mercy on those who shaved their heads.” They said: And those who cut their hair, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: “May Allaah have mercy on those who shaved their heads.” They said: And those who cut their hair, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: “And those who cut their hair” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1640; Muslim, 1301) – has nothing to do with shaving or cutting the beard; rather it undoubtedly has to do with exiting ihram following ‘Umrah or Hajj by shaving the hair of the head. We do not think that any Muslim would dare to say that shaving (when exiting ihram) includes shaving the beard. The one who says that is extremely ignorant and he should be taught and disciplined, because he has spoken about Allah, may He be exalted, without knowledge. If the one who said that is someone who claims to have knowledge, then undoubtedly his saying that is a mockery and is toying with the verses of Allah and distorting the words.
And Allah knows best.

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