Muharamaat - Prohibitions
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Creator: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
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Subject: fatwa
Title: Muharamaat - Prohibitions
Created on: Mon Jan 14 12:25:12 -0500 2008
Updated on: Mon Jan 14 12:25:12 -0500 2008
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Abstract: ... . Some husbands even deceive their wives who my be too shy to ask a scholar about this matter; they tell them that this is halaal, and they may even misquote the Qur’aan to support their claim (interpretation of the meaning): “You wives are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth when or how you will . . .” [al-Baqarah 2:223]. But it is well-known that the Sunnah explains the Qur’aan, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated that it is permitted to have intercourse with one’s wife in whatever way one wishes, approaching from the front or the back, so long as intercourse is in the place from which a child is born (the vagina); it is obvious that the anus, from which excrement is produced, is not the place from which a child is born. One of the reasons for this crime is the fact that many people enter what should be a clean and pure married life with an inheritance of dirty, haraam, jaahili, perverted practices, or memories filled with scenes from lewd movies for which they have not repented to Allaah. It is also well known that this deed is haraam even if both parties consent to it; mutual consent to a haraam deed does not make it halaal. [ Table of Contents ] Not treating co-wives fairly One of the things that Allaah has enjoined in His Book is fair treatment of co-wives. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire, so do not incline too much to one of them (by giving her more of your time and provision) so as to leave the other hanging (i.e., neither divorced nor married). And if you do justice, and do all that is right and fear Allaah by keeping away from all that is wrong, then Allaah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [al-Nisaa’ 4:129] The justice that is required here is a fair division of nights, and the giving of each wife her rights as regards spending and clothing. This does not refer to emotions or love, because man has no control over his feelings. But some people, when they marry more than one wife, favour one and neglect the other, spending more time with one wife and spending more on her, and ignoring the other. This is haraam, and the person who does this will come on the Day of Resurrection in the condition described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah: “Whoever has two wives and gives one of them preferential treatment, he will come on the Day of Resurrection with half of his body leaning.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 2/601; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6491). [ Table of Contents ] Being alone with a non-mahram woman Shaytaan is always keen to tempt people and make them commit haraam deeds. For this reason, Allaah warned us (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan. And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytaan, then, verily he commands al-fahshaa’ (indecency) and al-munkar (evil deeds) . . .” [al-Noor 24:21] Shaytaan runs through the veins of mankind like blood, and one of the ways in which he induces people to commit indecent acts is by leading a man to be alone with a non-mahram woman. Islaam blocks this way by forbidding such conduct, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No man is alone with a (non-mahram) woman, but Shaytaan will be the third among them.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/474; see also Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 3118). Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “From this day on, no man should enter upon a woman whose husband is absent unless there is another man or two with him.” (Reported by Muslim, 4/1711). It is not permitted for a man to be alone in a house, room or car with a non-mahram woman, including his brother’s wife or a servant. Similarly a female patient should not be alone with a doctor, and so on. Many people are careless about this matter, whether because they trust themselves or for some other reason, with the results that many commit indecent acts or take the steps that lead to them, which in turn results in the tragedies of confused lineage and illegitimate births. Shaking hands with a non-mahram woman This is one of the cases where incorrect social customs have taken precedence over the laws of Allaah, to such an extent that if you try to talk to people and show them evidence that this is wrong, they will accuse you of being backward, having a complex, trying to break family ties, doubting their good intentions, etc. Shaking hands with female cousins, brothers’ wives and uncles’ wives is now easier than drinking water in our society, but if we look properly we will understand the seriousness of the matter. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle it would be better for him than touching a woman whom he is not permitted to touch.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 20/212; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4921). There is no doubt that this is an act of zinaa, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The eyes may commit zinaa, the hands may commit zinaa, the feet may commit zinaa and the private parts may commit zinaa." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 1/412; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 4921). Is there anyone more pure in heart than Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Yet still he said, “I do not shake hands with women.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 6/357; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7054, and al-Isaabah, 4/354, Daar al-Kitaab al-’Arabi edition). And he said, "I do not touch the hands of women." (Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 24/342; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 7054 and al-Isaabah, 4/354, Dar al-Kutub al-'Arabi edition). ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “No, by Allaah, the hand of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never touched the hand of a (non-mahram) woman. He received bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) from them by word only.” (Reported by Muslim, 3/489). Let them fear Allaah, those people who threaten their pious wives with divorce if they do not shake hands with their brothers. We should also note that placing a barrier such as a piece of cloth is of no use; it is still haraam to shake hands with a non-mahram woman. A woman wearing perfume when going out or passing by non-mahram men This practice is widespread nowadays, despite the stern warning of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: “Any woman who applies perfume and then goes out among the people so that they could smell her fragrance is a zaaniyah (adulteress).” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 4/418; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 105). Some women are very careless and take the matter too lightly, especially in front of drivers, shopkeepers, school porters, etc., even though the Sharee’ah states very strictly that the woman who wears perfume must wash herself like a person must wash when in a state of janaanah (i.e., perform ghusl), if she wants to go out to the mosque. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who wears perfume then goes out to the mosque, so that the fragrance can be discerned, her prayers will not be accepted until she performs ghusl like the ghusl to be performed when in a state of janaabah.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2/444; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2703). We complain to Allaah about the bukhoor and ‘ood (types of incense) used at weddings and women’s parties before people leave, and the use of strong-smelling perfumes in market-places, means of transportation and mixed gatherings in the mosques even during the nights of Ramadaan. Islaam tells us that women’s perfume should be that which has colour but little smell. We ask Allaah not to despise us and not to punish righteous men and women for the deeds of foolish men and women. May He guide us all to the Straight Path. [ Table of Contents ] A woman travelling without a mahram The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permitted for the woman who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to travel one day’s distance without the presence of a mahram.” (Reported by Muslim, 2/977). When a woman travels without a mahram, this encourages corrupt people to prey on her because of her weakness; at the very least, her honour will be harmed. This prohibition applies also to a woman travelling by plane, even if - as is often claimed - one mahram sees her off at one end and another mahram meets her at the other. Who is going to sit next to her during the journey? What if technical problems divert the plane to another airport, or the flight is delayed? What if...? There are too many stories of things that went wrong. For a person to be considered a mahram, he must meet four conditions: he should be a Muslim, over the age of puberty, of sound mind, and male. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘No woman who believes in Allaah and the Last Day should travel a distance of three days’ journey or more unless her father, son, husband, brother or other mahram is with her.” (Reported by Muslim, 2/977). [ Table of Contents ] Deliberately looking at a non-mahram woman Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and to protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what they do.” [al-Noor 24:30] The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The adultery of the eyes is by looking" (i.e. by looking at what Allaah has forbidden). (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 11/26). Looking for a legitimate purpose is exempted from this rule, such as looking at a woman for marriage purposes, or a doctor examining a patient for medical reasons, etc. Women are equally forbidden to look at non-mahram men, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) and to protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) . . .” [al-Noor 24:31] Men are also forbidden to look with desire at a man with a hairless or beautiful face. Men are forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of other men, and women are forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of other women. If it is forbidden to look at something, it is forbidden to touch it, even over clothing. One of the ways in which Shaytaan deceives people is by making them think that there is nothing wrong with looking at pictures in magazines or watching movies, because what is seen is not “real,” even though such images clearly cause so much damage by provoking desires. Seeing one’s womenfolk behaving in an immoral fashion and keeping silent Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three whom Allaah will deprive of Paradise: the one who drinks intoxicants, the one who is disobedient to his parents, and the one who accepts immoral conduct on the part of his family.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2/69; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3047). One of the many examples of this in modern times is men turning a blind eye to their daughters or wives contacting non-mahram men and chatting to them in a way that may be described as “romantic,” or accepting one of the women of his household being alone with a non-mahram man, or allowing them to sit alone with a driver or other employee, or letting them go out without proper hijaab, so that everyone may look at them, or bringing home immoral magazines and movies. [ Table of Contents ] Making false claims about a child’s lineage, or denying one’s own child According to Sharee’ah, it is not permissible for a Muslim to claim to belong to anyone other than his father, or to claim to belong to a people of whom he is not a member. Some people may do this for material gains, and may obtain documentation to “confirm” their false identity officially. Some people may do this out of hatred towards a father who abandoned them when they were children. All of this is haraam, and may lead to much chaos and corruption in a number of fields, such as knowing who is one’s mahram, marriage, inheritance and so on. Sa’d and Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with them) both reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever knowingly claims to belong to anyone other than his father, Paradise will be denied him.