Wednesday 11 May 2011

When is slaughtering for someone other than Allaah regarded as shirk?

When is slaughtering for someone other than Allaah regarded as shirk?
Is every slaughter that is not done for the sake of Allaah regarded as shirk? Please give details, may Allaah reward you.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Slaughter may sometimes be a sacrifice, done to glorify and
venerate Allaah, and it may sometimes be done to honour a guest or to
provide meat to eat and so on. In the first case, it is not permissible to
offer this kind of glorification and veneration to anyone other than Allaah;
whoever offers that to anyone other than Allaah has associated someone else
with Him and committed major shirk (shirk akbar), and the meat he
slaughtered is regarded as maytah (dead meat). But in the second case, this
is permissible and may be required, but in all cases it is not permissible
to mention the name of anyone other than Allaah when slaughtering the meat,
otherwise it becomes maytah (dead meat) which is haraam, so mentioning the
name of Allaah when slaughtering the animal is a separate issue from the
issue of the purpose of the slaughter. 

If it is said: how can we differentiate between that which is
done to honour a person and that which is an act of worship to someone other
than Allaah? The answer is:  that in the case of seeking to draw closer to
someone other than Allaah, the intention is not to slaughter the animal for
meat, rather the intention is to venerate the one for whom it is slaughtered
and to give the meat to other people, such as the one who slaughters before
a chief when he returns from a journey and so on, then he gives the meat to
other people to eat it. This is what some people used to do in the past, and
this sacrifice was only done in order to venerate the chief, so it comes
under the heading of major shirk. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

Slaughter means killing by shedding the blood in a specific
manner, which is done in several ways: 

1 – That which is done as an act of worship with the
intention of venerating the one for whom the sacrifice is done and humbling
oneself before him and drawing closer to him. This may only be done for
Allaah in the manner prescribed by Allaah. Doing this for anyone other than
Allaah is major shirk. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my
sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[al-An’aam 6:162] 

2 – That which is done to
honour a guest or for a wedding feast and the like. This is something which
is enjoined and is either obligatory or mustahabb (encouraged), because the
Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him honour his guest.” And he SAWS
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn
‘Awf: “Give a wedding feast even if it is with only one sheep.” 

3 – That which is done to provide food or to sell the meat
and so on. This comes under the heading of that which is permissible and the
basic principle is that it is allowed, because Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our
Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners.

72. And We have subdued
them unto them so that some of them they have for riding and some they eat”

[Ya-Seen 36:71-72] 

and it may be required or
forbidden, depending on what it is a means to. 

Sharh al-Usool al-Thalaathah in
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 6/62. 

It says in Mawaahib al-Jaleel: With regard to
slaughtering sacrifices to idols, there is no dispute that it is haraam,
because this is something that is sacrificed to something other than Allaah.
(3/213). 

It says in Radd al-Muhtaar (6/309): 

Slaughtering an animal
for the arrival of prominent figure is forbidden, whilst slaughtering an
animal to honour a guest is permissible. Then he said: The difference is
that if he offers some of the meat to the prominent figure, then the
slaughter is for the sake of Allaah and the benefit is for the guest or the
wedding feast or the purpose of making money (by selling the meat), but if
he does not offer any of it to the prominent figure and he gives it to
others, then it was done to venerate someone other than Allaah, so it is
haraam. 

It says in al-Majmoo’: It is not permissible for the
one who is slaughtering the animal to say “In the name of Muhammad” or “In
the name of Allaah and the name of Muhammad.” Rather it is the right of
Allaah that slaughtering should be done only in His name and vows should be
made only in His name, and prostration should be done only to Him, and no
created being should be associated with Him in that. Al- Ghazaali said in
al-Waseet that it is not permissible to say, “In the name of Allaah and
Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah (S).” because this is shirk. (8/384). 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was
asked about the ruling on offering a sacrifice to someone other than Allaah,
and whether it is permissible to eat that meat. He replied: Offering a
sacrifice to someone other than Allaah is major shirk, because offering a
sacrifice is an act of worship, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him
only)”

[al-Kawthar 108:2] 

“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my
sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[al-An’aam 6:162] 

So whoever offers a sacrifice to anyone other than Allaah is
a mushrik whose shirk puts him beyond the pale of Islam – we seek refuge
with Allaah – whether he offers that sacrifice to an angel, a Messenger, a
Prophet, a caliph, a wali (“saint”) or a scholar. All of that is shirk
(associating others in worship with Allaah) which puts one beyond the pale
of Islam. People must fear Allaah and not allow themselves to fall into that
shirk of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, whosoever sets
up partners (in worship) with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to
him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers) there are no helpers”

[al-Maa’idah 5:72] 

Eating from this meat is haraam, because it has been
sacrificed to someone other than Allaah, and everything that is sacrificed
to someone other than Allaah or slaughtered on an altar is haraam, as Allaah
says in Soorat al-Maa’idah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Forbidden to you (for
food) are: Al‑Maitah (the dead animals — cattle — beast not slaughtered),
blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allaah’s Name has not been
mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice
for others than Allaah, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which
has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall,
or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild
animal — unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) ‑ and that
which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An‑Nusub (stone‑altars)”

[al-Maa'idah 5:3] 

These sacrifices which are slaughtered for anyone other than
Allaah come under the heading of haraam food which we are not permitted to
eat. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about the ruling on offering
sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah. 

He replied: 

We have stated elsewhere that Tawheed means devoting worship
only to Allaah – may He be exalted – and not worshipping anyone other than
Allaah with any kind of act of worship. It is well known that offering
sacrifices is a kind of worship by means of which a person seeks to draw
closer to his Lord, because Allaah has enjoined it in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to
Him only)”

[al-Kawthar 108:2] 

Every act by means of which a person seeks to draw closer (to
his Lord) is an act of worship. So if a person offers a sacrifice to someone
other than Allaah as an act of veneration and humility, seeking thereby to
draw closer to him, as he seeks to draw closer to his Lord and venerate Him,
then he is a mushrik who associates others in worship with Allaah. And if he
is a mushrik, then Allaah has stated that He has forbidden Paradise to the
mushrik and his abode is Hell. 

Based on that, we say that what some people do, offering
sacrifice to graves – the graves of those whom they claim to be awliya’
(“saints”) – is shirk which puts them beyond the pale of Islam. Our advice
to these people is to repent to Allaah from their actions and to make their
sacrifices for Allaah alone, and their prayer and fasting for Allaah alone;
if they do that, He will forgive for them what they did before, as 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] 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
2/148. 

For more information see al-Qawl al-Mufeed ‘ala Kitaab al-Tawheed, 1/215; Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, 1/155;
al-Durar al-Sanniyyah min al-Ajwabah al-Najdiyyah, 1/428.

