Islam: Questions And Answers - The Heart Softeners (Part 2)

Islam: Questions And Answers Volume 16 The Heart Softeners (Part 2)

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Islam: Questions And Answers Volume 16 The Heart Softeners (Part 2)

Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman B.Sc., DipHE

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© Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman, 2003 ISBN for all volumes 1 86179 080 5 ISBN for volume 16 paperback 1 86179 331 6 ISBN for volume 16 hardback 1 86179 332 4 ISBN for volume 16 pdf eBook 1 86179 333 2 ISBN for volume 16 Microsoft eBook 1 86179 334 0 ISBN for volume 16 Palm eBook 1 86179 335 9 All Rights reserved

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Designed, Typeset and produced by: MSA Publication Limited, 4 Bello Close, Herne Hill, London SE24 9BW United Kingdom

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Contents Introduction .............................................................................. 1 Chapter 1................................................................................... 3 Supplication ......................................................................... 3 41017: Overstepping the mark in making du’aa’? .......... 3 27237: Is there such a thing as Du’aa’ Kanz il-‘Arsh? ................................................................. 7 33699: She made du’aa’ and her prayer wasn’t answered, and she said, There is no God ........................ 9 22722: Ruling on gathering to make du’aa’ and recite Qur’aan ......................................................... 13 5113: Why doesnt Allaah answer our duaas? ................ 15 37805: There is no specific du’aa’ to be recited when starting to fast ...................................................... 21 20224: He suffers from laughing too much .................. 23 9619: Does Allaah delay the response to du’aa’ for the one whom He loves? ......................................... 24 22816: Du’aa’s to protect a person by Allaah’s leave .............................................................................. 28 34565: Meaning of the du’aa’ “Wa habb al-musee’eena minaa li’l-muhsineen” ........................... 30 21341: Raising one’s hands for du’aa’ when travelling ....................................................................... 31 20054: The meaning of sending blessings upon the Prophet ........................................................... 33 13769: Prostrating to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) constitutes disbelief in Allaah (kufr) ............................................... 35 21928: Starting and ending du’aa’ with blessings upon the Prophet ............................................ 40 14549: I am praying for a righteous husband but nothing has happened .............................................. 42 26279: Is there any reason not to make du’aa’ after praying an obligatory prayer? ............................... 44 v

21561: What is the ruling on making du’aa’ in the colloquial language?............................................ 46 21234: Bearing with patience a delay in getting married .............................................................. 47 14103: Time of du’aa’ when breaking fast .................... 51 11402: Du’aa’ is to be made to Allaah alone ................. 52 10097: Infertile person praying the du’aa’ of Zakariya (“O My Lord! Leave me not single (childless)”) ........................................................ 57 12372: Praying for a long life........................................ 58 11932: There is no evidence that du’aa’ made when seeing the Ka’bah is answered............................. 59 11543: When should the hands be raised in du’aa’, and when do we make du’aa’ without raising our hands? ......................................................... 60 11588: Ruling on making du’aa’ in English .................. 61 3935: Does not praying at the beginning of the appointed time mean that one’s du’aa’ will not be answered? .................................................... 62 11694: Should a person call upon Allaah even though Allaah knows his needs?........................... 63 5112: Du’aa’s to remove depression ............................. 65 1535: What is the ruling on a person insisting by an oath that his Lord should do something? ............. 67 6585: Are there any du’aa’s to help one get a good wife or husband? ............................................... 68 4845: Is there a du’aa’ for moving into a new house? .................................................................... 71 1945: Ruling on asking others to make du’aa’ .............. 72 4143: Her husband is temperamental. How should she make du’aa’ for him? .................................. 74 2470: How can he seek the forgiveness of one who has died? ......................................................... 75 3064: Asking about an alternative to books of innovated du’aa’s and looking for names of books of correct du’aa’s ............................................ 79 2910: Du’aa’s for infertile couples ................................ 81 vi

Chapter 2................................................................................. 86 Forbidden Supplication (Du'aa) ......................................... 86 33663: Can we say, “Praise be to Allaah besides Whom no one can be praised for that which is disliked”? ................................................. 86 34692: The hadeeth, “I ask You by the glory from Your Throne” ........................................................ 88 12715: Du’aa’ for protection ......................................... 89 21983: Praying that the Shaytaan may be guided ....................................................................... 92 21950: She is asking about the validity of a du’aa’ to save oneself from the torment of the grave ........................................................................ 93 12310: Ruling on asking by the Face of Allaah ............ 94 1620: Ruling on making du’aa’ for healing for a kaafir father who is sick ............................................. 95 12048: She wants to pray that she will be married to a specific man in Paradise ........................... 97 11017: Ruling on reciting du’aa’s which are not proven...................................................................... 97 Chapter 3................................................................................. 99 Repentance ......................................................................... 99 46683: Acceptance of repentance .................................. 99 40664: Practising the secret habit (masturbation) in Ramadaan without ejaculating ................................ 108 40589: Practising the secret habit (masturbation) in Ramadaan ................................................................ 110 44615: He said that he committed zina with a woman but he was lying ........................................... 111 44593: Fleeing to Madeenah form tribulation ............ 115 45670: He used to take money without his parents’ knowledge; what should he do now? ............. 117 45001: Every time he improves in worship, he goes back to sin ...................................................... 118 45016: He stole from his father and brother, and now regrets it ....................................................................... 123 42464: Is it possible to return to this world vii

to do righteous deeds? ................................................. 125 40217: He has repented from dealing with a riba-based bank but he does not know what his capital was ............................................................. 130 42992: She committed incest with her brother – should she tell her husband? ........................ 131 41006: A Christian asking about repentance ............... 134 40019: He pilfered some money and does not know how much, and he cannot repay it. What should he do?................................................. 142 40157: He is afraid that if he returns money that he stole before he was guided, he will be found out. What should he do? ............................... 143 27176: He wants to repent from homosexuality and needs help ............................................................. 145 13436: Is there any hadd punishment or expiation for masturbation? ........................................ 154 22880: Is it permissible to wish for death for fear of losing one’s faith ........................................ 156 27109: He has repented from a relationship with a woman over the internet ................................... 158 34668: Naafil prayers at times when prayer is not allowed .............................................................. 163 33858: He took some money by force from a man and he wants to repent ...................................... 166 34517: Hajj with haraam money ................................. 167 34161: She committed a haraam action with a man thinking that she was helping him and being kind .................................................................... 170 20848: He hugged his sister when they were both naked ................................................................... 173 34905: Repent before it is too late .............................. 174 34807: His friends have some pictures of him and he has asked them to destroy them, but they refused ........................................................... 176 37799: He has recently started to pray regularly ...................................................................... 177 viii

20642: Does committing a sin openly put a person beyond the pale of Islam? ............................. 178 26845: What should a man who is a partner is a camera shop do? ................................................... 184 13727: Ruling on using cameras after repenting ...................................................................... 184 22912: He committed a sin and does not know what he should do now ...................................... 186 12809: A woman attempted to kill herself but she repented before she died ................................. 188 9222: She had a tattoo done before she became Muslim. Is she cursed? ................................... 190 9231: Persisting in sin ................................................. 192 23491: He repents then he goes back to sin ................ 195 624: Repenting From Adultery .................................... 200 21223: She wants to give up prayer as she feels shy before Allaah because she is committing zina........................................................... 201 23485: How can someone who used to commit adultery and steal repent? ............................... 208 26985: Tempted by permissive channels and internet sites .......................................................... 212 21841: Does he have to marry his female relative whom he touched in a haraam manner? ......... 216 13220: Is punishment from Allaah one of the consequences of sin? ............................................. 217 23425: Sin and its effects on the one who commits it .................................................................... 220 21227: It is not obligatory to offer expiation for watching movies, rather it is obligatory only to repent sincerely ............................................... 225 13693: Means of expiating sin .................................... 227 22012: If he taught others to do something sinful, then he repented from it, will he still carry a burden of sin? .................................................. 235 13990: A young man did all kinds of haraam actions, and he wants to repent ................................... 236 ix

13630: “She has put on hijaab ad repented from having haraam relationships - will Allaah forgive her?” .................................................... 242 14092: Rulings on sins committed against other people before being guided ................................ 244 14381: Is it permissible for one who has committed zina (fornication or adultery) to get married after he or she has repented? .................... 246 14289: Repentance ...................................................... 249 10109: Should a doctor inform the authorities about patients who have committed fornication? ....... 253 8861: He has the habit of looking at nude pictures ........................................................................ 255 10510: Repenting from gambling ............................... 257 9393: Repentance of an AIDS patient ......................... 258 8424: She wants to be a good Muslim ........................ 259 10280: Sahw (Forgetfulness during prayer) ................ 261 8895: He committed zinaa then he became Muslim; should he be subjected to the punishment? ................................................................ 262 8376: He says that he is the biggest sinner in the world ................................................................. 263 4137: He repented from watching movies – can he sell the TV? ................................................... 265 5092: He is suffering a relapse after he repented ........ 266 3674: He has repented but he still owes money for music tapes................................................. 271 3177: A repenter wants to know some du’aa’s he can recite .................................................... 272 2509: The difference between repentance and forgiveness ............................................................ 275 610: Repentance for neglecting prayer ........................ 275 1490: Returning to Islaam ........................................... 277 728: Repentance of the Fornicator .............................. 278 35: Tawbah (repentance) from homosexuality ............ 280

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Introduction Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon His last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad, and on his family and his companions. This book, The Heart Softeners (Part 2), is the sixteenth volume of a series of authoritative Islamic books entitled Islam: Questions And Answers. The overall series discusses issues relevant to Islam, and present accurate and reliable information based on the true beliefs and practices of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) and his companions. The objectives of the various books include: to teach and familiarize Muslims with various aspects of their religion to be a source for guiding people to Islam to assist in solving the social and personal problems of the Muslims in an Islamic context The books are directed towards Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Subject areas include, but are not limited to, Islamic fiqh and jurisprudence, Islamic history, Islamic social laws (including marriage, divorce, contracts, and inheritance), Islamic finance, basic tenets and aqeedah of the Islamic faith and tawheed, and Arabic grammar as it relates to the Qur'an and Islamic texts. The books are compilations of questions and responses about Islam, from both Muslims and Non-Muslims. The responses are handled mainly by internationally re-nowned Islamic shaykhs and scholars, including Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn Katheer, al-Albaani, Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn al-Qayyim, Al‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam, al-Nawawi, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem, al Khudayr, Al-Dhahabi, al-Qurtubi, Al-Sindi, al-Shawkaani and al-Bastawi using only authentic, scholarly sources based on the Qur'an and sunnah. References, which include Haashiyat Ibn Maajah, Sharh Saheeh Muslim, Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1

Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah, Al-Mawsoo’ah fi Ahaadeeth al-Mahdi al-Da’eefah wa’l-Mawdoo’ah, Al-Manaar al-Muneef and Fataawa Islamiyyah, are provided where appropriate in the responses. The book provides the reader with cross references of other pertinent responses not necessarily in the same volume, but also in other volumes of the series. However, each volume is complete in itself. The book records accurately the answers the contributing Sheikhs and scholars gave to the questions put to them. These are not necessarily the answers which other sheikhs and scholars would have given. Depending on circumstances, for example, Islam permits different solutions to some questions The book also provides the reader with cross-references to other pertinent responses not necessarily in the same volume, but also in other volumes of the series. However, each volume is complete in itself. It is intended that this present series of Books will cover the following subject areas (insha-Allah): Aqeedah (Basic Tenets of Faith); Usool ul-Fiqh (Science of evidence that serve as basis for Fiqh), Fiqh (Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings), Da'wah (Inviting others to Islam), Aadaab (Manners), Akhlaaq (Character and Morals), Tareekh wa ul Seerah (Islamic history and biography), Tarbiyyah (Pedagogy, education, and upbringing) and Mashakil Nafsiyah wa Ijtimaa'yah (Psychological & Social Problems). May Allah reward the owners and maintainers of www.islamqa.com for granting me full, exclusive, assignable and transferable rights to use and display all the questions and answers needed for the compilation of these books. May Allah grant everyone involved in the promotion of this project good in this world and the Hereafter and protection from the fire of hell.

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Chapter 1 Supplication 41017: Overstepping the mark in making du’aa’? Question: Some brothers are very detailed in their du’aa’, for example they say, “O Lord, give me a colour TV and a furnished apartment…” and so on. I am afraid that this is a kind of overstepping the mark in making du’aa’. If the person is the Haram in Makkah, especially during Ramadaan, is it not better for him to ask for what is good in this world and the next by reciting the du’aa’s that are known from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? I came to your site looking for information on overstepping the mark in making du’aa’ but I could not find a detailed answer. I hope that you can explain this matter. Thank you. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. You should note – may Allaah help us and you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him – that du’aa’ is a weapon that has been forsaken by many people, but du’aa’ is worship. It was narrated from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is worship.” Then he recited (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My 3

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Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” [Ghaafir 40:60]. Al-Albaani said (it is) saheeh. See Saheeh Sunan alTirmidhi, no. 2685. And it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is nothing dearer to Allaah than du’aa’.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2684. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not ask of Allaah, He becomes angry with him.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani. See Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2686. If you understand this, you should be keen to make a lot of du’aa’. Secondly: There is etiquette to be followed when making du’aa’ and there are things which should be avoided, some of which we will sum up as follows: 1- Starting with oneself when making du’aa’. 2- It is mustahabb to raise the hands when making du’aa’. 3- The person making du’aa’ should be in a state of complete purity. 4- He should face the qiblah when making du’aa’. 5- He should manifest humility before Allaah (“call upon Him in humility and in secret” [al-An’aam 6:63 – interpretation of the meaning]). In Badaa’i’ al-Fawaa’id 4

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Ibn al-Qayyim said that not being humble when making du’aa’ is a kind of overstepping the mark in du’aa’. (Badaa’i’ al-Fawaa’id, 3/12). 6- He should beseech Allaah in his du’aa’. 7- He should not look for a speedy response. In alSaheehayn it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You will be answered so long as you are not in a hurry and say, ‘I made du’aa’ but I did not receive a response.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6340; Muslim, 2735. For when a Muslim calls upon his Lord, one of three things happens, as was mentioned in the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There is no Muslim who calls upon his Lord with a du’aa’ in which there is no sin or severing of family ties, but Allaah will give him one of three things: Either He will answer his prayer quickly, or He will store (the reward for) it in the Hereafter, or He will divert an equivalent evil away from him.” They said: “We will say more du’aa’.” He said: “Allaah’s bounty is greater.” Narrated by Ahmad, 10749; al-Tirmidhi, 3573. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Mishkaat alMasaabeeh, 2199. 8- It should be noted that one should praise and glorify Allaah in du’aa’, and send blessing upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It was narrated that Faddaalah ibn ‘Ubayd said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard a man making du’aa’ after his prayer, but he did not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “This man is in a hurry.” Then he called him and said to him or to someone else: “When any one of you has finished praying (and makes du’aa’), let him start by praising Allaah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 5

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him), then after that let him ask for whatever he wants.” Al-Albaani said: it is a saheeh hadeeth. (See: Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2765. Thirdly: With regard to overstepping the mark in making du’aa’, this involves a number of things: 1- Being too detailed in one’s du’aa’, as described in the question (“O Allaah, give me a furnished apartment and a colour TV etc”). Rather what is prescribed is to make du’aa’ in concise words as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. He used to ask Allaah for the best in this world and in the Hereafter. It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mughaffal that he heard his son say: “O Allaah, I ask You for the white palace on the right side of Paradise if I enter it.” He said: “O my son, ask Allaah for Paradise and seek refuge with Allaah from the Fire, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Among this ummah will be people who overstep the mark in purifying themselves and in making du’aa’.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 690; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 2- Calling upon Allaah in ways that Allaah has forbidden or that are means that lead to something forbidden (because the means come under the same rulings as the ends). This was stated by Ibn al-Qayyim in Badaa’i’ alFawaa’id, 3/12. So whatever is a means to something haraam is also haraam. Usually those who use televisions use them to watch and listen to haraam things, so if the person who is praying for that is one of these people, then his du’aa’ for this TV is a kind of overstepping the mark in making du’aa’, because he is asking Allaah to give him something by means of which he will disobey Him. 6

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So it is clear that this du’aa’ is overstepping the mark in two ways: 1- Because it is detailed 2- Because it is a means to something haraam, and the means come under the same rulings as the ends. This applies if the person who is making the du’aa’ is going to use it for something haraam, as most people do. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 27237: Is there such a thing as Du’aa’ Kanz il-‘Arsh? Question: I have come across a supplication called “kanjil arushu” in some books which is recited as follows: Lailaha illallahu subahanal malikil kuddose , Lailaha illallahu subahanal azizul jabbaru , Lailaha illallahu subahanal raufi rahim.....etc I want to know if this is a known supplication and what are the virtues of reciting it. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. This du’aa’ is not known in the books of Sunnah. It seems most likely that it has been fabricated by some of the Sufis in what they call al-awraad, which is a collection of du’aa’s and words that are compiled for the mureeds (followers of a Sufi shaykh) to recite at certain times in a certain manner and for a certain number of times. Undoubtedly it is not permissible to follow them in the awraad that 7

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they fabricate. “Du’aa’ is an act of worship,” as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and the basic principle concerning acts of worship is tawqeef i.e., stopping at what has been narrated in sharee’ah (and not inventing anything new). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Undoubtedly dhikr and du’aa’s are among the best kinds of worship. Acts of worship are based on tawqeef and following, not on whims and desires and innovation. The du’aa’s and dhikrs narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are the best that anyone can find of dhikr and du’aa’, and the one who limits himself to them will be safe and sound. The beneficial results that they bring cannot be put into words or fully comprehended by man. Any other dhikrs may be haraam or they may be makrooh. They may involve shirk which most people may not realize and which would take too long to explain in detail. No one has the right to prescribe for people any kind of dhikr or du’aa’ that is not narrated in the Sunnah and make it an act of worship that people should perform regularly as they perform the five daily prayers regularly. Rather this is a kind of innovation in religion for which Allaah has not given permission… As for adopting a wird that is not prescribed in sharee’ah and dhikr that is not prescribed in sharee’ah, this is something that is forbidden. Moreover the du’aa’s and adhkaar that are prescribed in sharee’ah are are the best and lead to achieving all aims and goals; no one turns away from them and adopts innovated and invented adhkaar except one who is ignorant, negligent or a wrong doer. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 22/510- 511 See also the answer to question no. 6745 which contains more information. 8

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And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 33699: She made du’aa’ and her prayer wasn’t answered, and she said, There is no God Question: A few years ago I made du’aa to Allah to provide something to me. However, my prayer wasnt answered. I became mad and said that there is no Allah. Now I regret that I said that, because I understand that what I said was shirk, but can I say my shahada again, and repent fully, so I can be a Muslim again? Also, is that even shirk? Because I said that when I was mad, or does that still count?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What the questioner said is the essence of kufr. She should have controlled herself and watched what she said and did at the time of anger, for it led her into kufr. Hence we think that she should say the Shahaadatayn with the intention of entering Islam, if she was in full control of her mind at the moment when she said those bad words. Anger is not an excuse unless she had lost her mind to such an extent that she did not understand what she was saying. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that the Muslim may speak a word that may lead him to Hell and bring upon him the wrath of Allaah. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace 9

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and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A person may speak a word that pleases Allaah and not pay any attention to it, but Allaah raises him many degrees in status thereby. And a person may speak a word that angers Allaah and not pay any attention to it, and He may throw him into Hell because of it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6113. According to the version narrated by Muslim: “A person may speak a word, not realizing (how serious it is) and be thrown as far into Hell because of it as the east is from the west.” If you enter Islam again by uttering the Shahaadatayn, and if you regret what you said, then there is the hope that the good deeds you have done will not be lost. It was narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, there are some things that I used to do as acts of worship during the Jaahiliyyah, such as giving charity, freeing slaves and upholding the ties of kinship. Will I get any reward for that?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “You entered Islam with the good that you had done before.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1436; Muslim, 123. So you and all our Muslim brothers and sisters have to take the matter of religion and belief seriously. Because a person’s religion and the soundness of his belief are his capital by means of which he attains happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, and the good pleasure of the Lord, may He be glorified. Secondly: Whoever makes du’aa’ to his Lord receives an answer in all cases. The answer to prayers is not only getting what 10

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one asked for; rather there are two other responses that may come which are: warding off evil from the person who made du’aa’, commensurate with his du’aa’, and storing up the reward for the du’aa’ which the person will receive on the Day of Resurrection. Allaah has promised us, on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that whoever calls upon Him, fulfilling the conditions of du’aa’ will receive one of these responses. It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who calls upon Allaah with a du’aa’ in which there is no sin or severing of family ties, but He will give him one of three things: either He will answer his prayer, or he will store up an equal amount of good (reward) for him, or He will ward off an equal amount of evil from him.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, then we shall say a lot of du’aa’?” He said, “Allaah most Generous.” Narrated by Ahmad, 10709. al-Mundhiri classed its isnaad as jayyid in al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 2/479; al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar classed it as saheeh in al-Fath, 11/115. All of this is what is meant by the verses (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” [Ghaafir 40:60] “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My 11

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Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright” [al-Baqarah 2:186] It may be better for the person not to get what he asked for his du’aa’, because of evil or fitnah that may result from his getting it, of which he is unaware. So Allaah wards that off from him and gives him something that is better for him in this world, by warding off evil from him, or something that is better for him in the Hereafter, by storing up the reward of the du’aa’ for him. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The du’aa’ in which there is no transgression will be answered, or else the person will be given something equal to it. This is the best response. For the thing that he asked for may be unattainable or may be harmful to the person who prayed or to someone else, but he is ignorant and unaware of the harmful elements in it. But the Lord is Close and Ever-Responsive, and He is more compassionate towards His slaves than a mother towards her child. And He is the Most Generous, Most Merciful: if He is asked for a specific thing and He knows that giving it is not in the best interests of His slave, He will give him something of equal value, as a father does for his child when he asks him for something that is not good for him, so he gives him something of equal worth, and for Allaah is the highest description. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 14/368. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

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22722: Ruling on gathering to make du’aa’ and recite Qur’aan Question: In the Muslim community on our campus, there arose a controversy on issue of coming together on a set date to make dua’h (supplications), therein the whole Quran is recited(leaflets of the Quran are distributed and read simultaneously) and supplications made, for such reasons as; success in examination and beginning of semester exam. We want to ask if such prayers is established in the Shareeah of Islam. It will be appreciated if your responce is backed by Quran, Sunnah and Ijmaa of the salaf. Your Fatwa, backed with the requested evidences, will Insha Allah bring to rest the controversy. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: The ruling on gathering to recite Qur’aan, whereby each of the people present takes a juz’ (part) of the Qur’aan at the same time, so that each of them can complete the juz’ that he has. The answer to this is what was stated in a fatwa of the Standing Committee (2/480), which was as follows: Firstly: gathering to recite and study the Qur’aan, whereby one of them recites and the others listen, and they study it together and explain the meanings, is something that is prescribed in Islam and is an act of worship that Allaah 13

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loves and for which He rewards greatly. It was narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh and by Abu Dawood from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No people gather in one of the houses of Allaah, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it together, but tranquillity descends upon them and mercy encompasses them, and the angels surround them, and Allaah mentions them to those who are with Him.” It is also prescribed to recite du’aa’ upon completing the Qur’aan, but not every single time, and there is no specific form of du’aa’ which is to be followed as if it were a Sunnah, because none of that has been proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); rather this is something that some of the Sahaabah did (may Allaah be pleased with them). Similarly there is nothing wrong with inviting those who attended the recitation to a meal, so long as that is not taken as a habit after every reading. Secondly: Giving ajza’ (parts) of the Qur’aan to those who attend the gathering so that each of them may read a part of the Qur’aan by himself is not regarded as meaning that each of them has completed the Qur’aan. Their intention of reading Qur’aan for the purpose of seeking blessing is not enough, because the purpose of reading Qur’aan is to draw closer to Allaah and to memorize Qur’aan, ponder its meanings, understand its rulings, learn lessons from it, earn reward and make one’s tongue get used to reciting it, etc. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.” 14

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Secondly: There is no evidence to support the belief that this action (gathering to read Qur’aan in the manner mentioned) will have the effect of bringing a response to du’aa’, therefore it is not prescribed. There are many well-known means of seeking an answer to du’aa’s. just as there are many well-known impediments to receiving a response. The person who is making du’aa’ should pursue the means of receiving a response and avoid the impediments, and he should think well of his Lord, because Allaah is as His slave thinks He is. See also question no. 5113. Note: Evidence is required of the one who claims that something is prescribed in Islam, otherwise the basic principle with regard to acts of worship is that they are not allowed unless there is proven evidence that they are prescribed. Based on this, the evidence that this belief is not prescribed is the fact that there is no evidence to suggest that it is permitted. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 5113: Why doesnt Allaah answer our duaas? Question: Why doesn’t allah answer our duas ? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 15

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Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Du’aa’s and ta’awwudhaat [prayers seeking refuge with Allaah] are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly.” (al-Daa’ wa’l-Dawaa’, p. 35). From this it will be clear that there is an etiquette and rulings which must be fulfilled, in the du’aa’ and in the person making the du’aa’. There are also things that may prevent the du’aa’ reaching Allaah or being answered – these things must be removed from the person making the du’aa’ and from the du’aa’. When all of these conditions are fulfilled, then the du’aa’ may be answered. 1. Sincerity in making du’aa’. This is the most important condition. Allaah has commanded us to be sincere when making du’aa’, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allaah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship)” [Ghaafir 40:14]. Sincerity in du’aa’ means having the firm belief that the One upon Whom you are calling – Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted – is alone Able to meet your need, and it also means avoiding any kind of showing off in your du’aa’. 16

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2. Repentance and turning back to Allaah. Sin is one of the main reasons why du’aa’s are not answered, so the person who is making du’aa’ should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness before he makes du’aa’. Allaah tells us that Nooh (peace be upon him) said: “I said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.’ ” [Nooh 71:10-12] 3. Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for Allaah’s reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence and purpose of du’aa’. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” [al-A’raaf 7:55]. 4. Urgently beseeching and repeating the du’aa’, without getting exasperated or bored; this is achieved by repeating the du’aa’ two or three times. Restricting it to three times is preferable, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to say a du’aa’ three times and ask for forgiveness three times. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa’i. 5. Making du’aa’ at times of ease, and saying more du’aa’s at times of plenty. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Remember Allaah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship.” Narrated by Ahmad. 6. Seeking to draw closer to Allaah by calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes at the beginning of the du’aa’ or at the end. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (all) the Most 17

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Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them” [al-A’raaf 7:180]. 7. Choosing the clearest and most concise words and the best of du’aa’s. The best of du’aa’s are the du’aa’s of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of a person. Other aspects of the etiquette of making du’aa’, although they are not waajib (obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make du’aa’ in a state of tahaarah (purity); to start the du’aa’ with praise of Allaah and blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the hands when making du’aa’. One of the things that helps to bring a response to du’aa’ is to seek the best times and places. Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night, the last hour of Jumu’ah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah. Among the best places are mosques in general, and alMasjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] in particular. Among the situations in which du’aa’ is more likely to be answered are: when one is mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling, when one is fasting, when one is in desperate need, and when a Muslim makes du’aa’ for his brother in his absence. Things which may prevent du’aa’ from being answered include: 1. When the du’aa’ is weak in itself, because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allaah for something which it is not 18

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permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something haraam, or he prays that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A person’s du’aa’s will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties.” Narrated by Muslim. 2. When the person who is making du’aa’ is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allaah. This may be either because of bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted – such as raising his voice in du’aa’ or making du’aa’ in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allaah; or because he pays too much attention to the wording and tries to come up with unnecessarily ornate phrases, without paying attention to the meaning; or because he tries too hard to weep or shout without really feeling it, or he goes to extremes in that. 3. The reason why his du’aa’ is not answered may be because he has done something that Allaah has forbidden, such as having haraam wealth – whether it be food or drink or clothing or accommodation or transportation, or he has taken a haraam job, or the stain of sin is still in his heart, or he is following bid’ah (innovation) in religion, or his heart has been overtaken by negligence. 4. Consuming haraam wealth. This is one of the major reasons why du’aa’s are not answered. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O people, Allaah is Good and only accepts that which is good. Allaah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He gave to the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning): 19

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‘O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do’ [al-Mu’minoon 23:51] ‘O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with’ [al-Baqarah 2:172] Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is dishevelled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) “O Lord, O Lord”, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment is haraam, so how can he du’aa’ be accepted?” Narrated by Muslim. The man described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had some of the characteristics which help du’aa’s to be answered – he was travelling and he was in need of Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified – but the fact that he consumed haraam wealth prevented his du’aa’ from being answered. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. 5. Trying to hasten the response. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The du’aa’ of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not impatient and says, ‘I made du’aa’ but it was not answered.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. 6. Making the du’aa’ conditional, such as saying, “O Allaah, forgive me if You will” or “O Allaah, have mercy upon me if You will.” The person who makes du’aa’ has to be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and earnestly repeating his du’aa’. The Prophet (peace and 20

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blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Let not any one of you say, ‘O Allaah, forgive me if You will, O Allaah, have mercy on me if You will.’ Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no one can compel Allaah to do anything.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. In order for du’aa’s to be answered, it is not essential to adhere to all of these points and be free of all that could prevent one’s du’aa’s from being answered. That is something which happens very rarely. But one has to try hard and strive towards achieving this. Another important point is to realize that the response to the du’aa’ may take different forms: either Allaah will respond and fulfil the desire of the person who made the du’aa’, or He will ward off some evil from him because of the du’aa’, or He will make something good easy for him to attain because of it, or He will save it with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when he will be most in need of it. And Allaah knows best. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 37805: There is no specific du’aa’ to be recited when starting to fast Question: Is that what is the dua atthe time of begningof fasting. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Al-Tirmidhi (3451) narrated from Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd21

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Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw the new moon, he would say, “Allaahumma ahlilhu ‘alayna bi’l-yumni wa’l-eemaan wa’l-salaamah wa’lislaam. Rabbiy wa rabbuka Allaah (O Allaah, make the new moon rise on us with blessing, faith, safety and Islam. My Lord and Your Lord is Allah).” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2745. This du’aa’ is not just for the new moon of Ramadaan, rather the Muslim should say it when he sees the new moon at the beginning of every month. With regard to saying du’aa’ every day, there is no du’aa’ that the Muslim should say when starting to fast each day. Rather he should simply have the intention that he is going to fast tomorrow. The intention is subject to the condition that it be made at night, before the dawn comes, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not intend to fast before dawn, there is no fast for him.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 730. According to a version narrated by al-Nasaa’i (2334): “Whoever does not intend to fast from the night before, there is no fast for him.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 573. What is meant is that whoever does not intend to fast and resolve to do so from the night before, his fast is not valid. The intention (niyyah) is an action of the heart. The Muslim should resolve in his heart that he is going to fast tomorrow. It is not prescribed for him to utter it out loud and say, “I intend to fast” and other phrases that have been innovated by some people. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 22

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20224: He suffers from laughing too much Question: I am 20 years n my problem is that i get laugh every time it distrubs me while i work so plz give me a dua for not laughing n i have rumathic chorea a illness i went to many doctors but no recovery now i donot want to go to any doctor as i have faith in allah so plz give a dua for that . Answer: Praise be to Allaah. There can be no doubt that laughing too much has an effect on the Muslim’s heart and distracts him from thinking deeply and fearing Allaah. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against laughing too much, and told us of the danger it poses to the heart when he said: “Do not laugh too much, for laughing deadens the heart.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2305; Ibn Maajah, 4193. However, there is no specific du’aa’ that has been narrated for dealing with this particular problem. Rather you can call upon Allaah in whatever words you wish and ask Him, for He is the All-Hearing and Ever-Responsive, to relieve you of this problem and to give you a heart that is humble before Him and a tongue that remembers Him and an eye that weeps with fear of Him. You should also read Qur’aan a great deal and ponder its meanings, and remember Allaah a great deal, make du’aa’ and turn to Him in all your affairs. With regard to the sickness that you mention, we ask Allaah to heal you from it. It was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), if he suffered some complaint, to recite verses seeking 23

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refuge with Allaah over himself and then spit drily. This was narrated by al-Bukhari (4728) and Muslim (5679). It is also Sunnah for the sick person to put his hand on the part of his body that is suffering pain and say “Bismillaah (in the name of Allaah)” three times, then to say seven times: “A’oodhu Billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhaadhir (I seek refuge in Allaah and His power from the evil of what I feel and what I fear).” Narrated by Muslim, 5701. Finally I wish to point out to you that going to doctors and taking medicine does not conflict with believing in Allaah and putting your trust in Him. Rather perfect trust in Allaah means availing oneself of the physical or material means as well as having complete faith that healing comes from Allaah, and that there is no healing except His healing. We ask Allaah the Almighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to heal you and all the Muslims who are sick. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 9619: Does Allaah delay the response to du’aa’ for the one whom He loves? Question: I know there is a hadith qudsi that says in it that Allah (swt) told Gabrael (PBUH) that when a slave of His makes dua, and He likes this slave, he doesn’t give him his request so that He can hear his repetition of the dua over and over. But if He doesnt like this slave, He tells Gabrael to give him what he wants so He dont hear his voice. My question is.. is that in every case? or are there exceptions? This is the situation, i was a sinner and i repented and ive 24

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gone a long way. al-hamdolillah. i dont do da’wah because im busy with studying and helping my mother with my brothers and sisters, but i do send emails very often with important facts about Islam, reminders, teachings about ‘Aqeedah and Fiqh, and stories that can serve as a reminder and lesson to all of us. I (al-hamdolilah) am always saying athkaar, all day long and especially “laa ilaha illa allah wahddaho la shareeka lah, lahom al-mol wa laho al-hamd wa howa ‘ala kulli shay’ean qadeer” I say that all day,, and i also always make dua for me and for others. And recently ive noticed that most of the dua’s i make happen soon after i pray them. al-hamdolillah, i say, but still i’m afraid that this is a sign that im not one of those that Allah likes. (I ask allah that this is not the case) And that Allah gives me what i prayed for so He (swt) doesnt hear my voice. Maybe it is because of my past? I dont know but wallahi this subject is really worrying me... I try so much to do everything that is right and to make up for my past... Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: Islam encourages us to make a lot of du’aa’, and not to be hasty in seeking a response. That is because du’aa’ is a great act of worship which is beloved to Allaah. Indeed there are texts which warn us against neglecting du’aa’, because neglecting it is a sign of arrogance. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn 25

