561. Is It Haraam To Keep Images Of Animate Beings In Our Homes And Shops

By Asma Bint Shameem

First of all, it is haraam to keep images of animate beings in our homes and shops. 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image.” (Ibn Maajah -- saheeh by al-Albaani)

As for offering prayers in a room where there’s an image or a statue:

The majority of the scholars say that it is makrooh (allowed but disliked) to pray in a room that has images in it. 

But others said it is absolutely prohibited. 

Ibn Tayimiyah said: 

“The correct view, which was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and others, and is mentioned in reports from Ahmad and others, is that if there are images in it (the church), he should not pray there, because the angels do not enter the room in which there are images, and because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did not enter the Ka‘bah until the images that were in it had been erased. This is what ‘Umar said: “We would not enter their churches if there were images in them.”

(Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 22/162)

And Al-Shibramalsi said: 

“It is makrooh to pray in a garment on which there is an image, or on a cloth on which there is an image, even if one is blind or it is dark, or the image is behind his back or placed face downwards on the ground so that he cannot see it when he prays on it (the cloth). This is clear, so as to keep away from the image which is forbidden.”

(Haashiyat Nihaayat al-Muhtaaj, 2/14)

So we cannot keep any kind of 2D or 3D images of living beings. 

But if you’re in some place where there are images and there’s no other choice but to offer your prayer there, otherwise you would miss your prayer, then you can go ahead and pray there and the prayer would be valid. 

But try to cover the picture with something or move it away if possible. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“It is haraam to keep images or statues and put them in houses, 

because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said to ‘Ali radhi Allaahu anhu: 

“Do not leave any image without erasing it or any built-up grave without levelling it.” 

And because he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image.” 

It is makrooh to pray in a room in which there are pictures hanging or statues, especially if they are in front of the person when he faces the qiblah. But the prayer is *valid*. 

[Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/377) [vol. 2]

And Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“As for the prayer, it is *valid*, but it is *makrooh* to pray in a place in which there are images except in the case of *necessity*; if nothing else is available, then there is nothing wrong with it.”

And Allaah knows best

560. Taking The Husband’s Name After Marriage……Not Based On Sharee’ah

By Asma bint Shameem

In our eagerness to copy everyone around us, we Muslims have adopted many of their practices which have no basis in the Sharee’ah. 

And among them is the practice of a woman changing her family name to that of her husband after she gets married. 

The fact is that Islam does not require woman to change her name at marriage and there is nothing in the Sunnah to indicate that a woman should take her husband’s name after she gets married.

Actually, the Ulama tell us that this is an innovated practice that is not approved of in Islaam.

Now, I know some people will say…

“ Oh, come on…What is the big deal?!!”

So read on and you will know what I mean….

The wives of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) are the Mothers of the Believers, and the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam), is the noblest of people and the best example. 

And yet when we look at their example, we will realize that when the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) married any of his wives, NOT ONE of them took his name. 

On the contrary, each one of them kept her father’s name even if her father was a kaafir. 

Similarly, the wives of the Sahaabah and those who came after them did not change their names. 

Did you ever think why they didn’t do that?

Surely, if it was a good thing, the wives of the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) would have done it and the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) would himself have instructed it and encouraged them to do it.

That is because it is Allaah’s order to keep your father’s name as an indication of your lineage.

“Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allaah…” [al-Ahzaab 33:5].

And the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 

"Whoever calls himself by other than his father’s

name, will be cursed by Allaah, the angels and all the people." (Ibn Maajah -Saheeh by al-Albaani).

And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) also said: 

“Whoever knowingly claims to belong to anyone other than his father, Paradise will be denied him.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim).

Now some might argue….

“But the woman is not claiming that her father is someone else. She is just honoring her husband or she doesn’t mean it that way. She just wants to belong to her husband out of love for him.”

To those people I say….

If it was a matter of honor to have the husbands name attached to the wife’s, wouldn’t our Ummahaat have done that?

Isn’t it the biggest honor in the WORLD to have the name of the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) attached to yours?

And yet the wives of the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) didn’t do that. 

Ever wondered why??

And if it was a matter of expressing love for the husband, no relationship between a husband and wife on the face of this earth was better than the relationship between the Prophet(Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) and his wives. 

And yet none of the Mothers of the Believers expressed their love for the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) by changing their last names.

The last name is an indication of the father of the person and represents the person’s lineage. 

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd said: 

“This is one of the beauties of Sharee’ah, because calling a person by his father’s name is more appropriate for knowing who is who and telling people apart…..” (Tasmiyat al-Mawlood, 30, 31).

Originally, the woman is ‘the Daughter of So and so’, and NOT ‘the wife of So and so’. 

Since there is no blood relationship between the husband and wife, how can she take his last name as if she is part of the same lineage? 

Also what happens if she gets divorced, or her husband dies, and she  marries another man? 

Will she keep changing her last name every time she marries another man? 

In addition to this, there are rulings attached to the woman being named after her father, which have to do with her inheritance, spending and who is her mahram, etc. 

Taking her husband’s last name overlooks all that. 

Also, if you think about it, the husband is named after his own father, and what does she have to do with the lineage of her husband’s father? This goes against common sense and true facts. 

Besides, the husband has nothing that makes him better than his wife’s father. 

So why should she give up her father’s name and  take her husband’s last name?

And why does the man get to keep his father’s name and not the woman?

It just doesn’t make any sense.

Sheikh Salih Al-Munajjid says:

“A woman changing her family name to that of her husband after she gets married is Haraam and is not allowed in Sharee’ah, because it is not permissible for anyone to claim to belong to anyone other than his or her father…… And Allaah knows best.” 

Not only is it so in this world,  but, we will also be called by our father‘s name in the Hereafter as well. 

