Dought & clear, - Is it permissible to mention the faults of the Muslims in the presence of people of the Book?

Is it permissible to mention the faults of the Muslims in the presence
of people of the Book?
Praise be to Allah.
I know that a Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim and the enemy
of the disbeliever. But if a Muslim seems to have a bad attitude and
mistreats people, and a disbeliever is the opposite of that, the
Muslim is more entitled to be spoken of well and treated well in all
circumstances.
Allah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) have enjoined taking the believers as friends and
opposing the disbelievers in many texts in the Book of Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, and the Sunnah of His Messenger (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him), let alone the words of the scholars
and their unanimous agreement on that. Part of their 'aqeedah (belief)
is taking the believers as friends and opposing the disbelievers.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliya'
(friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Awliya' to one
another. And if any amongst you takes them as Awliya', then surely he
is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:51]
"Verily, your Wali (Protector or Helper) is Allah, His Messenger, and
the believers, - those who perform As-Salat (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and
give Zakaah, and they bow down (submit themselves with obedience to
Allah in prayer).
And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed,
as Protectors, then the party of Allah will be the victorious.
O you who believe! Take not for Awliya' (protectors and helpers) those
who take your religion for a mockery and fun from among those who
received the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, nor from
among the disbelievers; and fear Allah if you indeed are true
believers"
[al-Maa'idah 5:55-57].
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The Qur'an calls us to take the believers as friends and to oppose the
disbelievers wherever they are and however they are.
End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 1/297
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his
religion (Islam), Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they
will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the
disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allah, and never afraid of the
blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on
whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs,
All-Knower"
[al-Maa'idah 5:54].
Shaykh as-Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The (believers) are very humble when dealing with other believers,
meaning that they love them, are sincere, soft, gentle, compassionate,
merciful and easygoing towards them. But the way they should behave
towards those who disbelieve in Allah and reject His revelations and
His Messengers, is to be stern towards them. The believers are all
united in opposing them and they strive hard in every way to prevail
over them. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):"severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves"
[al-Fath 48:27]. Sternness towards the enemies of Allah is something
that brings a person closer to Him, as he is aware of the wrath of
Allah towards them. However, this sternness should not prevent us
calling them to Islam in a gentle way. In both cases, that serves
their best interests and they will benefit from it.
End quote fromTafseer as-Sa'di, p. 235
Muslim (2564) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not envy one
another, do not artificially inflate prices, do not hate one another,
do not turn away from one another, do not undercut one another. Be, O
slaves of Allaah, brothers. The Muslim is the brother of his
fellow-Muslim. He does not wrong him, let him down or despise him.
Piety (taqwa) is here" – and he pointed to his chest three times. "It
is sufficient evil for a man to despise his Muslim brother. The whole
of a Muslim is sacred to another Muslim, his blood, his wealth and his
honour."
Al-Bukhaari (6011) and Muslim (2586) narrated that an-Nu 'maan ibn
Basheer said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon) said:"The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy
and compassion is that of the body; when one part of it is in pain,
the rest of the body joins it in restlessness and fever."
What the Muslim must do is show care towards his Muslim brother, help
him, meet his needs and conceal his mistakes. If he makes a mistake or
commits a sin, he should offer him sincere advice, enjoin him to do
what is good and forbid him to do what is evil, and he should not
leave him to his shaytaan or his nafs (self) that is inclined towards
evil. If he commits a sin, major or minor, he should not disavow him
or fail to show him the friendship and care that are his Islamic duty;
rather he should disavow his wrongdoing, sin and enmity, whilst
maintaining the basic principle of friendship and love because of the
faith he has. If he gives up his sin and mistake, he should restore
the ties of friendship and support, according to the situation.
With regard to the disbeliever, a Muslim has nothing to do with him
because of his false religion and his being far away from the straight
path of Allah. What comparison can there be between him and a
believer, even if the latter falls short and is negligent?
With regard to speaking ill of his Muslim brother and putting him down
in front of a disbeliever, whether he is of the people of the Book or
otherwise, this is bad manners and is often indicative of a problem
with one's own 'aqeedah. Many Muslims are enchanted by non-Muslims,
because of what they appear outwardly to be, then if they see from
another Muslim something that they dislike, they criticize him for his
shortcomings and think that an non-Muslim is better than him.
But what is enjoined is for the Muslims to conceal one another's
faults, so how can one Muslim strive to expose another in front of the
enemies of the Muslims, whether they are the people of the Book or
otherwise? How can he give the enemies the opportunity to rejoice in
the misfortunes of his fellow believer, or show them his faults and
shortcomings? Rather Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:
If a teacher says to the children, "The Jews are much better than the
Muslims, because they give their children's teacher his rights," he
has become a disbeliever!
End quote fromRawdat at-Taalibeen, 10/69
In fact this is the expected outcome of mentioning the bad deeds and
faults of the Muslims in front of the enemies of Allah among the
disbelievers. It ends up with the one who says that preferring the
disbelievers over the Muslims, especially when he starts to compare
them; what usually happens is that he reduces all characteristics to
one, which he exaggerates to the exclusion of others and bases his
judgement of people on that one characteristic.
The wise person should beware of helping (an enemy) against his
brother or being a fitnah to the disbelievers by mentioning the faults
of the Muslims in front of them, because by doing so he is barring
them from the religion of Allah and turning them away from it.
And Allah knows best.

** Dought & clear, - Description of Eid prayer

** What is the description of the Eid prayer?
Praise be to Allaah.
The Eid prayer is one where the imam attends and leads the people in
praying two rak'ahs. 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The
prayer of al-Fitr is two rak'ahs and the prayer of al-Adha is two
rak'ahs, complete and not shortened, on the tongue of your Prophet,
and the one who fabricates lies is doomed." Narrated by al-Nasaa'i,
1420 and Ibn Khuzaymah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh
al-Nasaa'i.
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed said: The Messenger of Allaah SAWS
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to come out on the
day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place, and the first thing he
would do was to offer the prayer. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 956
In the first rak'ah he should say Takbeerat al-ihraam (say "Allaahu
akbar" to start the prayer), after which he should say six or seven
more takbeers, because of the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her), "The takbeer of al-Fitr and al-Adha is seven
takbeers in the first rak'ah and five takbeers in the second, apart
from the takbeer of rukoo'." Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani inIrwa' al-Ghaleel, 639.
Then he should recite al-Faatihah, and recite Soorat Qaf in the first
rak'ah. In the second rak'ah he should stand up saying takbeer, and
when he has stood up completely he should say takbeer five times, and
recite Soorat al-Faatihah then Soorat al-Qamr. The Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite these two soorahs
during the two Eids. Or if he wishes he can recite Soorat al-A'la in
the first rak'ah and Soorat al-Ghaashiyah in the second, because it
was narrated that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to recite al-A'la and al-Ghaashiyah in the Eid prayer.
The imam should revive the Sunnah be reciting these soorahs so that
the Muslims will become familiar with the Sunnah.
After the prayer, the imam should address the people. Part of the
khutbah should be addressed specifically to the women, telling them of
the things that they should do and warning them against the things
that they should avoid, as the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used to do.
SeeFataawa Arkaan al-Islamby Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him), p. 398;Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah,
8/300-316).
The prayer comes before the khutbah
One of the rulings of Eid is that the prayer comes before the khutbah,
because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah who said, The
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out on the day
of al-Fitr and started with the prayer before the khutbah. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 958; Muslim, 885.
Another indication that the khutbah comes after the prayer is the
hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
come out to the prayer place on the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha, and
the first thing he would start with was the prayer, then he would go
and stand facing the people, while the people were sitting in their
rows, and he would preach to them and advise them and command them.
If he wanted to send out a military expedition he would do so and if
he wanted to tell the people to do something he would do so, then he
would leave.
Abu Sa'eed said: The people continued to do that until I went out with
Marwaan – who was the governor of Madeenah – on Eid al-Adha or Eid
al-Fitr, and when we came to the prayer-place, there was a minbar that
had been built by Katheer ibn al-Salt. When Marwaan wanted to ascend
it before he prayed, I grabbed his garment and he pushed me away and
climbed up and delivered the khutbah before the prayer. I said, "You
have changed it by Allaah."
He said, "O Abu Sa'eed, what you knew has gone."
I said, "What I know, by Allaah, is better than what I do not know."
He said, "The people will not sit and listen to us after the prayer,
so we did it before the prayer." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 956.

