Engagment, - Dought & clear, - * She learned of some faults in her fiancé and prayed istikhaarah about annulling the engagement, but it was not easy for her to do so

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I got engaged recently, but after the engagement I found out about some faults in my fiancé that I cannot put up with, and I felt that he is not suitable for me, in addition to the fact that he does not help me to obey Allaah. Despite all that, every time I think of annulling the engagement and pray istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance, something happens to make it difficult to annul it. What should I do? If I annul the engagement will I be disobeying Allaah because my decision is something other than what He has chosen for me? Should I close my mind so that I will be obeying Allaah?.
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Praise be to Allaah.
If it has become clear to you that your fiancé has some faults that you cannot put up with, there is nothing wrong with annulling the engagement. This is better than getting married with the possibility of differences and conflicts, then divorce.
If you have thought about that, then pray istikhaarah and ask Allaah for guidance, then tell your wali so that he can apologize to your fiancé. Thus your engagement will be annulled.
Istikhaarah does not mean that you should close your mind, and it is not only focused on material matters that surround man, rather it is complementary to that. A person may be hesitant about some matter, because it involves both good and bad, pros and cons, or because he is uncertain of the consequences, so he asks Allaah to make easy for him the good that He knows.
It may seem to you that a suitor is free of faults, but Allaah knows that he is not suitable for you and that there are faults in him of which you are unaware, or that you are not suitable for him. Or it may seem to you that there are faults in a suitor, but Allaah knows that he is suitable for you and that his faults will disappear, or that they are not actually faults, or that he is suitable for this woman, and other unseen matters that no one knows except Allaah, may He be glorified.
It is well known that no one can succeed except with the help and guidance of Allaah, and that if he were to be left to his own devices he would be an utter loser. So if you have prayed istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance, about something, then go ahead with it. If it is good, Allaah will make it easy and facilitate it, and if it is bad, Allaah will divert you from it or divert it from you.
To apply this to your question: because of the faults that you see in your fiancé, you should pray istikhaarah and ask Allaah for guidance about annulling the engagement, and go ahead with it, by speaking to your wali or to someone who will convey news of the annulment of the engagement. If the matter comes to an end and is made easy, that is better for you, in sha Allaah. If it becomes difficult to annul the engagement, then there is nothing good for you in that now; it may be that Allaah knows that your getting married to him is better for you, or that continuing the engagement for a while longer is better for you. There is no reason why you should not repeat istikhaarah several times.
We should point out a number of things:
1. Istikhaarah is not to be used concerning things that are obligatory or forbidden or makrooh, except when the hesitation is about setting a time to do an obligatory action. Based on that, if it has become apparent that your fiancé does not pray or that he commits immoral actions, for example, then you must refuse him, and it is not prescribed to pray istikhaarah in that case.
2. The issue of things being made easy or difficult may involve some doubt and waswasah (whispers from the shaytaan). Perhaps the wali will try to contact the fiancé to tell him of the annulment and will not be able to get in touch with him, so it is said that the matter has become difficult. But that is not the case. Rather he should try again to get in touch with him, or send someone to tell him the news, and so on.
3. If a person goes against what is indicated by istikhaarah, he is not disobeying Allaah or sinning, but he will miss out on much goodness and will regret it if he does not do it, or harm may befall him if he goes ahead with something that Allaah has not made easy for him. Perfect faith and trust in Allaah means delegating one’s affairs to Allaah and accepting His decision, and going ahead with the matter after praying istikhaarah and deciding upon a course of action, and not paying attention to waswasah.
We ask Allaah to make good easy for you wherever it may be.
And Allaah knows best.






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General Dought & clear, - * Ruling on blotting out images in books and magazines; what are the images that prevent the angels from entering a house?

