precious gems of authentic translations

~the Qur.aan and Sunnah according to the understanding of the Salaf~

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]

Eating while standing

Q: “Is it allowed to eat while standing?”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“There is no legislative text to prohibit eating while standing like the text that prohibits drinking while standing. But there is a narration from Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه that when he told those around him in a gathering that the Prophet ﷺ prohibited drinking while standing, someone said to him: ‘What about eating (while standing)?’ and he replied: ‘It is worse.’

I say here, we should follow this Companion because we don’t have anything with which we can contradict him. But what is the distinction between eating while standing and eating while walking? Eating while walking is allowed, because there is legislative text clearly stating that they used to eat while walking during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. As for eating while standing, there is no such text regarding it from the Prophet ﷺ, neither negative nor positive. All we have is this authentic narration from Anas bin Maalik and this is what we act upon.

Moreover, maybe some of you noticed in these times that it has become a fashion for disbelievers to eat while standing although chairs are available; but they don’t sit on them out of pride. In that case, the previous ruling is further strengthened. So we are with the narration of Anas because Anas knew what we don’t know, and because disbelievers nowadays and Muslims who imitate them eat while standing, hence we differ from them.”

[silsilatul-hudaa wan-noor 246 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]

Shaking hands when meeting & parting

Abu Hurairah said that: “When the Prophet ﷺ used to see someone off, he would say:

أَسْتَوْدِعُ اللهَ دِينَكَ وَأَمَانَتَكَ وَخَوَاتِيمَ عَمَلِكَ (I leave your religion, your trusts, and the last of your deeds in Allaah’s protection).”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“A number of benefits can be derived from this authentic narration. First: the lawfulness of seeing someone off with its statement:

أَسْتَوْدِعُ اللهَ دِينَكَ وَأَمَانَتَكَ وَخَوَاتِيمَ عَمَلِكَ

The traveler then responds to him by saying:

أَسْتَوْدِعُكُمُ اللهَ الَّذِي لا تَضِيعُ وَدَائِعُهُ (I entrust you to Allaah whose trusts are never lost).[1]

Second: taking hold of one hand when shaking hands (al-musaafahah), which has been mentioned in many narrations. This is what its linguistic derivation indicates, as Lisaan al-`Arab states that: ‘Al-musaafahah is taking hold of the hand, the same as at-tasaafuh. A man shakes hands with another man if he places the safh of his hand in the safh of the other’s hand, safh meaning the front (palm). An example of this is the narration about al-musaafahah upon meeting, which is an interaction of joining one palm to another and turning face-to-face.’ I say: some of the afore-mentioned narrations report this meaning as well, like the marfoo` narration of Hudhaifah: ‘Indeed, if a believer meets another believer then greets him with the salaam and takes hold of his hand and shakes hands with him, their sins fall off as leaves of trees do.’[2] Al-Mundhiri (3/270) said: ‘At-Tabaraani reported it in al-Awsat, and I don’t know of anyone who was refuted among its narrators.’ I say: it has supporting narrations that raise it to the level of saheeh, such as the narration of Anas mentioned by ad-Dhiyaa al-Maqdisi in al-Mukhtaarah (240/2-1) which al-Mundhiri attributed to Ahmad and others. All these narrations show that the way of the Prophet in shaking hands is to take hold of one hand; hence handshaking with both hands which some of the shaikhs do is against the Sunnah, so let this be known.

Third: shaking hands is legislated at the time of parting as well, which is supported by the general meaning of his ﷺ statement: ‘Shaking hands is part of perfecting the greeting of salaam.’ This is a jayyid narration considering its chains of narration, and perhaps we will dedicate a special chapter to it if Allaah تعالى wills. Then I traced these chains of narration and it became clear to me that they are extremely weak, which cannot be used as supporting evidence to strengthen the narration. Hence, I reported it in as-Silsilah adh-Dha`eefah 1288. The basis for using it as evidence, rather supporting evidence, only becomes clear if one remembers the lawfulness of giving the salaam when parting as well due to his ﷺ statement: ‘If one of you enters a gathering then let him give the salaam, and if he goes to leave then let him give the salaam, as the former is not more deserving than the latter.’[3] Abu Daawood, at-Tirmidhi and others reported it with a hasan chain of narration. So what some people say –that shaking hands at the time of parting is an innovation– is baseless. Yes, whoever looks at the narrations about shaking hands upon meeting will find them to be more numerous and stronger than those about shaking hands when parting. A naturally intelligent person will conclude that the lawfulness of the second handshaking is not like the first one in rank. The first one is sunnah and the second one is mustahabb. As for the second one being an innovation, then no, due to the evidence that we mentioned. On the other hand, shaking hands immediately after the prayers is an innovation no doubt, unless it is between two people who had not met before that, in which case it would be sunnah as you learned.”

