Sunday 24 December 2023

Disposing of Interest in One's Bank Account

 A translation of this fatwa from Naseem al-Sham


Question:

As-Salām ʿalaykum wa Raḥmatullāhi wa Barakatuh. My question is as follows: I have a balance of money in the Real Estate Bank[1] and the last time I inquired about the balance, there was an additional interest amount of approximately 230,000 lira. Please tell me how I can legitimate this money. What is the method? As far as I know, this interest amount is unlawful. Thank you very much.

Answer (Imam Muḥammad Tawfīq Ramaḍān):

The addition to the principal amount is neither yours nor the bank’s; it is akin to lost money that should be given to public interests. You may use it to help the homeless and those in need, or give it to someone who needs it for treatment, for example, or to drill a well, or to extend an electricity line to someone who does not have one, and so on.


[1] Ar. Al-Bank Al-ʿAqārī: https://www.reb.sy/

Sunday 26 November 2023

When children go back to Allah...

Extracts from The Opening of the Hearts by Imam Jalāl ad-Dīn as-Suyūṭī, may Allah have mercy on him

439) Ibn Abī ad-Dunyā has narrated on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said, ‘When someone dies, his child[1] receives him just as he would receive someone who has been away’.

1009) Ibn Abī ad-Dunyā has narrated in the book al-ʿAzāʾ on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, who said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, {Every child born in Islam[2] is a fresh youth in Paradise, saying, ‘O Lord, bring my parents to me.’}’


[1] (tn): i.e. his child who passed away before him.

[2] (tn): i.e. and passes away as a child.

Friday 24 November 2023

Why is it called 'al-Muqaddasah'?


)يَٰقَوْمِ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ ٱلْمُقَدَّسَةَ ٱلَّتِى كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَدْبَارِكُمْ فَتَنقَلِبُوا۟ خَٰسِرِينَ(

“My people! Enter the Holy Land (al-Ar al-Muqaddasah) that Allah ordained for you. Do not turn back in your tracks and thus become losers.” [al-Māʾidah 5:21]


Imam ʿAbdur Raḥmān ibn al-Jawzī (d.597 AH) : ‘Regarding the meaning of al-muqaddasah there are two positions. The first is that it is purified (muṭahharah), which was stated by Ibn ʿAbbās and az-Zajjāj, who said, “A bucket (saṭl) is called qadas because one purifies oneself from it”. It was called Bayt al-Maqdis because one purifies oneself of sins therein.  It has also been said that it was called muqaddasah because it was purified of idolatry and made an abode for the Prophets and the believers. The second is that it is blessed (mubārakah), which was stated by al-Mujāhid.’ [Zād al-Masīr fī ʿIlm at-Tafsīr (Beirut: Dār Ibn Hazm, 1423/2002), 370. See also Faḍāʾil Bayt al-Maqdis by the same author (Beirut: Dār Ibn Hazm, 1400/1980), 67]

For further knowledge from this tafsīr, listen from 58:10 of this video.

Thursday 16 November 2023

If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near.

 A translation of this fatwa from Naseem al-Sham

Question:

Respected Sheikh Muammad Shuqayr,

By Allah, I love your words. Please. Is there any fatwa that allows a person to kill himself, even if it is by way of a drug? For a long time, I have not wanted to live. I have lived my whole life reluctantly. Everywhere I turn, I face tribulations. I have only experienced a few happy days in my entire life. Everything is difficult. I have responsibilities, I have to be patient. And so on and so forth. In my childhood, I decided to be devout and committed, because I was raised that way and I knew it was the best way. I have knocked on Allah’s door and I continue to do so. I memorised Allah’s book and I spent many years doing so, trying to get out of what I was in, or to improve the state of my affairs. I performed the ʿUmrah, and then the ajj. Maybe it is accumulated sins. Maybe it is disobedience. I have not found a way out. I am always feeling remorse over my sins, and regret, and I cannot rid myself of it. Maybe an hour that I spend in the gatherings of knowledge helps me forget, but it all comes back as soon as I leave. I am not prepared to live anymore. I have become weary. There is no benefit in my life, whatever I do and whoever I am. I feel there is no point in doing anything. Please give me some guidance, and may Allah reward you. To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.

Answer (Sheikh Rushdi Salīm al-Qalam):

Praise be to Allah and He suffice, and peace be upon His Messenger, al-Muafā.