Saying Yaa Rasool Allaah

Saying Yaa Rasool Allaah
I want to know that can we say Ya Rasool-Allah or not.


 

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible to call upon anyone
other than Allaah, whether at times of ease or times of hardship, no matter how great the status of the one who is called upon, even if he is a
Prophet who is close to Allaah, or one of the angels, because du’aa’ is a form of worship. 

It was narrated from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer
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 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] 

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2895; Ibn Maajah, 3818; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 2370. 

Worship is due only to Allaah; it is not permitted to direct worship towards anyone else. Hence
the Muslims are agreed that whoever calls upon anyone other than Allaah is a mushrik (polytheist, one who associates others with Allaah). 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: 

Whoever regards the angels and Prophets as intermediaries whom he calls upon, puts his trust in
and asks them to bring that which will benefit him and ward off harmful things, such as asking them to forgive sins, guide them, relieve them of
distress and meet their needs, is a kaafir, according to the consensus of the Muslims. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,
1/124. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: 

The kinds of shirk include asked the dead for one's needs, or seeking their help, or turning to
them. This is the essence of shirk. 

Fath al-Majeed,
p. 145 

Hence Allaah has said that there is no one
more astray than the one who calls on others besides Him. 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?

And when mankind are gathered (on the Day
of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping”

[al-Ahqaaf 46:5-6] 

How can he call on others besides Allaah,
when Allaah has told us that they are helpless? Allaah says: 

“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 All‑Knower (of everything)”

[Faatir 35:13-14] 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan Aal
al-Shaykh said: 

Allaah tells us the situation of those who
are called upon instead of Him, of the angels, Prophets, idols, etc. in a manner that indicates their helplessness and weakness, and that they
lack the abilities that are to be expected in the one who is called upon, such as sovereignty, the ability to hear the call and the ability to
respond. 

Fath al-Majeed,
p. 158 

How can the Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) be called upon, when Allaah has commanded him to say, “Say: ‘It is not in
my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path’” [al-Jinn 72:21 – interpretation of the meaning]?  

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you ask, then ask of
Allaah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allaah.” 

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2043. 

Hence there can be no doubt that it is a mistake to praise the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the words 

“O most noble of creation, I have nobody to
turn to except you when calamity strikes.” 

The major scholars have denounced this as
being wrong. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said, in his footnotes to the book Fath al-Majeed, commenting on the poem Burdat al-Busayri from which these
words are taken: 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us, according to the report
narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim, ‘Do not praise me as the Christians praised ‘Eesa ibn Maryam, I am the slave of Allaah and His Messenger.’
Rather the way to venerate him and love him is by following his Sunnah and establishing his religion and rejecting all the myths that the ignorant
attribute to him. But most of the people do not do this, and they occupy themselves with this exaggeration and praise which leads them to commit
major shirk.” 

Fath al-Majeed,
p. 155 

Moreover, it is not known that even a single Sahaabi used to seek the help of the Messenger or
call upon the Messenger, neither was that transmitted from any of the respectable scholars. It is only one of the myths of the deviant. 

If something troubles you, then say Yaa
Allaah, for He is the One Who answers prayers, relieves distress and controls all things. 

And Allaah knows best.

Commentary on the hadeeth Bad omens are to be found in a woman, a house and a horse

Commentary on the hadeeth “Bad omens are to be found in a woman, a house and a horse”
What is the meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (saaw) which states that there is an evil omen in the woman and the horse? Does it mean, that in general women and horses are evil?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

What is proven in the Sunnah is that it is
forbidden to believe in bad omens (tatayyur) or warn others about them, and that this is a kind of shirk. For example, al-Bukhaari (5776) and
Muslim (2224) narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allaah)
and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens), but I like optimism.” They said, “What is optimism?” He said, “A good word.” 

Ahmad (4194), Abu Dawood
(3910), al-Tirmidhi (1614) and Ibn Maajah (3538) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Tiyarah (belief in evil omens) is shirk.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

Ahmad (7045) and
al-Tabaraani narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever lets
tiyarah stop him from doing something is guilty of shirk.” They said, “What is the kafaarah for that?” He said, “To say: Allaahumma la khayra
illaa khayruka wa laa tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O Allaah, there is no good except Your good, no birds (omens) except from
You, and there is no god beside You).” [Classed as hasan by al-Arna’oot and as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 6264]

Al-Tabaraani narrated in
al-Kabeer from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He is not one of us who
practices augury [seeking omens in birds] or has that done for him, or who practices divination or has that done for him, or who practices
witchcraft or has that done for him.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 5435. 

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim, no. 2224:  

Tatayyur (belief in bad omens) is pessimism, and is based
on something disliked, be it a word or action or something seen… They used to startle birds to make them move; if they went to the right they
would regard that as a good omen and go ahead with their journeys or other plans, but if they went to the left they would cancel their journeys
and plans, and regard that as a bad omen. So it would often prevent them from doing things that were in their interests. Islam cancelled out all
that and forbade it, and said that it had no effect, whether good or bad. This is what is meant by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him): “There is no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens),” and in another hadeeth, “Tiyarah is shirk” – i.e., the belief
that it can bring benefit or harm, if they act upon it believing that it has any effect, then this is shirk, because they think that it has an
effect on what one does or that it can make things happen. 

This is the basic principle regarding bad omens (tatayyur).
But there are ahaadeeth which indicate that a bad omen may be in a woman, a house or a horse.

Al-Bukhaari (5093) and Muslim (2252) narrated from
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Bad omens are in a woman, a house and a horse.”

Al-Bukhaari (5094) and Muslim, (2252) narrated that Ibn
‘Umar said: Mention of bad omens was made in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If bad omens are to be found in anything, it is in a house, a woman and a horse.”

Abu Dawood (3924) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: A man
said: “O Messenger of Allaah, we were in a house and our numbers and wealth were great, then we moved to another house where our numbers and
wealth decreased.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Leave it, it is bad.” This hadeeth was classed
as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

The scholars differed concerning these ahaadeeth and how to
reconcile them with the ahaadeeth that forbid tatayyur. Some of them interpreted them as they appear to be, and said that this is an exception
from the ruling on tatayyur, i.e., that tatayyur is forbidden unless a person has a house which he does not want to live in, or a wife whom he
does not want to keep company with, or a horse or servant, all of which he should get rid of by selling them, or by divorcing the wife.

Others said that a house may be regarded as a bad omen when
it is too small, or there are bad neighbours who cause trouble; a woman may be regarded as a bad omen when she does not produce children, or she
has a sharp tongue, or she behaves in a suspicious manner; a horse may be regarded as a bad omen when it is not used in jihad, or it was said,
when it is difficult to handle or it is too expensive; and a servant may be regarded as a bad omen when he has a bad attitude or is not
trustworthy or reliable.

Sharh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim.