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari; see Fath al-Bari, 8/45). It is also forbidden to tamper with lineages or make false claims about a person’s descent. There are some people who, when they want to fight dirty in arguments with their wives, accuse them of immoral conduct and disown their children, without any proof, when the child was born “in their bed” (i.e. is the husband’s child and no-one else’s). Then there are some wives who betray their trust and become pregnant with another man’s child, but claim that it belongs to the husband. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) issued a stern warning against such conduct. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when aayat al-mulaa’anah [al-Noor 24:7 - check] was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The woman who brings into a people someone who does not belong to them has nothing to do with Allaah, and Allaah will not admit her to His Paradise. Any man who denies his own child when he is looking at him, Allaah will conceal Himself from him and expose him before all the people.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 2/695; see also Mishkat al-Masaabeeh, 3316). [ Table of Contents ] Consuming riba (usury or interest) In the Qur’aan, Allaah does not declare war on anyone except the people who deal in riba (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah and give up what remains (due to you) of riba (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a message of war from Allaah and His Messenger.” [al-Baqarah 2:278-279] This is sufficient to explain the abhorrence of this deed in the sight of Allaah, may He be glorified. One may easily discern the extent of devastation, at the individual and the international level, caused by dealing with riba - such as bankruptcy, recession, economic stagnation, inability to repay loans, high unemployment, collapse of many companies and institutions, etc. Daily toil has become a never-ending struggle to pay off interest on loans and societies have become class-ridden structures in which huge wealth in concentrated in the hands of a few. Perhaps all this is a manifestation of the war threatened by Allaah to those who deal in riba. Everyone who has something to do with riba, whether he is one of the main parties involved or is a middleman or facilitator, has been cursed by Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed “the one who consumes riba, the one who gives it to others, the one who writes it down and the one who witnesses it.” He said: “They are all the same.” (Reported by Muslim, 3/1219). Based on this, it is not permitted to do work that involves writing interest-based contracts and conditions, paying or receiving riba, depositing it or guarding it. Generally speaking, it is haraam to be directly or indirectly involved with riba in any way, shape or form. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was keen to explain the ugliness of this major sin. ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are seventy-three types of riba, the least of which is as abhorrent as a man having intercourse with his own mother and worst of which is [violating] a Muslim's honor and sanctity. (Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, 2/37); see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3533). ‘Abdullah ibn Hanzalah (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Knowingly consuming a dirham of riba is worse for a man than committing adultery thirty-six times.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/225; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3375). The prohibition on riba does not just apply to deals between rich and poor, as some people think; it is a general prohibition that applies to every person and every situation. How many rich people and big businessmen have gone bankrupt because of riba! The least harm riba does is to destroy the blessing (barakah) of the money, even if a person’s wealth is great. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Even if riba is much, it will end up being a small amount.” (Reported by al-Haakim, 2/37; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3542). This does not refer to whether the ratio of interest is high or low; all riba is haraam, and the one who deals with it will be raised up on the Day of Resurrection like the one who stands beaten by Shaytaan resulting in insanity and epilepsy. In spite of the enormity of this sin, Allaah has told us to repent from it and has explained how. Allaah says to those who deal in riba (interpretation of the meaning): “. . . but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums).” [al-Baqarah 2:279] This is quintessential justice. The believer must despise this major sin and feel its abhorrence, even if he puts his money in interest-based banks because he has no other choice and is afraid that his money may be lost or stolen otherwise. He should feel that he is being compelled by necessity to do this, like one who eats dead meat, or worse. At the same time, he should seek the forgiveness of Allaah and try to find an alternative if he can. He is not permitted to ask the bank for interest, and if the bank deposits it in his account, he must get rid of it in whatever way is permissible. This money cannot be counted as sadaqah (charity), because Allaah is pure and accepts only that which is pure. He cannot benefit from this money by using it to by food, drink, clothing, transportation or housing; he cannot use it to fulfil obligations such as spending on his wife, child or parents, or to pay zakaat or taxes, or to defend himself in court. Rather, he should just get rid of it, for fear of the wrath of Allaah. [ Table of Contents ] Concealing a product’s faults at the time of sale The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) once passed by a pile of food that was for sale. He put his hand in it and felt dampness, so he asked, “What is this, O seller of the food?” He said, “It was rained on, O Messenger of Allaah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Why don’t you put it on top, so that people can see it? Whoever deceives (the people) is not