Impermissibility of using Facebook for Da'wah

Answered by Sheikh Abu ‘Amr Abdul Kareem Al Hajooree حفظه الله of Yemen

                                                                                                                                              

Question: There is a website called Facebook which has become well known and is widely used all over the world. On this website every person has their own page where they can write in and post their pictures. Through the use of this website, men and women are able to look at one another’s pictures and they often meet up through this website. Furthermore, it has also been mentioned in some of the newspapers and news reports that cases of kidnap, adultery and fornication have directly increased because of this website. Now some of Ahl us-sunnah have started to use this website in the name of Da’wah. So, is it permissible for us to utilize this website whilst knowing all of what has been mentioned?

Answer:

Our Lord The Most High says in His Noble Book,

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا

'And those who do not witness falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.'

(Al-Furqan 25:72)

And from the meanings of to witness is to take part in or to be present for. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says,

“So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadhan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month.”

- Meaning is whoever is present for and takes part in (that month).

So it is NOT permissible for any Muslim who fears Allaah to use this website and partake of it. This is especially due to what has been mentioned from the corruption and widespread evil which is present within it from pictures and the meeting of women as well as that which takes place because of this website from illegal sexual intercourse and kidnappings and other than that from the crimes which occur.

Woman leaving her house for a short spell to get relief from house work

Answered by : Sheikh Abdullah Aryani حفظه الله

Question: At times, the woman finds some form of discomfort in the house by constantly being around the kids. So, she feels that she needs to leave the house for a (short spell) and hence leave the house in order to comfort herself. What is the ruling of this action of hers i.e. going out?

Answer: There is nothing wrong with the woman leaving her house for her needs with two conditions.

1) That she does not go to areas which are impermissible for her to go to, nor is it allowed for her to go to an area where there is free-mixing.

2) That she goes out along abiding by the conditions of Shar'iah, dressed appropriately and so forth.

She is permitted to go out to visit her close relatives, family members, friends and companions,  to attend the sittings of knowledge and to perform salāh in the masaajid. It is a MUST that she seeks her husband's permission (prior to her departure).  She Should NOT leave except with the consent of her husband.

Also, she should NOT prolong her stay outside her home.  Rather, she should attend to her needs and returns home right away.  The responsibility of the woman and her role is in the house and around the kids. So, it is not befitting that she makes it a habit to often go out of her house. For indeed her house is the BEST place and abode for her.

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى said,

Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 33:

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

'And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salât (Iqamât­as­Salât), and give Zakât and obey Allâh and His Messenger. Allâh wishes only to remove Ar-­Rijs (evil deeds and sins, etc.) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم), and to purify you with a thorough purification.'

(Al-Ahzab 33:33)

Quote

Privilege of Salaah over other acts of `Ibaadah:

Sheikh Saalih Al-`Uthaimeen  رحمه الله

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

In respect to al-Salaah (prayer), not only is the reward multiplied, but also the actions:

(In the beginning), Salaah (prayer) Fifty times a day was made compulsory, and this shows the extent of the love of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى and His concern for them. But (later on) they were reduced, so that they are Five in action but Fifty in the Scale – as if the person (actually) prayed Fifty times (in a day). It is not to be understood in the terms that the reward for a good deed will be multiplied Ten times. If it was the case – that the reward for the good deed (i.e. prayer) is multiplied Ten times (only) – then the prayer would have had no privilege over the other forms of worship, because for every form of worship is rewarded Ten times. But what is apparent is that the reward of actually praying Fifty times (a day) is written for the person. What confirms this is the fact that the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم and he is the Imaam of this Ummah – accepted the obligation of praying Fifty times a day and was pleased with them. Thereafter Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى reduced them (in numbers), but He سُبحانه وتعالى kept the reward for the Ummah (as it is) upon what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had initially accepted and was pleased with – i.e. Fifty prayers.

The evidence for this is what al-Bukhaaree has reported in his Saheeh on the authority of Anas رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

«فراجَعته ـ يعني: الله ـ فقال: {هي خمس وهي خمسون}»

“So I returned to Allaah and He سُبحانه وتعالى said:{These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty}.”

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (349) and Saheeh Muslim (242)]

Examine carefully the speech of everyone you hear from (particularly) in your time particularly

Imaam Abu Muhammadal Barbahaaree (d. 329 H رحمه الله), said in 
his Sharh Us-Sunnah:

May Allaah have mercy upon you! Examine carefully the speech of everyone you hear from in your time particularly. So do not act in haste and do not enter in anything from it until you ask and see: Did any of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allaah’s praise and salutations be upon him, speak about it, or did any of the scholars? So if you find a narration from them about it, cling to it, do not go beyond it for anything and do not give precedence to anything over it and thus fall into the Fire.