The correct view is that all types of belief in bad omens
are condemned, and that no kinds of women, houses or animals can cause harm or bring benefit except by Allaah’s leave. Allaah is the Creator of
both good and evil. A person may be tested with a wife who has a bad attitude, or a house in which there is a lot of problems, in which case it is
prescribed for him to rid himself of these things, fleeing from the decree of Allaah to the decree of Allaah, and so as to avoid falling into
pessimism and belief in bad omens which is forbidden.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Another group said:
regarding these three as bad omens only affects those who believe in that. Whoever puts his trust in Allaah and does not believe in omens and
superstition, that does not affect him. They said: this is indicated by the hadeeth of Anas, ‘A bad omen only affects the one who believes in it.’
If a person believes in bad omens, Allaah may make that the cause of bad things happening to him, just as He may make trust in Him and making Him
alone the focus of one's fear and hope one of the main causes of warding off evil that people may superstitiously expect.

The reason for that is
that tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) implies shirk or associating others with Allaah, fearing others besides Him and not putting one’s
trust in Him. The superstitious person attracts evil to himself, so the superstition affects him more, because he did not protect himself with
belief in Allaah alone and trust in Allaah. If a person fears something other than Allaah, it gains control over him and he is tormented by it; if
he loves something else as well as Allaah, he will be tormented by it; if he puts his hope in something alongside Allaah he will be let down by
it. These matters are well known from real life and there is no need to provide further evidence. Everyone inevitably feels superstitious but the
strong believer wards off those superstitious feelings by putting his trust in Allaah. Whoever puts his trust in Allaah, He will suffice him and
he will have no need of anyone or anything else. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So when you want to
recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one).

Verily, he has no
power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (Allaah).

His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Satan), and those who join partners
with Him (Allaah, i.e. those who are Mushrikoon, i.e., polytheists)”

[al-Nahl 16:98]

Hence Ibn Mas’ood said:
“All of us sometimes feel superstitious, but Allaah causes it to disappear when we put our trust in Him.” They said: superstition with regard to
houses, women and horses may affect only those who believe in it; as for the one who puts his trust in Allaah and fears Him alone, and does not
believe in bad omens, then horses, women and houses cannot be bad omens for him.

Then he said:

Whoever believes that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) attributed a superstitious effect to anything in the sense that it may
have an effect in and of itself independently of Allaah is telling a serious lie against Allaah and His Messenger and has gone far astray. His
speaking of bad omens existing in these three things does not constitute proof of what he had denied before. All it means is that Allaah may a
superstitious effect in objects for those who come near them or live in them, and there may be some blessing in some objects, and anyone who comes
nears them is not affected by bad omens or anything bad. This is like when Allaah gives parents a blessed child and they experience goodness
because of him, whilst He gives others a mean child and they experience bad things because of him. This applies to what may Allaah may bestow on
His slave of houses, wives and horses. Allaah is the Creator of good and evil, good luck and bad luck. So some of these things may be “lucky” and
blessed and bring happiness for those who come into contact with them, so they are blessed; and some of them may be “unlucky” and bring “bad luck”
to those who come into contact with them, all by the will and decree of Allaah, just as He has created all other causes and effects which may
vary. So He has created musk and other fragrant substances, which give delight to all those who come into contact with them, and He has created
their opposites which cause disgust to all those who come into contact with them. The difference between the two types is known from experience.
The same applies to houses, women and horses. This is one thing, and the shirki belief in bad omens is something else altogether.

He said concerning the
Prophet’s command to that family to leave that house, as mentioned in the hadeeth quoted above:

This is not the kind of
superstition that is forbidden. Rather he told them to leave it when they started to think along these lines, in order to achieve two aims and two
benefits:

1 – It was so that they
would leave a place that they disliked and felt scared in because of what had happened to them there, so that they might find relief from the
panic, grief and depression that assailed them there, because Allaah has made it man’s nature to hate that which causes him harm even though it is
not the fault of that thing, and to love that which brings him happiness, even though the thing itself does not intend to do good. So he commanded
them to leave that which they disliked, because Allaah sent him as a mercy, and did not send him as a torment. He sent him to make things easy,
not to make things hard. So how could he have told them to stay in a place where they were unhappy and felt scared to stay because of the great
losses they had suffered there, when that would serve no purpose of worship or increase their piety or guidance, especially when they had stayed
there for so long after they had begun to feel uncomfortable there which made them superstitious. So this protected them from two serious things:

1 – Committing shirk

2 – Protecting them from
something bad happening to them because of their superstition, which usually affects those who believe in it. So he protected them because of his
great mercy and kindness from these two disliked things, by telling them to leave that house and move to another without any harm coming to them
with regard to either their worldly or religious interests. 

Miftaah Daar
al-Sa’aadah, 2/258 

And Allaah knows best

What did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mean by No contagion (adwa)

What did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mean by “No contagion (‘adwa)”?
What is the original text of the hadeeth “There is no ‘adwa in religion” and what is meant by that?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

There are several versions of this hadeeth. Al-Bukhaari
(5776) and Muslim (2224) narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “There is no ‘adwa (transmission of infectious
disease without the permission of Allaah) and no tiyarah
(superstitious belief in bird omens), but I like good omens.” They said:
What is a good omen?” He said: “A good word.” 

Al-Bukhaari (5316)
narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no ‘adwaa
[contagion, transmission of infectious disease without the permission of
Allaah], no tiyarah [superstitious belief in bird omens], no haamah [refers
to a Jaahili Arab tradition described variously as: a worm which infests the
grave of a murder victim until he is avenged; an owl; or the bones of a dead
person turned into a bird that could fly], and no Safar [the month of Safar
was regarded as “unlucky” during the Jaahiliyyah].” 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  

The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) “There is no ‘adwa” are general in meaning, thus the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) states that there is no
contagion (without the permission of Allaah). 

‘Adwa (contagion) refers to the spread of a disease from a
sick person to a healthy one. What happens in the case of physical diseases
may also happen in the case of psychological diseases. Hence the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that a bad companion
is the like one who operates the bellows: Either he will burn your clothes,
or you will notice a bad smell from him. 

The words “there is no ‘adwa” include both physical and
psychological diseases, even though it is more apparent with regard to
physical disease. 

The words “no tiyarah (lit. superstitious belief in bird
omens)” refers to feeling superstitious because of something that you see,
hear or know.. 

With regard to the words
“no haamah”, haamah is interpreted in two ways: 

1 – That it is a bird similar to an owl, or an owl. The Arabs
believed that if a person was killed, his bones became a haamah that could
fly and shriek until he was avenged. Some of them believed that the haamah
was the soul of the slain person. 

2 – Some of the Arabs said that the haamah was a particular
bird, which they regarded as a bad omen. If it landed on the house of one of
them and made a sound, they said that it was predicting a death. They
believed that this was a sign that that person would die soon. All of these
are undoubtedly false beliefs. 