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My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” [Ghaafir 40:60] It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “(The du’aa’) of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not hasty in seeking a response and does not say, ‘I prayed but I have not had a response.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5981; Muslim, 2735 It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who calls upon Allaah with words in which there is no sin or severing of family ties but Allaah will give him one of three things: either He will answer his prayer soon, or He will store it up for him in the Hereafter, or He will remove something bad from him that is equivalent to what he is asking for.” They said, “Then we should make a great amount of du’aa’.” He said, “Allaah is greater.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3573; classed as saheeh by alTirmidhi and others. Secondly: The hadeeth mentioned by the questioner is a very weak hadeeth (da’eef jiddan). It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person prays to Allaah and Allaah loves him, He says ‘O Jibreel, meet the need of this slave of Mine, but delay it, for I love to hear his voice.’ If a person prays to Allaah and Allaah hates him, He says, ‘O Jibreel, meet the need of this slave of Mine and give it to him immediately, for I hate to hear his voice.” 26

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Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 8/216. Its isnaad includes Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Farwah, who is matrook as stated in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 10/151 If it is understood that the hadeeth is very weak, it is not fit to be quoted as evidence. Thirdly: Undoubtedly if a person feels that Allaah has responded to him, this is a great blessing which deserves that he should give thanks and praise, and continue doing righteous deeds and fearing Allaah, for these are among the greatest means of Allaah answering du’aa’. It is a blessing, if it is true, and a person may feel envious of the one who is blessed in this manner. Every Muslim wishes that his du’aa’ will be answered. This – in sha Allaah – is an indication that a person is righteous, truthful and sincere. So he must continue to fear Allaah, do righteous deeds and avoid haraam things; this will make the blessing continue. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allaah), I will give you more (of My Blessings)” [Ibraaheem 14:7] Fourthly: What the questioner mentions about spreading goodness and da’wah is something that will be good for her in this world and in the Hereafter in sha Allah. This is one of the kinds of kindness that bring good in this world and in the Hereafter. We ask Allaah to support her, guide her and help her in that, and to give her the best reward. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 27

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22816: Du’aa’s to protect a person by Allaah’s leave Question: Is there a prayer which can protect me from bad people at school, and in general?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Yes, there are many du’aa’s which if a Muslim recites them, they will be a means of protecting him from evil and evil people. These include the following: 1 – It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek protection for alHasan and al-Husayn and say: “Your father (i.e., Ibraaheem) used to seek protection by means of them (these words) for Ismaa’eel and Ishaaq: A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Allaah il-taammah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli ‘aynin laammah (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from every devil and poisonous reptile, and from every envious evil eye).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3191. 2 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was on a journey and got up or ended his journey in the last part of the night, he would say, “Sami’a saami’un bi hamdi Lillaah wa husni balaa’ihi ‘alayna. Rabbana saahibna wa afdil ‘alayna ‘aa’idhan Billaahi min al-naar (May a witness bear witness to our praise of Allaah for His favours and bounties upon us. Our Lord, protect us, show favour

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upon us and deliver us from every evil. I seek refuge in Allaah from the Fire).” Narrated by Muslim, 2718 “Sami’a saami’un (literally, may a hearer hear us)” – alKhattaabi said: This means, may a witness bear witness that we are praising Allaah for His blessings and favours. 3 – It was narrated that Khawlah bint Hakeem alSulamiyyah said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever makes a stop on a journey and says, ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-tammaati min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created),’ nothing will harm him until he moves on from that place.” Narrated by Muslim, 2708 4 – It was narrated from Moosa al-Ash’ari that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was afraid of some people he would say, “Allaahumma inna naj’aluka fi nuhoorihim wa na’oodhu bika min shuroorihim (O Allaah, we ask You to repel them and we seek refuge in You from their evil).” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1537; classed as saheeh by alAlbaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4706 Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeem Abaadi said: What is meant is: We ask You to repel them, ward off their evil, deal with them and prevent any evil reaching us from them. ‘Awn al-Ma’bood, 4/277 And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

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34565: Meaning of the du’aa’ “Wa habb al-musee’eena minaa li’l-muhsineen” Question: What is the meaning of this du’aa’: “Wa habb almusee’eena minaa li’l-muhsineen (And forgive the wrongdoers among us for the sake of the righteous) ”?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What is meant is asking Allaah to forgive the Muslims who do wrong for the sake of those among them who do good. There is nothing wrong with that, because keeping company with righteous people and sitting with them are among the means of forgiveness for the Muslim who does wrong. They are the people whose their companion cannot be doomed. It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of a good companion is that of one who carries perfume: either he will give you some, or you will buy some from him, or you will notice a good fragrance coming from him. And the likeness of a bad companion is that of one who works the bellows: either he will burn your garment or you will notice a foul smell coming from him.” But it is not permissible for a Muslim to rely on such things for expiation for his evil actions. Rather he must repent continually from all his sins, and check himself, and strive to control himself for the sake of Allaah, so that he does what Allaah has commanded and avoids what Allaah has forbidden, and also hopes for the forgiveness of Allaah; so he should beseech Allaah not to leave him 30

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to his own devices and not to judge him by his deeds. Hence the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Stand firm, do your best but do not exaggerate, be of good cheer and know that no one of you will enter Paradise by virtue of his deeds alone.” They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “No, not even me, unless Allaah bestows His Mercy and bounty upon me.” And Allaah is the Source of strength. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 21341: Raising one’s hands for du’aa’ when travelling Question: Is it prescribed to raise the hands when making du’aa’, especially when travelling by plane or car or train, etc?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Raising the hands when making du’aa’ is one of the means of having the du’aa’ answered in any place. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Your Lord is characterized by modesty and concealment, so if a slave of His raises his hands (in supplication), He does not return them to him empty.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah is Good and does not accept anything but that which is good. Allaah has enjoined upon the believers that which He enjoined upon the Messengers.” Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 31

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“O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with, and be grateful to Allaah” [al-Baqarah 2:172] And He says (interpretation of the meaning): “O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds” [al-Mu’minoon 21:51] Then he mentioned a man who travels a great deal and becomes disheveled and covered with dust, who raises his hands to the heavens (and says), ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ when his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothes are haraam and he has been nourished with haraam, so how can he receive a response? (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh). So he described raising the hands as being one of the means of having du’aa’ answered, and he described consuming haraam and nourishing oneself with haraam as being among the reasons why prayers are not answered. So this indicates that raising the hands is one of the means of having du’aa’ answered, whether that is in a plane, train, car, spaceship or whatever. If a person makes du’aa’ and raises his hands, this is one of the means of having one’s du’aa’ answered. But in situations where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not raise his hands, we should not raise our hands either, such as in the khutbah of Jumu’ah, where he did not raise his hands except when praying for rain (istisqa’), when he did raise his hands. 32

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Similarly, between the two prostrations and before saying the salaam at the end of the Tashahhud, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not raise his hands, so we do not raise our hands at these times when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not raise his hands. Because his doing it is evidence and his not doing it is evidence. Similarly after the salaam of the five daily prayers, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would recite the dhikrs prescribed in sharee’ah but he did not raise his hands, so we do not raise our hands either, following his example. But in the situations when he did raise his hands, the Sunnah is to raise our hands, following his example, and because that is one of the means of having our prayers answered. Similarly in situations where a Muslim calls upon his Lord, and it was not narrated whether the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) raised his hands or not, then we should raise our hands then, because of the ahaadeeth that indicate that raising the hands is one of the means of having prayers answered, as mentioned above. Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li’l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/124. (www.islam-qa.com) 20054: The meaning of sending blessings upon the Prophet Question: My question is that I want to find out the meaning of ALL the durood shariff and its meanings in english. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 33

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“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala Aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent prayers upon the family of Ibraaheem, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem, You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).” “Allaahumma” means, O Allaah. “Salli ‘ala Muhammad (send prayers upon Muhammad).” The prayers of Allaah upon Muhammad means His praising him before the higher assembly, i.e., the angels who are close to Him. “Wa ‘ala aali Muhammad (and upon the family of Muhammad)” means and send blessings upon the family of Muhammad. It was said that the family of Muhammad are his followers who follow his religion; or it was said that the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are his relatives who believed. The first view is the one which is correct because the word “aal” (translated here as “family”) means followers. “Kama salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem (as You sent prayers upon the family of Ibraheem).” Some of the scholars said that what this means is: as You previously bestowed Your bounty upon the family of Ibraaheem, then bestow Your bounty upon Muhammad and His family. “Baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad (Send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad)” means send down blessings. Blessings means a lot of good things on a continuous and ongoing basis. 34

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“Kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem (as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem)” i.e., O Lord, You bestowed Your favour upon the family of Ibraaheem and blessed them, so send blessings upon the family of Muhammad. “Innaka hameedun majeed (You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory). Hameed means praising and praiseworthy, praising His slaves and close friends who obey His commands, and praiseworthy, to be praised for His attributes of perfection and great blessings. Majeed means Owner of Majesty. Majesty means greatness and perfect power. Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/227. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 13769: Prostrating to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) constitutes disbelief in Allaah (kufr) Question: I would like to know what to do. Someone told me that when reciting dhuwa, that i have to prostrate seven times for the prophet[p.b.u.h], but i just don’t know how, would you . Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly, one of the things that are well known in Islam and that no Muslim has any excuse for not knowing is that it is not permissible to do any kind of act of worship for 35

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anyone except Allaah – not to any angel who is close to Him or to any Prophet who was sent. Whoever does any kind of act of worship for anyone other than Allaah is a mushrik (polytheist, one who associates others with Allaah) and a kaafir (disbeliever). The evidence for that is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah” [al-Jinn 72:18] Ibn Katheer said: Here Allaah is commanding His slaves to worship Him alone and not to call on anyone alongside Him, and not to associate anyone with Him. This action is a kind of exaggeration about the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against and forbade us to do. He said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam, for I am no more than His slave, so say, the slave of Allaah and His Messenger.” Undoubtedly this action (prostrating) is a form of worship. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Ahaadeeth al-Anbiya’, 3189). Undoubtedly this action is a kind of worship, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against following the Jews and Christians in that. He said during his final illness: “May the curse of Allaah be upon the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” He was warning against doing what they did. (Narrated by alBukhaari, al-Salaah, 417) And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against standing up for him. It says in the 36

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hadeeth [referring to when he led them in prayer sitting down because he was ill, and they were standing, so he gestured to them to sit down]: “Just now you nearly did the action of the Persians and Romans, who stand up for their kings whilst they [the kings] are sitting.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Salaah, 624) And it says in the hadeeth: “Do not do as the Persians do for their leaders.” This is narrated in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7380. If this is what is said about standing up for him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then what about prostrating for him? Prostration is one of the most exclusive acts of worship, to be done only for Allaah. Allaah has commanded us to prostrate to Him alone and none other, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allaah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him” [Fussilat 41:37] “So fall you down in prostration to Allaah and worship Him (Alone)” [al-Najm 53:62] Secondly: what is prescribed in Islam is to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when making du’aa’. This is a kind of etiquette to which attention should be paid. Al-Nawawi said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is mustahabb to begin du’aa’ with praise of Allaah, then to send blessings upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and to conclude the du’aa’ in like manner, as it says in the hadeeth: 37

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“Whilst the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting, a man entered and prayed, then he said, ‘O Allaah, forgive me and have mercy on me.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘You are in a hurry, O worshipper. When you have prayed, sit and praise Allaah as He deserves to be praised, then send blessings upon me, and then call upon Him (make du’aa’).’ Then another man prayed and then praised Allaah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘O worshipper, make du’aa’, for you will be answered.’” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Da’waat, 3398; Abu Dawood, 1481; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, no. 2756). It was narrated that Faddaalah ibn ‘Ubayd said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard a man making du’aa’ during his prayer, but he did not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘This man is in a hurry.’ Then he called him and said to him, or to someone else, ‘When any one of you prays, let him begin by praising Allaah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then after that let him make du’aa’ as he wishes.’” Abu ‘Eesa said: this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. (al-Tirmidhi, 3399; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2767) It was narrated in a hadeeth that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “I was praying, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was nearby, and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were with him. When I sat I started by praising Allaah, then I sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then I prayed (made 38

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du’aa’) for myself. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Ask, it will be given to you; ask, it will be given to you.’” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Jumu’ah, 541; al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan saheeh; no. 486). If it is asked, how do we send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? The answer is: The way to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is to say: “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem. Wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem fi’l-‘aalameen innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem, and bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed the family of Ibraheem among the nations. Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Ahaadeeth al-Anbiya’, 3119) This is how blessings are sent upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). As for what is mentioned in the question about prostrating for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), this is haraam (forbidden) and is major shirk, because prostration may only be done for Allaah. So the Muslim must learn about the matters of his religion from the Qur’aan and Sunnah and from trustworthy scholars; he should ask about everything that he does not understand, so that he will not fall into shirk, Allaah forbid. He should also keep away from everyone who enjoins 39

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shirk, bid’ah (innovation) and misguidance. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 21928: Starting and ending du’aa’ with blessings upon the Prophet Question: Before supplication, I praise Allah, ask Him for forgiveness and then send ‘Salaam’ on the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). After the supplication, I again send ‘Salaam’ on the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and then praise Allah. Am I doing right, or is there some ‘bida’ involved in this? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. It is mustahabb for the worshipper to begin his du’aa’ with praise of Allaah, then to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then to ask for whatever he wishes, because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (1481) and al-Tirmidhi (3477) from Faddaalah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard a man making du’aa’ in his prayer without glorifying Allaah or sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘This man is in a 40

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hurry.’ He called him and said to him or to someone else, ‘When anyone of you makes du’aa’, let him start by glorifying his Lord and praising Him, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then let him pray for whatever he wants.’” (This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1314). Al-Bayhaqi narrated in Shu’ab al-Eemaan that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Every du’aa’ is not responded to until one sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” This was narrated by Baqiy ibn Mukhallid from ‘Ali in a marfoo’ report, i.e., it was attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 4523) ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Du’aa’ is detained between the heavens and the earth and no part of it is taken up until you send blessings upon your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 486; classed as hasan by alAlbaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 403). Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Adhkaar, p 176: “The scholars are agreed that it is mustahabb to start one’s du’aa’ by praising Allaah, then sending blessings upon the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and to end the du’aa’ in the same manner. There are many marfoo’ reports on this subject (i.e., reports which are attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)).” Note that sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) take three forms: 41

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1 – Sending blessings upon him before making du’aa’, and after praising Allaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When anyone of you makes du’aa’, let him start by glorifying his Lord and praising Him, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then let him pray for whatever he wants.” (Narrated by alTirmidhi, 3477; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1314) 2 – Sending blessings upon him at the beginning of the du’aa’, in the middle and at the end. 3 – Sending blessings upon him at the beginning and at the end, and one’s personal request may be made in between. (Adapted from the words of Ibn al-Qayyim in Jila’ alAfhaam, p. 531). Based on the above, what you are doing is valid and is in accordance with the Sunnah. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 14549: I am praying for a righteous husband but nothing has happened Question: I have read many articles on when duaa is accepted more (last third of nite, ramzan etc( I find it very difficult to be patient for my duaa to be 42

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supplicated, I have been praying for 7 years for marriage with a suitable muslim partner, but there are no prospects since we live in a place where there no muslims, how do i maintain patience for something for which i do not see any prospects, thank you so much , i am really worried Answer: Praise be to Allaah. and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. We advise you to fear Allaah and to bear patiently the thing with which you are being tested, and to have certain faith that with a problem comes a way out and with difficulty comes ease. It may be better for you to move to a country where there are lots of Muslims, so as increase your chances of marriage to someone who is righteous and pious. You should not be anxious about a matter that is decreed and written, for you will not get anything other than that which Allaah has decreed for you. How many women there are in the Muslim countries who pass the age of thirty and forty without getting married, and there are some who reached this age and then got married. Du’aa’ is a powerful weapon for those who are able to use it, so pray to Allaah and be certain that Allaah will respond, and seek the means of having your du’aa’ accepted, such as eating and drinking only things which are good (halaal), and choosing the good times to make du’aa’. Beware of seeking a speedy response, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The du’aa’ of any one of you will be answered so long as he does not seek to hasten it, and does not say, ‘I made du’aa’ but I had no answer.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5865; Muslim, 2735, from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah). 43

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Know that a person’s du’aa’ is never wasted, and it benefits him in all situations, as it says in the hadeeth which was narrated by al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘There is no man who prays to Allaah and makes du’aa’ to Him, and does not receive a response. Either it will be hastened for him in this world, or it will be stored up for him in the Hereafter, so long as he does not pray for something sinful, or to cut the ties of kinship, or seek a speedy response.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what does seeking a speedy response mean?’ He said, ‘Saying, “I prayed to my Lord and He did not answer me.”’” (Al-Tirmidhi, 3859; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 852). Know that if you die chaste and you are a virgin, you will have a great reward with Allaah, and whatever you missed out on in this world, you will not miss out in the Hereafter, if you adhere steadfastly to the truth. There is nothing wrong with expressing your wishes to some of your Muslim sisters by mail or e-mail, so that they can help you to find a righteous husband through them. You may also refer to the website www.workforislam.com - this may help you too, in sha Allaah. We ask Allaah to grant you a way out soon and to bless you with a righteous husband in whom you will find delight. And Allaah is the Source of strength. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih AlMunajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 26279: Is there any reason not to make du’aa’ after praying an obligatory prayer? Question: What is the ruling on making du’aa’ after an obligatory 44

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prayer? Is there any evidence to show that one should not do this? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. It was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from any of his companions, as far as we know, that they used to raise their hands and say du’aa’ after praying an obligatory prayer. Hence we know that this is a bid’ah (innovation), because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.” (narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, 3243). And he said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected.” (Saheeh – agreed upon). However, reciting du’aa’ without raising one’s hands and without reciting it in unison is fine, because evidence to that effect was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), indicating that he made du’aa’ both before and after prayer. The same applies to making du’aa’ after praying naafil prayers, because there is no evidence to indicate that this should not be done, even if one raises one’s hands, because raising the hands is one of the means of having one’s du’aa’ answered. But that should not be done all the time, rather only sometimes, because it was not reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to make du’aa’ raising his hands after every naafil prayer. All goodness rests in following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow”[al-Ahzaab 33:21] 45

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From Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), 11/168. See also Question no. 11543. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 21561: What is the ruling on making du’aa’ in the colloquial language? Question: What is the ruling on making du’aa’ in the colloquial language? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about a man who made du’aa’ in ungrammatical language, and a man said to him that Allaah would not accept a du’aa’ spoken in ungrammatical language. He replied: Whoever voiced this opinion is a sinner who has gone against the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the view of the salaf. For whoever calls upon Allaah, devoting his worship sincerely and purely to Him, calling upon him with a du’aa’ that is permissible, Allaah will listen to him and respond to his du’aa’, whether it is in proper Arabic or in ungrammatical language. The opinion mentioned has no 46

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basis, rather the one who makes du’aa’, if he is not used to speaking in grammatical Arabic, he should not force himself to do so. One of the salaf said, if a person forces himself to speak grammatical Arabic, he will not be focused in his heart. Similarly it is makrooh to force oneself to make the words of the du’aa’ rhyme; if that happens spontaneously, then it is fine, for the du’aa’ should come from the heart, and the tongue should simply follow the heart. Whoever focuses in his du’aa’ on making the words grammatically correct will have less focus in his heart. Therefore the one who is in urgent need should pray from the heart with whatever words Allaah inspires him to say, without preparing it beforehand. This is something which every believer finds in his heart. It is permissible to make du’aa’ in Arabic or in languages other than Arabic. Allaah knows the desire of the one who is making du’aa’, even if he cannot speak Arabic correctly, for He understands all languages and understands the needs of those who speak different languages. Al-Fatawa al-Kubra, 2/424, 425 (www.islam-qa.com) 21234: Bearing with patience a delay in getting married Question: I am a twenty-nine year old woman, and it has not been decreed for me to get married yet. I hope that you can tell me of a soorah from the Qur’aan that I can recite, or a du’aa’ that will help me not to think too much about the future and having children, because I am suffering a great deal because of not getting married. There is someone else in the family who is a year older than me and has not yet gotten married either. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. First of all, before answering this question I would like to point out that all matters are in the hand of Allaah; no benefit comes and no harm is warded off except by His help. The One Who relieves distress is Allaah, so if anything befalls a person he must turn to Allaah and beseech Him and call upon Him, whether that has to do with attaining something desired or removing something disliked. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allaah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help” [al-Nahl 16:53] “Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations? Is there any ilaah (god) with Allaah? Little is that you remember!” [al-Naml 27:62] Allaah is the One to Whom the slave turns. When a person turns to Him with sincerity and humility, acknowledging his need for Him, and his food, drink, clothing and shelter are all good (i.e., from halaal sources), then he may expect Allaah to respond. This applies to all kinds of du’aa’. Then we should note that if a person calls upon Allaah and He does not respond, then either Allaah is storing that up for him [for the Hereafter], or He is warding off from him some evil that is greater than what was asked for. But he should not despair and give up calling upon 48

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Allaah, for Allaah loves those who persist in du’aa’ and who await His response with certain faith. For Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)” [al-Baqarah 2:186] He should seek out the times when prayer is answered. One of these times is the last third of the night. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven when there is one third of the night left, and He says, ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer? Who will ask of Me, that I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’ – until the dawn comes.” (Narrated by alBukhaari, 7494; Muslim, 758) Similarly: “The last hour of Friday – there is no Muslim slave who stands and prays and calls upon Allaah at that time, but Allaah will grant that to him.” (narrated by alBukhaari, 935; Muslim, 852) Or from the time when the imaam comes out on Friday until the prayer ends. Another of these times is the interval between the adhaan and iqaamah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ made between the adhaan and iqaamah will not be refused.” (narrated by alTirmidhi, 212; Abu Dawood, 521; Ahmad, 3/119. alTirmidhi said, (it is) a saheeh hasan hadeeth). Among the situations (when du’aa’ is answered) is when a person is prostrating. The Prophet (peace and blessings 49

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of Allaah be upon him) said: “With regard to sujood, offer lots of du’aa’ then, for it is more likely that you will receive a response.” (Narrated by Muslim, 479). Another occasion is after saying the final tashahhud (in prayer) and before saying the salaam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Then let him say whatever du’aa’ he wants.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). This is what I wanted to say before answering this specific question. With regard to the answer to this particular question, this woman has to have patience and seek reward with Allaah. She should realize that all matters are in the hand of Allaah and that the delay in getting married may be better for her and it may ultimately lead to something good that Allaah has prepared for her. She should be optimistic and expect good things to happen. If you feel some distress or waswaas (insinuating whispers from the Shaytaan), then increase your dhikr (remembrance of Allaah), seek refuge in Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, and focus on worship and other good deeds, until your distress is eased. Also, pray the well known du’aa’ for relief of anxiety and distress (“Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibnu ‘abdika ibnu ‘amatika, naasiyati bi yadika maadin fiyya hukmuka (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave and son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand. Your command over me is forever executed…)”). A woman should say, “Allaahumma inni amatuka bintu ‘abdika bintu amatika naasiyati bi yadika maadin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aan al-‘azeem rabee’a qalbi, wa noora sadri wa jalaa’a huzni wa dhahaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your maidservant, daughter of Your slave, daughter of Your maidservant. My forelock 50

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is in Your hand. You command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You have taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Holy Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety).” (Narrated by Ahmad, 1/452, 391; Ibn Hibbaan, 3372; alHaakim, 1/509. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in alSilsilah al-Saheehah, 199). And there are other du’aa’s which have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This will relieve you of the distress and anxiety that you are suffering. We ask Allaah to keep you and us safe and sound. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 14103: Time of du’aa’ when breaking fast Question: The fasting person will have his prayer answered when he breaks his fast, so when should he make du’aa’ – before, during or after breaking the fast? Are there any du’aa’s which were narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or that you can recommend for this time? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 51

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This question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), who said: “Du’aa’ should be made before iftaar (breaking the fast), at Maghrib, because this combines weakness and humility, and because he is still fasting. All of these are means of having one’s du’aa’ answered. After breaking the fast, one is relaxed and happy, and may become negligent. But there is a hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which, if it is saheeh, shows that the du’aa’ may be made after breaking the fast. It said: ‘Thirst has gone, the veins are moist, and the reward is assured, if Allaah wills.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 2066). This can only mean after breaking the fast. Similarly it was narrated that some of the Sahaabah said: “ O Allaah, for You I have fasted and with Your provision I have broken my fast.” So you may pray to Allaah and say whatever du’aa’ you think is suitable. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (al-Liqaa’ al-Shahri, 8) (www.islam-qa.com) 11402: Du’aa’ is to be made to Allaah alone Question: What is the ruling on making du’aa’ to anyone other than Allaah? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 52

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Allaah is close to His slaves; he sees where they are and He knows their situation. He hears what they say and responds to their du’aa’ (supplication). Nothing about them is hidden from Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Truly, nothing is hidden from Allaah, in the earth or in the heaven” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:5] Allaah Alone is the One Who has created us and Who provides for us; in His hand is the dominion and He is Able to do all things: “To Allaah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do all things” [al-Maa’idah 5:17 – interpretation of the meaning] In Allaah’s hand alone is all goodness. When He calls mankind to something good in His Book or on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), they should obey that command and respond to it: “O you who believe! Answer Allaah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allaah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily, to Him you shall (all) be gathered” [al-Anfaal 8:24 – interpretation of the meaning] Allaah is Able to do all things, and He hears the supplication of His slaves. He responds to them at all times and in all places, no matter what their various needs and languages. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My 53

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Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright [al-Baqarah 2:186] Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him in secret, with humility and submission, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” [al-A’raaf 7:55] To Allaah belongs Dominion and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all things. The heavens and the earth and everything in them glorifies Him, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, OftForgiving” [al-Israa’ 17:44] Allaah has promised Hell to those who are too arrogant to worship Him and call upon Him. He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!”[Ghaafir 40:60] Du’aa’ should be made to Allaah in the manner that Allaah and His Messenger have prescribed. For example, Allaah should be called upon by His Most Beautiful Names: “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His 54

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Names. They will be requited for what they used to do” [al-A’raaf 7:180 – interpretation of the meaning] So we may say O Most Merciful, have mercy on us, O Ever-Forgiving, forgive us, O Provider grant us provision, and so on. When a person makes du’aa’, either Allaah gives him what he asked for or He diverts it from him a harm that is greater than the thing he asked for, or He stores up what he has asked for, for the Hereafter. This is because Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him and He has promised to respond to our call: “And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)’ [Ghaafir 40:60 – interpretation of the meaning] Allaah has commanded us to worship Him alone, and He has warned us against worshipping the Shaytaan. He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that you should not worship Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, he is a plain enemy to you. And that you should worship Me [Alone Islamic Monotheism, and set up not rivals, associategods with Me]. That is the Straight Path” [Yaa-Seen 36:60-61] Calling upon anyone other than Allaah to meet one’s needs, relieve distress or heal disease is insanity caused by lack of understanding: “Say (O Muhammad): ‘Shall we invoke others besides Allaah (false deities), that can do us neither good nor harm, and shall we turn back on our heels after Allaah 55

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has guided us (to true Monotheism)?’” [al-An’aam 6:71 – interpretation of the meaning] If a person calls upon one who cannot bring benefit or cause harm, who cannot command or prohibit, who cannot hear or respond, whether that is a Prophet, a Messenger, a jinn or an angel, or a star or planet or rock or tree, or one of the dead – all of that is serious wrong-doing, and a going astray from the Straight Path. It is shirk, the association of others with Allaah the Almighty. “And invoke not besides Allaah any such that will neither profit you nor harm you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)” [Yoonus 10:106 – interpretation of the meaning] Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them [al-Ahqaaf 46:5] Calling upon anyone or anything other than Allaah is shirk, and shirk is a great sin, indeed it is the greatest sin. Allaah will forgive any sin for whomever He wills, except for shirk, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills [al-Nisaa’ 4:48] On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will gather the mushrikeen and everyone who was worshipped instead of Him, then those who were worshipped instead of Allaah 56

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will disavow those who worshipped them, and they will deny their association with Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the AllKnower (of everything). O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise”[Faatir 35: 13-15] From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com) 10097: Infertile person praying the du’aa’ of Zakariya (“O My Lord! Leave me not single (childless)”) Question: If a person is infertile and has no children, and he recites the du’aa’ which Zakariya (peace be upon him) spoke – “O My Lord! Leave me not single (childless), though You are the Best of the inheritors” [al-Anbiyaa’ 21:89] – is that OK? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 57

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As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with saying this du’aa’. If he makes du’aa’ saying other words, such as saying, “O Allaah, bless me with good offspring, O Allaah, grant me righteous offspring,” and similar du’aa’s, all of that is good. And he could recite the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:38]. And it is recommended for him to go and see specialist doctors, because he may not be infertile as such, but there may be a problem that can be treated. And it is suggested that he should marry a woman who has previously given birth, because the problem may lie with the wife he has, not with him, and Allaah may bless him with good children in this way. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Marry the one who is fertile and loving, for I will be proud of your great number before the nations on the Day of Resurrection.” And Allaah is the Source of Strength. Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 423 (www.islam-qa.com) 12372: Praying for a long life Question: Is it permissible to pray (make du’aa’) for a long life, or is the length of one’s life something that is decreed, so there is no point in praying for it to be made long? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 58

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There is nothing wrong with that, but it is better to add some further definition to what is asked for, such as saying, “May Allaah grant you a long life of obedience to Allaah”, or “of goodness” or “of that which pleases Allaah.” It is known that du’aa’ does not go against the decree of Allaah; indeed it is part of the decree, like medicines, ruqyah (prayers for healing), and so on. Any means that do not go against the teachings of Islam are all part of the decree. The decree of Allaah will be carried out with regard to the sick and the healthy, those for whom du’aa’ is made and those for whom du’aa’ is not made. But Allaah enjoins use of prescribed and permissible means, then He decides whatever He wills. All of that is from the decree of Allaah. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 425 (www.islam-qa.com) 11932: There is no evidence that du’aa’ made when seeing the Ka’bah is answered Question: Someone said that supplication made at the first sighting of the Kaaba is always granted. Is there any truth to this? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 59

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This is not true; there has to be evidence (daleel) for this to be true, because acts of worship should only be based on evidence. And that evidence must be saheeh in and of itself and it should be clear and unambiguous. And Allaah knows best. Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd (www.islam-qa.com) 11543: When should the hands be raised in du’aa’, and when do we make du’aa’ without raising our hands? Question: My question refers to one of your previous answere in which you stated that it is a bida to raise one’s hands in supplication after a fard prayer or after the Friday prayer. Could you please tell me that when is it a good to raise one’s hands in duaa? Could we raise our hands after a supererogatory prayer? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. It is important to note that du’aa’ is an act of worship, and every act of worship should only be done on the basis of evidence (daleel). The basic principle here is that the hands should be raised when making du’aa’, except when the du’aa’ is part of another act of worship, in which case raising the hands is regarded as an additional action (and should not be done). Examples of such acts of worship include salaah (prayer), khutbah (sermon), tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka’bah), sa’ee (running between al-Safaa and Marwah), etc. Salaah includes du’aa’ at the beginning of the prayer, in rukoo’ (bowing), when standing up from rukoo’, in the two sajdahs (prostrations) and in the sitting between the two prostrations – but whoever raises his hands in these places 60

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is considered to have committed an act of bid’ah (reprehensible innovation). The same applies to raising the hands when making du’aa’ on the minbar, except in the case of istisqaa’ (praying for rain). And the same applies when making du’aa’ when doing tawaaf or sa’ee. When there is evidence to show that it is permissible to raise the hands in certain situation, then there is no dispute. Any du’aa’ which has not been narrated in a report and which is not part of another act of worship is regarded as general du’aa’; in this case there is nothing wrong with raising the hands. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) spoke of a man who raised his hands to the sky and said, “O Lord, O Lord,” whilst his food was haraam, his drink was haraam, his clothing was haraam, he had been nourished with haraam, so how could his du’aa’ be answered? And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah feels shy to let His slave raise his hands to Him and bring them back empty.” – and other ahaadeeth. With regard to raising the hands after a naafil prayer, if that is not a du’aa’ that is regularly offered, such as when a man is faced with some emergency, and he calls upon Allaah at that moment, there is nothing wrong with that. But if he regularly makes du’aa’ and raises his hands after praying an obligatory prayer, there is no clear daleel to support doing so. Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd (www.islamqa.com) 11588: Ruling on making du’aa’ in English Question: Can I recite duaa’s in English?. 61

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Making du’aa’ in English or in any other language is permissible outside of salaah (prayer). But it is not permissible to say any part of the salaah in any language other than Arabic, according to the majority of scholars. But if the Muslim can stick to Arabic in all cases, especially in acts of worship – and du’aa’ is an act of worship – that is preferable and is better. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com) 3935: Does not praying at the beginning of the appointed time mean that one’s du’aa’ will not be answered? Question: Is there any evidence that one who delays prayer from its recommended time (but prays in its legal time) and who makes post-salah du’ah does not have his/her du’ah accepted? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood answered this question for us as follows: Praise be to Allaah. We do not know of any evidence to that effect. Allaah may answer the du’aa’ of one who calls on Him in desperation even if he is a kaafir. And Allaah knows best.” Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood (www.islam-qa.com) 62

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11694: Should a person call upon Allaah even though Allaah knows his needs? Question: Some people repeat a hadeeth which says: “His knowledge of my condition means that I do not have to ask Him for anything.” They use this as evidence to say that a person does not need to make du’aa’ to Allaah because Allaah knows the person’s needs. How true is this? Answer: This idea is a false idea, because it goes against belief in al-qadar (Divine decree) and negates the idea of taking appropriate means, and suggests giving up an act of worship which is the most noble of worship to Allaah. Du’aa’ is very important. It can change the Divine decree and relieve distress. It is beneficial with regard to what has been decreed and what has not been decreed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Nothing can change the Divine decree except du’aa’. (Narrated by Ahmad, 5/677; Ibn Maajah, 90; al-Tirmidhi, 139. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 76687. See also al-Saheehah, 145). And he said: “Whoever has the gate of du’aa’ opened to him, has the gates of mercy opened to him. Allaah is never asked for anything that He gives which is more beloved to Him than being asked for good health and well-being. Du’aa’ is beneficial with regard to what has been decreed and what has not been decreed. So, O slaves of Allaah, you must make du’aa’.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3548) And he said: “No precaution can protect against the decree of Allaah. Du’aa’ is beneficial with regard to what has been decreed and what has not been decreed. The du’aa’ meets the calamity that has been decreed and wrestles with it, 63