Dought & clear, - Ruling on Eid and the Sunnahs of Eid

I would like to know some of the Sunnahs of Eid and the rulings thereon.
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has set out several rulings concerning Eid, including the following:
1 – It is mustahabb to recite takbeer during the night of Eid from
sunset on the last day of Ramadaan until the imam comes to lead the
prayer. The format of the takbeer is as follows:
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar,
Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi'l-hamd(Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most
Great, there is no god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is
Most Great, and all praise be to Allaah).
Or you can say Allaahu akbar three times, so you say:
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah,
Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi'l-hamd(Allaah
is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no
god except Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great , Allaah
is Most Great, and all praise be to Allaah).
Both are permissible.
Men should raise their voices reciting this dhikr in the marketplaces,
mosques and homes, but women should not raise their voices.
2 – You should eat an odd number of dates before leaving for the Eid
prayer, because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
did not set out on the day of Eid until he had eaten an odd number of
dates. He should stick to an odd number as the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did.
3 – You should wear your best clothes – this is for men. With regard
to women, they should not wear beautiful clothes when they go out to
the Eid prayer-place, because the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Let them go out looking decent" i.e., in
regular clothes that are not fancy. It is haraam for them to go out
wearing perfume and makeup.
4 – Some of the scholars regarded it as mustahabb to do ghusl for the
Eid prayer, because it is narrated that some of the salaf did this.
Doing ghusl for Eid prayer is mustahabb, just as it is prescribed for
Jumu'ah because one is going to meet people. So if one does ghusl,
that is good.
5 – The Eid prayer. The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Eid
prayer is prescribed in Islam. Some of them say that it is Sunnah,
some say that it is fard kafaayah (a communal obligation) and some say
that it is fard 'ayn (an individual obligation), and that not doing it
is a sin. They quoted as evidence the fact that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded even the virgins and women
in seclusion, i.e., those who did not ordinarily come out, to attend
the Eid prayer place, except that those who were menstruating should
keep away from the prayer-place itself, because it is not permissible
for a menstruating woman to stay in the mosque; it is permissible for
her to pass through but not to stay there.
It seems to me, based on the evidence, that it is fard 'ayn (an
individual obligation) and that every male is obliged to attend the
Eid prayer except for those who have an excuse. This was the view
favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him).
In the first rak'ah the imam should reciteSabbih isma rabbika
al-A'ala(Soorat al-A'la 87) and in the second rak'ah he should
reciteHal ataaka hadeeth ul-ghaashiyah(al-Ghaashiyah 88). Or he may
recite Soorat Qaaf (50) in the first and Soorat al-Qamar (54) in the
second. Both options are narrated in saheeh reports from the Messenger
of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
6 – If Jumu'ah and Eid fall on the same day, the Eid prayer should be
held, as should Jumu'ah prayer, as is indicated by the apparent
meaning of the hadeeth of al-Nu'maan ibn Basheer which was narrated by
Muslim in hisSaheeh. But those who attend the Eid prayer with the imam
may attend Jumu'ah if they wish, or they may pray Zuhr.
7 – One of the rulings on Eid prayer is that according to many
scholars, if a person comes to the Eid prayer-place before the imam
comes, he should sit down and not pray two rak'ahs, because the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed Eid with two
rak'ahs, and he did not offer any prayer before or after it.
Some of the scholars are of the view that when a person comes he
should not sit down until he has prayed two rak'ahs, because the Eid
prayer-place is a mosque, based on the fact that menstruating women
are not allowed there, so it comes under the same rulings as a mosque,
which indicates that it is a mosque. Based on this, it comes under the
general meaning of the words of the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "When any one of you enters the mosque, let him
not sit down until he has prayed two rak'ahs." With regard to the fact
that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not
offer any prayer before or after the Eid prayer, that is because when
he arrived the prayer started.
Thus it is proven that we should prayTahiyyat al-Masjid(two rak'ahs to
"greet the mosque") when arriving at the Eid prayer-place, as in the
case of all mosques, because if we assume from the hadeeth that there
is no Tahiyyat al-Masjid for the Eid mosque, then we should say that
there is no Tahiyyat al-Masjid for the Jumu'ah mosque either, because
when the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) arrived at the Jumu'ah mosque he would deliver the khutbah, then
pray two rak'ahs then leave and pray the regular Sunnahs of Jumu'ah in
his house, so he did not offer any prayer before it or after it (in
the mosque).
What seems more likely to be correct in my view is that we should pray
two rak'ahs in the Eid prayer-place to greet the mosque, but we should
not denounce one another with regard to this issue, because it is a
matter concerning which the scholars differ. We should not denounce
others with regard to matters where the scholars differ, unless there
is a clear text. So we should not denounce the one who prays (Tahiyyat
al-Masjid) or the one who sits down without praying.
8 – One of the rulings on the day of Eid – Eid al-Fitr – is that
Zakaat al-Fitr is due on this day. The Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) enjoined that it should be paid before the Eid
prayer. It is permissible to pay it one or two days before that,
because of the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
which was narrated by al-Bukhaari: "They used to give it one or two
days before (Eid) al-Fitr." If it is paid after the Eid prayer, it
does not count as Sadaqat al-Fitr, because of the hadeeth of Ibn
'Abbaas: "Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is Zakaat al-Fitr, and
whoever pays it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity." It is
haraam to delay Zakaat al-Fitr until after the Eid prayer. If one
delays it with no excuse then it is not acceptable zakaah, but if
there is an excuse – such as if a person is traveling and does not
have anything to give or anyone to give it to, or he is expecting his
family to pay it and they are expecting him to pay it, then in this
case he should pay it when it is easy for him to do so, even if that
is after the prayer, and there is no sin on him because he has an
excuse.
9 – People should greet one another, but that results in haraam
actions on the part of many people, such as men entering houses and
shaking hands with unveiled women without any mahram being present.
Some of these evils are worse than others.
We see some people denouncing those who refuse to shake hands with
those who are not their mahrams, but it is they who are the
wrongdoers, not he. But he should explain to them and tell them to ask
trustworthy scholars to verify his actions and he should tell them not
to get angry and insist on following the customs of his forefathers,
because they do not make a permissible thing forbidden or a forbidden
thing permissible. He should explain to them that if they do that,
they will be like those of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And similarly, We sent not a warner before you (O Muhammad) to any
town (people) but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our
fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed
follow their footsteps"
[al-Zukhruf 43:23]
Some people have the custom of going out to the graveyard on the day
of Eid to greet the occupants of the graves, but the occupants of the
graves have no need of any greeting or congratulations, because they
do not fast or pray qiyaam.
Visiting the graves is not something to be done especially on the day
of Eid or Friday or any particular day. It was proven that the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) visited the graves
at night, as mentioned in the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah narrated by Muslim.
And the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Visit the graves for they will remind you of the Hereafter."
Visiting graves is an act of worship, and acts of worship are not
acceptable unless they are in accordance with sharee'ah. The
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not single out
the day of Eid for visiting the graves, so we should not do so either.
10 – There is nothing wrong with what men do on the day of Eid of
embracing one another.
11 – It is prescribed for the one who goes out to the Eid prayer to go
by one route and return by another, following the example of the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This
Sunnah does not apply to other prayers, Jumu'ah or anything else, it
only applies to Eid.

Imam Hassan Askari (as) and philosopher Ishaq al-Kindi:

Our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Askari (as) lived a short life of 28 years.
In this short life, Imam Hassan Askari (as) had to endure great
sufferings at the hands of the Abbasid Caliphs. But in spite of all
that suffering and confinement in Samarra, Iraq, many students
benefited from his God gifted knowledge and later became scholars in
their fields. Imam Hassan Askari (as) discussed with agnostics of that
age many times about the existence of God and the reasons for the
necessity of the Prophets and Imams and many atheists changed their
minds and converted to Islam.
One of those was Ishaq al-Kindi. This man was a great philosopher of
Iraq. He collected such verses of Noble Qur'an whose meanings were
apparently contradictory, in a book called as "self-contradictions".
He wanted to prove thereby that it was not the word of Almighty Allah
(SWT).
When the news reached Imam Hassan Askari (as), he waited for an
opportunity to refute him. One day, by chance some of his disciples
(students) came to Imam Hassan Askari (as).
Imam Hassan Askari (as) asked them: "Is there anyone among you who can
stop Ishaq al-Kindi from wasting his time in this useless effort
fighting the Noble Qur'an?" The students said: "Sir, we are his
students: how can we object to his teaching?" Imam Hassan Askari (as)
urged that they could at least convey to their teacher what he had to
tell them. They replied that they would be ready to cooperate as much
as they could in that respect.
Imam Hassan Askari (as) then recited a few verses from the Noble
Qur'an, which the philosopher Ishaq al-Kindi thought as contradictory
of one another. Imam Hassan Askari (as) then explained to them thus:
"Your teacher thinks that some of the words in these verses have only
one meaning. But according to the Arabic language, these words have
other meanings too which, when taken into consideration, indicate no
contradiction in the overall meaning. Thus, your teacher is not
justified for basing his objections and claim of contradictions on the
premises of the 'wrong meaning' he himself selects such verses". Imam
Hassan Askari (as) then put up some examples of such words before them
so clearly that the students conceived the whole discussion and the
precedents of more than one meaning.
When these students visited Ishaq al-Kindi and after routine talk,
reproduced the disputed points, he was surprised. He was a fair-minded
scholar and he listened to his students' explanations. Then he said:
"What you have argued is beyond your capacity: tell me truly who has
taught you these points?" The students said that it was their own
reflection, but when he insisted that they could never have conceived
those points, they admitted that, it was explained to them by Abu
Muhammad Imam Hassan Askari (as). The teacher said: "Yes: this level
of knowledge is the heritage of that House and only that House Ahlul
Bayt (as)". Then he asked the students to set fire to all such works
of his.
Ishaq al-Kindi was not alone in benefiting from Imam Hassan Askari
(as). Several high-ranking scholars benefited from his ocean of
knowledge. There were a host of others who later developed into
leading scientists, jurisprudents, exegetes, theologians and masters
of different fields when they came into contact with Imam Hassan
Askari (as).

