Soul Purification, - White Lies: Are They Permissible?

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Many take the permission of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, to lie in three exceptional cases in the wrong way as a justification for white lies. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said:"A liar is not one who tries to bring reconciliation amongst people and speaks good )in order to avert dispute(, or he conveys good."]Muslim[
Commenting on this Hadeeth, Ibn Shihaab, one of the transmitters, said that he has not heard that the exemption was granted with regard to the typical lies that people tell but in three cases: In war in order to cause reconciliation among people and in the narration of the words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband )in a euphemistic way in order to cause reconciliation between them(.
Some may take this as a license to take truthfulness lightly and tell what they think to be white, harmless lies. The case is the opposite. What people misunderstand is the Arabic usage of the word `kadhib.' In particular in the Prophet's usage of it, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, `kadhib' means anything less than the complete truth, even if it is not a lie in our ordinary usage of the term. This becomes clear in the following Hadeeth narrated by Muslim:
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said:"Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, never `lied' except in three cases, two for Allaah, when he said ]as an excuse when asked by his people to join them in celebration of their idols[ `I am sick'; and ]when they came back and asked who broke their idols, he said[ `Rather, it was the biggest among them who did that.' And the third was about Saarah, and that was his saying: `When he asks you, say you are my sister, because you are my sister in Islam.']Muslim[
Imaam an-Nawawi explains that these lies were "lies only with regard to the understanding of their immediate audience, but not in and of themselves." Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, indeed was "sick" of their idol-worship, and his response that it was the biggest idol who broke the rest was simply a rhetorical ploy, which is not ordinarily considered a lie in our speech. For instance, when a friend sees you sipping on a cup of tea and asks, "What are you doing?" and you say: "What do you think? I am flying in the air"—that is not a lie, but a rhetorical expression to convey your annoyance. The Prophet Ibraaheem, may Allaah exalt his mention, made this clear in the third example by adding that Saarah was his sister "in Islam," for she, indeed, was. But the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, still called it a lie because it was less than the whole truth.
The scholars of Islam agree, reports Imaam an-Nawawi, that a Muslim is permitted, indeed, required, to hide an innocent or wrongly persecuted person from oppressors, and if he must lie in this pursuit, he can. But even in such cases, lying should be avoided if possible. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq the most truthful man of the ‘Ummah who accompanied the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, on his flight to Madeenah, was accosted by an acquaintance of his who did not know the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, by face but had probably heard of the Makkan search for him. He asked Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, about his companion, to which Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "He is my guide. He shows me the way." Abu Bakr did not lie even in such dire circumstances, but simply equivocated.
The case of "lying" allowed for a husband speaking to his wife )or vice versa( is similar. When a wife asks her husband if he loves her or thinks she looks beautiful, the answer is not always clear even to the husband. Depending on his state of mind and their relationship, the woman who looks perfectly beautiful and loveable to him most of the time might look not so at the moment. Especially, when influenced by Satan's whispers, one's wife often looks less attractive than other women, even if the opposite is true.
Since the usual standard of truthfulness in Islam is so meticulous and high, the husband is allowed to say what pleases her or helps reconcile her heart, even if at that moment he does not feel exactly that way.
Saying that he loves his wife is likely in fact to recall in his mind what he loves about her and bring happiness and incite more love in her heart. Thus, the statements made to please one's spouse are not, strictly speaking, "lying" in our ordinary usage.
With this exception, lying to one's spouse in any other situation or any other way is as prohibited and despised as in any other. A relationship built on lies cannot last for very long, let alone be blessed with "mercy" and "love" that Allaah promises to place between spouses ]Quran 30:21[.
Finally, take the case of war. War is fought to overcome and often destroy the other side. But even in this situation, the rule in the Quran is to never deceive in principle. People often misunderstand what the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, famously said, namely, that "War is khud'ah )stratagem(." Khud'ah is stratagem, a tactical maneuver to mislead the enemy. It is not treachery, deception, or breach of agreement, which would be khiyaanah, and Allaah emphatically prohibits that.
Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:}If you fear treachery )khiyaana( from any group, openly throw back )their covenant( to them, )so as to be( on equal terms: for Allaah loves not the treacherous.{]Quran 8:58[
Imagine the level of integrity required, such that even when you fear the enemy's breach of treaty and attack, you do not simply unilaterally end the treaty and attack them, but, rather, let your enemy know that the treaty is over.
What the Quran and Hadeeth teach us is that the requirement in Islam of truthfulness and integrity is so high and the agreement between our outsides and insides must be so meticulous that even equivocation, telling half the truth, and evading the straightforward fact is termed as kadhib, a lie. Under normal circumstances, such differences between one's words and true feelings would be considered lying, but they are allowed in uniquely exceptional circumstances.

