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Representing the People in the Parliament is a Responsibility, the Vote is a Trust, and Buying the Voter`s Will is Forbidden according to Islamic Law
Author : The General Iftaa' Department
Date Added : 18-08-2024

Elections are a legitimate means of selecting representatives of the nation, oversee the government, and enact laws to serve the citizens and advance their interests. In this way, elections embody one of the mechanisms of the principle of consultation (Shura) established by Islamic law.

The responsibility of a candidate before Allah is a significant one. They should feel the weight of this responsibility and understand its importance, which will help them fulfill their duties with honesty and sincerity for the benefit of the nation and the community. Allah Says (what means): "Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it. But man undertook it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant." [Al-Ahzab/72].

Therefore, it is forbidden for a candidate to influence the voters' decisions by offering money, bribes, or any other form of inducement, whether under the guise of gifts, assistance, charity, or meals. Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Allah has cursed the one who pays the bribe and the one who accepts it." [Abu Dawood].

Casting a vote is also a significant responsibility that should be carried out with integrity and sincerity. Voters should be aware that they will be held accountable for this trust before Allah. Allah Says (What means): "Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned." [Az-Zukhruf/19].

To clear one's responsibility before Allah, the nation, and the country in the best possible manner, a voter must adhere to two key principles:

First: To choose the fittest and best candidate for the job. This requires selecting a candidate who is strong in knowledge and expertise and trustworthy regarding the interests of the country and its people. Allah Says (What means): "Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy" [Al-Qasas/28]. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) excused Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked for a position of authority, saying: "O Abu Dharr, you are weak, and it is an entrusted duty. On the Day of Resurrection, it will be a source of disgrace and regret, except for those who take it on with its rights and fulfill their obligations in it." [Moslim].

Second: The voter should cast their vote freely and according to what their religion and conscience dictate, without being influenced by gifts, bribes, or biases. Voting is a form of testimony, and it should not be subject to sale, bargaining, or flattery. Any money received in exchange for one's vote is unlawful and will be held accountable for before Allah. Allah Says (What means): "O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]" [An-Nisa`/29].

Since voting in parliamentary elections is a trust, a Muslim should uphold it and perform it correctly. It is also a testimony for which one will be held accountable before Allah. Allah Says (What means): "Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned" [Az-Zukhruf/19]. Therefore, it is forbidden for a voter to accept any money or gifts, in exchange for their vote or testimony, from any candidate. This is to protect the trust and prevent unsuitable individuals from reaching positions of power. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "When trust is lost, then wait for the Hour." They asked, "How will trust be lost, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour" [Bukhari]. How can a candidate who engages in such practices be trusted with the nation's affairs and resources?

As for compelling people to swear an oath to vote for a specific candidate, this is not permissible in Islamic law, neither for the one swearing the oath nor for the one compelling them. Moreover, swearing oaths for this purpose is not sanctioned. Allah says {what means}: 'Do not make Allah’s name an excuse for your oaths to prevent you from being righteous, fearing Allah, and making peace among people. And Allah is Knowing and Wise' [Al-Baqarah, 224].

In addition, if someone swears an oath to vote for a person who does not have the required qualifications for the role, they should not adhere to that oath because it is both a mistake and a sin. Instead, they should make expiation for their oath and vote for the one who is more suitable for both their religion and worldly affairs. Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever swears an oath and then sees something better, let him go with what is better and make expiation for his oath" [Moslim].

In conclusion, participating in elections and voting is permissible, and it should be accompanied by raising awareness among people about the importance of electing those who safeguard the interests of the citizens and the country, and who protect the nation's resources. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for a woman to offer the obligatory prayer after Adhaan (call for prayer), and before Iqamah (The announcement that the prayer is about to begin) in the mosque?
 

Yes, it is permissible for a woman to offer the obligatory prayer immediately after the Adhan and before the Iqamah in the mosque. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling on the prayer of one who said "Subḥāna Rabbiya al-ʿAẓīm" in prostration (*sujūd*) and forgot to correct it?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Saying “Subḥāna Rabbiya al-ʿAẓīm” in bowing (rukūʿ) and “Subḥāna Rabbiya al-Aʿlā” in prostration (sujūd) is one of the hayʾāt (non-essential sunnahs) of the prayer. Whoever omits it, whether deliberately or by forgetfulness, or replaces it with another remembrance (dhikr), his prayer is valid and he does not perform sujūd al-sahw. Shaykh al-Islām Imam al-Nawawī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Our school holds that one does not prostrate for omitting the audible or silent recitation, the tasbīḥ, and the rest of the hayʾāt.” [al-Majmūʿ, Vol.4/p.127]
If he performs sujūd al-sahw for something that does not call for it, his prayer is invalidated, because he introduced a prostration of forgetfulness without a cause, and he must repeat the prayer. The exception is one who did so out of forgetfulness or ignorance, whether because he recently entered Islam or because he lives far from scholars; he is excused and his prayer is not invalidated.
It is stated in Mughni al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/p.417): “It is stated in al-Anwār: If he does something that does not call for sujūd al-sahw, thinking that it does, and then prostrates, his prayer is not invalidated if he is ignorant because he recently entered Islam or because he is far from scholars.”
Since this issue is hidden from the laity, as it is among the subtleties of knowledge, and the laity 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 the issue is not invalidated. As for after knowing it, the prayer is invalidated.
Whoever realizes while still in the prayer that his prostration was out of place, it is sunnah for him to perform sujūd al-sahw. And Allah Almighty knows best.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "There will emerge from my nation people who will drink the Qurʾān as they drink milk" — is this ḥadīth authentic, and what does it mean?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "There will emerge from my nation people who will drink the Qurʾān as they drink milk." (Reported by al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, and cited by al-Haythamī in Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid, who stated: "Its narrators are trustworthy.")
The meaning of this ḥadīth is that there will emerge from this blessed nation people who recite the Holy Qurʾān without reflecting upon its meanings or pondering its rulings — the noble verses passing over their tongues just as milk passes over them when it is drunk, leaving no trace of thought, understanding, or contemplation behind. [See: al-Taysīr bi-Sharḥ al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr,Vol.2/P.63] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on one who vowed not to speak to a certain person, then forgot his vow and spoke to him?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Whoever swears an oath or makes a vow to abstain from something has a choice: if he wishes, he may keep to his vow, or if he wishes, he may offer the expiation of an oath (kaffārat yamīn). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The expiation for a vow is the expiation for an oath.” Narrated by Muslim. This type of vow is called a nadhr al-lajāj (a vow made in stubbornness or anger).
If a person makes a vow and then forgets it, nothing is due from him, for forgetfulness is among the excuses that lift legal responsibility (taklīf) from a Muslim. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Actions are judged only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended.” [Narrated by al-Bukhārī]. There is no intention for the one who forgets or errs. It is also based on the report: “Indeed, Allah has pardoned for my Ummah mistakes, forgetfulness, and what they are compelled to do.” Narrated by Ibn Mājah and others, and graded authentic by Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim.
It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 243), one of the books of the Shāfiʿī school: “Whoever swears, [for example], ‘I will not enter the house,’ and then enters it forgetfully, ignorantly, under compulsion, or being carried, he does not break his oath.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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