Chapter 1

General

45365: How could Yoosuf have "inclined towards" the wife of al-`Azeez when he was chaste?

Question:

What is the tafseer of this verse in Soorat Yoosuf (interpretation of the meaning): "And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire" [Yoosuf 12:24]?

If Yoosuf (peace be upon him) was chaste and refused to answer the call of the wife of al-`Azeez, how could he have inclined towards her desires (i.e., how could that have entered his mind)?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord"

[Yoosuf 12:24]

Her desire was to commit sin, but as for Yoosuf (peace be upon him), if he had not see the evidence of his Lord, he would have inclined to her desire _ because of human nature _ but he did not, because of the evidence mentioned.

Because he hadseen seen the evidence of his Lord, he did not incline to her desire.

Abu Haatim said: I used to recite ghareeb al-Qur'aan to Abu `Ubaydah, and when I reached the verse (interpretation of the meaning): "And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire" [Yoosuf 12:24], Abu `Ubayd said: This is to be understood as meaning that he saw the proof of his Lord, and so he did not incline to her desire.

Al-Qurtubi, al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur'aan, 9/165.

Al-Shanqeeti said in Adwa' al-Bayaan (3/58):

This may be answered from two angles:

1 _ That what is meant by saying "Yoosuf would have inclined to her desire" is that a thought crossed his mind, but the influence of taqwa (piety) deflected that thought. One of them said: this is the natural inclination and the instinctive desire that is restrained by taqwa. There is no sin in that because this is something that is instilled in man and is not under his control. It says in the hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to divide his time equally among his wives and treat them fairly, then he would say: "O Allaah, this is how I divide that over which I have control, so do not take me to task for that which is beyond my control" _ meaning the inclination of the heart.

[Abu Dawood, al-Sunan, hadeeth no. 2134.

This is like the fasting person's inclination towards cold water and food, while at the same time his taqwa prevents him from drinking or eating whilst he is fasting.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever thinks of an evil action but does not do it, one hasanah will be recorded for him."

[Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, no. 6491; Muslim, no. 207]

2 _ Yoosuf (peace be upon him) did not think of doing anything at all, because he was prevented from doing so because of the proof of his Lord. This view which was favoured by Abu Hasaan and others is more correct according to the rules of the Arabic language.

Then he started to quote the evidence to support the view he favoured. Based on the above, the meaning of the verse _ and Allaah knows best _ is that if Yoosuf (peace be upon him) had not seen the proof of his Lord, he would have inclined towards her desire, but because he had seen the proof of his Lord he did not incline towards her desire and did not think of it at all. Similarly, just thinking of something without doing it is not regarded as a sin. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon his noble Prophet.

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36616: Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab _ a reformer concerning whom many malicious lies have been told

Question:

Why is so much of what is said about Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab so hostile, and why are his followers called Wahhabis?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

You should note that one of the ways in which Allaah deals with His chosen slaves is to test them according to the level of their faith, to show who is sincere and who is not. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"AlifLaamMeem.

[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]

2. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: `We believe,' and will not be tested.

3. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allaah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allaah knows all that before putting them to test)"

[al-`Ankaboot 29:1-3]

Those who are most severely tested are the Prophets, then the next best and the next best, as it says in the saheeh hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

If you study the seerah (biography) of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), you will see that he went through severe tests; he was even accused of being a liar, a sorcerer and a madman; garbage and filth were thrown on his back; he was expelled from Makkah; and his feet bled in al-Taa'if. This was the situation of all the Prophets who were rejected before him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) suffered the same as other sincere scholars and daa'iyahs, but in the end the message of truth that he brought prevailed. How could it be otherwise? How could the light of truth be extinguished? Think about this man and how Allaah helped him to sow the seeds of Tawheed throughout the Arabian Peninsula and put an end to all kinds of shirk. If this indicates anything, it indicates that he was sincere in his call and made sacrifices for that cause as far as we can tell, and of course his efforts were supported and helped by Allaah.

But the enemies of this call have spared no effort to make false accusations concerning it. They claimed _ falsely _ that the Shaykh claimed to be a prophet, and that he did not respect the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) properly, and that he condemned all the ummah as kaafirs… and other fabrications and lies that were told about him. Anyone who examines these claims will realize for sure that they are all lies and fabrications. The books of the Shaykh which are widely circulated bear the greatest witness to that, and his followers who answered his call never mentioned anything to that effect. If the matter were as they claim, his followers would have conveyed the same ideas, otherwise they would have been disloyal to him. If you want to know more details about this and to clarify the matter, you should read the book Da'aawa al-Manaawi'een li Da'wah al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab by Dr `Abd al-`Azeez al-`Abd al-Lateef, which will answer all your questions, if Allaah wills.

With regard to calling his followers Wahhaabis, this is just another in a long series of fabrications made up by the enemies of his call, to divert people away from the call of truth and to place a barrier between his call and the people so that the call will not reach them. If you study the story of how al-Tufayl ibn `Amr al-Dawsi (may Allaah be pleased with him) became Muslim, you will see the parallels with what happened in the case of Imam Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab.

Ibn Hishaam narrated in his Seerah (1/394) that al-Tufayl set out towards Makkah, but Quraysh intercepted him at the gates of the city and warned him against listening to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They made him think that he was a sorcerer who could cause division between man and wife… they kept on at him until he took some cotton and put it in his ears. Then when he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he thought to himself that he would take out the cotton and listen to him, and if what he said was true then he would accept it from him, and if what he said was false and abhorrent, he would reject it. When he listened to him, all he could do was become Muslim on the spot.

Yes, he became Muslim after putting cotton in his ears. Those who oppose the call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab fabricated lies the same way Quraysh did. Quraysh understood full well that the call of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had the power to reach people's hearts and minds, so they exaggerated in their lies about the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in an attempt to stop the truth reaching people. Similarly we see that those who speak against Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab and his followers repeat the same lies that were told against the original call.

You should _ if you follow the truth _ not pay any attention to these lies and fabrications. You should look for the truth of the matter by reading the books of Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhaab, for his books are the greatest proof that these people are lying, praise be to Allaah.

There is another subtle point that should be noted, which is that the Shaykh's name was Muhammad, the attributive of which is Muhammadi. The word Wahhabi is the attributive derived from al-Wahhaab (the Bestower), who is Allaah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower [al-Wahhaab]"

[Aal `Imraan 3:8]

As al-Zajjaaj said in Ishtiqaaq Asma'-Allaah, p. 126, al-Wahhaab "is the One Who gives a great deal. This form (fa"aal) in Arabic is indicative of something that is done to a great extent. Allaah is al-Wahhaab (the Bestower) Who gives to His slaves one after another."

Undoubtedly the path of al-Wahhaab is the path of truth in which there is no crookedness or fabrication, and His party is the one that will prevail. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And whosoever takes Allaah, His Messenger, and those who have believed, as Protectors, then the party of Allaah will be the victorious"

[al-Maa'idah 5:56]

"They are the party of Allaah. Verily, it is the party of Allaah that will be the successful"

[al-Mujaadilah 58:22]

Long ago they accused al-Shaafa'i of being a Raafidi (Shi'ah) and he refuted them by saying:

"If being a Raafidi means loving the family of Muhammad, then let the two races (of mankind and the jinn) bear witness that I am a Raafidi."

We refute the claims of those who accuse us of being Wahhabis by quoting the words of Shaykh Mullah `Imraan who was a Shi'i but Allaah guided him to the Sunnah. He said:

"If the follower of Ahmad [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] is a Wahhaabi, then I affirm that I am a Wahhaabi

I reject the association of any other with Allaah, for I have no Lord except the Unique, the Bestower (al-Wahhaab)

Those who were called by the Prophet accused him of being a sorcerer and a liar."

