701. Should A Woman Fast When Her Husband Is Present?

By Asma Bint Shameem

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said: 

“No woman should fast when her husband is present without his permission, and she should not allow anyone to enter his house when he is not present, without his permission.” (al-Bukhari 4899 and Muslim 1026). 

Imaam al-Nawawi said: 

“This hadeeth indicates that the wife should not overlook the right of the husband not to let anyone enter his house except with his permission. This is to be understood as referring to situations where she does not know whether her husband would approve. 

But if she knows that her husband would approve of it, then there is no sin on her, such as one whose custom is to admit guests to a place that is prepared for them, whether he is present or not, so admitting them does not need special permission from him.”

In other words, if there’s a *general understanding* between the husband and wife, and he does not have any objection to her fasting, then she does not have to ask her husband every time she wants to fast. 

But if the husband has clearly told his wife that he does not want her to fast on a *specific* day, then it is not allowed for her to fast that day. 

The basic rule is that the husband is the head of the household and the wife should obey him. 

And part of that obedience is to ask the husband’s permission before fasting and before going somewhere, inviting someone etc. 

And Allaah knows best.

700. Is it Haraam To Bathe a Person?

By Asma Bint Shameem

1. It is haraam for a person to look at the awrah of any other person, especially the area between the navel and the knees. 

So even if one needs help to bathe, he or she does not need to be completely naked. 

Rather they can put a sheet or towel or wear something while they are bathed so that their awrah is not exposed. 

2. If one of the women is handicapped and needs help to bathe, it is only *she* that has to be uncovered. 

The other lady does not need to be naked, even if it’s a mother and daughter or two sisters etc. 

3. A postnatal woman does not need to be bathed. 

She is perfectly able to take her *own bath*. 

People from the Subcontinent pamper the woman who has just delivered to extreme and make her almost like an invalid. 

And that’s not good for her. 

She must get up and do her own chores and be up and about. 

This concept of “staying in bed after delivery” is actually dangerous to her health, speaking as a doctor. 

And Allaah knows best.

699. Don't Spy Or Be Suspicious

By Asma Bint Shameem

It’s not allowed to spy on anyone or be suspicious.

That’s the default. 

We should think positively of others and assume the best.

Allaah says:

‎يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ

‎ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا 

“O you who believe! Stay away from much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not..” 

(Surah al-Hujraat: 12)

And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said :

"O people, who have professed belief verbally, but faith has not yet entered your hearts: 

Do not pry into the affairs of the Muslims. For he, who will pry into the affairs of the Muslims, Allaah will pry into his affairs, and he whom AIlaah follows inquisitively, is DISGRACED by Him even in his own house. " 

(Abu Dawood-saheeh by al-Albaani)

And he said:

“Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech. Do not eavesdrop; do not spy on one another; do not envy one another; do not forsake one another; do not hate one another. Be, O slaves of Allaah, brothers.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

However, if there’s a *valid reason* like you found some indication or circumstantial evidence that points to some wrongdoing, and you 

want to stop them from doing haraam or you want to make sure of someone’s safety and well-being, etc., then it’s permissible to spy on someone; but only for that “*limited*” amount of time as needed. 

Someone asked Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen about listening to someone’s conversation and recording it without their permission. 

He said:

“If the head of the household sees indications of these evil telephone calls, then there is nothing wrong with setting up a recording device without their knowledge, but he realizes that there is something going on, he should not keep quiet and keep listening;

rather he should rebuke them straightaway, because if he continues to listen,because he may hear something that will upset him even more. 

For example, if he comes across a bad telephone conversation, he must rebuke the one who is doing it straight away, and not delay it until the next day; he must put a stop to it from the beginning.

But with regard to mere suspicion based on waswaas (insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan), it is not permitted (for him to set up this device), but if he knows that the matter is serious and that it is actually happening, then it is OK to set up a recorder so as to find out what is going on.”

(Fataawa Al-Liqa’ Al-Shahri No. 50)

And Allaah knows best.

