Uthaimeen on Displaying Rituals of Happiness or Grief on the Day of Aashuraa
November 14, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The Day of ’Aashuraa is one of the Days of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, there is nothing that has been legislated concerning it except one thing which is the fast, and yet even then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave the order to fast a day before or after it in order to be different to the Jews.”
Fataawaa Nurun-’Alad-Darb, vol. 2, p. 1199.
And he said, “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked about fasting on the Day of ’Aashuraa and so he said, ‘It expiates the past year,’ i.e., the one before it.
No part of the Eed [celebrations] have a place on this day. So just as none of the rites of Eed are a part of it, none of the rites of grieving are either—displaying grief or happiness on this day is in opposition to the Sunnah, nothing has been reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم concerning this day except to fast it.”
Fataawaa fil-’Aqeedah, vol. 2, p. 1121.
Uthaimeen on Fasting ʿĀshūrā
November 8, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The Month of Allaah, al-Muḥarram, is the one between [the month of] Dhul-Hijjah and Ṣafar, about which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘… the most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of Ramadan is the fast in Allaah’s Month of al-Muharram …,’ and it is established that one should fast on [the Day ofʿĀshūrā which is] the 10th [of Muḥarram which corresponds to Tue. 16th July 2024], or the 9th and the 10th [Mon. 15th and Tue. 16th July 2024], or the 9th, 10th and 11th [Mon. 15th, Tue. 16th and Wed. 17th July 2024].”
Sharh Riyaadis-Saaliheen, vol. 5, p. 299.
The Encouragement to Fast in Muharram
November 3, 2013 § Leave a comment
“Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that he (the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم) was asked as to which prayer was most excellent after the prescribed prayer, and which fast was the most excellent after the month of Ramadan. He said, ‘Prayer offered in the middle of the night, and the most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of Ramadan is the fast in Allaah’s Month of al-Muharram.’” [Muslim]
Ibn Rajab said, “… And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم called the month of Muharram, ‘Allaah’s Month,’ and its ascription to Allaah shows its distinction and excellence, for nothing is attributed to Him, the Most High, except the most elite of His creation, like His ascription of Muhammad, Ibrahim, Ishaaq, Ya’qoob and other Prophets to His ’Ubudiyyah, and He ascribed His House and His She-Camel to Himself.” [See Surah Shams, verse 13 for a mention of the She-camel.]
Lataa’iful-Ma’aarif, pp. 68-70.
The Dhahabi of His Time on Extremism Towards Personalities and Fanatical Blind-Followers
November 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
The Dhahabi of his time, the ’Allaamah, the Muhaddith, ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Yahyaa al-Mu’allimi, The Yemeni, [d. 1966], may Allaah have mercy on him said, “One of the most extensive valleys of misguidance is extremism towards distinguished personalities.
And one of the sharpest weapons used by the extremist is that he will accuse everyone who tries to bring him back to the truth of having hatred of those distinguished personalities [which he is fanatical towards] and of having enmity towards them.
Some of the people of knowledge hold that the first time the Christians went to extremes regarding Jesus عليه السلام, the extremists would accuse everyone who criticised them of hating Jesus and humiliating him and so on. And so this was one of the greatest things that aided the spread of extremism, because the people of truth who remained saw that when they renounced the extremists they would then [as a result] become ascribed to that [very] thing which they were the most severe of people in [actually] loathing, i.e., [they would become accused of] hating Jesus and insulting him; and the people detested them [i.e., the common folk began to hate the people of truth], and they were harmed and so they held back from renouncing [the extremists], and so the path was left clear for the Devil—and close to this is the condition of the extremists of the Raafidah [Shee’ah] and the grave-worshippers and the extremist blind-followers.”
At-Tankeel bimaa fee Ta’neeb al-Kawthari minal-Abaateel, p. 184.
Al-Fawzaan on the Two Types of Conveying Knowledge and Who is to Carry Them Out
October 19, 2013 § Leave a comment
Questioner: How is it possible to reconcile his saying صلى الله عليه وسلم, “Convey from me even if only an aayah,” with the condition that a caller should have copious knowledge?
Al-Fawzaan: There is no contradiction here walhamdulilaah, because the conveyance is of two types: conveying the text and conveying the meaning.