(See: Manhaaj al-Firqat al-Naajiyah by Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zayno, p. 142-143.

And Allaah knows best.

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20903: al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock

Question:

I have recently received an Email advising me of the status of the Masjid al Aqsa and diffrentiating it from the doom of the rock.

Can you please clarify the situation and advise, if the Masjid e Aqsa is different from the Doom of the Rock, why do we see its picture representing Masjid e Aqsa at all Islamic places, and I (and many other muslims) were completely inaware of the difference.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) was the first of the two qiblahs, and is one of the three mosques to which people may travel for the purpose of worship. And it was said that it was built by Sulaymaan (peace be upon him), as stated in Sunan al-Nasaa'i (693) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i. And it was said that it existed before Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) and that Sulaymaan rebuilt it; this is based on the evidence narrated in al-Saheehayn from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: "I said, `O Messenger of Allaah, which mosque was built on earth first?' He said, `Al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah].' I said, `Then which?' He said, `Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.' I said, `How much time was there between them?' He said, `Forty years. So wherever you are when the time for prayer comes, pray, for that is the best thing to do.'"

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3366; Muslim, 520.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken on the Night Journey (isra') to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), where he led the Prophets in prayer in this blessed mosque.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allaah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him]

Who took His slave (Muhammad) for a journey by night from AlMasjid AlHaraam (at Makkah) to AlMasjid AlAqsaa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad) of Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the AllHearer, the AllSeer"

[al-Isra' 17:1]

The Dome of the Rock was built by the caliph `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan in 72 AH.

It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Filasteeniyyah (4/203): "The name al-Masjid al-Aqsa was historically applied to the entire sanctuary (al-Haram al-Shareef) and the buildings in it, the most important of which is the Dome of the Rock which was built by `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan in 72 AH/691 CE, which is regarded as one of the greatest Islamic historical buildings. But today the name is applied to the great mosque which is situated in the southern part of the sanctuary plateau."

It also says in al-Mawsoo'ah (3/23): "The Dome of the Rock is situated in the middle of the plateau of al-Masjid al-Aqsa, which is in the southeastern part of the city of al-Quds (Jerusalem). It is a spacious rectangular plateau which measures 480 meters from north to south, and 300 meters from east to west. This plateau occupies approximately one-fifth of the area of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The mosque which is the place of prayer is not the Dome of the Rock, but because pictures of the Dome are so widespread, many Muslims think when they see it that this is the mosque. This is not in fact the case. The Mosque is situated in the southern portion of the plateau, and the Dome is built on the raised rock that is situated in the middle of the plateau.

We have already seen above that the name of the mosque was historically applied to the whole plateau.

This is supported by the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Majmoo'at al-Rasaa'il al-Kubra, 2/61: "Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the name for the whole of the place of worship built by Sulaymaan (peace be upon him). Some people started to give the name of al-Aqsa to the prayer-place which was built by `Umar ibn al-Khattaab in front of it. Praying in this prayer-place which `Umar built for the Muslims is better than praying in the rest of the mosque, because when `Umar conquered Jerusalem there was a huge garbage dump on the rock, since the Christians wanted to show their scorn for the place towards which the Jews used to pray. So `Umar issued orders that the filth be removed and he said to Ka'b: `Where do you think we should build a place of prayer for the Muslims?' He said, `Behind the rock.' He said, `O you son of a Jewish woman! Are influenced by your Jewish ideas! Rather I will build it in front of it.'

Hence when the imams of this ummah entered the mosque, they would go and pray in the prayer-place that was built by `Umar. With regard to the Rock, neither `Umar nor any of the Sahaabah prayed there, and there was no dome over it during the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs. It was open to the sky during the caliphate of `Umar, `Uthmaan, `Ali, Mu'aawiyah, Yazeed and Marwaan… The scholars among the Sahaabah and those who followed them in truth did not venerate the rock because it was an abrogated qiblah… rather it was venerated by the Jews and some of the Christians."

`Umar denounced Ka'b al-Ahbaar and called him the son of a Jewish woman because Ka'b had been a Jewish scholar and rabbi, so when he suggested to `Umar that he should build the mosque behind the rock, that was out of respect for the rock so that the Muslims would face it when praying, and veneration of the rock was part of the religion of the Jews, not the religion of the Muslims.

The Muslims' fondness for the picture of the Dome may be because of the beauty of this building, but this does not excuse them from the resulting mistake of not distinguishing between the Mosque and the buildings that surround it.

This may be one of the plots and tricks of the Jews, because of their veneration for the rock and their facing it in prayer. Or is may be in order to give importance to the Rock so that they can fulfil their desire to build the so-called Temple of Solomon on the ruins of al-Masjid al-Aqsa. This is by making the Muslims think that al-Masjid al-Aqsa is the Dome of the Rock, so that if the Jews start to destroy al-Masjid al-Aqsa and the Muslims denounce them for that, they will tell them, "Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is fine," and will show them a picture of the Dome of the Rock. Thus they will achieve their aims and be safe from the Muslims' criticism.

We ask Allaah to restore the Muslims' power and glory, and to cleanse al-Masjid al-Aqsa of the brothers of the monkeys and pigs, for Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not (cf. Yoosuf 12:21).

And Allaah knows best.

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14631: Where is al-Husayn buried, and how important is it to know where the graves of the Sahaabah are?

Question:

A questioner says that people talk a great deal and have different opinions about where the grave of al-Husayn is located. Can the Muslims benefit from knowing exactly where it is?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

In fact people differed concerning that. It was said that he is buried in Syria, or in Iraq, and Allaah knows best what is true. With regard to his head, they also differed concerning that; it was said that it is buried in Syria, or in Iraq, or in Egypt. The correct view is that the site in Egypt is not his grave, rather that is a mistake and the head of al-Husayn is not there. A number of scholars have written essays on that and explained that there is no evidence for the head of al-Husayn being in Egypt. The most likely to be correct is the view that it is in Syria, because it was taken to Yazeed ibn Mu'aawiyah who was in Syria. There is no basis for the view that it was taken to Egypt. Either it was kept in Syria or it was returned to his body in Iraq.

Whatever the case, the people do not need to know where it is buried or where it is. Rather what is prescribed is to pray for forgiveness and mercy for him, may Allaah forgive him and be pleased with him, for he was killed unlawfully. So we should pray for forgiveness and mercy for him, and hope for much good for him. He and his brother al-Hasan will be the leaders of the youth of Paradise, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said. May Allaah be pleased with them.

If a person's grave is known, there is nothing wrong with saying salaams to him and making du'aa' for him, as other graves may be visited, without going to extremes in that or worshipping them. It is not permissible to ask the dead to intercede, because nothing can be asked of the dead; rather we should make du'aa' for them and pray for mercy for them if they were Muslims, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Visit the graves, for they will remind you of the Hereafter."

If a person visits the graves of al-Husayn or al-Hasan or any other Muslim to make du'aa' for them and pray for mercy and forgiveness for them, as he would do at the grave of any other Muslim, this is Sunnah. But visiting graves to pray to their occupants or seek their help or ask them to intercede _ this is a reprehensible action, and indeed it is major shirk. It is not permissible to build mosques or domes etc over graves, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "May Allaah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship." (Saheeh _ agreed upon). And because it was narrated from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) in al-Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade plastering over graves, sitting on them and erecting structures over them." So t is not permissible to plaster over graves, perfume them, place screens around them or erect structures over them; all of that is forbidden and these are means that lead to shirk. And we should not pray at graves because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Those who came before you used to take the graves of their Prophets and righteous people as places of worship; do not take graves as places of worship, for I forbid you to do that." (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from Jundub ibn `Abd-Allaah al-Bajali (may Allaah be pleased with him).