698. If Someone Needs A Purity Bath But He/She Cannot Do Ghusl, What Can They Do? How Should They Pray?

By Asma bint Shameem

If you’re in need of taking the purity ghusl but you’re someplace where that’s not at all possible, then do the following:

Delay your prayer

if it’s one of the prayers that can be combined like Dhuhr or Maghrib then delay your prayer and COMBINE it with the next prayer. Then once you get home or at some place where you can take that ghusl, purify yourself and offer the prayer. 

So for example, if you were unable to offer Dhuhr because it was just NOT possible to purify yourself, then you delay your Dhuhr until Asr. And once you’ve taken ghusl, read Dhuhr then Asr at the time of Asr. 

Similarly you can delay your Maghrib in such situations and read it with ishaa after you’ve purified yourself. 

But I’ll miss my prayer!

If it’s a prayer that cannot be combined or you’ll miss your prayer by the time you get home, (like you’re at work/school/airplane etc) and there’s no means of taking a bath, then you must do TAYAMMUM and purify yourself and offer the prayers.

 Imaam an-Nawawi said:

“If there is no water or she is unable to use it and she performed Tayammum, everything which was forbidden due to the ritual impurity becomes permissible, since Tayammum is the alternative for Ghusl.”

What if there’s no dust available for tayammum?

If there’s not even any ‘dust’ to do tayammum, then pray *as you are*, WITHOUT tahaarah and your prayer would be valid.

That’s because the circumstances are *beyond your control*.

And Allaah will never punish us for something that’s beyond our control.

Allaah is not unfair.

Rather He’s Most Merciful.

He KNOWS your situation and He knows you are sincerely eager to fulfill the obligation of prayer, but you’re not able to take ghusl due to reasons beyond your control.

Allaah says:

“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can” [al-Taghaabun 64:16]

And He said:

“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope”[al-Baqarah 2:286]

And the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“If I command you to do a thing, then do as much of it as you can.” (al-Bukhaari) 

And Allaah says:

“… while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity.”[al-An’aam 6:119]

Ibn Hazm said:

“Whoever is detained, whether he is traveling or not, in such a state that he cannot find dust or water, or he is being crucified, and the time for prayer comes, then he should pray *as he is*, and his prayer will be complete and does not have to be repeated, whether he finds water within the time of the prayer or after the time is over.

We are not obliged to do more than we are able to, and that if we are unable to do something, we are relieved of the obligation.

We learn that Allaah has forbidden us to neglect wudhu or tayammum for prayer, unless we are forced “under compulsion of necessity”. The one who is deprived of water and dust is forced by necessity to do something which is forbidden, i.e., to forgo purifying himself with water or dust; so the prohibition does not apply in his case.

If he prays as we have mentioned, then he has prayed as Allaah has commanded him to do, and whoever prays as Allaah has commanded him to do is not to blame.”

(Al-Muhallaa, 1/363, 364)

Someone asked Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen:

“If there is no water on board a plane, or it is frozen, or one is not allowed to use it in case it leaks and causes damage to the plane, or there is no enough water, how can a passenger do wudhu’, knowing that there is no soil or earth there?”

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“In the cases that you describe, wudhu is not possible or is difficult. 

Allaah says:

“and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship” [al-Hajj 22:78]

So the passenger should do tayammum using the chairs of the airplane, if there is dust there.

If there is no dust, then he should pray even if he is not taahir, because he is unable to purify himself.

Allaah says:

“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can” [al-Taghaabun 64:16] 

But if it is possible that you will land in the airport before the end of the time of the second of two prayers that may be joined together, then he should delay it, i.e., he should have the intention of joining the prayers and praying at the later time. Then he should pray both prayers when he lands at the airport.

But if that is not possible, e.g. it is already the time for the latter of two prayers that may be joined, or it is a prayer which cannot be joined to the following prayer – such as ‘Asr and Maghrib, or ‘Ishaa’ and Fajr, or Fajr and Zuhr – then he should pray that according to his circumstances. “

( I’laam Al-Musaafireen Bi Ba’d Aadaab Al-Safr Wa Ma Yakhuss Al-Mallaaheen Al-Jawwiyyeen, P. 11)

And Allaah knows best