[1] Saheeh al-Kalim at-Tayyib 168 [2] As-Silsilah as-Saheehah 526 [3] Saheeh Abu Daawood 5208, Saheeh at-Tirmidhi 2706

[as-sisilah as-saheehah 16 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

Eating with three fingers

Q: “Does it occur in the Sunnah to eat with three fingers in general with respect to all food or just with thareed (a dish of meat and bread)?”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“There isn’t anything in the Prophet’s ﷺ Sunnah that would help us answer this question. There isn’t anything except that the Prophet ﷺ used to eat with three fingers; but what we should say about the meaning of this hadeeth is:

This hadeeth definitely does not mean that it is impermissible for a Muslim to eat with other means like spoons that are well-known today. Rather it only means that if a Muslim eats a type of food that can be eaten with three fingers, then he does not show that he is greedy with the food such that he eats with the whole hand when he is able to eat like Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ would eat: with three fingers. This is the first point. Secondly, it is known that meat gravy for example cannot be eaten with three fingers so here one must use other means to eat it. This is from the worldly affairs; it is not from the affairs of the religion, all the rulings of which Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ was charged to convey to the people. Regarding the worldly affairs, he ﷺ said: ‘You are more knowledgeable about your worldly affairs than me.’”[1]

[1] Saheeh al-Jaami` 1488

[silsilatul-hudaa wan-noor 692 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

Closing down Tumblr account?

Asalaamu alaykum, I hope everyone is well. I am considering closing down my Tumblr account just because it's becoming a bit difficult to update and post on so many social media accounts. I currently post on my WordPress, Twitter and FB accounts. If you have an account on any of these you can easily access the same benefits inshaaAllaah. But I wanted to know how many people have only Tumblr accounts through which they want to keep getting posts? Please let me know. Depending on how many people reply or comment, I'll make the decision from there inshaaAllaah. BaarakAllaahu feekum! -Umm J. Sa'diyyah

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]

Exaltations/Supplications of the morning and evening

Q: “When is the time for making the morning and evening adhkaar (exaltations/ supplications)?”

Shaikh al-Albaani: “The morning adhkaar are said after Fajr and the evening adhkaar are said after `Asr.”

Q: “Okay, what is the proof for this O Shaikh? We heard in Afghanistan that you said the evening adhkaar are said after Maghrib?”

Shaikh: “No, it’s after `Asr.”

Q: “Okay, what is the proof for this?”

Shaikh: “Because evening linguistically starts after `Asr.”

[silsilat ul-hudaa wa nnoor 192/6 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Indeed, women are the counterparts of men’ (as-silsilah as-saheehah 2863) i.e. every ruling in which men are being addressed, women are also included except for that which is made an exception.

Shaikh al-Albaani

[alalbaany]