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Soul Purification, - Obscenity – the Root of Evil and Sins

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There is no doubt that a virtuous person does not find it easy to utter obscenities lest he or she expose him/herself to the Wrath of Allaah The Almighty and disgrace in the eyes of people. Although vulgarity is certainly dispraised and forbidden, foul words indeed abound.
Motives behind this behavior
Obscenity originates from wickedness and ignobility. It is either motivated by the intention of harming others or is a habit acquired from socializing with evil and debauched people, who are accustomed to insulting others. Whatever the case, Allaah The Almighty has forbidden crude language in the verse )which means(:}Allaah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged. And ever is Allaah Hearing and Knowing.{]Quran 4:148[
Moreover, in His Book, He illustrated obscenity as characteristic of hypocrites, describing their conduct with believers, saying )what means(:}But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward ]any[ good.{]Quran 33:19[
A believer does not imitate the insolent and crass people, preferring to stick to chivalry for the sake of preserving his or her honor. It was said in this regard, "Tolerating an abusive man is better than being like him and forgiving the ignorant is better than copying him."
Examples of obscenity
There are many situations and times when people of weak faith and bad manners resort to vulgarity. Imam Al-Ghazaali, may Allaah have mercy upon him, exemplified that by saying: “Situations of obscenity are various. They can generally be limited to any state that a person feels ashamed to overtly divulge. In this case, explicit words are considered obscenity. Therefore, one must discuss such issues in vague terminology.” Most of the relevant examples would be those concerning sexual intercourse and its related matters. While wicked people employ graphic and crass words when speaking about this, the righteous avoid such crude language and express themselves with figurative speech. Are we not aware that even Allaah The Almighty spoke indirectly about sexual intercourse, mentioning instead, words like touching, entering with ]women[ and companionship?
There is also obscenity in making remarks about women or defects in men that they may be ashamed of, such as a limp or baldness. Any such comments, if necessary, should not be explicitly referred to.
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, classified obscenity as a branch of hypocrisy and said,"Indeed, Allaah hates the indecent and obscene person."Moreover, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned that vulgarity leads to Hell, when he said:"Modesty is from faith, and faith is in Paradise; ]whereas[, obscenity is from severity, and severity is in Hell."
Please note that crassness is also to use names of animals to describe people. Imaam An-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Among the vilified words which are usually used is a person saying to his enemy, ‘O donkey; you goat; you dog’, and the like. It is ugly to utter these expressions because they are lies and harmful to others.”
Dear brother, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, even forbade abusing roosters, when he instructed,"Do not insult the rooster, for it wakes ]people[ to perform prayers.''Bearing this in mind, could it be appropriate to affront people who bear witness to the testimony of truth ]i.e., Muslims[?
The admonition of the righteous predecessors
Our forefathers from the Companions and their successors were the farthest people from obscenity and indecency. They seriously warned others against this great evil which originates from lack of faith.
‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, "The most wicked trait a believer may possess is vulgarity." Similarly, Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, "I will tell you about the worst of diseases: the crude tongue and bad morals."
That is why, when Abu Ad-Dardaa', may Allaah be pleased with him, saw an abusive woman, he remarked, "Had she been dumb, it would have been better for her."
We supplicate to Allaah The Almighty to purify us from whatever displeases Him; and may peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

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Soul Purification, - Conferring Blessings upon the Prophet

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Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, Allaah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels ]ask Him to do so[. O you who have believed, ask ]Allaah to confer[ blessing upon him and ask ]Allaah to grant him[ peace.{]Quran 33:56[.
Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented that, in this verse, Allaah The Almighty informs His servants of the elevated status of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, which is such that He praises him in the exalted assembly of the angels who are near Him, and they, in turn, ask Him to send His blessings on him, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Then, Allaah The Almighty orders the people of the earth to ask Him to confer blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so that he would be praised by the dwellers of both worlds – heavenly and terrestrial.
In his book Jalaa’ Al-Afhaam, Ibn Ul-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said that the implication here, is that if Allaah The Almighty sends blessings on the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and His angels request the same from Him, then so should people. They are more duty-bound to do this, because they are the ones who have been blessed by the message of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, through which they shall receive honor in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
The meaning of “]conferring[ blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam”, was expanded on, by a number of scholars; according to Abu Al-‘Aaaliyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, Allaah The Almighty conferring blessings, refers to Him praising the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in the presence of angels, whereas angels conferring blessings means that they supplicate Allaah The Almighty to do so.
