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.
Uthaimeen On the Greater Type of Punishment
May 14, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Many people think that being punished [for one’s sins] is only in those things that are external, like the body, wealth and children, but the reality is that the punishment of the sickness of the heart and its corruption is more severe and greater than the punishment through those things.”
Ahkaam minal-Qur’aanil-Karim, vol. 1, p. 87.
Uthaimeen on the Criterion for Boycotting
April 2, 2013 § 1 Comment
Host: May Allaah bless you, Muhammad A. A, the questioner from Algeria says, ‘Noble Shaikh, I’m a Muslim who follows the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, and I praise Allaah for that, but I have some friends who have some innovations, should I leave and boycott them, inform me [of an answer] and advise me, may you be rewarded [by Allaah].
Uthaimeen: It is obligatory on whoever has friends who have some innovations to advise them and clarify to them that that which they are practicing is an innovation, perchance Allaah will guide them through him and he will [thus] receive the reward of them being guided, for the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام said to ’Ali ibn Abi Taalib that if Allaah were to guide one man through you it would be better for you than red camels.
So if they persist in the innovations they practice–if their innovation is one which makes one a disbeliever then he must boycott them and distance himself from them, and if it is not an innovation which makes one a disbeliever then he should look to see whether there is any benefit in boycotting them: if there is benefit in boycotting them he does so and if there is no benefit in boycotting them he does not do so and that is because boycotting is a cure, if the advantage to be gained from it is hoped for then let him do it and if the advantage to be gained from it is not hoped for then let him not do it because the basis [in this issue] is that boycotting a believer is haram and the appellation ‘eemaan’ is not removed from the sinner amongst the believers and thus the foundation is that boycotting him is forbidden. But if there is benefit in boycotting him such that he will become upright and leave those acts which necessitate declaring him to be a faasiq, then he is boycotted and if not then he is not boycotted.
This is the criterion regarding boycotting concerning which the proofs have come together and a summary of this criterion is that boycotting the disbelieving apostate is obligatory if advising him does not benefit, [and] boycotting someone who is defiantly disobedient [a faasiq] is not permissible except if there is some benefit in boycotting him and the proof for that is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said that it is not allowed for anyone to boycott his believing brother such that they both meet and this one turns away from that and that one from this and [he said that] the best of them is the one who initiates the greeting of salaam, except if there is a benefit in boycotting him then he boycotts him as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم did with Ka’b ibn Maalik and his two companions when they remained away from the Battle of Tabuk.
Uthaimeen on Whether a Child Born with An Extra Finger on Each Hand Can Have it Amputated
March 29, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “If a child is born with six fingers on each hand it is permissible to amputate the extra finger, but some of the people of knowledge stated that it is forbidden justifying that by the fact that it is feared that a person whose fingers are amputated would die from bleeding, [but] this justification is disproved in the present age, and thus it is permissible to amputate the extra finger. Similarly, if there were extra flesh in the ear or the head or knee, removing it is permissible.”
Tafseer Surah Aali-’Imraan, pp. 29-30.
Uthaimeen Asked Whether The Presence of Dust is a Condition for Tayammum
March 8, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “Does the performance of Tayammum with the earth require that there be dust?” He replied, “According to the most correct opinion, tayammum with the earth does not require dust because Allaah, the Most High, said, ‘… then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it],’ [Nisaa 4:43] and this is general [and applicable] to all times, and it is known that people who are travelling may be on sandy land which is not dusty … they may be present at a time of rain and when the earth is wet and so there won’t be any dust. So what is correct is that dust is not a condition.”
Fataawaa Nurun ’ala-Darb, CD.
Uthaimeen on A Person Always Scrutinising Himself
March 3, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “It befits a person to always inspect himself as to whether he is upright or not, if he is then he praises Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and extols Him and asks Him to keep him firm [upon that righteousness], and if he is not upright he must become upright and he must change [the manner of] his progression to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.”
Sharh al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, p. 263.
Uthaimeen on Why We Say, “[I ask You for] Your Forgiveness,” Upon Leaving the Toilet
March 2, 2013 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked about the statement of some scholars that the significance of a person’s saying, “[I ask You for] Your Forgiveness [غُفْرَانَكَ],” upon leaving the toilet is due to the fact that since he had been prevented from remembering Allaah at that time it is befitting for him to seek Allaah’s Forgiveness [for that upon leaving], is that correct?