one of us.” (Reported by Muslim, 1/99). There are many traders nowadays who do not fear Allaah, and try to conceal faults by wrapping it in plastic [?], putting faulty produce in the bottom of the box, using chemicals and the like to make a product look good, or concealing noises in engines that may indicate a fault - so that when the purchaser brings a product home, it soon starts to wear out. Some traders change expiry dates, or prevent the buyer from examining or trying out a product. Many of those who sell cars or other types of equipment do not point out the product’s faults. All of this is haraam, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim. The Muslim is not permitted to sell to his brother anything which is faulty without pointing out the faults to him.” (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2/754; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6705). Some traders even think that their responsibility ends when they tell buyers at an auction, “I am selling a heap of metal, a heap of metal...” This is a sale in which there is no blessing, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The two parties involved in a sale have the choice (to end it - i.e. the sale is not final) until they part. If both have been truthful and honest about any faults, the sale will be blessed, but if they have lied and concealed any faults, the blessing of the sale will be lost.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari; see al-Fath, 4/328). Artificially inflating prices This refers to the practice of artificially inflating the price with no intention of buying, in order to deceive others, thus pushing them to add more to the price they are offering. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not artificially inflate prices.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 10/484). This is undoubtedly a form of deceit, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Double-dealing and cheating will end in Hell.” (See Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah, 1057). Many salesmen at auctions and in car salesrooms are earning unclean and haraam income because of the many haraam things that they do, such as conspiring to artificially inflate prices and deceive purchasers, or to lower the price of one of their products, or conversely pretending to be customers and raising the prices at auctions to deceive and cheat. [ Table of Contents ] Trading after the second call to prayer on Friday Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! When the call is proclaimed for the salaat (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu’ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah and leave off business (and every other thing), that is better for you if you did but know!” [al-Jumu’ah 62:9]. Some people continue trading in their stores and in front of the mosque even after the second call to prayer; those who buy from them also share in their guilt, even if they only buy a siwaak (natural toothbrush). According to the soundest opinion, this sale is invalid. Some owners of restaurants, bakeries and factories force their employees to work at the time of Jumu’ah prayers; even if this leads to an apparent increase in earnings, they will ultimately be losers in reality. The employee is obliged to act in accordance with the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There is no obedience to a created being if it involves disobedience to Allaah.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 1/129; Ahmad Shaakir said: its isnaad is saheeh, no. 1065). [ Table of Contents ] Gambling Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.), and al-azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that abomination, in order that you may be successful.” [al-Maa’idah 5:90] Gambling was very common during the Jaahiliyyah; in one of the most well-known forms of gambling, ten people would buy a camel, each paying an equal share, then they would throw down arrows - a form of drawing lots. Seven people would win unequal shares and three would be left empty-handed. Nowadays there are many forms of gambling, including: lotteries and raffles, in which people pay money to buy numbers, then numbers are drawn for first prize, second prize, and so on for a variety of prizes. This is haraam, even when it is supposedly done for charity. Buying a product which includes something unknown, or paying for a number for a draw which will decide who gets what. Another modern form of gambling is insurance, such as life insurance, car insurance, product insurance, insurance against fire or theft, third party insurance, comprehensive insurance, and so on. There are so many types of insurance that some singers even insure their voices! All of the above are forms of gambling. Nowadays there are even clubs that are devoted exclusively to gambling, in which there are so-called “green tables” (roulette tables) just for people to commit this sin. Other forms of gambling include betting on horse races and other sports, fruit-machines and the like in amusement centres, and competitions in which the victors win prizes, as a group of scholars have stated. [ Table of Contents ] Theft Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they have committed, a punishment by way of example from Allaah. And Allaah is All-Powerful, All-Wise.” [al-Maa’idah 5:38] One of the worst forms of this sin is theft from the pilgrims who come on Hajj and ‘Umrah to the Ancient House of Allaah. This kind of thief has no respect for the limits set by Allaah in the best region on earth and around the House of Allaah. In the report about Salaat al-Kusoof (the eclipse prayer), it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hell was brought near, and that was when you saw me stepping backwards, because I feared that its heat would touch me. I saw therein the man with the crooked stick dragging his intestines in the Fire. He used to steal from the hujjaaj (pilgrims) with his crooked stick. If they spotted him, he would say ‘This got caught on my stick,’ and if they did not spot him, he would take whatever he had stolen . . .” Another of the worst forms of theft is stealing from the public purse. Some of those who do this say “We are only doing what others do.” They do not realize that what they are doing is