Imam Hassan Askari (as) and fear of Allah (SWT) in His childhood:

The Ahlul Bayt (as)who carries the most wisdom and knowledge of the
seen and unseen are they who most fear Allah (SWT) and pass their
every second in life reflecting and pondering about the most important
subjects.
It is written by the scholars that once our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan
Askari (as) who was still a child was standing between some other
children who were playing and having fun. Suddenly a lover of the
Ahlul Bayt (as) was passing by. But he was trapped with this scene
that all the children were playing but a beautiful child was standing
alone crying. He decided to approach this child to ask what was wrong,
maybe he could help him. He said: "My dear, are you crying because you
don't have the toys other children have. If you like I can bring some
toys to you." Imam Hassan Askari (as) replied: "Do you think I'm
crying for the toys. We are not created to play with toys and have fun
but to worship Allah (SWT) and seek for knowledge. This lover of the
Ahlul Bayt (as) asked him that how he was sure about that and the
young Imam Hassan Askari (as) answered: Have you not read the verse of
the Noble Qur'an which guides us saying:
"What! Did you then think that We had created you in vain and that you
shall not be returned to Us?" (Noble Qur'an 23:115)
This lover of the Ahlul Bayt (as) was impressed with the answer and
said: "But why are you so troubled in such a young age. You have not
committed any sins. Imam Hassan Askari (as) replied: "Age does not
matter. I watch my mother every day when she set fire to the large
twigs she uses the small first. I am afraid that may not the young
children of this world be used to light the fire of Hell." Allahu
Akbar, the Holy Imam Hassan Askari (as) who is an infallible
personality and a Hujjat of Allah (SWT) reflects so deeply, this
answer was only a lesson to His followers to ponder over. This
capturing story of Imam Hassan Askari (as) is a great learning lesson
for us all.

What Happened While the Prophet (saas) Was Receiving Revelation

Allah tells us that He told our Prophet (saas) to get up in the night
and prepare to receive a revelation, a"weighty Word":
The hadiths inform us about how extraordinary it is to receive a
revelation and of the marvellous spiritual things the Prophet (saas)
experienced in his room. We learn that when the revelations came,
those who were with him heard a sound like a bee buzzing around his
face. Sahih al-Bukhari states:
Aisha narrated: "Al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Prophet (saas): 'How
does the revelation come to you?' He replied: 'In all of that the
angel comes to me, sometimes with a voice that resembles the sound of
a ringing bell. When this state abandons me, I remember what the angel
has said. This type of revelation is the hardest on me. Sometimes the
angel comes to me in the shape of a man and talks to me, and I
understand and remember what he says.'" 3
Aisha narrated: "I saw the Prophet (saas) receive revelation on a very
cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead." 4
Zayd ibn Thabit narrated: "I wrote down Allah's revelations to the
Prophet (saas). When the revelation came to him, he felt a great
weariness and had beads of sweat like pearls. When the state of
revelation ended, he recited and I would write." 5
Abu Hurayrah narrated: "When the revelation came from Allah to the
Prophet (saas), it was as if he had fainted." 6
-
Footnotes
1. Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 9, book 87, hadith no. 111
2. Sahih Al-Bukhari
3. Al-Bukhari
4. Al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhi
5. At-Tabarani
6. Abu Nu'aym

