Isaal-e-Sawab through Recitation of the Quran

Q4. I would like to know that if we read Quran and ask

Allah to send sawab to all Muslims and my relatives
including my parents who are no more, will the sawab
only go to my parents or to all the rest too ?
Abdulla Aminuddin, aminuddin@sancharnet.in
A4. It is Bid'ah (innovation) to recite the Qur'an for Isaal-e-
Sawab of those who have passed away, regardless whether
the deceased is your parent or relative. There is no evidence
supporting this practice in the authentic sources of Islam, in
the Seerah of the Prophet (Pbuh) or the life of his
Companions. Didn't deaths occur during the time of the
companions ? Why then, we do not find any such evidence
from their lives ? All those things that benefit the living and
the dead have already been shown by the Prophet (Pbuh),
as Deen has been completed. Therefore, it is inappropriate
to innovate anything in the religion.
Narrated Aisha (R.A.): Allah's Messenger (Pbuh) said, "If
somebody innovates something which is not present in our
religion, then that thing will be rejected."(Sahih Bukhari, Vol.
3, Hadith No. 2697 & Sahih Muslim, Vol. 3, Hadith No.
4266).
However it is allowed to pray for the deceased and give
charity for him, as there is no difference of opinion in this
regard.
Q6. In the light of the teaching of the Qur'an and the
Sunnah, is it a correct Islamic practice to visit
graveyards on the night of Shab-e-baraat? please
narrate the Hadith related to this night.
M. A. Khan, Bhopal
A6. Giving significance to the night of 15th Sha'ban,
visiting graveyards, doing extra Ibaadah (worship) and
offering extra Nawaafil Salaah with the intention of
specifically doing so on the occasion of 15th Sha'ban, having
illuminations, considering it to be the Eid of the dead and
keeping awake for the whole night of 15th Sha'ban and
encouraging others to do the same -- all these are Bid'ah
(innovation) . The prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)and
the Sahaabah never did so nor commanded the muslims to
do so.
We don't find any evidence of such things in the entire
authentic Seerah of the Prophet(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
and his companions. According to Allamah Ibn Rajab Abu
Bakr Turtoshi, Ibn Wazzah Qurtubi, Suyuti, Shokani etc. all
the Ahadith pertaining to the subject are weak and
unacceptable.
The Hadith that is generally quoted to support the practices
done on the night of 15th Sha'ban is Zaif (weak) according to
Muhaddiseen (the scholars of Ahadith) and is not to be put
into practice.
Narrated Aisha (R.A.),
I missed Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) during the
night and found him in al-Baqi'. He said: Were you afraid that
Allah and His Messenger would deal unjustly with you? I
said: Allah's Messenger , I thought that you had gone to
some of your other wives. He (the prophet) said: Verily Allah,
the Exalted and Glorious, comes down to the heaven of the
world in the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives sins even
more abundant than the hair of the goats of Kalb. (Tirmidhi,
Hadith No. 739; Sunan Ibn-I-Majah, Hadith No. 1389; Ahmad
Vol. 6, 238)
According to Imam Bukhari and Tirmidhi, the above
mentioned Hadith has a broken chain of narrators in two
places, and therefore it is weak. Allamah Ibnul Arabi (543H),
in his commentary of Sunan -At-Tirmidhi, titled 'Arizatul-
Ahwazi', Vol 3, Pg No. 216 adds: '....further, in it Hajjaj Ibn
Artaat is not reliable.'
However, it is established that the Prophet (pbuh) did visit
the Baqi graveyard once, as Allah had commanded him and
he prayed for Ahle-Baqi (the people of Baqi), but the exact
night of this event is not known, as there is no clear proof in
this regard. The prophet had done this by the commandment
of Allah (swt), therefore the Prophet was an exception to this
act.
Aisha (R.A.) says that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Gabriel
came to me and said; Your Rabb commands you to go to the
graveyard of Baqi and seek forgiveness for them". (Sahih
Muslim, Hadith No. 2256)
It is permissible for men to visit graveyard whenever they
wish and pray for the dead, however it is not permissible to
fix a specific day or night for the purpose and consider it to
be of a special virtue unless we find any proof for doing so
from the Qur'an or the authentic Ahadith.