The first type: conveying the text [i.e., the wording] is something everyone who has memorized a text from Allaah’s Book or the Sunnah of His Prophet can do, he can help the people memorise it … when he’s memorised a Surah or an aayah he can teach the people that Surah and when he has memorised a hadith he can teach it to the people—this is conveying the text and anyone can do it, for this reason the Quraan is taught by many people who do not have knowledge but they have memorized the Quraan and can recite well, and [likewise] people who do not have knowledge teach hadiths to the people but they are good at having memorised the hadith and teaching it to the people. Having understanding [fiqh] is not a condition for conveying a text.
The second type: conveying meanings, i.e., the explanation of these texts and clarifying the rulings and wisdom contained therein—this is the one that requires knowledge and no one should carry this out except a scholar. So there is no contradiction between the obligation of conveying and the fact that no one calls the people except someone who has knowledge of what he is calling to, because da’wah requires understanding. Conveying the meaning, the meanings of the texts and their explanations and clarifying them to the people is different to the first type which everyone who has memorized something from the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Messenger can do and teach the people about, this is good … that he sits and teaches the people and makes them memorise the Quraan and memorise the hadiths and [other] texts, this is very good but we say to him: do not explain the meanings to the people when you don’t know them [yourself].
Al-Ijaabaat al-Muhimmah fil-Mashaakil al-Mulimmah, pp. 279-280.
Imaam Sa’dee and the Shivering Old Man
October 18, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Abdullah Aqeel said about his Shaikh, Imaam Sa’dee (d. 1956), “An eyewitness mentioned that on a winter’s day with heavy rain, our Shaikh saw an elderly man in the Jaami’ mosque shivering due to the severe cold and wearing worn-out clothes. When our Shaikh saw him in such a state he went behind a pillar so that no one would see him and took off one of his two thawbs, folded it and gave it to the man who then wore it, fended off the cold with it and who then supplicated for him.”
Ash-Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 18.
Al-Fawzaan Asked Whether Refutations Harden the Hearts and Who is Supposed to Carry them Out
October 18, 2013 § Leave a comment
Questioner: Do refutations against the people of falsehood harden the hearts? Because there are people who distance us from the books of the people of knowledge that refute the people of falsehood?
Al-Fawzaan: Not refuting the people of falsehood is what hardens the hearts, because their doubts enter the hearts which then become hard. As for rebutting them and clarifying the truth then this is what softens the hearts and turns them back to the truth. So do not pay attention to such false statements which come from people who want to circulate falsehood and doubts and have no one object or refute them, saying, ‘This is freedom of opinion, and this is the other opinion,’ ya’ni, the religion has become opinions [now]? Allaah did not entrust us to our opinions and intellects, rather he ordered us to follow the Book and Sunnah and to understand and act on them both and to refute the doubts and false statements that oppose them. And if it weren’t for the rebuttals against the people of falsehood the truth would not have prevailed or become clear to the people.
But I say, and I continue to say: only the people of knowledge refute the people of falsehood—as for someone learning, and the student of knowledge, or the one feigning knowledge, it is not allowed for them to refute such issues, because maybe such a person will refute based upon ignorance and as a result his refutation will be more evil than the evil of the one being refuted, because when a refutation is not done with knowledge its [resulting] corruption becomes more than its benefit.
Al-Ijaabaat al-Muhimmah fil-Mashaakil al-Mulimmah, pp. 239-240.
Al-Fawzaan Asked Whether Refutations Split the Ummah
October 18, 2013 § 1 Comment
Questioner: There are people who abstain from rebuttals and think that it causes the Ummah to split and they may even forsake the people who do refute the people of innovation and misguidance, and there are those who hold that [one should] not delve into refutations or speak about the mistakes of the students of knowledge and callers when they make a mistake, we would like some direction in view of this?
Al-Fawzaan: Refutations are of two types, those done by the people of knowledge, learning and insight, to clarify the truth and refute falsehood, these are beneficial and essential. As for the refutations which emanate from the ignorant and students who are not well-versed, or the refutations that emanate from desires and [particular] inclinations, then these refutations are not allowed because they harm and do not benefit. As for the correct, reliable refutations which come from the people of knowledge in clarification of the truth and not based upon desires, then these are essential, because it is not allowed to remain silent about the people of misguidance who spread their misguidance and deceive the Ummah and the Ummah’s youth.
Al-Ijaabaat al-Muhimmah fil-Mashaakil al-Mulimmah, p. 239.
