Articles

Statement Issued by the General Iftaa` Department
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 19-02-2023

 

From the Islamic perspective, the martyr is the one killed while fighting for Allah’s Word to become superior. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "And say not of those who are slain in the way of God: "They are dead." Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not." [Al-Baqarah/154].

 

In addition, Abu Musa told that a man came to the Prophet and said, “One man fights for booty, one for the reputation of fighting, and one for his degree [of bravery] to be seen; which of them is in God’s path?” He replied: "The one who fights that God’s word may have preeminence is in God’s path." {Agreed upon}.

 

Accordingly, how can the Muslim killed by another Muslim be considered a martyr?! This is taking into consideration the fact that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Reviling a Muslim is Fusuq (disobedience of Allah) and killing him is (tantamount to) disbelief." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. He (PBUH) also said: "The extinction of the whole world is less significant before Allah than killing a Muslim man." {Tirmithi}. 

 

In addition, inciting killing and destruction of property is considered a grave sin since the Messenger of Allah says: "… if anyone invites others to follow error, the sin, will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him (in sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect." [Moslim].

 

Islamic Sharia prohibits taking life, except for a just cause, and transgressing against others property and honor. How could we judge that the Muslim killed by his fellow Muslim is a martyr! Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "O ye who believe! Fear God and be with those who are true (in word and deed)." {At-Tawbah/119}. 

 

Consequently, it isn`t allowed for a Muslim to incite Muslims to kill each other then judge who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. This is since the Messenger of Allah {PBUH} says: "When two Muslims confront each other with their swords, both the slayer and the slain are doomed to Hell-Fire." {Agreed upon}.

 

As we know, a few months ago, citizens were given the permission to protest and express their opinions freely and they were treated respectfully to the extent that you would see them walking with the security forces side by side. It was a beautiful scene where the protestors expressed their opinions freely while the security forces provided protection to prevent sedition. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "but the plotting of Evil will hem in only the authors thereof." {Fatir/43}.

 

Both the protestors and the security forces are brothers and treated each other with mercy and kindness, and this is what we have actually seen on the ground. From an Islamic perspective, it is the duty of the scholars and thinkers to warn against seditions, revealed and concealed, since they will have serious repercussions on all members of society. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "And fear tumult or oppression, which affecteth not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong: and know that God is strict in punishment." {Al-Anfal/25}.

 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The happy man is he who avoids dissensions: happy is the man who avoids dissensions; happy is the man who avoids dissensions: but how fine is the man who is afflicted and shows endurance." [Related by Abu Dawood].

 

It is also the duty of the scholars to call people to preserve lives, properties, unity and avoid division and conflict. Allah, The Most Exalted Says {what means}: "And obey God and His Apostle; and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering: For God is with those who patiently persevere:" {Al-Anfal/46}.

 

As Ramadan is about to begin, we invite fellow citizens to unite, cleanse their hearts from any feelings of hatred and animosity, and learn a lesson from the shedding of innocent blood and violation of sanctities that is happening in neighboring countries.

 

This is a call to help the poor, the needy and the sick, in addition to warning the people not to engage in obscene and false speech, and to urge them to abide by virtuous morality and right behavior, especially as we prepare for the holy month of Ramadan. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "If one does not eschew lies and false conduct, Allah has no need that He should abstain from his food and his drink."[Agreed upon]. It is also a duty to call others to good word since it is a charity.

 

We seek refuge in Allah from trials both open and secret and that He Bless this country and other Muslim countries with safety and stability.

 

And All perfect praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it incumbent on a father to cover the marriage costs of his son if the latter couldn`t afford them?

The son should seek the help of his relatives in order to convince his father to do the aforesaid, and the father should make sure that his son doesn`t commit fornication through helping him to get married, and Allah will reward him for doing so.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on colleagues alternating overtime shifts and receiving wages for absent days?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
An employee is religiously obligated to abide by the instructions and regulations pertaining to overtime hours. Furthermore, it is mandatory to adhere to honesty and avoid deceit, circumvention, and falsehood. Allah Almighty says (what means): "O you who have believed, be conscious of Allah and be with those who are truthful."
(At-Tawbah/119).
 
Therefore, whoever is assigned to work overtime must remain present at the designated workplace, even if no active tasks are required of them during that time.
 
Likewise, the official authorized to approve overtime work must comply with all established conditions and regulatory guidelines. It is impermissible for them to grant overtime hours in violation of system regulations. Should any compensation be disbursed in contravention of these official rules, it is unlawful to accept or consume such wages. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is the one offering the sacrifice liable if its meat spoils?

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon our Master the Messenger of Allah.
 
If the meat (of the sacrifice) spoils due to the negligence of the one offering the sacrifice in preserving it, or due to improper storage, then he is liable to compensate for the portion due to the poor (which is estimated as half a kilogram of meat). If the sacrifice was a vowed (mandatory) one, then he is liable for all of it.
 
However, if he was not negligent, then there is no liability upon him, because its ruling is the ruling of a trust (like an item left in someone's care). And Allah Almighty knows best.