The Miracles Granted to the Messengers

Allah enabled His messengers to perform miracles to protect them from
the unbelievers' and the hypocrites' traps, to bring people to faith,
and for other reasons. In the Qur'an He gives a detailed account of
the messengers' lives, the miracles He sent to support their message,
and the miracles He allowed them to perform. Our beloved Prophet
Muhammad (saas) and the Prophet Moses (as), the Prophet Abraham (as)
and the Prophet Jesus (as) were all blessed messengers to whom Allah
granted miracles.
For example, the trap set for the Prophet Abraham (as) was foiled by a miracle:
We said: "Fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham!" (Surat al-Anbiya': 69)
As a result, the unbelievers' trap was destroyed. We will now relate
some other miracles.
The miracles that 'the Prophet Jesus (as) showed his people:
Remember when Allah said: " O Jesus, son of Maryam, remember My
blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the
Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when
you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and
the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of
clay by My permission, and then breathed into it and it became a bird
by My permission; and [when you] healed the blind and the leper by My
permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and
when I held back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them
the Clear Signs and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing
but downright magic.'" (Surat al-Ma'idah: 110)
... as a messenger to the tribe of Israel, the Prophet Jesus (as)
saying: "I have brought you a sign from your Lord. I will create the
shape of a bird out of clay for you, breathe into it, and it will be a
bird, by Allah's permission. I will heal the blind and the leper, and
bring the dead to life, by Allah's permission. I will tell you what
you eat and what you store up in your homes. There is a sign for you
in that if you are believers." (Surah Al 'Imran: 49)
The Prophet Moses's (as) staff turned into a snake and swallowed those
produced by Pharaoh's magicians:
He [Pharaoh] said: "If you have come with a clear sign produce it, if
you are telling the truth." So he [Moses] threw down his staff and
there it was, unmistakably a snake. (Surat al-A'raf: 106-107)
Throw down what is in your right hand [O Moses]. It will swallow up
their handiwork, which is just a magician's trick. Magicians do not
prosper wherever they go. (Surah Ta Ha: 69)
The Prophet Moses (as) struck the sea with his staff and its waters parted:
And when the two hosts came into sight of one another, Moses's
companions exclaimed: "We will surely be overtaken!" Moses said:
"Never! My Lord is with me and will guide me." So We revealed to
Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each
part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it.
We rescued Moses and all those who were with him, and then drowned the
rest. (Surat al-Shu'ara': 61-66)
The birds that the Prophet Abraham (as) cut into pieces came back to him alive:
When Abraham said: "My Lord, show me how You bring the dead to life."
He asked: "Do you not then have belief?" Abraham replied: "Indeed I
do! But so that my heart may be at peace." He said: "Take four birds
and train them to yourself. Then put a part of them on each mountain
and call to them; they will come rushing to you. Know that Allah is
Almighty, All-Wise." (Surat al-Baqara: 260)
The Prophet Jonah's (as) was miraculously saved after being swallowed
by a whale:
Yunus was one of the Messengers. When he ran away to the fully laden
ship and cast lots and lost, then the fish devoured him and he was to
blame. Had he not been a person who glorified Allah, he would have
remained inside its belly until the Day of Resurrection. So We cast
him up onto the beach and he was sick. (Surat al-Saffat: 139-145)
The Prophet Zechariah. (as) was told he would have a child in his old age
"Still Life with Cheeses." Floris Van Dijck (1575-1651). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Then and there Zechariah called on his Lord: "O Lord, grant me by Your
favor an upright child. You are the Hearer of Prayer." The angel
called out to him while he was standing in prayer in the upper room:
"Allah gives you the good news of John, who will come to confirm a
Word from Allah, and will be a leader and a celibate, a prophet and
one of the just." He asked: "My Lord, how can I possibly have a son
when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He replied: "It
will be so. Allah does whatever He wills." (Surah Al 'Imran: 38-40)
Many other miracles are informed in the Qur'an, all of which happen by
the will of Allah Who rules the universe and has infinite power. Every
miracle happens at Allah's command and in the way He wills:
We sent messengers before you and gave them wives and children. Nor
was any messenger able to bring a sign except by Allah's permission.
There is a prescribed limit to every term. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 38)
In Surat al-Ma'idah, it is reveaed that the Prophet Jesus (as)
performed miracles by Allah's permission:
Remember when Allah said: "O 'Jesus, son of Maryam, remember My
blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the
Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when
you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and
the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of
clay by My permission, and then breathed into it and it became a bird
by My permission; and healed the blind and the leper by My permission;
and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I held
back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them the clear
signs and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but
downright magic.'" (Surat al-Ma'ida: 110)
All of the messengers were blessed individuals who submitted
themselves to Allah. They had good moral characters and were examples
to the world. Like everyone else, they were helpless and needy in
Allah's sight. Allah, Who created the universe from nothing, has
absolute power and governance over all things, both living and
inanimate. The universe and all creatures in the heavens and on Earth
belong to Him, for He, the Lord of the universe, created them all.
Everything moves at His command and exists at His pleasure.
Allah feeds all living creatures, provides them with many blessings,
brings forth plants and creates their seasons, and brings darkness in
the evening and makes the sun a brilliant light. He created all human
beings who have ever lived and who are yet to live; all animate and
inanimate things owe their existence to Him, and every creature needs
Him. He has honored some individuals by choosing them to be His
messengers. They also stand in need of Him, act at His command, and
perform their miracles only by His will.
We are told in Surat al-Anbiya' of Allah's infinite power:
Everyone in the heavens and on Earth belongs to Him. Those in His
presence do not consider themselves too great to worship Him and do
not grow tired of it. They glorify Him night and day, never flagging.
Or have they taken deities out of the soil who can bring the dead to
life? If there had been any deities besides Allah in heaven or Earth,
they would both be ruined. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Throne,
beyond what they describe! He will not be questioned about what He
does, but they will be questioned. Or have they taken other deities
besides Him? Say: "Produce your proof. This is the message of those
with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not
know the truth, so they turn away. (Surat al-Anbiya': 19-24)
This book informs the reader about some of the Prophet Muhammad's
(saas) miracles. Allah made this blessed individual an example to all
people due to his goodness and deep faith, and his every word and
action. With Allah's permission, he performed miracles throughout his
life, some of which were witnessed only by the Companions and others
of which were seen by great numbers of unbelievers.
An account of some of these miracles has come down to us in the
Qur'an; we know of others through the hadiths and the various writings
of Islamic scholars. We intend to show the miraculous aspects of this
blessed person who was sent as a mercy to the world and to invite our
readers to take the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) as
their guide.
As Allah says, He sent our Prophet (saas) as the last prophet to
humanity: "… the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the
Prophets" (Surat al-Ahzab: 40). This blessed man delivered the final
revelation and serves as humanity's role model because of his
goodness, piety, and closeness to Allah. He is a friend of Allah, and
the friend and advocate of believers. Allah tells us that He entrusted
our Prophet (saas) with a great responsibility:
We will impose a weighty Word upon you. (Surat al-Muzzammil: 5)
With his powerful faith in Allah, the Prophet (saas) carried out his
responsibility perfectly by inviting humanity to follow the Way of
Allah and serving as their guide. The Revelation of the Qur'an
According to Islamic and historical texts, Allah bestowed prophethood
upon the Prophet Muhammad (saas) when he was forty years old. But even
before that time, certain miraculous events took place. For example,
his dreams came true. The hadiths say that these dreams lasted for
about six months. The eminent Islamic scholar Imam al-Bukhari relates:
The commencement of the Divine inspiration to the Messenger of Allah
was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never
had a dream but that it came true like bright daylight. 1
A copy of the Qur'an from 1790 CE (1205 AH) written in the Naskhi
style. Classic style layout, every page containing seventeen lines.
Ruled in gold, leather binding from the time. (Suleyman Tevfik)
The hadiths tell us that when he turned forty, he would often go by
himself to the Cave of Hira' (Ghar Hira) in Jabal al-Nur (the Mountain
of Light), which was located about twelve kilometers from Mecca.
During the Ramadan of his third annual retreat, Allah granted the
Prophet Muhammad (saas) the rank of prophet by sending Gabriel to
reveal some Qur'anic verses to him. The first revelation was given on
August 10, 610 CE (Monday night, 21 Ramadan).
This was certainly a wonderful grace from Allah. Our Prophet (saas)
was blessed; he was an able, good, and a man of deep faith; had a
degree of fear and respect toward Allah; and was worthy of this honor:
… but for a mercy from your Lord. His favor to you is indeed immense.
(Surat al-Isra': 87)
You did not expect to be given the Book. It is nothing but a mercy
from your Lord ... (Surat al-Qasas: 86)
The fact that his dreams came true is one proof that our dear Prophet
(saas) was chosen by Allah. Islamic scholars interpret this as meaning
that Allah prepared him for this great responsibility while he slept.
After these dreams, the Prophet (saas) received the first revelation
and was entrusted with guiding humanity to the true path. He continued
to do so, with great determination, until he died.
The hadiths relate the miraculous events that occurred before he
received the first revelation:
Aisha narrated: The first thing with which the revelation began for
the Messenger of Allah was correct dreams in sleep. He never saw a
dream but that it came like the breaking of the dawn. He used to go in
seclusion to (the cave of) Hira', where he used to worship (Allah
alone) continuously for many nights. He used to take provision with
him for that (stay) and then like-wise come back to Khadijah to take
his food again for another period. Then suddenly the Truth descended
upon him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him and
asked him to read.
The Prophet replied: "I do not know how to read" (and added:) "The
angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not
bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I
replied: 'I do not know how to read,' whereupon he caught me again and
pressed me a second time until I could not bear it anymore. He then
released me and asked me again to read, but again I replied: 'I do not
know how to read (or, what shall I read?).' Thereupon he caught me for
the third time and pressed me and then released me and said: 'Read: In
the Name of your Lord, Who has created, has created humanity from a
[blood] clot. Read, and Your Lord is Most Generous, He Who taught
by the pen, taught man what he did not know.' (Surat al-'Alaq:
1-5)" Then Allah's Messenger returned with it… 2
We are told in the Qur'an about his conversation with Gabriel and the
revelation of the Qur'an to him. It is revealed in Surat al-Najm that
Gabriel taught the Qur'an to the Prophet (saas):
Your companion is not misguided or misled; nor does he speak from
whim. It is nothing but Revelation revealed, taught to him by one
immensely strong. (Surat al-Najm: 2-5)
We also learn of the wondrous events that occurred as Gabriel
transmitted the Qur'an to the Prophet (saas):
… possessing power and splendor. He [Gabriel] stood there stationary,
there on the highest horizon. Then he drew near and hung suspended. He
was two bow-lengths away or even closer. Then He [Allah] revealed to
His servant what He revealed. His [Muhammad's] heart did not lie about
what he saw. What! Do you dispute with him about what he saw? (Surat
al-Najm: 6-12)
It is also stated in several other verses that Gabriel, also called
the "Purest Spirit" or the "Faithful Spirit," delivered the
revelation:
It does not befit Allah to address any human being except by
inspiration, or from behind a veil, or He sends a messenger who then
reveals by His permission whatever He wills. He is indeed Most High,
All-Wise. (Surat al-Shura: 51)
Say: "Anyone who is Jibril's enemy should know that it was he who
brought it [the Qur'an] down upon your heart, by Allah's authority,
confirming what came before, and as guidance and good news for the
believers." (Surat al-Baqarah: 97)
Say: "The Purest Spirit has brought it down from your Lord with truth,
to make those who have faith firm, and as guidance and good news for
the Muslims." (Surat al-Nahl: 102)
Truly it is revelation sent down by the Lord of all the worlds. The
Faithful Spirit brought it down to your heart so you would be one of
the Warners. (Surat al-Shu'ara': 192-194)
There is a tradition that the revelations ceased for a while after the
first verses had been revealed. The hadiths tell us that when the
revelations resumed, the first verses he received were the opening
verses of Surat al-Muddaththir. After that, the Prophet (saas) assumed
his responsibility of proclaiming the revelation. Later, by a command
from Allah, he told people to have faith only in Allah and not to make
any creature His equal:
O you who are enveloped in your cloak, arise and warn. Magnify your
Lord. (Surat al-Muddaththir: 1-3)
It is also said in Surat al-Shura 194 that revelations were placed in
the Prophet's (saas) heart. In addition, Allah caused him to memorize
the Qur'an: "We will cause you to recite so that you do not forget"
(Surat al-A'la: 6). His ability to memorize the Qur'an in this way was
another one of his miracles.
The verses of the Qur'an were rooted in the Prophet's (saas) heart,
and he spent his whole life proclaiming them. In Surat al-A'la 8, "We
will ease you to the Easy Way,"Allah announced that He is the
Prophet's (saas) helper and will give him success. Allah tells us that
He is the blessed mesenger's constant Helper: "It is Our duty to help
the belivers" (Surat al-Rum: 47). He refreshed the Prophet's (saas)
heart and created marvellous things in his mind and memory. He tells
us that it is He Who enabled the Prophet (saas) to recite and remember
all of its verses:
Do not move your tongue trying to hasten it. Its collection and
recitation are Our affair. So when We recite it, follow its
recitation. Then its explanation is Our concern. (Surat al-Qiyamah:
16-19)
Clearly, Allah placed the Qur'an's verses in his memory in a special way:
High exalted be Allah, the King, the Real! Do not rush ahead with the
Qur'an before its revelation to you is complete, and say: "My Lord,
increase me in knowledge." (Surah Ta Ha: 114)
With his love and lively faith in Allah, our Prophet (saas) willingly
and wholeheartedly obeyed all of His commands. Allah made him powerful
and gave him success, granted him many blessings, and made him special
in both worlds.