The words “No Safar” refers to the month of Safar, which the
Arabs used to regard as inauspicious, especially for marriage. 

And it was said that it was a stomach disease that affected
camels and was transmitted from one camel to another; based on this,
mentioning it after ‘adwa (contagion) comes under the heading of mentioning
something specific after something general. 

It is more likely that what is meant by Safar here is the
month, and that what is meant by saying “No Safar” is that it is not to be
regarded as inauspicious, rather it is like any other time, during which
good or bad things may be decreed. 

This does not mean that these things do not happen, because
they do happen. Rather it is a statement that they do not have any effect.
The One Who causes things to happen is Allaah. If any of these things has a
known effect then that is valid and real; if any of them is imagined to have
an effect, then that is invalid and false. Thus the hadeeth demonstrates
that if there is a valid effect, it cannot be attributed to that thing
itself (rather the One Who causes it to happen is Allaah). If the effect is
merely imagined, then this hadeeth is stating that it has no effect in the
first place. 

With regard to the words “no contagion (‘adwa)”: contagion is
something that happens, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Do not put a sick one with a
healthy one” i.e., the owner of a sick camel should not bring it to the
owner of a healthy camel, lest the contagion be transmitted. 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Flee from the leper as you would flee from a lion.” Leprosy is a
serious disease that is transmitted quickly and kills the one who catches
it. It was even said that it is a plague. Hence the command to flee from the
leper so that the disease will not be transmitted from him to you. This is
an affirmation of the effect of contagion, but its effect is not inevitable
in such a way that it affects people by itself. The command of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to flee and not to bring
sick camels to where healthy camels are comes under the heading of avoiding
the means (that lead to sickness), not attributing the effect to the means
themselves. The means do not affect anything themselves, but we should avoid
the things that may be a cause of calamity, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“and do not throw yourselves into destruction”

[al-Baqarah 2:195] 

We cannot say that the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was denying the
effect of contagion, because contagion is something that is proven to exist
in real life and is mentioned in other ahaadeeth. 

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said “there is no ‘adwa”, a man said: “O Messenger of Allaah, the
camels may be healthy like deer, then a mangy camel comes and mixes with
them and they all get the mange.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “And who infected the first one?” meaning that the
disease came to the first one with no contagion, rather it came from Allaah.
By the same token, if it was transmitted by contagion, then it was
transmitted by the command of Allaah. A thing may have a known cause or it
may not have a known cause. The mange of the first one does not have a known
cause, apart from the fact that it happened by the will and decree of
Allaah, and the mange that came after it does have a known cause. But if
Allaah wills the camel will not become mangy. Hence sometimes a camel may
get the mange but then it recovers and does not die. The same happens with
the plague and cholera; they may enter a house and some may get sick and
die, while others are not affected at all.

 We have to put our trust in Allaah and depend on Him. It was
narrated that a leper came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and he took him by the hand and said, “Eat,” i.e., eat
of the food that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was eating– because of the strength of his trust in Allaah. This trust
counteracts the causes of contagion. 

What we have referred to above is the best way of reconciling
between the ahaadeeth. 

End quote from Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 2/80 

Based on this, what is meant by the words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “no ‘adwa (contagion)” is that
disease is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy one by itself,
rather it is transmitted by the will and decree of Allaah. If a sick person
mixes with healthy ones this is one of the causes of the transmission of
disease. But this does not mean that it will inevitably happen, rather it
only happens if Allaah wills it. Hence we often see a sick mother give birth
to a healthy child, but the disease is not transmitted to the infant. 

And Allaah knows best.

Seeing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream

Seeing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream
Once I saw Muhammad(SAW) in my dream. But he was like a young guy or young children. Of course his(SAW) appearence did not match with what I read about him(SAW).


But, I think (Hope) that it was HE(SAW). Because I asked him(SAW):' Are you indeed(really) Muhammad(SAW)?' He(SAW) said:'YES'. Who, except him(SAW) himself, can say that?


In the second time, there was a voice like in old times, when somebody is coming to the castle of the king.This voice said: 'Muhammad(SAW)!' And very handsome men, at the age between 40-45 came and just show me a piece of paper. And that was it.


How can I know, that in both dreams it was he(SAW)?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Firstly: 

It should be noted that it is possible for a
person to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream, and that the Shaytaan cannot appear in the image of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he could appear in another form and claim that he is the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I
heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake; the Shaytaan
cannot take my shape.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6592; Muslim,
2266). 

According to a report narrated by Ahmad
(3400): The Shaytaan cannot resemble me.” 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: 

We have narrated it with a complete isnaad
from Ismaa’eel ibn Ishaaq al-Qaadi from Sulaymaan ibn Harb – who was one of the shaykhs of al-Bukhaari – from Hammaad ibn Zayd from Ayyoob who
said: If a man told Muhammad (meaning Ibn Sireen) that he had seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [in a dream], he
would say, “Describe to me the one whom you saw.” If he gave a description that he did not recognize, he would say, “You did not see him.” Its
isnaad is saheeh, and I have found another report which corroborates it. Al-Haakim narrated via ‘Aasim ibn Kulayb (who said), my father told me: I
said to Ibn ‘Abbaas, “I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream.” He said, “Describe him to me.” He said, “I
mentioned al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali and said that he looked like him.” He said, “You did indeed see him.” Its isnaad is jayyid. 

Fath al-Baari,
12/383, 384. 

With regard to those who say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
may appear in all forms [in dreams], quoting as evidence the report narrated by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sees me in a dream has indeed seen me, for I may be shown in all forms” – this
hadeeth is da’eef (weak). 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: 

Its isnaad includes Saalih the freed slave of
al-Taw’amah, who is da’eef (weak) who became confused (in old age), and this is a report from someone who heard it after he became confused. 

Fath al-Baari,
12/384. 

Secondly: 

What is mentioned in the question about having seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) as a young man or a child is possible, but it is also subject to the conditions mentioned above, which is that he should look
as he would have looked at that age. 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:  

The phrase “[the Shaytaan] cannot” indicates
that although Allaah gave him the ability to appear in any form he wants, He does not allow him to appear in the form of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was the opinion of a group who said concerning the hadeeth: What this refers to is when a person sees
him as he really looked. 

Some of them restricted it even further and
said: He must see him as he looked when he died, so he must even take into consideration the number of his white hairs which was no more than
twenty. 

The correct view is that he may be seen at
any age or in any condition, so long as he appears as he really looked at any time, whether as a youth, in the prime of manhood, in old age or any
other time of his life. 

Fath al-Baari,
12/386. 

Thirdly: 

Once this is understood, it is possible for the Shaytaan to come to a person in his sleep and
claim to be the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), if he comes in a form other than the way in which Allaah formed him at
all stages of his life. 

