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A Message to all Muslims Regarding Justice among Children
Author : Dr Noah Ali Salman
Date Added : 30-08-2023

A Message to all Muslims Regarding Justice among Children

 

All perfect praise bt to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His blessings and peace be upon Prophet Mohammad, his family and companions.

 

This is an advice that we remind ourselves and all our fellow Muslims of, emphasizing the importance of fearing Allah both in private and in public, and the obligation to treat people with justice and kindness. Indeed, Allah, the Most Exalted, has commanded this in His Noble Book, saying: "God commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition." (An-Nahl, 90).

 

And He, glorified be He, informed that He loves those who treat people with equity, as He said: "and be fair; For God loves those Who are fair (and just)." ( Al-Hujurat, 9).

 

Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, has also informed that He sent messengers and revealed scriptures to establish justice on earth among people. He said: "We sent aforetime our apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice." (Al-Hadid, 25).

 

Undoubtedly, one of the foremost matters in which justice should be observed is justice among children. There should be no distinction between one child and another in terms of financial provision, gifts, or affection. The righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, used to emphasize justice even in the smallest matters. Justice in financial matters and in matters of worship takes precedence and is obligatory.

 

An-Nu'man b. Bashir told that his father brought him to God’s Messenger and said, "I have given this son of mine a slave.” He asked whether he had given all his children the same, and when he replied that he had not, he told him to take him back. A version reports him as asking, "Would you like them to show you equal filial piety?” When he replied that he would, he said, "Don’t do it then.” In a version he said that his father gave him a gift, but' Amra daughter of Rawaha said, "I shall not be satisfied till you call God's Messenger as witness.” So he went to him and said, "I have given my son from ‘Amra daughter of Rawaha a gift and she has ordered me to call you as witness, Messenger of God.” He asked whether he had given the rest of his children the same, and when he replied that he had not, he said, "Fear God and act equally with your children.” He said that he then returned and took back his gift. A version quotes him as saying, "I shall not be a witness to oppression.” {Transmitted by Bukhari & Muslim}.

 

And it is important to understand in this regard that justice entails considering the circumstances and conditions of the children. A poor child is not like a wealthy child, and the one in need of covering educational, medical or marriage expenses is not like the one who does not require such assistance. A child who has contributed to their parents and siblings through their efforts and work is not the same as someone who has not made such contributions or had the opportunity to support their family. Similarly, an obedient and righteous child is not like a disobedient and sinful child. The jurists have stated that justice in these scenarios and others does not prevent a parent from differentiating in their gifts and expenditures among their children. However, this should not be used as an excuse to differentiate among them without reason or necessity. Allah, glorified and exalted be He, knows what is within a person, is aware of their heart, and will indeed reward each soul according to its deeds on the Day of Judgment.

 

As for the children, it is incumbent upon them to fear Allah in their dealings with their siblings and to fulfill their rights in kindness, maintaining family ties, and showing affection. Allah does not expect anything from them except sincerity, loyalty, and love towards their siblings. Moreover, they should hold their sisters in even higher regard. Allah, exalted is He, said in a divine narration while addressing family ties: "Wouldn't you like me to mend relationships with those who mend relationships with you and sever ties with those who sever ties with you?" She responded, "Certainly, O Lord!" He then said, "That is for you." {Transmitted by Bukhari & Muslim}.

 

It is an act of kindness from the children towards their siblings and a form of sincere advice towards their parents not to accept gifts or favors from their father if they perceive any injustice or unfairness in it. They should also offer advice to their father to prevent him from engaging in what Allah has forbidden. If the father insists on giving a gift to one of them, it is recommended for the recipient to share it with their siblings. Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, stated, "There is no difference of opinion that it is recommended for the one who is given a gift to make it equal with what his brother received. That is why Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, ordered Qais bin Sa'd to return his father's gift to equally divide it, in order to treat fairly the child born after his father's death." (Al-Mughni, Vol. 5, Page 394).

 

In this way, everyone attains the pleasure of Allah, and Allah, the Exalted, safeguards families and households from disputes and discord. Each of us will stand before our Lord with hearts devoid of resentment or animosity towards any of our relatives or fellow Muslims.

 

We beseech Allah, the Most High, to grant us and all Muslims success in what He loves and is pleased with. And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What are the nullifiers of fasting?