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until the Day of Resurrection.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani, 2/800 (33). Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7739, (it is) hasan). Some of those who neglect du’aa’, such as some of the Sufis, may use as evidence the hadeeth, “I have no need to ask because He knows my condition”. This hadeeth is false and has no basis. The scholars have spoken out against it and explained why it is false. AlBaghawi mentioned it in his tafseer of Soorat al-Anbiyaa’, pointing out how da’eef (weak) it is. He said: “It was narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka’b that Ibraaheem said, when they tied him up to throw him into the fire, ‘There is no god but You, glory be to You, Lord of the Worlds. To You be praise and to You be the sovereignty. You have no partner or associate.’ Then they threw him with a catapult into the fire, and Jibreel met him and said, ‘O Ibraaheem, do you need something?’ He said, ‘From you, no.’ Jibreel said, ‘Then ask your Lord.’ Ibraaheem said, ‘I have no need to ask because He knows my condition.’” (Tafseer al-Baghawi Ma’aalim al-Tanzeel, 5/347) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said concerning this hadeeth: “The hadeeth ‘I have no need to ask because He knows my condition’ is false. It contradicts what Allaah said about Ibraaheem al-Khaleel and other Prophets, that they made du’aa’ to Allaah and asked of Him. And it goes against what Allaah has commanded His slaves to do, asking Him for the best in this world and the next.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 8/539) Shaykh al-Albaani said concerning this hadeeth: “It has no basis. It was narrated by some of them as the words of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) but it is from the Israa’eeliyaat [stories from Jewish sources]. It has no basis among the marfoo’ reports [those which go back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)].” (Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah, 1/28 (21)) Later he said about this hadeeth: “This meaning was adopted by some of those who wrote books of wisdom in the style of the Sufi tareeqahs; they said, your asking from Him – meaning Allaah, may He be exalted – is an accusation 64

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against Him.” (Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah, 1/29) Then he said, commenting on this idea: “This is serious misguidance. Did the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them) accuse their Lord when they asked Him for various things?” (Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth alDa’eefah, 1/29) al-Eemaan bi’l-Qadaa’ wa’l-Qadar by Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Hamad, p. 145. (www.islam-qa.com) 5112: Du’aa’s to remove depression Question: Are there any duas to remove my deppresion? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. In al-Saheehayn it was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when he felt distressed: “La ilaaha ill-Allaah al-‘Azeem ul-Haleem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb il-‘arsh il-‘azeem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb is-samawaati wa Rabb il-ard wa Rabb il-‘arsh ilkareem (there is no god except Allaah, the All-Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god except Allaah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god except Allaah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).” And it was reported from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when something upset him: “Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, bi Rahmatika astagheeth (O 65

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Ever-Living One, O Everlasting One, by Your mercy I seek help).” And it was reported that Asmaa’ bint ‘Umays (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “Shall I not teach you some words to say when you feel distressed? ‘Allaah, Allaah, Rabbee laa ushriku bihi shay’an (Allaah, Allaah, my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him).’” It was reported from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No person suffers any anxiety or grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma innee ‘abduka wa ibn ‘abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika, maadin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka, as’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘andak an taj’ala al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’a huzni wa dhahaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety)’ - but Allaah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy.” Al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, edited by Shaykh al-Albaani, p. 72 (www.islam-qa.com) 66

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1535: What is the ruling on a person insisting by an oath that his Lord should do something? Question: Is it permissible for any person nowadays to swear an oath insisting that Allaah should do something that he wants, or not? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. It is not permissible to swear an oath saying “I swear, O Lord, that You should send down rain,” or defeat the Jews, or make So and so rich, or give him such and such, or do for me what I ask in this place, and so on. This implies that a person is obliging his Lord to do something, but it is Allaah Who controls the affairs of His slaves, and His slave has no right to make demands of his Lord or try to oblige Him to do anything. This goes against Tawheed, or it either compromises its integrity or uproots it altogether, depending on the person’s intentions. The reports about some of the Salaf insisting by an oath that Allaah should do something probably refer to their du’aa’s (supplications). The hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There are among the slaves of Allaah those who, if they were to insist by an oath that Allaah should do something, He would fulfil it” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2703) is hypothetical in nature, meaning that Allaah would respond to such a person’s du’aa’ although it is known that nobody would dare to address their Lord in this manner. And Allaah knows best. Al-Lu’lu’ al-Makeen min Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen, p. 53 (www.islam-qa.com) 67

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6585: Are there any du’aa’s to help one get a good wife or husband? Question: I would like to know if there are any certain du’as or solah that could be done in order to get a future wife or husband.What are the things that one should look out for in order to know that the person is an accurate choice? Can one get answers by letting the Qur’an to be his guidance? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. There is not – as far as we know – any du’aa’ specifically for this matter that has been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but you can pray to Allaah to bless you with a righteous spouse. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us Du’aa’ al-Istikhaarah, which means asking Allaah to choose for us that which is best for our religious and worldly interests in all matters, religious and worldly. This du’aa’ was narrated by Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach us to seek guidance (istikhaarah) in all our affairs, just as he would teach us a Soorah from the Qur’aan. He said: “Whenever any one of you is concerned about a matter, let him pray two rak’ahs of non-obligatory prayer, then let him say: ‘Allaahumma inni astakheeruka bi ‘ilmik, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratik, wa as’aluka min fadlik il‘azeem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa laa aqdir, wa ta’lamu wa laa a’lam, wa anta ‘allaamu’l-ghuyoob. Allaahumma in 68

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kunta ta’lam anna [haadha’l-amr] khayrun li fi deenee wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati amri, faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma baarik li fih. Wa in kunta ta’lam anna [hadha’lamr] sharrun li fi deenee wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati ‘amri, fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anhu waqdur li al-khayr haythu kaan. Thumma ardeeni bih (O Allaah, I seek Your guidance (in making a choice) by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allaah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter [ – and he should mention it here]) is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the distant future, ordain it for me, make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge (this matter [ – and he should mention it here]) is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the distant future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it).’” (Narrated by alBukhaari, 1109). There is nothing which it is more important for both parties to focus on than religious commitment and attitude. With regard to the husband, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised the guardians (walis) of women: “If there comes to you one whose attitude and commitment to religion pleases you, then marry him (to your female relative), for if you do not do that, there will be much trouble and corruption in the land.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1084; Ibn Maajah, 1967) With regard to the wife, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the following advice: 69

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“Women are married for four things: wealth, lineage, beauty and religious commitment. Marry the one who is religious, may your hands be rubbed with dust! (i.e., may you prosper). (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4802; Muslim, 1466). Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: the meaning is that what is appropriate for the man who is religious and chivalrous is that religion must be the ultimate focus in all things, and especially with regard to the choice of a lifelong companion. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded him to seek a religious woman, since religion is his ultimate goal.” (Fath al-Bari, 9/135). With regard to the second part of your question, about letting the Qur’aan be your guidance: If you mean using it for divination, like astrology, this is haraam. One of the innovated ways in which people do this is to open the Mus-haf at random, and if their gaze falls on an aayah which speaks of mercy or reward, they think this means that what they want to do is good! And if they see an aayah which speaks of punishment, they think that what they want to do is bad. There is no basis for this in the religion; this is one of the ways in which the shayaateen (devils) misguide the believing slaves of Allaah. But if what you mean by letting the Qur’aan be your guidance is following it and acting in accordance with its rulings, this is the way to achieve true happiness, and there is no happiness apart from through this, which is adherence to the Qur’aan and Sunnah. This is the only way for mankind to be guided and saved by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. Concerning this Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): “This is the Book (the Qur’aan), whereof there is no doubt, 70

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a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon [the pious]” [al-Baqarah 2:2] “Verily, this Qur’aan guides to that which is most just and right” [al-Israa’ 17:9] And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 4845: Is there a du’aa’ for moving into a new house? Question: I HAVE SHIFTED INTO A NEW HOUSE. PLEASE COULD YOU SUPPLY ME WITH A DUAA FOR THE PROTECTION OF MY HOUSE, SINCE I AM GETTING MARRIED AND HAVE RE-LOCATED TO A NEW AREA. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Is there a du’aa’ for moving into a new house? We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, who answered as follows: “Praise be to Allaah. When he enters a house or stops to camp in a spot out of doors, he should say, ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq (I seek 71

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refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created)’ three times. If he says this, then nothing will harm him until he leaves that place.” The house he is talking about is a new house which he is going to go and live in for the first time. What should he say? “When he enters it for the first time, he should say, ‘A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq.’” Can he say, “Rabbi anzilni munzalan mubaarakan [My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing-place – alMu’mineen 23:29 – interpretation of the meaning]”? “This is for when one embarks on a boat or ship.” And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 1945: Ruling on asking others to make du’aa’ Question: What is the ruling on a Muslim asking a brother in Islam who he thinks is a good person to make du’aa’ for him when he is going for Hajj or on some other journey, and asking him to make du’aa’ for him in his absence? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) praised Uways and urged his Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with him) to ask him to make du’aa’ for them (the hadeeth of Uways al-Qurani was reported by Muslim, no. 2542). Did Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah regard it 72

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as makrooh to do this and say that the hadeeth applied only to Uways? Please explain to us. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Asking a person to make du’aa’ for you who you think will have his du’aa’s answered, either because of his righteousness or because he is going to a place where one hopes his du’aa’s will be answered, such as travelling or going for Hajj or ‘Umrah, etc., is OK in principle. But if there is the fear that something that is not right may result from it, such as the person who makes the request relying on the person whom he has asked, or always relying on other people with regard to matters in which he should call on his Lord, or there is the fear that the person of whom the request is made may become arrogant and think that he has reached such a level that people ask him to make du’aa’ for them, then this is sufficient reason not to do this, because in this case it leads to something that is not right. If it does not lead to something that is not right, then in principle it is permissible, but still we say that it should not be done, because it was not the custom of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) to ask one another to make du’aa’ for one another. The hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is reported to have said to ‘Umar, “Do not forget us in your du’aa’, O my brother” (reported by Abu Dawood, no. 1498, and al-Tirmidhi, no. 3557) is a weak hadeeth and there is no proof that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said this. With regard to the fact that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings 73

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of Allaah be upon him) to make du’aa’ for them, it is well-known that no one else can reach the level of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so when ‘Ukaashah ibn Muhsan asked him to pray that he would be one of those who would enter Paradise without being called to account or being punished, he said, “You will be one of them” (reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 6541; Muslim, no. 216, 218, 220), and when another man came and asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to ask Allaah to send them rain, he did so (reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 1013; Muslim, 897). With regard to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advising his companions to ask Uways alQurani to make du’aa’ for them, this undoubtedly applied only in his case, and it is known that Uways was not on the same level as Abu Bakr or ‘Umar or ‘Uthmaan or ‘Ali, or other Sahaabah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not tell anyone among his Sahaabah to ask anyone to make du’aa’ for them. To sum up, we can say: there is no sin in asking someone to make du’aa’ for you that you hope will have his du’aa’ answered, on the condition that this does not involve anything that is wrong, but it is better and more appropriate not to do this. Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 212 (www.islam-qa.com) 4143: Her husband is temperamental. How should she make du’aa’ for him? Question: My sister is recently married but the marriage has not been going well as expected. In the beginning, everything 74

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was just fine but recently her husband has become very temperemental and has come very close to being violent. Is there any duaas or Qur’anic verses that she may read to help restore their marriage to the way it was? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. There is no specific soorah or du’aa’ that may be recited in the situation described, but this wife can pray for her husband however she wishes, such as saying, “O Allaah, take away his anger, O Allaah, make him patient, O Allaah, grant him tranquillity.” She should call on her Lord by His Most Beautiful Names and beseech Him to help her; she should strive to offer her supplication at the times when du’aa’s are most likely to be accepted, such as during the last third of the night, or the last hour of Friday, or the Day of ‘Arafaah, and when prostrating during prayer, and so on. We ask Allaah to put their affairs straight. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 2470: How can he seek the forgiveness of one who has died? Question: My grandmother died 4 years ago (me she be in Heaven, Amin). I have grown up in front of her and have great memories of her. She taught me to pray and said great and wise things, I have tremendous love for her. 75

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I foolishly did something that I should not have, for which I am really sorry. I may have humiliated her in a way, but she didn’t say any thing about it. I haven’t had a chance to ask her forgiveness, I have repented to my sin. I constantly ask Allah to forgive me. Is there a way to ask my grandmother for forgiveness now? I have given great thought to it, but I am unable to come up with any suitable solution. I would be grateful if you guide me in this matter. I ask Allah for forgiveness and guidance for all who are alive and dead. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Since your grandmother has died and gone to her Lord, you cannot know whether she has forgiven you or not. There is no way that you can ask for her forgiveness now that she has died. This confirms the importance of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honour or something, let him ask him for forgiveness before the time when there will be neither dinar nor dirham, and if he has any good deeds it will be taken from him in proportion to the wrong he did, and if he does not have any good deeds (hasanaat), some of the other person’s evil deeds (sayi’aat) will be taken and given to him to bear.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2296). Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this hadeeth: 76

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“ ‘Whoever has wronged his brother’ – i.e., if he has done something wrong to his brother. ‘with regard to his honour or something’ – i.e., anything else… this includes all kinds of wealth and wounding, even a slap in the face and so on. According to a report narrated by al-Tirmidhi, ‘with regard to his honour or his wealth.’ ‘Before the time when there will be neither dinar nor dirham’ – i.e., the Day of Resurrection. ‘Some of the other person’s evil deeds (sayi’aat) will be taken’ – i.e., they will be taken from the account of the person who was wronged – ‘and given to him to bear’ – i.e., they will be added to the account of the wrongdoer.” Muslim also narrated a hadeeth similar in meaning to this through a different isnaad. This version is clearer in meaning: “The one who is bankrupt among my ummah is the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting and zakaah to his credit, but he will come having slandered one person and shed the blood of another and wrongfully consumed the wealth of a third, so (his victims) will be given some of his hasanaat (good deeds), and if his hasanaat run out before the score is settled, some of their sins will be taken and thrown onto him, and he will be thrown into Hell.” According to a report also narrated by al-Bukhaari from Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has done wrong to his brother, let him seek his forgiveness, because in the Hereafter there will be no dinar or dirham, and let him ask for his forgiveness before some of his hasanaat are taken and given to his brother, and if he has no hasanaat, some of his brother’s sayi’aat will be taken and thrown onto him.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6053) 77

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Abu Na’eem reported from Ibn Mas’ood that a person will be taken by the hand and made to stand before all of mankind, and a caller will cry out: “This is So and so the son of So and so. Whoever is owed anything by him, let him come forward.” So they will come forward, and the Lord will say, “Give them what is due to them.” He will say, “O Lord, the world is finished, so how can I give them anything?” He [Allaah] will say to the angels, “Take from his righteous deeds and give each one what he is asking for.” If he is to be saved and there is even a mustardseed worth of his hasanaat left over, Allaah will multiply it until He admits him thereby to Paradise. Ahmad and al-Haakim reported from Jaabir from ‘AbdAllaah ibn Unays, who attributed it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “No one of the people of Paradise will be allowed to enter Paradise when one of the people of Hell has been wronged by him, until I settle the score, even with regard to a slap in the face.” We [the Sahaabah] said: “O Messenger of Allaah, how will that be, when we will be gathered barefoot and naked?” He said, “By virtue of sayi’aat and hasanaat.” (Fath al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari). In any case, you have taken a very important step, which is repenting to Allaah. If you sincerely repent to Him and do as much as you can to honour your grandmother (for more details, see Question #763), and she sees in her record (on the Day of Judgement) that you sought forgiveness for her, perhaps she will forgive you on that Day if she had not already forgiven you in this world. Make lots of du’aa’ for her. May Allaah forgive us all. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 78

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3064: Asking about an alternative to books of innovated du’aa’s and looking for names of books of correct du’aa’s Question: Salaams. Thank you again for the wonderful work you are doing to help the Muslim Ummah. May Allah (SWT) bestow His blessings on you. My question is of differentiating between what is Zikhr & waht is Bidha. My daily drive to work take me approx. 2hrs and to make good use of this time I Listen to the Quran (Arabic with English Translation) on the way to work and on the way home, I try to say some duas I learnt from a books that were given to me. These book published in India/Pakistan suggest that I should recite a particular dua for 100 times and another dua for 500 times etc.... All the duas in these books have the number of times I should recite them. I have researched many authentic hadiths and cannot find this reciting by certain amount. As a result am I committing Bidha if I recite these duas by the amounts suggested in these books. If so, is there any authentic books you could recommend where I can learne and recite daily duas for Zikhr purposes. Jazak Allah Khair. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Some saheeh reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) describe du’aa’s that can be recited one hundred times during the day and night, such as that reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, 79

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“Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in Qadeer (There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion and His is the Praise, and He is Able to do all things), one hundred times in a day, it will be equivalent (in reward) to freeing ten slaves, and a hundred hasanaat (good deeds) will be recorded for him, and one hundred sayi’aat (bad deeds) will be erased from his record; it will be a protection for him from the Shaytaan all that day until evening comes, and nobody can do any better than that except one who does more than that.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3050). Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) also reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever says ‘Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdih (Glory and praise be to Allaah)’ one hundred times in a day, his sins will be wiped out even if they are like the foam of the sea.’” (Reported by alBukhaari, 5936). With regard to trustworthy and reliable books of du’aa’s and dhikr, this is a topic which has been covered in many books, ancient and modern, whether the books deal with this topic on its own or it is included with other material. Some examples are: ‘Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah by al-Nisaa’i, edited by Faarooq Hamaadah al-Adhkaar by Imaam al-Nawawi, edited by ‘Abd alQaadir al-Arna’oot al-Saheeh al-Musnad min Adhkaar al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah, published by Daar Ibn ‘Affaan, al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib by al-Albaani, al-Maktab alIslami, Beirut, Lebanon 80

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Husn al-Muslim by al-Qahtaani, published by Mu’sasat al-Juraysi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [Translater’s Note: this book is available in English under the title: Fortification of the Muslim through Remembrance and Supplication from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, by Sa’eed ibn ‘Ali ibn Wahf al-Qahtaani] And Allaah is the Source of strength Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 2910: Du’aa’s for infertile couples Question: Dear Sir, I am unable to conceive children due to sterility are there any specific dua’a to be said in such a case ? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. You may pray the du’aa’ of Zakariya (peace be upon him), who said: “Rabbi laa tadharni fardan wa anta khayr ul-waaritheen (O my Lord! Leave me not single (childless), though You are the Best of the inheritors).” This is a beautiful du’aa’ which is very appropriate in this case. Also suitable is another prayer of Zakariya: “Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibatan innaka samee’ al-du’aa’ (O my 81

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Lord! Grant me from You a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation).” The story of Zakariya contains valuable lessons for us. Allaah has told us this story in several places in the Qur’aan. For example, in Soorat Aal ‘Imraan, where He tells us about Maryam (peace be upon her) He says (interpretation of the meaning): “So her Lord (Allaah) accepted her [Maryam] with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya. Every time he entered almihrab [a praying place or private room] to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said, ‘O Maryam! From where have you got this?’ She said, ‘This is from Allaah.’ Verily, Allaah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit. At that time Zakariya invoked his Lord, saying: ‘O my Lord! Grant me from You a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.’ Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in al-mihrab, (saying): ‘Allaah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, confirming (believing in) the Word from Allaah [i.e., the creation of ‘Eesaa], noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous.’ He said, ‘O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old and my wife is barren?’ Allaah said: ‘Thus Allaah does what He wills.’ He said: ‘O my Lord! Make a sign for me.’ Allaah said: ‘Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much, and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning.’”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:37-41] 82

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In Soorat Maryam, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “(This is) a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His slave Zakariya. When he called out to his Lord (Allaah) – a call in secret, Saying, ‘My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and grey hair has spread on my head, and I have never been unblest in my invocation to You, O my Lord! And verily! I fear my relatives after me, since my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir, Who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya’qoob [inheritance of religious knowledge and Prophethood]. And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased!’ (Allaah said): ‘O Zakariya! Verily, We give you the glad tidings of a son. His name will be Yahya. We have given that name to none before (him).’ He said, ‘My Lord! How can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have reached the extreme old age?’ He said, ‘So (it will be). Your Lord says: It is easy for Me, Certainly, I have created you before, when you had been nothing!’ [Zakariya] said: ‘My Lord! Appoint for me a sign.’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you shall not speak unto mankind for three nights, though having no bodily defect.’ Then he came out to his people from al-mihrab [a prayingplace or private room] and told them by signs to glorify Allaah’s Praises in the morning and in the afternoon.”[Maryam 19:2-11]

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In Soorat al-Anbiya’, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: ‘O my Lord! Leave me not single (childless), though You are the Best of the inheritors.’ So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahya, and cured his wife (to bear a child) for him. Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.” [al-Anbiya’ 21:89-90] Thinking about the story of Zakariya (peace be upon him) is very beneficial for anyone who is infertile. One may also ponder the story of Ibraaheem and his wife Saarah, whom Allaah rewarded for their patience with Ishaaq when Ibraaheem was very old. He was also given another son, Ismaa’eel. Allaah tells us that His khaleel (friend) said (interpretation of the meaning): “All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who has given me in old age Ismaa’eel and Ishaaq. Verily! My Lord is indeed the All-Hearer of invocations.”[Ibraaheem 14:39] In all situations, the Muslim should accept and be content with the decree of Allaah, even if he is to remain infertile for the rest of his life. It could be that his patience may be better for him than a child. Everything that Allaah decrees has wisdom and a reason behind it, and everything is subject to His Will and Command. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “To Allaah belongs the kingdom of the heaven and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills. 84

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Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things.” [al-Shoora 42:49-50] May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com)

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Chapter 2 Forbidden Supplication (Du'aa) 33663: Can we say, “Praise be to Allaah besides Whom no one can be praised for that which is disliked”? Question: Is it Sunnah to make du’aa’ if we are afflicted by calamity and say, “Praise be to Allaah besides Whom no one can be praised for that which is disliked”? I hear this du’aa’ a great deal, but I do not know whether it was proven to be from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or not. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. This du’aa’ was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). What was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is that which was narrated by Ibn Maajah (3803) from ‘Aa’ishah who said: “When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw something that he liked, he would say, ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah alladhi bi ni’matihi tatimm ul-saalihaat (Praise by to Allaah by Whose blessing good things happen).’ And if he saw something that he disliked he would say, ‘Alhamdu Lillaahi ‘ala kulli haal (praise be to Allaah in all circumstances).’” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Tafseer Juz’ ‘Amma (p. 127): 86

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With regard to what some people say. “Praise be to Allaah besides Whom no one can be praised for that which is disliked”, this is contrary to that which is taught in the Sunnah. Rather you should say what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Al-hamdu Lillaahi ‘ali kulli haal (praise be to Allaah in all circumstances).” If you say, “Praise be to Allaah besides Whom no one can be praised for that which is disliked”, then you are in fact announcing that you dislike what Allaah has decreed for you, and this is not appropriate. Rather what you should do is to bear with patience that which Allaah has decreed for you, whether you like it or not, because the One Who has decreed it is Allaah, may He be glorified. He is your Lord and you are His slave; He is your Owner and you belong to Him. If Allaah is the One Who has decreed for you something that you dislike, then do not panic, rather you must be patient and not get angry, whether you keep that in your heart or you express it in your words and physical actions. Be patient and put up with it, because circumstances change and nothing in this world lasts forever. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Know that victory comes with patience, and that ease comes with difficulties, and that with hardship there is relief.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Tahqeeq al-Sunnah li Ibn Abi ‘Aasim, 315. Allaah is to be praised in all circumstances, at times of both ease and hardship, because if He decrees a time of ease, it is a test and a trial. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good” [al-Anbiya’ 21:35] If something bad happens to you, then bear it with patience, for that is also a test and a trial from Allaah, to see whether you will be patient or not. If you are patient 87

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and seek reward from Allaah, then Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning” [al-Zumar 39:10]. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 34692: The hadeeth, “I ask You by the glory from Your Throne” Question: I read a hadeeth narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Twelve rak’ahs that you pray by night or by day, and recite the tashahhud between each two rak’ahs. When you say the tashahhud in the last prayer, then praise Allaah and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then prostrate and recite the Opening of the Book (Soorat al-Faatihah) seven times whilst prostrating, and say, ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; to Him belongs all sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all things),’ ten times. Then say, ‘O Allaah, I ask you by the glory of Your Throne, and by virtue of the mercy of Your Book, and by Your greatest name and Your glory and Your perfect words,’ then ask Him for whatever you need. Then raise your head and say the tasleem to your right and your left. And do not teach it to the foolish for they may ask (for foolish things) and have their prayer answered.” Is this hadeeth saheeh?. 88

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The hadeeth mentioned was narrated by al-Haakim and was quoted by al-Haafiz and al-Mundhiri in al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb. He said, It was narrated only by ‘Aamir ibn Khadaash al-Nisapuri. He said: our shaykh, al-Haafiz Abu’l-Hasan said: he was a narrator of munkar (rejected) reports. He was the only one who narrated it from ‘Umar ibn Haroon al-Balkhi, who is matrook and mutahham (i.e., his ahaadeeth are rejected), and only Ibn Mahdi praised him. Hence it is known that this hadeeth is da’eef (weak) from the point of view of its isnaad (chain of narrators). Moreover, the saheeh ahaadeeth indicate that it is not allowed to recite Qur’aan when prostrating, so the hadeeth is also weak from the point of view of its text. It is not permissible to act upon it because it is not saheeh (sound) and because it contradicts the saheeh ahaadeeth. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’lIfta’, 6/439. (www.islam-qa.com) 12715: Du’aa’ for protection Question: In one of the mosques I found a piece of paper on which was written “Du’aa’ al-Tahseen (prayer for protection). The du’aa’ was as follows: “I seek protection in Allaah besides Whom there is no 89

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god, my God and the God of all things. I seek the protection of my Lord and the Lord of all things. I put my trust in the Ever-Living Who does not die, and I ward off evil with (the words) there is no power and no strength except with Allaah. Allaah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs. Allaah is sufficient for me Who is sufficient for us. The Lord is sufficient for me and I have no need of His slaves. The Creator is sufficient for me and I have no need of His creation. The Provider is sufficient for me and I have no need of those who are granted provision. He is sufficient for me Who is sufficient for me. He is sufficient for me in Whose hand is the sovereignty of all things, Who protects (all), while against Whom there is no protector (i.e. if Allaah saves anyone, none can punish or harm him; and if Allaah punishes or harms anyone, none can save him) [cf. al-Mu’minoon 23:88]. He is sufficient for me. Allaah hears those who call upon Him, and there is no object of hope beyond Allaah. Allaah is sufficient for me, there is no god but He. In Him do I put my trust and He is the Lord of the mighty Throne.” Is this hadeeth saheeh?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. This du’aa’ is not proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Something similar was narrated by Ibn Abi’l-Dunya in al-Faraj ba’d al-Shiddah, via al-Khaleel ibn Murrah from the faqeeh of the people of Jordan, who said “we heard that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)…” It was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah alDa’eefah, 4173; and Da’eef al-Jaami’, 4348 90

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Since it has not been proven in any saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said this, no attention should be paid to it. There are du’aa’s which have been narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth which are sufficient, and we have no need for the du’aa’s narrated in weak reports. These du’aa’s protect the Muslim, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always used to recite them, such as the dhikrs for morning and evening, and other saheeh ahaadeeth. For example: 1 – Reciting the last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah every night. It was narrated that Abu Mas’ood al-Badri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The last two verses of Soorat al-Baqarah, whoever recites them at night, they will be sufficient for him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4008; Muslim, 807. al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ‘they will be sufficient for him,’ it was said that it means they will suffice instead of praying qiyaam al-layl; and it was said, they will suffice him against the Shaytaan, or against harm. It may be understood as meaning all of these things.’” 2 – Du’aa’ al-karb (prayer at times of stress). It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say at times of stress: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah ul-‘azeem al-haleem, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb il-‘arsh il’azeem, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb ul-samawaati wa rabb ul-ard wa rabb ul-‘arsh ilkareem (There is no god but Allaah, the Almighty, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of the heavens, 91

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Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6346; Muslim, 2730. Reciting Soorat al-Ikhlaas, Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat alNaas. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite them when going to sleep, and he would blow into his hands and then wipe them over whatever he could reach of his body. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that every night when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would cup his hands together, blow into them then recite into them Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad, Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb ilfalaq and Qul ‘aoodhu bi Rabb il-naas, then he would wipe as much as he could reach of his body, starting with his head and face and the front of his body. And he would do that three times. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5018. And it was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Have you not seen the verses that were revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen? Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb il-falaq and Qul ‘aoodhu bi Rabb il-naas. Narrated by Muslim, 814. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 21983: Praying that the Shaytaan may be guided Question: Is it permissible for a person to pray that the Shaytaan may be guided? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 92

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It is not permissible for anyone to pray in this manner, because it goes against the ruling of Allaah, and against His decree. For Allaah has decreed in His wisdom that the Shaytaan is cursed until the Day of Judgement. Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 1/290 (www.islam-qa.com) 21950: She is asking about the validity of a du’aa’ to save oneself from the torment of the grave Question: Please let me know if this is an authentic dua, if it is then i am missing out on doing it everyday, and if it isn’t i would like to know of a dua i can say in its place, please let me know, it is important to me. The dua is to say durood sharif 3x then say la ilaha illahlahul malikul haqqal mubeen, then say durood sharif 3x again. I was told that if this is said everyday then one is saved from the tortures of the grave, one will be prosperous in halal earnings, also the person can enter any door in jannah. Please let me know if this is authentic or not? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. This du’aa’ is not correct. The way to protect oneself from the torment of the grave is to fear Allaah by doing that which He commands and avoiding that which He has forbidden, and to remember Allaah regularly and read Qur’aan, especially Soorat al-Mulk, as it is proven that this will save one from the torment of the grave, by Allaah’s leave. 93

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Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr. (www.islamqa.com) 12310: Ruling on asking by the Face of Allaah Question: What is meant by the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Do not ask for anything by the Face of Allaah except Paradise”? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. There are two different opinions as to what this hadeeth means: The first view is that it means, Do not ask any created being by the Face of Allaah. If you want to ask any created being for something, do not ask by the Face of Allaah, because nothing may be asked for by the Face of Allaah except Paradise, and people cannot give Paradise, so created beings should not be asked for anything by the Face of Allaah at all. The second view is: if you ask of Allaah, if you are asking for Paradise and the means to get there, then ask by the Face of Allaah. If you are asking for some worldly thing, then do not ask by the Face of Allaah. But matters of the Hereafter may be asked for by the Face of Allaah, for example you could say, “I ask You by Your Face to save me from Hell.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sought refuge in the Face of Allaah when Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘He has power to send torment on you from above” [al-An’aam 6:65] 94

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He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A’oodhu bi Wajhika (I seek refuge in Your Face).” “or from under your feet,” [al-An’aam 6:65] He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A’oodhu bi Wajhika (I seek refuge in Your Face).” “or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another”[al-An’aam 6:65] He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “This is less serious.” If it is said that both opinions are correct, then that is possible. Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p. 92 (www.islam-qa.com) 1620: Ruling on making du’aa’ for healing for a kaafir father who is sick Question: is ok to make du’a for kafir? who is one of the relatives for example the father ( kafir) and he is ill ..can i make du’a for hime? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We put this question to Shaykh ‘AbdAllaah ibn Jibreen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows: 95

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She can pray for him to be guided to Islam, then if he becomes Muslim, she can pray for him to be healed. But if he persists in his kufr, he does not deserve to have du’aa’ made for him to get better. At the same time, she should still treat him kindly by doing other good things for him, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… but behave with them in the world kindly…” [Luqmaan 31:15] If he promises to become Muslim if he gets better, then it is OK to make du’aa’ for him, as happened in the case of Moosa (peace be upon him). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when the punishment fell on them, they said: ‘O Moosa (Moses)! Invoke your Lord for us because of His Promise to you. If you remove the punishment from us, we indeed shall believe in you, and we shall let the Children of Israel go with you.’ But when We removed the punishment from them to a fixed term, which they had to reach, behold! they broke their word! So We took retribution from them. We drowned them in the sea, because they belied Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and were heedless about them” [al-A’raaf 7:134-136] But it is OK to behave kindly towards your sick father by tending to him and so on. It may have an effect on him and soften his heart so that he will become Muslim. And Allaah knows best. Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen (www.islam-qa.com) 96

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12048: She wants to pray that she will be married to a specific man in Paradise Question: Some women got together and one of them said, “I ask Allaah to let me be married to Abu Bakr in Paradise.” Another said, “I ask Allaah to let me be married to ‘Umar in Paradise.” One of the women said, “This is transgression in du’aa’,” and she denounced them, but they said that the one who enters Paradise will have whatever he or she desires. Can you clarify this matter for us? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows: This du’aa’ includes a kind of transgression. Abu Bakr will have wives, and ‘Umar will have wives and ‘Ali will have wives. But a woman should pray to Allaah and say, “O Allaah, I ask You for Paradise and the words and actions that will bring me closer to it.” In Paradise there will be all that a person can desire and all that can delight the eyes. And Allaah knows best. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (www.islam-qa.com) 11017: Ruling on reciting du’aa’s which are not proven Question: What is the ruling on some du’aa’s that have not been narrated (from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah 97

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be upon him)), such as, “Rocky obstacle and falling star, may the eye of the envier come back on him and on those who are dearest to him.” Answer: Praise be to Allaah. This du’aa’ has no basis. It involves enmity against people other than the aggressor, so it is not permissible to use it because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not in agreement with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” And Allaah knows best. Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’lIftaa’ (www.islam-qa.com)

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Chapter 3 Repentance 46683: Acceptance of repentance Question: I have committed a great sin and I prayed to Allaah and asked Him to forgive me. Will my repentance from that sin be accepted? I feel that my repentance has not been accepted and that Allaah is angry with me. Are there any indications that repentance has been accepted?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: Making mistakes and falling short are undoubtedly part of human nature and no one will be free of shortcomings in his obedience to Allaah, or free of mistakes or forgetfulness or sins. All of us fall short, commit sins, and make mistakes. Sometimes we turn to Allaah and sometimes we turn away from Him. Sometimes we remember that Allaah is watching and sometimes we become negligent. None of us is free of sin, and we will inevitably make mistakes. We are not infallible. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sin Allaah would do away with you and bring people who would commit sin then pray for forgiveness.” Narrated by Muslim, 2749. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2499; classed as hasan by al-Albaani. 99