The fact that there was a voice like in old
times, or very handsome men, or someone who said “Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)” has nothing to do with seeing the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his true form. 

And Allaah knows best.

Dreams and dream interpretation

Dreams and dream interpretation
dream interpretation in islaam..i've got a book by ibn-sirine... i want more details about it..

 

Praise be to Allaah.

True dreams are a part of Prophethood, as it was
reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “True dreams are one of the forty-six parts of
Prophethood.” (al-Bukhaari, 6472; Muslim, 4201)

Dreams marked the onset of Revelation (al-Bukhaari,
3; Muslim, 231).

The truthfulness of the dream is related to the
sincerity of the dreamer. Those who have the most truthful dreams are
those who are the most truthful in speech. (Muslim, 4200)

Towards the end of time, hardly any dreams will be
untrue. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “That will be because the Prophethood and its effects will be so
far away in time, so the believers will be given some compensation in
the form of dreams which will bring them some good news or will help
them to be patient and steadfast in their faith.” (al-Bukhaari,
6499; Muslim, 4200)

The same may be said of the miracles which appeared after
the time of the Sahaabah. This did not happen during their time because
they did not need them, due to their strong faith, but the people who came
after them needed them (the miracles) because their faith was weak.

Dreams are of three types: rahmaani (those that
come from Allaah), nafsaani (psychological, they come from within
a person) and shaytaani (those that come from the Shaytaan). The
Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Dreams
are of three types: a dream from Allaah, a dream which causes distress
and which comes from the Shaytaan, and a dream which comes from what a
person thinks about when he is awake, and he sees it when he is
asleep.” (al-Bukhaari, 6499; Muslim, 4200)

The dreams of the Prophets are wahy (revelation)
for they are protected from the Shaytaan. The Ummah is agreed
upon this. This is why Ibraaheem set out to fulfil the command of Allaah
to sacrifice his son Ismaa’eel when he saw that in a dream; may peace
be upon them both.

The dreams of people other than the Prophets are to be
examined in the light of the clear Wahy [i.e., the Qur’aan and
Sunnah]. If they are in accordance with the Qur’aan and Sunnah, all
well and good; otherwise, they should not be acted upon. This is a very
serious matter indeed, for many of the innovators among the Sufis and
others have gone astray because of this.

Whoever wants to have true dreams should strive to speak
honestly, eat halaal food, adhere to the commandments of sharee’ah,
avoid that which Allaah and His Messenger
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) have forbidden, sleep in a state of complete purity
facing the Qiblah, and remember Allaah until he feels his eyelids
drooping. If he does all this, then his dreams can hardly be untrue.

The most truthful of dreams are those that are seen at
the time of suhoor [just before dawn], for this is the time when Allaah
descends and when mercy and forgiveness are close. It is also the time
when the devils are quiet, unlike the time of darkness just after
sunset, when the devils and devilish souls spread out.

(See Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/50-52)

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:

All dreams are either of two types:

true dreams. These are the dreams of the Prophets
and of the righteous people who follow them. They may also happen to
other people, but this is very rare, such as the dream of the kaafir
king which was interpreted for him by Yoosuf (peace be upon him).
True dreams are those which come true in real life as they were seen
in the dream.

Mixed up false dreams, which warn of something.
These are of different types:

games of the Shaytaan to make a person distressed,
such as when he sees his head cut off and he is following it, or he
sees himself falling into a crisis and cannot find anyone to save
him from it, and so on.

When he sees some of the angels telling him to do
something forbidden, or other things that cannot possibly make
sense.

When he sees something that happens to him in real
life, or he wishes it would happen, and he sees it very
realistically in his dream; or he see what usually happens to him
when he is awake or what reflects his mood. These dreams usually
speak of the future or the present, rarely of the past.

See: Fath al-Baari, 12/352-354

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“If any one of you sees a dream that he likes, this is from Allaah, so
let him praise Allaah for it and talk about it to others. If he sees
other than that, a dream that he dislikes, this is from the Shaytaan, so
let him seek refuge with Allaah from its evil and not mention it to
anyone, for it will not harm him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
6584, and Muslim, 5862).

Abu Qutaadah said: the Prophet
(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Good dreams come from Allaah, and (bad)
dreams come from Shaytaan. Whoever sees something that he dislikes, let
him spit to his left three times and seek refuge with Allaah from the
Shaytaan, for it will not harm him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
6594, and Muslim, 5862). The “spitting” referred to
here is a soft, dry spitting with no saliva ejected.

It was reported from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit to
his left three times, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three
times, and turn over from the side on which he was sleeping.” (Narrated
by Muslim, 5864)

Ibn Hajar said: to sum up what has been said about good
dreams, we may say three things:

A person should praise Allaah for the good dream

He should feel happy about it

He should talk about it to those whom he loves but not
to those whom he dislikes.

To sum up what has been said about bad dreams, we may say
four things:

He should seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of the
dream

He should seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of the
Shaytaan

He should spit to his left three times when he wakes up

He should not mention it to anyone at all.

In al-Bukhaari, Baab al-Qayd fi’l-Manaam, a
fifth thing was narrated from Abu Hurayrah, which is to pray. The
wording of the report is: whoever sees something he dislikes (in a
dream) should not tell anyone about it; rather he should get up and
pray. This was reported as a Mawsool report by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh.

Muslim added a sixth thing, which is to turn over from
the side on which one was lying.

In conclusion, there are six things to do, the four
mentioned above, plus praying two rak’ahs, for example, and turning over
from the side on which one was lying to lie on one’s back, for example.

See Fath al-Baari, 12/370.

According to a hadeeth narrated from Abu Razeen by
al-Tirmidhi, he should not tell anybody about it except a very close
friend who loves him very much, or who is very wise. According to
another report, he should not talk about it except to one who is wise or
one who is dear to him. According to another report, he should not tell
of his dream except to a scholar or one who will give sincere advice.
Al-Qaadi Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said: as for the scholar, he will
interpret it in a good way for him as much as he can, and the one who
will give him sincere advice will teach him something that will be of
benefit to him and will help him to do that. The one who is wise is the
one who knows how to interpret it and will tell him only that which will
help him, otherwise he will keep quiet. The one who is dear, if he knows
something good he will say it, and if he does not know or he is in
doubt, he will keep quiet.

See Fath al-Baari, 12/369

Imaam al-Baghawi said:

Know that the interpretation of dreams falls into various
categories. Dreams may be interpreted in the light of the Qur’aan or in
the light of the Sunnah, or by means of the proverbs that are current
among people, or by names and metaphors, or in terms of opposites. (Sharh
al-Sunnah, 12/220)

He gave examples of this, such as:

Interpretation in the light of the Qur’aan: such as a
rope meaning a covenant, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of
Allaah…” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:103]

Interpretation in the light of the Sunnah: such as the
crow representing an immoral man (faasiq), because the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called it such.

