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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 correct that everything dry is pure even if it has impurity on it?

If something impure becomes dry, it remains impure and is not purified by drying. However, the impurity does not transfer by touching it if the one touching it is also dry. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on forgiving a tenant next month's rent, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh al-māl?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It does not fulfill the obligation to count the rent owed on a house, or a portion of it, in lieu of zakāh. Rather, it is necessary to first transfer ownership of the zakāh amount to the poor person directly; only afterward may he be asked to pay the rent [from that money].
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 112): "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]."
We would also remind [the reader] of the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him [to harm]. Whoever attends to the needs of his brother, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will attend to his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection." (Agreed upon). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

If a traveler settles or a sick person recovers while fasting, is it permissible for them to break their fast?

● If a sick person starts the day fasting and then recovers during the day, they must complete their fast.
● If a traveler starts the day fasting and then settles (returns or stops traveling) during the day, they must also complete their fast.
● It is forbidden for both of them to break their fast because the concession (rukhsah) is no longer valid once its reason disappears.

What is the correct point at which to raise the hands when standing up for the third rak‘ah (after the middle tashahhud)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Raising the hands while saying the takbīr [when rising for the third rak‘ah] is a recommended sunnah, and omitting it does not affect the validity of the prayer. The proper time for this is after rising from the middle tashahhud, once one has fully stood up.
It is stated in I‘ānat aṭ-Ṭālibīn (Vol.1/P.158): "His statement, 'and rising from the first tashahhud' — meaning, this manner [of raising the hands] is also a sunnah when he rises from the first tashahhud, that is, when he stands upright from it.
Consider [the question]: when precisely does the raising of the hands begin? Is it at the very start of rising from the first tashahhud, or after he has reached the minimum position of rukū‘ [i.e., once fully upright]? The apparent, [correct] view is the latter — even though the outward wording [of the text] might suggest the former — because at the very start of his rising, he is still relying on both hands [to push himself up, and therefore cannot yet raise them]."
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 53): "If his prayer extends beyond two rak‘ahs, he sits after them in the iftirāsh position, recites the tashahhud, and sends blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ alone, without [mentioning] his family [at this point]. He then stands while saying the takbīr, supporting himself with his hands; and once he has stood upright, he raises them level with his shoulders." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.