Allamah Ibnul Arabi writes: "There is no reliable Hadith
regarding the 15th of Sha'ban. Although certain
commentators insist that the verse from Surah Dukhan,
chapter 44, verse 4: 'In that (night) is made distinct every
affair of wisdom', refer to 15th of Sha'ban, but this is not true,
as Allah did not reveal the Qur'an in Sha'ban. The Qur'an
was revealed in Ramadan, as mentioned in Surah Baqarah,
chapter 2, verse 185, and this can only be statement of a
person who transgresses the book of Allah (swt) and is
careless of his word". (Arizatul Ahwazi, Vol. 3, Page No. 217)
According to Hadith of Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Hadith No.
1885: ".. Most evil affairs are their innovations, and every
innovation is an error..."
So Muslims should beware of and steer clear of all
innovation and bid'ah.
Q9. Are menstruating women permitted to recite Surah
Fatiha, Ikhlaas, Falak, Nas and Ayatul Kursi at night
before going to sleep ? Can menstruating women touch
and read the Qur'an ? Does this word in the Qur'an
'Mutahhareen' (none can touch except those who are
clean) relate to the Qur'an or to the Tablet Preserved
(Lauh-a-Mehfuz) ? Is one allowed to touch Qur'an
without wudhu ? Please explain with reference to
Hadith.
Nishat Bare <nishat_bare@rediffmail.com>
A9. The Glorious Qur'an says : "That this is indeed a Qur'an
most honorable in a book well guarded which none shall
touch but those who are clean : A Revelation from the Lord
of the Worlds." (Surah Al-Waqi'a, 56:77-80)
The Kitabim Maknoon mentioned in the above mentioned
verse does not refer to the holy Qur'an in the book form,
which we have, and the word Mutahhareen does not merely
refer to cleanliness of the body.
Kitabim Maknoon means a book well guarded or a protected
book. This word refers to Lauh-e-Mahfooz in heaven, which
is also mentioned in the following verse "Nay this is a
Glorious Qur'an (Inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved!" (Surah Al-
Buruj, 85:21 & 22)
Mutahhareen does not refer to mere body cleanliness but
also refers to those who do not have any uncleanliness or
impurity like sin and evil, thus referring to the angels.
According to the commentary of Tabari, Mutahhareen means
the angels.
According to Ibne Hazam, who has discussed the subject in
detail, there are no pre-requisites or conditions for touching
the Qur'an. Although all the scholars, of all different schools
of thought, agree upon it without any difference of opinion
that it is preferable to be in wudhu before touching the
Qur'an, however, according to Ibne Hazam there is not a
single verse of the Qur'an or the authentic hadith saying that
being in wudhu is compulsory.
Ibne Abbas, Sho'bi, Zahhaq, Zaid bin Ali, Muayyid Billaah,
Dawood, Ibne Hazam and Hammad bin Sulaiman are of the
opinion that Qur'an can be touched without performing
wudhu.
(Fiqh-us-Sunnah, As Saiyid Saabiq, 1.52)
Regarding the hadith of Muwatta Malik which is often quoted
by certain scholars to back up their claims that one should
be in wudhu before touching the Qur'an, this hadith narration
besides being Mursal, has the Arabic word Taahirun in it,
which according to Ibne Katheer, Zamakhshari & others,
does not necessarily mean being with wudhu but simply
means 'pure', that is, one should not be in ceremonial
impurity or menstruation.
Scholars of different schools of thought differ on the issue of
whether one should compulsorily be in a state of wudhu
while touching the Qur'an. According to Hanafi school of
thought, one cannot touch the Qur'an without wudhu, but if
one uses a piece of cloth or sheet then he can touch it.
