728. Can A Woman Travel Alone?

By Asma Bint Shameem

First of all, we should understand that there’s a difference between “traveling” and “driving”. 

*Traveling* is when someone travels *out* of his or her home town to another city. 

But “*driving*” means you’re going from one place to another *within* your own town. That’s not considered “travel”. 

And if she’s using a public transport like a bus or she’s walking etc then she can go alone. 

But if her father feels that she is not safe when going  anywhere alone then she should listen to her father and take a friend or female cousin, mother etc with her. 

And if she doesn’t have anyone to go with her, it’s best to avoid going at that particular time or she can wait for someone to accompany her later. 

And if the father still does not concede then I would suggest that you take these Qur’aan classes online until he agrees. That’s because the father is a girl’s guardian until she gets married and she must obey her father as long as he does not tell her to do something that’s against the rules of the Sharee’ah. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“Before marriage, a woman is under the guardianship of her father, so it is not permissible for her to go out of the house except with his permission, whether it is to go to the masjid or elsewhere, because obedience to one’s father is obligatory so long as it does not involve disobedience towards Allaah. 

We advise you to listen to broadcasts from the Al-Qur’aan Al-Kareem station, because there is much knowledge and sound teaching to be gained from it. May Allaah help you to do all that is good and grant you a sound understanding of Islaam.”

( Fataawaa Al-Lajnah Al-Daa’imah, 12/101)

And Allaah knows best

727. Memorizing The Quran

By Asma Bint Shameem

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did not “order” us to memorize the Qur’aan but he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam *”encouraged”* us to do so. 

Memorizing the Qur’aan is an honor and a privilege that comes only from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. 

A person who memorizes the Qur’aan has *tremendous* rewards in this dunya and Aakhirah. 

But the condition to receive this honor and reward is *sincerity* to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and the intention to please Him, then to put into *practice* what he learnt of the Qur’aan. 

In Jannah, the haafidh will keep rising in status until his status is as *high*, as the last aayah he memorized. 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’aan (i.e., the one who memorized and studied it): ‘Read, advance in status and recite as you used to do in the world, for your status will be commensurate with the last aayah that you recite.’”

(Abu Dawood 1464, al-Tirmidhi, 2914; hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi 2329)

The scholars said that the meaning of the word “reciting” used in the hadeeth means “*memorizing*”.

 The haafidh will be in the company of angels.

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“The one who recites the Qur’aan and learns it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Jannah) and the one who exerts himself to learn the Qur’aan by heart and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward.”

 (al-Bukhaari 4653, Muslim 798) 

He will be given a crown of honor and a garment of honor to wear. 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“The Qur’aan will come on the Day of Resurrection and will say, ‘O Lord, adorn him.’ 

So he will be given a crown of honor to wear. 

Then it will say, ‘O Lord, give him more.’ 

So he will be given a garment of honor.’ 

Then it will say, ‘O Lord, be pleased with him.’ 

So Allaah will be pleased with him. 

Then it will be said to him, ‘Recite and advance in status, and for each verse you will gain one more hasanah (reward for good deed).”

(al-Tirmidhi 2915; hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2328)

 The Qur’aan will intercede on his behalf with Allaah. 

Abu Umaamah al-Baahili Radhi Allaahu anhu said: 

“I heard the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam say, ‘Recite the Qur’aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its companions. Recite the two bright ones, al-Baqarah and Soorat Aal ‘Imraan, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds or two shades or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Soorat al-Baqarah for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.”

 (Muslim, 804)

Not just the haafidh himself, but even his *parents* will be honored because they worked hard to teach him the Qur’aan and raise him up with an Islaamic upbringing. 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“The Qur’aan will come on the Day of Resurrection like a pale man saying to its companion, “Do you recognize me? 

I am the one who made you stay up at night and made you thirsty during the day…” 

Then he will be given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and a crown of dignity will be placed upon his head, and his parents will be clothed with garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. 

They will say, “O Lord, how did we earn this.” 

It will be said to them, “*Because you taught your child the Qur’aan.*”

(al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 6/51; authenticated by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah)

And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

‘Whoever reads the Qur’aan, learns it and acts in accordance with it, on the Day of Resurrection his parents will be given a crown to wear whose light will be like the light of the sun, and his parents will be given garments which far surpass everything to be found in this world. 

They will say, “Why have we been given this to wear?” 

It will be said, “Because your child learned the Qur’aan.”

(al-Haakim, 1/756; al-Silsilah al-Saheehah 2829)

Memorizing the Qur’aan is not just lip service. Rather  understanding the meanings and implementation are the key to succeed and be able to qualify for the rewards promised by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. 