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By His mercy towards weak man, Allaah has opened the gate of repentance to him, and has commanded him to turn to Him, every time sin overwhelms him. Were it not for that, man would suffer a great deal of hardship and would not have the drive to draw closer to his Lord; he would lose all hope of His forgiveness and pardon. Repentance is something that is necessary as a result of man’s shortcomings and human failings. Allaah has enjoined repentance on all kinds of people in this ummah: those who are foremost in good deeds, those who follow a middle course, and those who wrong their own selves by doing haraam things (cf. Faatir 35:32). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31] “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance!” [al-Tahreem 66:8] And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O people, repent to Allaah and seek His forgiveness, for I repent one hundred times a day.” Narrated by Muslim, 2702 from the hadeeth of alAgharr al-Muzani (may Allaah be pleased with him). Allaah has bestowed His mercy and encompassed His slaves with his kindness. He is Forbearing and does not punish us or destroy us straightaway, rather He gives us respite, and He commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to proclaim His generosity: “Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! 100

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Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53 – interpretation of the meaning]. And He says, out of kindness towards His slaves (interpretation of the meaning): “Will they not turn with repentance to Allaah and ask His forgiveness? For Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Maa’idah 5:74] “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] “And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:135] “And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allaah’s forgiveness, he will find Allaah OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Nisa’ 4:110] Allaah calls to repentance those who committed the gravest form of shirk and sin, those who say that ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) is the son of God – exalted be Allaah far above what the wrongdoers say. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 101

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“Will they not turn with repentance to Allaah and ask His forgiveness? For Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Maa’idah 5:74] And He opens the door of repentance to the hypocrites, who are worse than the kuffaar who openly show their kufr. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them. 146. Except those who repent (from hypocrisy), do righteous good deeds, hold fast to Allaah, and purify their religion for Allaah (by worshipping none but Allaah, and do good for Allaah’s sake only, not to show off), then they will be with the believers. And Allaah will grant the believers a great reward” [al-Nisa’ 4:145-146] One of the attributes of the Lord is that He accepts repentance and rejoices over it by His grace. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do” [al-Shoora 42:25] “Know they not that Allaah accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the Sadaqaat (alms, charity), and that Allaah Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful?” [al-Tawbah 9:104] It was narrated that Abu Hamzah Anas ibn Maalik alAnsaari (may Allaah be pleased with him), the servant of 102

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the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave than any one of you who finds his camel after having lost it in a desolate land.” Agreed upon. According to a report narrated by Muslim (2747): “Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave than any one of you if he is on his camel in a desolate land, then it runs away from him and on it is his food and drink, and he despairs of finding it, so he goes to a tree and lies down in its shade, having despaired of finding his camel, then while he is like that, it suddenly appears in front of him and he takes hold of its reins and says, because of his intense joy, ‘O Allaah, You are my slave and I am your lord,’ making this mistake because of the intensity of his joy.” It was narrated from Abu Moosa ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qays al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah spreads out His hand at night to accept the repentance of the one who sinned during the day, and He spreads out His hand by day to accept the repentance of the one who sinned during the night, (and that will continue) until the sun rises from the west.” Narrated by Muslim, 2759. It was narrated from Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will accept the repentance of His slave so long as the death-rattle has not yet reached his throat.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3537; classed as hasan by al-Albaani. Secondly: The blessings of repentance come in this world 103

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and in the Hereafter, some are visible and some are hidden. The rewards of repentance are: purity of heart, erasing of sins and increasing of hasanaat (good deeds). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) the Day that Allaah will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad) and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and (with their Records Books of deeds) in their right hands. They will say: ‘Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Siraat (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things’” [al-Tahreem 66:8] The reward of repentance is a good life in the shade of faith, contentment, peace of mind and tranquility. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace (i.e. the one who helps and serves the needy and deserving, physically and with his wealth, and even with good words)” [Hood 11:3] The reward of repentance is blessings coming down from heaven, blessings coming from the earth, an increase in one’s wealth and offspring, blessings in productivity, good physical health and protection from diseases. Allaah says of Hood (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 104

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“And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah)” [Hood 11:52] Thirdly: Everyone who repents to Allaah, Allaah accepts his repentance. The caravan of those who have repented to Allaah will not be interrupted until the sun rises from the west. One repented from banditry, another from adultery, and others from drinking alcohol, taking drugs, severing the ties of kinship, not praying or being too lazy to pray in congregation, disobeying parents, dealing in riba (usury) and bribes, stealing, shedding blood, consuming people’s wealth unlawfully, or smoking. Anyone who repents to Allaah from any sin is to be congratulated, because it is as if they have been born anew through their sincere repentance. It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed Sa’d ibn Maalik ibn Sinaan al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There was among the people who came before you a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him, told him that he had killed ninety-nine people, and asked if he could be forgiven. The hermit said, ‘No,’ so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The scholar said, ‘Yes, what could possibly come between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a town, for in it there 105

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are people who worship Allaah. Go and worship with them, and do not go back to your own town, for it is a bad place.” So the man set off, but when he was halfway there, the angel of death came to him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him. The angels of mercy said: ‘He had repented and was seeking Allaah.’ The angels of wrath said: ‘He never did any good thing.’ An angel in human form came to them, and they asked him to decide the matter. He said: ‘Measure the distance between the two lands (his home town and the town he was headed for), and whichever of the two he is closest to is the one to which he belongs.’ So they measured the distance, and found that he was closer to the town for which he had been headed, so the angels of mercy took him.” (Agreed upon). According to a version narrated by Muslim (2716): “He was closer to the righteous town by a handspan, so he was counted among its people.” According to a version narrated by al-Bukhaari (3470): “Allaah commanded (the righteous town) to draw closer and (the evil town) to move away, and he said: “Measure the distance between them,’ and he was found to be closer to (the righteous town) by a handspan, so he was forgiven.” According to a version narrated by Muslim: “He leaned with his chest towards it”. What is meant by repentance is returning to Allaah, giving up sin and hating it, and regretting falling short in obedience to Allaah. Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Repentance is essential from every sin, even if it is something between a person and Allaah and has nothing 106

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to do with the rights of another person. There are three conditions of repentance: 1- You should give up the sin 2- You should regret having done it 3- You should resolve never to go back to it. If one of these three is missing, then your repentance is not sincere. If the sin has to do with the rights of another person, then there are four conditions: the three mentioned above and restoring the rights of that person. If it is money or property, etc, it must be returned to him; if it had to do with slandering him etc, then you should allow him to insult him in return, or ask for his forgiveness; if it had to do with backbiting about him, then you have to ask for his pardon. It is essential to repent from all sins; if a person repents from some, his repentance from the sins from which he repented is valid – according to the scholars who follow the right path – but he must still repent from the rest as well. End quote. Based on the above, if these conditions are met by the person who is repenting, then there is the hope that his repentance will be accepted, by Allaah’s leave. After that he should not worry about waswaas (whispers) suggesting that his repentance is not accepted, because that is from the Shaytaan and is contrary to what Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have told us, that repentance is accepted if it is sincere. See also questions no. 624, 13630, 13990, 14289 and 34905. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 107

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40664: Practising the secret habit (masturbation) in Ramadaan without ejaculating Question: When I was a teenager I used to masturbate sometimes during the day in Ramadaan, but I did not let the semen come out of the penis because I blocked it, but I still reached climax. What is the ruling on my fast, and how can I expiate for this grave sin? Please note that I do not know how many days I did this. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. It should be noted that this habit is haraam according to sharee’ah, as is indicated in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We have already quoted the evidence in detail in question no 329. This habit is something that is repulsive to sound human nature and reason, and it is not befitting for a Muslim to lower himself to this level. It should also be noted that sin has negative consequences a person, in this world and in the Hereafter, if he does not repent and if Allaah does not bestow His mercy upon him. We have already discussed this in the following questions: 23425, 8861, 45040. With regard to the ruling on the matter mentioned in the question, if you engaged in the secret habit but no semen came out as a result, then the fast is not invalidated, according to the most sound scholarly opinion, because what matters is the emission of semen. If it did come out 108

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then the fast was invalidated and it has to be made up. If it did not come out then the fast is not invalidated. But whatever the case you have to repent to Allaah and seek His forgiveness for wasting the fast by doing such things. Semen may be emitted a short while later even if you prevented it from coming out. In that case the fast of that day is invalidated and you have to make it up. If you do not know how many days your fast was invalidated, then try to work it out until you reach a figure you think is most likely, then make up the days that you owe. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Sharh Zaad al-Mustaqni’: Is it possible for semen to move without being emitted? Yes, that is possible, when a person’s desire subsides for some reason, then semen does not come out. And they gave another example: if a person holds his penis so that no semen comes out. Even though the fuqaha’ gave this as an example, it is very harmful. The fuqaha’ (may Allaah have mercy on them) gave something as an example regardless of how harmful or not it may be. But usually in such cases the semen is released after the person lets go of his penis. Some of the scholars said that ghusl is not required if the semen moves. This is the view favoured by Shaykh alIslam and is the correct view. The evidence for that is as follows: 1 – The hadeeth of Umm Salamah in which it says: “Yes, if she sees water.” He did not say, If she feels it moving. If ghusl were required when it moves, then he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have pointed it out because there would have been a need to do so. 2 – The hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri: “Water is for water.” In this case there is no water (i.e., emission). So 109

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this hadeeth indicates that if there is no water (emission) there is no need for water (ghusl). 3 – The basic principle is that the person remains pure (taahir) and no ghusl is required. This principle cannot be changed unless there is evidence to that effect. Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 1/280 See also: al-Furoo’, 1/197; al-Mabsoot, 1/67; al-Mughni, 1/128; al-Majmoo’, 2/159; al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 4/99 See also questions no. 38074 and 2571. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 40589: Practising the secret habit (masturbation) in Ramadaan Question: I have a friend who told me that he had practised the secret habit in Ramadaan and asked me: what is the ruling on that? After Ramadaan ended he made up that day – what is the ruling?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Your friend has to realize that that this habit is haraam according to sharee’ah, as is indicated in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We have already quoted the evidence in detail in question no 329. This habit is 110

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something that is repulsive to sound human nature and reason, and it is not befitting for a Muslim to lower himself to this level. It should also be noted that sin has negative consequences a person, in this world and in the Hereafter, if he does not repent and if Allaah does not bestow His mercy upon him. We have already discussed this in the following questions: 23425, 8861 . This habit has many harmful effects, such as weakening the body, and increasing the gulf between a person and his Lord. It is one of the major factors in depression. With regard to the matter mentioned in the question, if he ejaculated as a result of masturbation then his fast is invalidated and he has sinned; he has to refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day, and he also has to make up that day. We have already discussed this in detail in the answer to questions no. 38074 and 2571. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 44615: He said that he committed zina with a woman but he was lying Question: I am suffering deep torment because of a sin that I committed in the past, and I do not know how to rid myself of it. My life has been turned into hell because of this thing. Five years ago I was living in a religious vacuum, and I was far away from Allaah. I have a cousin who was the only friend I had in the whole world. One day the Shaytaan 111

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tricked me, and I told my cousin that I had an illicit relationship with some girls, but in fact I had no relationship at all with them. I do not know the punishment for this sin. Unfortunately I thought that manhood meant having relationships with women as many young men think nowadays. No one knows about this and news of it did not reach those women. In Ramadaan last year I repented to Allaah. I had a relationship with some women by phone and internet, so I told them that I had repented and severed my ties with them. I felt the sweetness of faith that I had never felt before. But I still remember the sin that I committed several years ago. It has to do with people’s honour. I prayed istikhaarah and thought about it a great deal, and I am still hesitant. Should I tell my friend that I lied to him so as to prove to him that these women are innocent of what I said about them, in which case I will lose my only friend when he sees that I lied to him? Or should I keep quiet and not say anything, but I fear Allaah’s punishment for this sin, so what should I do?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We ask Allaah to forgive your sin and to conceal your fault, and to help you avoid temptations both obvious and hidden. With regard to your question, it can be answered in the following points: 1 – It seems from your question that the one whom you 112

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accused of committing forbidden actions is a specific woman whom you and your cousin know. If it is a specific, known, woman, then this is slander by you against her, which is a major sin and an abhorrent forbidden action, because it is a slander against her honour and a transgression of the limits set by Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, as was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him): “Avoid the seven sins that doom one to Hell.” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what are they?” He said: “Associating others with Allaah (shirk), witchcraft, killing a soul whom Allaah has forbidden us to kill, except when it is lawful, consuming riba, consuming the orphan’s wealth, running away from the battlefield, and slandering chaste believing women who never even think of anything touching their chastity (cf. al-Noor 24:23).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 2615; Muslim, 89. As well as slandering that woman, you are also saying that you yourself committed zina, even if you are lying. But if it is not a specific women, for example you said, “I did such and such with a woman,” and did not refer to a specific woman, then this is not regarded as slandering anyone, but you are still saying that you committed zina for which a hadd punishment is deserved, so you have to clear your own name. It says in Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’: If a person says, “I committed zina with a woman, but I do not know who she was,”, his confession is valid and he should be punished. Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’, 7/51 2 – If it is a specific woman, but you have repented and regret what you did, part of your repentance is to tell others that you were lying, so you have to tell your cousin that you were not telling the truth, because you have to clear the name of that chaste woman. It is not permissible for 113

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you to give precedence to the friendship with your cousin by slandering the honour of a Muslim woman. Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni: The apparent meaning of Ahmad’s words is that the repentance of the slanderer is to state that he was lying. So he should say, “I was lying when I said that.” This is the view of al-Shaafa’i. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: Those who said that also include Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib, ‘Ata’, Tawoos, al-Shu’bi, Ishaaq, Abu ‘Ubayd and Abu Thawr. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated in al-Musannaf (5/77) that Tawoos said: His repentance (i.e., the one who accused someone of zina) is to say that he was lying. 3 – You should note that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allaah by angering people, Allaah will suffice him against people, but whoever seeks to please people by angering Allaah, Allaah will leave him to the people.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2414; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. This hadeeth indicates that what you fear of a bad relationship between you and your cousin is an insignificant matter. Whoever obeys Allaah and seeks to please Him, Allaah will suffice him against people. So you should care more about your relationship with your Lord than your relationship with your cousin. Remember that this is one of the trials with which Allaah tests you, so do what is right and put your trust in Allaah, and do not fear the blame of anyone. Pray a great deal for forgiveness, repent and make du’aa’ to Allaah, asking him to make you steadfast in speaking the truth, and to reconcile you and your cousin, for the hearts of men are between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful, and He turns them however He wills. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 114

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44593: Fleeing to Madeenah form tribulation Question: How can I flee to Madeenah to save myself from the tribulations that have appeared and become prevalent??. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. It is proven in the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Madeenah is like a bellows that eliminates the dross and enhances the good elements.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6785; Muslim, 1383. Al-Nawawi said: What this means is that those who faith is contaminated will leave Madeenah and those whose faith is sincere will stay there. It is proven in the hadeeth of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no land that the Dajjaal will not enter, apart from Makkah and Madeenah. At every path of them there are angels in ranks, guarding them. Madeenah will be shaken three times with its inhabitants, and Allaah will bring out of it every kaafir and hypocrite.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1782; Muslim, 160. And it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There will come a time when a man will say to his cousin and relatives, ‘Come to an easy life, come to an easy life,’ but Madeenah will be better for them if only they knew. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, no one leaves Madeenah because he 115

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prefers to lives elsewhere but Allaah will replace him with someone who is better. Madeenah is like a bellows that brings out the dross. The Hour will not begin until Madeenah is cleansed of its evil people like the bellows cleanses iron of dross.” Narrated by Muslim, 1381. These ahaadeeth explain that no evil will remain in Madeenah and that it is always cleansed of its evil; the Dajjaal will never enter it, and it is a better for those who leave it for other places. But this does not necessarily mean that those who leave Madeenah have been tempted by the Shaytaan. Allaah has created the causes of remaining steadfast in adhering to truth and guidance, just as He has created the causes of going astray. Everything is in the hand of Allaah, from beginning to end, and Allaah creates causes for everything. Some of the causes and means of remaining steadfast in adhering to guidance are as follows: 1- Remembering Allaah a great deal (dhikr), praying and reading Qur’aan 2- Always making du’aa’ and asking Allaah to make one steadfast 3- Keeping company with good people and sitting with righteous people 4- Keeping away from situations and places that provoke desires and cause temptation 5- Arming oneself with Islamic knowledge 6- Calling people to Allaah (da’wah) and sacrificing that which is most precious for the sake of Allaah 7- You should read the books Ways to Steadfast Faith and the book , 33 Ways of Developing Khushoo’ in Salaah on 116

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this website (under Useful Material > Books). May Allaah help you to do all that is good. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 45670: He used to take money without his parents’ knowledge; what should he do now? Question: I have a very important question, which I hope you can answer. My father has a store in which he sells cards for public telephones. Every time I needed a card I used to tell my father or my mother that I was going to take a card from the store and they would let me do that. But there came a time when I needed a card nearly every day. And I would take a card with the knowledge of the clerk who was working in the store, but I did not tell my father or mother, because I felt that they would never agree to that. When I realized how wrong this was, I never took anything without their knowledge after that. I regretted what I had done and repented to Allaah. Is repentance enough or do I have to tell them what I was doing? Or can I at least take part of my own money and give it to them without them knowing that it was me who gave them this money, because I cannot tell them openly? Can I give them the money until I have paid off what I took, knowing that I do not know the true amount I took because I took so many cards?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We hope that when you used a lot of these cards it was for good and permissible purposes, because if it was used 117

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for the opposite then your using them will be compounded by other sins too, so you should pay attention to this fact. As you have acknowledged that you were wrong to take these cards without your parents’ permission, you have to repent from doing that – praise be to Allaah Who has guided you to repent and regret your actions. But you should understand that there are conditions for repentance, which is not valid unless they are met. These conditions include: immediately giving up the forbidden action, resolving not to go back to it, and restoring people’s rightful property or seeking their forgiveness. You do not have to tell your father what you did, rather what you have to do is to return the money in whatever way you can. You should try hard to figure out the value of the cards you took without your father’s permission, and give this money to him. We ask Allaah to accept your repentance and to guide you to do righteous deeds. And Allaah knows best. For more information see the answers to questions no. 43100, 33858, 31234, 40157 And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 45001: Every time he improves in worship, he goes back to sin Question: I have a problem. Every time I do more acts of worship and my faith improves and I do more naafil acts of worship, Sunnahs and things that are mustahabb, I end up committing the secret habit (masturbation) despite the 118

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fact that I am married and have a happy family life. When I do this thing I feel that I am committing sin and I feel ashamed before Allaah. So I strive to increase my faith but it is not long before I do the same thing again. I am in a bad situation – please help me. I heard on a tape that some people are filled with selfadmiration when they increase their acts of worship, so Allaah causes them to commit sin so that they will realize that they are still slaves who have no right to admire their deeds, and whatever they do is still only a little. Am I one of these people? Is what I understood from that tape correct? Please note that, praise be to Allaah, I pray and adhere to most of the teachings of Islam, but this problem gets worse every time I do more naafil acts of worship. What is the solution? Please help me, may Allaah reward you with good. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What you have mentioned – that Allaah may test a person with sin in order to bring him back to Him, and so that he will not admire himself – has been mentioned by some of the scholars. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Sin may be more beneficial for a person, if it leads him to repent, than doing a lot of acts of worship. This is what is meant by the words of one of the salaf: ‘A person may commit a sin and enter Paradise because of it, or he may do an act of worship and enter Hell because of it.’ They said: ‘How is that?’ He said: ‘He may commit a sin and continues to think about it, and when he stands or sits or 119

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walks he remembers his sin, so he feels ashamed and repents and seeks forgiveness and regrets it, so that will be the means of his salvation. And he may do a good deed and continue to think about it, and when he stands or sits or walks he remembers it and it fills him with selfadmiration and pride, so it is the cause of his doom. So the sin may be the factor that leads him to do acts of worship and good deeds and to change his attitude so that he fears Allaah and feels shy before Him and feels humiliated before Him, hanging his head in shame and weeping with regret, seeking he forgiveness of his Lord. Each of these effects is better for a person than an act of worship that makes him feel proud and show off and look down on people. Undoubtedly this sin is better before Allaah and is more likely to bring salvation than one who admires himself and looks down on others, and who thinks that he is doing Allaah a favour. Even if he says words that indicate something other than that, Allaah is the Witness over what is in his heart. Such a person may feel hatred towards people if they do not hold him in high esteem and humiliate themselves before him. If he were to examine himself honestly, he would see that clearly.” Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/299 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “How often is it the case that one of us will be better after committing sin than he was before. In many instances a person errs and falls into sin, then he feels ashamed in his heart before Allaah and he turns to Him and repents to Him, so that he thinks of that sin all the time and continually regrets it and seeks forgiveness. But another person may think that he is obedient (towards Allaah) and that he is one of the people who obey and worship Him, so he starts to admire himself and does not turn to Allaah, which adversely affects his religious commitment. Allaah is Wise and may test a person with sin in order to 120

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set him straight, just as He may test a person with hunger in order to improve his health. Adam was only chosen after he had committed sin and repented therefrom. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance” [Ta-Ha 20:122] i.e., after he had sinned and repented, his Lord chose him and accepted his repentance and guided him. Looks at those who stayed behind from the campaign of Tabook – what happened to them? Undoubtedly their faith increased and they attained a higher status than they had before. Could the verses concerning them that will be recited until the Day of Resurrection have been revealed if they had not done that then repented to Allaah?” al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/66 Moreover it should be noted that this habit is haraam according to sharee’ah, as is indicated by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). We have already quoted the evidence in detail in the answer to question no. 329. This habit is also something that is regarded as repulsive according to man’s instincts and reason, and it is not befitting for a Muslim to lower himself to the level of doing that. It should also be noted that sin has a negative effect on a person in this world and in the Hereafter, if he does not repent and if Allaah does not bestow His mercy upon him. We have already discussed this in detail in the following questions: 23425 and 8861. There are causes for this habit, so keep away from them so that you will be able to give it up. You should do the following things: 121

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1- Strive to keep company with good, righteous, pious people, and learn from them and their experiences. 2- Always remember Allaah and recite Qur’aan, and adopt a daily wird (collection of du’aa’s and dhikrs) that you recite every day without fail. 3- Set yourself a program for learning Islamic knowledge etc. 4- Set yourself an exercise program, or join a sports club 5- Do a lot of naafil acts of worship, especially voluntary fasts, for this is an important means of resisting temptation and reducing desire. 6- Strive in making du’aa’ and ask Allaah to rid you of this forbidden bad habit and to strengthen your resolve. 7- Remember that the harms caused by the secret habit are innumerable; it weakens the body, saps one’s strength, and increases the distance between a person and his Lord. It is a major factor in depression and feelings of sin. 8- Avoid being alone as much as possible, because this habit is one of the effects of being alone. 9- Try to pray in the mosque, and pray qiyaam al-layl, because this will bring tranquility to the heart. 10-Finally, you have to repent continually, weep with fear of Allaah, humble yourself before Him, and ask Him to forgive you. If you resolve firmly each time not to go back to that habit, then your nafs threatens to overwhelm you, then resist it. “But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts, Verily, Paradise will be his abode” [alNaazi’aat 79:40 – interpretation of the meaning]. If you give in, then repent anew, and renew your promise (not 122

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to do it again). Do not despair of the mercy of Allaah, and do a great deal of naafil acts of worship and righteous deeds. “And perform AsSalaat (Iqaamatas Salaat), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night [i.e. the five compulsory Salaat (prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins). That is a reminder (an advice) for the mindful (those who accept advice)” [Hood 11:114]. May Allaah help you to do all that is good. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 45016: He stole from his father and brother, and now regrets it Question: When I was a teenager, I used to take money from my father and my older brother without their knowledge. Now I regret what I did, and I am wondering whether I should return the money to its owners, but I do not know exactly how much I took. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What you did comes under the heading of stealing, but you regret what you have done and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Regret is repentance.” Narrated by Ahmad, 3558; Ibn Maajah (4252; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. What is meant is that regret is the major part of repentance.

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Praise be to Allaah that you have been guided to repent. Part of your repentance is returning things to their rightful owners, or asking them to forgive you and let you off. You have to figure out how much you took, and do your best to work it out, then return it to your father and brother. You do not have to tell them that you had stolen this money from them, rather the point is to return the money to its rightful owners in whatever way possible. See also questions no. 31234 and 40157. If you want to tell them what happened and ask for their forgiveness, this will not harm you, in sha Allaah, especially since you did this when you were a teenager and Allaah has now enabled you to repent from it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents is like one who did not sin.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4250; classed as saheeh by alAlbaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. You must hasten to do that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his companions one day: “Do you know who is the one who is bankrupt?” They said: “Among us, the one who is bankrupt is the one who has no dirhams and no goods.” He said: “Rather the one who is bankrupt amongst my ummah is the one who will come on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting and zakaah, but he will come having insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of this one, shed the blood of that one and beaten this one, all of whom will be given some of his hasanaat (good deeds), and if his hasanaat run out before the scores have been settled, some of their sins will be taken and thrown onto him, then he will be cast into the Fire.” Narrated by Muslim, 2581. 124

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We ask Allaah to accept your repentance, and to help you to say and do the right thing. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 42464: Is it possible to return to this world to do righteous deeds? Question: My sister is dying, and she probably will not live through next month; only Allaah (SWT) knows. She has done many things in her life that she has bitterly regretted and sincerely repented for, and she is always wishing she could go back in time and correct the past. She told me she wants to know one thing before she dies: Will those who are blessed by Allah’s mercy and granted the eternal Jannah, since they will be given anything and everything their heart so wishes in the Hereafter, be able to somehow go back in time, back into the earthly past by Allaah’s leave and correct their own and others’ grave worldly mistakes and wrongdoings, by having their own special personal world in Jannah? Allaah (SWT) has said about the believers’ Jannah: “I have prepared for My righteous servants that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has not crossed the mind of man. Recite, if you wish: ‘No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy’”. Allaah (SWT) will give those who dwell in Jannah rewards that they have not ever even dreamed of; therefore, will He give them that which had crossed their minds in this life but could not have, and my sister’s wish in particular? Please, please answer as quickly as possible. This is terribly distressing to my sister, and she most likely will not live past the next few weeks. Only Allaah (SWT) knows. Please help, and may Allaah (SWT) bless you in this life and the next. 125

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: You should note, may Allaah bless you, that people’s life spans are in the hand of Allaah, Who says (interpretation of the meaning): “For everything there is a time prescribed” [al-Ra’d 13:38 - Pickthall] “and no person knows in what land he will die” [Luqmaan 31:34] It is not possible for anyone to know when he will die; it is only speculation which may be proven true or may be proven false. Sickness – for example – does not mean that a person will die soon, just as being young and strong does not mean that a person will live for a long time. How often have people assumed that a sick person will die soon, then he has lived for a long time. And how often has death come suddenly to a healthy person. The poet spoke the truth when he said: Equip yourself with piety, for you do not know, when night comes, whether you will live till dawn. How many young men laugh in the evening and the morning, when their shrouds have been prepared but they do not realize? How often do people hope for a long life for young people, then their bodies enter the darkness of the grave. 126

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How many brides have been adorned for their grooms, when it has been decreed on Laylat al-Qadar that their souls are to be taken. How many healthy people have died for no reason, and how many sick people lived for a long time. What is required of the believer is to prepare for death at any time, by repenting to Allaah and doing righteous deeds. Ibn Maajah (4259) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: I was with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a man from among the Ansaar came to him and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with salaam, then he said: “O Messenger of Allaah, which of the believers is best?” He said: “The one who is best in attitude.” He said: “Which of the believers is most wise?” He said: “The one who remembers death the most, and is best prepared for what comes after it. Those are the wise.” AlIraaqi said: its isnaad is jayyid. It was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. Praise be to Allaah Who has guided your sister to repent and to regret what she has done in the past. We send her the glad tidings that if she is sincere in her repentance, then Allaah will accept her repentance and will turn her bad deeds into good deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:70] See also question no. 14289

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Secondly: When the believer enters Paradise, Allaah will give him all that he wishes for, and more than he wishes for. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Trays of gold and cups will be passed round them; (there will be) therein all that innerselves could desire, and all that eyes could delight in and you will abide therein forever” [al-Zukhruf 43:71] Al-Bukhaari (806) narrated from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with them) in a lengthy hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told them of the last of the people of Paradise to be admitted to Paradise. Allaah will say to him: “Tell Me your wishes.” So he will say all that he wishes for, and Allaah will prompt him to mention other wishes and when he cannot wish for any more, Allah will say “You will have that and a similar amount besides.” Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to Abu Hurayrah, The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Allaah said, ‘You will have that and ten times more.’” Abu Hurayrah said, “I only remember the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying, ‘You will have that and a similar amount besides.’” Abu Sa’eed said, “I heard him saying, ‘You will have that and ten times more.’” But if a believer wishes to go back to this world then he will not be granted that, because Allaah has decreed that no one will go back to this world. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 128

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“And a ban is laid on every town (population) which We have destroyed that they shall not return (to this world again, nor repent to Us)” [al-Anbiya’ 21:95] i.e., the people of the towns that Allaah has destroyed will wish to go back to this world so that they can make up for what they missed. See Tafseer al-Sa’di, 868. Al-Bukhaari (2817) and Muslim (1877) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one who enters Paradise will wish to come back to this world, even if he were to be given all that it contains, except for the martyr, who will wish that he could come back and killed ten times because of the honour that he sees.” But that wish will not be granted to him. Al-Tirmidhi (3010) and Ibn Maajah (190) narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Haraam said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) met me on the day of Uhud and said: ‘O Jaabir, shall I not tell you what Allaah said to your father?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allaah.’ He said: ‘Allaah has never spoken to anyone except from behind a screen, but He spoke to your father directly and said: “O My slave, ask something from Me and I shall give it to you.” He said, “O Lord, bring me back to life so that I may be killed for Your sake a second time.” The Lord, may He be glorified, said: “I have already decreed that they will not return to life.” He said, “My Lord, then convey (this news) to those whom I have left behind.” Allaah said: “Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allaah. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision” 129

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[Aal ‘Imraan 3:169].’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. We ask Allaah to bless your sister and all the Muslims with sincere repentance. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 40217: He has repented from dealing with a riba-based bank but he does not know what his capital was Question: I have a friend who used to deal with riba-based banks, and he took a loan and engaged in other riba-based transactions – we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. Allaah blessed him with guidance and he stopped all his dealings with the banks. Now he does not know his original capital, and he cannot separate it from the loans and the interest. He wants to purify himself and his wealth from previous years. What should he do? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Your friend should contact the bank to find out how much the interest was that was added to his capital, then he should get rid of this interest by spending it on charitable causes. See question no. 292 and 2370. If he does not know how much it is exactly, he should pay what he thinks is most likely to be the amount of 130

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interest that he took, and Allaah does not burden any soul beyond its scope. With regard to the interest-based loans that he took and has paid off, that belongs to him. It is sufficient for him to repent and regret what he has done, and to resolve not to repeat such haraam actions. We praise Allaah for helping him and guiding him away from these haraam interactions, and we ask Him to bless him in his wealth and to provide for him of His bounty. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 42992: She committed incest with her brother – should she tell her husband? Question: Between the ages of 10 and 14 she committed immoral actions with her brother who was three years older than her, but intercourse did not take place. Then she grew up and realized that she was sinning, and she and her brother gave up this action and regretted it deeply. She fell in love with a young man and did everything with him except intercourse. Should she tell her husband in the future of what she did with her brother in the past? Is it true that her parents’ marriage is regarded as null and void because of what they did? How should the relationship be between her children and her brother’s children in the future? How can she repent and seek forgiveness for her sins? Will her sin be forgiven if she says “Yaa Ghafoor, yaa Raheem, yaa ‘Afuw” repeatedly?. 131

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What you have to do is to repent to Allaah and seek His forgiveness for what you have done. What you have done is no minor matter. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Faahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin, and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allaah Forgives him)” [al-Isra’ 17:32] What you and your brother did is a kind of approaching zina (unlawful sex). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O ummah of Muhammad, by Allaah there is none more indignant than Allaah when His slave, male or female, commits zina. O ummah of Muhammad, if 132

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you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1044; Muslim, 901. So what you and your brother have to do is to repent to Allaah from what you have done, and to do a lot of righteous deeds such as praying, fasting and giving charity, so as to atone for your evil actions. What happened between you and that man is another sin. Our advice to you is to check yourself and realize that when Allaah becomes angry with His slave He dooms him and removes blessing from his entire life, if he does not repent and turn back to his Lord. With regard to telling your husband about what has happened to you in the past, you do not have to do that once you have repented from it. You should cover yourself and not speak openly of something that you have done in the past. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will be forgiven except those who commit sin blatantly. It is committing sin blatantly if a man does something at night, then in the morning when Allaah has concealed him, he says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night,’ when all night his Lord has concealed him, and he uncovers that which Allaah has concealed.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6069; Muslim, 2990. Your parents’ marriage is not regarded as null and void, because there is not connection between what happened and your parents’ marriage. “And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden” [Faatir 35:18] So if you conceal what you did, and your brother also 133

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conceals what he did – which is what you both must do – then the relationship between your children will be very normal and there will be no problems, either from the shar’i or social point of view. With regard to repentance from sin and seeking forgiveness for it, there are conditions attached, which are discussed in question no. 13990. May Allaah help you to do all that is good. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 41006: A Christian asking about repentance Question: If a man decides after a life of sinfulness to come to God and promise to reform his life, I understand that Islam says that he will be forgiven and therefore inherit the promises etc. My questions though is what has happened to the weight of this man’s sin, as in sinning he has offended God and therefore this sin has to be atoned for, who is going to atone for his sin, if God is just going to forgive him on the promise of his being good and faithful? Surely as we saw with Adam there has to be a consequence for sin.... Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Praise be to Allaah Who has guided us to Islam, for we would not have been guided had He not guided us. First of all, we thank you for your question, and we ask Allaah to bless you with guidance. 134

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Allaah has created us for a great purpose, which is to worship Him Alone with no partner or associate. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] This is the purpose of life: to worship Allaah alone. So Allaah has not created us to eat and drink… or to relax and play… or to strive and work hard… rather He has created us to worship Him and not to be ungrateful to Him; to remember him and not forget Him. This is the purpose of life, and what a beautiful purpose it is. When man lives to worship his Lord and Master, to serve His religion and establish His command, with his body on earth and his heart with Allaah and the Hereafter, then he understands the reality of this life and how insignificant this world is, and that what is left of this life should not be wasted in passing pleasures and temporary desires. O Allaah, bless us with Your guidance. Because worship requires explanation and guidance, Allaah sent His Messengers: “Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah after the (coming of) Messengers” [al-Nisa’ 4:165] Whoever submits is guided, and whoever turns away is doomed and lost. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord, so 135