Some Hanafi Scholars insist that the cover of the Qur'an
itself serves as a covering sheet or cloth, while the others
believe that one can touch the Qur'an but not the Arabic text
within the Qur'an. Amongst the Shafia scholars, some say
that one cannot touch the Qur'an without wudhu, despite
using covering sheet. Malikis too believe in some what the
same. However, they allow touching the Qur'an without
wudhu for students and teachers of the Qur'an.
It is permissible for a menstruating woman to recite the
Qur'an without touching it. Similarly, she can very well recite
the portions of the Qur'an, which she does regularly, or even
the Ahadith of the prophet (pbuh) . However she shouldn't
touch the Qur'an with her hands.
Ibne Majah narrates a hadith from Abdullah Ibne Umar (R.A.)
that a man in a state of ceremonial impurity, and a
menstruating lady should not recite anything from the
Qur'an, but this hadith is weak.
Allama Ibne Hajr and Allama Ibnul Mulaqqin have rated the
hadith as weak in their books At-Talkheesal Habeer, Vol. 1,
pg. no. 138, hadith no. 183 & Khulasatul Badrul Muneer, vol.
1, pg. no. 60, hadith no. 170, respectively.
However, if a menstruating woman, or a woman with
postpartum impurity, wishes to read the Qur'an, then she
may use some sheet or cloth while touching the Qur'an so
that her hands do not have direct contact with the Qur'an.
According to Maliki school of thought, while doing hifz of the
Qur'an, a man in spite of being in ceremonial impurity or a
woman in her menstruation, can touch the Qur'an so that
they do not forget the portions of the Qur'an memorised by
them. And Allah knows best.
Which School of Thought
Should A Muslim Follow?
Q13. There are four schools of thoughts and we can follow
any one of them. Is it permissible to follow two schools of
thought to suit the situation ? For example, the Shafi school
of thought considers 2.25 pm as the time for Asr prayers in
our town while the Hanafi school of thought has fixed time at
3.08. So can we follow any of these two timings to suit our
necessity ?

M. A. Hazarika, Seujpur, Dibrugarh

1. Muslims should be united
Muslims today, are divided amongst themselves. Such
divisions are not endorsed by Islam. Islam believes in
fostering unity amongst its followers.
The Glorious Qur’an says:
“And hold fast, altogether, by the rope Which Allah (stretches
out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.” [Al-
Qur’an 3:103]
Which is the rope of Allah that is being referred to in this
verse? It is the Glorious Qur’an. The Glorious Qur’an is the
rope of Allah which all Muslims should hold fast together.
There is double emphasis in this verse. Beside saying ‘hold
fast all together’ it also says, ‘be not divided’.
The Qur’an further says,
“Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger” [Al-Qur’an 4:59]
All the Muslims should follow the Qur’an and authentic
Ahadith and ensure that they are not divided among
themselves.
2. It is prohibited to make divisions in Islam.
The Glorious Qur’an says:
“As for those who divide Their religion and break up Into
sects, you have no part in them in the least: Their affair is
with Allah: He will in the end tell them the truth of all that they
did.” [Al-Qur’an 6:159]
In this verse Allah (swt) says that one should disassociate
oneself from those who divide their religion and break it up
into sects.
But when one asks a Muslim, “who are you?” the common
answer is either ‘I am a Hanafi or Shafi or Maliki or Hanbali.
Some call themselves ‘Ahle-Hadith’.
3. Four Schools of Thoughts
The Islamic world has produced several learned Islamic
scholars (Imams), but out of these, four became more
famous and their teachings spread in different parts of the
world.
It is a misconception that a Muslim should follow any one of
these four schools of thoughts i.e. Hanafi, Shafi, Hanbali or
Maliki. There is no proof whatsoever in the Qur’an or any
authentic Hadith that a Muslim should only follow one of
these four Imams.
4. Respect all the Great Scholars of Islam.
We must respect all the great scholars of Islam, including
the four Imaams, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi, Imam
Hanbal and Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with them
all). They were great scholars and may Allah reward them for
their research and hard work. One can have no objection if
someone agrees with the view and research of any one or
more from these four great scholars of Islam.
