Articles

Statement on the Mobile Phone Competition Insulting the Companions
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 23-02-2023

 

The General Iftaa` Department received many calls, messages and inquiries about a message, insulting the Noble Companion Omar bin Al-Khattab, sent in a texting competition from a cell phone company.

We, the General Iftaa` Department, reject insulting or undermining any of the Prophet`s Noble Companions given their high status in the sight of both the Prophet and all Muslims.

 

They are the ones who carried the message of Islam after the passing away of the Prophet Mohammad, blessings and peace be upon him. They were also praised in many verses of the Quran as well as many Prophetic traditions:

 

Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "God’s Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquility to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory;" {Al-Fatih, 18}. He also Says {What means}: "The vanguard (of Islam) - the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well- pleased is God with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever: that is the supreme felicity." {At-Tawbah, 100}. In addition, Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying: "Do not revile my Companions, do not revile my Companions. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if one amongst you would have spent as much gold as Uhud it would not amount to as much as one much on behalf of one of them or half of it." {Transmitted by Bukhari}. The Prophet (PBUH) also said: "The people of my generation are the best, then those who follow them, and then those who follow the latter. After that there will come some people whose witness will go ahead of their oaths, and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." {Transmitted by Bukhari}.

 

We reject any insult to any of the Noble Companions of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. Therefore, the Grand Mufti called that company and asked for an explanation, so it sent a letter indicating that the telecommunications company had nothing to do with this and only provided value-added services to another company. That other company apologized, expressed deep sorrow, and explained that it was a technical error where the answers to that particular question were mixed with those of another.

 

Accordingly, the General Iftaa` Department takes utmost care not to offend the religious feelings of the citizens and affirms that participation in short-messages contests via cellular phones involves eating up people`s wealth unjustly, so such contests are forbidden because they involve gambling. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

The imam recited a verse containing a prostration of recitation (*sajdat al-tilāwah*) but did not prostrate. After the imam's *salām*, a follower (*maʾmūm*) performed a prostration of forgetfulness (*sujūd al-sahw*) because the imam had not performed the prostration of recitation. Is it permissible to go against the imam in this way?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no sin on the imam if he omits the prostration of recitation (sujūd al-tilāwah), even deliberately. The maʾmūm (the one following the imam) is obliged to follow the imam in the prayer, so if the imam does not perform the prostration of recitation, it is not permissible for the follower to prostrate, because the imam is appointed only to be followed.
If the follower introduces a prostration after the imam’s salām but before his own salām, in a case where there is no prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw), his prayer is invalidated if he knew it to be prohibited. Otherwise, he is excused on account of his ignorance and his prayer is not invalidated.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Imām al-Jamal ʿalā Fatḥ al-Wahhāb: “His statement: ‘So the omission of the hayʾāt (the non-essential sunnahs of the prayer) is not compensated for by prostration; if one prostrates for any of them deliberately, his prayer is invalidated, unless he is excused due to his ignorance.’”
Since this issue is one that is hidden from the laymen, as it is among the subtleties of knowledge, and the laymen are excused for ignorance of whatever is of such a nature, and their act of obedience is not invalidated because of it, it may be said that the prayer of one who has not acquired knowledge of this issue is not invalidated, with the necessity of learning the rulings remaining. As for after knowing it, the prayer is invalidated. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on the use of an inhaler by a *muḥrim* (a person in the state of *iḥrām*)? [An inhaler is a medicinal device used for inhalation, containing various herbal ingredients.]؟

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is permissible for the muḥrim (a person in the state of iḥrām) to use incense (bakhūr), sprays, and inhalers that contain aromatic substances for the purpose of treatment, because the intention is medical treatment, not the use of perfume (taṭayyub). No expiation (fidyah) is required of him for doing so.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.2/p.455): “That which is intended for eating or for medical treatment, even if it has a pleasant scent, such as apples, spikenard (sunbul), and the various fragrant spices such as mastic (muṣṭakā), is not forbidden, and no fidyah is due for it, because what is intended for eating or treatment carries no fidyah.”. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on sending blessings and peace upon the prophet (PBUH) after the Adhan?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is a Sunnah to send blessings and peace (As-Salat wa al-Salam) upon the Prophet ﷺ after the Adhan and the Iqamah, for both the caller (Mu’adhin) and the listener. It is permissible to do so aloud after the conclusion of the Adhan. However, it is preferable to maintain a brief pause between the words of the Adhan and the prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, so that people do not mistakenly assume that sending blessings upon him is an integral part of the Adhan itself. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.