Interpretation by means of proverbs: such a digging a
hole meaning a plot, because people say “Whoever digs a hole will fall in
it.”

Interpretation by means of names: such as seeing a man
called Raashid meaning wisdom.

Interpretation by means of opposites: such as fear
meaning safety, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And He will surely give them in exchange a safe
security after their fear” [al-Noor 24:55]

As for the book “Interpretation of Dreams” that is
attributed to Ibn Seereen, many researchers doubt that it can be
attributed to him at all, so we should be certain that this book was
written by this prominent scholar.

 

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Dreams

Dreams
I hope you could help me out with this confusion,I had prayed Istikhara namaz 5 days back.I asked ALLAH if I would be able to convert a non-muslim to a muslim and guide him to the wright path for my love for islam and ALLAH,I am very obsessed with this because it's my dying wish that i should be able to do this atleast once in my lifetime,because i love ALLAH dearly and with all my heart.I had prayed istikhra namaz asking ALLAH if I will ever be successful in executing this dream into reality,I also asked if he would guide me.


but today morning i had a dream were i saw me and my cousin spending our holidays in a hotel and (lahaulwalaquat)I found both me and my cousin holding a green color chamapangne bottle and that we were both tempted to taste it as so we do(lahaulwalaquwat).and after a while later i see my elder brother coming in and both me and my cousin get terrified and scared.Then i see my elder sister in a black salwar and that a brown dog is chasing her.


Imam saheb when I was dreaming I was getting really scared and I also feared that i commited a sin and then when i opened my eyes and got up from the left position(the position in which I was sleeping),i felt relieved that it was just a dream.


It was 5.30am at that time and i had to rush for fazr prayers,but as i was praying i felt really happy and had this beautiful feeling inside of me,that was convincing me that ALLAH is with me and listening to my heart.I never had such a lovely feeling,and I feel happy even now as I'm writing to you.


I don't know what this means,shuld i believe in the dream or should I listen to my heart.


 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Note that the things people see in their sleep may come under
one of two categories : 

1 – Dreams/visions 

2 – Confused dreams 

Confused dreams in turn are divided into two categories: 

1 – The Shaytaan’s attempts to frighten 

2 – The workings of the subconscious. 

So it may be said that what people see in their dreams may be
divided into three categories: 

1-    
Visions or dreams that come
from Allaah.

2-    
Attempts by the Shaytaan to
frighten us

3-    
The workings of the
subconscious. 

These categories are
indicated by the hadeeth narrated in Saheeh Muslim (no. 2263) from
Abu Hurayrah, which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “When the time (of the Day of Resurrection) draws
near, a believer's dream will hardly be false. And the truest vision will be
of one who is himself the most truthful in speech, for the vision of a
Muslim is the forty-fifth part of Prophecy, and dreams are of three types:

the good dream which is glad tidings from Allah;

the bad dream which causes distress, which is from the
Shaytaan;

and the dream which represents what a person is thinking
about.

So if any one of you sees a dream which he does not like he
should get up and pray, and not tell people about his dream…” 

It was narrated from ‘Awf ibn Maalik that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Dreams are of
three types: some are terrifying things from the Shaytaan, aimed at causing
grief to the son of Adam; some are things that a person is concerned with
when he is awake, so he sees them in his dreams; and some are a part of the
forty-six parts of Prophecy.”

(Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, 3155) 

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Dreams
are of three types: glad tidings from Allaah, what is on a person’s mind,
and frightening dreams from the Shaytaan. If any of you sees a dream that he
likes, let him tell others of it if he wishes, but if he sees something that
he dislikes, he should not tell anyone about it, and he should get up and
pray.”

(Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, 3154) 

There follow a number of saheeh ahaadeeth which describe how
to deal with what one sees in one’s dream. 

1 – It was narrated that Abu Qutaadah said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Good dreams
come from Allaah and bad dreams come from the Shaytaan. If anyone sees a bad
dream that scares him, let him spit drily to his left and seek refuge with
Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm him.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3292) 

2 – It was narrated that Abu Salamah said: I used to see such
terrible dreams that that I began to shake and have a fever, but did not
cover myself with a cloak until I met Abu Qutaadah, and I mentioned that to
him. He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say,  ‘Good dreams come from Allaah and bad dreams come
from the Shaytaan. If anyone sees a bad dream that he dislikes, let him spit
drily to his left three times and seek refuge with Allaah from its evil,
then it will not harm him.’”

(Narrated by Muslim, 2261) 

3 – It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of
you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him turn over, and spit drily to his
left three times and ask Allaah of His goodness, and seek refuge with Him
from its evil.”

(Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah). 

4 – It was narrated from
Jaabir that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him
spit drily to his left three times and seek refuge with Allaah from the
Shaytaan three times, and turn over onto his other side.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 2262). 

5 – The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) told us the difference between good dreams and bad dreams. It was
narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that he heard the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “If any one of you
sees a dream that he likes, it is from Allaah, so let him praise Allaah for
it and tell people about it. But if he sees something other than that, that
he dislikes, it is from the Shaytaan, so let him seek refuge with Allaah
from its evil and not mention it to anyone, for it will not harm him.” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7045).  

So it is clear that good dreams come from Allaah and bad
dreams which a person dislikes come from the Shaytaan, so he has to seek
refuge with Allaah from their evil. 

6 – It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If any one of you sees
something that he dislikes, let him get up and pray, and not tell people
about it.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 2263). 

7 – It was narrated from Jaabir that a Bedouin came to the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
said, “I dreamt that my head was cut off and I was chasing it.” The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) rebuked
him and said: “Do not tell anyone how the Shaytaan is messing about with you
in your dreams.” 

(Narrated by Muslim, 2268) 

So we may sum up from these ahaadeeth the most important
points about what a person should do if he sees a dream that he dislikes, as
follows: 

1-    
He should know that this dream
is from the Shaytaan who wants to cause him grief, so he should annoy the
Shaytaan by not paying any attention to him.

2-    
He should seek refuge with
Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan.

3-    
He should seek refuge with
Allaah from the evil of this dream.

4-    
He should spit drily to his
left three times, i.e., blowing with a little bit of saliva.

5-    
He should not tell anyone about
it.

6-    
He should turn over from the
side on which he was sleeping, so if he was lying on his left side he should
turn over to his right side, and vice versa.

7-    
He should get up and pray. 

If a person adheres to this etiquette, then we hope that this
bad dream will not harm him, as it says in the texts. And Allaah knows best.

