Dar al-Ifta Ahl al-Sunnah
1. Taking a vow for other than Allah Almighty?
Q: What do the honourable scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: what is the ruling on taking a vow for one of the pious predecessors? Zayd claims that it is specific to Allah Almighty, so can we not take a vow for other than Allah Almighty?
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
A: There are two types of vows, viz: Islamically binding and customary. The Islamically binding vow is formed when the person vows to perform a non-obligatory act of worship for Allah. For example, he says, “If I recover from this illness, I will pray 100 units of supererogatory salah.” There are conditions for the validity of such a vow, and if they are fulfilled, it will be compulsory (wājib) to carry out the vow.
The meaning of a customary vow is a gift or offering. For example, a person may vow to gift the reward of an act of charity to the prophets and awliya. He may say something like, “If I recover from this illness, I will feed people in the name of so-and-so saint.” This is a customary vow. Although it is not compulsory to carry it out, it is better to do so.
It is permissible to make a customary vow for any prophet or saint, but not for Allah Almighty, because a person’s intention here is to carry out a righteous action for the sake of Allah Almighty, but transmit its reward to an honourable personality, and there is no harm in this. This is also referred to as “niyaz”. However, an Islamically binding vow can only be made for Allah Almighty alone; it is forbidden to make this type of vow for anyone else.
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم
Written by: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
2. Prostration of thankfulness after Asr salah
Q: What do the honourable scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: can one perform the prostration of thankfulness (sajdah al-shukr) after Asr salah?
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
A: The prostration of thankfulness or the salah of thankfulness is a supererogatory prayer. The noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم forbade supererogatory prayer after Asr salah. Therefore, offering the prostration or salah of thankfulness after Asr salah is prohibitively disliked (makrūh taḥrīmī) and impermissible.
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم
Written by: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
3. Purchasing business goods on loan instead of borrowing money
Q: What do the honourable scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: I want to take money from my friend for business, and my friend requires some profit on his money too. In order to achieve this, my friend intends to buy the goods that I require, such as kitchen products, hobs, tongs, etc., from the market for 50,000 rupees and then sell it on loan to me for 52,000 rupees. In this manner, he will receive 2,000 rupees in profit, and I will receive the goods that I require. Please shed light on whether this is permissible or not.
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
A: The above-mentioned method is permissible in Islam, and there is no harm in it. This is because it is a type of buying/selling (bayʿ murābaḥa). However, it is important to note that when purchasing the goods on loan from your friend, your friend must have already taken possession of the goods himself or an agent acting on his behalf must do so, and then he can sell them to you; he cannot sell them before taking possession of them.
Similarly, it is also necessary that when agreeing the deal, the time for the loan be stipulated and no impermissible condition is attached to this (e.g., penalty fees). If the time is not stipulated or an impermissible condition, such as a penalty fee, is attached, the contract will become void and impermissible.
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم
Written by: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
4. Method of offering Salat al-Awwabīn
Q: What do the honourable scholars of Islam say regarding the following matter: will praying the 2 sunnah and nafl after Maghrib salah be considered as praying the mustahab Salat al-Awwabīn, or must one offer additional nafl units after the sunnahs?
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
A: Salat al-Awwabīn collectively refers to the 2 sunnah units and 4 nafl units that are offered after the fard units of Maghrib salah. Therefore, if a person offers 2 sunnah units and 4 nafl units after Maghrib salah, his mustahab of praying Salat al-Awwabeen will be fulfilled. However, it will not be considered Salat al-Awwabīn if he only offers 2 sunnah units and 2 nafl units.
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم
Answered by: Abul Faizan Irfan Ahmad Madani
Verified by: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Comments