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Does nail polish invalidate wudoo’ and do the prayers have to be repeated?
A woman was away from the city, and did not know that the nail polish must be removed to make wudu’ and pray. When she knew she must remove it, she tried to find a nail varnish remover to use but she could not find it. She could not go to the city to buy it either. She was making ablution and praying with it on for one week. What is the ruling on this?.
Praise be to Allaah.
One of the conditions of tahaarah (purification) being valid is that the water must touch the skin. If there is any barrier such as grease, paint, wax or glue that prevents water reaching the skin, then the tahaarah is not valid and prayers offered in that case are not valid.
The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him): “If you find water, then let it touch your skin, for that is good.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (332); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
If there is on him any mastic or anything thick that will prevent the water from reaching the skin, his washing of that part for wudoo’ is not valid, unless he removes it or removes enough so that he knows that there is no barrier to the water touching the skin. End quote.
Al-Umm (1/44).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
If there is wax, dough, henna and the like on one of his limbs, which prevents water from reaching any part of it, then his tahaarah is not valid, whether the amount is large or small. If there are traces of henna and its colour left on the hand, without there being any solid material left, or elsewhere, or traces of liquid grease whereby water flows over the limb but does not stay there, his tahaarah is valid. End quote.
Al-Majmoo’ (1/529).
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/218):
If the colour is impermeable, then wudoo’ is not valid unless it is removed before doing wudoo’. If it is not impermeable, then wudoo’ is valid, as is the case with henna. End quote.
Hence this woman should have tried to find something to remove this nail polish, even if she had to go far away to find a place that sold it. She could also have removed it by using a strong kitchen cleaning agent or by rubbing it with a cloth dampened with liquid fuel, and so on.
We do not think that this woman has any excuse for praying with wudoo’ that was invalid because of this nail polish. Ignorance may mean that she is free of sin but it does not make the prayer valid.
She has to repeat the prayers that she offered with wudoo’ that was invalid because of this nail polish.
We ask Allaah to forgive us and her.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Friday 8 April 2011
Ruling on in-vitro fertilization (IVF)
Ruling on in-vitro fertilization (IVF)
I just wanted to know that is it permissible in the quran and sunnah to have a IVF treatment for children one of the sisters i know has been trying for a while to have children but is finding it very difficult so i would appreciate it if u could reply as soon as possible.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Undoubtedly children are one of the blessings and adornments of this world, and one of the greatest purposes of marriage is to produce offspring. A righteous child is a treasure for his parents in this world and in the Hereafter, and his righteous deeds will be recorded in the balance of his parents’ deeds. A man or a woman may be faced with lack of children or delay of having children. What they must do is be patient and seek reward, and say a lot of du’aa’ and prayers for forgiveness. They should understand that Allaah only decrees things for a reason. If a person has available Islamically acceptable means of getting children, there is nothing wrong with his pursuing that. But the Muslim should beware of false ways involving sihr (witchcraft) and myths, and he should beware of doctors who do not fear Allaah and whose main aim is to make money from those who want to have children. Hence some of them switch eggs or sperm. This is why some scholars have forbidden these methods of having children or have stipulated very strict conditions.
Secondly:
One of the methods that doctors use to help couples have children is that which is mentioned in the question, namely IVF. This method involves stimulating the ovary to produce a number of eggs, similar to the way in which a woman naturally produces one egg. This is done by giving the woman an injection of Decapeptyl to prepare the ovaries for the next step, which is injections of hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce a number of eggs. After ascertaining that the eggs have grown, the woman is given an injection of HCG to complete the development of the eggs before they are extracted. This injection is usually given 36 hours before the eggs are extracted.
On the day on which the eggs are extracted, semen is taken from the husband and 100,000 sperm are placed with each egg in a test tube so that fertilization may take place. Two or three days later, the fertilized eggs divide to form what is called the embryo, and the embryos are divided into categories according to their quality. The best embryos are selected to be returned to the uterus, where they are placed, and later on an examination is carried out to make sure whether there is a pregnancy or not. The success rate of this procedure according to doctors is 30-40 %.
This summary was mentioned by Dr Usaamah Saalihah, a specialist in gynaecology, obstetrics, infertility and laparoscopic surgery. in Britain, and the director of the test tube baby unit in the new Dar al-Shifa’ Hospital.
From al-Watan Clinic magazine.