To proceed:

It is not permissible for a person to kill himself, regardless of the reasons, because the spirit that is between your two sides belongs to Allah, the Unique, the Dominant. Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, has created life and death as a trial and as a choice, so be patient with what Allah has tested you with. Give glad tidings to the patient, and Allah is with the patient. Know that Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful; He accepts the repentance of His slaves. It is not from our Religion that we punish ourselves. We know that Allah accepts the repentance of His sinning slave if they repent and fulfil the conditions of repentance and turning back to Allah the Exalted. Attend more gatherings of knowledge, keep the company of the righteous, and open a new page between you and Allah; you will find that Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful. And if you want something, do not ask anyone but Allah. “If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided.” [al-Baqarah 2:186]

[The answer is from Sheikh Rushdi Salīm al-Qalam because Sheikh Muammad Shuqayr is very busy these days.]

Thursday 17 August 2023

Book Release: Depression & Anxiety: The Causes & Treatment According to the Qur'an

 Alhamdulillah, the book is now available from Nawa Books (as well as Amazon and Lulu)


In a world plagued by depression and anxiety, Depression and Anxiety: The Causes and Treatment According to the Qurʾān explores these ailments from a unique perspective. Based on the teachings of Imam Muhammad Saeed Ramadan al-Bouti, this groundbreaking book unveils hidden causes often overlooked within a secular paradigm. 

Delving into different types of depression and anxiety linked to specific causes, it emphasizes the role of a strengthened relationship with Allah in finding healing and empowerment. This book offers spiritual enrichment, guiding readers to lessen their attachment to this world, purify their hearts and souls, and understand the purpose of their existence. 

By drawing nearer to Allah and embracing the teachings of the Qurʾān, readers gain the competence and strength to face life's challenges without succumbing to anxiety or depression. With insightful appendices and additional resources, Depression and Anxiety: The Causes and Treatment According to the Qurʾān provides the tools for a deeper understanding, guiding individuals towards the emotional well-being and inner peace that comes from being close to one's Lord. 

And with Allah alone is every success.

Wednesday 17 May 2023

Book Release: Al-Fiqh Al-Manhaji: A Systematic Manual According to the Madhhab of Imam Ash-Shafi'i, Volume 1, Purification & Prayer

Alhamdulillah, the book is now available from Nawa Books



Blurb:

The best that man preoccupies himself with is knowledge of the lawful and the unlawful regarding rulings, and knowing the valid from the invalid regarding actions; it is the science of fiqh that has taken it upon itself to elucidate that. Many of the early scholars wrote so many books in this field that it is almost impossible to count; including exhaustive works, abridged works, commentaries, and research papers focusing on main issues as well as branch issues. The Islamic library still needs to grow, which is this book’s point of departure; it covers the main fiqh issues along with their evidences from the Noble Book and the Purified Sunnah, and the authors have also added whatever wisdoms can be gleaned from each ruling. The wording is clear and concise and the numerous headings and subheadings make it very easy for the reader to navigate the various topics and issues.

Excerpts:

What is Zakāt al-Fiṭr?
What are the Mufaṣṣal in the Qurʾān?
Introducing Shafi'i Fiqh

The Authors:

The authors are Imam Mustafa al-Khin, may Allah have mercy on him, Imam Ali ash-Sharbaji, may Allah preserve him, and Imam Mustafa al-Bugha, may Allah preserve him. Here are a few clips from Imam Mustafa al-Bugha's lessons:






And with Allah alone is every success!

Nawa Books ships worldwide and the book is also available from Amazon.

Sunday 7 May 2023

Book Release: Dedicating Rewards to the Deceased

 Alhamdulillah, the book-a joint project by Nawa Books and The Foreword Publications-is now available from Amazon and Lulu



Blurb:

If a person were to supplicate, recite the Noble Qurʾān, give in charity, or do any other act of worship and righteousness, and then dedicate the reward for that deed to someone deceased from this Ummah and ask Allah the Exalted to make it reach that deceased person, is such an action legitimate? And does the reward for that deed reach that deceased person?

Shaykh Muḥammad Fawāz an-Nimr, may Allah preserve him, is one of the leading Ḥanafī teachers of this age, based in Damascus. He graduated from Maʿhad al-Fatḥ al-Islāmī in 1985 and in the following year took up teaching posts at that institute as well as at the Umayyad Grand Masjid. Since then, he has taught several books on various topics. His lessons are available on YouTube and several are uploaded daily to his channel: @MFawazAlnemer.

From the translator's introduction:

The book in your hands is an attempt to put an end to a debate that actually ended several centuries ago. That is, it ended among the ʿulamāʾ, those who are qualified to speak on the matter, and yet, for some reason, it has been revived in recent times. As you will see in the book and in the appendices, the early generations did indeed differ over whether the reward for reciting the Qurʾān reached the deceased, but over time they came to be of one accord: the reward for reciting the Qurʾān does indeed reach the deceased and it is the muʿtamad position of all Four Schools.