In Explanation to the above Sheikh Saaleh al-Fawzaan (حفظه الله) mentioned :

Do not be hasty in accepting as correct what you may hear from the people especially in these later times. As now there are many who speak about so many various matters, issue rulings and ascribing to themselves both knowledge and the right to speak. This is especially the case after the emergence and spread of new modern day media technologies. Such that everyone now can speak and bring forth that which is in truth worthless; by this meaning words of no true value – speaking about whatever they wish in the name of knowledge and in the name of the religion of Islaam.

It has even reached the point that you find the people of misguidance and the members of the various groups of misguidance and deviance from the religion speaking as well. Such individuals have now become those who speak in the name of the religion of Islaam through means such as the various satellite television channels. Therefore be very cautious!

It is upon you O Muslim, and upon you O student of knowledge individually, to verify matters and not rush to embrace everything and anything you hear.

It is upon you to verify the truth of what you hear, asking, ‘Who else makes this same statement or claim?’, ‘Where did this thought or concept originate or come from?’, ‘Who is its reference or source authority?’

Make yourself Patient upon the SUNNAH..!

Imaam Al-Awzaa’ee رحمه الله (d.157) said:

“Make yourself patient upon the Sunnah, stop where the people stopped, speak with what they spoke with, and refrain from what they refrained from. And follow the path of your Righteous Predecessors (Salafus Saaliheen) for verily, sufficient for you is that which was sufficient for them.”

[Related in Ash-Sharee’ah, by Al-Aajurree, pg.58]

Who is Allaah?

Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله described the greatness of Allaah in the Most Beautiful way:

"He is controlling the affairs of all the kingdoms. He commands and prohibits, creates and gives provision, and gives death and gives life. He raises and lowers people’s status, alternates night and day, gives days (good and not so good) to men by turns, and causes nations to rise and fall, so that one nation vanishes and another emerges. His command and decree are carried out throughout the heavens and on earth, above it and below it, in the oceans and in the air. He has knowledge of all things and knows the number of all things. He hears all voices, and does not mistake one for another; He hears them all, in all the different languages and with all their varied requests and pleas. No voice distracts Him from hearing another, He does not confuse their requests, and He never tires of hearing the pleas of those in need. He sees all that is visible, even the walk of a black ant across a solid rock in the darkest night. The unseen is visible to Him, and secrets are known to Him.

يَسْأَلُهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ    
'Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth begs of Him (its needs from Him). Every day He has a matter to bring forth (such as giving honour to some, disgrace to some, life to some, death to some, etc.)! '

(Ar-Rahman 55:29)

He forgives sins, eases worries, relieves distress, helps the defeated person back on his feet, makes the poor rich, guides the one who is astray and confused, fulfils the needs of the desperate, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, conceals faults, and calms fears. He raises the status of some and lowers the status of others. Even if all the inhabitants of heaven and earth, the first and the last of them, mankind and jinn alike, were to be as pious as the most pious among them, this would not increase His sovereignty in the slightest; if they all, the first and the last of them, mankind and jinn alike, were to be as rebellious as the most rebellious among them, this would not decrease His sovereignty in the slightest. If everything in heaven and on earth, the first and the last of them, mankind and jinn, living and dead, animate and inanimate, were to stand in one place and ask of Him, and He were to give them everything that they asked for, this would not decrease what He has by even an atom’s weight.

Nurturing children upon CARTOONS

Sheikh Saleh Al Fawzaan حفظه الله was asked:

What is the ruling on nurturing children upon Cartoons of which the goal is to benefit them and teach them good manners?

The Sheikh حفظه الله said:

Allaah made pictures Haraam, and it is Haraam to acquire them so how can we nurture our children upon them?? How can we nurture them upon something that is Haraam, upon pictures that are Haraam and drawings that move and speak and are similar to human beings? This is an evil picture and it is unlawful to nurture children upon it.

This is what the Kuffar want. They want us to oppose what the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم prohibited us from. And the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم prohibited us from pictures, and using them, and acquiring them. And those who spread it (cartoons) between the youth and the Muslims, claiming that it is from nurturing (the children) then this is immoral nurturing. And the correct nurturing is to teach them what will benefit them in their religion and worldly affairs.

Q: What is the ruling on watching and buying Islaamic animated-cartoon movies, given that these movies present purposeful and beneficial stories for children which promote good character, dutifulness to parents, honesty, offering Salah (Prayer) regularly and the like.