This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible to pray at graves or to take them as mosques; and because that is a means that leads to shirk and worshipping someone other than Allaah by calling upon them (the occupants of the graves), seeking their help, making vows to them, and touching the graves to seek their blessings. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against that. Rather graves should be visited in the manner prescribed in sharee'ah only, to give salaams to them and make du'aa' for them and pray for mercy for them, but without travelling specifically for that purpose.

And Allaah is the Source of strength and the Guide to the straight path.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li'l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/366 (www.islam-qa.com)

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30905: To whom is the book Nahj al-Balaaghah attributed?

Question:

I would like to ask how authentic the book Nahj al-Balaagha is and what your opinion of it is?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The book Nahj al-Balaaghah is one of the books that are attributed to Ameer al-Mu'mineen `Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), but it contains many things concerning which those who claim to be Muslims have disputed. Following the great scientific principle which was followed by the imams of Islam in obedience to the shar'i command to verify reports, we have no choice but to refer to the scholars and specialists to check on the veracity of the things that are attributed to `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), because what is narrated from the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) has an effect on sharee'ah, especially in the case of someone like Ameer al-Mu'mineen `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), concerning whom some people have exaggerated or fallen short, but Allaah guided the Ahl al-Sunnah to follow a middle course.

By referring to the words of the scholars concerning this book and comparing its contents with what has been proven with saheeh isnaads from `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), it becomes clear that there is material in this book that contradicts what was proven from him (may Allaah be pleased with him). So we should look at what some of these great scholars have said:

Imaam al-Dhahabi (may Allaah be pleased with him) said in his biography of al-Murtada `Ali ibn Husayn ibn Moosa al-Moosawi (d. 436 AH): I said, he was the compiler of the book Nahj al-Balaaghah which is attributed to Imam `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), but the reports contained therein have are no isnaads. Some of it is false and some of it is true, but it contains some frabricated reports of things that the Imam would never have said. But who is the fair-minded man who would look at it in an objective manner?! It was said that it was compiled by his brother Shareef al-Radiy. It includes slander against the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); we seek refuge with Allaah from knowledge that is of no benefit. Siyar A'laam al-Nubala', 17/589

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Most of the khutab (sermons) that the author of Nahj al-Balaaghah includes in his book are lies against `Ali. `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) is too noble and too worthy to have uttered such words. But these people fabricated lies and thought that they were praise, but they are neither truth nor praise. Whoever says that the words of `Ali or any other human being are above the words of any other created being is mistaken, for the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are above his words, and both of them are created beings. Moreover the correct meanings that are to be found in the words of `Ali are to be found in the words of others, but the author of Nahj al-Balaaghah and his ilk took many of the things that people say and made them the words of `Ali. There are some words narrated from `Ali that he did say, and some of them are true words that would have been befitting for him to say, but in fact they are the words of others. Hence in Kalaam al-Bayaan wa'l-Tabyeen by al-Haafiz and in other books there are words narrated from people other than `Ali and the author of Nahj al-Balaaghah attributed them to `Ali. If these sermons which were transmitted in Nahj al-Balaaghah were really spoken by `Ali, they would have been found in other books that existed before this book was written, and they would have been narrated from `Ali with isnaads and otherwise. It is known from those who are well versed in the study of narrations that many of them (these sermons) _ indeed most of them _ were unknown before this, therefore it may be concluded that they are fabrications. So the narrator should state in which book they are mentioned, who narrated it from `Ali, and what its isnaad is. Otherwise, anybody could say something and claim that it was said by `Ali. Those who are well-versed in the knowledge of the hadeeth scholars and of reports and isnaads and are able to tell what is sound and what is not sound would know that these people who transmitted reports from `Ali are the least likely people to know about reports and be able to distinguish the sound from the unsound.

Manhaaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, 8/55.

Other scholars who pointed out the lies in this book was al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi, in al-Jaami' li Akhlaaq al-Raawi wa Adaab al-Saami', 2.161; al-Qaadi Ibn Khalkaan; al-Safadi, and others. The things that have been said against it may be summarized in the following points:

1. There are seven generations of narrators between `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) and the author of this book, and he did not mention any name whatsoever. Hence we cannot accept his words without an isnaad.

2. If these narrators are mentioned, it is essential to research about them and find out whether they are trustworthy.

3. The fact that most of these sermons did not exist before this book was written indicates that they were fabricated.

4. Al-Murtada _ the author of the book _ was not one of the scholars of reports, rather he was one of those whose religious commitment and competence were debatable.

5. The slander that it contains against the leading Sahaabah is sufficient to count it as false.

6. The insults and slander that it contains are not the characteristics of the believers, let alone their leaders such as `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him).

7. It contains contradictions and clumsy expressions from which it may be known for certain that it was not produced by one who was prominent in eloquence and fluency.

8. The fact that the Raafidah accept it and are certain that it is as true as the Qur'aan, despite all these objections, indicates that they do not pay attention to verifying sources and ensuring that they are sound with regard to the matters of their religion.

Based on the above, it is clear that this book cannot be attributed to `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), therefore nothing in it can be used as evidence in matters of sharee'ah, no matter what the issue is. But whoever reads it in order to find out what it contains of eloquence, the ruling is the same as that on all other books on Arabic language, without attributing its contents to Ameer al-Mu'mineen `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him). See Kutub hadhdhara minha al-`Ulama', 2/250. Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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22633: The Jews have no right to enter the Arabian Peninsula

Question:

It is said that the Jew Labeed ibn al-A'sam was able to able to obtain something from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [for the purpose of witchcraft] by the help of a Jewish slave woman who used to enter the houses of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Does this mean that it is permissible to employ the services of Jews?
What is the meaning of the expulsion of the Jews as narrated in the ahaadeeth? I hope that you could explain the presence of the Jews in Madeenah, as it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expelled them from the city?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that the Jews be expelled from the Arabian Peninsula, and said that no two religions should co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula. This is a shar'i ruling. It is not permissible for any mushrik to remain there. With regard to the presence of the Jews in Madeenah, Khaybar, etc., this was before the command to expel them, as is well known. The command to expel them came during the final illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) expelled them after that.

Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr. (www.islam-qa.com)

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21379: Who was al-Hallaaj?

Question:

Who was Mansoor Hallaj . What is his role in Islamic History?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Al-Hallaaj was al-Husayn ibn Mansoor al-Hallaaj, who was known as Abu Mugheeth, or Abu `Abd-Allaah. He grew up in Waasit, or it was said in Tastar, and he was connected with a group of Sufis including Sahl al-Tastari, al-Junayd, Abu'l-Hasan al-Noori and others.

He traveled to many places, including Makkah and Khurasaan, and India where he learned sihr (magic, witchcraft). He finally settled in Baghdaad, where he was killed.

He learned magic in India, and he was a trickster and cheat. He deceived many ignorant people thereby, and they were attracted by him, until they thought that he was one of the greatest awliya' (close friends or "saints") of Allaah.

He is liked by most of the Orientalists, and they think that he was killed wrongfully because, as we shall see below, his beliefs were close to Christian beliefs and he preached a similar message.

He was executed in Baghdad in 309 AH, because it was proven by his own confession and otherwise that he was a kaafir and a heretic.

The scholars of his time were agreed that he was to be executed because of the words of kufr and heresy that were narrated from him.

The following are some of the things that he said:

1- He claimed to be a prophet, then he went further and said that he was God. He used to say, "I am Allaah," and he commanded his daughter-in-law to prostrate to him. She said, "Should I prostrate to someone other than Allaah?" He said, "There is a god in the heavens and a god on earth."

2- He believed in incarnation and union with the Divine, i.e., that Allaah was incarnated in him, and that he and Allaah had become one and the same _ exalted be Allaah far above that.

This is what made him acceptable to the Christian Orientalists, because he shared their belief in incarnation, for they believe that God was incarnated in Jesus (`Eesa, peace be upon him). Hence al-Hallaaj spoke of divine nature and human nature as the Christians do.