The Miracles Of Our Prophet (saas)

Introduction
Throughout history, Allah sent messengers to all peoples, showing them
how to live a good life in this world and the next. We are told in the
Qur'an that this is a wonderful grace and mercy for all believers:
Allah showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a messenger
to them from among themselves to recite His signs to them, purify
them, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they
were clearly misguided. (Surah Al 'Imran: 164)
We have only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds. (Surat al-Anbiya': 107)
These messengers were a grace to their communities, for they showed
their people the right path, helped them leave the darkness of
unbelief and enter into the light of belief, and proclaimed the
commands of our Lord, Who created the universe from nothing. They told
people that they could have contentment, peace, and security only by
living a good religious life. However, Allah also reveals that
"...most people have no faith" (Surat al-Ra'd: 1). Thus, few people
embraced faith and appreciated what a great mercy these messengers
were for them.
As revealed in the Qur'an, they sincerely desired that people should
come to faith: "But most people, for all your eagerness, are not
believers" (Surah Yusuf: 103). They called their people to truth so
that they could receive blessings in both worlds and live good and
happy lives. They asked no reward for this. Due to their sincere fear
of and respect for Allah and their superior moral character, the
messengers dedicated their honorable lives to this goal. All of the
ensuing difficulties and trials only increased their faith and
dedication. With Allah's help and support, they became examples of
courage; with His permission, they always prevailed. Our Lord says:
Allah has written: "I will be victorious, I and My messengers." Allah
is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadalah: 21)
In return for their devotion, faithfulness, patience, sincerity, and
trust in Him, Allah imparted a sense of security and contentment to
their hearts, gave them material and spiritual strength, and destroyed
the unbelivers' traps:
We will certainly help Our messengers and those who believe both in
the life of this world and on the Day the witnesses appear. (Surah
Ghafir: 51)
O Messenger, transmit what has been sent down to you from your Lord.
If you do not, you will not have transmitted His message. Allah will
protect you from people. Allah does not guide the unbelievers. (Surat
al-Ma'idah: 67)
Allah tells us that He defended our Prophet (saas) against all of the
unbelievers' traps:
… when the unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison, kill, or
expel you: They were plotting and Allah was planning, but Allah is the
Best of Planners. (Surat al-Anfal: 30)
We learn from several verses that Allah protected His messengers in
every adversity and anxiety and from every trap. He increased His
blessings upon them, provided an escape from every difficulty,
increased their courage and strength, lightened their burdens, and
strengthened their resolve by reminding them of His mercy.
Our Lord supported some of His messengers by allowing them to perform
miracles. These great blessings from Allah had a strong effect on
people, strengthened the believers' resolve and faith, and caused many
unbelievers to embrace Islam.

Fathwa, - Can my aunty's husband (mothers brother in law) be my mehram?

Question:
I have been wanting to perform umrah for 2 years now, but due to
having no living father i don''t have a mehram. i have 2 brothers,
however one is not ready to go, nor can he get time off from
university and the other only did hajj in January, and can not afford
to go again.
So apart from them my last option is going along with my uncle and
aunty. However before getting my hopes up i would like to know is my
mother''s sister''s husband is a permissable mehram for umrah.
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
Unlike the Hajj, which is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female,
who is able to perform it; the ''Umra is not obligatory. Rather it is
an emphasised sunna to perform it once in one''s lifetime. (Radd
al-Muhtar, 2:151, Bulaq ed.)
The scholars of the Hanafi school, as well as most other scholars from
all of the sunni schools of fiqh, deemed it impermissable for a woman
to go on a journey of more than fifty miles outside of one''s city
except with a mahram male, meaning either one''s husband or a male of
one''s unmarriageable kin. The Hanafis did not consider the Hajj to be
an exception to this. Since the husband of one's aunt is not a mahram
one may not travel with him to perform the Hajj, let alone an 'Umra.
The scholars of some other schools take a more leniant stance. In the
Shafi''i school a woman may travel without a mahram if the journey is
to fulfill an obligation such as the Hajj. The ''Umra is also
obligatory for the Shafi''is.

Fathwa, - Confusion on Limits to talking to the opposite sex

Question:
I have read up on talking to the opposite sex but have experienced
very different views on this matter. I wanted to know the exact rules
to conversing with a member of the oppposite sex, preferably supported
with quotes from the hadith/quran.
As it stands the situation is; i have met a brother and speak to him
on the intention of inshallah marriage, we regularly chat on msn in
order to get to know one another better. Could you please confirm if
this is allowed as we have heard that it is not allowed unless i have
asked permission from my Wali.
I also wanted to clarify whether it is permissable to talk on the
phone with one another (once again without permission from Wali) and
whether meeting up publicly is allowed (where ther would be many other
muslims present but not a mahram).
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
I pray this message finds you well.
The Islamic paradigm for gender relations comes from the Qur''anic
verse, "The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another:
they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe
regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey God and His
Apostle. On them will God pour His mercy: for God is Exalted in power,
Wise." (Al-Tauba, 9:71).
Here, the word used for protectors is awliya''. This word connotes
friendship and cooperation on the basis of faith in Allah and His
Messenger, piety, and righteousness.
The Qur''an also gives us details on how to interact with each other.
For example,
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah
is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing
women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that
they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must
ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over
their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers..." [Al-Nour, 24: 30-31]
Finally, here is an example of a pious young woman:
"Afterwards one of the (damsels) came (back) to him, walking
bashfully. She said: "My father invites thee that he may reward thee
for having watered (our flocks) for us..." [Al-Qasas, 28: 25]
Qur''an commentaries note that the young woman approaches Prophet
Musa, peace be upon him, to make her request. However, she does so
shyly. She speaks directly and courteously.
There are also hadiths on gender interaction, one of the most serious
of which is:
"When a man and woman are alone together, Satan is the third." [Tirmidhi]
Ibn ''Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard Allah''s
Messenger (may peace be upon him) delivering a sermon and making this
observation: "No person should be alone with a woman except when there
is a Mahram with her, and the woman should not undertake journey
except with a Mahram..." [Sahih Muslim, Book 7, Number 3110]
"Tirmidhi reports from al-Mughira that when he got engaged to a woman,
the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ''Look at her,
for it is likelier to last between you.''" [Reliance of the Traveller,
m2.2]
Please keep in mind that these are individual verses and hadiths.
There are many more texts that relate to gender interaction.
The best way to understand how to implement these texts is to look to
the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who was very respectful
and cautious in his interactions with the opposite sex. Consult
reliable scholars about the limits of gender interaction. There are a
lot of relevant articles available here at SunniPath. Additionally, I
recommend reading Reliance of the Traveller, a classical manual of
Sacred Law, particularly the chapter on marriage.
Here are some general guidelines to be aware of:
1.It is unlawful for you and the brother to be alone with each other.
You should always meet in the presence of your mahram, unmarriageable
male relative, such as your father, brother, grandfather, or uncle. If
you do not have a mahram, then he should meet you in the presence of
your mother. If none of these people are available, then you should
appoint a wali: an upright male member of the community.
2.Instant messaging is highly problematic and I would advise you to
leave it alone. Essentially, it is cyber khalwa, or seclusion. What
may start out as an innocent enough chat can turn into something else
if you are not extremely cautious. If you have a romantic interest in
one another, online chats should definitely be left alone. The
temptation for prospective couples to engage in romantic conversations
is heightened by the mere fact that there is no supervision.
3.It is crucial to get to know one another. However, this must be done
within certain limits. For example, it is fine for you to get to know
each other in the presence of family members. However, be cautious
about online chatting, as mentioned before. Also, be cautious about
unsupervised telephone conversations. In principle, there is nothing
wrong with talking on occasion, particularly if you have something
important to discuss. However, the limits of propriety must be
observed. If you talk on the phone, it should be with the permission
of your wali. Furthermore, you should avoid talking to him when you
are alone.
4.As far as meeting up in public places is concerned, once again be
cautious. It''s fine to give salaams and inquire about each other''s
health. What you do want to avoid is hanging out or anything that
gives the appearance of dating. On the other hand, if you are
accompanied by a mahram, then seeing the brother outside of the house
should not be an issue.
To sum up, just remember that getting to know the brother is
permissible. What is not permissible is being alone together,
flirting, or any type of physical contact.