These words of Imam as-Suyūṭī in Sharḥ as-Ṣudūr, which are quoted in Appendix A, make this very clear:

[The ʿulamāʾ] also infer from the aḥādīth that mention it, even though they are weak, for their sum total indicates that there is a foundation. Furthermore, the Muslims in every big city still gather together and recite for the benefit of their deceased without any reproach. Thus, it is a consensus. All of this has been mentioned by al-Ḥāfiẓ Shams ad-Dīn ibn ʿAbdul Wāḥid al-Maqdasī al-Ḥanbalī in a volume he wrote on the issue.

Al-Qurṭubī said, ‘Ash-Sheikh ʿIzz ad-Dīn ibn ʿAbdis Salām would issue fatāwā stating the reward for what one recites does not reach the deceased. When he had died, one of his companions saw him, so he said to him, “You used to say the reward for what one recites does not reach the deceased and is not gifted to him, so how is it?” He replied, “I used to say that in the abode of the world. Now, I have gone back on my position after seeing Allah’s magnanimity therein and that it does reach him”.’

And with Allah alone is every success.

For UK readers, the book is also available from Madani Bookstore.

Tuesday 11 April 2023

What is Zakāt al-Fiṭr?

How does one discharge this obligation? (an extract from Volume 1 of the upcoming translation of Al-Fiqh al-Manhajī ʿalā Madhhab al-Imām ash-Shāfiʿī, to be published by Nawa Books)


زكاة الفطر
Zakāt al-Fiṭr

Its Definition:

It is a specific amount of property that must be paid after sunset on the last day of Ramaḍān, with specific conditions, on behalf of every legally responsible person and those whom he is obliged to support financially.

Its Legislation:

The dominant position, in the Sunnah, is that it was made obligatory in the second year of the Hijrah, in the same year in which fasting Ramaḍān was made obligatory.

The foundation for its obligation is what has been related by al-Bukhārī (1433) and Muslim (984), and the wording is the latter’s, on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar L: the Messenger of Allah e obligated zakāt al-fiṭr min Ramaḍān[1] upon the people as one ṣāʿ[2] of dates or one ṣāʿ of barley. It was an obligation upon every freeman and slave, male or female, from among the Muslims.


The Conditions That Make It Obligatory:

Zakāt al-Fiṭr is obligatory when three conditions have been fulfilled:

The first is Islam. It is not obligatory upon the original unbeliever[3] in the sense that he is asked to perform it, due to the aforementioned ḥadīth on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with both of them.

The second is the sun’s setting on the last day of Ramaḍān. Thus, if someone dies after sunset on that day, it is obligatory to pay Zakāt al-Fiṭr on his behalf, regardless of whether he died after or before having the capacity to pay it, which is different from someone who is born after sunset. If someone dies before sunset, it is not obligatory to pay it on his behalf, which is different from someone who is born before sunset.

The third is that one have more than what one needs to feed oneself and one’s dependents on Eid day and its night,[4] to house them, and to provide a servant if there is a need.

If one does not have enough to cover the expenses of Eid day and its night, with regard to oneself and those whom one is obligated to support financially, one does not have to pay Zakāt al-Fiṭr. If one does have enough for Eid day and its night but not for what follows, one is obligated to pay Zakāt al-Fiṭr, as no consideration is given to what follows Eid day and its night.

Those On Whose Behalf the Legally Responsible Person Must Pay Zakāt al-Fiṭr:

Whoever fulfils these three conditions is obligated to pay Zakāt al-Fiṭr on behalf of himself as well as those whom he is obligated to support financially, such as his progenitors,[5] his descendants,[6] and his wife.

Thus, one is not obligated to pay it on behalf of one’s pubescent son who is capable of earning, nor on behalf of a relative whom one is not responsible for supporting financially. Indeed, it would not be valid to pay on his behalf without his permission and delegation of authority.[7]

If one does not have enough to pay on behalf of all of one’s relatives whom one is responsible for supporting financially, one gives priority to oneself, then one’s wife, then one’s small child, then one’s father, then one’s mother, then one’s older child who is incapable of earning.

Zakāt al-Fiṭr: The Type of Food that Must be Given and the Amount:

Zakāt al-Fiṭr is one ṣāʿ of the main staple of the area in which the legally responsible person resides, and the evidence is the aforementioned ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar L. Moreover, according to al-Bukhārī (1439), it is on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī I, who said, ‘In the time of Allah’s Messenger ewe would pay one ṣāʿ of food on day of al-Fiṭr, and our food was barley, raisins, aqiṭ,[8] and dates’.

