Acts of Worship, - Dought &clear, - * Ruling on customs and traditions that go againstsharee’ah or cause embarrassment

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There is a tradition some people observe during funerals. When someone who relates to two villages dies, they do the funeral then visit the relatives of the dead person. Then they quickly return to their village without any delay, they do not accept to stay at the relatives for hospitality because they think they it is not permissible for them to delay returning in this occasion.
Note that all of them in the two villages Muslims, most or all of them follow the Hanafi School of thought. They all hold same nationality and they may have womb relations.
My question is: has this habit any basis in Islam? I hope you give me a detailed full answer. Because this habit sometimes causes embarrassment and other social problems.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in sharee’ah that points to the customs you mention in your question. It seems that these are things that people have become accustomed to in their lives and they do not attribute them to religion. It also seems that they have to do with psychological and social matters.
Whatever the case, since these customs have no basis in sharee’ah and especially since you mention in your question that the hospitality asked about is not offered by the family of the deceased, which is what is not allowed, then the people should not regard this as a sacred law that cannot be changed or altered. That is because this custom represents a shortcoming – of whatever extent – in the upholding of family ties and visiting family and brothers. There is no real reason for falling short in upholding these ties, especially since the problem may be caused when the family’s relatives come to the village without coming to visit them. That may be a reason for the resentment and suspicion.
Customs and traditions that clearly go against sharee’ah, or which go against the general aims of sharee’ah, or which may lead to misunderstandings and shortcomings, should be shunned and efforts should be made to change them, which needs some wisdom and gentleness.
Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inRisaalah fi Usool al-Fiqh(7):
The basic principle with regard to customs is that they are permissible, unless it is narrated in sharee’ah that they are forbidden.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(6/510):
What every Muslim must do is not accept customs blindly, rather he should measure them against sharee’ah. Whatever is approved of is permissible for him to do, otherwise he should not do it. The fact that people are accustomed to something is not evidence that it is permissible. All the customs that people are used to in their lands or tribes must be measured against the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whatever Allaah and His Messenger have permitted is permissible, and whatever Allaah has forbidden must be abandoned, even if it is the people’s custom. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inTafseer Soorat al-Baqarah2 (299):
Tradition does not make something that is not prescribed permissible, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“It is not Al‑Birr (piety, righteousness) that you enter the houses from the back” [al-Baqarah 2:189], even though that was their custom and they regarded it as righteousness. The one who takes something as a custom and regards it as righteousness has to measure it against the laws of Allaah. End quote.
The scholars regarded adherence to customs and traditions that cause hardship for people and lead to some evil consequences or hardship and disputes and difficulty as blameworthy extremism, and as the kind of affectation and going to extremes that is forbidden in Islam.
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Those who go to extremes are doomed.” He said it three times. Narrated by Muslim (2670).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inSharh Muslim(16/220):
i.e., those who go to extremes and exaggerate in their words and deeds. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, speaking of different types of extremism inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(7/7):
The fourth category is going to extremes in customs, which is adhering too strongly to ancient customs and not turning to that which is better than that. But if the customs are equal to others in serving a valid purpose, then adhering to one’s own customs is better than turning to foreign customs. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought &clear, - * Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah for a specific blessing?