Fathwa, - Is it ok to take food for a non-mahram?

Question:
Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah. I got to know a brother and we became
good friends. When I realized that I didn't want to marry him, a
sister advised me that if we continued being friends then that would
be inappropriate. So I told him and we agreed that we shouldn't really
talk anymore. While we were still talking I used to take extra food
from my home for him because he goes to Medical school near my home
and he doesn't have any halal food options. I thought this was a good
alternative to throwing the extra food out and my brother usually went
with me. My question is : Is it ok to continue taking him food as long
as my brother comes along or should I stop since I'm not considering
him for marriage anymore? JazakAllah khair. May Allah reward you for
your good work Ameen.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Absolutely Most Gracious, the Absolutely
Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah.
May Allah bless and give peace to our Beloved Messenger.
Dear Sister,
I apologize for the delay in getting to your question.
I hope this message finds you in good health and spirits.
Generally speaking, it is a praiseworthy trait to share our food with others.
In particular, both the Qur'an and the Sunna emphasize our obligation
to share our food with those less fortunate in the form of charity and
expiation.
In the collection of Imam Bukhari, we find many reports of the
Prophet's generosity, Allah bless him and give him peace. For example:
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari:
The Prophet said, "Give food to the hungry, pay a visit to the sick
and release (set free) the one in captivity (by paying his ransom)."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 65, Number 286]
On the other hand, you may want to consider the wisdom of continually
giving food to the brother. Firstly, he's a medical student, so I
assume he is capable of providing for himself. It might be better to
give the food to someone less fortunate. Secondly, if he is still
interested in marrying you, or was interested, then it may stir up
feelings if you keep taking him food.
If you truly feel that the brother is in need of this food, then it is
advisable that you send your brother with the food and avoid going
personally. The adab of interaction between unrelated males and
females dictates that interaction should only be to the extent of the
need.
I pray this answers your question. May Allah Most High reward you for
your generosity.
And Allah knows best.

Days of Hajj, - Virtues of Hajj

Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu reports that Rasoolullah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said "Whoever performs Hajj for the sake of pleasing
Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed,
shall return from it as free from sin as the day on which his mother
gave birth to him."
When a child is ushered into this world, it enters this life without
any blemish and is free from any form of sin. Now, when the Hajj has
been performed with utmost sincerity for Allah's sake, the pilgrim
returns to that sinless state.
When we speak of forgiveness of sins as in the Hadeeth mentioned
above, we actually refer to minor sins. However, the contents of this
Hadeeth have been noted in such numerous Ahaadeeth that some learned
Ulaamaa are of the opinion that minor as well as major sins are
included in this pardon from Allah.
In this Hadeeth under discussion, three things are mentioned. In the
first place we read that Hajj should be for Allah's sake, and that
there should be no worldly object and no ulterior motive prompting
this holy deed, neither should it be for the show of things, nor for
personal fame. Many people proceed to Makkahfor the sake of personal
honour and show. Such people have indeed wasted whatever they have
spent by way of wealth, health and energy. For them there shall be no
reward. We admit that when a person has performed his Hajj even for
the sake of showing others, his obligation has been carried out. But
how foolish it is indeed that a person should deny himself such great
virtue and reward (in the form of Allah's great pardon) merely because
of his desire to be noted among some people.
Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam once said, "Near the time of
Qiyaamah the rich ones from amongst my Ummah will perform Hajj for the
sake of travel and holiday; (like having a holiday in Hijaaz instead
of one in London or Paris). The middle class will perform Hajj for
commercial purposes, thereby transporting goods from here to there
while bringing commercial goods from there to here. The Ulamaa will
perform Hajj for the sake of show and fame; (to outdo and surpass
Maulana so and so, or any rival shaykh who had performed Hajj a
certain number of times). The poor will perform Hajj for the purpose
of begging." (Kanzul Ummaal)
The Ulamaa have stated that should a person perform a "Hajje Badal" on
behalf of someone else for a specific price, so that he derives
worldly benefit from such a Hajj, he too is included among those who
perform Hajj for commercial purposes.
In another Hadeeth we read "that the kings and rulers will perform
Hajj for the sake of having pleasurable holidays; the wealthy ones for
the sake of business; the poor ones for the sake of begging; while the
learned ones will come for Hajj for the sake of show." (It'haaf)
In the first of these two Traditions, we read that the wealthy ones
will perform Hajj for the sake of having a tour and a holiday. In the
second Hadeeth we read again that they will do so for the sake of
business. In actual fact there is no contradiction here even though it
apparently seems so. In the former case, those mentioned as wealthy
ones are actually those very rich ones who in the second Hadeeth are
called sultaans or rulers. In actual fact they are slightly lower that
the rulers. For this reason they are also called the middle class.
Once Umar radhiyallahu anhu was standing between Mount Safaa and
Marwah. A group of people came along, alighted from their camels and
proceeded to perform tawaaf around Ka'bah. They then came for the
sa'ee between Safaa and Marwah. Umar radhiyallahu anhu inquired from
them as to who they were. They replied that they were from Iraq. When
Umar radhiyallahu anhu inquired as to whether they perhaps had any
other intention, e.g. to claim an inheritance, to reclaim a debt to
them, or for any other business purpose. They replied: "No". Then Umar
radhiyallahu anhu said: "In that case restart your deeds (like people
who have done no evil deeds)".
What Umar radhiyallahu anhu implied was that having come to the Holy
House solely for Allah's sake, their previous evil deeds were
forgiven. They can now start anew. The second point that becomes clear
from the Hadeeth under discussion is that no evil word shall be
spoken. The Ulamaa have explained that the word "rafath" (evil speech)
includes every single form of words which are unseemly, nonsensical
and unnecessary to such an extent that even the mention of sexual
relations with one's wife is also included. To indicate or insinuate
such actions with hand signs or the eyes, should be refrained from.
All such actions and others which stir passions and lust are
condemned.
The third point towards which attention is drawn is "fusooq", which
here signifies every single form of disobedience to Allah's will. One
should especially avoid any form of argument and dispute. In one
Hadeeth our Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam has said: "The
beauty of Hajj is attained by speaking amicably with others and to
feed them." To argue with fellow Hujjaaj and to fight with them is the
opposite of amicable speech. Hence it is the duty of a Haajji not to
criticise his fellow Hujjaaj, to meet everyone with love, humility and
humbleness, and to deal with them in a most friendly manner. Some
Ulamaa have explained that to meet others in a friendly manner does
not only mean that one should not hurt or trouble one's fellow men. It
means that one should (without retaliation) bear and pardon the hurt
that comes from their side to you.
The word safar (a journey) means in actual fact "to expose", "to make
clear". The Ulamaa informs us that a journey is called safar in Arabic
because on a journey one's character is exposed and becomes clear.
Once Umar radhiyallahu anhu asked a man whether he knew a certain
person to which the man said that he knew him. Then Umar radhiyallahu
anhu inquired, whether the man had been on a journey with that person,
to which the man said that he had not. Then Umar radhiyallahu anhu
said: "You do not know him." In one Hadeeth it is stated that a person
praised another in the presence of Umar radhiyallahu anhu. Umar
radhiyallahu anhu asked: "Did you travel with him?" He replied: "I did
not travel with him." Umar radhiyallahu anhu asked: "Did you have any
dealings with him ?" He answered: "No, I had no dealings with him."
Umar radhiyallahu anhu then said: "You do not know that person."
(It'haaf).
There can be no doubt about it that only after having been with a
person in similar cases can one truly know a person's character and
his reactions to situations. On a journey there is always a certain
amount of inconvenience which inevitably leads to arguments and it is
for this reason that the Qur'aan especially mentions: "And let there
be no arguments in Hajj."