5. All Four Imam said follow the Qur’an and Sunnah.
All the four great Imams said that if any of their Fatwas or
teachings contradict Allah’s word, i.e. the Qur’an, or the
sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) i.e. authentic Hadith, then that
particulars Fatwa of theirs should be rejected, and the
Sunnah of the Prophet should be followed.
Refer:
a. Eeqaadh al-Himam, Al Fulaanee (Imam Abu
Hanifa)
b. Al-Majmoo’ of an-Nawawee (1/63) (Imam
Shafi)
c. Jaami ‘Bayan al-Ilm, Ibn Abdul-Barr (Imam
Malik)
d. Eeqaadh al-Himam (Imam Hanbal)
To give you an example in this context – Imam shafi said that
when a women touches a man who is in a state of wudhu,
the wudhu of the man breaks. However, this ruling of Imam
Shafi contradicts the authentic saying of the Prophet.
Narrated Aisha
The Prophet (may peace be upon him) kissed one of his
wives and went out for saying prayer. He did not perform
ablution. (Sunan Abu Dawood Vol. 1 Chapter No. 70 Hadith
No. 179)
Thus this particular teaching of Imam Shafi contradicts the
authentic saying of the Prophet. So I reject this specific
ruling of Imam Shafi who himself said , “ If I say something,
then compare it to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His
messenger and if it agrees to them, then accept it and that
which goes against them, then reject it and throw my saying
against the wall” – This is a saying of ash-Shafi’ee-
rahimaullah. See Al-Majmoo’ of an-Nawawee (1/63).
Thus by rejecting this particular teaching of Imam Shafi
which contradicts the authentic Hadith, I am practically a
better follower of Imam Shafi than those who call themselves
‘Shafi’.
Similarly in practice, I claim to be a better follower of Imam
Abu Hanifa than those who call themselves ‘Hanafi’. I claim
to be a better follower of Imam Hanbal than those who call
themselves ‘Hanbali’. I claim to be a better follower of Imam
Malik than those who call themselves ‘Maliki”. If being a
‘Ahle-Hadith’ means following Qur’an and authentic Hadith
then I claim to be a better follower of the Qur’an and
authentic Hadith than those who call themselves ‘ Ahle-
Hadith’. All these are mere labels (Hanafi, Shafi, Hanbali,
Maliki, Ahle-Hadith) that are not endorsed by the Qur’an or
the Sahih Ahadith.
The only label or title given by the Qur’an and the Sahih
Ahadith is MUSLIM.
6. All the Groups have sub divisions
I personally have no objection if someone calls himself
Hanafi, Shafi, Hanbali, Maliki or Ahle Hadith. People give
different labels to themselves to identify which set of
teachings they prefer to follow and to disassociate
themselves from those people who follow wrong practices.
From history we come to know that all the labels given to
different groups, at a later stage the people from that group
themselves did not follow their teachings and made new
sub-groups. Therefore in all the groups you find a sub-
division.
But as far as giving a label to identify what a person
practices in Islam is concerned, there can not be better label
than what Allah (swt) has given i.e. a Muslim.
7. Our Prophet was a Muslim
“Who was our beloved Prophet (pbuh)? Was he a Hanafi or
a Shafi, or a Hanbali or a Maliki ?” No! He was a Muslim, like
all the other Prophets and Messengers of Allah before him.
It is mentioned in chapter 3 verse 52 of Al-Qur’an that Jesus
(pbuh) was a Muslim.
Further , in chapter 3 verse 67, Al-Qur’an says that Ibrahim
(pbuh) was not a Jew or a Christian but was a Muslim.
8. Qur’an says call yourselves Muslims
There is no Qur’anic verse or any authentic Hadith that says
you should call yourselves Hanafi, Shafi, Hanbali, Maliki or
Ahle Hadith.
If anyone poses a Muslim the question who are you, he
should say “I am a Muslim, not a Hanafi or a Shafi or a Ahle-
Hadith”.
In Surah Fussilat chapter 41 verse 33 Allah (swt) says: “Who
is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works
righteousness, and says, ‘I am of those Who bow in Islam
(Muslim)?’ “[Al-Qur’an 24:33]
The Qur’an instructs, “Say: I am of those who bow in Islam”.