Some of the lines of verse that he composed said:

"Glory be to the one Whose human form manifested the secret of His divinity

Then He emerged among His creation in the form of one who eats and drinks."

When Ibn Haneef heard these lines, he said, "May the curse of Allaah be upon the one who said this." It was said to him, "This is the poetry of al-Hallaaj." He said, "If this is what he believes, then he is a kaafir."

3- He heard someone reciting a verse from the Qur'aan, and he said, "I am able to compose something like that."

4- Another of his lines of poetry says:

"People formed different beliefs about God, and I believe in everything that they believed."

These words imply that he approved of and believed in all forms of kufr that the misguided sects of humanity believe in, but it is a contradictory notion that no sound mind can accept. How can anyone believe in Tawheed and shirk at the same time?

5- He said things which denied the pillars and basic principles of Islam, namely prayer, zakaah, fasting and Hajj.

6- He used to say that the souls of the Prophets had been reincarnated in the bodies of his companions and students. So he would say to one of them, "You are Nooh"; and to another, "You are Moosa"; and to another, "You are Muhammad."

7- When he was taken out to be executed, he said to his companions, "Do not worry about this, for I will return to you after thirty days," He was executed and he never came back.

Because of these sayings and others, the scholars were agreed that he was a kaafir and a heretic, and for this reason he was executed in Baghdad in 309 AH. Similarly, most of the Sufis denounced him and denied that he was one of them. Among those who denounced him was al-Junayd, and he was not mentioned by Abu'l-Qaasim al-Qushayri in his book in which he mentioned many of the Sufi shaykhs.

The one who strove to have him executed and who held a council in which he ruled that he deserved to be executed was al-Qaadi Abu `Umar Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-Maaliki (may Allaah have mercy on him). Ibn Katheer praised him for that and said, "One of his greatest and most correct judgements was his ruling that al-Husayn ibn Mansoor al-Hallaaj was to be executed." (al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah, 11/172)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Whoever believes what al-Hallaaj believed in and agrees with the ideas for which al-Hallaaj was executed, is a kaafir and an apostate, according to the consensus of the Muslims. For the Muslims executed him because of his belief in incarnation, union with the Divine and other heretical beliefs, such as his saying, `I am Allaah,' and, `There is a god in the heavens and a god on earth.' … Al-Hallaaj performed extraordinary feats and various kinds of magic, and there are books of magic which are attributed to him. In conclusion, there is no dispute among the ummah that whoever believes that Allaah can be incarnated in a human being and be as one with him, or that a human being can be a god, is a kaafir whose blood it is permissible to shed. On this basis al-Hallaaj was executed."

(Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 2/480)

He also said: "We do not know of anyone among the imams of the Muslims who spoke well of al-Hallaaj, neither among the scholars nor among the shaykhs. But some of the people did not comment on him because they did not know about him."

(Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 2/483)

For more information, see Taareekh Baghdaad by al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi, 8/112-141; al-Muntazam by Ibn al-Jawzi, 13/201-206; Siyar A'laam al-Nubalaa' by al-Shihaabi, 14/313-354; al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 11/132-144

And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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22230: The number of Sulaymaan's wives

Question:

Could you please inform me on the truth about Suleman (AS...pbuh) having 999 or so wifes and the reasons for this?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The highest number of wives of Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) that is mentioned in the saheeh ahaadeeth is one hundred, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh (5242) from Abu Hurayrah who said: "Sulaymaan ibn Dawood (peace be upon them both) said: `Tonight I will go around to one hundred women, each of whom will give birth to a boy who will fight for the sake of Allaah.' The angel said to him, `Say in sha Allaah (if Allaah wills).' But he did not say it, as he forgot. He went around to them but none of them gave birth, apart from one woman who gave birth to half a child. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `If he had said in sha Allaah, he would not have broken his oath and he would have had more hope of fulfilling his wish.'" (Narrated by Muslim, 1654). According to another report narrated by Muslim, he said ninety women. According to a mu'allaq report narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, in the Chapter on seeking a son for jihad (Man talaba al-walad li'l-Jihaad), he said ninety-nine women.

Perhaps the one who said one hundred was rounding up the figure, and the one who said ninety was rounding it down, as was suggested by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in his commentary on this hadeeth.

But al-Haafiz ibn Hajar narrated in his story of Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) in al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah, vol. 2, from many of the salaf, that the number of Sulaymaan's wives was one thousand. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said likewise in Fath al-Baari, in his commentary on hadeeth no. 3424.

This number was narrated from the Children of Israel [i.e., the Jews], so we neither believe it nor disbelieve it. There is nothing in the ahaadeeth quoted above to either prove or disprove that.

With regard to the reason for that, Allaah gives to those whom He wills among His slaves whatever He wills of worldly power and enjoyment. This is according to His great wisdom and grace. He is not to be questioned about what He does, may He be glorified and praised. He gave to Sulaymaan exclusively great power which He did not give to anyone after him. So it is not far-fetched to suggest that He also gave him this great strength which enabled him to marry this number of women. It should not cross the mind of any Muslim that this matter implies any form of belittlement towards this Prophet, rather it is a reflection of his perfect power, virtue and manhood, and thus he hoped that Allaah would bless him, in a single night, with one hundred sons, all of whom would go out as knights, fighting for the sake of Allaah. But first and last we must believe that Allaah creates whatever He wills and chooses, and none can overturn His ruling or ward off His decree.

And Allaah knows best.

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22248: The Prophet of Allaah Yahyaa

Question:

Could you give us some information about the Prophet of Allaah Yahyaa (peace be upon him)?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

"(It was said to his son): `O Yahyaa (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Tawraat (Torah)]'"

[Maryam 19:12 _ interpretation of the meaning]

This means, `Hold fast the Tawraat', i.e., by taking it seriously and striving. That is to done by fist understanding the texts correctly, then acting upon them in all aspects, believing in its tenets, regarding as permissible that which it permitted and regarding as forbidden that which it forbade, adhering to its etiquette, learning lessons from its stories, and adhering to it in all other ways. Most of the mufassireen say that what is meant here by al-kitaab (the Scripture) is the Tawraat (Torah).

"And We gave him wisdom while yet a child"

[Maryam 19:12 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The scholars have a number of opinions as to what is meant by wisdom, all of which are close in meaning and refer to one thing, which is that Allaah gave him understanding of the Scripture, so that he understood it and acted upon it whilst he was still a child.

"And (made him) sympathetic to men"

[Maryam 19:13 _ interpretation of the meaning]

This is mentioned in conjunction with wisdom, i.e., We gave him sympathy (or compassion) from Us. Hanaan (sympathy, compassion) means the mercy, compassion and empathy that was instilled in him. The word hanaan is widely used among the Arabs to refer to mercy and compassion, for example, they say, "Hanaanak wa hanaaneeka yaa Rabb", meaning, I ask for Your mercy O Lord.

"and pure from sins"

[Maryam 19:13 _ interpretation of the meaning]

This is mentioned in conjunction with the above, and means, `We gave him purity' i.e., he was free from sin and disobedience because he obeyed Allaah and drew close to Him by means of that which pleases Him.

"and he was righteous"

[Maryam 19:13 _ interpretation of the meaning]

This means, he obeyed the commands of his Lord and avoided that which He forbade. So he never committed any sin and was never blamed for any such action.

"And dutiful towards his parents"

[Maryam 19:14 _ interpretation of the meaning]

The word barr (dutiful) refers to one who does acts of kindness, i.e., We made him honour his parents a great deal, i.e., he was very kind towards them and treated them in a gentle manner.