She predicts things that are almost true and they think that she has knowledge of the unseen

She predicts things that are almost true and they think that she has knowledge of the unseen
There is a woman who claims to worship Allaah sincerely, and that whilst she is asleep she is visited by a man wearing a white gown who walks around her, then the next morning she predicts things that are almost true. The people know of her and they have started to visit her and they say that she has knowledge of the unseen, but no one knows the unseen except Allaah. What is the ruling on this woman? What do you advise us to do?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

It is not permissible for anyone to claim to have knowledge
of the unseen. The one who makes such a claim is a kaafir. And it is not
permissible to believe that anyone has knowledge of the unseen. The one who
believes that is also a kaafir. 

Allaah has told us that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) does not have knowledge of the unseen, and that the
jinn do not have knowledge of the unseen. 

What we are referring to here is the unseen in absolute
terms, which no one knows except Allaah. As for the relative unseen – which
some people know and others do not – some people may find a way to know
this, so we have to find out how they know it; some may find out by spying
and some may find out through the jinn. Both are ways which it is forbidden
for us to use. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was
asked: 

Do the jinn have knowledge of the unseen? 

He replied: 

The jinn do not have knowledge of the unseen because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib
(Unseen) except Allaah”

[al-Naml 27:65] 

“Then when We decreed
death for him [Sulaymaan (Solomon)], nothing informed them (jinn) of his
death except a little worm of the earth which kept (slowly) gnawing away at
his stick. So when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that if they had known
the Unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment”

[Saba’ 34:14] 

So whoever claims to have knowledge of the unseen is a
kaafir, and whoever believes the one who claims to have knowledge of the
unseen is also a kaafir, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib
(Unseen) except Allaah”

[al-Naml 27:65] 

No one knows what is unseen in the heavens and the earth
except Allaah alone. Those who claim to have knowledge of the unseen future
are all fortunetellers, and it is proven that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and
asks him (about anything), his prayer will not be accepted from him for
forty days.” And if he believes him then he is a kaafir because if he
believes that he has knowledge of the unseen, then he has disbelieved in the
words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib
(Unseen) except Allaah”

[al-Naml 27:65]. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen,
1 Shawwaal, no. 115. 

And Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on one
who claims to have knowledge of the unseen. He replied: 

The ruling on one who claims to have knowledge of the unseen
is that he is a kaafir, because he has disbelieved in Allaah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib
(Unseen) except Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be
resurrected”

[al-Naml 27:65] 

If Allaah has commanded His Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) to proclaim to all that no one in the
heavens or on earth has knowledge of the unseen except Allaah, then whoever
claims to have knowledge of the unseen has denied what Allaah has told us
here. 

We say to them: How can you possibly have knowledge of the
unseen when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
not have knowledge of the unseen? Are you better or the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? If they say, “We are better
than the Messenger” then they become kaafirs by saying that. If they say,
“He is better,” then why was the unseen concealed from him but you have
knowledge of it?? Allaah says of Himself (interpretation of the meaning): 

“(He Alone is) the All‑Knower of the Ghayb (Unseen), and
He reveals to none His Ghayb (Unseen).

27. Except to a Messenger (from mankind) whom He has
chosen (He informs him of the Unseen as much as He likes), and then He makes
a band of watching guards (angels) to march before him and behind him.”

[al-Jinn 72:26] 

The second verse attests
to the kufr of the one who claims to have knowledge of the unseen. And
Allaah commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) to announce to all (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O Muhammad): I don’t tell you that with me are the
treasures of Allaah, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor I tell you that I am
an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me”

[al-An’aam 6:50] 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1 Shawwaal, no.
22. 

The one who predicts the
future is called a kaahin (fortuneteller, soothsayer), and it is not
permissible to ask questions of such a person or to go to him or her. If
their predictions are sometimes correct, that is either a coincidence or
because the jinn have intercepted the news and conveyed it to the
fortuneteller, but they add a hundred lies to it. 

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with
her) said: Some people asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) about fortunetellers. He said: “They are
nothing.” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, sometimes they tell us
something and it is true.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “That is a word of the truth that they learn
from the jinni which he whispers into the ear of his familiar, but they mix
a hundred lies with it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5429; Muslim, 2228. 

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: 

Al-Qurtubi said: During the Jaahiliyyah they used to consult
the fortunetellers about events and rulings, and follow what they said. Then
the fortunetellers stopped when the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was sent. But there are still some who resemble them. It
is forbidden to go to them, so it is not permissible to go to them or to
believe them. 

In the version narrated by Yoonus the phrase “sometimes they
tell us something and it is true” appears as “they tell something and it
turns out to be true.” This phrase has confused the questioner because of
the general meaning of the phrase “They are nothing”, which he has
understood to mean that they never get anything right. But the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commented that although they
sometimes coincidentally get things right, it is never completely right for
it is always contaminated with many lies.  

Al-Khattaabi said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) explained that the reason why the fortuneteller
sometimes gets it right is that the jinni tells him of something that he has
heard by eavesdropping on the angels, and he adds lies to that to embellish
what he heard. So occasionally he gets it right but usually it is wrong.
Fath al-Baari, 10.219, 220. 

With regard to what is
mentioned in the question of what this woman sees in her dreams, such dreams
are not to be taken as evidence concerning rulings of sharee’ah, let alone
whatever they may indicate that goes against any matter of ‘aqeedah (belief)
that is confirmed in the texts of Islam. Whatever she sees in her dreams is
to be regarded as the Shaytaan’s toying with her and taking advantage of her
ignorance. 

Ruling on regarding twitching of the eye as an unlucky sign

Ruling on regarding twitching of the eye as an unlucky sign
My right eye has been twitching for more than a week. Some people have told me that this is a bad omen. What do you advise me?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

There is no connection between what you have mentioned about
your eye twitching and bad luck. Rather this is a kind of superstition which
the Muslim must beware of, because it is one of the actions of Jaahiliyyah.
It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade superstitious belief in bad omens and he said that this is a
form of minor shirk that is contrary to the Tawheed in which we must
believe, because superstition is a trick by means of which the Shaytaan
seeks to cause fear and whisper into people’s hearts. What is meant by
superstition here is regarding something that one sees, hears or knows as a
bad omen. 

The Prophet’s prohibition of superstition is mentioned in
more than one hadeeth, for example: 

The hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “There is no ‘adawa (contagion except by the will of Allaah)
and no tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens).” Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5757; Muslim, 102. 

Abu Dawood (3910) and al-Tirmidhi (1614) narrated, in a
report that was classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, that Ibn Mas’ood (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Tiyarah is shirk, tiyarah is shirk,’
but there is none of us who… but Allaah takes it away by means of trust in
Him (tawakkul).” The words “there is none of us who…” are the words of Ibn
Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), not of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). What this means is that there is no one
among us who does not experience some kind of tiyarah and superstition in
his heart, but Allaah takes that away from the heart by means of the person
putting his trust in Him and delegating his affairs to Him. 

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“There is no ‘adawa and no tiyarah, but I like optimism.” They said: “What
is optimism?” He said: A good word.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5756; Muslim,
2220.  