In other words, say, “I am a Muslim”.
The Prophet (pbuh) dictated letters to non-Muslim kings and
rulers inviting them to accept Islam. In these letters he
mentioned the verse of the Qur’an from Surah Al Imran
chapter 3 verse 64:
Say ye: “Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims
(submitting to Allah’s Will).”[Al-Qur’an 3:64]
9. Lip Service Muslims
Allah knew that even in the Muslim Ummah there will be
many people who claim to be Muslims (i.e. claim to submit
their will to Allah) but practically will not follow Allah’s
commands.
Allah refers to such people in the Qur’an as lip service
Believers (Al Qur’an 5:41). Thus we can conclude that those
who claim to be Muslims but do not follow Qur’an and
Sunnah are Lip-Service Muslims. Those who follow the
Qur’an and authentic Hadith should not change their label,
and stick to the best label given by Allah (swt) i.e. Muslim
and which the Prophet also called himself.
10. The Prophet had said that there would be 73 sects.
Some may argue by quoting the Hadith of our beloved
Prophet, from Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4579. In this
Hadith the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, “My
community will split up into seventy-three sects.”
This hadith reports that the prophet predicted the emergence
of seventy-three sects. He did not say that Muslims
should be active in dividing themselves into sects. The
Glorious Qur’an commands us not to create sects.
Those who follow the teachings of the Qur’an and Sahih
Hadith, and do not create sects are the people who are
on the true path.
According to Tirmidhi Hadith No. 171, the prophet (pbuh) is
reported to have said, “My Ummah will be fragmented into
seventy three sects, and all of them will be in Hell fire except
one sect.” The companions asked Allah’s messenger which
group that would be. Where upon he replied, “It is the one to
which I and my companions belong”.
The Glorious Qur’an mentions in several verses, “Obey Allah
and obey His Messenger”. A true Muslim should only follow
the Glorious Qur’an and the Sahih Hadith. He can agree with
the views of any scholar as long as they conform to the
teachings of the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith. If such views go
against the Word of Allah, or the Sunnah of His Prophet,
then they carry no weight, regardless of how learned the
scholar might be. A true Muslim will not follow any ruling or
teaching of any great scholar of Islam if that particular ruling
or teaching contradicts the Qur’an and Saheeh Hadith.
Thus, the only school of thought that a Muslim should follow,
is that of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The only Madhab that
a Muslim should follow, is the Madhab of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh). And Allah knows the Best.
11. Time for Asr Salah
As far as your specific query regarding the timing of Asr
Salah is concerned, it is mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawood
Vol. 1 Chapter No. 147 Hadith No. 393,
Narrrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said : Gabriel (pbuh) ….
prayed the Asr Salah with me when shadow of everything
was as long as itself….. On the following day he prayed the
Asr Prayer with me when his shadow was twice as long as
himself….. Then turning to me he said : Muhammad, this is
the time observed by the prophets before you, and the time
is anywhere between these two times.
It is mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawood Volume No. 1 Chapter
No. 158 Hadith No. 426,
Umm Farwah said :
The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) was asked : Which of the actions
is best ? He replied: Observing prayer early in its period.
Therefore it is preferable to pray early (i.e. at the beginning
of the prescribed period for Salaah).
For all the Salaah except Isha, the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) said it is preferable to pray early.
Narrated Saiyar bin Salama :
The Prophet loved to delay the Isha… and he disliked
sleeping before it and speaking after it.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 1 Hadith No. 522)
However, if a person is unable to pray at the early hour, it is
permitted to pray at any time within the prescribed period for
Salaah.
Only If all the Muslims read the Qur’an with understanding
and adhere to Sahih Hadith, Insha-Allah most of these
differences would be solved and we could be one united
Muslim Ummah.
And Allah Knows the Best.

Muslim scholars differ amongst themselves on the issue

of the obligatory duty (or otherwise) of veiling of the
face by Muslim women. In Islam, rules and regulations
and the do's and don'ts are derived from the word of
Allah, i.e. the Glorious Qur'an and the teachings of the
Messenger of Allah, i.e. the authentic Ahadith.