"and he was neither arrogant nor disobedient"

[Maryam 19:14 _ interpretation of the meaning]

This means that he was not too arrogant to obey Allaah or to obey his parents. Rather he was obedient towards Allaah and humble towards his parents. This is the view of Ibn Jareer. Jabbaar (arrogant) means one who is very oppressive towards people and mistreats them. Everyone who is arrogant towards people and does them wrong is described as jabbaar.

"And Salaam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!"

[Maryam 19:15 _ interpretation of the meaning]

Ibn Jareer said: "Salaam (peace) be upon him means", may he be safe and secure. The apparent meaning is that "And Salaam (peace) be on him the day he was born" is a greeting from Allaah to Yahyaa, and the meaning is safety and security.

In Soorat Aal `Imraan Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"… noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous"[Aal `Imraan 3:39]

The word sayyid (translated here as "noble") means one who is obeyed and followed by a large number of people.

The word husoor (translated here as "keeping away from sexual relations with women") means that he kept himself away from women even though he was able to have relations with them, as an act of devotion to Allaah. That was permissible according to his law, but the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is to marry, not to remain celibate…

In the phrase "a Prophet, from among the righteous", the word Nabi (Prophet) is derived from the word naba', meaning important news, because the Revelation is important news from Allaah. The righteous are those whose belief, actions, words and intentions are correct. Righteousness is the opposite of immorality or corruption. Allaah described Yahyaa as righteous and He described the Prophets in a similar manner in Soorat al-An'aam, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And Zakariyya (Zachariya), and Yahya (John) and `Eesa (Jesus) and Ilyaas (Elias), each one of them was of the righteous" [al-An'aam 6:85]

Adapted from Adwaa' al-Bayaan, 4/245-252. (www.islam-qa.com)

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21817: The people of the Cave are the people of the Inscription

Question:

Were the people of the Cave the people of the Inscription, or were these two different groups of people?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti said, commenting on the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription (the news or the names of the people of the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?" [al-Kahf 18:9]

The apparent meaning is that the People of the Cave and of the Inscription were all one group, mentioned in conjunction with two things. This is in contrast to those who say that the people of the Cave were one group and the people of the Inscription were another group. Allaah told this story to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them) in this soorah, and He did not mention anything about the people of the Inscription. This is unlike those who claim that the people of the Cave were three persons behind whom the rock fell and blocked the entrance of the cave in which they were, so they prayed to Allaah by virtue of their righteous deeds; they were one who honoured his parents, one who was chaste, and one who was a hired labourer. Their story is well known and is proven in al-Saheeh, but interpreting this aayah as meaning that these were the people referred to therein is far-fetched as you can see. It should be noted there is nothing about the story of the people of the cave, their names and which part of the earth they were in that has been narrated in any sound report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in addition to what is mentioned in the Qur'aan. The Mufassireen quoted many of those details from the Israa'eeliyyaat (reports from Jewish sources) which we will not quote here because they cannot be relied upon.

Adwaa' al-Bayaan, 4/22. (www.islam-qa.com)

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14007: Our attitude towards Yazeed ibn Mu'aawiyah

Question:

I heard of this person Yazeed Ibn Muawiyah. I heard that he once a calipha of the muslims and he was a drunken sadistic person, who was not really a muslim. Is this true? Please tell me his story. Thank you and may allah bless you.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

His name was Yazeed ibn Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan ibn Harb ibn Umayaah al-Umawi al-Dimashqi.

Al-Dhahabi said: he was the commander of that army during the campaign against Constantinople, among which were people such as Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari. Yazeed was appointed by his father as his heir, so he took power after his father died in Rajab 60 AH at the age of thirty-three, but his reign lasted for less than four years.

Yazeed is one of those whom we neither curse nor love. There are others like him among the khaleefahs of the two states (Umawi/Umayyad and `Abbaasi/Abbasid) and the governors of various regions, indeed there were some among them who were worse than him. But the issue in the case of Yazeed is that he was came to power forty-nine years after the death of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); it was still close to the time of the Prophet and some of the Sahaabah were still alive such as Ibn `Umar who was more entitled to the position than him or his father or his grandfather.

His reign began with the killing of the martyr al-Husayn and it ended with the battle of al-Harrah, so the people hated him and he was not blessed with a long life. There were many revolts against him after al-Husayn, such as the people of Madeenah who revolted for the sake of Allaah, and Ibn al-Zubayr.

(Siyar A'laam al-Nubalaa', part 4, p. 38)

Shaykh al-Islam described people's attitudes towards Yazeed ibn Mu'aawiyah, and said:

The people differed concerning Yazeed ibn Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan, splitting into three groups, two extreme and one moderate.

One of the two extremes said that he was a kaafir and a munaafiq, that he strove to kill the grandson of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to spite the Messenger of Allaah and to take revenge on him, and to avenge his grandfather `Utbah, his grandfather's brother Shaybah and his maternal uncle al-Waleed ibn `Utbah and others who were killed by the companions of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), by `Ali ibn Abi Taalib and others on the day of Badr and in other battles _ and things of that nature. To have such a view is easy for the Raafidis who regard Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthmaan as kaafirs, so it is much easier for them to regard Yazeed as a kaafir.

The second extreme group think that he was a righteous man and a just leader, that he was one of the Sahaabah who were born during the time of the Prophet and were carried and blessed by him. Some of them give him a higher status than Abu Bakr and `Umar, and some of them regard him as a prophet. Both views are obviously false to one who has the least common sense and who has any knowledge of the lives and times of the earliest Muslims. This view is not attributable to any of the scholars who are known for following the Sunnah or to any intelligent person who has reason and experience.

The third view is that he was one of the kings of the Muslims, who did good deeds and bad deeds. He was not born until the caliphate of `Uthmaan. He was not a kaafir but it was because of him that the killing of al-Husayn happened, and he did what he did to the people of al-Harrah. He was not a Sahaabi, nor was he one of the righteous friends of Allaah. This is the view of most of the people of reason and knowledge and of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah.

Then they divided into three groups, one which cursed him, one which loved him and one which neither cursed him nor loved him. This is what was reported from Imaam Ahmad, and this is the view of the fair-minded among his companions and others among the Muslims. Saalih ibn Ahmad said: I said to my father, some people say that they love Yazeed. He said, O my son, does anyone love Yazeed who believes in Allaah and the Last Day? I said, O my father, why do you not curse him? He said, O my son, when did you ever see your father curse anybody?

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi said, when he was asked about Yazeed: according to what I have heard he is neither to be cursed nor to be loved. He said, I also heard that our grandfather Abu `Abd-Allaah ibn Taymiyah was asked about Yazeed and he said: we do not deny his good qualities or exaggerate about them. This is the fairest opinion.

Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, part 4, p. 481-484

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21101: The name of the wife of Ayyoob (peace be upon him)

Question:

What is the name of the wife of Ayyoob (peace be upon him)?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The historians and some of the mufassireen have stated that her name was Rahmah bint Meesha ibn Yoosuf ibn Ya'qoob.

But this is something which is not proven in any clear sound text, rather it was transmitted from the books of the People of the Book, or by some Muslims from them. We shall list those who were of this view and transmitted it:

1 _ Al-Suyooti said: Ibn `Asaakir narrated that Wahb ibn Munabbih (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The wife of Ayyoob (peace be upon him) was Rahmah (may Allaah be pleased with her) bint Meeshaa ibn Yoosuf ibn Ya'qoob ibn Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem (peace be upon them).

(al-Durr al-Manthoor, 7/197. Also in Tafseer al-Baydaawi, 3/310; Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 9/265; Tafseer al-Baghawi, 2/451)

2 _ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

But these Israa'eeli (i.e., Jewish) reports to be mentioned for the purpose of proving a point, they are not to be believed. They are of three types:

(i) Those which we know are sound because of evidence which we have which proves them to be true. These are saheeh.

(ii) Those which we know are false because of evidence which we have which contradicts them.

