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An Official Statement from the General Iftaa' Department
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 10-05-2026

An Official Statement from the General Iftaa' Department

(The Station of our Master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is One of Reverence and Veneration — and He was the First to Interpret the Noble Qur'an and Clarify its Meanings)

The General Iftaa' Department affirms that describing our Master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as ummī — unlettered — is a description of perfection and honour, and it is entirely impermissible for this description to be used in any way that diminishes his noble station ﷺ. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "Say: O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all — He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided." [Al-A'rāf/158]

His not having read or written prior to his noble prophethood ﷺ is in fact a testament to his miracle — for Allah the Almighty revealed the Noble Qur'an to him and taught him from Himself beneficial knowledge and principles that illuminate all that was sent down to him. Through this, he surpassed philosophers, legislators, historians, and masters of the natural and physical sciences. His being unlettered, combined with the knowledge he possessed that puts in order the affairs of this world and the next, is the clearest proof that what he spoke was nothing other than divine revelation from Allah the Almighty.

The Prophetic Sunnah — comprising his words and deeds ﷺ — is the second source of Islamic legislation. It contains the explanation and interpretation of the words of Allah the Almighty, whether it comes as an elucidation of the Qur'an's meanings and rulings, or as rulings not explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an itself. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it." [Al-Ḥashr/7] He also says {what means}: "And We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them, and that they might reflect." [Al-Naḥl/44]

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the first to interpret the Noble Qur'an, and it is impermissible to separate what the Prophet ﷺ brought independently from what he brought as an explanation of the words of Allah — for both are revelation from Allah the Almighty. He says {what means}: "Nor does he speak from his own desire. It is not but a revelation revealed." [Al-Najm/3–4] And the Prophet ﷺ himself said: "Indeed I have been given the Qur'an and something like it alongside it." — Narrated in the Musnad of Imam Aḥmad.

In this context, we make clear that it is not permissible for anyone to undertake the interpretation of the Noble Qur'an and the pure Sunnah, or the derivation of Sharia rulings, without having acquired the essential Islamic sciences that enable a sound understanding of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ — such as the principles of jurisprudence (uṣūl al-fiqh), the sciences of the Arabic language, and other related disciplines. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know." [Al-Naḥl/43]

We also caution strongly against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his noble Sunnah being treated as content for social media platforms — turned into material for mockery, ridicule, and the accumulation of views. This is entirely unacceptable and constitutes a grave violation of the reverence owed to him ﷺ.

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on using the *subḥah* (prayer beads) to count during *tasbīḥ* and *dhikr*?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is recommended to use the ordinary or electronic subḥah (prayer beads or counter) to count tasbīḥ, dhikr, and istighfār, because it helps one to remember Allah. Many reports have been transmitted from the Companions and the Followers (tābiʿūn) showing that they continued to use strings of date pits as an aid to dhikr and tasbīḥ.
It is one of the lawful means of worship. Indeed, what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), namely that he counted tasbīḥ on his right hand, shows that it is permissible to count tasbīḥ with whatever helps a Muslim keep track of the number. There is therefore no basis for calling it an innovation (bidʿah), and we know of no jurist who said so.
Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Suyūṭī (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a dedicated treatise on the subject titled al-Minḥah fī al-Subḥah, printed within al-Ḥāwī li’l-Fatāwī (vol. 4–6).
Shaykh al-Islām Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Does the subḥah have a basis in the Sunnah? He replied: “Yes, and al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Suyūṭī wrote on this. Among the evidence is what is authentically reported from Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): ‘I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) counting tasbīḥ on his hand.’ Ibn Abī Shaybah, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī also narrated: ‘Hold fast to tasbīḥ, tahlīl, and taqdīs, and do not be heedless, lest you forget the affirmation of Allah’s oneness (tawḥīd). Count them on the fingertips, for they will be questioned and made to speak.’ Counting tasbīḥ with pebbles, date pits, and a knotted string has also been reported from a group of the Companions and those after them. Some scholars held that counting on the fingertips is better than the subḥah, based on the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar. Others distinguished, saying: if the one reciting is safe from miscounting, counting on the fingertips is better; otherwise the subḥah is better.” [al-Fatāwā al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubrā, Vol.1/p.152]. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on praying alone (munfaridan) in a row, and what should I do if I enter the mosque together with another person, and there is only a single gap in the first row with no second row present — should I fill that gap in the first row, or should I stand together with him in a new second row?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person enters [the congregation] and finds no space available in the row, it is recommended for him — after making his opening takbīr for the prayer — to gently pull someone from the row in front of him to pray alongside him, provided he senses that this person would be agreeable to it. If that person does not agree, then he prays alone, and there is no dislike attached to his doing so in that case.
If he ends up praying alone [behind the row], it is sunnah for him to stand directly behind the imam. Then, if someone else arrives, that person stands to his right; and whoever comes after them stands to his left — and so on — such that the imam remains centered in the middle of the row. This is done so that everyone attains the reward of congregational prayer.
As for the case where two people enter the prayer together, and there is a gap in the row wide enough for only one person, then the two of them should pray together in a new row [of their own], and whoever arrives after them should fill that original gap. This is because if only one of the two fills the gap, the other would end up praying alone [which is to be avoided when it can easily be prevented].
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/P.494): "If he does not find space, then it is recommended for him, while still standing, to gently pull a single person from the row toward himself after making his opening takbīr — out of caution, so as to avoid the position held by some scholars that a person's prayer standing alone behind the row is not valid.
Az-Zarkashī and others said: this should only be done if it seems he would agree to it; otherwise, he should not pull anyone — indeed, doing so becomes impermissible, out of fear of causing discord (fitnah). It is recommended for the person being pulled to cooperate and agree, so that he may attain the reward of assisting in righteousness and piety (al-birr wat-taqwā). However, he should not pull one of two people [praying together] from the row, since this would cause one of them to end up praying alone. This is why the 'pulling' described here takes place only after the opening takbīr [i.e., once the person doing the pulling has already validly begun his own prayer]."
Accordingly: it is sunnah for you to pray alongside the person praying alone, and then, if someone else arrives afterward, you may go and fill the gap in the original row. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling if someone wipes his head then shaves it - must he repeat it?

If a person performing ablution shaves his head after wiping it during ablution, he is not required to re-wipe his head or repeat the ablution. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it obligatory to make up all missed prayers?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Making up missed prayers (qaḍāʾ) is a sharʿī obligation, established by the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself — when the disbelievers preoccupied him on the Day of the Trench and he missed the ʿAṣr prayer, he made it up afterward. This is further affirmed by the ḥadīth: "Fulfil what you owe to Allah, for Allah is most deserving of being fulfilled." (Reported by al-Bukhārī.)
Accordingly, a person who has missed prayers should set aside his voluntary and Sunnah prayers and replace them with make-up prayers in their stead. There is no objection to making up one missed prayer alongside each obligatory prayer that is performed — praying the equivalent missed prayer together with each current obligatory prayer as a practical and manageable way of gradually clearing one's debt of missed prayers. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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