Thirdly:
With regard to the shar’i ruling: it should be disallowed, in order to be on the safe side. This is the view of Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) and it was quoted from the scholars of the Standing Committee – as we quoted from them in the answer to question no. 1992. Or it may be permissible subject to certain conditions, including the following:
1 – That there be a real need for that. A delay of one or two years in having children is not an excuse for the couple to pursue this or similar methods. Rather they should be patient, for Allaah may grant them a way out soon without them doing anything that is haraam.
2 – The woman should not uncover her ‘awrah before men when there are female staff available.
3 – It is not permissible for the husband to masturbate, rather he may be intimate with his wife without penetration, and produce semen in this manner.
4 – The woman’s eggs and man’s sperm should not be kept in a freezer for later use, or another appointment, and there should not be any delay in placing them in the woman’s uterus. Rather that should be done immediately without any delay, lest they be mixed with others or be used for other people.
5 –The sperm must come from the husband and the egg from the wife, and be implanted in the wife’s uterus. Anything else is not permissible at all. See the answer to question no. 21871 and 23104.
6 – There should be complete trust in the doctors who are doing this procedure.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on putting a woman’s egg in a test tube then fertilizing it with the man’s sperm, then returning it to the woman’s uterus so that it may develop.
He replied:
(a) If there is no need for this procedure then we do not think it is permissible, because it involves surgery to extract the eggs – as you mention in the question – and this surgery involves uncovering the ‘awrah unnecessarily, then it involves surgery and there is the fear that it may have effects even in the distant future, such as damaging the Fallopian tube or causing infections.
Moreover, if things are left to proceed naturally as created by the Most merciful of those who show mercy and the Wisest of judges, that is closer to proper etiquette with Allaah and it is better and more beneficial than ways invented by man, which may appear initially to be good but they fail later on.
(b) If there is a need for this procedure, then we do not think there is anything wrong with it, so long as three conditions are met:
1 – That this fertilization be done with the husband’s sperm. It is not permissible to use the sperm of anyone but the husband for this fertilization, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And Allaah has made for you Azwaaj (mates or wives) of your own kind, and has made for you, from your wives, sons and grandsons, and has bestowed on you good provision. Do they then believe in false deities and deny the Favour of Allaah (by not worshipping Allaah Alone)”
[al-Nahl 16:27]
2 – The collection of sperm from the man should be done in a permissible manner, such as by the husband being intimate with his wife, and ejaculating between her thighs or in her hand, so that the semen may be emitted, then the egg may be fertilized with it.
3 – After fertilization, the egg should be placed in the wife’s uterus. It is not permissible to place it in the uterus of any other woman under any circumstances whatsoever, because that involves inserting the sperm of the man into the uterus of a woman who is not permissible for him, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Your wives are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth, when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask Allaah to bestow upon you pious offspring) for your ownselves beforehand. And fear Allaah, and know that you are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give good tidings to the believers (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)”
[al-Baqarah 2:223]
Tilth is mentioned specifically with regard to a man’s wife, which indicates that a woman other than his wife is not appropriate for his tilth. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen (17/p. 27, 28).
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) also said:
Artificial fertilization is when the husband’s sperm is taken and placed in the uterus of the wife by means of a syringe. This is a very serious issue. Who can be certain that the doctor will not put the sperm of one man in the uterus of someone else’s wife?! Hence we think that precautions must be taken and we should not issue fatwas except in specific cases where we know the man, the woman and the doctor. As for opening the door to this, there is the fear of evil consequences.
The matter is not to be taken lightly, because if any deceit takes place, it means that lineages will be mixed, and there will be chaos, which is something that sharee’ah has forbidden. Hence the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “One should not have intercourse with a pregnant woman until she gives birth.” I will not issue fatwas to this effect, unless a specific case is referred to me and I know the man, the woman and the doctor.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (17/question no. 9)
This is the verdict of the Islamic Fiqh Council of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in which it says: There is nothing wrong with resorting to this in the case of need, but it is absolutely essential to take all necessary precautions.
Majallat al-Majma’ (3/1/423).
We ask Allaah to bless the couple with righteous offspring with no need for such methods, and to enable them to bear this trial with patience.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
I just wanted to know that is it permissible in the quran and sunnah to have a IVF treatment for children one of the sisters i know has been trying for a while to have children but is finding it very difficult so i would appreciate it if u could reply as soon as possible.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Undoubtedly children are one of the blessings and adornments of this world, and one of the greatest purposes of marriage is to produce offspring. A righteous child is a treasure for his parents in this world and in the Hereafter, and his righteous deeds will be recorded in the balance of his parents’ deeds. A man or a woman may be faced with lack of children or delay of having children. What they must do is be patient and seek reward, and say a lot of du’aa’ and prayers for forgiveness. They should understand that Allaah only decrees things for a reason. If a person has available Islamically acceptable means of getting children, there is nothing wrong with his pursuing that. But the Muslim should beware of false ways involving sihr (witchcraft) and myths, and he should beware of doctors who do not fear Allaah and whose main aim is to make money from those who want to have children. Hence some of them switch eggs or sperm. This is why some scholars have forbidden these methods of having children or have stipulated very strict conditions.
