On this page I have listed some Fatawa regarding Women from the book Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women.  This book is compiled by Muhammad bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Musnad and published by Darussalam.  The ruling on Hijab was sent to me from a fellow sister.

Aqeedah

The ruling concerning celebrating birthday

Question:  What is the ruling concerning birthday's?

Response:  Celebrating birthdays has no source whatsoever in the pure Shari'ah.  In fact, it is an innovation, since the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Whosever introduces anything into this matter of ours that does not belong to it shall have that action rejected.".... page 33.

Knowledge

Question:  The Messenger of Allah () used to set a special day for teaching matters of religion to the women.  He also used to permit them to be behind the men in the mosque in order to seek knowledge.  Why do the scholars not follow the example of the Messenger of Allah ()?...

Response:  There is no doubt that such was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (), as well as the scholars......  There is nothing to prevent a woman from attending lectures, with the condition that she is properly dressed and is not exposing any of her beauty.  page 60

Marriage

Ruling concerning using birth control pills

Question:  What is the ruling concerning the use of birth control pills by a marries couple?

Response:  It is not allowed for a wife to us birth control pills out of dislike for having many children or out of fear of having to support the children.  It is permissible to use them to prevent pregnancy due to some illness that may harm the woman if she becomes pregnant or if she cannot give birth in the natural fashion but is in need of a medical operation to give birth.  The and other cases are permissible due to necessity.  In those types of cases, she may use birth control pills unless she learns from specialized doctors that those pills my be harmful to her in some fashion.  page 163

A Muslim Woman may not be wed to a disbeliever

Question:  Is it allowed for a Muslim woman to marry a Muslim man who embraced Islam simply because of her?  That is, he asked her marry him and told her that he would leave his religion and enter Islam....

Response:  It is not allowed for a Muslim woman to marry a non-Muslim man.  This is because Allah has said,

"They [Muslim women] are not lawful for them [the disbelievers] nor are they [the disbelievers] lawful for them" (al-Mumtahana 10)....

Hijab

  Question:  Do Muslim women have to wear Hijab in front of kafir women?

I have heard that a kafir woman is forbidden to look at a Muslim woman without her Hijab. Is this applicable to my mother-in-law who is an unbeliever

Praise be to Allah.

1. The scholars differed concerning the ruling on whether Muslim women can take off their Hijab in front of non-Muslim women, because they differed in their interpretation of the ayah in Surah al-Noor (interpretation of the meaning):

“… and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands… or their women…” [al-Noor 24:31].

There are three views concerning the Tafseer of this phrase:

1. That it means Muslim women;

2. That it means all women, Muslim and non-Muslim;

3. That it means Muslim women preferably but this is not binding.

1. The more correct view – and Allah knows best – is that it is permissible for a Muslim woman to appear (without Hijab) in front of a kafir woman, unless she fears that the woman may describe her to her husband or to any other stranger (non-mahram man). In that case she has to keep her Hijab on in front of that woman. There is no difference between a kafir woman and a corrupt Muslim woman in this case.

2. Among the evidence (daleel) that it is permissible to take off Hijab in front of a kafir woman is the Hadith of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in which she mentions that a Jewish woman came in to see her and said, “May Allah protect you from the torment of the grave…” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1007; Muslim, 584).

   Sheikh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

   “It is not obligatory to wear Hijab in front of them – non-Muslim women – because they are like all other women according to the more correct of the two scholarly views.”

   (Fatawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 2/582).

3. What the Muslim woman can uncover in front of a kafir woman is the same as what she can uncover in front of her mahrams, i.e., the places of adornment or the places of Wudu’.

Sheikh Muhammad Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “In front of her mahrams she can uncover her face, head, neck, hands, forearms, feet and calves, and she should cover everything else.”

(Fatawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 1/417).

And Allah knows best.