Days of Hajj, - Ihram

Ihrâm literally means to make something harâm upon oneself. By
adopting ihrâm (donning the two sheets, making niyat and reciting the
talbiya, certain things which were halâl (allowed) now become harâm
(not allowed) upon that person. Thus, we can say that ihrâm is a state
(condition) which a person has subjected himself to and he can reverse
this state only if particular rites are performed.
Furthermore, the two sheets a Haji or Mu'tamir wears is also called
ihrâm because it reflects ones intention and status.
Once a person adopts an ihrâm, it must not be ended abrubtly without
completing the intended haj or umra. This applies even if a person has
committed an act which will render his ihrâm fâsid.
However;
*.if a muhrim was unable to make wuqûf of Arafah, he should then
perform the acts of umra and terminate such an ihrâm.
*.if a muhrim is prevented from performing haj or umra, than such a
muhrim can end the state of ihrâm by offering a sacrifice within the
boundaries of the haram.
*.It is wâjib to perform the Qadha of any ihrâm terminated without
performing the rites of the intended hajjor Umra.
CONDITIONS OF IHRÂM:
*.To be a Muslim.
*.To form an intention and to recite the talbiya or any other zikr
that is an acceptable substitute for the talbiya.
WÂJIBÂT OF IHRÂM:
*.To adopt ihrâm from the miqât.
*.To stay away from that which is prohibited in ihrâm.
SUNAN OF IHRÂM:
*.To perform ghusl or wudhu.
*.To apply itr before making an intention for the Ihrâm of Haj or Umrah.
*.To use two sheets as the dress for ihrâm.
*.To perform two rakâts salâh as sunnat of ihrâm.
*.To recite the talbiya as reported in the hadith .
*.To recite it loudly.
*.To recite it thrice.

Days of Hajj, - After Hajj

How fortunate are these souls who are blessed with the following words
from Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam:
"Whoever performs Hajj for the Pleasure of Allahand therein utters no
word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it (free
from sin) as the day on which his mother gave birth to him."
(Bukhaari, Muslim)
"Verily there shall be no reward for a Mabroor Hajj except Jannah."
(Bukhaari, Muslim)
It is hoped that all the pilgrims were sincere in their intentions and
had traveled thousands of miles only to secure the Pleasure of Allah
by fulfilling the obligation laid down upon them. May Allah the
Almighty grant all the pilgrims acceptance and grant them opportunity
again and again to visit the Sacred bud. Aameen.
Nevertheless, we wish to draw the attention of the pilgrims towards
certain points which are necessary and of utmost importance to observe
and for which many pilgrims are seen neglectful of their significance.
1, the sincerity of intention should remain even after the performance
of Hajj. There should be no pomp or show. One should not wish to be
called or recognized as a Haajee.
Many people adopt the habit of talking frequently about their journey
in order that people may come to know of their Hajj. They talk about
the expenses incurred in the way of Allah, their charityamongst the
poor and needy, their devotion and worship, their assisting the weak
and old, etc.; and all is mentioned only with the intention of gaining
fame. This is a deceit from Shaytaan who ruins the ibaadat without the
person even knowing. It is therefore of great importance that the
pilgrim does not talk about his Hajj without necessity as it may lead
to 'Riyaa' (show, insincerity). However, if necessity arises and one
must talk about his Hajj then he is at liberty to do so. But, he must
not indulge in this type of conversation unnecessarily.
2, it is noted through experience, that many pilgrims return with only
the bad side of the journey and make it a habit of talking about
nothing except the hardships they have encountered during Hajj. The
pilgrims should strictly refrain from this. On the contrary they
should talk about the greatness of the sacred places, the spiritual
gains, the enjoyment in devotions of Haramayn – Umrah, Tawaaf, Salaam
on the Sacred Grave, Salaat in Masjid-ul-Haraam and Masjid-un-Nabawi
etc. If one looks at his journey of Hajj carefully he will find that
the good things far outweighs the bad. Every second spent in these
sacred places is incomparable with anything in the world.
The journey of Hajj is a long journey; one has to travel by air, pass
the immigrations, go through the customs, encounter people who speak
foreign languages, etc. In these circumstances, difficulties are
certain to arise. when we travel in our country do we always travel
with comfort and ease? Do we never encounter difficulty? Do we not
find ourselves held up in traffic for hours on a Motorway? Considering
the fact that 2 – 3 million pilgrims perform the rituals of Hajj at
one time, in one place and that they all come from different countries
and backgrounds and that many of them have never before used or seen
the facilities available to them. We think the difficulties
encountered are insignificant. Moreover, the pilgrims are rewarded
abundantly by Allah Ta'aala upon every difficulty encountered in their
journey whereas tile same is not tile case whilst we are on another
journey.
Those people who engage in these types of conversation become the
cause of discouragement to others who have not yet had the opportunity
to perform Hajj. These unfortunate pilgrims fall into the category …
and who stop (men) from the way of Allah, and from the Sacred Masjid,
… mentioned in Surah Hajj in the Qur'aan. They should take heed that
if people are discouraged by their conversation and postpone their
Hajj then those who have discouraged them will be equally responsible.
3, the sign of a 'Mabroor Hajj' or an 'accepted Hajj' is that upon
one's return, his life changes from worst to good. He becomes totally
punctual in fulfilling the commands of Allah Ta'aala. His love and
inclination towards the Hereafter increases and love for the worldly
pleasures decline. Therefore, it is essential that the pilgrim is
watchful over his actions and should try his utmost to instill in
himself good characters and refrain from all types of evil. He should
try his best to fulfill the obligations laid down by Allah and avoid
all the things forbidden by Him.

Fiqh of Inheritance, - Allegations Against Distribution

The enemies of Islam have been trying to find fault with the Quran
through the verses of inheritance for several centuries. They allege
that the Noble Quran gives the female in general, and the wife in
particular, half of what it gives to the male in general and the
husband in particular, thereby usurping the right of the woman and
dealing with her wrongfully. In reply to this malicious allegation we
say:
First:The claim that in Islam, the share given from the inheritance to
a woman is less than the man, is invalid. Indeed, there are four cases
in connection with inheritance where the female's share is equal to or
even greater than the male's:
1.The first case: When the woman's share is equal to the man's, as it
is in the )half( brothers and sisters from the side of the mother,
each of whom takes one-sixth, whether they are male or a female, and a
group )of more than two( share the third equally, in which the
female's share is like the male's.
2.The second case: When only the female is the heir, and a cause of
preventing the male from inheritance. A typical example is a man/woman
who dies and leaves a daughter, a full sister, and a half-brother from
the side of the father. The daughter takes half the inheritance, and
the full sister the other half, and nothing is given to the
half-brother from the side of the father, since he is prevented by the
existence of a full sister, although he is a male and she is a female.
3.The third case: When a female takes more than what the male takes,
such as, when a person dies and leaves a full sister or a half-sister
from the side of the father; a mother, a paternal uncle or a
half-brother from the side of the mother. In this case, the full
sister takes half of the inheritance, the mother the third and the
remaining sixth is taken by the paternal uncle or the half-brother
from the side of the mother. Although in this case both the sister and
the mother are females, the share of each is greater than the male's,
i.e., that of the paternal uncle or the half-brother from the side of
the mother.
4.The fourth case: When a female takes half of what the male takes;
this happens in many instances, such as when the inheritors include a
daughter along with a son; a son's daughter along with a son's son; a
full sister along with a full brother; a half-sister from the side of
the father along with a half-brother from the side of the father; the
wife's share compared with the husband's: each female in those cases
takes half of what the male takes.
What is the wisdom that lies behind thisí Does this preference go back
to gender or is there another reason lying behind the preferenceí In
reply to these questions, let us say: This preference does not go back
to gender, since there are some cases in which the female's share of
inheritance is equal to the male's, and other cases in which her share
is greater than the male's, and many cases in which she prevents him
from inheritance, as we have previously seen. Whoever thinks that the
shares of the male and female heirs in the Quran are established only
on the basis of the difference of gender, i.e., masculinity and
femininity, has indeed fallen short of understanding the Quran. That
is because the Noble Quran has distributed the shares of heirs on the
basis of three criteria:
The degree of kinship between the heirs -- be they males or females --
and the deceased person: The closer the relation between them, the
greater the share of inheritance is, regardless of the gender of the
heirs.
The position of the generation of heirs in the sequence of
generations: The young generation, who are at the beginning of their
life and getting ready to receive its burdens, have shares of
inheritance that are greater than the older generations that are at
the end of their life and getting
The financial obligation enjoined by the IslamicSharee'ah)legislation(
upon the heir: That is the only criterion which raises the difference
of gender between the male and the female. However, this difference
inflicts neither oppression nor injustice upon the female. On the
contrary, it may be that the opposite is
This is why this disparity between the male and the female has not
been made general to all the heirs )in all cases( in the Noble Quran,
but just in some cases. The demands required of the son in life and
under the system of Islam are more than those required of )the
daughter who is( his sister. He is the one obliged, once he becomes
mature, to spend on and maintain himself, pay the dowry to his wife,
bear the marital expenditure, maintenance of children as regards
education, medication, clothing, etc. but the female usually gets
married and is not required to pay dowry or bear expenses, since her
maintenance is obligatory for her husband.