Secondly:
One of the methods that doctors use to help couples have children is that which is mentioned in the question, namely IVF. This method involves stimulating the ovary to produce a number of eggs, similar to the way in which a woman naturally produces one egg. This is done by giving the woman an injection of Decapeptyl to prepare the ovaries for the next step, which is injections of hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce a number of eggs. After ascertaining that the eggs have grown, the woman is given an injection of HCG to complete the development of the eggs before they are extracted. This injection is usually given 36 hours before the eggs are extracted.
On the day on which the eggs are extracted, semen is taken from the husband and 100,000 sperm are placed with each egg in a test tube so that fertilization may take place. Two or three days later, the fertilized eggs divide to form what is called the embryo, and the embryos are divided into categories according to their quality. The best embryos are selected to be returned to the uterus, where they are placed, and later on an examination is carried out to make sure whether there is a pregnancy or not. The success rate of this procedure according to doctors is 30-40 %.
This summary was mentioned by Dr Usaamah Saalihah, a specialist in gynaecology, obstetrics, infertility and laparoscopic surgery. in Britain, and the director of the test tube baby unit in the new Dar al-Shifa’ Hospital.
From al-Watan Clinic magazine.
Thirdly:
With regard to the shar’i ruling: it should be disallowed, in order to be on the safe side. This is the view of Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) and it was quoted from the scholars of the Standing Committee – as we quoted from them in the answer to question no. 1992. Or it may be permissible subject to certain conditions, including the following:
1 – That there be a real need for that. A delay of one or two years in having children is not an excuse for the couple to pursue this or similar methods. Rather they should be patient, for Allaah may grant them a way out soon without them doing anything that is haraam.
2 – The woman should not uncover her ‘awrah before men when there are female staff available.
3 – It is not permissible for the husband to masturbate, rather he may be intimate with his wife without penetration, and produce semen in this manner.
4 – The woman’s eggs and man’s sperm should not be kept in a freezer for later use, or another appointment, and there should not be any delay in placing them in the woman’s uterus. Rather that should be done immediately without any delay, lest they be mixed with others or be used for other people.
5 –The sperm must come from the husband and the egg from the wife, and be implanted in the wife’s uterus. Anything else is not permissible at all. See the answer to question no. 21871 and 23104.
6 – There should be complete trust in the doctors who are doing this procedure.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on putting a woman’s egg in a test tube then fertilizing it with the man’s sperm, then returning it to the woman’s uterus so that it may develop.
He replied:
(a) If there is no need for this procedure then we do not think it is permissible, because it involves surgery to extract the eggs – as you mention in the question – and this surgery involves uncovering the ‘awrah unnecessarily, then it involves surgery and there is the fear that it may have effects even in the distant future, such as damaging the Fallopian tube or causing infections.
Moreover, if things are left to proceed naturally as created by the Most merciful of those who show mercy and the Wisest of judges, that is closer to proper etiquette with Allaah and it is better and more beneficial than ways invented by man, which may appear initially to be good but they fail later on.
(b) If there is a need for this procedure, then we do not think there is anything wrong with it, so long as three conditions are met:
1 – That this fertilization be done with the husband’s sperm. It is not permissible to use the sperm of anyone but the husband for this fertilization, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And Allaah has made for you Azwaaj (mates or wives) of your own kind, and has made for you, from your wives, sons and grandsons, and has bestowed on you good provision. Do they then believe in false deities and deny the Favour of Allaah (by not worshipping Allaah Alone)”
[al-Nahl 16:27]
2 – The collection of sperm from the man should be done in a permissible manner, such as by the husband being intimate with his wife, and ejaculating between her thighs or in her hand, so that the semen may be emitted, then the egg may be fertilized with it.
3 – After fertilization, the egg should be placed in the wife’s uterus. It is not permissible to place it in the uterus of any other woman under any circumstances whatsoever, because that involves inserting the sperm of the man into the uterus of a woman who is not permissible for him, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Your wives are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth, when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask Allaah to bestow upon you pious offspring) for your ownselves beforehand. And fear Allaah, and know that you are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give good tidings to the believers (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)”
[al-Baqarah 2:223]
Tilth is mentioned specifically with regard to a man’s wife, which indicates that a woman other than his wife is not appropriate for his tilth. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen (17/p. 27, 28).