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whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his ownself, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so to his own harm, and I (Muhammad) am not a watcher over you” [al-An’aam 6:104] If a person submits (becomes Muslim), he has chosen happiness for himself: “And whosoever has embraced Islam (i.e. has become a Muslim by submitting to Allaah), then such have sought the Right Path” [al-Jinn 72:14 – interpretation of the meaning] Because man is vulnerable to making mistakes and forgetting, and to falling into sin, Allaah has prescribed repentance for His slaves and has opened the door of repentance until the Hour begins, and He invites His slaves to repent sincerely. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)…” [al-Tahreem 66:8] “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31] See also question no. 14289. It should be noted that sins are of two types: 1 – Transgressions against the rights of Allaah. 2 – Transgressions against the rights of created beings. 136

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With regard to the first type: Transgressions against the rights of Allaah – such as adultery, drinking alcohol, neglecting obligatory duties such as prayer, zakaah, etc. These sins are punishable according to sharee’ah, such as adultery and drinking, for which the hadd punishment is to be carried out on the one who does them, and that is an expiation and a purification for him. If the hadd punishment is not carried out on him, but he repents to Allaah, then Allaah will accept his repentance and turn his bad deeds (sayi’aat) into good deeds (hasanaat). Whoever meets Allaah with these sins, without having repented or had the hadd punishment carried out on him, is subject to the will of Allaah on the Day of Resurrection: if He wills He will punish him and if He wills He will forgive him. Al-Bukhaari (18) and Muslim (1709) narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased with him) – who was present at the Battle of Badr and was one of the prominent figures on the night of al-‘Aqabah – that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, when there was a group of his companions around him: “Give me your oath of allegiance (bay’ah), pledging that you will not associate anything with Allaah, you will not steal, you will not commit adultery, you will not kill your children, you will not fabricate lies and you will not disobey with regard to anything that is right and proper. If you fulfil that, your reward will be with Allaah, but whoever commits any of these actions, his punishment will be in this world and it will be an expiation for him. Whoever does any of these things then Allaah conceals him, it will be up to Allaah: if He wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him.” So they gave their oath of allegiance to him on that basis. 137

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According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6416): “Whoever does any of these things will be punished in this world and that will be an expiation for him and a purification.” Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (1/68): It is understood from this hadeeth that carrying out the hadd punishment is an expiation for sin, even if the person who is punished does not repent. This is the view of the majority of scholars… Ahmad (1365) narrated that ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever commits a sin in this world and is punished for it, Allaah is too just to punish His slave a second time. Whoever commits a sin in this world then Allaah conceals that and forgives him, Allaah is too generous to go back to something that He has forgiven.” This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Arnaa’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad, and al-Haafiz classed a similar report from al-Tabaraani as hasan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70] 138

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“Verily, Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, has indeed strayed far away.” [al-Nisa’ 4:116] This verse has to do with the one who does not repent. He is subject to the will of Allaah, unless he commits shirk (the sin of associating other with Allaah), because shirk cannot be forgiven. With regard to the second type of sins: Transgressions against the rights of people, such as transgressing against their wealth by stealing it or seizing it by force, etc., or transgressing against their honour by means of gossip and slander, or harming them physically by striking them, etc. Repentance from this type of sin is subject to the condition that the rights be restored to the people, or they agree to forgive the offender. Whoever does not do that will remain subject to the effects of his sin until the Day of Resurrection, when an amount commensurate with his offence will be taken from his good deeds (hasanaat), as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has wronged anyone with regard to his honour or anything else, let him settle the matter today before there is no dinar and no dirham, and if he has any righteous deeds, an amount commensurate with his wrongdoing will be taken from him, and if he has no good deeds (to his credit) some of the bad deeds of his companion will be taken and added to his burden.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2317. From this we know that the view that the sinner must be punished in this world is a view for which there is no evidence, but if a person is punished (in this world) that 139

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will be an expiation for him, and if he is not punished then he repents from his sin, Allaah will accept his repentance. Even more false than this is the view of those who say that the punishment for sin may be borne by someone other than the sinner, as some ignorant people say concerning Adam (peace be upon him), claiming that his progeny – including the Prophets – bore the burden of his sin until God sent down His only son to be crucified and slain to free the world of sin! This is a lie and a fabrication against Allaah and against His Prophets, and is a kind of injustice of which the divinely-revealed laws are free, because Allaah does not punish anyone for the sins of another. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden” [Faatir 35:18] Allaah is too merciful and too just to punish the offspring for the sins of their father, especially since he repented and Allaah accepted his repentance. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then the Shaytaan (Satan) made them slip therefrom (the Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: ‘Get you down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time.’ Then Adam received from his Lord Words. And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful” [al-Baqarah 2:36-37] “Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts became manifest to them, and they began to cover 140

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themselves with the leaves of the Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray. Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance” [Ta-Ha 20:121-122] So two things apply in the case of Adam: he was punished for his sin, and he repented from it and Allaah accepted his repentance, and He chose him and honoured him. The point is that whoever lives a life filled with disobedience and sin only has to turn to his Lord, the most Merciful and Most Generous, and seek His forgiveness and repent, in order for Allaah to accept his repentance, as Allaah has promised (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53] This is part of the kindness that Allaah has made in this tolerant sharee’ah. It was decreed for the Children of Israel that the innocent among them kill the wrongdoers so that their repentance would be accepted [cf. al-Baqarah 2:54], then Allaah lifted this heavy burden from this nation on whom He has had mercy. Finally we ask Allaah to bless the questioner and guide him and open his heart to Islam, so that he may become a member of the Muslim ummah (nation) which accepts Allaah as its Lord, Islam as its religion and Muhammad as its Prophet. 141

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And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 40019: He pilfered some money and does not know how much, and he cannot repay it. What should he do? Question: During some part of my life I was a sinner, and my problem is that I used to pilfer from the petty cash in the place where I was. After Allaah guided me I became aware of my sin and I started to give back the money I owed. But the problem is that I do not know exactly how much it was. I tried to get the owner of the place to forgive me without mentioning the reason but I could not do it. I do not have any other money that I could use to pay it off. Will Allaah accept my repentance if I cannot return what I owe? If there is anything that I can do, what is it?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What you have to do is to repent to Allaah and return all the money that you took. Your repentance is not complete otherwise. If you do not know the exact amount, then it is sufficient to do what you think is most likely, and be on the safe side [?] when estimating how much you owe. If you are not sure whether the amount is eighty or one hundred, for example, then pay one hundred, so that you will meet your Lord free from the burden of this treachery and wrongdoing. Al-Bukhaari (2449) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has wronged his brother with 142

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regard to his honour or anything else, let him settle the matter now, before there is no dinar and no dirham, and if he has any righteous deeds some will be taken from him according to the wrong he did, and if he has no hasanaat (good deeds), some of the other person’s sayi’aat (bad deeds) will be taken and given to him.” Whatever you are unable to repay now is a debt that you owe, and you will not have discharged your duty until you pay it. What you have to do in that case is to make sure that it is mentioned in your will, lest death come upon you suddenly before you can pay it off. Al-Bukhaari (2738) and Muslim (1627) narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “No Muslim who has anything concerning which a will should be made should spend three nights without making a written will.” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: I never spent one night since I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that but I had my will with me. We ask Allaah to help you and give you strength. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 40157: He is afraid that if he returns money that he stole before he was guided, he will be found out. What should he do? Question: By the grace of Allaah, and with all praise to Him, He has guided me to the path of truth and goodness, and I hope that Allaah will complete His blessing upon me and guide

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every sinner, and bring the Muslims back to their religion, for He is Able to do that. I learned from the scholars that repentance is not valid unless I give people back what is rightfully theirs. I worked in a company nearly ten years ago, and I stole a sum of money, the exact amount of which I cannot remember, but it was no more than one hundred dinars. Returning the money now may cause some problems for me and my family, especially since my family and I are still in touch with the owners of the company. What should I do? Can I send the money to them via mail without mentioning my name, just writing a letter which says that this money was taken from them unlawfully?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We praise Allaah for having enabled you to repent. It is well known that money is the fitnah (trial) of this ummah, so being enabled to repent from having taken people’s money unlawfully is a great blessing for which you must always thank Allaah. In order to make your repentance complete you have to return the money to its owners. It is good that you are asking this question. We have already discussed this matter in our answer to question no. 31234, in which it stated that the one who wants to return property to its rightful owners does not have to disclose his identity to them, because the purpose is to restore the property to its rightful owner, not to know who the thief is. Hence you should look for a suitable way by means of which you can preserve your dignity whilst also returning 144

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the property to its rightful owners without embarrassing yourself in front of the owners of this company. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 27176: He wants to repent from homosexuality and needs help Question: I am a very serious muslim who reverted to islam many years ago. i was sexually abused as a child and after that, i am attracted to males as well as females. it is something that i hate within myself, but i don’t know how to change it. i don’t commit the actual sin often, but i do it sometime. after i do it, i hate it as i know ALLAH hates such perversion. the problem is that i am unable to help myself. i try and try to change, but i am unable to change. i beg and continue to beg ALLAH for help. i have also confessed in front of muslims seeking help, and i have been in therapy. the main thing is that i love ALLAH and the sunnah, and everything else in my life reflects this love. i am constantly striving for the pleasure and nearness of ALLAH. please please please help me. since i am plagued with this sickness, i understand why the sharia mandates that death is the punishment for homosexuality. i am potentially big and serious problem within the ummah. as long as i am alive, i may commit this perversive act. all of my friends are ,uslim and all of them are serious muslims like me. the shaitan may whisper to us and use me to detroy me and a friend’s iman. please help me. i am ready to go anywhere i need to go so that i can be subjected to the beautiful and complete sharia of ALLAH. i don’t want to commit this sin anymore, and i don’t want to be a 145

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threat to any of ALLAH’s servants. please help me soon. i don’t know where else to turn. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We will discuss four points with you and no more than that, and we hope that you will read them carefully. These four points are: the abhorrent nature of the sin of homosexuality; the damaging effects it has on health; the greatness of Allaah’s mercy to those who repent; and ways of dealing with this problem. 1 – The abhorrent nature of the sin of homosexuality Ibn al-Qayyim said concerning the people of Loot: Those who support the first view – who are the majority of the ummah, and more than one narrated that there was consensus among the Sahaabah on this point – said that there is no sin that causes more corruption than the sin of homosexuality. It is second only to the sin of kufr, and may be greater than the sin of murder, as we shall see below in sha Allaah. They said: Allaah did not test anyone with this major sin before the people of Loot, and He punished them with a punishment that he did not send upon any other nation. He sent upon them various kinds of punishment: they were destroyed, their houses were turned upside down, the earth swallowed them up, they were pelted with stones from the sky, their eyes were blinded, they were tormented and their torment was made ongoing. So they were punished severely in a way that no other nation was punished, and that was because of the evilness of this crime which almost causes the earth to shake when it is done on it; and the angels flee to the ends of the heavens and the earth when they witness it, fearing that the punishment may come 146

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upon its people and strike them too; and the earth cries out to its Lord, and the mountains almost collapse. Killing the one to whom it is done would be better for him than having intercourse with him, for if a man has intercourse with him he corrupts him in such a way that life is no longer worth living, unlike killing him in a real sense, in which case he would be a martyr who had been wronged, which may be of benefit to him in the Hereafter. And he said: The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) agreed unanimously that he should be put to death, and none of them disagreed about that. Rather they differed with regard to the manner in which he should be put to death. Some of the people thought that the difference of opinion had to do with whether [the homosexual] should be executed, and they narrated it as being a point of dispute among the Sahaabah, whereas in fact it was a matter on which there was consensus. Whoever ponders the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Faahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin, and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allaah Forgives him)”[al-Isra’ 17:32] And the verse in which He says concerning homosexuality (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) Loot (Lot), when he said to his people: “Do you commit the worst sin such as none preceding you has committed in the ‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn)?” [al-A’raaf 7:80] 147

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will see a difference between the two. For Allaah mentioned zina without the definite article, indicating it is a kind of evil action, but He mentioned homosexuality (liwaat) with the definite article al-, which means that it encompasses all aspects of faahishah or evil. Then Allaah confirms that and states that no one in the ‘aalameen (mankind and jinn) ever did this before them, as He says, “such as none preceding you has committed in the ‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn)”. Then He emphasizes that even further by mentioning it a blunt manner that demonstrates the abhorrent nature of this action, which is a man having intercourse with a man as a man has intercourse with a woman, and He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, you practise your lusts on men instead of women” [al-A’raaf 7:81] Then Allaah confirms how abhorrent that is by stating that the homosexuals distort the nature with which Allaah has created men, which is to desire women rather than men. They have twisted the natural order and they approach men with desire rather than women. Hence Allaah turned their houses upside down and their hearts likewise, and they were turned upside down, as a punishment. Then Allaah reiterated the abhorrence of their actions by judging them to have transgressed all bounds as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (by committing great sins)” [al-A’raaf 7:81] Think about this: was this, or anything similar, said 148

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concerning adultery? And Allaah reiterated the abhorrent nature of their action when He said (interpretation of the meaning): “and We saved him from the town (folk) who practised AlKhabaa’ith (evil, wicked and filthy deeds)” [al-Anbiya’ 21:74] Then Allaah the All-Knowing condemned them further by describing them as being extremely evil, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, they were a people given to evil, and were Faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)” [al-Anbiya’ 21:74] And He described them as mufsidoon (evildoers etc), as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are Mufsidoon (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischiefmakers, corrupters).” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:30] And He called them zaalimoon (wrongdoers), in the words that the angels said to Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, we are going to destroy the people of this [Loot (Lot’s)] town (i.e. the town of Sodom in Palestine); truly, its people have been Zaalimoon [wrongdoers, polytheists disobedient to Allaah, and belied their Messenger Loot (Lot)]” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:31] Think about those who have been punished in these ways, and whom Allaah has condemned in such terms. 149

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And he said: Pleasure ceased and was followed with loss; desires ended and led to misery; they enjoyed themselves for a little while, but will be punished for a long time. They grazed on filth, and they suffer a painful torment. They were intoxicated with those desires, but they have awoken in the abode of the tormented. They feel the greatest regret, by Allaah, at the time when regret is to no avail. They weep for what they did before, with tears of blood. If only you could see the highest and lowest of this group, with fire coming out from their faces and bodies when they are in the depths of Hell, drinking cups of boiling water instead of delightful drinks, being told as they are being dragged on their faces, “Taste of that which you used to earn.” “Taste you therein its heat and whether you are patient of it or impatient of it, it is all the same. You are only being requited for what you used to do”[al-Toor 52:16 – interpretation of the meaning] Adapted from al-Jawaab al-Kaafi, pp. 240-245. 2 – The damaging effects it has on health: Dr Mahmoud al-Hijaazi said in his book al-Amraad alJinsiyyah wa’l-Tanaasuliyyah (Sexual and genital diseases), when discussing some of the dangers to health caused by committing sodomy: The diseases which are transmitted by way of sexual perversion (homosexuality) are: 1. AIDS, which causes loss of acquired immunity and usually leads to death. 2. Viral inflammation of the liver 3. Syphilis 150

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4. Gonorrhea 5. Herpes 6. Bacterial inflammation of the anus 7. Typhoid 8. Amoebiasis 9. Intestinal worms 10. Anal warts 11. Scabies 12. Pubic lice (“crabs”) 13. Cytomegalovirus that may lead to anal cancer 14. Genital-lymphatic pustules 3 – The greatness of Allaah’s mercy to those who repent From the above it is clear that this immoral action is seriously wrong and abhorrent, and leads to harmful consequences. Nevertheless the door is open for sinners to repent, and Allaah rejoices at their repentance. Think about what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic 151

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Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70] By thinking about the words, “Allaah will change their sins into good deeds”, you will see how great is the bounty of Allaah the Almighty. The scholars said that there are two meanings of the word “change”: (i) Bad attributes will be turned into good attributes, such as their shirk being turned into faith, their adultery into chastity, their lying into honesty, their treachery into trustworthiness, and so on. (ii) The bad deeds that they have done will be turned into good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. So what you must do is repent to Allaah and know that your coming back to Him is better for you and your family and your brothers and the entire society. Remember that life is short, and that the Hereafter is better and more lasting. Do not forget that Allaah destroyed the people of Loot in a way that He did not destroy any other nation. 4 – Ways of dealing with this problem (i) Keeping away from the things that make it easy for you to fall into this sin and remind you of it, such as: - Letting your gaze wander and looking at women or movies - Being alone with any man or woman (ii) Always keeping yourself busy with things that will 152

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benefit you in your religious or worldly affairs, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allaah’s worship” [al-Sharh 94:7] So when you have finished with some worldly task, then strive to do something that will benefit you in the Hereafter, such as remembering Allaah (dhikr), reading Qur’aan, seeking knowledge, listening to useful tapes, etc. When you finish one act of worship then start another, and if you finish one worldly task then start another… and so on, because if you do not keep your nafs (self) busy with good things, it will keep you busy with bad things. So do not give your nafs any opportunity or spare time to think about this evil action. (iii) Compare the pleasure you feel when committing this sin with the regret, anxiety and confusion that follow it and stay with you for a long time, and then the torment that awaits the one who does that in the Hereafter. Do you think that any wise man would give precedence to this pleasure which vanishes after an hour over the regret and torment that follow? You can become more convinced of this if you read the book by Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Jawaab al-Kaafi li man sa’ala ‘an al-Dawa’ al-Shaafi. He wrote it for people in a situation like yours. May Allaah make things easy for us and for you. (iv) The wise man does not give up a thing that he loves except for something that he loves more, or for fear of something he dislikes. This evil action will cause you to lose the blessings of this world and the Hereafter, to lose Allaah’s love for you, and will incur the anger, wrath and punishment of Allaah. 153

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Compare the good you will lose and the evil that will come to you because of this evil action. The wise man will see which should take precedence. (v) More important than all of the above is making du’aa’ and seeking the help of Allaah to ward off this evil from you. Make the most of the times and situations in which prayers are answered, such as sujood (prostration), before the tasleem at the end of prayer, the last third of the night, when it is raining, when travelling, when fasting, and when breaking the fast. We ask Allaah to guide you and to accept your repentance, and to help you to avoid bad deeds and bad attitudes. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 13436: Is there any hadd punishment or expiation for masturbation? Question: I would like to know.Due to masturbation I broke my hymen.Does this makes me a zaniya.Do i have to be punished with hundred lashes or is there any other punishment for this in our religion.And if there is please let me know and I also want to know can I marry a chaste person after indulging in masturbation so many times.Please answer in accordance with Quran and Sunnah. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 154

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Firstly: The secret habit (masturbation) is haraam, as we have explained in the answer to question no. 329. You have to repent from this action and give it up, and regret what you have done, and resolve not to go back to it. There are many punishments for the sinner in this world, let alone the punishment that he deserves in the Hereafter. We have already mentioned some of these punishments in the answer to question no. 23425. So hasten to repent sincerely before you are no longer able to do so, and before you feel regret at the time when regret will be to no avail. If Allaah honours you by enabling you to repent, you will be forgiven for this sin, and it will be as if it never happened. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents is like the one who did not sin.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3427. Secondly: Breaking the hymen as a result of this action is not zina, and no hadd punishment or expiation (kafaarah) is required. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about masturbation and he replied: With regard to masturbation, the basic ruling is that it is haraam according to the majority of scholars, and the one who does it should be given a ta’zeer punishment, but it is not like zina. And Allaah knows best. Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 3/439. Thirdly: If it is obvious that the hymen has been broken as a result 155

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of masturbation, then you have to tell your fiancé what happened to you, without giving any details that may cause you embarrassment. It is sufficient for him to know that this happened without any fornication, because the hymen may be broken because of exercise, being beaten, falling or being sick. You will never be exposed if you repent to Allaah and are sincere in your repentance, for Allaah is the Concealer and loves concealment. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 22880: Is it permissible to wish for death for fear of losing one’s faith Question: I used to be a religiously committed girl who was seeking knowledge, but I drifted away from righteous friends without meaning to, then I started neglecting to seek knowledge because of weak faith, and my marriage was delayed so I started to watch foreign movies and the matter is getting worse. In the past I suffered from a psychological illness and I have nearly been cured, but my current situation makes me anxious and I relax by watching movies. I do not have the responsibility of a husband or children or studies; I have finished my studies and have no opportunity to work in the place where I live. To be honest I hope I will die soon; by Allaah, this is not in order to run away from the decree of Allaah, but because I am afraid that my negligence will increase and that when I die I will have wandered from the path that leads to Paradise. Please advise me, may Allaah bless you. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 156

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Although you have drifted away from righteous friends without meaning to, but you could have avoided neglecting to seek knowledge and being careless in watching and listening to haraam things. What happened to you after that may be because of the effect of those sins. We have mentioned some of those effects in our answer to question no. 23425, which we hope you will look at. There are many women like you who have delayed marriage, but they have not done what you did. Rather they make use of their time to memorize Qur’aan, seek knowledge and call people to Allaah. This is the way in which Allaah opens hearts and puts minds at rest, and this is the way in which Allaah makes worldly matters easy for those who follow it. Your wishing for death because you fear becoming more careless and committing more sins is a great mistake. Rather you should only wish for death when you are in a better situation than you are at present. It is up to you: you can take charge of yourself and go back to the way you were, and do better than that, in sha Allaah. But you have to be honest with yourself and hasten to go back to the way that Allaah likes and is pleased with. Not everyone who wishes for death will get what he wants; hence we are afraid that your situation may become even worse, which is what makes the Shaytaan happy and angers the Most Merciful. You have to realize that. Your wish for death is not the solution to your problem. Rather the solution is to repent sincerely and to do that which pleases Allaah, and to make up for what you have missed of actions that are pleasing to Allaah. Perhaps you know that what has happened to you and what Allaah has decreed for you may be better for you, if you come back to Allaah, because you will regret what 157

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has happened and you will do more acts of obedience and worship, and Allaah will turn the bad deeds that have been recorded against you into good deeds. This is the bounty of Allaah towards His slaves. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: Whoever thinks that a person who has committed sin and then repents will be lacking is making a great mistake, for the condemnation and punishment that may befall the sinner do not affect the one who repents from sin at all. If he hastens to repent from sin then nothing will affect him, but if he delays repentance then he may be affected by some condemnation and punishment during the period between committing sin and repenting. Majmoo’ alFataawa, 10/309. And he said: But a person may do something haraam and then repent, and that is good for him if he repents from it, and by repenting he may become humble and soft-hearted, and more devoted to Allaah. Sins may serve an interest if one repents from them, because if a person does not commit sin he may become arrogant, filled with self-admiration and hard-hearted, but if he commits sin, that humbles him and softens his heart because of his repentance. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 14/474 See also the answer to question no. 21677, which describes how to treat anxiety and depression. And Allaah is the Guide to the straight path. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 27109: He has repented from a relationship with a woman over the internet Question: I m so happy. the reason is i met this sister through internet, 158

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and well i started liking her.. but before things would go further .. i kinda stopped and i realized i just couldnt like her, for i truly luved Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. so i told her sorry i cant like u anymore i luv Allah. so i was wondering is their any sin which will go in my account in the hereafter since i liked her and told her.. but then realized that its wrong.. so i left and told her i luv Allah more and i cant go against Him. so i was wondering will i get a reward for this good deed? or will i be questioned abt the sin i did before leaving this sister? thank u dear imam.. sorry to ask u such a dumb question. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We are surprised that you describe your question as “dumb”, rather it is very good, and is indicative of wisdom and religious commitment. We need people like you who strive to overcome their desires and who put obedience to Allaah and His Messenger above obedience to their own desires, and fear the standing before their Lord. We give you glad tiding for what you have done by leaving this girl and putting love of Allaah above this sin. There follow some glad tidings: 1 – The reward of two Gardens. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise)” [al-Rahmaan 55:46] Ibn Katheer said: The correct view is that this verse is general in meaning, 159

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as Ibn ‘Abbaas and others said. Allaah says “But for him who fears the standing before his Lord” i.e., on the Day of Resurrection, and forbids himself from following his whims and desires, and does not obey his desires or prefer the life of this world, and knows that the Hereafter is better and more lasting, and fulfils his duties towards Allaah, and avoids that which He has forbidden – on the Day of Resurrection he will have two Gardens with his Lord… Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/277 2 – Bad deeds will be turned into good deeds. Allaah says – after mentioning the punishment for shirk, murder and adultery – (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:70] According to the two views on the meaning of this verse, this is one of the glad tidings to those who give up sin. And it was said that their sins will be turned into acts of obedience, and it was said that their bad deeds themselves will be turned into good deeds. Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di said: “Except those who repent” from these sins and others, by giving them up immediately, regretting what they have done in the past, and resolving firmly never to go back to them. “and believe” in Allaah with true faith, which implies giving up sin and doing acts of obedience. “and do righteous deeds” means those that are enjoined 160

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by sharee’ah, if the intention is to seek the pleasure of Allaah. “for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds” means, he will make their deeds different, so where they used to do bad deeds, they will now do good deeds. So their shirk is changed into faith, their disobedience into obedience. The bad deeds that they used to do, from which they repented, turning to Allaah, and worship, are turned into good deeds, as is the apparent meaning of the verse. This was narrated in the hadeeth of the man some of whose sins were counted by Allaah, then He turned each bad deed into a good deed and he said, “O Lord, I have other bad deeds that I do not see here.” And Allaah knows best. Tafseer al-Sa’di. 3 – Feeling the sweetness of faith. It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three qualities, whoever possesses them will find the sweetness of faith: when Allaah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anyone else; when he loves a man and only loves him for the sake of Allaah; and when he would hate to go back to kufr as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 16; Muslim, 43. 4 – Glad tidings of sincerity Undoubtedly for those who strive against their whims and desires and ward off haraam love and replace it with love of Allaah, this is a sign of their sincerity (ikhlaas). Ibn al-Qayyim said: Love of images [i.e. haraam love] is something which is 161

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suffered by those hearts that are devoid of love of Allaah. If the heart is filled with love of Allaah and longing to meet Him, that will ward off the sickness of love of images. Hence Allaah said concerning Yoosuf (interpretation of the meaning): “Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our chosen, (guided) slaves” [Yoosuf 12:24] This indicates that his being chosen was the reason why (haraam) love and its consequences of evil and illegal sexual intercourse were warded off from him. One of the salaf said: “Love is the movement of an empty heart” i.e., a heart that is empty of everything except the object of love. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the heart of the mother of Moosa (Moses) became empty [from every thought, except the thought of Moosa (Moses)]. She was very near to disclose his (case, i.e. the child is her son)” [al-Qasas 28:10] i.e., her heart was empty of everything except Moosa, because of her deep love for him and her heart’s attachment to him. Love is composed of two things: admiring the object of one’s love, and hoping to get what one wants. When one of them ends then the love ends too. Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/268. Strive – may Allaah bless you – to strengthen your faith and to persist in obeying and worshipping Allaah, because that is one of the greatest signs of love of Allaah. Try to 162

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continue having no contact with that girl, then the Shaytaan will not trick you into going back to her and speaking to her. Then you will be fine, in sha Allah. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 34668: Naafil prayers at times when prayer is not allowed Question: When the sun rises and sets, are all naafil prayers forbidden, even two rak’ahs for seeking forgiveness and the two rak’ahs following tawaaf and the prostration of recitation? What is the evidence for that?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: We have already discussed the issue of naafil prayers at times when prayer is forgiven. Please se questions no. 306, 8818 and 20013. Secondly: The prostration of recitation is not prayer according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. We have already discussed this in questions no. 4913 and 22650. Based on this, it is permissible to prostrate when reading one of the Qur’aanic verses where prostration is required at times when prayer is not allowed, according to the more correct of the two scholarly views, because that does not come under the same rulings as prayer. Even if we assume that it does come under the same rulings as prayer, it is 163

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permissible to do it at times when prayer is otherwise not allowed because it is something that is done for a reason, like the eclipse prayer, and the two rak’ahs following tawaaf if one has done tawaaf at a time when prayer is not allowed. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 7/264. Thirdly: Your saying, “the two rak’ahs for seeking forgiveness”; perhaps what you mean is the two rak’ahs of repentance, which are prescribed when repenting from sin. It was narrated that Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “There is no man who commits a sin then he gets up, purifies himself and prays two rak’ahs, then asks Allaah to forgive him, but Allaah will forgive him.” Then he recited this verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who, when they have committed Faahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah and ask forgiveness for their sins; — and none can forgive sins but Allaah — and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:135] Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 408; Abu Dawood, 1521; Ibn Maajah, 1395. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1346. The two rak’ahs of repentance constitute a prayer for which there is a reason, so it is permissible to do that at a time when prayer is otherwise not allowed. And Allaah knows best. In other saheeh reports there are other descriptions of the two rak’ahs which expiate for sin. 164

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This may be summed up as follows: - There is no one who does wudoo’ and does it well (because sins come out from the washed limbs with the water or with the last drop of water) Part of doing wudoo’ well is to say Bismillaah (In the name of Allaah) before starting it, and reciting dhikr after it, as follows: Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu. Allaahumma aj’alni min altawwaabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhareen. Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk (I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. O Allaah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of the purified. Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You). This dhikr recited after wudoo’ brings a great reward. - Then he gets up and prays two rak’ahs - In which he does not make any mistake - And does not let his mind wander - And he remembers Allaah and focuses with proper humility - Then he asks Allaah to forgive him The outcome will be: that he is forgiven for his previous sins and will deserve Paradise. Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/210-211. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 165

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33858: He took some money by force from a man and he wants to repent Question: A long time ago I was on a journey with some people whom I did not know and we wanted to exchange some money. One of them gave me some money to exchange it for him, so I exchanged it and spent it on my family. When he asked me for the money I told him to get lost. I have repented, praise be to Allaah, but I do not know the man or where he lives. What should I do?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. If the situation is as you describe then you did something bad and committed a great sin. You have to repent and seek forgiveness, and you have to try hard to look for the owner of the money. If you find him, then ask his pardon and give him the money. If you cannot find him then look for his heir and give him the money. If you cannot find his heir, then give the money in charity with the intention that the reward should go to the owner. If you find the owner or his heir after that, then tell him what happened; if he approves, all well and good, otherwise give him what is his due, then you will have the reward for the money given in charity. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth wa’l-Ifta’, 14/24. (www.islam-qa.com)

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34517: Hajj with haraam money Question: My wife was working as a sales clerk in a store selling women’s clothes that are haraam according to sharee’ah. Praise be to Allaah, she has now left this job. Naturally she was given a lump sum commensurate with the time she was working at that job. We had agreed – with the consent and approval of my wife – that we would use this money to cover the Hajj expenses for my father and mother. Although my father has done Hajj before, my mother has not, but they are old now. Is that permissible, or is it better for my wife and I to do Hajj? Please note that my wife and I want to do Hajj next year in sha Allah, and that we do not have any savings apart from this money. Is it permissible for us to use this money for Hajj in either case? I hope you can advise us, may Allaah reward you with all good. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: For the person who wants to do Hajj, the money for his expenses must be halaal and from a good source, because halaal money helps you to obey and worship Allaah, and keeps you from committing sin. There is the fear that if a person does Hajj with haraam money, Allaah may not accept his Hajj, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah is Good and only accepts that which is good.” Narrated by Muslim, 1015. 167

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Ibn ‘Abdoos (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Note that the pillar and foundation of religion is food that is earned by halaal means. If a person has a good source of earning, his actions will be pure. Whoever does not have a good source of earning, there is the fear that his prayer, fasting, Hajj, jihad and all other deeds will not be accepted, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are AlMuttaqoon (the pious’ [al-Maa’idah 5:27] ‘Umar looked at the people who were praying and said, “I am not deceived by any one of you raising and lowering his head. Religious commitment means being cautious with regard to the limits of Allaah, refraining from that which Allaah has forbidden, and acting in accordance with that which Allaah has permitted and forbidden.” Ibn ‘Umar said: The best of the pilgrims are those with the purest intentions and the purest earnings, and the strongest faith.” From al-Madkhil, 4/210, by Ibn al-Haajib al-Maaliki. It was narrated that one of the imams said: If you do Hajj with money whose source is haraam, you have not done Hajj, but your donkey has done Hajj. Allaah does not accept anything but that which is good, and not every one who does Hajj will have his Hajj accepted. In Mawaahib al-Jaleel Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel (2/530) it says: Whoever does Hajj with haraam money, his Hajj is not acceptable, as was clearly stated by more than one of the 168

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scholars. That is because he has not met the conditions of it being accepted, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are AlMuttaqoon (the pious’ [al-Maa’idah 5:27] A number of the scholars indicated that Hajj in this case is not acceptable, such as al-Ghazaali, al-Qaraafi, alQurtubi and al-Nawawi. Al-Ghazaali narrated this from Ibn ‘Abbaas and that is sufficient proof. Shaykh Abu ‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn Rushayd alBaghdaadi said in his qaseedah (ode) on the rituals of Hajj, which is known as al-Dhahabiyyah: Perform your Hajj with money whose source you are sure is halaal, and keep away from haraam earnings. Whoever uses haraam earnings for Hajj, need not go to the trouble of performing Hajj, Because every time he recites the Talbiyah, Allaah respond by rejecting his Hajj. Secondly: It is not permissible to make use of haraam money. Repentance from that means getting rid of it and spending it on charitable purposes. If you spend this money on your father and mother, that means that you are benefitting from it, because you are using this instead of spending on them as you are obliged to do, and this is not permissible. Thirdly: If you do not have halaal money with which you and your wife can go for Hajj, then wait until you have earned halaal 169

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money with which you can do Hajj, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:98] If Allaah blesses you with a good and halaal income, then you must hasten to do Hajj. We ask Allaah to accept your good deeds and ours, and to help us to repent sincerely. And Allaah knows best. Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 34161: She committed a haraam action with a man thinking that she was helping him and being kind Question: I am a girl of good character, praise be to Allaah. But one of my faults is that I love people more than is necessary and I cannot bear to see anyone suffering without sharing his pain. At work there is a young man who is sick with a sexually-transmitted disease. I got close to him and he got close to me so that I could reduce his pain and be kind to him, and I tried to help him but without getting involved sexually with him. I know that this is haraam, but is this zina? How should I deal with this young man who is with me at work all day long? Please note that I have asked Allaah to forgive me for 170