(iii) Those which we do not know whether they are true or false. So we do not believe in them and we do not disbelieve in them, but it is permissible to narrate them for the reasons given above.

Most of them are things which serve no religious purpose, hence the scholars of the People of the Book differ greatly concerning such things. The mufassireen also differed concerning them as a result of that, as they mentioned, for example, the names of the People of the Cave, the colour of their dog and their number, or what kind of tree the staff of Moosa came from, and other matters which Allaah did not mention in detail in the Qur'aan because knowing the specific details does not serve any worldly or religious purpose.

(Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 13/366-367).

Al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

What the mufassireen have said concerning the name of their dog _ some said that its name was Qitmeer, and some said that its name was Hamdaan, etc. _ we need not dwell on at length, because it serves no purpose. There are many things in the Qur'aan which neither Allaah nor His Messenger has explained to us in detail, and there are no proven reports concerning them; there is no benefit to be gained by researching such matters.

(Adwaa' al-Bayaan, 4/48)

And Allaah knows best.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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10358: No-one who was alive in 10 AH lived for more than one hundred years

Question:

Could you please explain this hadith: Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar (RA): Once the Prophet led us in the `Isha' prayer during the last days of his life and after finishing it (the prayer) (with Taslim) he said: "Do you realize (the importance of) this night?" Nobody present on the surface of the earth tonight will be living after the completion of one hundred years from this night." — Sahih Bukhari (1.116)

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The meaning of the hadeeth is clear and apparent, and was borne out by real events. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was stating that none of the people who were alive at that time would live for more than a hundred years, and this is what in fact happened. The last of the Sahaabah to die passed away in 110 AH, i.e., he died one hundred years after the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died. His name was Abu'l-Tufayl ibn Waathilah.

Shaykh Sa'd al-Humayd

This hadeeth was narrated by Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his Saheeh, from `Abd-Allaah ibn `Umar, who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led us in praying `Ishaa towards the end of his life. When he had said the salaam, he stood up and said: `Do you see this night of yours? One hundred years from now, there will not be anyone left of those who are on the face of the earth.'"

There follow some comments made by Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) on this hadeeth:

"Led us in prayer" means as an imaam.

"Towards the end of his life". A corroborating report narrated by Jaabir states that this was one month before he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died.

"Do you see" means, "Think about (this night)."

"One hundred years from now" means, when one hundred years have passed.

"There will not be anyone left of those who are on the face of the earth" means, anyone who was alive at that time.

Ibn Battaal said: What the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant was that during this time-span their generation would pass away. He was pointing out to them how short their lives were and that their lives were not like those of the nations who came before them, so that they would strive hard in worship.

Al-Nawawi said: What is meant is that everyone who was on the face of the earth on that night would not live for more than one hundred years after that night, whether he was young on that occasion or not. It does not mean that anyone who was born after that night would not live for a hundred years. And Allaah knows best.

This hadeeth is one of the signs of the Prophethood of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He was speaking of future events which came to pass as he described them. The trustworthy scholars use this as evidence in refuting some of the Sufis who say that al-Khidr is still alive until now.

Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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12222: Did the Arabs know about Allaah before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent?

Question:

We know that Holy Prophet's()father name was Abdullah & he had passed away before Prophet's birth.With this background please tell that what was the concept in arabs about "ALLAH"before prophet.Were they familiar to this word before prophet's birth?How did they differentiate Allah from idols,if at all they did?

Answer:

You should note that Arabian societies before Islam were not atheistic societies that denied the existence of Allaah, or societies that were unaware that there is a Lord, Creator and Provider. They knew that, and they still retained some traces of the religion of Ibraaheem, and they had contact with Jews and Christians. But their problem was that they did not worship Allaah Alone in exclusion to others; they had other gods whom they associated in worship with Him, and which they worshipped not on the basis that they were the Lord, the Creator the Provider, but because they claimed that these were intermediaries who would intercede between them and Allaah and bring them closer to Allaah. Hence Allaah said concerning them (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if you (O Muhammad) ask them: `Who has created the heavens and the earth,' they will certainly say: `Allaah'" [Luqmaan 31:25]

This indicates that they acknowledged that Allaah is the Creator. Another aayah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, if you ask them: `Who created the heavens and the earth?' Surely, they will say: `Allaah (has created them)'" [al-Zumar 39:38]

Many aayaat indicated that they believed in the Unity of Lordship (Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah); their shirk was with regard to divinity (uloohiyyah), as Allaah says concerning them (interpretation of the meaning):

"And those who take Awliyaa' (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): `We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allaah'" [al-Zumar 39:3]

i.e., they said, we only worship them so that they may bring us closer to Allaah.

Shaykh Sa'd al-Humayd (www.islam-qa.com)

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1437: Does the dove hold any significance in Islam?

Question:

In the Christian religion, a dove is a symbol not only for peace but also for the Holy Spirit.In the Islamic religion, does the dove hold any significance ?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows.

The dove does not have any particular meaning in Islam. It is simply one of the birds that Allaah has permitted us to eat, just like any other permissible bird.

In Islam, the dove does not stand for peace or for anything else. It is sufficient for us Muslims for us to follow the commands of Allaah to establish justice on earth.

Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen (www.islam-qa.com)

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8301: Who was Ibn Sayyaad? Was he the false messiah (al-maseeh al-dajjaal)?

Question:

I have read in some ahaadeeth about a strange person who appeared at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). His name was Ibn Sayyaad or Ibn Saa'id. Who was this man and what was he?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Ibn Sayyaad's name was Saafi, or `Abd-Allaah, ibn (the son of) Sayyaad or Saa'id.

He was one of the Jews of Madeenah, and it was said that he was one of the Ansaar. He was a child at the time when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah. It was also said that he became Muslim.

Ibn Sayyaad was a dajjaal (a liar), and he used to tell fortunes, sometimes what he said came true, and sometimes it did not. He became famous among the people, and it was rumoured that he was the Dajjaal. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to find out about him, so he used to go to him secretly, without revealing his identity to him, hoping to hear something from him. He also asked him some questions directly, to find out what he really was. He outlived the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he was lost on the day of al-Harrah. [comment deleted]

The story of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Ibn Sayyaad

`Abdaan told us, `Abd-Allaah informed us, from Yoonus from al-Zuhri, who said, Saalim ibn `Abd-Allaah informed me that Ibn `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) informed him that `Umar set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to look for Ibn Sayyaad, and they found him playing with some boys near the battlement of Banu Maghaalah. At that time Ibn Sayyaad was on the threshhold of adolescence. He did not notice anything until the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) struck him on the back with his hand. Then he said to Ibn Sayyaad, "Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allaah?" Ibn Sayyaad looked at him and said, "I bear witness that you are the Messenger of the unlettered." Ibn Sayyaad said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Do you bear witness that I am the messenger of Allaah?" He ignored that and said, "I believe in Allaah and His Messengers." Then he asked him, "What do you see?" Ibn Sayyaad said, "(Sometimes) a truthful one comes to me and (sometimes) a liar comes." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "You have been confounded." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, "I am concealing something from you." Ibn Sayyaad said, "It is al-dukh." [Referring to Soorat al-Dukhaan]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, "Be off with you! You will never go beyond your rank." `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, "Permit me to strike his neck (kill him), O Messenger of Allaah." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "If he is he (the Dajjaal), then you will not be able to overpower him, and if he is not (the Dajjaal), then your killing him will not do any good." Saalim said, I heard Ibn `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) say: After that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Ubayy ibn Ka'b set off to go to some date-palm trees where Ibn Sayyaad was. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concealed himself in order to hear something from Ibn Sayyaad before Ibn Sayyaad saw him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw him lying on his bed with a blanket around him from which was coming a murmuring sound. The mother of Ibn Sayyaad saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) hiding behind the trunk of the palm-tree and said, "O Saaf!" _ which was his name _ "Here is Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!" Then Ibn Sayyaad jumped up and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "If she had left him alone, things would have been made clear." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1355).