The ṣāʿ that the Messenger of Allah e would use was four amdād, i.e. four double handfuls,[9] and these four double handfuls are measured to be equal to three litres in dry measure, or approximately 2400 grammes.[10]

If the main staple in our area today is wheat, the Zakāt al-Fiṭr for one person is equivalent to three litres of wheat. The position of Imam ash-Shāfiʿī’s school is that it is not sufficient to merely pay the monetary value. Rather, it must be paid in the form of the main staple of that area. There is nothing wrong, however, with following the school of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah, may Allah the Exalted have mercy on him, in this issue in this age, which is that it is permissible to pay its monetary value. This is because the monetary value is of more benefit to the poor person than the actual staple crop,[11] and is more conducive to realising the desired objective.

When to Pay Zakāt al-Fiṭr:

As we have already mentioned, it becomes obligatory to pay it once the sun has set on the last day of Ramaḍān.

It is permissible to pay it anytime in the month of Ramaḍān as well as the first day of Eid.[12]

It is recommended, however, to pay it on the morning of Eid day before going out to the prayer. In the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar L in al-Bukhārī’s (1432) narration, he says, ‘…and he commanded that it be paid before the people went out to the prayer’.

It is disliked to delay paying it until after the Eid Prayer, until the end of Eid day.[13] To delay paying it any further is sinful and one must make it up.


[1]  (tn): i.e. the zakāt of breaking of one’s fast at the end of Ramaḍān.
[2] (tn): i.e. four amdād (the plural of mudd) according to the mudd of the Prophet e, which is currently about 2.75 kilogrammes, and some say it is 3, and it is better to err on the side of caution. See at-Taqrīrāt as-Sadīdah, 419. In fluid measurements, it is 2.03 litres. See Reliance of the Traveller, 263.
[3] Ar. al-kāfir al-aṣlī, i.e. someone who has never been a Muslim, as opposed to an apostate (murtadd).
[4] (tn): i.e. starting from sunset on the last day of Ramaḍān.
[5] Ar. uṣul, i.e. parents, grandparents, etc.
[6] Ar. furūʿ, i.e. his children, grandchildren, etc.
[7] Ar. tawkīl.
[8] (tn): i.e. a milk that is allowed to sour and congeal so that it becomes solid and can be cooked or cooked with. See al-Muʿjam al-Wasīṭ, 22.
[9] (tn): i.e. what is scooped with two hands as opposed to just one.
[10] (tn): Please see the footnote above about the quantity of a ṣāʿ; when there are different measurements, it is safer, and therefore better, to go with the largest quantity.
[11] (tn): For example, a poor person might not have the means to cook or prepare wheat, barley, rice, and so forth.
[12] (tn): i.e. the first day of Shawwāl.
[13] (tn): i.e. it remains disliked, which means it is still permissible and not sinful, until sunset on the first day of Shawwāl.

Thursday 23 March 2023

Book Release: The Rights of the Husband and Wife

 Alhamdulilah, this book is now available


Blurb:

It is from Allah’s wisdom, Glorified and Exalted is He, that, over time, the Muslims have spread to every corner of the earth. In recent decades, however, this spread has been attributed to several causes, and what has been noticed and is not hidden from anybody who is familiar with the state of Muslims in Western societies is their lacking many of the factors of a social and Islamic upbringing that are normal and customary in Islamic societies. These norms and customs, of course, come from the Revealed Law, whose source is the Book, the Sunnah, the consensus of the Ummah, and the preferred opinions of the imams and scholars. Thus, one of the most important reasons for the social stability that is found in Islamic societies is that life is based on solid foundations that come from the teachings of the Revealed Law.

Shaykh ʿAbdul Hādī al-Kharsah was born in Damascus in 1378 AH/1959 CE and graduated from Al-Azhar in 1980. He has taken knowledge from the senior most Muslim scholars of his age and has several chains of transmission in ḥadīth from the senior most ḥadīth scholars.

The shaykh specialises in theology and Ḥanafī fiqh, as well as the educational and behavioural sciences.

He is considered an authority (marjaʿ) in ash-Shām and the leader of a knowledge-based revival. His preaching is distinguished by moderation, accurate understanding, foresight, and conciliation.

Shaykh ʿAbdul Hādī has also authored several works, and they have had a massive influence on students of knowledge and Islamic communities.

Nawa Books ships worldwide and the book should also be available from Amazon very soon, if Allah so wills. Watch this space!

And with Allah alone is every success.

UPDATE: THE BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON UK.

Thursday 23 February 2023

Online Course: Fiqh of Fasting

There are still three sessions left, if Allah so wills 


This course is based on Al-Fiqh Al-Manhaji 'ala Madhhab Al-Imam Ash-Shafi'i, which is one of the best contemporary books on Shafi'i fiqh, written by authorities in the madhhab from Sham. I am currently translating the book into English for Nawa Books.

Please register via Telegram: https://t.me/AlFiqhAlManhaji

#PreparationForRamadan

And please check out these Fatawa on Ramadan and Fasting.