Shaikh Muqbil’s Daughter Talking About Her Father’s Humility
October 17, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Muqbil’s daughter said, “And he would say, ‘I’m neglectful,’ and, ‘I’m not pleased with myself,’ and he told us that after white hair started to appear on his beard he was pained at that, and said to himself, ‘What have you done for Islaam and the Muslims?’ And from his statements was, ‘We are ignorant [of some things], have knowledge [of others], we are correct and we make mistakes.’”
Nubdhah Mukhtasirah Min Nasaa’ih Waalidi al-Allaamah Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i wa Seeratihi al-Atirah, pp. 28-31.
Shaikh Muqbil on This Shaikh is Correct … That Shaikh is Wrong … Shaikh so and so is Like this … He’s Like That …
October 17, 2013 § 1 Comment
Questioner: Noble Shaikh, may Allaah protect you, we’d like you to present some advice to your children, the students of knowledge, in Abu Dubai and the Emirates in general.
Shaikh Muqbil: I advise our brothers to be earnest and to strive to acquire beneficial knowledge and not to busy themselves with that which does not concern them, because this differing and this dissension comes about due to free time: Shaikh so and so is correct … Shaikh so and so is wrong … knowledge is not to be taken from Shaikh so and so … Shaikh so and so is like this and that. So I say: you must tell yourself to try to be like Shaikh so and so or better than him who you made yourself busy [concerning, going] from this mosque to that mosque and from this gathering to that gathering [to say] … Shaikh so and so is correct … the other is wrong …
So I advise them to be earnest and to strive and also if it is easy for them to travel … and I have been told that there are some brothers there who are strong students of knowledge so they should go to them and benefit should be taken from them, and I advise them to spread the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم according to the understanding of the Salaf, and I advise them to visit their brothers the People of Knowledge, and I advise them to invite the scholars from the land of the two Harams and Najd and likewise [those] from any country with the scholar being a Sunni, so that they [i.e., the scholars who they invite] can explain the methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah to them, [such] lectures have a benefit and their effect alhamdulillaah, is great—but they are not the equivalent of learning [i.e., going and acquiring knowledge over a long period of time].
Walhamdulillaahi rabbil-’Aalameen.
Ghaaratul-Ashritah, vol. 2, p. 103.
Imaam Sa’dee and the Blind Man’s Joke
October 17, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Abdullah Aqeel said about his Shaikh, Imaam Sa’dee (d. 1956), “He was asked one time at a large gathering about the ruling concerning a person seeing his intended wife before the nikaah so he answered stating that it was permissible and that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had instructed that. There was a blind man present and so he said, ‘What about us blind people, is it permissible for us to touch since we can’t see?’ So the Shaikh and those present laughed.”
[Imaam Sa’dee was also Shaikh Uthaimeen’s teacher, may Allaah have mercy on them all.]
Ash-Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 17.
Shaikh Muqbil on Blindly-Following Al-Albaani, Ibn Baaz and ‘Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on them all
October 15, 2013 § 1 Comment
The Shaikh of Yemen, Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “And we say: we hold blind-following to be forbidden. So it is not allowed for us to blindly follow Shaikh al-Albaani, nor Shaikh Ibn Baaz nor Shaikh Ibn ’Uthaimeen, for indeed Allaah تعالى says in His Noble Book, “Follow, [O mankind], what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember,” [Al-A’raaf 7:3] and He سبحانه وتعالى said, “And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.” [Al-Israa 17:36] So Ahlus-Sunnah do not blindly follow.”
Tuhfatul-Mujeeb ’alaa As’ilatil-Haadiri wal-Ghareeb, p. 222.
Supplicating for Your Brothers
October 14, 2013 § 2 Comments
Imaam Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “[The Companion] Abud-Dardaa used to supplicate for a group of his brothers every night. And Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said to [Imaam] Shaafi’i’s son, ‘Your father is one of six for whom I supplicate every night before daybreak.’”
Saidul-Khaatir, p. 46.
Uthaimeen asked Whether Someone on Hajj Can Use ZamZam Water to Perform Ablution
October 13, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “If a person going on Hajj only has some ZamZam water with him when the time for prayer becomes due, can he perform wudoo [ablution] with it or should he perform tayammum [dry ablution] because ZamZam water is blessed and should only be drunk?”