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Is it permissible for a person who has bought a car or a house to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The blessings that Allaah bestows upon people are many, and His bounty and generosity towards them are vast. A blessing can only be responded to by giving thanks and appreciating it. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined giving thanks to Him, for He is Appreciative and loves those who give thanks.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So eat of the lawful and good food which Allaah has provided for you. And be grateful for the Graces of Allaah, if it is He Whom you worship”
[al-Nahl 16:144]
“seek your provision from Allaah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:17]
Part of being grateful to Allaah is seeking to draw closer to Him by means of different kinds of acts of worship and to endear oneself to Him by means of good deeds such as prayer, zakaah, fasting and so on.
Another part of being grateful to Allaah is giving thanks to Him by means of sacrifice rituals, which means offering a sacrifice for the sake of Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the verse“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)” [al-Kawthar 108:2]:
What is meant is that prayer and sacrifice are the best of the things by means of which one may draw closer to Allaah, and the usage of the wordfa(translated here as “therefore”) points to the reason, i.e., doing that – prayer and sacrifice – in gratitude for that which Allaah has given him of al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise) and much goodness. So he should give thanks to the One Who has blessed him and worship Him, and the two greatest types of worship are these two acts of worship; indeed, prayer is the ultimate act of worship. It is as if He is saying to him: We have given you al-Kawthar and a great deal of goodness, and We have blessed you with that because you have been doing these two acts of worship in gratitude for Our blessing to you; these are the reasons why We have bestowed these blessings upon you, so do these two things for Us, for prayer and sacrifice are surrounded by blessings that come before them and after them. The best financial act of worship is sacrifice and the best physical act of worship is prayer, and the benefits that a slave of Allaah may gain from prayer cannot be compared to any other type of worship, as is known by those whose hearts are alive and those of high aspirations. Adding to it the benefits of offering sacrifice, which is a sign of devotion to Allaah and thinking positively of Him, and having strong certainty and faith about that which is in the hand of Allaah is something wonderful, if that is accompanied by faith and sincerity. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) obeyed the command of his Lord and prayed and sacrificed a great deal to Him; he even sacrificed sixty-three camels with his own hand during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and he used to offer sacrifices on the Eids and at other times. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa916/532).
If Allaah bestows a great blessing upon a person – and all His blessing are great – then it is mustahabb for him to give thanks to Allaah for it by showing kindness to people, so he should offer a sacrifice and make food and invite his brothers and friends, and give charity to those who are in need.
It says inal-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah(26/180-181):
It is mustahabb to give thanks anew when new blessings come, by speaking words of praise. Gratitude for that may also be expressed by doing acts of worship, which includes offering a sacrifice or inviting people to a meal. The fuqaha’ have mentioned the kinds of meals that may be offered when blessing are renewed, such as the wakeerah which is made for a new home, or naqee’ah which is made on the return of an absent loved one, and hidhaaq which is done when a child completes a reading of the Qur’aan.
The view of the Hanbalis, the more correct view among the Shaafa’is, is that these meals are mustahabb.
Ibn Qudaamah said: These invitations – other than the wedding feast (waleemah) and ‘aqeeqah – are something good, but they are like invitations that are given for no reason; if the person who does them intends thereby to give thanks to Allaah for His blessing and to feed his brothers and offer food, then he will have the reward for that in sha Allaah. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
If one of my children does well in school, is it permissible for me to offer a sacrifice to celebrate his success, and to give thanks to Allaah?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with making food (waleemah) if the children or one of them succeeds, and inviting one’s loved ones and his child’s friends, to celebrate Allaah’s blessing and to encourage the child. End quote.
Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh(no. 161, question no. 1).
Secondly:
It is essential to beware of some beliefs which many people hold, and say that in order to protect the new house or car it is essential to offer a sacrifice and sprinkle it with the blood of the slaughtered animal, or that evil spirits will not keep away from you unless you do that, otherwise the blessing will soon dissipate. hese are jaahili beliefs which do not come from someone who believes in Allaah as his Lord Who possesses all powers to bring benefit or cause harm, in Whose hand is the creation and the commandment, and knows that it is not permissible to do acts of worship unless they are done for the sake of Allaah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked about the belief held by many people, that offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the new house before entering it is one of the most important means of warding off the evil eye, and making the house blessed, and avoiding calamities and undesirable events.
They replied:
If this custom – i.e., offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the new house – is done in order to placate the jinn and ward off calamities and undesirable events, then it is a haraam custom, and is in fact shirk. This is what seems to be the case with offering the sacrifice before entering the house, and doing it on the threshold in particular.
But if the intention is to honour one's new neighbours and get to know them, and to give thanks to Allaah for the blessing of a new home, and to honour one's relatives and friends on this occasion, and to show them the house, then this is good and the one who does it is to be praised for his action. But that is only usually done after the people have moved into the house, and not before, and the animal or animals should not be slaughtered on the threshold of the house or in the entryway to the house.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah(1/214)
And Allaah knows best.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought &clear, - * Is it permissible to slaughter an animal with the intention of offering a sacrifice?