Ibn Ul-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said that the injunction to send blessings, which is cited in the verse above, signifies imploring Allaah The Almighty to praise the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, show him His grace and draw him closer to Him, which, in itself, indicates the honor he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, has with Him.
As for the virtues of this act, ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrates: “Once, I came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while he was in prostration for a long time. ]When he got up[, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:‘Jibreel )Gabriel(, may Allaah exalt his mention, came to me and said, ‘I will confer blessing upon the one who confers blessings upon you and I will ask Allaah to grant peace to the one who asks Him to grant you peace’; so, I prostrated to thank Allaah The Almighty.’”]Ahmad[
It was also reported by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“If a person asks Allaah to send blessings on me once, Allaah will send blessings on him ten times over.”]Al-Haakim and Ahmad[
Likewise, Ya‘qoob ibn Zayd ibn Talhah At-Taymi, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that“a messenger from Allaah came to me and said ]the same thing cited above[.”So, a man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, may I devote half of my supplications to you?” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“As you like!”Then, the man asked: “Shall I devote two thirds of my supplications to you?” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied:“If you so desire.”The man then asked: “Shall I devote all of my supplications to you?” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“Then Allaah The Almighty will protect you against the distress of the worldly life and the Hereafter.”]Muslim[
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, also narrates that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gave good tidings, saying:“The one who invokes blessing on me or asks that I be given Al-Waseelah )a rank in Paradise which is fitting for only one of the Servants of Allaah, and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wishes to be this servant( will be assured of my intercession.”]Muslim[
On the other hand, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, as narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him:“May he be a loser; he who does not ask Allaah to confer blessings on me when I am mentioned in front of him! May he be disgraced, whose parents attain old age in his lifetime and they are not a cause for him to enter Paradise ]because of his dutifulness to them[! May his nose be rubbed in dust ]i.e., may he be humiliated[; he who witnesses Ramadan, but it ends before he is forgiven!”]At-Tirmithi[
Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also reports that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, once made a similar remark, when he said:“A person in whose presence my name is mentioned, but he ]or she[ does not ask for the blessings of Allaah to be sent on me, loses the way to Paradise.”]Al-Jahdhami, Mursal – Albaani[
In fact, as Al-Hasan, may Allaah have mercy upon him, relates, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, described a man as“miserly; in whose presence my name is mentioned while he does not pray for blessings to be sent on me!”]Al-Haakim and At-Tirmithi. At-Tirmithi: )Hasan Ghareeb Saheeh(, Al-Albaani: )Mursal yet Saheeh([
He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, cautions, as Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrates:“If people sit in a gathering in which they do not remember Allaah or ask for blessings to be conferred upon me, ]that sitting of theirs[ will be a cause of grief and regret for them o¬n the Day of Judgment. Allaah may then forgive or punish them, as He sees fit.”]At-Tirmithi, Saheeh – Albaani[
Why not, when this act itself is so easy? ‘Ali ibn Al-Husayn, may Allaah have mercy upon him, relates: “My father told me that my grandfather said, ‘The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:‘Do not ]come to and[ make my grave a place of festivity; but ask Allaah to confer blessings and peace upon me, for your prayers and salutations reach me wherever you may be.’’”]Abu Daawood and Ahmad[
Similarly, ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“Allaah The Almighty has roaming angels who convey to me the blessings which my Ummah ask Allaah The Almighty to confer upon me.”]An-Nasaa’i and Al-Haakim, Saheeh – Albaani[
The best supplication with which to ask Allaah The Almighty to confer blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
Abu Mas‘ood Al-Ansaari, may Allaah be pleased with him, tells us: “We were sitting in the company of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, may Allaah be pleased with him, when the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came to us. Bishr ibn Sa’d asked: ‘Allaah has commanded us to ask for blessings to be sent upon you, O Messenger of Allaah. But, how exactly should we do that?’ The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not respond, and we became so perturbed over his silence that we wished we had not asked him. Then, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:‘Say: O Allaah, confer Your blessings upon Muhammad and the members of his household as you have conferred blessings upon the members of Ibraaheem's )Abraham( household. Grant favors to Muhammad and his family, as you have granted favors to the family of Ibraaheem, ]wherever they are[ in the worlds. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious’. As for the invocation for the salutation of peace, it is as you know ]from what I have previously told you[.”]Muslim[
Benefits of invoking Allaah The Almighty to send blessings on the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
1. It demonstrates obedience to the Command of Allaah The Almighty and it is an angelic trait, as they, too, ask Him to confer blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
2. A person gains blessings tenfold, for every time he or she invokes blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
3. If a person does this, perhaps adding a prayer for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to reach the station of Al-Waseelah, he or she gains his, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, intercession.