Haroon Abdullah
New Delhi
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger
and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in
anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His
Messenger if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day: that
is best and most suitable for final determination."
(Al-Qur'an 4:59)
As mentioned in the verse quoted above, when people in
authority, the rulers, leaders, imams and scholars differ
amongst themselves, our Creator instructs us to look into the
Qur'an and the authentic Ahadith for guidance. The
legitimacy, relevance and accuracy of the reasons and
evidence provided by these people should be evaluated in
the light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. However, it should be
borne in mind that infallibility belongs to Allah alone and a
scholar, being a human, can make an error of judgement.
There is no clear-cut authentic hadith to the effect of making
the face veil obligatory. Those scholars, who insist that
covering the face is obligatory for Muslim women, interpret
'al-idnaa' in the verse of the jilbaab (Al-Qur'an: 33:59) to
mean, "covering the face". This interpretation is erroneous
because the basic meaning of the word in Arabic is "to come
close", as the well-known scholar, ar-Raaghib al-
Asbahaanee mentions in his authoritative dictionary 'al-
Mufradaat'. Some people claim that jilbaab is "a garment
which covers the face". This too is a misinterpretation as it is
contrary to the interpretation of the leading scholars of past
and present as well, who define jilbaab as a garment which
women drape over their head scarves (khimaar).
Some people claim that the khimaar (headscarf) in Al-Qur'an
24:31 covers the head and the face, whereas linguistically
the word only means a head covering. The Prophet (pbuh) is
reported to have said "Allah does not accept the prayer of a
woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a
khimaar".
(Sunan Abu Dawood, vol. 1, hadith No. 641)
However, no scholar insists on covering the face in Salaah
for women based on the hadith quoted above, which further
substantiates that khimaar does not mean covering the face.
Shaykh Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee, one of the foremost
scholars of recent times has clarified in detail, the errors
made by these scholars who insist on the obligatory nature
of the face veil in his books ar-Radd al-Mufhim & Jilbaab al-
Mar'ah al-Muslimah (3rd edition, 1996, al-Maktabah al-
Islaamiyyah). Likewise, other scholars like Ibn Muflih al-
Hambalee, an-Nawawee, al-Qaadee 'Iyaad are too of the
opinion that covering the face is not obligatory.
As stated earlier, that there is not a single authentic hadith
that makes covering the face obligatory. On the other hand,
we find several ahadith which prove that covering the face is
not compulsory in Islam. For instance, once while the
prophet was admonishing and preaching to a group of
women after having admonished the men on the Id day, "...a
woman having a dark spot on her cheek stood up..." seeking
clarification on the subject the prophet was discussing.
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, Hadith No. 1926)
It is understood from the above-mentioned hadith that the
woman having interaction with the prophet was not covering
her face nor did the prophet command her to do so. It is
incumbent upon every Muslim to enjoin right and forbid
wrong, as Allah instructed us in the Glorious Qur'an. Thus
we cannot expect the prophet, on whom the Qur'an was
revealed, to let the woman keep her face uncovered after
having known the obligation of covering the face.
Narrated Ata bin Abi Rabah (R.A.)
Ibn 'Abbas said to me, "Shall I show you a woman of the
people of Paradise?" I said, "Yes." He said, "This black lady
came to the Prophet and said..."
(Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 7, Hadith No. 555 - Dar Al Arabia-
Beirut- Lebanon & Sahih Muslim Hadith No. 6571-
Darusslam- Arabic)
The hadith quoted above proves that the 'woman of the
people of the paradise' was not covering her face when she
had visited the prophet nor was she covering it when Ibn
'Abbas was discussing about her later. Some may argue by
saying she could be recognized owing to the dark
complexion of her hand and not due to the exposure of her
face. However, this argument would carry no weight since
she was not the only black woman at the time of the prophet.
Moreover, to identify a person, the aspect of exposure of the
face is of immense significance.