Fiqh of Inheritance, - The Importance of Inheritance

Allaah The Almighty has determined the obligatory shares of
inheritance Himself – a task which He entrusted neither to a close
angel nor to a sent Prophet. He determined the share of each heir in
the inheritance, which He showed in detail )in His Book(, unlike many
rulings which were mentioned in a general and brief way in the Book.
In addition, theSunnah)tradition( of the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam,came to give a detailed explanation about these rulings,
just like the rulings regarding prayers,Zakaah)purifying alms(
andHajj)pilgrimage(.
In relation to the obligatory shares of inheritance, the verses of
inheritance were revealed in detail as shown in the beginning and end
ofSurat An-Nisaa'. Allaah The Almighty calls them His limits, and
promises to give a great reward to the one who abides by them and does
not transgress them, and threatens to punish the one who transgresses
them. He Says )what means(:}These are the limits ]set by[ Allaah, and
whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to
gardens ]in Paradise[ under which rivers flow, abiding eternally
therein; and that is the great attainment. And whoever disobeys Allaah
and His Messenger and transgresses His limits -- He will put him into
the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating
punishment.{]Quran 4:13-14[
Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,"There are
narrations that encourage learning the obligatory shares of
inheritance, the most important of which are these )mentioned in
verses 11-12(. In relation to this, it was narrated by Abu Daawood and
Ibn Maajah, may Allaah have mercy upon them, on the authority of
'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"Three things are essential to
learn, and what is beyond them is just favorably optional: a precise
)Quranic( Verse, a standing Sunnah )tradition( or a just prescribed
obligatory share )of inheritance(."]Weak narration[
The Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, ordered that the obligatory
shares of inheritance should be distributed among those entitled to
them. He said:"Distribute the property )of the deceased( among those
who are entitled to the obligatory shares )of inheritance( according
to the )laws of( the Book of Allaah, and what is left )from the
property( after distributing the obligatory shares should be given to
the closest male heir."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Scholars called the science of the obligatory shares )of inheritance(
half the knowledge. Ibn 'Uyaynah, may Allaah have mercy upon him,
said,"The science of the obligatory shares )of inheritance( is called
half the knowledge for all the people are in need of it."

Fiqh of Inheritance, - The Wisdom Behind Prescribing Inheritance

Allaah The Almighty has honored man in this worldly life and preferred
him over many creatures, as confirmed by His Statement )which
means(:}And We have certainly honored the children of Aadam )Adam( and
carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good
things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with
]definite[ preference.{]Quran 17:70[
Man has been made a successor to authority, which makes him in need of
the means that guarantee his survival, maintain his succession to
authority and sustain his worldly affairs.
Allaah The Almighty has made property a means of sustenance, as shown
in His statement )which means(:}And do not give the weak-minded your
property, which Allaah has made a means of sustenance for you.{]Quran
4:5[
Money sustains the worldly interests of people, and it is the means by
which they fulfill their requirements. Man needs it as long as he is
living, and once he dies, he no longer needs it. Thus, it is necessary
to have a successor and a new owner of his property. If the new owner
is someone who is capable of taking the property by force and
overpowering others, then, it would lead to mutual hatred and disputes
among people, and inheritance would be subject to power struggles and
strife. If, on the other hand, the property is assigned )after one's
death( to cats, dogs, and domestic animals -- which is sometimes the
case in some laws -- surely, the people's benefits and interests will
be lost and their needs will not be met.
For this reason, theSharee'ah)Islamic legislation( has assigned
inheritance to the deceased person's relatives so that people would
rest assured of the destiny of their property, as they are naturally
eager to benefit those with whom they have a strong relationship of
blood, marital relation or allegiance. If a person dies and leaves
property, according to the IslamicSharee'ahthat takes into
consideration all the benefits of people, it should be distributed
among his relatives with justice. This means distributing the
inheritance beginning with the closest and then the next of kin to him
and so on, like the children, the father and those next to them in the
degree of kinship. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}This day I
have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you
and have approved for you Islam as religion.{]Quran 5:3[

Dought & clear, - Ruling on doing the marriage contract over the phone or Internet

Is it valid to do the marriage contract over a WebCam? Because I heard
that it is not permissible as one of the conditions of marriage is
that it should be done in one place?
Praise be to Allah.
The proposal (eejaab) and acceptance (qubool) form one of the pillars
or essential parts of the marriage contract, without which it is not
valid. The proposal is said by the wali (guardian) or his proxy and
the acceptance is said by the husband or his proxy.
It is stipulated that the proposal and acceptance should come in one
sitting. It says inKashshaaf al-Qinaa'(5/41): If there is a lapse of
time between the proposal and acceptance, it is valid so long as both
are done in the same gathering and there is no distraction that would
count as an interruption according to local custom, even if the
interval between the two is lengthy. But if they part before the
acceptance is spoken after the proposal has been issued, then the
proposal becomes invalid. The same applies if there is a distraction
that interrupts the proceedings according to local custom, because
that is turning away from it and it is as if the proposal had been
rejected. End quote.
Similarly, it is also stipulated that witnesses be present in order
for the marriage contract to be valid.
Based on that, the scholars differed with regard to doing the marriage
contract by using modern needs such as the telephone and the Internet.
Some of them say that that is not permissible, because of the absence
of witnesses, even though the presence of two witnesses on the phone
at the same time comes under the same ruling as if they were in the
same place. This is the view of the Islamic Fiqh Council (Majma'
al-Fiqh al-Islami).
Some of the scholars are of the view that this should be disallowed,
as a precaution to protect the marriage, because it is possible to
imitate a person's voice and thus deceive others. This is what is
stated in fatwas issued by the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas.
Some of the scholars regard it as permissible so long as there is no
risk of tampering. This is what was stated in fatwas issued by Shaykh
Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).
Thus it is known that the problem is not the issue of being the same
place, because contact between both parties at the same time via the
phone or Internet comes under the same ruling as if they were in the
same place.
It is also possible for this marriage contract to be witnessed, by
hearing the voice of the speaker over the phone or Internet; in fact
with technological advances nowadays it is possible to see the wali
and hear his voice when he makes the proposal, and it is also possible
to see the husband.
Hence the most correct view with regard to this matter is that it is
permissible to do the marriage contract over the phone or Internet, if
there is no danger of tampering, the identity of the husband and wali
is proven, and the two witnesses can hear the proposal and acceptance.
This is what was stated in fatwas issued by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah
have mercy on him), as stated above. It is also what is implied by the
fatwa of the Standing Committee, which disallowed marriage in such
cases as a precaution and for fear of deceit.
The one who wants to be on the safe side may do the marriage contract
by appointing proxies; so the husband or guardian may appoint someone
to do the marriage contract on his behalf in front of witnesses.
There follow the comments of scholars that confirm what we have referred to:
1.Statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council:
Statement no. 52 (6/2) concerning the ruling on contracts via modern
needs of communication.
After stating that it is permissible to do contracts via modern means
of communication, the Council said:
The guidelines mentioned above do not apply to the marriage contract,
because of the stipulation that witnesses be present in that case. End
quote.
2.Fatwa of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas:
Question: if the pillars or essential parts and conditions of the
marriage contract are fulfilled, except that the wali and the husband
are in different countries, is it permissible to do the marriage
contract by phone or not?
Answer: because nowadays deceit and trickery are widespread, and some
people are skilled at imitating others, and some are able to make
their voice sound like a number of people, male and female, young and
old, and even speak different dialects and languages, so that the
listener thinks that several people are speaking when in fact it is
only one person, and because Islamic sharee'ah is concerned with
protecting people's chastity and honour, and takes more precautions
than other religions with regard to contracts and dealings, the
Committee thinks that it is not appropriate, with regard to marriage
contracts, the proposal and acceptance, and appointing proxies, to
handle such matters over the phone. This is in order to achieve the
aims of sharee'ah and protect people's chastity and honour, so that
those who follow whims and desires and those that seek to deceive and
cheat people will not be able to toy with matters of marriage. And
Allah is the source of strength.
End quote fromFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 18/90
3.Fatwa of Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)
Question:
I want to get married to a girl and her father is in another country;
at present I cannot travel to meet him and do the marriage contract,
for financial or other reasons. I am currently in a foreign country.
Is it permissible for me to call her father so that he can say to me,
"I give you my daughter So and so in marriage," and I can say, "I
accept." The girl agrees to the marriage and there are two Muslim
witnesses who can listen to what I say and what he says, via the
speakers on the phone. Is this regarded as a legitimate marriage
contract?
Answer:
The website put this question to Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullah
ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) and he replied that if what is
described is true (and there is no tampering involved), then it
fulfils the conditions of shar'i marriage and the marriage contract is
valid. And Allah knows best.