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I have been married for four years and have not been blessed with children. Praise be to Allaah, I have recently heard the news that my wife is pregnant, and on my father’s advice I slaughtered two animals (as a sacrifice) and distributed the meat among needy Muslims, purely for the sake of Allaah on behalf of myself and my wife. What is the Islamic ruling on that? May Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
If this sacrifice and feeding the needy was done as an act of thanksgiving to Allaah, then it is permissible, for feeding people is a way of doing good to people, and Allaah loves those who do good.
But if your sacrifice was aimed at warding off evil and bringing about good, then it is not permissible. This is what is well-known among people when the word “sacrifice” (fadw) is used, because they think that by doing this they will ward off evil and bring about good, so they do this when accidents or sickness happen to them or their loved ones.
In Islam, sacrifice is not a means of warding off that which has been decreed by Allaah, whether good or bad.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about slaughtering an animal when a building is completed or halfway through building. He said:
This action is subject to further examination. If the intention behind the sacrifice is to protect oneself against the jinn or some other intention by which the owner of the house intends to achieve something, such as keeping it or its occupants safe, this is not permissible, and it is a kind of bid’ah (innovation). If it is done for the jinn then it is majorshirk, because it is an act of worship done for someone other than Allaah.
But if it is done as an act of thanksgiving for a blessing that Allaah has bestowed, such as reaching the roof or completing the house, so the person gathers his relatives and neighbours and invites them to this feast, there is nothing wrong with this. This is what many people do as an act of thanksgiving for a blessing from Allaah, as He has enabled them to build a house and live in it instead of renting. Similar to this is what some people do when they come back from a journey, and they invite their relatives and neighbours as an act of thanksgiving to Allaah for their safe arrival. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back from a journey he would sacrifice a camel and invite the people to eat. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3089).
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 5/388.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
What some people do when they move into a new house and slaughter an animal and invite their neighbours and relatives is fine so long as it is not accompanied by any corrupt beliefs, as is done in some places where, when a person moves into a new house, the first thing he does is to bring a sheep and slaughter it on the threshold so that the blood will fall onto it, and they say that this will prevent the jinn from entering the house. This is a corrupt belief which has no basis in Islam. But if a person slaughters it as an expression of joy and happiness, there is nothing wrong with that.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/550, 551.
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Responsibility and Reward Story

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Two sons work for their father on the family's farm. The younger brother had for some years been given more responsibility and reward, and one day the older brother asks his father to explain why?
The father says, "First, go to the Kelly's Farm and see if they have any Geese for sale - we need to add to our stock." The older son soon returns with the answer, "Yes they have five Geese, which they are ready to sell to us."
The father then says, "Good, please ask them the price."
The older son returns with the answer, "Each Geese cost us $10."
The father says, "Good, now ask if they can deliver the Geese tomorrow."
And duly the older son returns with the answer, "Yes, they can deliver the Geese by tomorrow."
The father asks the older son to wait and listen, and then calls his younger son from a nearby field, "Go to the Davidson's Farm and see if they have any Geese for sale - we need to add to our stock."
The younger son soon returns with the answer, "Yes, they have five Geese for $10 each, or ten Geese for $8 each; and they can deliver them tomorrow - I asked them to deliver the five unless they heard otherwise from us in the next hour. And I agreed that if we want the extra five geese we could buy them at $6 each."
The father turned to the older son, who nodded his head in appreciation. He now realized why his younger brother was given more responsibility and reward.
A lot of times we face the question why someone is so successful and someone is not. Some people call it luck, some people call it being in the right place at the right time and some people call it influence, however the truth is performance with full responsibility and full potential. These two aspects are constantly observed by all and this is what ultimately leads to success of any individual.
Responsibility is taking care of your duties. Responsibility is answering for your actions. Responsibility is accountability. Responsibility is trustworthiness.

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