Please see my article below for further clarification. 

And Allaah knows best

726. Can A Woman Get A Massage?

 By Asma Bint Shameem

 A woman may get a massage only if certain conditions are fulfilled. 

For example 

- the one massaging is also woman 

- the woman is completely covered and there’s no unnecessary exposure. 

- the area between the navel and the knee is completely covered all the time and is not to be touched or removed. 

- there’s no fear of fitnah (temptation) or harm etc. 

-if there’s a “NEED” for it. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

 “If a husband does it (massage) with his wife or the wife with her husband, then there is no harm in this because if the affair is like this, it is allowed even if his desires are aroused. His desires are fulfilled with his wife. As for if it is done between other then them, then in it is fitnah. If a young man does that with another man, is it not feared that his desires will be aroused? Of course, even if a woman did it with another women it is feared her desires will be aroused because the woman has desires like how a man has desires. So I do not see this permitted except with a husband with his wife. Likewise, if we assume that the man is very old and he has daughters and he requests them to press his back, then there is no harm with this because desires in this situation are very far. An old man needs this and along with his need and desires being far, we say: there is no harm in this In Shaa’ Allaah.”

And Allaah knows best

725. Is It Ok To Make A LIST Where Different People Volunteer To Read One Juz Each So We Can Complete The Qur’aan This Way?

By Asma Bint Shameem

*We want to encourage people to read MORE Qur’aan.*

*So is it ok to make a LIST where different people volunteer to read one Juz each so we can complete the Qur’aan this way?*

ANSWER

Reading the Qur’aan is of course a good deed and we should encourage ourselves to read it as much as we can, especially while understanding the meanings. 

However, since reading the Qur’aan is an act of ibaadah, it must also be done the *”way”* the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam read it. 

That’s because all acts of ibaadah are *”tawqeefi”*; which means that there has to be PROOF of that from the Qur’aan and/or the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

And it is not proven from the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam to “finish” the Qur’aan this way. 

Someone asked Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Barraak about a similar “list” of good deeds like reading the Qur’aan, fasting, giving charity etc. that they fill out every two weeks to “encourage” each other. 

He replied: 

“What appears to me to be the case is that keeping this schedule and competing in filling it out is a kind of *innovation (bid‘ah)*, because it involves *boasting* to one another and admiring ones own good deeds, as well as making manifest deeds which are best kept concealed, because concealing good deeds of charity, reciting Qur’aan and dhikr should be furthest removed from showing off. 

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says: 

“Invoke your Lord with humility and in SECRET” [al-A ‘raaf 7:55]

And He says:

“(This is) a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His slave Zakariya, When he called out his Lord (Allaah) a call in secret” [Maryam 19:2-3]. 

And one of the seven whom Allaah will shade with His shade (on the Day of Resurrection) will be *“a man who gives charity and conceals it to such an extent that his left hand does not know what his right hand is giving.”* [al-Bukhaari (660) and Muslim (1031)].

So what you should do is encourage one another to do more naafil (supererogatory) acts of obedience, and to do a great deal of that, each one doing whatever he is able to *but keeping it between him and his Lord.*

In this manner you will be able to attain cooperation in righteousness and piety, whilst being safe from that which may nullify good deeds or detract from their reward. 

And Allaah is the source of strength and the Guide to the straight path. And Allaah knows best.” 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen issued a similar fatwa in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (16/175). 

In any case, the recitation of the Qur’aan is not considered “finished” if different people read different Juz’. 

Rather each person will be credited for only “that” portion of the Qur’aan that they read. 

Someone asked Shaykh Ibn Jibreen:

“There are people who sit together to read the Qur’aan quietly. Each individual reads one juz’ (part) of the Qur’aan, claiming that the entire Qur’aan will have been read in this gathering. Is this permissible or is it counted as being bid’ah?”

He said:

“In my opinion the action mentioned is not permissible, and I do not recall anything of this kind being reported from the Salaf. A person will only be rewarded for what he himself reads or listens to in order to benefit from it. But if another person reads and he does not listen, the reward for that will go to the person who read it. These people are not considered to have completed the whole Qur’aan; but if each person has read a juz’ he will be rewarded for that. But they should not do this; either one person should read and the others listen, or each person should read by himself without making a connection between his reading and that of the others.”

(Al-Lu’lu’ Al-Makeen Min Fataawa Al-Shaykh Ibn Jibreen, P. 50)

So although it’s good to encourage people to complete the Qur’aan, and do other good deeds, that should be done without making “lists” or holding “contests” for that, and without telling others about the number of complete readings or other good deeds that Allaah has enabled each one to do.

And Allaah knows best.