4. It removes the distress of a person in this life and the next, as the aforementioned Hadeeth narrated by Ya’qoob ibn Zayd ibn Talhah, may Allaah be pleased with him, proves.
5. A person who observes the practice of sending peace and blessings on the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is guided by it to Paradise, and one who does not, is led away from it.
6. Allaah The Almighty praises and mentions a person in good terms, if he or she asks Him to confer blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, which is tantamount to invoking Him to praise the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and honor and bless him and his household. Since such an invocation is certain to be answered by Allaah The Almighty, the one who supplicated will be also rewarded in kind for his act, as the reward is of the same kind as the deed.
7. It encourages a person to love the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, perpetually and increasingly; and, as it is a basic tenet of faith, there can be no faith without it. Furthermore, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, loves a person whose name is cited to him, as asking for blessings to be sent on him, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Truly, what a great honor it is for a person’s name to be mentioned before the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
When to invoke blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
1. It is vital that this be done after the Tashahhud )final sitting( in prayer. It is sanctioned, according to the consensus of Muslims, but there is a disagreement over its obligation.
2. It is to be uttered after the second Takbeer )utterance of Allaahu Akbar, i.e., Allaah is Great( of the funeral prayer. Az-Zuhari, relates that he heard Abu ‘Umaamah ibn Sahl ibn Haneef saying to Sa‘eed ibn Al-Musayyib, may Allaah have mercy upon them: “The Sunnah in the funeral prayer is to recite the ]first Quranic[ chapter of Al-Faatihah )The Opening(; then to confer blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and then, to supplicate sincerely for the deceased until ]the one offering prayer[ concludes. He should recite this only once and then perform Tasleem )salutation( quietly.” ]An-Nasaa’i and Al-Haakim, Saheeh – Albaani[
3. When the name of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is mentioned, scholars differ on whether it is mandatory to invoke the peace and blessings of Allaah The Almighty on him. At-Tahaawi and Al-Haleemi, may Allaah have mercy upon them, concur on its obligation, while other scholars state that it is a favorable act, not a required one, in which case, not doing it, would not result in a sin.
4. It should be done upon entering and leaving the mosque. Faatimah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told her:“When you enter the mosque, say: ‘Bismillaah, wassalaamu ‘ala Rasoolillaah. Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad, waghfir lana wassahhil lanaa abwaaba rahmatik )In the name of Allaah; and may peace be upon His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. O Allaah, confer Your blessings upon Muhammad and his household; and, forgive us and facilitate for us the doors of Your Mercy(’. When you have finished ]your prayers[ and are exiting, repeat this again, and add: ‘Wa sahhil lanaa abwaaba fadhlik )and ease for us the doors of Your grace(’.’’]Ibn Maajah and At-Tirmithi, Saheeh-Albaani[
5. It is also urged to be said after hearing the Athaan )call for prayer(, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, instructed:“When you hear the Athaan, say the same as the caller says, then invoke blessings upon me; the one who ]does that[ once will be rewarded by Allaah blessing him ten times. Then, ask Allaah to grant me Al-Waseelah, which is a rank in Paradise, designated for only one of the servants of Allaah, and I hope to be him. So, who prays for Al-Waseelah for me will be assured of my intercession.”]Muslim[
6. One should utter it while supplicating to Allaah The Almighty, as Fudhaalah ibn ‘Ubayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, recounts “that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard a man supplicating to Allaah in prayer without praising Him or invoking His blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. So, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:‘This man has hastened.’Then, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, called the man and, addressing all the attendants, said:“When any one of you prays, he should start by glorifying Allaah The Almighty and praising Him; he should then invoke blessings upon the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam; after that, he may supplicate for whatever he wants.”]At-Tirmithi and Ahmad[
7. Friday is also a special day for it, as Aws ibn Aws, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“The best of your days is Friday. On that day, Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention, was created and his life was taken away; on that day, the trumpet will be blown and on it, all of the creation will lose consciousness ]as signs of the Hour[. So, ask Allaah The Almighty, frequently, to confer a great deal of blessings upon me, for ]your invocations[ will be shown to me.”The Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, how will our prayers be presented to you when you will have turned to dust?” He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied:“Allaah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets.”
8. It should also be said during all sermons, including the one with the Friday prayer, on the days of Eid and when offering the prayer for rain.
9. It is recommended to be uttered when getting up after gathering.
10. It is also Sunnah to ask Allaah to confer blessings on the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when concluding a marriage contract.

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