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what I have done and I now fast every Monday and Thursday, and I pray and hope that Allaah will forgive me. I am now confused and I do not know whether Allaah will forgive me or what. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly you have committed a grievous sin, in fact a number of sins, starting with your speaking to this man about these sexual matters, and ending with what you did to treat him. The Shaytaan has gradually led you astray and made you fall into evil; he has deceived you and made it look to you as if you are helping others and being kind to them. No matter how soft-hearted a person may be, no matter how sensitive towards others, there are limits that must not be crossed. We understand from your question that you work in a place where you mix with men. This is where evil begins. Perhaps this is an example of the evil consequences of women mixing with men at work. See also question no. 1200 and 6666. You should note that it is not permissible for women to speak with men except for necessary purposes, when it should be done in a decorous and dignified manner, without speaking in a soft tone, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner” [al-Ahzaab 33:32] 171

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If speaking in a soft manner is forbidden, then what about a woman speaking to a man about sex and sexual diseases?! You must strive to leave this mixed work place and cut off all ties with this man whose lack of religious commitment is worse than any physical problems he may be suffering. With regard to the question of whether what you have done is zina or not, the answer is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, according to the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (5744) and Muslim (4801) from Abu Hurayrah: “Allaah has decreed for the son of Adam his share of zina, which will inevitably catch up with him. The zina of the eyes is looking and the zina of the tongue is speaking. The nafs (self) wishes and desires, and the private parts confirm that or deny it.” Al-Nawawi said: The meaning of this hadeeth is that the son of Adam has his share of zina decreed for him. Some of them commit zina in real terms, by engaging in illicit sexual intercourse. Some of them commit zina in a figurative sense by looking at haraam things or listening to stories or songs of zina and anything that may lead to it, or by touching or kissing a non-mahram woman, or by speaking in a haraam fashion with a non-mahram woman, and so on. These are all kinds of figurative zina, and the private part confirms that or denies it meaning that zina with the private parts may take place or may not. And Allaah knows best. But by Allaah’s mercy towards His slaves He opens to them the door of repentance and seeking forgiveness, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship 172

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with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] “And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then verily, he repents towards Allaah with true repentance” [al-Furqaan 25:71] You said that you have repented to Allaah, so do a lot of righteous deeds, so that Allaah may forgive you. Part of repentance means cutting all ties with this man and asking to be transferred away from the place where he works, indeed to be transferred away from a mixed workplace altogether, as stated above. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 20848: He hugged his sister when they were both naked Question: When I was 13 years old (adult) I took my sister and hugged her naked. Our gentles touched. But there was no penetration. After 23 years I feel miserable. I want to know is my action subject to hadd If I repent do I need to confess so hadd can be carried on me or is repentenc enough. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 173

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You have to repent to Allaah from this evil and reprehensible action, and regret what you have done, and resolve never to return to anything like this. Whoever repents, Allaah will accept his repentance, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah accepts the repentance of the one who repents.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6426; Muslim, 1048. It is obligatory to repent from the great sin that you have committed. We ask Allaah to forgive us and you, and to help you to repent sincerely. You deserve to feel sorry and to regret what you did, because a man should protect his family and fight to defend their honour. (Whoever dies defending his honour is a shaheed or martyr). So how could he be the aggressor and sinner? Perhaps this incident will make you more certain of the importance of raising children with moral values and separating them in their beds, and keeping them away from the things that may lead to evil and the things that may provoke desires in them and make them fall into evil. After all of this we advise you to cover yourself and not tell anyone of what happened. There is no hadd punishment to be carried out on you, rather all you have to do is repent sincerely and do a lot of good deeds (because good deeds wipe out bad deeds). And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 34905: Repent before it is too late Question: Do you have any advice for young men who are indulging 174

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in worldly pleasures and who forget to prepare and strive for the Day of Resurrection?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Our advice to negligent youth is to repent before it is too late and before they come to regret not doing their duty towards Allaah. For death may come suddenly; and Allaah may give respite but no wrongdoer can escape His punishment, and He is Almighty and is the One Who wreaks vengeance. Sin has an effect on the body and soul, and its consequences may come in this world, before the Hereafter. They should remember the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the six whom Allaah will shade from the heat of the Day of Resurrection in the shade of the Throne: “… and a young man who grew up worshipping Allaah …” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 660; Muslim, 1031. They should feel shy before their Lord and should feel ashamed when the ummah is being attacked by its enemies and needs young people to lead this ummah out of its crisis and to fight the enemy in jihad in obedience to Allaah. They should think of the last verse of the Qur’aan to be revealed, and the last command that Allaah gave to mankind (interpretation of the meaning): “And fear the Day when you shall be brought back to Allaah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly” [al-Baqarah 2:281] And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 175

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34807: His friends have some pictures of him and he has asked them to destroy them, but they refused Question: Some of my friends have pictures of me and I asked them for these pictures so that I could destroy them, fearing the punishment of Allaah. Some of them gave them to me but others refused, saying that the sin will be on them and not on me. Is this correct? I hope that you can advise me. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Allaah erases sin by means of sincere repentance from sin, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam destroys that which came before it [of sin], and repentance destroys that which came before it [of sin].” You have to destroy the pictures that you have, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him): “Do not leave any image without blotting it out and do not leave any elevated grave without leveling it.” Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh. With regard to the pictures of you that other people have, if you ask them to return them and they refuse, then you are free from any blame and your sincere repentance includes these pictures too; the sin is on those who are keeping them. May Allaah guide us all. 176

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Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah by Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 4, p. 422 (www.islamqa.com) 37799: He has recently started to pray regularly Question: Only recently have i started reading my 5 daily prayers and i don’t have much knowledge in islam. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Congratulations on your repentance, congratulations on your repentance. Allaah rejoices greatly over the repentance of His believing slave. Al-Bukhaari (6309) and Muslim (2747) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave when he repents than any one of you would rejoice over his camel that ran away from him in the wilderness, carrying his food and drink, and he despaired of it so he came to a tree and lay down in its shade, having given up on his camel. Then while he is like that, suddenly he sees it standing in front of him, so he takes hold of its reins and says, because he is so happy, ‘O Allaah, You are my slave and I am Your lord!’ – making this mistake because he is so happy.” We ask Allaah to make us and you steadfast in adhering to Islam until death. 177

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You should also do a lot of good deeds, especially during this blessed month. Adhere to fasting and praying Taraaweeh, and reading Qur’aan. And give a lot of charity, because charity is one of the means of forgiveness of sins. With regard to acquiring knowledge, you could set aside time for yourself each day to read some useful booklets and listen to lessons via the internet or on tapes. See also question no. 22330, 14082. You could also read some of the answers on this site, especially those that have to do with the rulings that every Muslim needs to know, such as the rulings on tahaarah (purity), wudoo’, ghusl, prayer, etc. If you find any matter difficult to understand, we would be happy to hear any questions you may have. May Allaah help you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 20642: Does committing a sin openly put a person beyond the pale of Islam? Question: Is it kufr to commit a sin openly and discuss about sinful activities such as movies, songs etc? Does this rule apply to both major as well as minor sins? Please pay attention to this question, as a number of our brothers and sisters who have newly inclined towards Islam are facing this problem. 178

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. One of the things concerning which there can be no doubt is the fact that committing acts of disobedience and major sins openly is sin upon sin which may lead a person to kufr at the time of committing that sin openly, because he takes the prohibition on that lightly and is proud of what he is doing. There is no difference between major and minor sins with regard to this ruling. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “All of my ummah may be forgiven except those who commit sin openly. It is a kind of committing sin openly if a man does something at night, then morning comes and Allaah has concealed his sin, but he says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night,’ when his Lord has concealed him (his action) all night but in the morning he reveals that which Allaah had concealed for him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5721; Muslim, 2990 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: … There is a third type of immoral, prmiscuous evildoer, who speaks of zina with pride (Allaah forbid), and speaks of how he traveled to such and such a land, and committed immoral actions and adultery with a number of women, and so on, and he boasts about that. This person should be asked to repent; if he repents all well and good, otherwise he should be executed, because if a person boasts about committing zina, this implies that he regards zina as being permissible (Allaah forbid), and whoever regards zina as permissible is a kaafir. Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, 1/116 179

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Undoubtedly there are varying degrees of disobedience, and the level of sin varies according to the person’s state of mind whilst committing the sin and afterwards. The one who conceals his sin is not like one who commits sin openly. The one who regrets it afterwards is not like one who boasts about it. Ibn al-Qayyim said: In conclusion, evil actions vary according to their consequences. Those who have boyfriends or girlfriends commit a less serious sin than those who commit immoral actions with anyone; the one who commits sin in secret is doing something less serious than one who commits sin openly and broadcasts it. The one who keeps quiet about it commits a less serious sin than one who tells people about it. Such a one is far removed from the forgiveness of Allaah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah may be forgiven except those who commit sin openly…” Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 2/147 The basic principle is that the Muslim should follow his sin with repentance and seeking forgiveness; he should regret what he has done and resolve never to go back to it. He should not follow it with boasting and speaking openly about it. Ahmad (8792) and al-Tirmidhi (3334) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the believer commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents, gives it up and seeks forgiveness, his heart is cleansed, but if he does more then (that spot) increases until it covers his heart. That is the raan (covering of sin) which Allaah mentioned in the Qur’aan: 180

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“Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:14] Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2654 There remains one issue that was mentioned in the question, which is the committing of sin openly by those who are new in Islam. Those people are still unaware of the rulings of Islam, so they are excused if they do not know the shar’i rulings, but they should be taught. So strive to teach them, and show them this answer. May Allaah help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 20482: How can we repent from shirk? Question: Will Allah forgive us for syirik? Can we repent from syirik? How do we repent. Is there any special prayers we must offer (any duas)?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Shirk is the greatest of sins, because Allaah has told us that He will not forgive the one who does not repent to Him from it, but in the case of lesser sins the matter is subject to His will: if He wills, He will forgive the one 181

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who meets Him with that sin unrepented for, and if He wills, He will punish him. This means that we should fear shirk greatly, as it is so serious before Allaah. Fath al-Majeed, p. 58. Hence we must repent from all kinds of shirk, whether it is major shirk or minor shirk. If a person repents sincerely then Allaah will accept his repentance and forgive him his sins. After mentioning shirk in the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah” [al-Furqaan 25:68] and stating that its people will abide forever in Hell, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70] Repentance from shirk means giving it up and submitting to Allaah alone, regretting one’s neglect of Allaah’s rights and resolving never to go back to it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” [al-Anfaal 8:38] “If they cease” means, give up their kufr, by submitting 182

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to Allaah alone with no partner or associate. Tafseer alSa’di. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam destroys that which came before it” – i.e., of sins. Narrated by Muslim 121. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that the gate of repentance remains open so long at the death rattle has not reached a person’s throat. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will accept His slave’s repentance so long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3537; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1425. Whoever commits major shirk that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam must repent sincerely from that, put his actions straight and correct his intention. It is also prescribed for him to do ghusl after repenting, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Qays ibn ‘Aasim to do that when he became Muslim. (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa’i; classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Sakan. Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/317 With regard to minor shirk, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against it, fearing that his ummah might fall into it. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The thing I fear most for you is minor shirk.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 23119. al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (951): its isnaad is jayyid). And he said: “Shirk among you is more subtle than the sound of the footsteps of an ant on a rock. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, it will take that away from you, both minor and major forms of it. Say: Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lam wastaghfiruka lima laa 183

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a’lam (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware).” Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2876. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 26845: What should a man who is a partner is a camera shop do? Question: There is a man who is a partner with another in a shop selling cameras. He has repented, so how can he end his partnership in such a way that he will not lose out? What is the ruling on the money he earns from this shop?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. He should end the partnership by evaluating the worth of the shop contents and agreeing a deal with his partner. Whatever he gets from this deal is permissible for him, unless that includes pictures of animate beings or any other haraam images, in which case it is not permissible for him to keep that money, rather he should give it in charity. Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li’l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/380 (www.islam-qa.com) 13727: Ruling on using cameras after repenting Question: A man has a studio in which there were cameras. He has 184

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learned that making pictures is haraam, so what should he do with them so that he will be safe from financial loss? If he sells them to a Muslim, will that not be helping to spread sin? What is the ruling on what he earned from that? Is it permissible for him to spend it on himself and his family?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. This matter is subject to further discussion. Studios may make permissible or forbidden pictures. If the pictures that are made are of permissible things, such as cars, planes, mountains and other inanimate objects, there is nothing wrong with selling them and making images of these things which people may need and which are inanimate. But making pictures of animate beings, whether humans, animals or birds, is not permissible unless that is for a necessary purpose, such as making pictures that people need, such as identity photos. The same applies to passports and certificates which can only be issued with a photo; or making pictures of criminals so that they may be known and people may be warned against them; and so on. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity” [al-An’aam 6:119] What is meant is that he should only use it for permissible things. If he sells it to people, there is nothing wrong with that, because it may be used for good purposes or bad. This is like a person selling a sword or knife etc., which may be used for good or for evil. The sin is on the one 185

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who uses it for evil purposes. But if the vendor knows that the one who buys the knife or sword will use it for evil purposes, then it is haraam to sell it to him. Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li’l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/379. (www.islam-qa.com) 22912: He committed a sin and does not know what he should do now Question: A person who has commited sin[who knew he is commiting sin -at the time]....now that same person feels such guilt that cant be expressed. What should this person do?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The Muslim does not have to tell anyone of his sin, rather it is not recommended that he should do that. He should conceal his sin and not expose it. The Muslim should feel disturbed about his sin so that he will be motivated to repent sincerely. It is not sufficient for the Muslim to recognize that he has committed a sin, rather he should remember that Allaah is always watching, so that he will not do it at all. If the Shaytaan makes him fall into one of his traps, he must regret committing this sin and he has to give it up and resolve not to return to it. In this way the Muslim will have done what Allaah requires of him, namely sincere repentance. The Muslim must not despair of the mercy of Allaah or think that He is unlikely to forgive his sin or guide him to repentance. 186

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For the Shaytaan is eager to make the Muslim fall into sin and then he is eager to close the doors of repentance in his face. After he repents sincerely, the Muslim becomes better than he was before he committed this sin. Sincere repentance may alert him to things that he was careless about, so he gives up bad companions who help him to commit sin, and he stops travelling to immoral countries where he committed sin, and he stops watching and listening to things that Allaah has forbidden, namely singing, musical instruments and movies. Perhaps he has been careless about these matters but the sincere repentance that Allaah has enjoined awakens him to that. The Muslim may forget that Allaah is always watching before he commits the sin, because if he was aware of that he would not have done it. But if he had forgotten, then he should try to remember whilst he is committing the sin that Allaah can see him, and that the noble angels can see him, and that Allaah may decree that he should die whilst he is committing this sin – so how would he meet his Lord in the Hereafter? If the Shaytaan manages to ensnare the Muslim before and during the sin, then let him remember afterwards that Allaah stretches forth His hand at night to accept the repentance of those who sinned during the day, and He stretches forth His hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at night, and that Allaah rejoices over the repentance of His slave even though He is the one Who guided him to repent and made it easy for him, and He has no need of the repentance of this person. The Muslim must fear Allaah his Lord and regret what he has done; he must also resolve not to return to it and to 187

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do a lot of acts of worship. He must change his environment and friends, looking for something better. It is not permissible for him to mention his sin to anyone, and he should make his repentance sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone. He should also be eager to pray in congregation in the mosque and attend study circles. We ask Allaah to help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him, and to make it easy for us to do good. And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 12809: A woman attempted to kill herself but she repented before she died Question: I had a sister who was married and had three children. She was always having arguments with her husband, and she also had a disagreement with her father. The reason was that her husband treated her very harshly, which made her leave the house and go to the house of her mother, who was divorced and was married to someone else. Her mother’s husband also treated her badly. I – her brother – went and got her an apartment where she could live with me, but she often used to go to her mother. One time her mother’s husband forced her to go and leave her children with her husband, and she did that just to please her mother. One day there was an argument between her and her mother’s husband, and she went to her apartment, very upset about the calamities that had befallen her and the fact that her children had been taken away. She went and took some pills from the fridge and swallowed them all in an attempt to end her life. I took her to the hospital and had her treated. Before she died, she realized that she 188

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was about to die and she repented and started to pray a great deal for forgiveness for what she had done. She asked us to pray for forgiveness for her. Allaah willed that she should pass away. What is her situation now? Is it permissible for me to give charity and perform Hajj on her behalf? Please note that I vowed to do these actions all my life in sha Allah. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. So long as your sister repented to Allaah for what she did of trying to commit suicide, there is the hope that she may be forgiven. Repentance wipes out what came before it, and the one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all, as was narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). If you give in charity on her behalf or pray for forgiveness for her or make du’aa’ for her, that is good; it will benefit her and you will be rewarded for it. You have to fulfil the vows you made to do those acts of worship, because Allaah has praised those who fulfil their vows in the verse in which He praises the righteous: “They (are those who) fulfil (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be widespreading” [al-Insaan 76:7 – interpretation of the meaning] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever vows to obey Allaah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Allaah, then he should not disobey Him.” (Narrated by Imam al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh) Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li’l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/296 (www.islam-qa.com) 189

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9222: She had a tattoo done before she became Muslim. Is she cursed? Question: Before I converted to Islam, I got tatooed. I have recently read about a tatooed women being a cursed woman. Does this apply to me as well? If I become engaged, should I tell my husband about this before hand, in case he does not want to become engaged to a “cursed woman”?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The Muslim must realize that Islam erases any sins that came before it, and indeed Allaah changes them into good deeds, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:70] It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: When Allaah put Islam in my heart, I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “Give me your right hand so that I may give you my oath of allegiance.” So he held out his hand, but I held my hand back. He said, “What is the matter, O ‘Amr?” I said, “I want to make a condition.” He said, “What is your condition?” I said, “That I be forgiven.” He said, “Do you not know that Islam wipes out whatever came before it, and that hijrah (migration for the sake of Allaah) wipes out whatever came before it, and that Hajj wipes out whatever came before it?” (Narrated by Muslim, 121). 190

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This hadeeth indicates that whoever becomes Muslim is forgiven for all the bad deeds that he may have done before he became a Muslim. Secondly: It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that tattooing is haraam (forbidden). It was narrated that Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who does tattoos, the one who has a tattoo done, the one who consumes riba (usury or interest) and the one who pays it, and he forbade the price of a dog and the earnings of a prostitute, and he cursed the image-makers.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5032). Tattooing is a major sin, but if a person repents from it, Allaah will accept his repentance. Thirdly: Modern medicine is able to remove tattoos; the remedy exists so you can easily get rid of it, in sha Allah. Fourthly: The curse of the woman who does tattoos is not permanent; rather when a person repents from it, that curse is lifted. So it is a mistake for you to say that you are a cursed woman. Rather we ask Allaah to make you good and righteous. Fifthly: Undoubtedly the one who wants to marry you will understand this issue, especially that it was before you became Muslim. Even if it was after you became Muslim, 191

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so long as the Muslim has repented from it, he cannot be blamed or called to account for it, rather his bad deeds are changed into good deeds. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 9231: Persisting in sin Question: What will happened to that person doing same sin again and again ?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: If a person commits sin time after time, his sin is forgiven every time if he follows his sin with repentance – if his repentance each time is sincere. The evidence that it is permissible to repent time after time is the fact that those who apostatized from Islam at the time of Abu Bakr were brought back to Islam by Abu Bakr and he accepted that from them, although he knew that they had been kaafirs, then they entered Islam, then they went back to kufr, then they came back to Islam. All the Sahaabah accepted their repentance despite the fact that what the apostates had done was worse than what a sinning Muslim does. So the repentance of a sinning Muslim, even if he sins repeatedly, is more likely to be accepted than repentance on the part of a kaafir time after time. But what we are saying is subject to the condition that 192

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the first and subsequent cases of repentance be sincere and from the heart, not simply an outward show of repentance. What we are saying should not be understood to mean that we are encouraging sin and that it may be committed time after time, and that the Muslim should take the mercy of Allaah and the fact that Allaah accepts repentance as an excuse to commit sin. No, our intention is to encourage the sinner to repent time after time. We want to put the mind of the Muslim who wants to come back to Allaah at rest, and tell him that the gate of mercy is open, and that Allaah’s forgiveness is greater than his sin, so he should not despair of the mercy of Allaah and he should keep turning to Him. Al-Bukhaari (7507) and Muslim (2758) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that his Lord said: “My slave commits sin, then he says, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Then Allaah says, ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes away sin. So I forgive My slave.’ Then he commits sin again, and says, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Then Allaah says, ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes away sin. So I forgive My slave.’ Then he commits sin again, and says, ‘O Allaah, forgive me my sin.’ Then Allaah says, ‘My slave has committed a sin, but he knows that he has a Lord Who forgives sin and takes away sin. So I forgive My slave.’ …” Al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: Ibn Abi Dunya narrated with his isnaad that ‘Ali said: “The best of you is every tempted one who repents (i.e., every time he is tempted by this world, he repents).” It was said, “What if he sins again?” He said, “He should 193

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ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent.” It was said, “What if he sins again?” He said, “He should ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent.” It was said, “What if he sins again?” He said, “He should ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent.” It was said, “For how long?” He said, “Until the Shaytaan is defeated.” Ibn Maajah narrated a marfoo’ report from Ibn Mas’ood which says: “The one who repents from sin is like the one who did not commit sin.” (Classed as hasan by alAlbaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3427). It was said to al-Hasan: Shouldn’t one of us feel too shy to ask his Lord to forgive his sin, then do it again, then ask for forgiveness, then do it again? He said: The Shaytaan wishes that you would have this attitude, so do not tire of asking for forgiveness. And it was narrated that he said: I do not think this is anything other than the attitude of the believers, i.e., every time a believer sins, he repents. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said in his khutbah: O people, whoever commits sin, let him seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent. If he does it again, let him seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent, and if he does it again, let him seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent. For it is sin which hangs around a person’s neck, and doom comes from persisting in sin. What this means is that a person will inevitably commit the sins that it is decreed he will commit, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam has his share of zina (adultery) written for him, and that will inevitably catch up with him.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2657). But Allaah has given people a way out from the sins they commit and sin is erased by repentance and seeking 194

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forgiveness. If they do that then they will get rid of the evil of sin, but if they persist in sin, then they will be doomed. Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hakam, 1/164-165. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 23491: He repents then he goes back to sin Question: My problem is looking at haraam things. I repent then I go back to it, and I do not know what is making me do this?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Allaah has created us for a great purpose, which is to worship Him alone with no partner or associate. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] Every Muslim must strive to worship His Lord as much as He can. “Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah 2:286 – interpretation of the meaning] 195

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But man is weak and surrounded by enemies on all sides, and his own self urges him to do evil, and the Shaytaan flows through him like blood, and he lives in this world which is attractive to him… so how can he be safe from these enemies unless Allaah has mercy on him? However, Hell is surrounded with whims and desires, and Paradise is surrounded with difficulties. So each person must turn to Allaah and ask Him to help him to remember Him and be grateful to Him and to worship Him properly. Abu Bakr came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said to him, “Teach me a du’aa’ that I can say in my prayer.” He said, “Say Allaahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman katheeran wa laa yaghfir aldhunooba illa anta faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indika warhamni innaka anta al-Ghafoor al-Raheem (O Allaah, I have done great injustice to myself and no one forgives sin except You. Grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 834; Muslim, 2705). Think about this hadeeth, how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), who is the best of this ummah after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), to say, “O Allaah, I have done great injustice to myself.” If Abu Bakr was to say this – when he was the best of the people – then what should we say?! O Allaah, bestow Your mercy upon us. There was another Sahaabi – one of the best and most knowledgeable of the Sahaabah – to whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I love you, O Mu’aadh.” (Mu’aadh said), “And I love you, O Messenger of Allaah.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not forget to say in every prayer, ‘Rabbi a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa 196

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shukrika wa husni ‘ibaadatika (O Allaah, help me to remember You, thank You and worship You properly.).’” (al-Nasaa’i, 1303; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 1236). Look at this advice that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave to one of those whom he loved the most, how he told he to ask Allaah to help to worship Him, for if a person is deprived of such help from Allaah then he is indeed deprived. So we must turn to Allaah and ask Him to help us to do that which He has enjoined upon us. Because all human beings are bound to fall short, Allaah has commanded us to repent from all sins. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”[al-Noor 24:31] “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance” [Hood 11:3] “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahreem 66:8] “In these verses, Allaah links expiation of sin and admission to Paradise to sincere repentance, which includes giving up sin and avoiding it, regretting what has happened in the past and sincere resolve never to return to it out of fear and respect for Allaah, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment.” (Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, in Majmoo’ alFataawa – al-‘Aqeedah, part 2, p. 640). 197

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It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘By Allaah, I ask the forgiveness of Allaah and repent to Him more than seventy times each day.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6307). It was narrated that Abu Burda said: “I heard al-Agharr, who was one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “O people, repent to Allaah, for I repent to Him one hundred times each day.”’” (Narrated by Muslim, 2702). These reports encourage us to repent to Allaah. The leader of those who repent – the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – repented to Allaah one hundred times each day, so it is more essential for us to repent a great deal, because of our many sins. There is no power and no strength except with Allaah. With regard to your saying that you repent and then go back to sin, then you repent and then go back to sin, we say to you that even if you go back to sin time and time again, you should repent a great deal and annoy your Shaytaan who is laying in wait for you. Remember that Allaah “spreads out His hand at night to accept the repentance of those who sinned during the day, and He spreads out His hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned during the night, (and this will continue) until the sun rises from the west.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2759) The gate of repentance is open. Abu Hurayrah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be 198

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upon him) said: ‘Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allaah will accept his repentance.’” (Narrated by Muslim, 2703). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will accept the repentance of His slave so long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as hasan by alAlbaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2802). But you should note that there are conditions for repentance which must be met if it is to be acceptable according to sharee’ah. These conditions are explained in detail in the answer to question no. 13990. Please see also question no. 5092. Finally we advise you to strive against your self which urges you to do evil, and to seek refuge with Allaah from its evil and the evil of the accursed Shaytaan. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of his own self and from the evil and snares of the Shaytaan, as it says in the hadeeth: “A’oodhu bika min sharri nafsi wa sharri’lshaytaan wa sharakihi (I seek refuge with You from the evil of my own self and from the evil of the Shaytaan and his snares).” You should also keep away from the means of sin; Allaah has warned us against approaching zina, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to unlawful sex” [al-Isra’ 17:32] That is done by keeping away from the things that lead to zina. 199

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Keep on beseeching Allaah and making du’aa’ asking Him to give you strength, expiate your sins and bless you with taqwa (piety). We ask Allaah to bless us all with sincere repentance. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 624: Repenting From Adultery Question: Brother I don’t know what to do, but I have committed a great sin. I know the concept of confession does not exist in our beautiful religion, but I have committed fornication. I am trying to repent, and trying to ask Allah for his forgiveness. As I was reading Surah Noor, I found out that I can’t marry a chaste woman, what should I do. Please pray for me so Allah makes his punishments easy on me in the Hell fire. Answer: Al-hamdu lillaah. 1) Do not despair, for Allaah the Most Exalted and Glorified said (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: Oh my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the mercy of Allaah, for Allaah forgives all sins; for He is oft-forgiving, most merciful.” [Surah 39,Verse 53] 2) Let your repentance be truly from your heart, and stay away from all sources of temptations. Also, perform many good deeds, as good deeds abrogate the bad ones. 200

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3) If you repent to Allah, you are no longer described as a fornicator (zaani). Therefore, you can marry a chaste woman. 4) The believer has high hope and aspiration for the best from Allaah. He not only asks Allah for making his punishment easy in hellfire, but he also prays to God the Almighty to save him from Hell and award him with paradise for his repentance and good deeds. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 21223: She wants to give up prayer as she feels shy before Allaah because she is committing zina Question: I know that zina is an immoral and evil action, and I feel too shy to stand before Allaah in prayer after doing ghusl for janaabah because of engaging in zina (unlawful sexual relations). I ask Allaah for forgiveness. Believe me, I do not feel happy and content in myself because of what I am doing, but I am trying to soothe my conscience. Should I go back to praying or not, whilst continuing to commit zina? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly zina is one of the major sins, one of the worst crimes, one of the most evil and immoral of actions. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 201

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“And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Faahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin, and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allaah Forgives him) [al-Isra’ 17:32] “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace” [al-Furqaan 25:68-69] Hence Allaah decrees a severe punishment in this world for those who commit zina, namely the hadd punishment. Allaah says, describing the punishment for the unmarried person who commits zina: “The fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allaah, if you believe in Allaah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment.” [al-Noor 24:2 – interpretation of the meaning] But for the muhsan (one who is or has been married) who commits zina, the punishment is execution. It says in the hadeeth narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a previously-married man (commits zina) with a previously-married woman, (the punishment is) one hundred lashes and stoning.” (al-Hudood 3199). Because of the abhorrence and obscenity of this action, 202

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even the monkeys are offended by it, and they carried out the hadd punishment of stoning on a monkey which committed zina, as was narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari from ‘Amr ibn Maymoon who said: “During the Jaahiliyyah I saw a monkey which had committed zina, so the other monkeys got together and stoned it, and I stoned it with them.” (al-Manaaqib, 5360). How can an adult, accountable Muslim whom Allaah has honored with Islam be content to stoop to the level of animals and beasts which, whenever their desire is provoked, they satisfy it however they want? The seriousness of this sin is not limited to punishment in this world only, rather the punishment in the Hereafter is far greater and far worse. According to a hadeeth narrated by Imam al-Bukhaari from Samurah ibn Jundub, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Two (angels) came to me last night, woke me up and set out with me… until we came to something like a tannoor (clay oven), in which there was shouting and voices. We looked inside and saw naked men and women, towards whom flames came from beneath them. When the flames reached them, they cried out. I said to them [the two angels], ‘Who are these people?’… They told me, ‘As for the men and women in the structure like a tannoor oven, they are the adulterers and adulteresses…’” (6525). If a person dies committing this sin, what will be his situation? What will he say to his Lord when he stands before Him for judgement?? Is this the way to give thanks for the never-ending, innumerable blessings of Allaah? Is this the way to give thanks for the blessings of good health? Do you think that Allaah does not see you when you are committing this great sin? Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 203

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“Truly, nothing is hidden from Allaah, in the earth or in the heaven” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:5] Do you not know that these physical faculties with which you are disobeying your Creator will testify against you on the Day of Resurrection? Have you not heard the words of the Compeller (al-Jabbaar): “Till, when they reach it (Hellfire), their hearing (ears) and their eyes and their skins will testify against them as to what they used to do. And they will say to their skins, ‘Why do you testify against us?’ They will say: ‘Allaah has caused us to speak.’ He causes all things to speak, and He created you the first time, and to Him you are made to return” [Fussilat 41:20-21 – interpretation of the meaning]? So our answer is that you must hasten to repent sincerely from this great sin, regret deeply what you have done, immediately give it up and give up everything that may lead to it. The causes of zina include the following: 1 – Unveiling and wanton display by uncovering the face, hair or any part of the body. It was narrated in the hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen… Women who are clothed yet naked, who have gone astray and try to lead others astray also. Their heads look like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.” (Narrated by Imam Muslim, al-Libaas wa’l-Zeenah, 3971). 204

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2 – Being alone with a man who is not a mahram for you, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No man should be alone with a (non-mahram) woman unless her mahram is present.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3842). 3 – Beware of mixing with those whom you are not permitted to mix with, for zina only happens as a result of that. You must pay attention to your conscience and do not pay attention to the whispers of the Shaytaan when he tries to make zina look attractive and to make this crime seem insignificant. The Shaytaan has sworn by Allaah’s Glory that he will mislead the sons of Adam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “[Iblees (Satan)] said: ‘By Your Might, then I will surely, mislead them all, Except Your chosen slaves amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic Monotheism)’” [Saad 38:82] The Shaytaan has gained a victory over you in this way, but he will not stop at making you fall into this sin, rather he is striving to make sure that you will abide in Hell for eternity – we seek refuge with Allaah from that – by making the idea of giving up prayer on the basis of this false reasoning seem attractive to you. Because giving up prayer constitutes kufr or disbelief in Allaah. In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘Between a man and kufr and shirk there stands his giving up prayer.’” (al-Eemaan, 116). And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The covenant that differentiates us from them is prayer; whoever gives it up is a kaafir.” 205

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(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Eemaan, 2545; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2113) So you have to pray a great deal for forgiveness, repent and make du’aa’. You have to pray regularly and pray a great deal, and strive to be humble and focused in prayer, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and perform AsSalaah (IqaamatasSalaah). Verily, AsSalaah (the prayer) prevents from AlFahshaa’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and AlMunkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:45] “And perform AsSalaah (Iqaamatas Salaah), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night [i.e. the five compulsory Salaah (prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)” [Hood 11:114] You should not think that repentance is too difficult or feel that Allaah will never accept your repentance, for the Shaytaan is keen to sow the seeds of despair in your heart. You should note that whoever repents, Allaah will accept his repentance and change his bad deeds into good deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful. And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then verily, he repents towards Allaah with true repentance” [al-Furqaan 25:71] The gate of repentance is open, and no one can stand 206

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between you and repentance. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will accept the repentance of His slave so long as the death rattle has not yet reached his throat.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Da’waat, 3460; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2802). Allaah rejoices over this repentance. According to a hadeeth narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh from Anas ibn Maalik, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah rejoices over the repentance of His slave when he repents more than any one of you would rejoice if he were travelling in the wilderness and his camel which was carrying his food and drink wandered off, and he despaired of ever finding it, then he comes to a tree and lies down in its shade, thinking that he will never see his camel again, then whilst he is like that he sees it standing next to him, so he seizes its reins and says, ‘O Allaah, You are my slave and I am Your Lord!’ making this mistake because he is so happy.” (Baab al-Tawbah, 4932). Finally, after you have repented you must cut off all the routes that may lead to evil, by means of the way prescribed in sharee’ah which Allaah has permitted, namely marriage. You should note that it is not permissible for a Muslim man or woman to marry a person who has committed zina unless he or she repents to Allaah. If he repents and gives up this sin, then it is permissible for you to marry him after he repents. Please see questions no. 11195 and 2627. May Allaah help us and you to repent sincerely. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A (www.islamqa.com)

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23485: How can someone who used to commit adultery and steal repent? Question: If someone is a very bad Muslim. He/she commits adultry, steals, and gambles. What is the punishment for that person? Just suppose, later in his/her life he/she realize that he wants to be punished for all the sins he has commited. What should that person do? Can he/she go and tell the world to cut-off his hands, and slaughter his head because he is a sinner? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: Adultery (zina) is a major sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to unlawful sex [zina]. Verily, it is a Faahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin, and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allaah Forgives him)” [al-Isra’ 17:32] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The adulterer is not a believer at the moment when he is committing adultery; the wine-drinker is not a believer at the moment when he is drinking wine; the thief is not a believer at the moment when he is stealing; the robber is not a believer at the moment when he is robbing and the people are looking on.” (Narrated by alBukhaari, 2475; Muslim, 57). It is a major sin, and the one who does it is warned of a painful torment. In an important hadeeth – the hadeeth of 208