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“On the Day of Resurrection, each betrayer will have a banner raised beside him, and it will be said, this is the betrayer of So and so, the son of So and so.” (Bukhaari, Muslim).

So, all you single females out there, don’t be in such a hurry to change your maiden name after you get married. 

And those of you who have already done that, it is never too late. 

Take back your maiden name and reclaim your identity. It is part of the Sharee’ah.

559. Are There Any Duaas Before, During And After Wudhu?

By Asma bint Shameem 

Wudhu is an act of worship and so is duaa. 

And since all acts of ibaadah are ‘tawqeefi’, meaning they have to have PROOF from the Qur’aan or authentuc ahaadeeth, we cannot bring in ‘our’ way of making wudhu and we cannot start saying Duaas on our own in our own way. 

We should only make wudhu the way the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam made wudhu and we should say only those duaas that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said, EXACTLY the ‘way’ he said them, and in the ‘places’ where he said them, when making wudhu. 

Let’s see what those duaas are. 

1. BEFORE Wudhu

It is highly recommended to start your wudhu by saying:

بسم الله

“Bismillaah”

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“There is no wudhu for one who does not mention the name of Allaah in it.” (al-Tirmidhi - saheeh by al-Albaani)

It’s so important that some of the ulama even considered it obligatory to say Bismillaah before wudhu. 

So don’t forget to say it. 

2. DURING Wudhu

There’s NOTHING proven from the Qur’aan or authentic hadeeth that any duaa or any dhikr is to be said DURING wudhu. 

What some of us were taught to say during wudhu as we wash each part has NO BASIS. 

So there’s NO PROOF of saying la ilaaha ilallaah or Astaghfirullaah or Subhaan Allaah or ANY OTHER dhikr or duaa while washing the different parts in wudhu. 

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“It is not narrated from him Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam that he used to say anything in his wudhu apart from saying Bismillaah. Every hadeeth which speaks of du’aa’s to be said in wudhu’ is FALSE and FABRICATED. The Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam  did not say any of these things and he did not teach them to his ummah.”  [Zaad al-Ma’aad(1/195)] 

And Imaam an-Nawawi said:

“As for the du’aa’s that are said when washing various parts of the body in wudhu, NO such thing has been narrated from the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.” [al-Adhkaar (p. 30)]

3. AFTER wudhu:

a) The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“There is no one among you who does wudoo; and does it well, then says, 

أشْهَدُ أنْ لا إله إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيك لَهُ ، وأشْهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ 

Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu was rasooluhu 

“I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger” but the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he will enter through whichever one he wants.” (Muslim)

b) He also said:

  اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي    مِنَ التَوَّابِينَ ، واجْعَلْني مِنَ المُتَطَهِّرِينَ

“Allaahumm aj’alni min al-tawwaabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhireena 

“O Allaah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves.” 

(at-Tirmidhi - saheeh by al-Albaani)

c) A third duaa to be said:

 سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وبِحَمْدِكَ ، أشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إِلاَّ أنْتَ ، أسْتَغْفِرُكَ وأتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

“subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka

“Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You”

(al-Nasaa’i - saheeh by al-Albaani)

Say all the above three duaas at the end of your wudhu. 

Some IMPORTANT points:

Do note that it is NOT proven from the authentic Sunnah to raise the index finger or look up towards the sky while saying the duaa/shahadah after wudhu. 

Similarly, there’s NO PROOF to say any “specific surah” before, after or during wudhu. 

Also remember that when saying any duaa or dhikr, whether for wudhu or in Salaah or at any other time, we should MOVE our lips and tongue and not just ‘think’ about them in the head or ‘say’ them in our heart. 

 QUESTION

What if the place I make wudhu is next to the toilet where I relieve myself? Do I still say the duaas for wudhu?

ANSWER

If the toilet/commode area is in the same room as the place for wudhu, you should say Bismillaah and the duaas for wudhu SILENTLY in your HEART. 

That’s because it’s makrooh (disliked) to take Allaah’s Name out of respect in such a place. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“If a person is in the bathroom, then Imam Ahmad said: If a man sneezes he should praise Allaah in his heart. It may be deduced from this report that he should also say ‘Bismillaah’ in his heart.”

[al-Sharh al-Mumti’(1/130)] But some of the ulama are of the opinion that we can say Bismillaah and take Allaah’s name in the bathroom.

 Shaikh Salih al _Fawzaan said: 

“ A person says Bismillaah, even if they are in the bathroom.

Bathrooms today are different to the toilets of the past. 

Today they are flushed and the urine and feces is taken away by the water.”

And Allaah knows best.

558. Which Color Is Forbidden For A Man And Woman ?

By Asma Bint Shameem

Women can wear any color. 

As for men, some of the scholars said they are not allowed to wear solid red or orange. 

Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas said: 

“The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam saw me dressed in two saffron-colored garments and asked, 

“Has your mother commanded you to wear these?” 

I asked him, 

“Shall I wash them out?” 

He replied, 

“You had better set them to fire.” (Muslim)

Another narration says: 

“These are garments of the disbelievers. So do not wear them.” (Muslim)

However some of the ulama say that this ruling was only for clothes dyed with a specific kind of dye. 

Shaikh Assim al-Hakeem said:

“It is permissible for them to wear orange and yellow as long as it is

a norm also in their society. 

The Hadeeth refer to a particular dye that was prohibited such as using saffron.”

That’s why Saffron is forbidden for men to be used even as a perfume. 

Anas radhi Allaahu anhu said: 

“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam forbade men to use saffron.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

At-Tirmidhi said: 

“What is meant by it being disliked for a man to use saffron is for him to perfume himself with saffron.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi )

And Allaah knows best