He replied, “In a hadith from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about ZamZam it is mentioned that, ‘The water of ZamZam is for whatever it is drunk for,’ but it has been said that from its blessings is that a person can purify himself with it for prayer, so it is permissible for him to perform ablution with it and there is no harm in that, and it is not permissible for him to turn away from that to tayammum as long as there is water present.”
Fataawaa Nurun-’Alad-Darb, CD.
Al-‘Abbaad on the Obligation of Rebutting a Dissenter and How He is to be Treated if he is from Ahlus-Sunnah
October 12, 2013 § Leave a comment
The Muhaddith, the ’Allaamah, Shaikh ’Abdul-Muhsin al-’Abbaad was asked, “What is your advice, may Allaah protect you, to the one who says that responding to someone who opposes the Sunnah [a dissenter, mukhaalif] causes disunity, and that what is obligatory is to remain silent about the mistake so that the word of the Muslims becomes united?”
So he replied, “This is not correct. This is invalid. Rather the mistake is to be explained and clarified and not left. As for the issue of leaving [off clarifying the mistake] because it causes disunity … then the disunity came about because of the contraventions [against the Sunnah in the first place] and due to leaving the correct path. So it is obligatory to clarify the truth and rebut the one who makes invalid claims.
And if the mistake occurred from someone who is not from the people of innovation, but rather he is someone from Ahlus-Sunnah and he made a mistake, then he is to be advised and treated gently—because the purpose is [to achieve] reformation.”
Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud, tape 338, at 12:24.
Uthaimeen on The Obligation of Performing Hajj As Soon as One is Able To
October 2, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “What is correct is that it is obligatory to carry out Hajj immediately if the conditions to make it obligatory [on a person] have been met, the proof is His Statement, the Most High, ‘And [due] to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House,’ [Aali-’Imraan 3:97] and [also] due to the hadith of Abu Hurairah, ‘Indeed Allaah has prescribed Hajj for you, so perform it.’ And the principle regarding an [imperative] order is that it be carried out immediately and that is why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم became angry during the Ghazwah of Hudaibiyyah when he ordered them [i.e., the Companions] to come out of the state of Ihraam but they stalled [in carrying out the order], and [an order should be carried out straight away] because a person does not know what will befall him and because Allaah ordered us to race towards goodness and delaying doing so goes against what He commanded.”
Ash-Sharh al-Mumti’, vol. 7, p. 13.
Uthaimeen Asked About Performing Hajj on Behalf of Deceased Parents
October 2, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “My mother and father passed away when I was little and, bearing in mind that they were poor, I don’t know whether they performed Hajj or not, so what should I do?” He replied, “There is no Hajj on your parents in such a state and there is no deficiency in their religion which they are to be blamed for, and that is because Hajj is only obligatory on the person who is able to carry it out, due to Allaah’s Statement, the Most High, ‘And [due] to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find a way thereto.’ [Aali-’Imraan 3:97]
But if you do want to perform Hajj or ’Umrah on their behalf, then start firstly with your mother and secondly, your father.”
Fataawaa Nurun-’ala-Darb, CD.
Uthaimeen on the Statement of Umar رضي الله عنه, ‘Whoever has been blessed in something, let him stick to it.’
October 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “A very beneficial statement has been reported from ’Umar ibn al-Khattaab رضي الله عنه which is, ‘Whoever has been blessed in something, let him stick to it,’ an amazing statement which if weighed against gold would outweigh it. Ya’ni [it means] when a person performs an action and he sees the blessing and the fruits [of carrying it out] he should stick to it. We can give an example of this through the condition of the student of knowledge who has started studying a book or revising it and who finds abundant good and finds that he is benefitting and profiting [from it], so we say to him, ‘Stick to that and finish it and don’t say, ‘This is [just] an abridged, small book.’”
Tafseer Surah Aali-’Imraan, vol. 2, p. 373.
The Blessings of ZamZam … He Memorised Umdatul-Ahkaam, Ar-Risaalah al-Far’iyyah and the Alfiyyah of Ibn Maalik in Ten Months
September 29, 2013 § 1 Comment
The Shaikh ’Ali ibn Muhammad an-Nahraari, the Judge, the Imaam, the Linguist, the Faqeeh, may Allaah have mercy on him, said about Zamzam water, “And there [in Makkah] I memorised Umdatul-Ahkaam and Ar-Risaalah al-Far’iyyah and the Alfiyyah of Ibn Maalik [which is just over one thousand lines of poetry on Arabic grammar and morphology] in about ten months—and when memorising [if something] became difficult for me, I would drink some Zamzam water, perform ablution and pray in the area between the Black Stone and the Door of the Ka’bah and supplicate [to Allaah], and I would [as a result successfully] memorise it.”