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Is it necessary to blot out images on the covers of books so that they will not prevent angels from entering the house? Do images in recycling bins prevent the angels from entering the house, even if we allocate a specific place in the house for that?
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Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
The use of images in books, magazines, packaging and so on is something that has become a widespread problem and the Muslim is not required to seek them out and erase them, because of the great hardship involved in that.
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to necessary items (containing images) that have becomes part of people’s daily lives and have become widespread, such as images on currency, matches and the like, what appears to me to be the case is that this comes under the heading of matters concerning which one has no choice, and with regard to matters concerning which one has no choice and which are very widespread, there is the hope that Allah will pardon them and the ruling is leniency concerning them.
End quote fromal-Ajwibah an-Naafi‘ah ‘an al-Masaa’il al-Waaqi‘ah(p. 83)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
The individual is not required to blot out everything that he finds in magazines and newspapers, because of the hardship entailed. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship” [al-Hajj 22:78]. He does not buy these magazines and newspapers because of the images and pictures; rather he buys them because of what they contain of news and information.
End quote fromJalasaat Ramadaaniyyah, p. 103. See also:ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘(2/92).
Secondly:
The images that prevent the angels from entering the house are images of animate beings that are not handled in a disrespectful manner.
As for permissible images, such as images of natural scenery and other inanimate things, and images that are handled in a disrespectful manner, they do not prevent the angels from entering the place where they are.
The fact that images that are handled in a disrespectful manner do not prevent the angels from entering is indicated by the report narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Jibreel came to me and said: ‘I came to you yesterday, and nothing prevented me from entering upon you in the house where you were, except that at the door of the house there were a statue in the images of a man, and in the house there was a curtain on which there were images, and in the house there was a dog. So issue instructions that the head of the statue at the door be cut off, so that it will resemble a tree, and issue instructions that the curtain be cut up and made into two cushions that may be left on the floor to be stepped on, and issue instructions that the dog be put outside.’”
So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that.
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2806); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inas-Silsilahas-Saheehah(256).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: This hadith supports the view of those who say that the kind of image that prevents the angels from entering the place where it is is that which remains in its original form, and is put in a high place and is not handled in a disrespectful manner. But if it is subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner, or it is not subject to handled in a disrespectful manner but its appearance is altered, either by cutting it in half or cutting off its head, then there is no problem.
End quote fromFath al-Baari(10/392)
Al-Khattaabi said: Rather the angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image, of the type of dogs or images that it is prohibited to keep. But if it is not haraam, such as a dog for hunting, farming or herding livestock, or it is the kind of image that is subject to disrespectful treatment, such as images on carpets, cushions and the like, then the angels are not prevented from entering because of it.
Quoted from him inTuhfat al-Ahwadhi(8/72)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: If an image is subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner, such as if it is on a rug or cushion, then the majority of scholars are of the view that it is permissible. Based on that, it does not prevent the angels from entering that place, because if it did prevent them from doing so, then it would be forbidden.
End quote fromLiqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh(85/6)
Imam Ahmad (6290) narrated that Layth said: I entered upon Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah when he was reclining on a cushion on which there were images of birds and wild animals.
I said: Isn’t this disapproved of in sharee‘ah?
He said: No, it is only images that are set up in a high places that are disapproved of in sharee‘ah.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked about the ruling on images on blankets, milk cartons and other household necessities.
He replied:
Such things are overlooked because they are subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner. Bedding is are subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner, cushions are subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner, and ketchup bottles are thrown in the trash, so the images on them do not matter, in sha Allah, because they are all subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner.
End quote fromFataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb(1/310)
so images that are found in recycling bins are subject to being handled in a disrespectful manner, and do not prevent the angels from entering the house.
And Allah knows best.








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Supplication, Dought& clear, - * Is there a specific du‘aa’ to help one understand?