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) also said:
Artificial fertilization is when the husband’s sperm is taken and placed in the uterus of the wife by means of a syringe. This is a very serious issue. Who can be certain that the doctor will not put the sperm of one man in the uterus of someone else’s wife?! Hence we think that precautions must be taken and we should not issue fatwas except in specific cases where we know the man, the woman and the doctor. As for opening the door to this, there is the fear of evil consequences.
The matter is not to be taken lightly, because if any deceit takes place, it means that lineages will be mixed, and there will be chaos, which is something that sharee’ah has forbidden. Hence the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “One should not have intercourse with a pregnant woman until she gives birth.” I will not issue fatwas to this effect, unless a specific case is referred to me and I know the man, the woman and the doctor.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (17/question no. 9)
This is the verdict of the Islamic Fiqh Council of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in which it says: There is nothing wrong with resorting to this in the case of need, but it is absolutely essential to take all necessary precautions.
Majallat al-Majma’ (3/1/423).
We ask Allaah to bless the couple with righteous offspring with no need for such methods, and to enable them to bear this trial with patience.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sin and its effects on the one who commits it
Sin and its effects on the one who commits it
I did Hajj for myself, and a few months after Hajj I still had not seen any sign that my Hajj was accepted in the sense that I turned to worship more. On the contrary I committed a lot of sins. Last year I resolved to do Hajj on behalf of my mother who has passed away. I asked one of the shaykhs and he said that I should do Hajj on her behalf as I had intended, and I should pray a lot for forgiveness and beseech Allaah. So I did Hajj on behalf of my mother, traveling with one of the groups. During Tawaaf al-Wadaa’, the overcrowding was very severe, so we did one circuit (of Tawaaf) and part of another circuit, then we went up to the roof, because of the severe overcrowding. Because of the overcrowding we were not quite sure of the exact spot where we had stopped on the lower level, but we did our best to make sure that we started our Tawaaf on the roof from the place where we had stopped on the lower level, and we continued with our Tawaaf until it was completed.
After my last Hajj, if I committed any sin – and I did many of them – I felt some tightness and constriction in my chest, and if I did any act of worship or obedience I felt happy and full of sincere feelings towards Islam and its people at this time… I am worried about the two pilgrimages and about the Tawaaf. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: we advise you to keep away from all sin, minor and major, and to beware of it and avoid it, for sin is bad news for the one who does it. We will quote here some of the effects of sin, as described by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him):
1 – Being deprived of knowledge for knowledge is light that Allaah causes to reach the heart, and sin extinguishes that light. When al-Shaafa’i sat before Maalik and read to him, he admired him because of the intelligence, alertness and understanding that he saw in him. He said, “I think that Allaah has caused light to enter your heart, so do not extinguish it with the darkness of sin.”
2 – Being deprived of provision. In Musnad Ahmad it is narrated that Thawbaan said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘A man is deprived of provision because of the sins that he commits.’” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4022, classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah).
3 – Sense of alienation that comes between a person and his Lord, and between him and other people. One of the salaf said: “If I disobey Allaah, I see that in the attitude of my riding beast and my wife.”
4 – Things become difficult for him, so that he does not turn his attention towards any matter but he finds the way blocked or he finds it difficult. By the same token, for the one who fears Allaah, things are made easy for him.
5 – The sinner will find darkness in his heart, which he will feel just as he feels the darkness of night. So this darkness affects his heart as the physical darkness affects his vision. For obedience is light and disobedience is darkness. The stronger the darkness grows, the greater becomes his confusion, until he falls into innovation, misguidance and other things that lead to doom, without even realizing, like a blind man who goes out in the darkness of the night, walking alone This darkness grows stronger until it covers the eyes, then it grows stronger until it covers the face, which appears dark and is seen by everyone. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Good deeds make the face light, give light to the heart, and bring about ample provision, physical strength and love in people’s hearts. Bad deeds make the face dark, give darkness to the heart, and bring about physical weakness, a lack of provision and hatred in people’s hearts.”
6 – Deprivation of worship and obedience. If sin brought no punishment other than that it prevents a person from doing an act of worship which is the opposite of sin, and cuts off access to other acts of worship, that would be bad enough. So the sin cuts off a third way and a fourth way and so on, and because of the sin he is cut off from many acts of worship, each of which would have been better for him than this world and everything in it. So he is like a man who eats food that is bound to cause a lengthy sickness, and thus he is deprived of many other foods that are better than that. And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.