effectively stealing from all the Muslims, because the public purse belongs to all the Muslims. Imitating those who do not fear Allaah is no excuse. Some people steal from the wealth of the kuffaar on the grounds that they are kuffaar, but this is wrong; the only kuffaar whose wealth we are allowed to take away are those who are actively fighting the Muslims, which does not apply to every kaafir individual or company. Another form of theft is pick-pocketing, stealing something from a person’s pocket without him realizing. Some thieves enter people’s houses as visitors, and steal from them. Some steal from their guests’ bags. Some - including women - go into stores and hide things in their pockets or under their clothing. Some think that the theft of small or cheap items is of little consequence, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed the thief who steals an egg and has his hand cut off, and the thief who steals a rope and has his hand cut off.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 12/81). Everyone who steals something must first repent to Allaah then return the item to its rightful owner, whether openly or secretly, in person or via a third party. If he fails to find the rightful owner or his heirs after much effort, then he should give the property in charity, with the intention that the reward should be given to the rightful owner. [ Table of Contents ] Offering or accepting bribes Giving a bribe to a qaadi or judge to make him turn a blind eye to the truth or to make a false claim succeed is a sin, because it leads to oppression and injustice for the person who is in the right, and it spreads corruption. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And eat up not one another’s property unjustly, not give bribery to the rulers that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully.” [al-Baqarah 2:188] Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed those who give and accept bribes with regard to judging.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 2/387; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5069). However, payments made in order to reach the truth or avert injustice when there is no other way of doing so are not included in this warning. Bribery is so widespread nowadays that it more of a source of income than the regular salary for some workers. Some companies even include bribes as a factor in their budgets, under a variety of headings, and some dealings cannot begin or end without the payment of a bribe. Much harm is caused to the poor and many safeguards are broken because of bribes. Bribery is a cause of corruption whereby employees act against their employers, and one can only get good service if one pays a bribe - the person who refuses to pay will get shoddy or late service, and people who come after him but are willing to pay will be served before him. Because of bribery, a great deal of money which is due to employers ends up in the pockets of sales representatives and those responsible for making company purchases. It is little wonder, then that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed to Allaah to deprive all those involved of His Mercy. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The curse of Allaah be upon the one who gives a bribe and the one who accepts it.” (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2313; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5114). [ Table of Contents ] Seizing land by force When there is no fear of Allaah, strength and cunning are a disaster because the one who possesses these qualities uses them to oppress others, such as seizing other people’s possessions, including their land. The punishment for this is extremely severe. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever seizes any piece of land unlawfully, on the Day of Resurrection Allaah will make the ground swallow him up to the seventh depth of the earth.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari; see al-Fath Ya’laa ibn Murrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any man who seizes a hand span of land, Allaah will tell him to dig it (according to al-Tabaraani: to bring it) to the seventh depth of the earth, then it will be placed around his neck on the Day of Resurrection, until Allaah has finished judging mankind.” (Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 22/270; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 9/27). This also includes changing landmarks and boundaries in order to make one’s own land bigger at the expense of a neighbour, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Allaah has cursed the one who changes the boundary-markers of the land.” (Reported by Muslim, with commentary by al-Nawawi, 13/141). [ Table of Contents ] Accepting a gift in return for interceding To have a position of high standing among people is one of the blessings of Allaah to His slave, if he is grateful. One way in which a person may give thanks for this blessing is by using his position to benefit other Muslims. This is part of the general meaning of the hadeeth: “Whoever among you is able to benefit his brother, then let him do so.” (Reported by Muslim, 4/1726). The person who uses his position to benefit others by averting injustice or bringing some good, without doing anything that is haraam or infringes on the rights of others, will be rewarded by Allaah, so long as his intention is sincere, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us: “Intercede, you will be rewarded.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 5132; the hadeeth is also reported in al-Saheehayn, see Fath al-Baari, 10/450, Kitaab al-adab, Baab ta’aawun al-mu’mineen ba’duhum ba’dan). It is not permitted to accept anything in return for this intercession or mediation. Evidence for this may be seen in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him): "Whoever intercedes for someone then accepts a gift (in return for it), has committed a serious type of riba." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/261; see Saheeh al-Jaami', 6292). Some people offer the opportunity to benefit from their position, in return for a sum of money, in order to help someone get a job, or a transfer from one office or area to another, or treatment for the sick, etc. The soundest opinion is that this exchange is haraam, because of the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah quoted above, whose apparent meaning is that accepting such gifts is wrong, even if no agreement was previously made. (From the spoken statements of 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz). The reward which the doer of good will receive from Allaah on the Day of Judgement should be sufficient. A man came to al-Hasan ibn Sahl asking him to intercede for him in some matter, which he did; then the man came to thank him. Al-Hasan ibn Sahl said to him, "Why are you thanking us? We believe that zakaat is due on positions of rank just as it is due on wealth." (Ibn Muflih, al-Aadaab al-Shar'iyyah, 2/176). It is worth pointing out here that there is a difference between hiring someone to do legal paperwork for you and paying him wages in return, which has to do with the legitimate hiring of labour, and using a person's position to intercede for you in return for money, which is haraam. [ Table of Contents ] Hiring someone and benefitting from his labour, then not paying him his wages The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged speedy payment of wages to people hired for their labour. He said: “Give the hired man his wages before his sweat dries.” (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2/817; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1493). One form of oppression or injustice that is common in Muslim societies is the failure to give employees and workers their rights. This takes many forms, for example: Denying an employee’s rights in totality, where the employee has no proof of his rights. He may have lost his dues in this world, but he will not lose them before Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. So the oppressor who consumed the money due to the victim will be brought forth, and his victim will be given some of his hasanaat in compensation (i.e. some of the oppressor’s good deeds will be added to his victim’s credit). If the hasanaat are not enough, some of the victim’s sayi’aat (bad deeds) will be added to the oppressor, then he will be thrown into Hell. Not giving the employee his full rights. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Woe to al-Mutaffifeen [those who give less in measure and weight (decrease the rights of others)].” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:1] One example of this is the action of some bosses who bring workers from their homelands with a contract to pay a certain wage. Once the people are committed and have started to work for him, he goes and changes the contracts, altering them to state a lower wage than the one actually agreed upon. The employees stay because they have no choice and have no proof of their rights; all they can do is complain to Allaah. If the employer is a Muslim and the employee is not, this lowering of wages is a way of turning people away from the Straight Path, and he will carry his sin. Making the employee do extra work or put in longer hours, without paying him overtime or giving him any more than the basic salary. Some bosses delay payment of wages and pay up only after much struggle, complaining, chasing and court cases. Their aim may be to make the employee give up his claim to his rightful wages and stop asking; or they may want to invest this money, perhaps by lending it for interest. Meanwhile, the poor employee cannot buy his daily bread or send anything home to his needy wife and children for whose sake he left to work overseas. Woe to those oppressors on that painful Day! Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah says: ‘There are three whom I will oppose on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gives his word, swearing by Me, then breaks it, a man who sells a free man into slavery and keeps the money, and a man who hires another and benefits from his labour, then does not pay him his wages.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 4/447). [ Table of Contents ] Not giving gifts equally to one’s children Some people show favouritism in the way they give gifts to some of their children but not others. According to the soundest opinion, doing this is haraam unless there is some legitimate reason, such as one child being in greater need than the others due to sickness, being in debt, being rewarded for having memorized the entire Qur’aan, being unable to find a job, having a large family, being a full-time student, etc. When a father gives something to one of his children who is in need, he should have the intention to give similarly to any other children of his should the need arise. General proof of this principle may be seen in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “. . . Be just: that is nearer to piety, and fear Allaah . . .” [al-Maa’idah 5:8]. Specific evidence is found in the report of al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him), whose father brought him to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “I have given this son of mine a slave that I had.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him, “Did you give all your children a similar gift?” He said, “No.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Then take (the gift) back.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see al-Fath, 5/211). According to another report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fear Allaah and be fair to your children,” so he went away and took his gift back. (al-Fath 5/211). According to a third report, he said, “Do not ask me to be a witness, for I will not bear witness to injustice.” (Saheeh Muslim, 3/1243). Sons may be given twice as much as daughters, as in the case of inheritance, according to Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him (Abu Dawud, Masaa’il al-Imaam Ahmad, 204; Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim explained this in more detail in his footnotes). But there are some families where fathers do not fear Allaah, and their favouritism creates hatred and jealousy among the children. A father may give one child more because he looks like his paternal uncles, and give less to another child because he looks like his maternal uncles; or he may give more to the children of one wife and less to the children of another wife; or he may put one wife’s children in private schools, but not the other wife’s children. This will ultimately backfire on him, because in most cases the one who is deprived in this way will not respect his father or treat him kindly in the future. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked the man who showed favouritism to one son, “Do you not want all your children to respect you equally?” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 4/269; see also Saheeh al-Jaami, 1623). [ Table of Contents ] Asking people for money when one is not in need Sahl ibn al-Hanzaliyyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever asks people for money when he has what is sufficient for him is only asking for more of the embers of Hell.” They asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is sufficient so that he does not have to ask for more?” He said: “Having enough to eat lunch and dinner.” (Reported by Abu Dawud, 2/281; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6280). Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever asks the people for money when he has what is sufficient for him will come on the Day of Judgement with scratches and lacerations on his face.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 1/388; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6255). Some beggars come to the mosques, interrupting people’s worship with their complaints; some of them lie, bringing forged papers and telling tall stories; some of them distribute their family members around different mosques, then they regroup and move on to other mosques. Some of these people may in fact be well-off, to an extent which only Allaah knows; only when they die do others find out what they have left behind. Meanwhile, there are others who are truly in need, but people are not aware of it and may think they have enough, because they are too proud and do not beg of people at all; nobody knows their true situation so no-one gives them charity. Seeking a loan with no intention of paying it back The dues owed by one person to another are very important in the sight of Allaah, so much so that if a person falls short in his duties towards Allaah, he may be forgiven if he repents, but when it comes to the rights of other people, he has to fulfil them before the Day comes when dinars and dirhams will be of no avail, and only hasanaat and sayi’aat (good and bad deeds) will count. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, Allaah commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due . . .” [al-Nisaa’ 4:58] One of the widespread problems in our society is this casual approach to loans; some people take out loans not for some urgent need but because they want to expand their businesses or keep up with others by buying new cars or furniture or other temporary luxuries of this life. Often these people let themselves in for the confusion of installment plans, which are dubious or maybe even haraam. A casual approach to loans leads people to delay repayments, which in turn leads to loss and financial ruin of others. Warning of the consequences of this deed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes people’s money with the intention of paying them back, Allaah will pay him back, but whoever takes people’s money with the intention of wasting it, Allaah will destroy him.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari; see Fath al-Baari, 5/54). People take the matter of loans very lightly, but in the sight of Allaah it is a serious matter, so much so that even the shaheed (martyr), with his immense reward and high status, is not free of the consequences of debt. Evidence of this is seen in the hadeeth: “Glory be to Allaah, Who has revealed the seriousness of debt. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were slain in the way of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed again and brought back to life again, then killed a third time, but he owed a debt, he would not be admitted to Paradise until his debt was paid off.” (Reported by al-Nisaa’i; see al-Mujtabaa, 7/314, and Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3594). Now will these squanderers be deterred from such a casual approach? Consuming haraam wealth The person who does not fear Allaah does not care where he earns his money or how he spends it; his only concern is to increase his bank balance, even if it is haraam and ill-gotten by means of theft, bribery, extortion, forgery, selling haraam things, riba (usury), consuming an orphan’s wealth, earnings from haraam work like fortune-telling, immorality or singing, stealing from the Muslim treasury or public property, taking people’s money by coercion or high-pressure sales tactics, begging when one is not in need, etc. Then he buys food, clothing and transportation with this ill-gotten money, and builds or rents a house, and furnishes it, and fills his stomach with haraam food. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any flesh that grows from ill-gotten gains is more deserving of being touched by Hell-fire . . .” (Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 19/136; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4495). On the Day of Resurrection, each person will be asked how he earned money and on what he spent it, and there will be doom and loss. Anyone who still has haraam money should hasten to get rid of it; if it is due to anyone else, then he should hasten to return it and ask for his forgiveness before there comes a Day on which dinars and dirhams will be of no avail, and all that will count will be hasanaat and sayi’aat. [ Table of Contents ] Drinking khamr - even a single drop Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “. . . Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.) and al-azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaytaan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly) all that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.” [al-Maa’idah 5:90] The command to avoid these things is the strongest indication that they are forbidden. Khamr (“wine”, alcohol) is compared to al-ansaab, which were idols of the kuffaar; there is no excuse for those who argue that the Qur’aan does not say it is forbidden but only tells us to avoid it! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also ... [Full Article...]