Ad-Daw al-Laami, 3/128.
Al-Fawzaan on Jarh and Ta’deel in this Day and Age
September 29, 2013 § 2 Comments
Questioner: Noble Shaikh, may Allaah grant you success, the questioner says, “We have heard from your excellency that [you say that] the door to Jarh and Ta’deel is closed in this time?”
Al-Fawzaan: “And are you going to open it now? Where is Jarh and Ta’deel? Where is the person who is able to acquaint [himself] with this field? These people do not have anything except speaking about people and defaming them, ‘So and so is like this and so and so is like that,’ this is backbiting, this is backbiting and it is not allowed. This is not Jarh or Ta’deel. Jarh and Ta’deel is knowledge connected to the chains of narrations, the chains of narrations of a hadith. As for you sitting and saying, ‘So and so has this, and so and so has that,’ praising and criticising—this is not Jarh and Ta’deel. This is Jarh only, there is no ta’deel in it.
[It is] Jarh and backbiting and tale-carrying.”
Sharh al-Muntaqaa min Akhbaar Sayyidil-Mursaleen, at 1:17:56, from a lecture given on the 7th September 2013.
Acquiring Allaah’s Love
September 24, 2013 § Leave a comment
Muhammad ibn Nu’aim al-Mowsilee said, “Indeed the heart that loves Allaah, loves being exhausted and exerting itself for Allaah—verily Allaah’s Love is not acquired through comfort/relaxation.”
Majmoo’ Ar-Rasaa’il al-Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, vol. 3, p. 327.
Uthaimeen on The Intention to Fast Ramadaan
July 9, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The correct [opinion] is that an intention [to fast] Ramadaan is not required except on the first night alone because the rest [of the month] follows on from that, unless he intends to break it due to the presence of something which allows him to do so, and so he does break it and then resumes fasting again during the month, here he must renew his intention.”
At-Ta’leeq ’alaa Haqiqatis-Siyaam, p. 170.
Striving Against the Devil
June 19, 2013 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, ‘Striving [JIhaad] against the Devil consists of two steps: that a person strives against him to repel uncertainties and doubts, and that he strives against him to repel corrupt intentions and desires.’”
Mukhtaaraat min Zaadil-Ma’aad, p. 116.
Ibn al-Qayyim on Whether the Prophet Muhammad Forced People to Enter Islaam
June 12, 2013 § Leave a comment
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “So when Allaah sent His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, most of the people of other religions responded to him and to his Khulafaa after him out of their own freewill and of their own choosing–and he never once forced anyone to enter the religion ever.
Rather he would only fight those who declared war against him and fought him, he never fought or forced to enter the religion those who kept peace with him and had a truce with him, in conformance with the order of his Lord سبحانه where He said:
“There is no compulsion in religion.” [Baqarah 2:256]
And this is a negation in the form of a prohibitive order, i.e., ‘Do not force anyone to enter the religion.’
This aayah was revealed concerning some of the Companions who had children who had become Jews or Christians before Islaam, so when Islaam came and the fathers became Muslims they wanted to compel their children to enter it, so Allaah سبحانه forbade them from doing that, such that they themselves should be the ones who choose to enter Islaam …
And it will become clear to whoever ponders the biography of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he never forced anyone to enter the religion ever, and that he only fought those who fought him. And as for those who made a treaty with him, he did not fight them as long as they stuck to their treaty and did not break their covenant. In fact, Allaah, the Most High, ordered him to be faithful to the treaty between them as long as they upheld it, as He said:
“So long as they are true to you, stand you true to them.” [Tawbah 9:7]
And when he came to Medinah he made peace with the Jews and acknowledged their religion, so when they waged war against him and broke their covenant with him and initiated fighting [against him], he fought them and so was gracious to some of them, expelled some and killed some.
Likewise when he had a truce with the Quraish for ten years he never initiated any fighting against them until they themselves were the ones who started fighting him and broke their covenant, so it was then that he raided them … and they were the ones who would invade him before that just as they had set out for him on the Day of Uhud and the Day of the Trench and the Day of Badr too. They came to fight him–and if they had turned away he would not have fought them.