7 – Sin breeds sin until it dominates a person and he cannot escape from it.
8 – Sin weakens a person’s willpower. It gradually strengthens his will to commit sin and weakens his will to repent until there is no will in his heart to repent at all… so he seeks forgiveness and expresses repentance, but it is merely words on the lips, like the repentance of the liars, whose hearts are still determined to commit sin and persist in it. This is one of the most serious diseases that are most likely to lead to doom.
9 – He will become desensitized and will no longer find sin abhorrent, so it will become his habit, and he will not be bothered if people see him committing the sin or talk about him.
For the leaders of immorality, this is the ultimate shamelessness in which they find great pleasure, such that they feel proud of their sin and will speak of it to people who do not know that they have done it, saying, “O so and so, I did such and such.” Such people cannot be helped and the path to repentance is blocked for them in most cases. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will be fine except for those who commit sin openly, and that includes cases where Allaah conceals a person’s sin, but the following morning he exposes himself and says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night, so he shamelessly exposes himself when all night his Lord had concealed his sin.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5949; Muslim, 2744).
10 – When there are many sins they leave a mark on the heart of the person who commits them, so he becomes one of the negligent. As one of the salaf said, concerning the aayah –
“Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn”
[al-Mutaffifeen 83:14 – interpretation of the meaning] –
this means sin after sin.
How this starts is that the heart gets stained by sin, and if the sin increases then the stain grows bigger until it becomes the raan (covering of sin and evil deeds), then it increases until it becomes a seal, and the heart becomes covered and sealed. If that happens after a person had been guided and had understood, then his heart is turned upside down, and at that point the Shaytaan gains control over him and directs him as he wants.
Secondly: you say that you did Hajj and did not see any signs of acceptance, rather you committed a lot of sins. The answer to this is that acceptance is from Allaah, and no one can be certain whether your deed has been accepted or not.
The believer does righteous deeds and does not know whether Allaah has accepted them or not.
Indeed, Ibn ‘Umar said: “If I knew that Allaah had accepted even one good deed from me, death would be the most dear thing to me, because Allaah says, ‘Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are al-Muttaaqoon (the pious)’ [al-Maa’idah 5:27 – interpretation of the meaning].”
Man is required to do a great deal of righteous deeds, and to strive to make sure his actions are in accordance with the commands of Allaah and His Messenger. In this manner he will free himself from any blame, then he must ask Allaah to accept his deeds.
So if you did you Hajj properly and avoided everything that is forbidden during Hajj, then you do not have to repeat it. As for your falling into sin, that has nothing to do with the validity or otherwise of your Hajj, but you will be brought to account for it, so you must hasten to repent from it before your appointed time (of death) comes.
Thirdly: you say that you did Tawaaf then went up to the roof because of the overcrowding.
This is the issue of continuity in Tawaaf. The Standing Committee was asked a similar question and replied that there is nothing wrong with interrupting Tawaaf and completing it on a higher level (of the mosque). See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/230, 231, 232.
With regard to the start of Tawaaf, it should begin in the same place where it ends. With regard to your efforts to figure out the place, if it is not possible to be certain then you should act according to what is most likely to be correct, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, concerning one who is uncertain as to whether he has prayed three rak’ahs or four, “Let him try his best (to work it out), then complete it on that basis – i.e., he should base it on what he thinks is the case – then let him say the salaams and do two prostrations after he says the salaams.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 401; Muslim, 572; see also al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/461).
Based on the above, then your completing your tawaaf on the roof and your striving to start from the place from which you interrupted your tawaaf are both fine in sha Allah.
And Allaah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
@ Islam QA
I did Hajj for myself, and a few months after Hajj I still had not seen any sign that my Hajj was accepted in the sense that I turned to worship more. On the contrary I committed a lot of sins. Last year I resolved to do Hajj on behalf of my mother who has passed away. I asked one of the shaykhs and he said that I should do Hajj on her behalf as I had intended, and I should pray a lot for forgiveness and beseech Allaah. So I did Hajj on behalf of my mother, traveling with one of the groups. During Tawaaf al-Wadaa’, the overcrowding was very severe, so we did one circuit (of Tawaaf) and part of another circuit, then we went up to the roof, because of the severe overcrowding. Because of the overcrowding we were not quite sure of the exact spot where we had stopped on the lower level, but we did our best to make sure that we started our Tawaaf on the roof from the place where we had stopped on the lower level, and we continued with our Tawaaf until it was completed.
