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The Obligation to Honor the Prophetic Station and to Uphold Complete Etiquette toward His Noble Rank
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 24-08-2026

 

The Obligation to Honor the Prophetic Station and to Uphold Complete Etiquette toward His Noble Rank

On the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the General Iftaa Department affirms the obligation to honor the Prophetic station and to uphold complete etiquette (adab) toward his noble rank.

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

The Noble Qur'an and the pure Prophetic Sunnah have made obligatory the observance of complete etiquette and reverence toward our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — including the obligation to carefully select one's words, elevating one's speech in a manner befitting his noble rank, and in describing his states and accounts, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): "That you [people] may believe in Allah and His Messenger and honor him and respect him [i.e., the Prophet] and exalt Allah morning and afternoon" [al-Fatḥ/9]. And Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): "Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as your calling of one another" [an-Nūr/63].

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has made obligatory his honoring — meaning, his support and reverence — and has made incumbent his esteem and exaltation. Accordingly, using any expression that carries disrespect toward his noble station is among the major sins, even if the speaker did not intend disrespect.

For this reason, the noble Companions and those who followed them in righteousness refrained from transmitting the mockery and insults directed at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ by the polytheists and hypocrites, even merely for the sake of narration. This has been clarified by the scholars. It is stated in the book ash-Shifā bi-Ta‘rīf Ḥuqūq al-Muṣṭafā — after mentioning those who transmitted scholarly consensus (ijmā‘) on the prohibition of narrating what was used to mock the Prophet ﷺ: "May Allah have mercy on our pious predecessors, who were so careful to safeguard their religion — they omitted from the narrations of the military campaigns (maghāzī) and biographical accounts (siyar) whatever followed this path, meaning disrespect, and abstained from narrating it, except for a few minor and inoffensive matters mentioned in a manner similar to the earlier examples, so as to show Allah's vengeance upon the one who uttered such words, and His seizing of the slanderer for his sin. This is Abū ‘Ubayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām, may Allah have mercy on him, who exercised great caution in his books regarding the mocking Arabic poetry he was compelled to cite as evidence — he would conceal the name of the one being mocked by using a name of similar meter, safeguarding his own religion and taking care not to participate in defaming anyone through narrating or spreading such material. How much more so, then, regarding anything that touches upon the honor of the master of mankind, peace and blessings be upon him."

Adhering to the noblest and most fitting speech is thus a sharī‘ah obligation, and it is among the rights owed to the Prophet ﷺ by Muslims — a measure of a Muslim's faith, the sincerity of his following, and his appreciation of what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ represents for him. He is the mercy sent [to all creation], and the illuminating lamp sent with wisdom. It is therefore fitting for believers to express their gratitude to him, peace and blessings be upon him, through faith in him and emulation of his guidance, until adherence to proper etiquette toward him becomes a way of life for believers. And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is it obligatory to have the intention for each day of fasting, or is one intention sufficient for the whole month?

The intention is obligatory for each day of Ramadan because each day is an independent act of worship separate from the others.
The intention must be made at night before the break of dawn, as the Prophetﷺ said: "Whoever does not intend fasting at night, there is no fast for him." [An-Nasa’i] 
And he also said: "Whoever does not firmly resolve to fast before dawn, there is no fast for him." [At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, and An-Nasa’i]
Whoever wakes up and eats Suhoor while mindful of fasting has made the intention. Likewise, one who firmly intends at any moment during the night to fast the next day has also fulfilled the intention.

Is it permissible to consume the meat of a sacrifice (Dhabihah) offered as an act of devotion to Allah, seeking His protection for my family?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to eat from this sacrifice, and the reward [for it] is according to what is given to the poor. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is it acceptable to perform the Aqiqah for a male child by slaughtering and distributing the first sheep, and bringing the second one cooked from the restaurant?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.

It is permissible to slaughter the first sheep with the intention of Aqiqah (the newborn's sacrificial offering) and distribute it entirely [uncooked], and to slaughter the second sheep and have it cooked at a restaurant to bring home for the household. However, it must be noted that it is obligatory to give some portion of the Aqiqah in charity to the poor, even if it is a small amount, though it is preferable to send the food cooked to them.

Buying a pre-cooked, ready-made sheep from a restaurant does not suffice as an Aqiqah. However, if an agreement is made with the restaurant to explicitly slaughter a sheep with the intention of Aqiqah for the newborn, and then cook it afterward, this is permissible.

In conclusion, slaughtering the sheep and distributing it with the intention of Aqiqah is permissible, and through it, the foundational prophetic tradition (Sunnah) is fulfilled. As for simply buying a cooked sheep from a restaurant that was not specifically slaughtered with the intention of Aqiqah, it will not count as such. Conversely, if the restaurant owner is commissioned (Wakala) to handle both the slaughtering and the cooking as an Aqiqah, it is valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.