"Battlement" refers to a structure like a fortress.

Maghaalah was a tribe of the Ansaar.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to talk to Ibn Sayyaad without him realizing who he was.

"from which was coming a murmuring sound" means, a low voice, or moving the lips as in speech, or speaking in an indistinct manner.

See Fath al-Baari for the commentary on the above hadeeth in Kitaab al-Janaa'iz of Saheeh al-Bukhaari.

· Was Ibn Sayyaad the great Dajjaal?

The hadeeth quoted above _ which describes some of the features of Ibn Saayaad and how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) examined him _ indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not pass judgement on the matter of Ibn Sayyaad, because it was not revealed to him (by Wahy) whether he was the Dajjaal or not.

Many of the Sahaabah thought that Ibn Sayyaad was the Dajjaal. `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) swore that he was the Dajjaal in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Sahaabah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not disapprove of that. Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said, "I saw Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah swear by Allaah that Ibn al-Saa'id was the Dajjaal. I said, `Do you swear by Allaah?' He said, `I heard `Umar ibn al-Khattaab swear to that effect 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) did not disapprove of that.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6808).

Ibn `Umar told a strange story about Ibn Sayyaad which was narrated in Saheeh Muslim from Naafi', who said: Ibn `Umar met Ibn Sayyaad on one of the paths of Madeenah, and said to him something which made him so angry that he swelled up and filled the road. Ibn `Umar went to Hafsah and told her about this. She said, "May Allaah have mercy upon you! Why did you upset Ibn Sayyaad? Don't you know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that he (the Dajjaal) will emerge when something makes him very angry?" (Saheeh Muslim, 2932)

In spite of that, when Ibn Sayyaad grew up, he tried to defend himself and said that he was not the Dajjaal; he was apparently upset by this accusation, and he quoted as evidence the fact that the attributes of the Dajjaal described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not apply to him.

Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said: "We went out for Hajj or `Umrah, and Ibn Saa'id was with us. We stopped at a place to camp, and the people separated and I was left with him (Ibn Saa'id). I felt very nervous and afraid of him, because of what had been said about him. He brought his luggage and put it with mine. I said, `It is very hot _ why don't you put your things under that tree?' So he did that. Then some sheep appeared before us, and he went and brought a large vessel (of milk) and said, `Drink, O Abu Sa'eed.' I said, `It is too hot, and the milk is hot.' In fact (the only thing wrong was) that I did not want to drink from his hand, or take anything from his hand. He said, `Abu Sa'eed, I have been thinking that I should take a rope and suspend it from a tree, and hang myself, because of what people are saying about me. O Abu Sa'eed, does anyone know more about hadeeth than you Ansaar? Are you not one of the most knowledgeable of people about the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Didn't the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that the Dajjaal is a kaafir, and I am a Muslim? Didn't the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that he would be sterile, with no children, and I have left my child behind in Madeenah? Didn't the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that he will never enter Madeenah or Makkah, but I have left Madeenah and am headed for Makkah?' … I was about to accept his excuses, then he said, `But, by Allaah, I know who the Dajjaal is, where he was born and where he is now.' I said to him, `May you perish for the rest of the day!'" (Narrated by Muslim, no. 5211).

According to another report, Ibn Sayyaad said: "By Allaah, I know where he is now and I know his father and mother." It was said to him, "Would you not be happy to be that man?" He said, "If it were offered to me, I would not refuse."

(Narrated by Muslim, 521)

The scholars were confused by the reports about Ibn Sayyaad. Some scholars said that he was the Dajjaal, and others said that he was not. Both groups had evidence (daleel) for what they said, and their views conflicted a great deal. Ibn Hajar tried to reconcile the two views by saying: the best way in which we may reconcile what is said in the hadeeth of Tameem al-Daari and the view that Ibn Sayyaad was the Dajjaal is to say that the Dajjaal is the exact same person whom Tameem al-Daari saw chained up, and that Ibn Sayyaad was a shaytaan (a devil) who appeared in the image of the Dajjaal at that time, until he went to Isfahaan, where he hid with his qareen, until the appointed time comes when Allaah will decree that he should emerge. Because the matter is so confusing, al-Bukhaari, instead of attempting a reconciliation, narrated the hadeeth of Jaabir from `Umar, believing it to be more saheeh, and did not narrate the hadeeth of Faatimah bint Qays about the story of Tameem. (Fath al-Baari, 13/328)

It was said that Ibn Sayyaad was one of the dajjaals or liars, but he was not the greater Dajjaal. And Allaah knows best.

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5441: Was Islam spread by the sword?

Question:

Some enemies of the religion claim that Islam was spread by the sword. What is your response to that?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Islam was spread by proof and evidence, in the case of those who listened to the message and responded to it. And it was spread by strength and the sword in the case of those who stubbornly resisted, until they had no choice and had to submit to the new reality.

And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/14

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5965: Who was `Umar al-Khayyaam?

Question:

Who was `Umar al-Khayyaam and what was his belief (`aqeedah)? I hope you canm give me an idea about him.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

His full name was Abu'l-Fath, `Umar ibn Ibraaheem al-Khayyaami al-Naysapoori. He was a poet and philosopher from among the people of Naysapoor, where he was born and died.

He was born in 408 AH, in the town of Naysapoor, where he died and was buried in 517 AH, or it was said, 515 AH.

He was a scholar who was well versed in mathematics, astronomy, language, fiqh and history.

Because of his brilliance as an astronomer, he was appointed as director of the observatory in Baghdaad, and because of his interest in philosophy, his name is associated with that of Ibn Seenaa (Avicenna), who wrote articles filled with kufr which put him beyond the pale of Islam.

He is also famous for his poetry, the best known of which is al-Rubaa'iyaat, which is filled with ideas of kufr, promiscuity and heresy. No wonder the West took such an interest in publishing and distributing this book! It has been translated into many languages, such as English, French, Russian, German, etc. The British sought to spread the ideas of immorality and promiscuity advocated by al-Khayyaam in al-Rubaa'iyaat, so they spread it in the countries which they colonized, such as India and Iran, and attributed it to one of the Muslims, rather one of the greatest of them _ or so they claimed.

One of the verses about wine _ in al-Rubaa'iyaat _ says:

Drink wine, for it is the relaxation of the soul

A cure for the soul and heart, and entertainment.

If you are overwhelmed with stress and grief,

Save yourself through it, for it is like the ship of Nooh.

Denying the idea of resurrection after death, he said:

Get up before death seizes you

And take the rose-coloured (liquid) [i.e., wine] to expel darkness

O fool, you are not a piece of gold

To be buried and later brought forth

His words of promiscuity and immorality include the following:

As much as you can, follow the people of immorality

Destroy the structure of fasting and prayer

Receive the best words from al-Khayyaam

Drink, sing and pursue the good things

His mocking of the sharee'ah, his insolence towards his Lord and his attitude towards repentance may be seen in the following words:

Every day I have the intention to repent

If night falls and I feel that I want to repent from drinking wine

Then the season of flowers comes and then,

O Lord, I repent from my intention to repent

Some researchers, such as al-Zarkali, said that later he repented and performed Hajj. Others, such as `Abd al-Haqq Faadil, expressed doubts about the attribution of al-Rubaa'iyaat to him.

Whatever the case, the Rubaa'iyaat do not indicate that he repented, because they contain clear statements of kufr, wilful neglect of virtuous attributes and rejection of the idea of repenting and turning to Allaah. Indeed, they contain no indication that their author believed in Allaah and the Last Day.

The doubts about whether he wrote these words are outweighed by number of people who attributed them to him. Allaah knows best what is really the case.