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the Mi’raaj – the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “We went on and we came to something like a tannoor oven.” I [the narrator] think that he said, that in it there were shouting and voices. “We looked inside and we saw naked men and women, towards whom flames were coming from the bottom of the oven. When the flames reached them they made a noise. I said to them [the two angels], ‘Who are these people?’ … They said to me, ‘We will tell you… the naked men and women in the structure like a tannoor oven are the adulterers and adulteresses.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari in Baab Ithm alZunaat, no. 7047). Allaah also punishes the adulterers severely in this world, and has prescribed the hadd punishment for that. Allaah says concerning the unmarried person who commits zina: “The fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allaah, if you believe in Allaah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment” [al-Noor 24:2 – interpretation of the meaning] With regard to one who is married, the hadd punishment is execution. It says in a hadeeth narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh (3199) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “For a married or previouslymarried person the punishment is one hundred lashes and stoning.” Secondly: Stealing is also a major sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (as for) the male thief and the female thief, cut off (from the wrist joint) their (right) hands as a recompense 209

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for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allaah” [al-Maa’idah 5:38] It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) addressed the people of the Day of Sacrifice and said: “O people, what day is this?” They said, “A sacred day.” He said, “What land is this?” They said, “A sacred land.” He said, “What month is this?” They said, “A sacred month.” He said, “Your blood, your wealth and your honour are as sacred to you as this day of yours in this land of yours in this month of yours.” He repeated it several times, then he raised his head and said, “O Allaah, have I conveyed (the message)? O Allaah, have I conveyed (the message)?” Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, this was his last advice to his ummah, so let those who are present convey it to those who are absent.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1652) The punishment for stealing is amputation of the right hand as is mentioned in the aayah quoted above. So we advise the one who is asking this question to repent and seek forgiveness for his sins. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be 210

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upon him) say: ‘Allaah says: “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you and I would not mind. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.”’” (al-Tirmidhi, 3540; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4338) It was narrated from Abu Dharr that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that Allaah says: “… O My slaves, you commit sin night and day, and I forgive all sins, so ask Me for forgiveness …” (Muslim, 2577) Fourthly: Repentance that is a matter between a person and his Lord is better for him than confessing his sin before a qaadi (judge) so that the hadd punishment may be carried out on him. In Saheeh Muslim (1695) it is narrated that when Maa’iz came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “Purify me,” he said, “Woe to you! Go back and pray to Allaah for forgiveness and repent to Him.” Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: It may be understood from this case – the case of Maa’iz when he confessed to having committed zina – that it is mustahabb for the one who falls into a similar sin to repent to Allaah and conceal his sin and not mention it to anyone, 211

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as Abu Bakr and ‘Umar said to Maa’iz. Whoever discovers anything of that nature should conceal it according to what we have mentioned; he should not expose it or refer the matter to the ruler, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in this story: “If you had concealed it with your garment it would have been better for you.” Hence al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “If a person commits a sin and Allaah conceals it for him, I prefer for him to conceal it too and to repent,” and he quoted as evidence the story of Maa’iz with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Fath al-Baari, 12/124, 125 And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) 26985: Tempted by permissive channels and internet sites Question: I am a young man who is, unfortunately, tempted by satellite channels and internet sites to such a degree that I have fallen far short in religious matters. I hope that you can help me and pray for me to be guided. May Allaah reward you. Answer: Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. We ask Allaah to guide you, and to ward off evil and immorality from you, and to make you one of His sincerely-devoted slaves. For Allaah may delay but He 212

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never forgets. How can you be sure that when Allaah sees you committing this sin, He is not going to say, “By My Glory and Majesty, I will not forgive you”? Look at these physical faculties with which you are committing sin. Do you not see that Allaah is able to deprive you of their blessings and to cause you the pain of losing them? Then look at how Allaah has concealed you (your sin) and has been patient and forbearing with you. You know about His protective jealousy over His slaves, so how can you be sure that He will not become angry with you and expose your affairs, so that people will come to know your secrets and you will suffer scandal in this world before the Hereafter? Will you get anything from haraam looks apart from grief, misery and darkness in the heart? Even if you feel some pleasure for a day or two, or for a month or a year… what will come after that? Death… then the grave… then the Reckoning… then torment, when all pleasure will vanish and only sorrow will remain. If you feel ashamed to let your brother see you committing this sin, then how can you think of Allaah as the least important of those who watch you? Do you not know that Allaah can see you, and that His angels are recording your deeds, and that tomorrow (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection) your own limbs will speak of what used to happen? Think about what will become of you after you sin: worry and distress in the heart, alienation between you and Allaah, loss of humility… you give up praying at night 213

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(qiyaam al-layl)… you forsake fasting… Tell me, by your Lord, what is this life worth? Every time you look at these devilish screens, a black spot appears on your heart, until it is covered with layers of blackness, then by the raan (stain) which overwhelms the heart, and deprives you of the pleasure of obeying Allaah and of the sweetness of faith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a slave commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. But if he give it up, seeks forgiveness and repents, his heart will be cleansed, but if he repeats it, (the blackness) will increase until it overwhelms his heart. This is the raan which Allaah mentions: ‘Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn’ [al-Mutaffifeen 83:14 – interpretation of the meaning].” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3257; Ibn Maajah, 4234; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3422). So be among those who give up sin, seek forgiveness and repent. Beseech Allaah frequently to purify your heart and protect your chastity, and to grant you refuge from the traps of the Shaytaan. Avoid everything that may call you to haraam things or remind you of them, if you are sincere and really want to repent. Hasten to get this dish out of your house, and cut your connection to these bad sites on the internet. Note that the best means of helping yourself give up the haraam things that you have gotten used to is to nip it in the bud, and ward off every thought of looking that crosses your mind, before it becomes a desire, wish or intention, and then an action. 214

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Al-Ghazzaali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If the first inward thought is not warded off, it will generate a desire, then the desire will generate a wish, and the wish will generate an intention, and the intention will generate the action, and the action will result in ruin and divine wrath. So evil must be cut off at its root, which is when it is simply a thought that crosses the mind, from which all the other things follow on.” (Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom al-Deen, 6/ 17). This is based on the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan), then, verily, he commands AlFahsha’ [i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)], and AlMunkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islam)]” [al-Noor 24:21] If you can do without the Internet altogether, then go ahead and do that, until you feel that your heart and your faith are stronger. Strive to find righteous friends, strive to perform all the prayers on time, and do a lot of naafil acts of worship. Avoid being alone and thinking about haraam things as much as possible. Sincerity in seeking treatment opens the door to good, and closes the door to evil. We ask Allaah to enable us and you to repent sincerely. And Allaah knows best.

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Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 21841: Does he have to marry his female relative whom he touched in a haraam manner? Question: I am in a horrible situation. I have commited a sin by touching a unmarried women in our relatives. I didn’t had exual intercourse but I have touched this lady and she also touched me. Now since this lady is relative ( my mothers brothers daughter) I am scared that this lady will tell others. I have so far led my life as per islamic shariah and people respect me a lot. I am unmarried and I am going to get married to a pios muslimah. Should I am liable to marry this woman whom I have touched? I am very scared of this woman who is neighbour to my family. What should I do to get out of this situation? I know that I have commited a sin. I am preying allah to forgive my sin. I can’t imagine marrying this women who always used tricks to attract me. Now I am trapped. Should I tell my parents about it? Do I need to tell the girl whom I am gonna marry about this? Can the girl whom I have touched force me to marry her by islamic law? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. You have to ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent to Him for what you have done, and you have to resolve never to go back to that. The fact that you touched this woman does not mean that you are obliged to marry her; there is nothing in Islam that compels a sane adult to marry any 216

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woman whom he does not want to marry. No marriage is valid unless it meets the necessary conditions, one of which is the consent of the husband who is accountable. You do not have to tell your parents or the girl you are going to marry about what happened; rather you are obliged to conceal what you have done, and to repent, and this is between you and your Lord. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Avoid this filth that Allaah has forbidden. Whoever does any such thing, then let him conceal it with the concealment of Allaah.” (Narrated by al-Bayhaqi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 663). “Filth” means evil actions and bad speech that Allaah has forbidden. Subul al-Salaam, 3/31 And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 13220: Is punishment from Allaah one of the consequences of sin? Question:

I read that one of the consequences of sin is punishment from Allaah and loss of blessing, and I wept with fear because of that. Please advise me Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly committing sin is one of the causes of 217

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Allaah’s wrath and of loss of blessing and withholding of rain and being overtaken by the enemy. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): “And indeed We punished the people of Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) with years of drought and shortness of fruits (crops), that they might remember (take heed)” [al-A’raaf 7:130] “So We punished each (of them) for his sins, of them were some on whom We sent Haasib (a violent wind with shower of stones) [as on the people of Loot (Lot)], and of them were some who were overtaken by AsSayhah [torment — awful cry, (as Thamood or Shu‘ayb’s people)], and of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow [as Qaaroon (Korah)], and of them were some whom We drowned [as the people of Nooh (Noah), or Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) and his people]. It was not Allaah Who wronged them, but they wronged themselves” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:40] There are many similar aayahs. And it was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A person may be deprived of provision because of sins that he commits.” So each Muslim man and woman must beware of sin, and must repent from sins that they have committed in the past, whilst also thinking positively about Allaah, hoping for His forgiveness and fearing His wrath and punishment. Allaah says in His Holy Book about His righteous slaves: “Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us” [al-Anbiya’ 21:90 – interpretation of the meaning] And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 218

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“Those whom they call upon [like ‘Eesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzayr (Ezra), angel and others] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allaah), as to which of them should be the nearest; and they [‘Eesa (Jesus), ‘Uzayr (Ezra), angels and others] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!” [al-Isra’ 17:57] “The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) AlMa‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from AlMunkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and give the Zakaah, and obey Allaah and His Messenger. Allaah will have His Mercy on them. Surely, Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [al-Tawbah 9:71] It is prescribed, however, for Muslim men and women also to pursue the means that Allaah has permitted, placing their hope in Him and fearing Him, pursuing the means whilst also putting their trust in Allaah and depending on Him to bring what they hope for and keep them safe from what they fear, for He is the Ever-Responsive and Most Generous who says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine” [al-Talaaq 65:2-3] “and whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him” [al-Talaaq 65:4] 219

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“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”[al-Noor 24:31] So you must repent to Allaah from whatever sins you have committed in the past and be steadfast in obeying Allaah, whilst thinking positively of Him and fearing His wrath. Be of good cheer and have the hope of a good end Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz in al-Fataawa alJaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, part 3, p. 1136 (www.islam-qa.com) 23425: Sin and its effects on the one who commits it Question: I did Hajj for myself, and a few months after Hajj I still had not seen any sign that my Hajj was accepted in the sense that I turned to worship more. On the contrary I committed a lot of sins. Last year I resolved to do Hajj on behalf of my mother who has passed away. I asked one of the shaykhs and he said that I should do Hajj on her behalf as I had intended, and I should pray a lot for forgiveness and beseech Allaah. So I did Hajj on behalf of my mother, traveling with one of the groups. During Tawaaf alWadaa’, the overcrowding was very severe, so we did one circuit (of Tawaaf) and part of another circuit, then we went up to the roof, because of the severe overcrowding. Because of the overcrowding we were not quite sure of the exact spot where we had stopped on the lower level, but we did our best to make sure that we started our Tawaaf on the roof from the place where we had stopped on the lower level, and we continued with our Tawaaf until it was completed. After my last Hajj, if I committed any sin – and I did many of them – I felt some tightness and constriction in 220

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my chest, and if I did any act of worship or obedience I felt happy and full of sincere feelings towards Islam and its people at this time… I am worried about the two pilgrimages and about the Tawaaf. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: we advise you to keep away from all sin, minor and major, and to beware of it and avoid it, for sin is bad news for the one who does it. We will quote here some of the effects of sin, as described by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him): 1 – Being deprived of knowledge for knowledge is light that Allaah causes to reach the heart, and sin extinguishes that light. When al-Shaafa’i sat before Maalik and read to him, he admired him because of the intelligence, alertness and understanding that he saw in him. He said, “I think that Allaah has caused light to enter your heart, so do not extinguish it with the darkness of sin.” 2 – Being deprived of provision. In Musnad Ahmad it is narrated that Thawbaan said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘A man is deprived of provision because of the sins that he commits.’” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4022, classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah). 3 – Sense of alienation that comes between a person and his Lord, and between him and other people. One of the salaf said: “If I disobey Allaah, I see that in the attitude of my riding beast and my wife.” 4 – Things become difficult for him, so that he does not turn his attention towards any matter but he finds the way 221

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blocked or he finds it difficult. By the same token, for the one who fears Allaah, things are made easy for him. 5 – The sinner will find darkness in his heart, which he will feel just as he feels the darkness of night. So this darkness affects his heart as the physical darkness affects his vision. For obedience is light and disobedience is darkness. The stronger the darkness grows, the greater becomes his confusion, until he falls into innovation, misguidance and other things that lead to doom, without even realizing, like a blind man who goes out in the darkness of the night, walking alone This darkness grows stronger until it covers the eyes, then it grows stronger until it covers the face, which appears dark and is seen by everyone. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Good deeds make the face light, give light to the heart, and bring about ample provision, physical strength and love in people’s hearts. Bad deeds make the face dark, give darkness to the heart, and bring about physical weakness, a lack of provision and hatred in people’s hearts.” 6 – Deprivation of worship and obedience. If sin brought no punishment other than that it prevents a person from doing an act of worship which is the opposite of sin, and cuts off access to other acts of worship, that would be bad enough. So the sin cuts off a third way and a fourth way and so on, and because of the sin he is cut off from many acts of worship, each of which would have been better for him than this world and everything in it. So he is like a man who eats food that is bound to cause a lengthy sickness, and thus he is deprived of many other foods that are better than that. And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek. 7 – Sin breeds sin until it dominates a person and he cannot escape from it. 8 – Sin weakens a person’s willpower. It gradually 222

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strengthens his will to commit sin and weakens his will to repent until there is no will in his heart to repent at all… so he seeks forgiveness and expresses repentance, but it is merely words on the lips, like the repentance of the liars, whose hearts are still determined to commit sin and persist in it. This is one of the most serious diseases that are most likely to lead to doom. 9 – He will become desensitized and will no longer find sin abhorrent, so it will become his habit, and he will not be bothered if people see him committing the sin or talk about him. For the leaders of immorality, this is the ultimate shamelessness in which they find great pleasure, such that they feel proud of their sin and will speak of it to people who do not know that they have done it, saying, “O so and so, I did such and such.” Such people cannot be helped and the path to repentance is blocked for them in most cases. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will be fine except for those who commit sin openly, and that includes cases where Allaah conceals a person’s sin, but the following morning he exposes himself and says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night, so he shamelessly exposes himself when all night his Lord had concealed his sin.” (Narrated by alBukhaari, 5949; Muslim, 2744). 10 – When there are many sins they leave a mark on the heart of the person who commits them, so he becomes one of the negligent. As one of the salaf said, concerning the aayah – “Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:14 – interpretation of the meaning] – this means sin after sin. 223

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How this starts is that the heart gets stained by sin, and if the sin increases then the stain grows bigger until it becomes the raan (covering of sin and evil deeds), then it increases until it becomes a seal, and the heart becomes covered and sealed. If that happens after a person had been guided and had understood, then his heart is turned upside down, and at that point the Shaytaan gains control over him and directs him as he wants. Secondly: you say that you did Hajj and did not see any signs of acceptance, rather you committed a lot of sins. The answer to this is that acceptance is from Allaah, and no one can be certain whether your deed has been accepted or not. The believer does righteous deeds and does not know whether Allaah has accepted them or not. Indeed, Ibn ‘Umar said: “If I knew that Allaah had accepted even one good deed from me, death would be the most dear thing to me, because Allaah says, ‘Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are al-Muttaaqoon (the pious)’ [al-Maa’idah 5:27 – interpretation of the meaning].” Man is required to do a great deal of righteous deeds, and to strive to make sure his actions are in accordance with the commands of Allaah and His Messenger. In this manner he will free himself from any blame, then he must ask Allaah to accept his deeds. So if you did you Hajj properly and avoided everything that is forbidden during Hajj, then you do not have to repeat it. As for your falling into sin, that has nothing to do with the validity or otherwise of your Hajj, but you will be brought to account for it, so you must hasten to repent from it before your appointed time (of death) comes. 224

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Thirdly: you say that you did Tawaaf then went up to the roof because of the overcrowding. This is the issue of continuity in Tawaaf. The Standing Committee was asked a similar question and replied that there is nothing wrong with interrupting Tawaaf and completing it on a higher level (of the mosque). See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/230, 231, 232. With regard to the start of Tawaaf, it should begin in the same place where it ends. With regard to your efforts to figure out the place, if it is not possible to be certain then you should act according to what is most likely to be correct, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, concerning one who is uncertain as to whether he has prayed three rak’ahs or four, “Let him try his best (to work it out), then complete it on that basis – i.e., he should base it on what he thinks is the case – then let him say the salaams and do two prostrations after he says the salaams.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 401; Muslim, 572; see also al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/461). Based on the above, then your completing your tawaaf on the roof and your striving to start from the place from which you interrupted your tawaaf are both fine in sha Allah. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 21227: It is not obligatory to offer expiation for watching movies, rather it is obligatory only to repent sincerely Question: My curiosity leads me to ask about some things so that I do not follow the wrong way which Allaah has forbidden… Previously we heard a fatwa from a shaykh 225

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whose name I do not know, that it is obligatory to offer expiation for watching dubbed [i.e. foreign] movies… Allaah knows best whether it was fasting forty days… On what is this expiation based, i.e., for what sin is it to be offered?… How should the Muslim offer expiation for these serials if he watched a number of them?… Does he offer one kafaarah for each episode or for each series, in which case he would have to offer 5 or 10 expiations…? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. What you have to do is to repent sincerely to Allaah, by regretting this sin, giving it up and resolving not to return to it. You should also pray a lot for forgiveness, and do a lot of righteous deeds, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)” [Hood 11:114] This is what will expiate for your sin of looking at and listening to haraam things. With regard to those who say that you have to offer expiation – such as the example you mentioned – for watching movies, he has to produce evidence for that, because it is not permissible to impose something upon the people without sound evidence. Whoever imposes something on people that was not enjoined by Allaah has ordained something in the religion for which Allaah has not given leave. It is not permissible to invent expiations for sins and to specify their type and number without evidence from sharee’ah. Fasting in general terms, without specifying a particular number of days, comes under the heading of good deeds 226

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which wipe out evil actions. May Allaah help us and you to repent sincerely.. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 13693: Means of expiating sin Question: I am a muslim, married woman. I was born in a muslim family. But, I was not aware of islamic rules much. I did so many grave major sins that I feel like I am the worst person in this world. Now, I am trying to gain knowledge about my great religion, to obey it’s rulings. But, I don’t feel any peace and rest in my heart. Always I feel like how would I know that Allah rabbul alamin has forgiven me? What good deed I can do so piles of my grave sins will be wiped out? How would I get close to my Lord? O Allah, show me your mercy on me. I can’t sleep well, I can’t take rest, I don’t get any joy from anything. Always I feel like I can die anythime and He will ask me questions, what I will reply HIM, I don’t have anything to tell HIm. Always I am crying inside. Oh, Allah tell me how would I get free of all my sins. I am writing you as I have read your book “I want to repent, but..” several times. I get a little calm when I read Allah says, “Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah…” [alZumar 39:53]. That is the only hope in my life. I believe you are an islamic scholar. Do you believe Allah will forgive me who is such a sinner who did all kind of sin in life. I have offered salat of repentence and I am trying to change my lifestyle in every respect only to make my Lord satisfy to me. I am commited that I will follow islamic rules in rest of my life . 227

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly, praise be to Allaah Who has enabled you to repent and has guided you after you were misguided, Who has lighted the way for you and has made faith dear to you and made it attractive to you. To Him be all praise at all times. We congratulate you on having been enabled to repent. This is a blessing for which thanks must be given, for Allaah accepts the repentance of the one who repents. Please see Question # 14289 Secondly, you say, “How would I know whether Allaah has forgiven me or not?” You should note that whoever repents sincerely, Allaah accepts his repentance and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. He has promised the one who repents to Him that He will forgive him his sins. He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful’” [al-Zumar 39:53] When Allaah promises something, He does not break His promise. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful. 228

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And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then verily, he repents towards Allaah with true repentance” [al-Furqaan 25:70-71] In this aayah, Allaah tells us that He will replace the bad deeds of the one who repents into good deeds, and this is one of the blessings of repentance. Thirdly, you say, “How can I get rid of my sin?” This is an important matter, for these are the means by which sin is expiated. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The punishment for sin is lifted from a person by means of ten things: 1 – Repentance; this is agreed upon among the Muslims. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): “Say: ‘O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful’” [al-Zumar 39:53] “Know they not that Allaah accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the Sadaqaat (alms, charity), and that Allaah Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful?” [al-Tawbah 9:104] “And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins”[al-Shoora 42:25] 2 – Praying for forgiveness. It was narrated in alSaheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person commits a sin, then says, 229

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‘O Lord, I have committed a sin so forgive me,’ He says, ‘My slave knows that he has a Lord Who may forgive sins or punish for it; I have forgiven My slave…’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6953; Muslim, 4953) In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you did not commit sin, Allaah would do away with you and bring people who would commit sins then ask Him to forgive them, so He would forgive them.” (al-Tawbah, 4936) 3 – Doing good deeds which wipe out sins. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And perform AsSalaah (Iqaamatas Salaah), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night [i.e. the five compulsory Salaah (prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)”[Hood 11:114] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers and Jumu’ah (Friday prayers) and Ramadaan take away the bad deeds between one and the next, if you avoid major sins.” (Narrated by Muslim, 344). And he said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan out of faith and the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 37; Muslim, 1268). And he said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat alQadr in prayer out of faith and the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1768). And he said: “Whoever performs Pilgrimage to this House, and does not behave in an obscene or immoral manner, he will go back free of sin like the day his mother gave birth to him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1690). And he said: “The expiation for the fitnah caused to a 230

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man by his family, wealth and children is prayer, fasting, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 494, Muslim, 5150). And he said: “Whoever frees a believing slave, for each of (the slave’s) limbs Allaah will free one of his limbs from the Fire…” (Narrated by Muslim, 2777). These and similar ahaadeeth are narrated in the books of Saheeh. And he said: “Charity extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire, but hasad (malicious envy) consumes good deeds as fire consumes wood.” 4 – The du’aa’ of the believers for the believer, such as when they pray the funeral prayer for him. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah and Anas ibn Maalik that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who dies, and a group of Muslims numbering one hundred pray for him, all of them interceding for him, but their intercession for him will be accepted.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1576). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘There is no Muslim man who dies, and forty men pray the funeral prayer for him, not associating anything with Allaah, but Allaah will accept their intercession for him.’” (Narrated by Muslim, 1577). This refers to praying for him after he has died. 5 – Good deeds which can be done for the deceased, such as giving in charity (on his behalf), etc. This will benefit him, according to the clear, saheeh texts of the Sunnah and the consensus of the Imams. The same applies to freeing slaves and Hajj (on his behalf), indeed it was proven in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies 231

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owing any (obligatory) fasts, his heir should fast them on his behalf.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5210; Muslim, 4670). 6 – The intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and others on the Day of Resurrection for those who have committed sins. This is narrated in the mutawaatir ahaadeeth about intercession, such as the hadeeth in which he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “My intercession will be for those among my ummah who have committed major sins.” (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3965). And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I was given the choice between admitting half of my ummah to Paradise and intercession, and I chose intercession.” (See Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3335). 7 – Calamities by means of which Allaah expiates sins in this world. It was narrated in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No tiredness, exhaustion, worry, grief, distress or harm befalls a believer in this world, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah expiates some of his sins thereby.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5210; Muslim, 4670). 8 – The torment, squeezing and terror that happens in the grave. These are also things by means of which sins are expiated. 9 – The horrors, distress and hardship of the Day of Resurrection. 10 – The mercy and forgiveness of Allaah, with no cause on the part of His slaves. See: Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Taymiyah, vol. 7, p. 487-501. Fourthly, you ask, “Do you think that Allaah will forgive me?” 232

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Yes, He will, if you have repented sincerely, for Allaah has promised to accept repentance, the evidence for which we have mentioned above. Do not despair of Allaah’s mercy. Remember the story of the man who killed one hundred people, then he repented and Allaah accepted his repentance. This is the story as narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh, in Kitaab al-Tawbah (2766): “It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Among the people who came before you there was a man who killed ninety-nine people, then he asked about the most knowledgeable person in the land. He was told about a monk, so he went to him and said, ‘I have killed ninety-nine people, can I repent?’ The monk said, ‘No.’ So he killed him, thus making the number one hundred. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person in the land, and he was told about a scholar, so he (went to him and) said: ‘I have killed one hundred people. Can I repent?’ He said, ‘Yes, who could stop you from repenting? Go to such and such a land, where there are people who worship Allaah. Worship Allaah with them and do not go back to your own land, for it is a bad land.’ So he set out, and when he was halfway there, death came upon him. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment argued over him. The angels of mercy said, ‘He was coming repentant, turning with his heart towards Allaah.’ The angels of punishment said, ‘He never did anything good.’ Then an angel came to them in human form and they accepted him as a mediator. He said, ‘Measure the distance between the two lands, and whichever he is closer to is where be belongs.’ So they measured the distance and found that he was closer to the land to which he was headed, so the angels of mercy took him.” We learn several things from this hadeeth, including the following: 233

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1 – That Allaah forgives all the sins of one who repents, no matter how great they are. This is indicated by the aayah in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful’”[alZumar 39:53] 2 – The one who repents has to keep away from bad friends who were committing the sin with him. He should keep company with righteous friends who will help him to do good and show him how to do it. We ask Allaah to help us and you and to give us all strength. And Allaah knows best. 3 – The Muslim must live his life in a state between fear and hope, fearing his sins and not feeling safe from the Plan of Allaah, and not being certain that he will enter Paradise. For the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), even though they were so righteous and pious, were not like this, rather they feared their Lord and worshipped Him with fear and hope. So the Muslim must obey Allaah and repent and hope for the mercy of Allaah, knowing that Allaah forgives and accepts the repentance of the one who repents to Him, so he hopes that Allaah will forgive him. He knows that Allaah accepts and loves the righteous deeds of His slave, so he strives to do righteous deeds hoping that they will be accepted. If he lives in this state, fearing his sins and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, he will strive to worship Him and keep away from sin, asking Allaah to reward him for his righteous deeds until he meets Him when He is pleased with him, and he seeks refuge with Allaah from his heart being turned away or his situation changing, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray, “O Controller of the 234

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hearts, make my heart steadfast in Your religion.” We ask Allaah to make you and us steadfast in His religion, and bestow more of His bounty upon us, for He is AllHearing, Ever Near. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 22012: If he taught others to do something sinful, then he repented from it, will he still carry a burden of sin? Question: We know that whoever does a good deed will have the reward for that and a reward equivalent to that of those who follow him in that, and the same applies to bad deeds. But if a person repents, does he still carry the burden of the sin which he taught to others and of which he was the cause of their learning it? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked a similar question, and he answered: It appears to me that he does not bear the burden of their sins, because he has repented, and when he repented Allaah forgave him all that has to do with this sin. From this question the danger of bid’ah becomes apparent to us, because if a person follows bid’ah which is a reprehensible innovation – and every bid’ah is a going astray – and other people take that as a custom, they keep this bid’ah alive, based on his actions – may Allaah protect 235

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us from that – then he bears the burden of that sin. But if he repents then the apparent meaning of the texts is that the one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all. Al-Liqa’ al-Shahri – Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. (www.islam-qa.com) 13990: A young man did all kinds of haraam actions, and he wants to repent Question: I am a young man who is an evildoer (faasiq) and a kaafir. I want to repent to Allaah. I used to do all kinds of haraam actions, and I do not pray. But now I want to repent. I hope the Shaykh can tell me how to repent. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. “Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped. And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’aan, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!’” [al-Zumar 39:53-54 – interpretation of the meaning] 236

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I have received your letter and I was impressed with your eagerness to repent and come back to Allaah, despite the fact that you have committed all kinds of haraam actions, as you say, above all neglecting prayer. It is very important that you should know that the gate of repentance is open to you. You should think deeply about what is mentioned in the aayahs quoted above. I will also tell you some practical steps which will show you clearly how to repent, in sha Allah. The word tawbah (repentance) is a great word with deep meaning. It is not, as many people think, merely words to be uttered whilst persisting in sin. Think about what Allaah says: “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance” [Hood 11:3 – interpretation of the meaning] You will see that repentance is something more than seeking forgiveness. Because this is a serious matter, there have to be conditions attached. The scholars mentioned the conditions of repentance, based on aayahs from the Qur’aan and ahaadeeth. There follows a list of some of them: 1 – Giving up the sin immediately. 2 – Regretting what has happened in the past. 3 – Resolving not to go back to it. 4 – Making amends to those whom you have wronged, or asking for their forgiveness. You should not forget other important matters connected to sincere repentance, such as: 1 – You should give up the sin for the sake of Allaah and 237

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not for any other reason such as not being able to do it or repeat it, or being afraid of what people will say, for example. The person who gives up a sin because it may affect his standing or reputation among people, or because it may cost him his job, cannot be described as having repented. The person who gives up sins for the sake of his health and strength cannot be described as having repented, such as a person who gives up zinaa (adultery) and immoral actions for fear of contagious deadly diseases, or for fear that they may weaken his body and his memory. The person who refrains from taking a bribe for fear that it may be being offered by undercover officers cannot be described as having repented. The person who gives up drinking alcohol and taking drugs because he has become bankrupt cannot be described as having repented. Similarly, the person who is unable to commit sin because of something that lies beyond his control cannot be described as having repented, such as a liar who becomes paralyzed and loses the power of speech, or an adulterer who loses the ability to engage in intercourse, or a thief who has an accident and loses his limbs. In such cases, a person has to feel regret and stop wishing to commit sin, or he has to feel sorry for what has happened in the past. To someone like this the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Regret is repentance.” (narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6802) 2 – He should feel repelled by the sin and the harm it causes. This means that sincere repentance cannot be 238

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accompanied by feelings of enjoyment and pleasure when remembering past sins, or wishing to go back to it in the future. In his book al-Daa’ wa’l-Dawaa’ wa’l-Fawaa’id, Ibn alQayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned many of the harmful effects of sin, including the following: Being deprived of (Islamic) knowledge – feelings of alienation in the heart – difficulties – physical weakness – being unable to do acts of worship – being deprived of blessings – less help from Allaah – anxiety – more bad deeds – getting used to sin – the sinner becomes insignificant in the sight of Allaah – he becomes insignificant in the sight of people – the curse of the animals will be upon him – he will bear marks of humiliation – his heart will be sealed and he will come under the curse (of Allaah) – his du’aa’ will not be answered – cause of mischief on land and sea – loss of gheerah (protective jealousy) – loss of modesty – the blessings of Allaah will disappear – punishment will befall him – terror in the heart of the sinner – falling into the clutches of the Shaytaan – a bad end – punishment in the Hereafter. Knowing these harmful effects of sin will make you want to keep away from sin altogether, but some people may move from one sin to another for a number of reasons, including the following: - They think that it is less serious - The self is more inclined towards it and the desire for it is stronger - It is easier to commit this sin than others, unlike sins which require some preparation; the means of doing it are readily available and widespread 239

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- His friends and companions are committing this sin and it is difficult for him to differ from them - A particular sin may give a person some status among his companions, and it is too difficult for him to lose this position, so he continues to commit that sin. 3 – He should hasten to repent. Hence delaying repentance is in and of itself a sin for which repentance is required. 4 – You should make up the duties towards Allaah that you have missed, if that is possible, such as paying the zakaah which you withheld in the past; and because this is something which is the right of the poor. 5 – You should keep away from places of sin if your being there may make you fall into sin again. 6 – You should keep away from those who helped you to commit sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except AlMuttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Zukhruf 43:67] Bad friends will curse one another on the Day of Resurrection, so you should keep away from them and break off your friendship with them, and warn others against them if you are not able to call them (to Allaah). Do nt let the Shaytaan deceive you or make the idea of going back to them in order to call them to Allaah look attractive to you, for you know that you are weak and will not be able to resist. There are many cases in which people have gone back to sin because they resumed relationships with their former companions. 7 – Destroy haraam things that you may have in your 240

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possession, such as intoxicants, musical instruments, haraam pictures and movies, permissive stories, statues and so on. They should be broken, destroyed or burnt. It is very essential that the one who wants to repent should rid himself of all items of jaahiliyyah. How often has it happened that keeping these haraam things caused people who had repented to go back on their repentance and be led astray after having been guided. We ask Allaah to make us steadfast. 8 – Choose righteous friends who will help you against your nafs (self) and who will be an alternative to bad company. Strive to attend circles of dhikr and gatherings of knowledge. Fill your time with beneficial things so that the Shaytaan will not find any opportunity to remind you of the past. 9 – Focus on your body which has been fed on haraam substances and direct its energies towards obeying Allaah. Seek out halaal substances with which to nourish your body so that your flesh will be renewed with halaal substances. 10 – Do a lot of good deeds, for good deeds cancel out bad deeds. If you are sincere in your repentance to Allaah, then receive the good news that all your previous evil deeds will be changed into good deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; 241

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Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:68] I ask Allaah to benefit you by these words, and to guide your heart. Now get up and utter the Shahaadatyan, purify yourself (with ghusl) and pray as Allaah has commanded you. Observe the Islamic duties regularly and give up haraam things. I will be happy to help you in any way. I ask Allaah to give us and you strength to do that which He loves and is pleased with. May He accept the repentance of us all, for He is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 13630: “She has put on hijaab ad repented from having haraam relationships - will Allaah forgive her?” Question: if someone who use to go out with boys and now wants to change and has asked for forgiveness and has started to wear a hijaab.will they get forgiven? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly this action which you used to do is one of the forbidden things which are not pleasing to Allaah. Please see question no. 1114. 242