After my last Hajj, if I committed any sin – and I did many of them – I felt some tightness and constriction in my chest, and if I did any act of worship or obedience I felt happy and full of sincere feelings towards Islam and its people at this time… I am worried about the two pilgrimages and about the Tawaaf. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: we advise you to keep away from all sin, minor and major, and to beware of it and avoid it, for sin is bad news for the one who does it. We will quote here some of the effects of sin, as described by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him):
1 – Being deprived of knowledge for knowledge is light that Allaah causes to reach the heart, and sin extinguishes that light. When al-Shaafa’i sat before Maalik and read to him, he admired him because of the intelligence, alertness and understanding that he saw in him. He said, “I think that Allaah has caused light to enter your heart, so do not extinguish it with the darkness of sin.”
2 – Being deprived of provision. In Musnad Ahmad it is narrated that Thawbaan said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘A man is deprived of provision because of the sins that he commits.’” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4022, classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah).
3 – Sense of alienation that comes between a person and his Lord, and between him and other people. One of the salaf said: “If I disobey Allaah, I see that in the attitude of my riding beast and my wife.”
4 – Things become difficult for him, so that he does not turn his attention towards any matter but he finds the way blocked or he finds it difficult. By the same token, for the one who fears Allaah, things are made easy for him.
5 – The sinner will find darkness in his heart, which he will feel just as he feels the darkness of night. So this darkness affects his heart as the physical darkness affects his vision. For obedience is light and disobedience is darkness. The stronger the darkness grows, the greater becomes his confusion, until he falls into innovation, misguidance and other things that lead to doom, without even realizing, like a blind man who goes out in the darkness of the night, walking alone This darkness grows stronger until it covers the eyes, then it grows stronger until it covers the face, which appears dark and is seen by everyone. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: “Good deeds make the face light, give light to the heart, and bring about ample provision, physical strength and love in people’s hearts. Bad deeds make the face dark, give darkness to the heart, and bring about physical weakness, a lack of provision and hatred in people’s hearts.”
6 – Deprivation of worship and obedience. If sin brought no punishment other than that it prevents a person from doing an act of worship which is the opposite of sin, and cuts off access to other acts of worship, that would be bad enough. So the sin cuts off a third way and a fourth way and so on, and because of the sin he is cut off from many acts of worship, each of which would have been better for him than this world and everything in it. So he is like a man who eats food that is bound to cause a lengthy sickness, and thus he is deprived of many other foods that are better than that. And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.
7 – Sin breeds sin until it dominates a person and he cannot escape from it.
8 – Sin weakens a person’s willpower. It gradually strengthens his will to commit sin and weakens his will to repent until there is no will in his heart to repent at all… so he seeks forgiveness and expresses repentance, but it is merely words on the lips, like the repentance of the liars, whose hearts are still determined to commit sin and persist in it. This is one of the most serious diseases that are most likely to lead to doom.
9 – He will become desensitized and will no longer find sin abhorrent, so it will become his habit, and he will not be bothered if people see him committing the sin or talk about him.
For the leaders of immorality, this is the ultimate shamelessness in which they find great pleasure, such that they feel proud of their sin and will speak of it to people who do not know that they have done it, saying, “O so and so, I did such and such.” Such people cannot be helped and the path to repentance is blocked for them in most cases. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All of my ummah will be fine except for those who commit sin openly, and that includes cases where Allaah conceals a person’s sin, but the following morning he exposes himself and says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night, so he shamelessly exposes himself when all night his Lord had concealed his sin.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5949; Muslim, 2744).
10 – When there are many sins they leave a mark on the heart of the person who commits them, so he becomes one of the negligent. As one of the salaf said, concerning the aayah –
“Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn”
[al-Mutaffifeen 83:14 – interpretation of the meaning] –
this means sin after sin.
How this starts is that the heart gets stained by sin, and if the sin increases then the stain grows bigger until it becomes the raan (covering of sin and evil deeds), then it increases until it becomes a seal, and the heart becomes covered and sealed. If that happens after a person had been guided and had understood, then his heart is turned upside down, and at that point the Shaytaan gains control over him and directs him as he wants.
Secondly: you say that you did Hajj and did not see any signs of acceptance, rather you committed a lot of sins. The answer to this is that acceptance is from Allaah, and no one can be certain whether your deed has been accepted or not.
The believer does righteous deeds and does not know whether Allaah has accepted them or not.
Indeed, Ibn ‘Umar said: “If I knew that Allaah had accepted even one good deed from me, death would be the most dear thing to me, because Allaah says, ‘Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are al-Muttaaqoon (the pious)’ [al-Maa’idah 5:27 – interpretation of the meaning].”