For more details on his life, see al-A'laam by al-Zarkali, 5/38; Mu'jam al-Mu'aalifeen by `Umar Ridaa Kahhaalah, 2/549; `Umar al-Khayyaam bayna al-Kufr wa'l-Eemaan, by Ihsaan Haqqi; Thawrat al-Khayyaam by `Abd al-Haqq Faadil. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

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3000: Is the Rock in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) suspended in the air?

Question:

They told us that the sacred rock from which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started his ascent into heaven on the night of the Mi'raaj is suspended in the air by the power of Allaah. Please tell us if this is correct, may Allaah reward you.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Everything is standing in its position by the permission of Allaah, whether it be the heavens and all that is in them or the earth and all that is on it _ even the rock which you asked about. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

"Verily, Allaah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him…" [Faatir 35:41]

"And among His Signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His Command…" [al-Room 30:25]

The Rock in Bayt al-Maqdis is not suspended in space with air around it on all sides; it is attached to the side of the mountain of which it is a part and by which it is supported; both it and the mountain stand in their positions because of the well-known physical laws governing the universe; in this regard it is like everything else that exists. We do not deny that Allaah is Able to hold part of His creation in space; all of creation is standing in space by the power of Allaah, as stated above. Allaah raised the mountain above the people of Moosa when they refused to follow the laws that Moosa brought them. It was held up by the power of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (remember) when We took your Covenant and We raised above you the Mount (saying): `Hold fast to that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein so that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious)." [al-Baqarah 2:63]

"And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): `Hold firmly to what We have given you, and remember that which is therein, so that you may fear Allaah and obey Him." [al-A'raaf 7:171]

But our point here is to explain what is in fact the case: the rock in Jerusalem is not suspended in space, completely separate from the mountain; it is attached to it and is supported by it. And Allaah knows best.

Fataawa Islamiyyah li'l-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 485. (www.islam-qa.com)

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1528: Taking the crescent as a symbol

Question:

What is the symbolism behind the Muslim star and crescent? I did a keyword search of your site and searched my library's reference books and cannot find anything more than a reference to the flag of the Ottoman Empire. Thank you for your interest.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There is no basis in sharee'ah for taking the crescent or star as a symbol of the Muslims. This was not known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or at the time of the Khulafa' al-Raashidoon (the first four leaders of Islam after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or during the time of the Umawis (Umayyad dynasty). It emerged some time after that, and historians differ as to when this symbol was first adopted and who was the first to adopt it. Some say it was the Persians, others say it was the Greeks, and that this symbol was somehow passed to the Muslims. (See Al-Taraateeb al-Idaariyah by al-Kittaani, 1/320). It was said that the reason why the Muslims adopted the crescent was that when they conquered some western countries, the churches there had crosses on top of them, the Muslims replaced the crosses with these crescents, and the practice spread in this way. Whatever the case, symbols and banners must be in accordance with the teachings of Islam, and as there is no evidence that this symbol is prescribed by Islam, it is better not to use it. Neither the crescent nor the star are symbols of the Muslims, even though some Muslims may use them as symbols.

As regards what Muslims think about the moon and the stars, they believe that they are part of the creation of Allaah, and as such can neither benefit nor harm people, and they do not have any influence over events on earth. Allaah has created them for the benefit of mankind, an example of which is seen in the aayah or verse of the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):

"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage…" [al-Baqarah 2:189]

[The commentator] Ibn Katheer said, explaining the phrase Say: these are signs to mark fixed periods of time: "From them (the new moons) they may know the times for repaying loans, the `iddah (waiting period) of their women [after being divorced or widowed] and the timing of their Hajj (pilgrimage)… Allaah has made them signs to mark the times when Muslims should start to fast and break their fast [the beginning and end of Ramadaan], to count the `iddah of their women and to know the times for repaying loans." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).

[Another commentator] Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this aayah [verse]: "This explains the wisdom behind the waxing and waning of the moon, which is to avoid any confusion in appointed dates, dealings, oaths, Hajj, `iddah, fasting, breaking fasts, length of pregnancy, rentals and other matters that concern mankind. Similar to this aayah are others (interpretation of the meanings):

`And We have appointed the night and the day as two aayaat (signs). Then, We have made dark the sign of the night while We have made the sign of day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning…"

[al-Isra' 17:12]

`It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out its (their) stages, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning…' [Yoonus 10:5]

Counting the new moons is easier than counting days." (See Tafseer al-Qurtubi).

With regard to the stars, the scholars of Islam say that Allaah created these stars for three reasons: to adorn the heavens, to drive away the devils (shayaateen) and as signs for navigation. (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Bad' al-Khalq), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"It is He Who has set the stars for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea…" [al-An'aam 6:97]

"And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the shayaateen (devils), and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire." [al-Mulk 67:5]

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1985: When did Islam start

Question:

When did Islam start, and how long was the period between Jesus (upon whom be peace) and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Islam began with the beginning of the Prophet's mission, when Jibraa'eel (the Archangel Gabriel) brought down the Revelation from Allaah in Makkah (Mecca) in the Arabian Peninsula. This occurred on a Monday in the month of Ramadaan, in the fortieth year of the Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) life, thirteen years before his Hijrah (migration) to Madeenah (which marks the beginning of the Islamic or Hijri calendar). According to the Gregorian calendar, the beginning of the Prophetic mission happened around 608 or 609 CE. Salmaan al-Farsi, may Allaah be pleased with him, one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reported that between Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Jesus (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), there were six hundred years.

And Allaah knows best.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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255: Intermarrying among Adam and Eve's children

Question:

Asalam Alaikum?

I have no doubt whatsoever, but these kind a things come to mind. Whem Adam and Eve bore children, I assume their children got married among themselves. Isn't marrying between brothers and sisters haram in the Quran?

Can you recommend a good book(s) on Islamic Law covering every and each aspect of Life? Thank you very much for the generous work for the sake of Allah.
Thanks.

Answer:

wa alaikum us-salaam wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh

All Praise be to Allaah.

As long as you are confident in your heart about your belief, no such insinuations will hurt you (inshaa' Allaah). If a doubt strikes a believer or something appears to him as a conflict between different textual sources of Shari'ah, he must believe that indeed for such doubts there are true answers and for such apparent conflicts there are solutions even if he doesn't know it or is unable to find the right answer himself. However, a person should not collect all the doubts in his heart and worry about the complexities and leave aside the learning of useful knowledge. This is because it is incumbent upon a Muslim to learn and know things which have been clearly described (Muhkamaat) in Shari'ah so that he may be able to repel the doubts.

Regarding the question you have asked, it is a known fact that legislation differs from one Shari'ah to another, while the principles and beliefs remain the same in all of them. So, making of portraits was allowed in the Shari'ah of Sulayman (peace be upon him) but is prohibited in our Shari'ah. Similarly, making prostration of salutation was permitted in the Shari'ah of Yusuf (peace be upon him) but is illegal in ours. Also, war booty was prohibited for nations before us but it is completely legal for us. The Qiblah of people before us used to be towards Bayt Al-Maqdis, but for us it is towards Ka'bah. In a similar way, marriage between brothers and sisters was permitted in the Shari'ah of Adam (peace be upon him) as opposed to those that came afterwards. The following is a clarification on the issue by Haafidh Ibn Katheer, who said:

Allaah allowed Adam (peace be upon him) to marry his daughters to his sons for necessity. Every couple used to have a boy and a girl. Hence, he married the girl of one couple to the boy of another. This is said by Suddi regarding what has been narrated by Abu Maalik and Abu Salih, from Ibn `Abbas, by Murrah from Ibn Mas`ood and by other companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that Adam did not have (in his grandchildren) a baby boy unless it was accompanied by a girl, so he married the male of a couple to the female of another, and the female of a couple to the male of another. Tafsir Ibn Katheer, Surat Al-Maa'idah, 5:27)

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