He replied, “That is debatable, because the person [in question] has only been prevented from remembering Allaah due to an order from Allaah, and if it is due to Allaah’s order then he has not exposed himself to punishment, in fact [by doing so] he has put himself forward for a reward, that is why a menstruating woman does not pray or fast: when she then becomes clean is it a part of the Sunnah for her to seek Allaah’s forgiveness for not having prayed and fasted during her menstrual days? Absolutely not, no-one has ever said that.
Based upon this, it becomes clear that the significance [of saying, “[I ask You for] Your Forgiveness [غُفْرَانَكَ],” upon leaving the toilet] is that when a person has unburdened himself from something harmful to the body he calls to mind the harm of sinning, and so asks Allaah to lighten the harm done by sinning just as He has favoured him by lightening the harm to the body, and this is a meaning which is appropriate in terms of remembering a certain thing through another.”
Majmoo’ Rasaail wa Fataawaa ash-Shaikh Ibn ’Uthaimeen, 11/107.
Uthaimeen on Conforming to the Sunnah Being Better than an Abundance of Actions
February 23, 2013 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Conforming to the Sunnah is better than an abundance of actions; for example, performing a lot of supererogatory prayers [nafl] after the adhaan and before the iqaamah of the morning prayer [fajr] is not legislated: because he صلى الله عليه وسلم never used to do that. Likewise if someone wanted to lengthen the Sunnah rak’ahs of the fajr prayer by reciting for longer or making the bowing or prostration longer due to the fact that the time between the adhaan and the iqaamah is a meritorious time in which one’s supplication is not rejected, we would say, ‘You have opposed the Sunnah,’ because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to keep those two rak’ahs brief.”
Ash-Sharh al-Mumti, vol. 1, pp. 406-407.
Upon Entering the Mosque Pray Two Rak’ahs When the Adhaan is Being Called or Wait Till the Muadhin Finishes?
February 17, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “If I enter a mosque and the muadhin is making the call to prayer do I have to follow the muadhin [i.e., repeat what he is saying after him] or should I perform the [two rak’ahs which have to be performed upon entering the mosque which are called] tahaiyyatul-Masjid?
So he replied, “Apart from the second adhaan of the [day of] Jumu’ah , when a person enters [the mosque] and the muadhin is making the call to prayer he should answer the muadhin [i.e., repeat after him as is reported in the Sunnah] and then when he finishes he can perform the [two rak’ahs of] tahaiyyatul-Masjid.
As for the second adhaan on Friday then he does not follow the muadhin but prays the [two rak’ahs of] tahaiyyatul-Masjid so that he can finish and be free to listen to the sermon, because listening to the sermon is obligatory and answering [i.e., repeating after] the muadhin is a sunnah.”
Fataawaa Nurun-alad-Darb, CD.
The Last of The Companions to Die
February 5, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “The last of all of the Companions to die was ’Aamir ibn Waathilah al-Laithi in the year 110 AH. The last of them to die in Medinah was Mahmood ibn ar-Rabi’ in 99 AH. In Damascus, Syria, the last of them to die was Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ in 86 AH. The last of them to pass away in Basrah was Anas ibn Maalik in 93 AH. In Homs it was ’Abdullaah ibn Busr al-Maazini in 98 AH; in Kufah, ’Abdullaah ibn Abi Awfaa al-Aslami in 87 AH and the last of them to pass away in Egypt was ’Abdullaah ibn al-Haarith in 89 AH.” [May Allaah be pleased with them all]
Mustalah al-Hadith, p. 55.
Uthaimeen on Visiting the Sick
February 3, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “It is fitting that someone who visits an ill person reminds him of repentance and of the obligation upon him of having a will and that he should fill his time with Allaah’s remembrance, the Mighty and Majestic, because a person who is ill is in need of such things, and if he is at death’s door and the person who is by him is certain that death is upon him, then it is right that he should prompt him to say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah,’ as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered.”
Fataawaa fis-Salaati wal-Janaa‘iz, vol. 2, p. 72.
Uthaimeen on How to Submit to Allaah’s Commands
January 26, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Good manners with Allaah is that you receive His Legislative Judgements with contentment and submission, that you have no discomfort towards them and that you are not fed up with them. So when Allaah, the Most High, orders you to pray, to give zakaah, to fast and other such things, then you accept that with an open heart [lit. expanded breast].”
Sharh al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, p. 324.
More Reward if You Lengthen the Sunnah of Fajr or Keep them Short?
January 25, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “Conforming to the Sunnah is better than an abundance of actions: [so] if, for example, someone were to say, ‘I want to lengthen the two Sunnah rak’ahs of the Fajr prayer due to the excellence of that time and to increase [my] actions.’ We would say to him, ‘You are not correct, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to keep them short.’”