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But the Bounty of Allaah is immense and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. He is more merciful than a mother towards her child. Hence repentance wipes out whatever came before. If a person repents sincerely to Allaah, then Allaah will forgive him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahreem 66:8] Ibn Katheer said, [the phrase] ‘it may be’ in the case of Allaah means that He will definitely [do that]. And it says in the hasan hadeeth which was narrated by Ibn Maajah from Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn ‘Abd-Allaah from his father that he said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.’” (al-Zuhd, 4240; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, no. 3427). Undoubtedly when the Muslim turns back to Allaah and repents to Him, this is something which fills the heart with gladness. How can it be otherwise, when Allaah Himself rejoices over that? It says in the hadeeth which was narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave than one of you who finds his lost camel in the wilderness.” (Kitaab al-Tawbah, 4927). So praise Allaah for helping you to repent and for guiding you to the right path. Beware of returning to misguidance after having been guided. You have to remain steadfast and not take lightly any forbidden thing that you did before you repented. Keep away from 243

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bad friends, and be patient and persevere in doing so, because bad friends will do their utmost to hold you back and make you doubt that Allaah has forgiven you. Do not pay attention to anything of that kind, rather strive to draw closer to Allaah by obeying and worshipping Him. Try to find alternative friends among righteous women so that they can help you to follow the path of guidance. We ask Allaah to help you adhere firmly to His religion and His way. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 14092: Rulings on sins committed against other people before being guided Question: A person was ignorant, then Allaah blessed him with Islam. Before that, he used to commit some sins. He says, “I heard a hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honour or anything else, let him ask him for forgiveness today before there is no dinar and no dirham.’ What do you advise me to do?” Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Allaah has enjoined repentance upon His slaves, as He says (interpretation of the meanings): 244

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“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31] “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance!” [al-Tahreem 66:8] “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who has never sinned.” Whoever commits any sin must repent, regret what he has done, give it up, keep away from it and resolve not to go back to it. Allaah accepts the repentance of those who repent. When a person sincerely repents by regretting what he has done and resolving not to repeat it, and he gives it up out of respect and fear of Allaah, then Allaah accepts his repentance and wipes out his past sins by His grace and kindness. But if the sin involved wrongdoing against someone else, then the sinner has to do what he is obliged to do by repenting from what has happened, regretting it, giving it up and resolving not to do it again. He must also restore the rights of the one whom he wronged, or seek his forgiveness , such as saying, Please forgive me,” etc. Or he should give him his dues, because of the hadeeth quoted 245

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in the question, or other ahaadeeth and aayahs. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has done some wrong to his brother, let him seek his forgiveness today before there is no dinar or dirham, when if he has some righteous deeds (to his credit), some of his hasanaat (good deeds) will be taken in proportion to his wrongdoing, and if he has no hasanaat some of the sayi’aat (bad deeds) of the one whom he wronged will be taken and added to his burden.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh). So the believer should strive to put things right and restore his brother’s rights. So he should either give him his dues or ask him for his forgiveness. If it has to do with his honour then he has to ask for his forgiveness if he can. If he cannot, or he fears the consequences of telling him or that telling him about what he said will cause more trouble, then he should pray for forgiveness for him and make du’aa’ for him, and mention his good points that he knows of , to compensate for saying bad things, aiming to wash away something bad with something good. So he should speak of his good points that he knows of and spread good words about him to counteract the bad things which he said before, and he should pray for forgiveness for him and make du’aa’ for him. In this way the problem will be solved. Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 4, p. 374 (www.islam-qa.com) 14381: Is it permissible for one who has committed zina (fornication or adultery) to get married after he or she has repented? Question: I am a muslim that converted about three years ago. I am 246

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still learning and I have a question. I have been told that if I had sex after I converted I would not be able to islamically get married under the ways of islam. I wanted to know if this is true and if it is, is there any way to correct the deed that I am so very sorry for. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The one who has committed zina (fornication or adultery) has to repent, because zina is one of the major sins which are forbidden in Islam and for which a stern warning is issued to the one who does them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah, nor kill such person as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace” [al-Furqaan 25:68-69] The punishment must be carried out in this world on the one who has committed zina (fornication or adultery), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allaah, if you believe in Allaah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment” [al-Noor 24:2] 247

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It was narrated in a hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allaah has ordained a way for those (women). When an unmarried male commits adultery with an unmarried female, (they should receive) one hundred lashes and banishment for one year. And in the case of a married male committing adultery with a married female, they shall receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death.” (Narrated by Muslim, alHudood, 3199). Allaah has forbidden the believers to marry a person who commits zina, whether man or woman. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The adulterer — fornicator marries not but an adulteress — fornicatress or a Mushrikah; and the adulteress – fornicatress, none marries her except an adulterer — fornicater or a Mushrik [and that means that the man who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan or idolatress) or a prostitute, then surely, he is either an adulterer — fornicator, or a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater). And the woman who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater) or an adulterer — fornicator, then she is either a prostitute or a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan, or idolatress)]. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers (of Islamic Monotheism)” [al-Noor 24:3] If the one who has committed zina repents to Allaah, truly and sincerely, then Allaah will forgive him or her, and overlook the sin. Allaah says, after mentioning the warning to those who commit zina: “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah 248

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will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then verily, he repents towards Allaah with true repentance” [al-Furqaan 25:70-71 – interpretation of the meaning] If the person repents sincerely, then it becomes permissible for him or her to get married, after they give up this sin. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem was asked about the ruling on getting married to a woman who has committed zina. He said: “it is not permissible to marry the woman who has committed adultery until she repents… if a man wants to marry her, he has to be sure that she is not pregnant, by waiting until she has a period before he does the marriage contract with her. If she is pregnant, then it is not permissible for him to marry her until she has given birth.” See al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 2/584. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 14289: Repentance Question: I have committed many sins which no one knows of except Allaah. What do I have to do so that Allaah will accept my repentance? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. 249

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A Muslim’s faith may become weak and he may be overwhelmed by his desires. The Shaytaan may make sin attractive to him, so he wrongs himself (commits sin) and falls into that which Allaah has forbidden. But Allaah is Kind to His slaves, and His mercy encompasses all things. Whoever repents after doing wrong, Allaah will accept his repentance, for Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful. “But whosoever repents after his crime and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allaah), then verily, Allaah will pardon him (accept his repentance). Verily, Allaah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful [al-Maa’idah 5:39 – interpretation of the meaning] Allaah is Forgiving and Generous. He commands all His slaves to repent sincerely so that they may gain the mercy of Allaah and His Paradise. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahreem 66:8] The gate of repentance is open to His slaves, until the sun rises from the west. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah spreads out His Hand at night to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the day, and He spreads out His Hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the night. (This will continue) until the sun rises from the west.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2759) Sincere repentance is not merely the matter of words spoken on the tongue. Rather, the acceptance of repentance is subject to the condition that the person gives up the sin straight away, that he regrets what has happened in the past, that he resolves not to go back to the thing he has repented from, that he restores people’s rights or 250

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property if his sin involved wrongdoing towards others, and that he repents before the agony of death is upon him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom Allaah will forgive and Allaah is Ever AllKnower, AllWise. And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: ‘Now I repent;’ nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment” [al-Nisaa’ 4:17-18] Allaah accepts repentance and is Merciful. He calls sinners to repent, so that He might forgive them: “…your Lord has written (prescribed) Mercy for Himself, so that if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allaah), then surely, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-An’aam 6:54 – interpretation of the meaning] Allaah is Kind to His slaves and loves those who repent. He accepts their repentance, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do”[al-Shooraa 42:25] “Truly, Allaah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves”[alBaqarah 2:222] When a kaafir becomes a Muslim, Allaah turns his bad deeds (sayi’aat) into good deeds (hasanaat), and forgives him all his previous sins, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 251

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“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” [al-Anfaal 8:38] Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He loves the repentance of His slaves. He commands them to repent so that He might forgive them. But the devils among mankind and the jinn want to turn people away from the truth and make them incline towards falsehood, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path) [al-Nisaa’4:27] The mercy of Allaah encompasses all things. If a person’s sins are very great and he has wronged himself very much, but he then repents, Allaah will accept his repentance and will forgive his sins no matter how great they are. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is OftForgiving, Most Merciful”[alZumar 39:53] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Our Lord comes down to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains, and says, ‘Who will call upon Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758) Man is weak. If a person sins then he has to repent and seek forgiveness every time. Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He is the One Who says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards 252

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seeks Allaah’s forgiveness, he will find Allaah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Nisaa’ 4:110] The Muslim is vulnerable to making mistakes and sins. So he has to repent and seek forgiveness repeatedly. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, I seek the forgiveness of Allaah and I turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times each day.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 6307) Allaah loves the repentance of His slaves, and accept it. Indeed, He rejoices over it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a person repents, Allaah rejoices more than one of you who found his camel after he lost it in the desert.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 6309) From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com) 10109: Should a doctor inform the authorities about patients who have committed fornication? Question: Some patients come to me who have drunk alcohol or taken drugs, under the influence of which they have committed crimes such as zinaa (fornication or adultery) or sodomy. Should I inform the authorities about them or not? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. You have to give them sincere advice (naseehah), advise 253

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them and urge them to repent. Cover their sins and do not inform the authorities about them or expose them. Help them to obey Allaah and His Messenger, and tell them that Allaah accepts the repentance of the one who repents. And warn them against going back to this sin, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): “The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden)” [al-Tawbah 9:71] “By Al ‘Asr (the time). Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al Ma‘roof) which Allaah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al Munkar) which Allaah has forbidden], and recommend one another to patience”[al-‘Asr 103:1-3] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Religion is naseehah (sincere advice)…” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever covers a Muslim’s (sins), Allaah will cover him (his sins) in this world and in the Hereafter.” Both were narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah 254

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li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 9, p. 436 (www.islam-qa.com) 8861: He has the habit of looking at nude pictures Question: I used to watch nude pictures even I don’t like it I can’t control myself when I browse.Tell me some Thasbeehs that purify my soul. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. First of all, you have to repent from this great sin, because each person will have to answer for his actions on the Day of Resurrection. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allaah)” [al-Israa’ 17:36] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The eye commits zinaa (fornication, adultery), and its zinaa is looking.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Isti’dhaan, 5774). So you have to repent sincerely from this action, and that includes several things: Giving up this sin, out of fear of the punishment of Allaah. 255

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Deeply regretting what you have done of this haraam thing. Sincerely resolving not to return to this sin ever again. You should know that there are many ways of purifying the soul from these haraam things, such as: Adhering firmly to repentance, saying a lot of du’aa’, frequently seeking Allaah’s forgiveness and repenting, persisting in dhikr, doing lots of acts of worship and good deeds, and praying a lot. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, As Salaah (the prayer) prevents from AlFahshaa’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:45] “And perform As Salaah (Iqaamat as Salaah), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night [i.e. the five compulsory Salaah (prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins)” [Hood 11:114] You have to look for a good environment to live in, and for righteous friends who will help you to do good, so that you may keep away from these things. All of these actions will purify and cleanse your soul, and help you to please Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Indeed, he succeeds who purifies his own self [his soul]…” [al-Shams 91:9] You should know that when a person is sincere in his 256

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repentance and prays to Allaah, and asks Him to keep him safe from the evil of his own self and from the Shaytaan, Allaah will protect him from the waswaas (insinuating whispers) and plots of the Shaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) [al-Talaaq 65:2] May Allaah help us and you to repent and to adhere steadfastly to Islam. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 10510: Repenting from gambling Question: I have gambled a lot. How can I repent from that? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. You have to give up gambling straight away and keep away from the people who do it, from the places where it happens and from gambling machines. You have to regret what has happened in the past, and resolve not to return to it. You also have to give in charity, because it was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever swears and says 257

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in his oath ‘By al-Laat and al-‘Uzza,’ let him say ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no god but Allaah).’ And whoever says to his companion, ‘Come on, let’s gamble,’ let him give in charity.” Al-Nawawi said: the scholars said, he enjoined charity as an expiation for the sin of speaking these words. AlKhattaabi said, What it means is that he should give in charity the amount that he wanted to gamble. Al-Nawawi said, the correct view is that which was stated by the scholars, and which is the apparent meaning of the hadeeth, that it does not have to be this specific amount, but that he should give in charity whatever he can, of things that are counted as charity. This is supported by the report which says, “Let him give something in charity.” Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah , vol. 39, p. 407 (www.islamqa.com) 9393: Repentance of an AIDS patient Question: A person is suffering from AIDS and the doctors have said that he only has a short time to live. What is the ruling on his repentance during this time? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. He must hasten to repent, even if it is at the time of death, because the door of repentance is always open so long as he is of sound mind. He must hasten to repent and beware of sin, even if they have told him that the time he has left to live is short, because life spans are in the hand of Allaah. 258

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The doctors may be mistaken in their thinking, and he may live for a long time. Whatever the case, he must hasten to repent and be sincere in doing so, so that Allaah will accept his repentance. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31] “And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)” [Ta-Ha 20:82] And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will accept a person’s repentance so long as the death rattle has not reached his throat” i.e., up until the time when the dying person loses consciousness. And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek. Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 9, p. 437 (www.islam-qa.com) 8424: She wants to be a good Muslim Question: I want to become a real good muslim, how do I start off? I do not mean to say that I am a bad muslim right now. But I do not read all five Salats or cover myself the proper Islamic way either. So how do I start? 259

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Real Islam means adhering to the rulings of Islam, one of the most important of which is salaah (prayer), which is the “pillar of the religion” and is the first thing for which a person will be questioned about when he is brought to account on the Day of Resurrection. Prayer is the covenant that distinguishes the believers from the kaafirs, and whoever neglects a prayer is committing an act of kufr. Therefore what you have to do is to pray regularly on time, and not miss any of the prayers. Then you must adhere to the other rulings of Islam, which include hijaab. What will help the Muslim to do that is to read Qur’aan regularly, and read the seerah (biography) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and stories of righteous people. We advise you to choose righteous friends from among the Muslim women, because this will help you, if Allaah wills, to adhere firmly to the religion of Allaah. You should also check yourself, in obedience to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Fear Allaah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allaah…” [al-Hashr 59:18] Here Allaah commands us twice to fear Him (taqwa), and in between these two commands, He commands us to check ourselves. So look and see what you have sent forth for the Day of Judgement in the way of good deeds and abstaining from evil deeds. This checking is an important means of changing oneself, and the Day of Resurrection will be difficult and long, and will make the faces look 260

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horrible (from their extreme dislike of it) (cf. Al-Insaan 76:10). So look at what you have prepared in the way of good deeds and try to do more of them and be sincere in doing them. Give up sin, for it is the worst thing that one can prepare for that Day. Make sure that you go into the Hereafter with the best that you have. And do not forget to make du’aa’ and ask Allaah to guide you to the Straight Path and help you to remain steadfast in it. We ask Allaah to grant us and you strength and guidance, and a good end. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 10280: Sahw (Forgetfulness during prayer) Question: My question is how can i left sins i know what is wrong and what is write in islam? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. When Allaah forbids people to commit sin, He did not leave them without help to do so. He supplies them with means that help them to give up that action. Among these helpful means are: 1- Strengthening one’s faith in Allaah and one’s fear of Him. 261

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2- Knowing that Allaah is always watching and bearing in mind that He is with you; He can see you and everything that you do is being recorded. 3- Comparing and contrasting the fleeting pleasure of sin which quickly fades, with the punishment of the sinner on the Day of Resurrection, and the reward of the one who refrained from sin. 4- Keeping away from the things that help one to sin, such as haraam looks, bad company, going to sinful places. 5- Striving to keep company with righteous people. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Duwaysh (www.islam-qa.com) 8895: He committed zinaa then he became Muslim; should he be subjected to the punishment? Question: If a kaafir commits zinaa (unlawful sexual intercourse) then he becomes Muslim, should the hadd punishment be carried out on him? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. If a dhimmi (Jew or Christian living under the protection of the Islamic state) commits zinaa then becomes Muslim, and there is evidence to prove that he did commit zinaa, the hadd punishment is no longer to be applied to him; he should not be punished by either hadd (punishment specified in sharee’ah) or ta’zeer (punishment to be specified by the qaadi or Muslim judge in a particular 262

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case). This was the view of al-Shaafa’i, based on the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” (al-Anfaal 8:38). He also quoted as evidence the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Islam wipes out whatever came before it.” (Narrated by Muslim from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas). The Qur’aan also states that the punishment for a thief or bandit is no longer applicable if they repent, so this reprieve is more applicable in the case of a kaafir (who becomes Muslim). Moreover, enforcing the punishment would put people off Islam. This is the same reason which is given by scholars for stating that a person who enters Islam does not have to make up the prayers that he has missed. And Allaah knows best. Fataawa al-Imaam al-Nawawi, 223 (www.islam-qa.com) 8376: He says that he is the biggest sinner in the world Question: I am the biggest sinner in this world. Promiscuity is in my blood. I do not know how many times I committed the sin of masturbation and oral sex. Even in this very blessed month of Ramadan. I am in the verge of loosing all hopes for forgiveness. I have heard that he who does not get forgiveness in this month of Ramadan(i.e. get the Jannah) should be destroyed.(According to an authentic hadeeth). Since I have committed this sin in this Ramadan too now I am completely devastated in my hopes. Could 263

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you please tell me what to do to repent sincerely? If Allah the Exalted so wills I really would like to be forgiven for my cursed deeds. Is there any way to get at least some of the signs that I have been forgiven? How can stay away from this sins? I repent so many times but again I go back to the sin. That means I am not repenting sincerely. I wanted to get married but my parents(from indian subcontinent) does not allow me yet. I can not blame them because according to islamic law I can not hurt them or can not talk over them. So I have to oblige them. But here in the US I can not control myself. I know these gravest sins and I have committed them countless times. By the will of the Exalted I do a very good job. Is this another sign that the Exalted has cursed me by increasing my wealth so that I can delve into the sins more? Now I would like to repent. I would like to repent. I would like to repent. I would like to repent and go back to my Rabb(Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala) and never want to go back to those sins again. “Fasalu ahliz zikre in kuntum la t’alamoon.” — May Allah reward you and protect you for the sake of Islaam. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Allaah does not forbid people to do a thing which they cannot give up, and He does not enjoin them to do a thing which they cannot do. Hence it is the Shaytaan who is making you think that you cannot repent, and what is there that is stopping you from repenting? But you have to follow the means which will help you to keep away from this sin. One of the most important things in this regard is marriage. If you cannot marry, then follow the advice given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is to fast. Try to fast some of 264

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the days when it is mustahabb (recommended) to fast, such as Mondays and Thursdays, or three days of every month. Keep away from things which will provoke your desire, such as looking at haraam things or at scenes which will provoke your desire or thinking about your desires. Keep your thoughts busy with things that will be of benefit to you, and look for a righteous companion (wife) to help you to adhere to the path of obedience. As for your good job, it has nothing to do with this. It may be the case that Allaah enables a righteous man to find a good job which He denies to a sinful man. Provision is in the Hand of Allaah, may He be blessed and exalted, and He may test some of His slaves with ample provision or with straitened circumstances. The sign that your repentance has been accepted is that you give up that sin and never go back to it. Since you missed out on repentance during Ramadaan, strive hard to achieve it at other times. We ask Allaah to accept the repentance of us all. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Shaykh Muhammad al-Duwaysh (www.islam-qa.com) 4137: He repented from watching movies – can he sell the TV? Question: I used to have a TV and VCR at home, and it is well known that most of what is shown is either haraam or very close to it. Now, praise be to Allaah, I keep away from these things and I have repented to Allaah. I have bought a piece of land to build a mosque on it, and I need some money to pay off the rest of the price of the land. 265

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My question is: can I sell these machines (the TV and VCR) and use the money to pay someone to build a mosque on this land, or to help build the mosque? If I can sell these machines, to whom can I sell them? – knowing that most of what is shown on these machines is evil. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Do not sell them, because it is most likely that whoever buys them from you will use them for leisure purposes and haraam things. [?]. Instead, destroy what you have in order to get rid of something evil, and you will have the reward for that. But if you find someone who you think will most likely use them for permissible things, then it is OK for you to sell them to him. From Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 13/46 (www.islam-qa.com) 5092: He is suffering a relapse after he repented Question: I was brought up in a good Muslim household in the West. Unfortunately in my teenage years I allowed myself to be led astray by Shaitaan and committed many mortal sins for a number of years, even going out of Islam. I have tried to repent and reform over the last couple of years. I perform all the five pillars, give sadaqa generously, get involved with dawah and try to be helpful to Muslims. I am good to my wife and parents. However my heart is very shaky indeed. Sometimes I am convinced of the truth but usually I am “sumum bukmun”. 266

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I find that my heart is very arrogant, evil and hates the Truth. I have tried hard to repress these negative feelings but cannot fully overcome them. I want to become a Muslim again but am at the point of resigning myself to a life of Taaghoot. I have read countless books and been to many lectures but I have made no progress. I want to succeed in this life and be saved from the Fire. What can I do? Do I need to do the Shahada again? Please help me. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. His Excellence Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked the following question: I am a young man who has wronged myself by committing many sins. I do not even pray in the mosque, I have never fasted all of Ramadaan in my life, and I do other bad things. Often I have promised myself that I will repent, but then I go back to my bad ways. I make friends with young people in our neighbourhood who are not very good, and most of my brothers’ friends who come to our house are also not righteous. Allaah knows that I have wronged myself by committing so many sins and doing bad things, but every time I resolve to repent, I go back to my old ways again. I hope that you can show me a way to get closer to my Lord and keep me from doing these bad things. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied: Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed 267

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against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:54] The scholars agreed that this aayah was revealed concerning those who repent; whoever repents sincerely from his sins, Allaah will forgive him all his sins, as this aayah says, and as Allaah says elsewhere (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahreem 66:8] In this aayah, Allaah made the forgiveness of sins and admittance to Paradise conditional upon sincere repentance, which includes giving up and avoiding sins, regretting the sins of the past, and sincerely resolving not to go back to them, out of reverence for Allaah, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment. One of the conditions of sincere repentance is that one should restore what is rightfully due to people whom you have wronged or asking for their forgiveness if the sin involved wronging them with regard to blood, wealth or honour. If it is not possible to ask your brother for forgiveness concerning his honour, then you must pray for him a lot, and speak of him in the best way you can in the places where you gossiped about him, for good deeds expiate for bad deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.” [al-Noor 24:31]. 268

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In this aayah, Allaah made the connection between success and tawbah, which indicates that the one who repents will be successful and blessed. If the one who repents follows his repentance with faith and righteous deeds, Allaah will wipe out his sayi’aat (evil deeds) and replace them with hasanaat (good deeds). Allaah says in Soorat al-Furqaan, after mentioning shirk, killing without just cause and zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) (interpretation of the meaning): “The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is OftForgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Furqaan 25:69-70] One of the means of repentance is praying to Allaah for guidance and strength, asking Him to bless you with repentance. Allaah is the One Who says (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: “Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)…” [Ghaafir 40:60] And He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).” [al-Baqarah 2:186] Another of the means of repentance which will help you adhere to it is keeping company with good people and following their example of righteous conduct, and keeping 269

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away from bad company. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man will be on the path of his close friends, so pay attention to who you make friends with.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of a righteous companion is that of the seller of musk: either he will give you a gift, or you will buy something from him, or you will smell a pleasant fragrance from him. And the likeness of an evil companion is that of the man who works the bellows: either he will burn your garment, or you will smell an unpleasant odour from him.” (Majmoo’ Fataawaa Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz; Fataawaa al-‘Aqeedah, part 2, p. 640) With regard to renewing your Islam: if you have done something that takes you out of Islam altogether, then you have to pronounce the Shahaadatayn and re-enter Islam because you had left it. If what you have done is a major sin which does not, however, take you out of Islam, then it is sufficient for you to repent according to the conditions referred to above. Do not despair of the Mercy of Allaah; follow the path of salvation. May Allaah give us and you the strength to do all that is good. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. We ask Allaah to bless us and you with sincere repentance and to forgive us and you. May He show you the way out from your problem and bring us and you together in Gardens of Delight (Paradise) facing one another on thrones [cf. Al-Hijr 15:47]. Ameen. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 270

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3674: He has repented but he still owes money for music tapes Question: Assalamu Alaykum wa rahmatu ‘llah, Alhamdu lillah who is guiding me towards repentence from listening to music. My problem is that I purchased many CD’s from a company a while back and I have not paid the m yet, and the company is asking me for payment now, and I can not return the CD’s anymore. I know that it is haram for me to sell those CD’s to make a profit, in this case is it permissible for me to sell those CD’s to the Kuffar and get just enough money to pay the company I bought them from? If not what should I do? Jazakum Allah Khairan ya shaikh, and may Allah reward you for your efforts as well as all your helpers. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn al‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him: “In the name of Allaah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and companions. What you must do now is to erase the songs from the tapes and return the tapes or pay the value of the empty tapes, because the tapes themselves are worth something, and it is only the songs that are haraam. You have two options: either erase the songs and return the tapes, or erase the songs and give them money equivalent to the value of the empty tapes.” If you cannot return the tapes, then pay them the cost of 271

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the empty tapes. If you cannot erase the songs, then just destroy the tapes. Do not sell them to a kaafir with the songs still recorded on them. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 3177: A repenter wants to know some du’aa’s he can recite Question: As-salaamu-alaikum, I have been a great sinner before. I did not read my salaat often enough, did not make zikr, read durood,etc. Recently, I experienced some misfortune in my life and I have only myself to blame. This misfortune, has opened my eyes in many ways and I have started a complete turnaround of my previous lifestyle. I need to know if there is anything I may read daily to become closer to The Almighty and really focus on doing good to wipe out the evils/sins of my previous lifestyle. Is there things I may read while I am working too? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. All praise be to Allaah for the great blessing which He has bestowed upon you by guiding you to the way of truth after you had been astray, and for your return to Him after you had been a sinner, neglecting His laws. We ask Him, may He be glorified, to complete His favour upon you by guiding you further and making you adhere steadfastly to 272

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His religion. As regards what you should do about your past and how you can make up for what you have missed, you will find detailed answers in the book “..”I Want to Repent, But...”, With regard to du’aa’s to do with repentance that you can recite every day and whilst at work, al-hamdulillah there are many such du’aa’s, among the greatest of which are as follows: “Rabbi’ghfir wa’rham wa anta khayru’l-raahimeen (My Lord! Forgive and show mercy, for You are the Best of those who show mercy!)” [al-Mu’minoon 23:118 – interpretation of the meaning]. “Rabbanaa ‘ghfar lanaa dhunoobanaa wa israafanaa fi amrinaa (Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and transgressions (in keeping our duties to You).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:147 – interpretation of the meaning]. Shaddaad ibn Aws (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best prayer for seeking forgiveness is to say: ‘Allaahumma anta rabbi la ilaaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduka wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa’dika ma astata’t. A’oodhu bika min sharri ma sana’tu, aboo’u laka bi ni’matika ‘alayya wa aboo’u laka bi dhanbi, faghfir li fa innahu laa yaghfiru’l-dhunoob illaa anta (O Allaah, You are my Lord. None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise (to You) as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You).” Whoever says this during the day, having faith in it and dies before the evening comes, will be among the people of Paradise, 273

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and whoever says it during the night, having faith in it, and dies before the morning comes, will be among the people of Paradise.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5831). Abu Moosa reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite the following du’aa’: “Allaahumma’ghfir li khatee’ati wa jahli wa israafi fi amri wa maa anta a’lam bihi minni. Allaahumma’ghfir li jiddi wa hazli wa khata’i wa ‘amdi wa kullu dhaalika ‘indi. Allaahumma’ghfir li maa qaddamtu wa maa ajjartu wa ma asrartu wa maa a’lamtu wa maa anta a’lam bihi minni. Anta’l-muqaddim wa anta’l-mu’akhkhir wa anta ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer ( Allaah, forgive me for my sin. My ignorance and my transgression (in keeping my duty to You), and whatever You know about me better than I do. O Allaah, forgive me for sins committed in earnest and in jest, by mistake and deliberately, and I have done all of that. O Allaah, forgive me for what I have done in the past and what I will do in the future, what I have done in secret and what I have done openly, and whatever You know about me better than I do. You are the One Who raises and lowers people’s status, and You are Able to do all things).” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5919, and Muslim, 4896. This version reported by Muslim). Ibn ‘Umar reported that the people counted for the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he recited one hundred times in one gathering: “Raabi’ghfir li wa tubb ‘alayya innaka anta’ltawwaab ul-ghafoor (My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are the Acceptor or Repentance, the All-Forgiving).” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3356. He said, This is a ghareeb saheeh hasan hadeeth). May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. 274

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Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 2509: The difference between repentance and forgiveness Question: What is the difference between tawba(repentance) and maghfira(forgiveness) Answer: Istighfaar (seeking forgiveness) is of two types, depending on whether the word is used alone or is accompanied by the word tawbah (forgiveness). When it is mentioned alone, it essentially means the same as tawbah. The two words are interchangeable, each carrying the meaning of the other, when mentioned separately. When the two words are used together, istighfaar means seeking protection from the evil of what is past, and tawbah means returning to Allaah and seeking protection from the evil of one’s own bad deeds which one fears may lie ahead in the future. Istighfaar and tawbah are among the pairs of words which the scholars say convey one another’s meanings when used alone, but which have their own separate meanings when they are used together. And Allaah knows best. Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/308) (www.islam-qa.com) 610: Repentance for neglecting prayer Question: I am 38 years old man. till the age of 25 I did’nt prayed. please advice me what I have to do for this? 275

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Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Remember how Allaah has blessed you by bringing you back to Islam after you have been neglecting salaah, and keep on doing the prayers at the right times. Do more naafil (supererogatory or extra) prayers to make up for the fard (obligatory) prayers that you have missed, as was advised in the saheeh hadeeth narrated by Hurayth ibn Qubaysah, who said: “I came to Madeenah and prayed, ‘O Allaah, send me a righteous companion.’ I went and sat with Abu Hurayrah and said: ‘I asked Allaah to bless me with a righteous companion; tell me a hadeeth that you heard from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so that I may benefit therefrom.’ He said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that the first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is sound, he will be successful, and if it is lacking in any way, he will be doomed. If his obligatory prayers are lacking, the Lord will say: “Look and see whether My slave has any voluntary prayers which may be used to make up what is lacking in his obligatory prayers.” Then all his deeds will be examined and dealt with in the same way.’” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 413; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2020). Abu Dawood reported from Anas ibn Hakeem al-Dabbi that he came to Madeenah and met Abu Hurayrah. He said: “He asked me about my lineage so I told him about it, then he said: ‘O young man, shall I not tell you a hadeeth?’ I said, ‘Of course, may Allaah have mercy on you,’ and I think he mentioned it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said: ‘The first thing that people will be asked about on the Day of Resurrection will be their prayers. Our Lord will say to His angels (although He knows best): “Look at My slave’s 276

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prayers: are they complete or is something lacking?” If they are complete, they will be recorded as such, but if something is lacking, He will say: “Look and see if My slave has any voluntary prayers to his credit.” If this proves to be the case, He will say: “Make up his (missing) obligatory prayers with his voluntary prayers.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner.’” (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2571) Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) 1490: Returning to Islaam Question: Assalomu Aleykum My Grandparents are Muslim people. My Parents consider themselves also as Muslims, but they pray and fast timeto-time. They do not follow all roles in Islam. As for me I just open Islam for myself. At the mean-time I am learning praying and other questions about Islam with my Grandmother. This was the first I when I was fasting. I understand that I did a lot of things wrong in the past. Will I be ever forgiven for the sins I made in the past? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Whoever repents, Allaah will turn to him in acceptance. Whoever seeks to draw closer to Allaah, Allaah will draw closer to him. As you have been guided and have returned to Islam and turned to Allaah, then rejoice in the news that Allaah has accepted your repentance and forgiven 277

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you. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ”And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death).” [Ta-Ha 20:82] Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 728: Repentance of the Fornicator Question: Assalaamu’alaikum. I have a friend. He has married. He told me, someday he did ‘Zinnah’ with other woman. Now, he want to Taubat An-Nasuha. The Questions are : How can he do a Taubat An-Nasuha ? Would be Allah ‘azza wa jalla receive his Taubat ? He told me, (I’m sorry if sounds rough), his penis did not entered to the woman’s vagina, but their condition have been nude. His penis position between her up leg. Could we say that is a zinna that must be punished with ‘rajm’ ? As information, In our country, the zinna can’t punish with ‘rajm’. I need your answer soon as possible. Jazzakumullaahu khoiran katsiran. Assalaamu’alaikum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuh. Answer: All Praises are Due to Allah 278

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The act that your friend committed is a great sin and crime. He must repent to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “the eyes fornicate, the hands fornicate, the legs commit fornication, and the private parts commit fornication”. (It is reported by Ahmad and it is in sahih Al Jahni 4150.) Tell your friend that he has to increase in good deeds so that Allah will wipe out his evil deeds, as Abdullah ibn Masud reported. He said that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I met a woman in the garden so I pulled her close, fondled her, kissed her, and did everything with except have intercourse. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was then silent and so the verse came down, “verily, the good deeds erase the bad deeds, that is admonition to those who remember.” So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called him and recited it to him. So Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is this for him specifically or for everyone. He said (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) , ‘no, for everyone.’ (It was narrated by Ahmad.) There are more details on repenting from fornication. Refer to question #624. As for your question regarding whether he is considered to have committed fornication, which is punishable by stoning, it is obligatory that the married fornicator be stoned and the unmarried fornicator receive lashes. This is only if the sexual organs of the fornicator penetrate the vagina of the woman. Whatever is similar deserves a different punishment, depending on the level of the haram committed. It is not obligatory that he admit to a judge what he did. It is sufficient that 279

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repentance take place between him and Allah, and Allah is the Acceptor of repentance and the Most Merciful. We ask Allah to forgive us and the rest of the Muslims. Allah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islamqa.com) 35: Tawbah (repentance) from homosexuality Question: What is required of the man who repents homosexuality? Answer: It is obligatory on both of them - the active and the passive partners - to repent to Allah urgently, passionately and sincerely for no worse combination of punishments was sent by Allah as the ones in the case of the people of Lut (asws), who used to commit this filthy crime. The combination of punishments was as follows: They were blinded and left groping, as Allah said, “fatamasna a’yoonahum” (i.e., blinded them). A thunderous cry (tore their hearts) (al-sayha) Their homes were turned upside down. Allah rained upon them a storm of stones of baked clay prepared specifically for them and destroyed them completely. Accordingly the punishment if Islam for sodomy is death whether the two involved are married or unmarried. Said 280

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the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Whomsoever you find committing the act, kill them: both the active and the passive partners.” (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah, authenticated sahih by al-Albani, Arwaa’ ulGhaleel 2350) Excerpted from the book I Want to Repent but (www.islam-qa.com)

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