These ahaadeeth clearly indicate that superstition is haraam
and warn against it, because it involves the heart being attached to
something other than Allaah, and because everyone who believes that some
things may have an effect of bringing benefits or causing harm when Allaah
has not caused them to be so, has committed the sin of minor shirk, and has
opened the door to the Shaytaan to make him afraid and cause him mental,
physical or financial harm. Hence the Lawgiver forbids superstition and
declares it to be false, and tells us that it has no effect of either
bringing benefits or warding off harm. 

Once you have understood this, then if any such thoughts
occur to you, you must fear Allaah and put your trust in Him and seek His
help. You should not pay any attention to these bad thoughts and false
notions. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has
told us the remedy for superstition, which was narrated by Imam Ahmad in his
Musnad (2/220) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah
(1065), from the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) who said: “If tiyarah stops a man from doing what he needs
to, then he has committed shirk.” They said: “What is the expiation for
that?’ He said: “To say: ‘Allaahumma laa khayra illa khayruka wa laa
tayra illa tayruka, wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (O Allaah, there is no
goodness except Your goodness, and no birds except Your birds, and no god
except You).” [Translator’s note: birds are mentioned here because the Arabs
of the Jaahiliyyah had a superstitious belief in bird omens and would make
decisions based on observations of bird movements] 

The believer should not be pessimistic or superstitious,
rather he should always be optimistic and think well of His Lord. If he
hears something or sees something he should hope for the best, even if it
seems to be otherwise. He should hope for good from his Lord in all
circumstances. This is how the believer is, for all his affairs are good, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “How
wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and
that does not apply for anyone except the believer. If something good
happens to him he gives thanks, and that is good for him; if something bad
happens to him he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.”
Saheeh Muslim, 2999. Thus the believer is always in a state of
contentment and peace of mind, putting his trust in Allaah and far removed
from worries and distress which the Shaytaan, who loves to cause grief to
the believers although he cannot do them any harm, tries to whisper into his
heart. We ask Allaah to keep us and you safe and sound from all bad things.
And Allaah knows best. 

For more information, please see Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, 2/210.

Islam Q&A

He is asking about selling pictures and statues

He is asking about selling pictures and statues
Is selling pictures and statues of animals haraam?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

We have already explained that it is haraam to manufacture
these statues, and that there is a stern warning concerning that and that we
are commanded to destroy them. This ruling
applies equally to images of anything that has a soul, whether it is a human
being or an animal. 

Based on that, with regard to the ruling on selling these
pictures and images, there is no doubt that if it is haraam to manufacture
them and keep them, it is also haraam to buy and sell them. It is proven in
al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that it was narrated from Jaabir ibn
‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say in the year of
the Conquest when he was in Makkah: “Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden
the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.” It was said: “O Messenger
of Allaah, what about the fat from dead meat (i.e., from animals that have
died of natural causes)? For it is used to caulk ships and to grease hides,
and people use it in their lamps.” He said: “No, it is haraam.” Then the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“May Allaah curse the Jews, for when Allaah forbade animal fat, they
rendered it and sold it, and consumed its price.” Al-Bukhaari, 2236; Muslim,
1581. 

Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

This hadeeth indicates that whatever we are forbidden to eat
or make use of, it is not permissible to sell it or to consume its price. 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This
indicates that if a thing is forbidden in and of itself, its price is also
forbidden. 

What al-Qaadi and Ibn Hajar mentioned is also proven in a
version of this hadeeth that was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah have
mercy on him), at the end of which it says: “When Allaah forbids eating a
thing, He also forbids its price.” [Musnad Ahmad, no. 2223]. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Is
it permissible for a Muslim to sell statues and make a living from that? 

He replied: 

It is not permissible for a Muslim to deal in statues,
because it is proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth that it is haraam to make
images or statues of animate beings at all or to keep them. Undoubtedly
dealing in them means that one is propagating them and helping others to
make images and set them up in homes, clubs and so on.  

If that is haraam, then income earned by selling them is also
haraam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to make a living from that or to
buy food or clothing with that money. If a person does that then he must get
rid of that money and repent to Allaah, and Allaah will accept his
repentance. 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] 

We have issued a fatwa
stating that it is haraam to make images of any animate beings, whether the
images are three-dimensional or not, and whether they are made by carving,
copying, drawing or with a camera.

 Al-Jawaab al-Mufeed fi Hukm
al-Tasweer by Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 49-50.

Islam Q&A

 

 

He is asking about selling pictures and statues

He is asking about selling pictures and statues
Is selling pictures and statues of animals haraam?.

 

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

We have already explained that it is haraam to manufacture
these statues, and that there is a stern warning concerning that and that we
are commanded to destroy them. See the answer to question no.
7222. This ruling
applies equally to images of anything that has a soul, whether it is a human
being or an animal. 

Based on that, with regard to the ruling on selling these
pictures and images, there is no doubt that if it is haraam to manufacture
them and keep them, it is also haraam to buy and sell them. It is proven in
al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that it was narrated from Jaabir ibn
‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say in the year of
the Conquest when he was in Makkah: “Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden
the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.” It was said: “O Messenger
of Allaah, what about the fat from dead meat (i.e., from animals that have
died of natural causes)? For it is used to caulk ships and to grease hides,
and people use it in their lamps.” He said: “No, it is haraam.” Then the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“May Allaah curse the Jews, for when Allaah forbade animal fat, they
rendered it and sold it, and consumed its price.” Al-Bukhaari, 2236; Muslim,
1581. 

Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

This hadeeth indicates that whatever we are forbidden to eat
or make use of, it is not permissible to sell it or to consume its price. 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This
indicates that if a thing is forbidden in and of itself, its price is also
forbidden. 

What al-Qaadi and Ibn Hajar mentioned is also proven in a
version of this hadeeth that was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah have
mercy on him), at the end of which it says: “When Allaah forbids eating a
thing, He also forbids its price.” [Musnad Ahmad, no. 2223]. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Is
it permissible for a Muslim to sell statues and make a living from that? 

He replied: 

It is not permissible for a Muslim to deal in statues,
because it is proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth that it is haraam to make
images or statues of animate beings at all or to keep them. Undoubtedly
dealing in them means that one is propagating them and helping others to
make images and set them up in homes, clubs and so on.  

If that is haraam, then income earned by selling them is also
haraam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to make a living from that or to
buy food or clothing with that money. If a person does that then he must get
rid of that money and repent to Allaah, and Allaah will accept his
repentance. 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] 

We have issued a fatwa
stating that it is haraam to make images of any animate beings, whether the
images are three-dimensional or not, and whether they are made by carving,
copying, drawing or with a camera.

 Al-Jawaab al-Mufeed fi Hukm
al-Tasweer by Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 49-50.

Islam Q&A