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Is there a specific du‘aa’ to help one with understand lessons, for students who do not learn easily? Someone advised me to say this du‘aa’: “O Allah, bestow on us Your wisdom and bestow on us Your mercy, O Possessor of majesty and honour).”
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Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
It should be noted that what will help most with understanding is two things:
1. Taking real measures to understand, by listening attentively, focusing, memorising, reflecting and asking about anything one finds difficult. These are very important matters, that may be difficult to apply in the beginning, but they will become the best means of helping oneself to understand if the learner practices doing them and gets used to them, then they will become second nature to him.
2. Sincerely turning to Allah, may He be exalted, and asking Him to help one understand and learn. Knowledge is light that Allah casts into one’s heart, but if the heart is far from Allah, he will not be ready to receive this light. As for the heart that is close to Allah, by means of worship, love, repentance, praying for forgiveness and turning to Him, it deserves to attain divine help in understanding.
Ibn al-Qayyim stated in his great bookI‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘eena number of things that will help the mufti to understand and comprehend the true nature of matters and new issues with which he is faced, which any seeker of knowledge and truth may use.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The righteous mufti, if he is faced with a new issue, should feel his real need in all situations – not only in the academic sense – for the One Who could inspire him with the correct answer, the One Who teaches what is good, the One Who guides hearts. He should ask Him to guide him to the right answer and help him to come up with the correct response, guiding him to His ruling that He has prescribed for His slaves with regard to this issue. If he knocks at that door, then he has knocked at the door of success, for the one who hopes for the help of his Lord is the most deserving that He should not deprive him of it. Once he finds this aspiration in his heart, this is a sign of success. In that case he has to turn to and look at the source of guidance, the basis of soundness and the foundation of wisdom, which is the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the reports of the Sahaabah. Then he should strive his utmost to work out the ruling on that new issue from those texts. Once he has attained it, he may tell others about it, but if he is still not sure, he should hasten to repent, seek forgiveness and remember Allah much. For knowledge is the light of Allah which He casts into the heart of His slave, but desires and sins are strong winds that extinguish that light, or almost extinguish it; at least they will inevitably weaken it.
I saw Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah sanctify his soul) when he was faced with difficult issues for which he could not find an answer and it was very hard for him. He would flee from them and repent, pray for forgiveness, ask Allah for help, turn to Him, ask Him to inspire him to find the right answer and to bestow upon him from the treasures of His mercy. Then divine help would start to reach him persistently, and he would soon find the answer through divine inspiration. Undoubtedly whoever is guided to realise his need for Allah and express it, and feel that need strongly in his heart, is indeed most fortunate, and whoever is deprived of that will be deprived of any achievement and any help. Once a person combines this sense of need with striving his utmost to find out the truth about an issue, then he is following the straight path. That is the grace of Allah, which He bestows upon whomever He wills, for Allah is the Possessor of abundant grace. End quote.
I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een(6/67-68); annotated by Mashhoor Hasan Salmaan.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Haadi (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah his words:
I keep wondering and thinking about an issue or situation, then I ask Allah, may He be exalted, for forgiveness a thousand times, more or less, until I feel comfort in my heart, then the confusion concerning that issue is soon resolved.
He said: Sometimes in that situation I may be in the marketplace or the mosque, or on the road, or in the school, but that does not prevent me from remembering Allah and seeking His forgiveness, and persisting in that until I attain what I am seeking. End quote.
Al-‘Uqood ad-Durriyyah(p. 6)
Secondly:
We have not come across any specific supplication attributed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that it is Sunnah to recite when seeking proper understanding of an issue. Rather there are adhkaar that were narrated from some of the early generation, or that are based on the interpretation of some Prophetic hadiths, or are based on some good supplications that are mentioned in those hadiths. Even though these supplications are not limited to the situation mentioned, reciting it in that situation is based on the understanding and ijtihaad of the early scholars who did that.
If someone recites these adhkaar and du‘aas that were narrated from the early generations, without believing that this is something specific to this particular situation, or that reciting it in this particular situation is Sunnah, or that it has a specific virtue, there is nothing wrong with that.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) also said:
It is appropriate for the mufti to frequently recite the supplication from the saheeh hadith:Allaahumma Rabba Jibreela wa Mikaa’eela wa Israafeel, faatir al-samawaati wa’l-ard, ‘aalim al-ghaybi wa’l-shahaadah, anta tahkumu bayna ‘ibaadika fima kaanu fihi yukhtalifoon, ihdini lima’khtulifa fihi min al-haqq bi idhnika, innaka tahdi man tasha’ ila siraatin mustaqeem(O Allaah, Lord of Jibreel (Gabriel), Michael and Israfeel, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You are the Knower of the unseen and the seen, You will judge between Your slaves concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me to the truth of that wherein they differed by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to the Straight Path). Our shaykh – namely Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah – often used to recite this. If he came across difficult issues, he would say: O Teacher of Ibraaheem, teach me. And he would often seek divine help with these words, following the example of Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him).
Some of the early generations used to say when issuing fatwas: Glory be to You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, for verily You are the All-Knowing , Most Wise.
Mak-hool used to say:Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah(There is no power and no strength except with Allah).
Maalik used to say:Ma sha Allah, laa quwwata illa Billaah al-‘Aliy al-‘Azeem(As Allah wills; there is no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great).
Some of them used to say: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness); And ease my task for me; And make loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (i.e. remove the incorrectness from my speech), That they understand my speech ” [Ta-Ha 20:25-28].
Some of them used to say: O Allah, help me, guide me, correct me, enable me to attain what is right and earn reward, and forgive me if I make a mistake or am deprived of an answer.
Some of them used to recite al-Faatihah.
We have tried that ourselves, and we found it to be among the most effective means of finding the right answer.
What matters in all of that is having a good intention, sincerity and a proper aim.
Imam Ahmad was asked: If it is too difficult for us to come to you and ask you, who can we ask after you? He said: Ask ‘Abd al-Wahhaab al-Warraaq, for he is most qualified to be guided to the right answer.
Imam Ahmad followed the advice of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him): Come close to the mouths of those who are obedient to Allah and listen to what they say, because matters are made clear to them.
That is because their hearts are close to Allah. The closer the heart is to Allah, the more the confusion and distractions that result from bad deeds will be removed from the heart, and the more perfect and strong will be the light by means of which he sees the truth. The further away the heart is from Allah, the more he is exposed to confusion and distraction, and the weaker will be the light by means of which he could see the truth. Knowledge is light that Allah casts into the heart, by means of which a person may distinguish between right and wrong.
Maalik said to ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah be pleased with them both) the first time he met him: I see that Allah has cast light into your heart, so do not extinguish it with the darkness of sin.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“Oyou who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion ((to judge between right and wrong)” [al-Anfaal 8:29]. Part of that criterion is the light by means of which a person may differentiate between truth and falsehood. The closer his heart is to Allah, the more perfect his criterion will be. And Allah is the source of strength.
I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een(6/197-199)
And Allah knows best.








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