The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "...The Muhrima
(a woman in the state of Ihram) should not cover her face, or
wear gloves."
(Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 3, Hadith No. 1838)
With regards to the hadith quoted above, some people say
that the commandment of the prophet (pbuh) not to cover
the face is specifically for the women in the state of Ihram,
thus it cannot be used as an evidence because in Ihram
certain rules and regulations change. However, the point to
be noted here is that the things that are Mustahab
(recommended) can be made Haraam (forbidden), like the
cutting of nails, even the things that are Mubah (permissible)
or Mustahab (recommended) can be made Fard (obligatory),
e.g. wearing two pieces of white unsewn cloth is made Fard
for a man, while normally it is Mubah (permissible). But
anything that is Haraam in the normal course of life can
never be made Fard. Hence, if exposing the face is Haraam
for women, then how can it be made Fard in Ihraam?
During the day of Nahr (10th Dhul-Hijja), when Al-Fadl bin
'Abbas was riding behind the prophet on his she -camel, "...a
beautiful woman from the tribe of Khath'am came, asking the
verdict of Allah's Apostle. Al-Fadl started looking at her as
her beauty attracted him. The Prophet looked behind while
Al-Fadl was looking at her; so the Prophet held out his hand
backwards and caught the chin of Al-Fadl and turned his
face (to the other side) in order that he should not gaze at
her..."
(Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 8, Hadith No. 6228)
In the above-mentioned hadith we find Al-Fadl looking at the
lady because her beauty attracted him. Here too, it is
understood that the face of the lady was exposed as the
hadith says that the woman was beautiful. Obviously, it is the
face that plays the most significant role in making a person
being perceived as ugly or beautiful. In spite of this, the
prophet didn't instruct the lady to cover her face but instead
turned the face of Al-Fadl in order to prevent him from
staring at her, further substantiating the verse of the Qur'an
from Surah An-Noor, 24:30, which says:
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze
and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for
them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do."
The Qur'an further says in the next verse:
And say to the believing women that they should lower their
gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display
their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily)
appear thereof...
(Al-Qur'an 24:31)
When Ibne Abbaas (RA), the leading commentator of the
Qur'an was asked about the verse mentioned above as to
what it meant, he replied, "it refers to the face and hands".
(Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah in al-Musannaf, Vol. 3, p.
540 & 541, hadith no. 16997 & 17012 and al-Bayhaqi in
Sunan al- Kubraa. Al-Albaanee ruled in Jilbaab al-Mar'ah al-
Muslimah, pp 59-60, that the isnaad of this statement is
saheeh.)
Some scholars argue that all the ahadith, which speak of
women's faces being seen, are of the time earlier than the
revelation of the verses of Al-Qur'an 33:59 & 24:31, which
make covering the face compulsory. Firstly, as discussed
earlier, these Qur'anic verses do not make covering the face
compulsory for women. Secondly, to prove that these verses
make the covering of women's face compulsory, they have to
quote an authentic hadith for it, which they don't. Thirdly
most of the ahadith quoted above, are of the time after these
Qur'anic verses were revealed.
Thus, it can be concluded that covering the face is not
obligatory for women. However, covering the face was
obligatory for the Ummul Mu'mineen, the wives of the
Prophet (pbuh) as was Tahajjud obligatory for the Prophet
(pbuh). Although Muslims are exempted from its obligation, it
is still a highly recommended Sunnah for the Muslims. The
scholars unanimously agree that it is preferable for Muslim
women to cover their faces. Thus it is not compulsory for
Muslim Women to cover their faces but those women who
cover their faces may continue to do so if they wish. And
Allah knows the best.
With the fast devaluation of currency and ever changing
economic pattern, can the concept of interest be altered
within the framework of Islam?
Allah mentions Ribah at eight places in the Quran. There is a
strict prohibition of the same everywhere that if you take
Ribah, a war is declared against you from Allah and his
Rasool (SAW). Some scholars say that Ribah does not
mean interest. That’s totally wrong. There is no doubt about
it. Ribah means interest and usury. It’ll take time to prove
logically why Ribah is Haram.