Man is required to do a great deal of righteous deeds, and to strive to make sure his actions are in accordance with the commands of Allaah and His Messenger. In this manner he will free himself from any blame, then he must ask Allaah to accept his deeds.
So if you did you Hajj properly and avoided everything that is forbidden during Hajj, then you do not have to repeat it. As for your falling into sin, that has nothing to do with the validity or otherwise of your Hajj, but you will be brought to account for it, so you must hasten to repent from it before your appointed time (of death) comes.
Thirdly: you say that you did Tawaaf then went up to the roof because of the overcrowding.
This is the issue of continuity in Tawaaf. The Standing Committee was asked a similar question and replied that there is nothing wrong with interrupting Tawaaf and completing it on a higher level (of the mosque). See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 11/230, 231, 232.
With regard to the start of Tawaaf, it should begin in the same place where it ends. With regard to your efforts to figure out the place, if it is not possible to be certain then you should act according to what is most likely to be correct, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, concerning one who is uncertain as to whether he has prayed three rak’ahs or four, “Let him try his best (to work it out), then complete it on that basis – i.e., he should base it on what he thinks is the case – then let him say the salaams and do two prostrations after he says the salaams.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 401; Muslim, 572; see also al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/461).
Based on the above, then your completing your tawaaf on the roof and your striving to start from the place from which you interrupted your tawaaf are both fine in sha Allah.
And Allaah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
@ Islam QA
The pleasures of this world
Is the principle of pleasure forbidden in Islam? What is the view of Islam concerning physical pleasure, because the religion is a bunch of hard and strict duties.
Praise be to Allaah.
The pleasures of this world are of three types.
Pleasures which will be followed by a greater pain, or which make a person miss out on a greater pleasure. These are the pleasures enjoyed by sinners and negligent people to varying degrees, such as those who enjoy zina (illegal sexual conduct), drinking wine, stealing, and so on. It will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection (interpretation of the meaning):
“You received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein…” [al-Ahqaaf 46:20]
Pleasures which will not be punished in the Hereafter, but overindulgence causes a person to miss out on achieving higher levels and keeps him from earning reward. These are the permissible pleasures of those who are negligent, which they do not do in order to better themselves or to earn reward, and they have no intention of worship when they do these things. Examples include going to extremes in matters of food, drink, transportation, accommodation, travelling and going on vacation, and other things that are not inherently harmful or sinful.
Pleasures for which a person will be rewarded. These pleasures belong exclusively to the believers who let themselves enjoy them on the grounds of doing their duty towards themselves, seeking help thereby to obey Allaah, and helping to keep themselves away from sin.
On the basis of these noble aims, these pleasures may be classified as acts of obedience towards Allaah, concerning which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will be pleased with a slave who eats some food then praises Allaah for it, and drinks some drink then praises Allaah for it.” (Reported by Muslim, 2734, from the hadeeth of Anas). He also said. “In your intercourse with your wife, there is reward.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, can anyone of us have sexual enjoyment and be rewarded for that?” He said, “Do you not see that if you do that in a haraam manner, you will be punished for it? So if you do it in a halaal manner, you will be rewarded.” (As in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr, reported by Muslim, 1006).
It is clear from the hadeeth that enjoying these worldly pleasures on the basis of praising Allaah, recognizing His bounty and seeking to protect oneself from doing forbidden things will bring reward from Allaah. Praise be to Allaah for His blessings. (See Majmoo’ al-Fawaa’id by Ibn Sa’di, p. 234). Thus we know that in Islam there are permissible pleasures, having to do with eating and drinking permissible foods and enjoying permissible kinds of clothing and means of transportation, and there are pleasures for which a person will be rewarded in the Hereafter, in addition to his enjoyment of them in this world, such as the one who eats with the intention of gaining the strength to obey Allaah, or who sleeps with the intention of helping himself to get up to pray Qiyaam al-Layl and Fajr, or the one who has intercourse with his wife with the intention of keeping himself and her chaste, keeping them both away from sin, and with the hope of having a child, or the one who works hard at his trade or job with the intention of spending on himself and his family and his parents, and so on. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Praise be to Allaah.
The pleasures of this world are of three types.