Fataawa fit-Tahaarah was-Salaah, vol. 1, p. 172.
Uthaimeen on Those Who Add Acts of Worship to the Religion Which Allaah has Not Legislated
January 24, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “Worship is not taken except from the revelation given to the Prophets by Allaah and for this reason Allaah criticised those other than Himself who legislate [things to be a part of worship] and [He] made that a type of shirk, saying, “Or have they partners who have ordained for them a religion to which Allaah has not consented?”” [Ash-Shuraa 42:21]
Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan, p. 11.
Uthaimeen on Celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday
January 23, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “Taking the night of the [Prophet’s] birthday [صلى الله عليه وسلم] as a celebration [eed], repeated every year in which the virtues of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are mentioned and [differing] characteristics and forms of salaah are innovated [is something which] is not from his guidance, nor his sharee’ah, nor the guidance of his Companions–and this innovation is an abominable act [munkar] which it is obligatory upon the Muslims to be on their guard against and to be distant from.”
Fataawaa Nurun ala-Darb, CD.
Uthaimeen’s Advice Concerning Friends
September 6, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Beware of friends, don’t incline towards them until you know the truthfulness of their advice and affection.”
Tafsir Surah as-Saaffaat, p. 125.
Which is Better, Fasting the Six Days of Shawwaal or Fasting Mondays and Thursdays?
August 26, 2012 § 1 Comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “Which is better, fasting the six days of Shawwaal or fasting Mondays and Thursdays?” So he replied, “Each of these days has its merit. So fasting the six days of Shawwaal–when a person fasts Ramadaan and then follows it up with these six days he will be like someone who has fasted a lifetime, and this is a merit which is not obtained by fasting Mondays and Thursdays. But if a person fasted the Mondays and Thursdays of the month of Shawwaal and through that intended that it was part of the [fasting of] the six days of Shawwaal too, he will obtain the reward.”
Fataawaa Nurun-alad-Darb, CD.
Uthaimeen Asked About Someone Who Missed Months of Ramadaan and then Started Practicing, Should He Make Up Those Months?
August 24, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked that if a person never fasted Ramadaan for months after having reached the age of responsibility but then he started practicing, is it then incumbent upon him to make up those missed Ramadaans? So he replied, “The strongest opinion from the statements of the people of knowledge is that it is not incumbent upon him to make up those months which, without an excuse, he had left, based upon the fact that worship is scheduled [to be performed at certain times] and when a person delays it beyond its legislatively appointed time, then it is not accepted from him, and making it up later will not benefit him at all.”
Fiqhul-Ibaadaat, pp. 256-257.
Uthaimeen Explaining an Aayah from Surah Kahf
August 23, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The Most High’s Saying, ‘But the enduring good deeds are better before your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope,’ [Kahf 18:46] ‘… enduring good deeds …’ are good statements or actions, like [saying], ‘Subhaanallaah,’ ‘Alhamdulillaah,’ ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah,’ ‘Allaahu Akbar,’ and, ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah,’ and [are things like] giving charity, fasting, ordering the good and forbidding the evil and other such things – these, ‘… enduring good deeds …’ are, ‘… better before your Lord for reward …’ i.e., recompense and requital, and, ‘… better for [one’s] hope …’ i.e., the best thing a person can hope for.”
Tafsir Surah al-Kahf, p. 79.
Uthaimeen: Finish Any Fasts You Have to Make Up for Ramadaan [Qadaa] Before Fasting the Six of Shawwaal
August 22, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The Sunnah is that a person fasts the six days of Shawwaal after finishing the make-up fasts [qadaa] of Ramadaan not before. So if he had some fasts to make up [due to having missed some in Ramadaan] but he fasted the six days of Shawwaal before the make-up fasts, he will not obtain their reward [i.e., the reward of the six of Shawwaal], because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Whoever fasts Ramadaan …” and it is not correct to say about a person who has some fasts from Ramadaan still incumbent upon him that he has fasted Ramadaan, rather he has only fasted some of it.”
Ash-Sharh al-Mumti, vol. 6, p. 466.
