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The Prophet`s Birth Anniversary
Author : His Grace Shiekh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Date Added : 04-01-2015

The Prophet`s Birth  Anniversary

By the Grand Mufti of  Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkarim Khasawneh

 

All perfect praise be to Allah,the Lord of the Worlds,and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Before the birth of Prophet Mohammad{PBUH}, the world was in a state of chaos and anarchy as the people were overwhelmed with false ideas, myths and illusions where it was impossible to tell right from wrong and people misused the heritage of the prophets. Abu Raja Al-Utaridi narrated : “We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf around it. When the month of Rajab came, we used (to stop the military actions), calling this month the iron remover, for we used to remove and throw away the iron parts of every spear and arrow in the month of Rajab. “{Bukhari}.

When Almighty Allah decided for the truth to uncover and the tyranny to end, He permitted the birth of His Prophet{PBUH}. He made him illuminate this universe with rays brighter than those of the sun, and by doing so the darkness of the night has faded away.

When he was born{PBUH}, he marked the birth of a new world. Almighty Allah says: “ There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book,- “{Al-Ma`idah/15}.

His birth has given life to the universe, Monotheism emerged and Allah willed that His Message{Islam} be launched from a blessed spot of a remote place located in a barren, unreachable valley in the heart of desert. The great favor that Allah has conferred upon the Arabs  is that he has sent the seal of His messengers from them, and he specifically mentioned the believers although the Prophet was sent as mercy to all creatures. Almighty Allah says: “ God did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of God, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error. “{Al-Imran/164}.

The Prophet{PBUH} adopted the message of Islam and paid no attention to the ignorant, opportunist and skeptic. He countered mischief with patience and abomination with meekness. History hasn`t witnessed a man who has been perfected, disciplined and good mannered by Allah like our Prophet Mohammad{PBUH}. Thus, it isn`t surprising that he has led humanity from darkness to light and from injustice of religions to the justice of Islam. This has established principles of  a generation that addresses the world: “ How could you enslave people whose mothers  gave birth to them free. “ Praise be to Allah for His favors and gifts.

This is the Prophet whose birth anniversary we are celebrating today. His manners and heritage are reflected through the acts of  his followers.

However, we should realize that it is difficult to combine  peace of mind with the fulfillment of aspirations. Challenges are only overcome by uniting under the banner of Islam as one person, and Almighty Allah won`t fail the best of  people`s, evolved to mankind. Our Prophet{PBUH} said: “ My Muslim Ummah(Nation) is like the rain: One can`t tell its beginning from its end “

In a bid to achieve our aspirations, overcome weaknesses and protect ourselves against tests and trials, it is mandatory that we adhere to the commands of our beloved Prophet: adherence to the Quran and the Prophetic tradition. Abu Hurrairah narrated that the Prophet{PBUH} said: “ You shall never go astray if you adhere to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah{Prophetic tradition} of His Messenger  “{ Malik}. And Allah knows best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on praying seated due to severe obesity, given that I experience hardship in performing the prayer — especially when rising from the ground after sujūd to perform the next rak‘ah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Standing, when one is able to do so, is a pillar of the prayer. However, whoever would experience severe, intolerable hardship, or fears harm to himself or to a limb due to obesity, or finds that standing causes him to lose his khushū‘ (humble focus and concentration) in prayer, then there is no objection to his praying seated on a chair or on the ground, performing rukū‘ (bowing) and sujūd (prostration) through gesture — provided that the gesture for sujūd is made lower than that for rukū‘. Whoever is able, at any point, to properly perform any one of these pillars, is obligated to perform it in full; for omitting it is a concession that applies only in cases of genuine inability. The Prophet ﷺ said: "When I command you to do something, do of it whatever you are able." (Related by al-Bukhārī). As the scholars of fiqh have established: what remains possible is not waived on account of what is difficult.
The criterion for determining genuine inability, as chosen by Imam al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī (raḥimahullāh), is that the worshipper experiences hardship that causes him to lose his khushū‘.
As for voluntary (nafl) prayer, there is no objection to performing it while seated, even if one is able to stand. However, rukū‘ and sujūd must still be performed [in their proper physical form] by anyone who is able to do so. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

In the Sharia-compliant viewing  at a prospective bride (*al-naẓrah al-sharʿiyyah*), is it permissible for the man to see the woman without a veil (*ḥijāb*)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is sunnah for the suitor to see the woman he is seeking to marry within the limits the Sharīʿah permits, namely looking at the face and the hands (palms and backs), based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Look at her, for it is more likely to bring about harmony between you.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
The suitor may also ask one of the women to look at the woman he is seeking to marry. In that case, she is permitted to see of her what she is normally permitted to see, which is not limited to the face and hands, and she then describes these matters to the suitor. It is narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umm Sulaym to look at a girl, and said: “Smell her breath, and look at her heels.” Narrated by Aḥmad in his Musnad.
It is stated in Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.7/p.192): “For one who cannot easily look, or does not wish to look himself, it is sunnah to send someone who is permitted to look at her, to observe her and describe her to him, even regarding what he himself is not permitted to look at. He thereby gains through the sending what he would not gain through looking. Because of the added need for this, it is excepted from the prohibition of a woman describing another woman to a man.”
The permissibility of looking is conditional upon his resolve to marry her once he is able to, his predominant assumption that his proposal will be accepted, and his assumption that the woman is free of marriage and of a waiting period (ʿiddah). Otherwise, looking is forbidden.
Accordingly, it is not permissible for the suitor to look at anything other than the face and hands. He may ask one of his maḥram women, such as his mother or sister, to see the woman unveiled, and the Sharia-compliant viewing (of a prospective bride) must take place in the presence of one of the woman’s maḥrams. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What should someone do if they fasted for only 28 days in their country and then traveled to a place where Eid has already been declared?

If a person fasts in their country and then travels to another country where Eid has been declared, they must celebrate Eid with the people of that country.
● If their total fasts add up to 29 days, nothing is required of them.
● However, if they have only fasted 28 days, they must make up one day after Eid, because an Islamic month cannot be only 28 days.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on opening an account in a commercial bank in order to deposit a sum and use it for personal purposes, such as transfers and electronic payments?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is forbidden for a Muslim, if he has a choice, to open an account in an interest-based (ribawī) bank, even if the account earns no interest, because doing so assists in ribā, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted (which means): “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” [al-Māʾidah/2]
This is because such banks invest deposited funds in forbidden ribā-based transactions, and depositing with them is therefore a form of assisting them in what is unlawful. Assisting in what is unlawful is prohibited by the Sharīʿah. However, if there is a pressing need to open an account in an interest-based bank and it is not possible to open one in an Islamic bank, there is no objection to doing so.
The ruling on bank interest and the prizes distributed by interest-based banks was previously explained in Fatwa no. (471). And Allah Almighty knows best.