Pleasures which will be followed by a greater pain, or which make a person miss out on a greater pleasure. These are the pleasures enjoyed by sinners and negligent people to varying degrees, such as those who enjoy zina (illegal sexual conduct), drinking wine, stealing, and so on. It will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection (interpretation of the meaning):
“You received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein…” [al-Ahqaaf 46:20]
Pleasures which will not be punished in the Hereafter, but overindulgence causes a person to miss out on achieving higher levels and keeps him from earning reward. These are the permissible pleasures of those who are negligent, which they do not do in order to better themselves or to earn reward, and they have no intention of worship when they do these things. Examples include going to extremes in matters of food, drink, transportation, accommodation, travelling and going on vacation, and other things that are not inherently harmful or sinful.
Pleasures for which a person will be rewarded. These pleasures belong exclusively to the believers who let themselves enjoy them on the grounds of doing their duty towards themselves, seeking help thereby to obey Allaah, and helping to keep themselves away from sin.
On the basis of these noble aims, these pleasures may be classified as acts of obedience towards Allaah, concerning which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will be pleased with a slave who eats some food then praises Allaah for it, and drinks some drink then praises Allaah for it.” (Reported by Muslim, 2734, from the hadeeth of Anas). He also said. “In your intercourse with your wife, there is reward.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, can anyone of us have sexual enjoyment and be rewarded for that?” He said, “Do you not see that if you do that in a haraam manner, you will be punished for it? So if you do it in a halaal manner, you will be rewarded.” (As in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr, reported by Muslim, 1006).
It is clear from the hadeeth that enjoying these worldly pleasures on the basis of praising Allaah, recognizing His bounty and seeking to protect oneself from doing forbidden things will bring reward from Allaah. Praise be to Allaah for His blessings. (See Majmoo’ al-Fawaa’id by Ibn Sa’di, p. 234). Thus we know that in Islam there are permissible pleasures, having to do with eating and drinking permissible foods and enjoying permissible kinds of clothing and means of transportation, and there are pleasures for which a person will be rewarded in the Hereafter, in addition to his enjoyment of them in this world, such as the one who eats with the intention of gaining the strength to obey Allaah, or who sleeps with the intention of helping himself to get up to pray Qiyaam al-Layl and Fajr, or the one who has intercourse with his wife with the intention of keeping himself and her chaste, keeping them both away from sin, and with the hope of having a child, or the one who works hard at his trade or job with the intention of spending on himself and his family and his parents, and so on. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Love Her ...
Love Her ...when she sips on your coffee or tea. She only wants to make sure it tastes just right for you.
Love Her...when she is jealous. Out of all the men she can have, she chose you.
Love her...when she has annoying little habits that drives you nuts. You have them too.
Love her...when her cooking is bad. She tries.
Love her...when she looks scary in the morning. She always fixes herself up again.
Love her...when she makes you watch corny love dramas while the sport is on. She wants to share these moments with you.
Love her...when she asks if she looks fat. Your opinion counts, so tell her she's beautiful.
Love her...when she looks beautiful. She's yours so appreciate her.
Love her...when she spends hours to get ready. She only wants to look her best for you.
Love her...when she buys you gifts you don't like. Smile and tell her its what you've always wanted.
Love her...when she cries for absolutely nothing. Don't ask, tell her its going to be okay .
Love her...when she suffers from PMS. Buy chocolate, rub her feet and just chat to her (trust me this works!).
Love her...when whatever you do is not pleasing. It happens and will pass.
Love her...when she stains your clothes. You needed a new shirt anyway.
Love her...when she argues. She only wants to make things right.
All these things form part of a woman's character.
Woman are part of your life and should be treated as the queen.
Take time to make her feel special in every way.
Love Her...when she is jealous. Out of all the men she can have, she chose you.
Love her...when she has annoying little habits that drives you nuts. You have them too.
Love her...when her cooking is bad. She tries.
Love her...when she looks scary in the morning. She always fixes herself up again.
Love her...when she makes you watch corny love dramas while the sport is on. She wants to share these moments with you.
Love her...when she asks if she looks fat. Your opinion counts, so tell her she's beautiful.
Love her...when she looks beautiful. She's yours so appreciate her.
Love her...when she spends hours to get ready. She only wants to look her best for you.
Love her...when she buys you gifts you don't like. Smile and tell her its what you've always wanted.
Love her...when she cries for absolutely nothing. Don't ask, tell her its going to be okay .
Love her...when she suffers from PMS. Buy chocolate, rub her feet and just chat to her (trust me this works!).
Love her...when whatever you do is not pleasing. It happens and will pass.
Love her...when she stains your clothes. You needed a new shirt anyway.
Love her...when she argues. She only wants to make things right.
All these things form part of a woman's character.
Woman are part of your life and should be treated as the queen.
Take time to make her feel special in every way.
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