Uthaimeen on The Wisdom Behind Fasting the Six Days of Shawwaal
August 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “The wisdom behind fasting the six days of Shawwaal is the same as the wisdom regarding other optional acts which Allaah has ordained for His Servants in order to make the obligatory actions complete. So fasting the six days of Shawwaal is like the supererogatory Sunnah prayers [ar-Raatibah] which are performed after the obligatory prayers in order to complete any deficiencies in them. And from Allaah, the Most High’s, Wisdom is that He made Sunnah [prayers] for the obligatory ones in order to complete them and raise them [in rank], so fasting the six days of Shawwaal has this great benefit.”
Fataawaa Nurun-Ala-Darb.
Uthaimeen on Eed
August 19, 2012 § 2 Comments
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “From Islaam’s qualities is this happy Eed, which Allaah crowned the month of fasting with and which He opened the months of Hajj to His Sacred House with, and it is the day during which the Muslims go out, pleased with the blessings of having completed the fasting and prayer which Allaah bestowed upon them, performing the Eed prayer in glorification of Allaah and to establish His Remembrance, and as a demonstration of the love and thanks their hearts have for Him, and they make good their thoughts of their Protector, because He is as His Slaves think of Him.”
Ad-Diyaa’ul-Laami minal-Khutabil-Jawaami’, vol. 1, p. 398.
Uthaimeen Asked About a Person Who Is Employed but Whose Father Gives the Zakaatul-Fitr on Their Behalf
August 18, 2012 § 2 Comments
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked, “’I’m employed but my father gives the Zakaatul-Fitr on my behalf every year, am I sinful for not giving it myself from my own wealth?’ He replied, ‘As long as you are happy that your father gives it on your behalf then there is no sin on you even if you have your own income from a wage or elsewhere.’”
Fataawaa Fiz-Zakaati Was-Siyaam, p. 222.
Uthaimeen On Zakaatul-Fitr
August 18, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Zakaatul-Fitr is obligatory and like all other obligatory actions each individual person him/herself is being addressed with this order. So you give the Zakaatul-Fitr on your own behalf even if you have a father or brother [who could give it for you] and likewise the wife gives it on her own behalf even if she has a husband, but if the family’s guardian wants to give it on behalf of his family then there is no harm in that. So if there is a father who wants to spend on his son’s behalf and who wants to give the Zakaatul-Fitr for him, there is no harm in that.”
Fataawaa Fiz-Zakaati Was-Siyaam, p. 221.
Uthaimeen on Leaving the Prayer Due to The Du’aa Performed in Tarawih Upon Completing the Recitation of the Quraan
August 18, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Some brothers who are eager to implement the Sunnah pray behind Imaams who perform a supplication upon completing the recitation of the Quraan [in tarawih], [and so in their eagerness to implement the Sunnah and avoid innovations] when the last rak’ah comes they leave it and part from the people using the argument that the supplication at the end of the completion of the recitation is an innovation [and it is but] this [i.e., leaving the prayer] is something which should not be done due to the discord created between the hearts and the alienation that occurs and because it is in opposition to what the Imaams held, for Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him, used to say that when a person prays behind an Imaam who performs Qunoot in the Fajr prayer he should follow him and say aameen to his supplication.”
48 Su’aal fis-Siyaam, p.54.
Uthaimeen on the Obligation Upon Everyone, Male or Female, to Go and Pray the Eed Prayer
August 18, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Regarding the two Eed prayers the Shaikh of Islaam IbnTaymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, chose [the view] that it is obligatory [fard ain] on everyone and that all Muslims must pray it and that whoever remains behind is sinful, and in my opinion this is the closest opinion [to the truth] and the strongest one.”
Ash-Sharh al-Mumti, vol. 5, pp. 114-116.
Uthaimeen on Specifying the 27th Night to Perform Umrah
August 12, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “I want to point out a mistake that many people in the present time fall into when they seek out the twenty-seventh night [of Ramadaan] to perform umrah, for you will find that on it the Masjid al-Haraam is crammed with people. Singling out the twenty-seventh night for Umrah is an innovation since Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم did not, in his actions or statements, earmark it for [performing] umrah.”
Tafseer Juzz, p. 278.
Going to Pray Tarawih in the Masjid al-Haraam if One is an Imaam in Another Mosque
August 11, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “There’s no harm in a person going to the Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] to pray tarawih in it, since it is one of the places that one is allowed to travel to, but if someone is employed as an Imaam in a mosque then he is not to leave his job or his position as Imaam to go to pray in the Masjid al-Haraam, since praying in the Masjid al-Haraam is a sunnah and performing the compulsory duties of one’s job is obligatory, so it is not possible that an obligatory action can be left in order to perform a Sunnah one.”
48 Su’aal fis-Siyaam, p. 22.
Gifts of Knowledge 