The point is that he صلى الله عليه وسلم never ever forced anyone to enter his religion.
Rather people entered his religion out of their own choosing and freewill, so most of the people in the world embraced his call when the guidance became clear to them and when it became clear to them that he truly was the Messenger of Allaah.”
Abridged from Hidaayatul-Hayaaraa fi Ajwibatil-Yahudi wan-Nasaaraa, pp. 29-30.
Uthaimeen Quoting Ibn al-Qayyim on Following Someone Who Sets Up His Own Principles
June 11, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, ‘So whoever generates statements and establishes principles according to his own understanding and interpretation – it is not obligatory on the Ummah to follow them until they are examined against what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came with. If they agree with it, they are accepted, and if they oppose it, they are rejected.’”
Mukhtaaraat min Zaadil-Ma’aad, p. 11.
Uthaimeen on Fasting in Sha’baan, the Month Before Ramadaan
June 10, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The people of knowledge said, ‘Fasting Sha’baan is like the Rawaatib Sunnahs in relation to the prescribed prayers, they act as an introduction to Ramadaan,’ i.e., they are like a raatibah [Sunnah] for Ramadaan, that’s why fasting in Sha’baan has been established as a Sunnah.
And the six days of fasting in Shawwaal [i.e., the month after Ramadaan] have been established as a raatibah [Sunnah] before the prescribed fast [of the coming year’s Ramadaan] and after [the Ramadaan that has just passed].
And fasting in Sha’baan has another benefit which is to settle the soul and prepare it for fasting so that it is ready for the fast of Ramadaan and so that it is easy for it to perform it.”
Fatawaa Arkaanil-Islaam, p. 491.
Ibn Baaz on Gog and Magog and China
June 9, 2013 § 1 Comment
Questioner: Are there two tribes in China called Gog and Magog [Ya’juj and Ma’juj]? And are they the ones the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned in his hadith? And if it is not them, then who are they?
Ibn Baaz: Gog and Magog are two groups from humankind in the Far East who will come out at the end of time and it is most probable that they are from those who reside in China and its surrounding areas, because they are from the Far East and Dhul-Qarnain set up a barrier between them and the people as Allaah mentioned in the Quraan in Surah al-Kahf. They are from the Children of Adam and they will emerge at the end of time after Dajjaal. Then Allaah will send an illness down upon them in their necks which will cause them to die, and this will be in the time of Jesus, peace be upon him, because when Dajjaal emerges Allaah will send Jesus, peace be upon him, and he will kill Dajjaal and it is then that Gog and Magog will appear in the time of Jesus. Thereafter Allaah will cause them to die and put an end to them, and it is most likely and is what is apparent from the Noble Quraan and the narrations about Dhul-Qarnain that they are in the direction of the east, the direction of China and its surrounding areas.
Uthaimeen on the 27th Night of Rajab
June 4, 2013 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “It has become widespread among many people that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was made to ascend [the Heavens] on the 27th night of Rajab—but this has no basis. So whoever introduces something into Allaah’s Religion which is not a part of it will receive nothing but [pointless] toil and hardship and his action is rejected, his way misguided, [because] the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام said, ‘Every innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance is in the Fire.’”
CD Fatwaa Nurun-’Alad-Darb.
Uthaimeen on How Your Islaam Can Either Stay or Vanish Completely
May 21, 2013 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The blessing of [having/believing in] the Islamic religion is like any other blessing: if you are grateful [for it] it will increase, become established and firm, and if you are thankless it will decrease or disappear.”
Sifatus-Salaah, p. 8.
Uthaimeen on The Prayer Performed on the First Friday of the Month of Rajab
May 16, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “In some Islamic countries there is a prayer performed between maghrib and ishaa on the night of the first Friday of [the month of] Rajab, they call it, ‘Salaatur-Raghaa‘ib [‘The Prayer for Great Bounties or Wishes’],’ and it is twelve rak’ahs [long]—it has no validity. The hadith concerning it is fabricated and a lie against the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام. The Shaikh of Islaam [Ibn Taymiyyah], may Allaah have mercy on him, said that it is fabricated and a lie according to the agreement of the people of knowledge. So there is no prayer particular to Rajab, not on its first Friday nor on the night half way through the month. Rajab in regards to prayer is just like any of the other months.”
Fataawaa fil-Hajj, 659.
Gifts of Knowledge 