General

1087

Ruling on saying “I am a Salafi”

I have come to know a person who follows the Salafi da’wah and I have read a book about this movement. I believe that the Salafi da’wah is correct and that those who follow it have the sound ‘aqeedah (belief), but there are some matters I want to ask about:

0. How correct is it from an Islamic point of view to use the word “Salafi” and to describe oneself in this way?

1. If a person says that he is a Salafi, is he praising

2. himself? Is this considered to be dividing the ummah?

3. If we tell the Sufis that their madhhab is not correct, and that neither the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or his Companions taught it, they will respond that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or his Companions did not use the word “Salafi” either, so how should we reply to them?

Praise be to Allah.

We can answer this question with the following points:

0. Each person is obliged to follow the guidance of the Messenger of Allah  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions. This is the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah and the followers of the righteous predecessors (al-salaf al-saalih). Allah says (interpretation of the meanings):

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah (above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I am not of the mushrikeen (polytheists… those who worship others along with Allah or set up rivals or partners to Allah).” [Yoosuf 12:108]

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the oath he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination!” [al-Nisa’ 4:115]

Whoever follows the way of the Messenger of Allah  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) belongs to the salaf al-saalih, even if the people call him something else; by the same token, whoever goes against it and deviates from the Sunnah is an innovator, even if he claims to be a Salafi.

1. If a person calls himself a Salafi to express his gratitude for having been guided to this way, or to clearly distinguish himself from innovation, then this is OK and is allowed in Islam. But if he says it only for the purpose of praising himself, then this is not allowed, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… therefore justify not yourselves…” [al-Najm 53:32 – Yusuf ‘Ali’s translation]. Similarly, it is not allowed if it is said in a spirit of tribalism or sectarianism, because such attitudes are forbidden, as is clear from the following story: Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “A man from the Muhaajireen shoved a man from the Ansaar from behind, so each man’s people gathered around him, saying ‘O Muhaajireen (come and help)!’ or ‘O Ansaar (come and help)!’ News of this reached the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he said, ‘Stop this, for it is repulsive.’ Then he said, ‘What is this call of the people of jaahiliyyah? What is this call of the people of jaahiliyyah?’” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 14105; the hadeeth is also to be found in al-Saheehayn). The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called it the call of the people of jaahiliyyah and described it as repulsive, even though the words “Ansaari” and “Muhaajiri” are Islamic words, the first referring to those who supported Allah and His Messenger, and the second referring to those who left the land of kufr and migrated to Allah and His Messenger. Why were they described in this manner? Because in this instance, the words were not used in a permissible fashion; the usage was a sectarian and political one that could have led to fighting between the two groups. The same applies to the word “Salafi”.

2. If the Ahl al-Sunnah and the salaf draw a line between themselves and the innovators, this is not considered to be dividing the ummah, as those who criticize the use of this word think is the case, but this distancing of oneself has to be done in accordance with the degree of bid’ah – whether it is major or minor – and should be regulated by the overall interests of the Islamic da’wah.

3. The Sufi claims mentioned in the question are not valid. The denunciation is not merely because of the word “Sufi”, which is a general word that may be applied to things approved of in Islam, such as asceticism (zuhd) and fear of Allah, or it may be applied to innovations such as monasticism and extremism. Rather the denunciation is because of the various types of shirk, major and minor, that are connected with Sufism and its tareeqahs. The word Tasawwuf (Sufism) now refers to the Sufi tareeqahs and the kinds of innovations they have. Sufism – as is obvious from their books and how Sufis actually are – includes deviant ideas of kufr, such as hulool (incarnation or the belief that the Creator may be indwelling in His creation – exalted be Allah above what they say), ittihaad (union) and wahdat al-wujood (pantheism or the unity of existence, which is the belief that the Creator and His creation are the same thing, and that everything in existence is Allah – exalted be Allah above what they say), and going to extremes in what they say about the awliya’, in addition to their innovations in the matter of acts of worship and awraad (du’aa’s).

4. The one who is seeking salvation has to work hard to gain beneficial knowledge and do righteous deeds, and he should avoid vain arguments and futile discussions in which there is no benefit.

We ask Allah to help us and you to follow the truth and act upon it. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

 

more to come Insha' Allah

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