A resident may combine prayers to avoid difficulties

Q: “Is it allowed for a resident to combine Dhuhr and `Asr prayers without any excuse?” Shaikh al-Albaani: “Imaam Muslim reported in his Saheeh that Ibn `Abbaas said: ‘Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ combined Dhuhr with `Asr and Maghrib with `Ishaa in Madinah when he wasn’t on a journey nor was there any rain.’ They said: ‘Why did he do that O Abu l-`Abbaas?’ This was `Abdullaah bin `Abbaas’s kunyah. He replied: ‘So he would not make things difficult for his ummah.’’[1] What is apparent from the narration is that it is permissible to combine two prayers while being a resident and without the excuse of rain, as rain is a legislated excuse that allows the combining of two prayers. And here Ibn `Abbaas says that the Prophet ﷺ combined while he was a resident and combined without the excuse of rain, and he confirmed that when he was asked the previous question ‘Why did he do that?’ by saying: ‘So he would not make things difficult for his ummah.’ This is the narration, and it is in Saheeh Muslim not al-Bukhaari. The same meaning is found in al-Bukhaari: that he combined prayers in Madinah as eight rak`ahs,[2] but it does not have this elaboration that Imaam Muslim reported from Ibn `Abbaas which contains this important subtlety – i.e. his رضي الله عنه statement ‘So he would not make things difficult for his ummah’ in answer to that question. So some scholars of both old and recent times hold that this combining is permissible for a resident without any excuse, and I don’t consider this correct because the narrator justifies the Messenger’s ﷺ combining without an excuse with another excuse: which is to legislate and explain to the people, as Ibn `Abbaas said ‘So he ﷺ would not make things difficult for his ummah.’ This means that the ruling of combining as a resident is restricted to the presence of difficulty if one were to not combine. So when there is difficulty in performing the prayers in their known appointed times, it is permissible to combine to avoid the difficulty, which Allaah عز وجل negated in the likes of His Statement: {He has not placed any difficulty upon you in the religion}.[3] But if there is no difficulty, it is obligatory to maintain performing the five prayers, each prayer in its time, because there is no difficulty. For example, I am sitting here and I hear the adhaan there in the nearby mosque and I am able to go out without any difficulty, then it is not permissible for me to combine. And vice versa: when I came on this trip I found that this electric elevator wasn’t working, and it is very difficult for me as you can see to go up or down by stairs because of a pain in my knees; so some prayers went by and I didn’t go out to the mosque, but when the electric elevator was fixed and saved me the difficulty of going up and down, it became obligatory upon me to pray every prayer in the mosque because I no longer experienced the difficulty I had when I just came here. Therefore, combining is only allowed to avoid difficulty; and when there is no difficulty, there is no combining. These are two inseparable matters: when there is no difficulty, there is no combining; when there is difficulty, there is combining. This is the best that can be said to reconcile between this authentic narrration and the narrations which clearly state that every prayer is to be prayed in its appointed time and that it is not allowed to distract oneself from it – especially since in most circumstances, combining necessitates that one leaves praying with the congregation, like my initial situation that I described to you.” [1] Saheeh Muslim 705, Musnad Ahmad 4/192 [2] Saheeh al-Bukhaari 543 [3] Surah al-Hajj 22:78 [fataawaa jeddah 13/5 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

Entering Paradise "for" your deeds

The Prophet ﷺ said: “‘None of you will enter Paradise for his deeds.’ They asked: ‘Not even you O Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ?’ He replied: ‘Not even me, unless Allaah covers me with His Favor and Mercy.’”[1]

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“Know that this narration may be problematic to some people and they may presume that it contradicts Allaah’s تعالى statement: {This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit forwhat you used to do}[2] and similar verses and narrations which point out that entering Paradise happens for one’s deeds. This has been addressed in several ways, the most correct answer being that: the preposition “for” in the narration means “for the price of,” and the “for” in the verse means “because of.” In other words, righteous deeds are a necessary means to entering Paradise, however they don’t amount to the price for entering Paradise and its everlasting bliss and ranks.”

[1] Saheeh Muslim 2816 [2] Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:72

[as-sisilah as-saheehah 2602 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]

The Kursi is Allaah's Footstool

Imaam at-Tahaawiyy said:

“The `Arsh (Throne) and the Kursi (Footstool) are real.”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“Allaah تعالى said about the Kursi: {His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth}.[1] The Kursi is that which is in front of the `Arsh; and it has been authentically reported that Ibn `Abbaas said: ‘The Kursi is the place for the two Feet, and no one can tell how vast the `Arsh is except Allaah تعالى,’ as narrated in my book Mukhtasar Al-`Uluw lith-Thahabi no. 36.[2]

There isn’t any authentic report ascribable to the Prophet ﷺ regarding the Kursi besides his ﷺ statement: ‘The seven heavens in comparison to the Kursi are just like a ring thrown in a desert, and the greatness of the `Arsh over the Kursi is like the greatness of that desert over that ring.’ This is something which also invalidates interpreting the Kursi as ‘knowledge,’ and this interpretation is not an authentic report from Ibn `Abbaas as I clarified in As-Saheehah no. 109.”

[1] Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 [2] Abu Musa al-Ash`ari also said: “The Kursi is the place for the two Feet, and it creaks like a camel saddle does under heavy load” –Mukhtasar Al-`Uluw lith-Thahabi no. 85

[al-`aqeedah at-tahaawiyyah sharh wa ta`leeq 49 / alalbaany.com]

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]

[alalbaany]