1. Anything that enters the body cavity intentionally, even in small amounts, through an open passage such as the mouth, nose, ears, front, or back private parts.
2. Intentional vomiting.
3. Sexual intercourse.
4. Masturbation.
5. Menstruation and postnatal bleeding.
6. Insanity.
7. Apostasy.
8. Fainting if it lasts for the entire day.

I work overtime after regular working hours and may become occupied with my phone or the work computer for personal matters — what is the ruling on this?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory upon an employee to abide by the instructions and regulations governing overtime hours, and equally obligatory to uphold honesty and avoid all forms of deception and dishonesty. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "O you who have believed, be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful." [Al-Tawbah/ 119]
Whoever is assigned to work overtime must be present at his workplace — even if he has no specific tasks to carry out at that time. In such a case, he should strive as best he can to spend that time in a manner that benefits the institution he works for. If there is genuinely no work for him to do, there is no objection to occupying his time with something beneficial — such as reciting the Holy Qurʾān, reading, or listening to educational lessons — provided he has already completed all the responsibilities assigned to him.
If, however, he does have work to complete, he must spend that time fulfilling it. He may attend to phone calls or other personal matters to the extent that is customarily acceptable, as long as this does not result in delaying or postponing his work. If he delays his work on account of personal preoccupations, the wages he received for that wasted time are not lawfully his to keep, and he is obliged to return the equivalent amount to the institution by whatever means available to him. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on following the actions of the imam in prayer and how this following is achieved?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The follower (ma'mum) is required to follow his imam in the actions of the prayer. This "following" (mutaba'ah) means that the follower performs each action of the prayer after the imam has begun it but before he has finished it. For example, the follower bows (in ruku') after the imam has reached the position of bowing, then rises after the imam has risen. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The imam is only appointed to be followed, so when he says the takbir, say the takbir; and when he bows, then bow; and when he prostrates, then prostrate" (agreed upon, i.e., reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim).
It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (1/505): "Among the conditions of valid congregational prayer (iqtida') is following the imam in the actions of the prayer... meaning that following the imam is obligatory in the physical actions of the prayer, not in its verbal utterances... Complete following (kamal al-mutaba'ah) is achieved when the follower's beginning of an action comes after the imam's beginning of that same action, while the follower's beginning of the action precedes the imam's completion of it" — end of quote, with slight paraphrasing.
And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on offering a sheep as a sacrifice (Udhiyah) if its fat-tail is sound, except that when it was young, the tip of its fat-tail was cut so that it would grow larger? And what is the ruling in case of doubt regarding the amount that was cut?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Cutting a minor, insignificant portion from the tip of an animal's fat-tail (al-alyah) to encourage it to grow larger is not considered a defect, and it does not prevent the animal from being valid for sacrifice (Udhiyah).
 
It is stated in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj (Vol.9/P.352): "There is some scholarly deliberation regarding the common practice of cutting the tip of the fat-tail so that it grows larger. It could potentially be likened to a partial cut of the ear—supported by the jurists' general rule: 'even if it is a small amount.' On the other hand, if it is an exceptionally minor cut, it might have no effect on validity. This is explicitly clarified by the juristic exception to the general rule, which states that cutting a tiny piece from a large limb causes no harm. This latter view is more well-founded.
 
Furthermore, I found that some scholars investigated this matter and concluded: 'It should not affect validity if a custom-sanctioned portion of its fat-tail is removed during its youth to make it grow larger and look better, just as castrating a male animal causes no harm.' However, applying this unconditionally contradicts the established texts of the jurists, as understood from what I have laid out; thus, the restriction I specified is what must be relied upon."
 
Similarly, it is mentioned in Nihayat al-Muhtaj (8/135): "If a small piece is cut from the fat-tail to help it grow larger, the most well-founded view is that the sacrifice remains valid, as was given in a formal legal verdict (Fatwa) by my father [Shihab al-Din al-Ramli], may Allah be pleased with him. This is proven by the jurists' maxim: 'The loss of a tiny piece from a large limb causes no harm.'"
 
In cases where there is doubt as to whether the portion cut was large or small, the animal is still deemed valid for sacrifice. It is noted in Hashiyat al-Shubramallisi ‘ala Nihayat al-Muhtaj (Vol.8/P.135):
 
"This matter requires careful consideration, but the closer and more correct view is that it is valid. This is because soundness is the default state for the animal from which the piece was cut, and it aligns with what usually occurs—namely, that the part removed to help the fat-tail grow larger is naturally very small." And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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