بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين
والصلاة والسلام على المبعوث رحمة للعالمين
وعلى آله وصحبه ومن تبعهم على التوحيب أجمعين إلى يوم الدين
Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
Honored brothers and sisters on the Group,
You are welcome to this morning’s session of the Halqah
Bārakallāhu fīkum.
We shall inshā Allāh be responding to some of the questions already asked.
Alhamdulillāh
QUESTION
ON ACCEPTING FOODSTUFFS DISTRIBUTED FOR NON-MUSLIM CELEBRATIONS
” If have a question… If a Muslim is working in a Government or private setting like hospital and they are sharing rice(full bag or any size) for Easter celebration. Is it permissible for a Muslim to collect and eat such rice?”
ANSWER
Alhamdulillāh
May Allāh grant us and you the illumination of understanding and the penetrating insight that comes with it, āmīn.
As long as such food stuffs were given by way of gifts, there is no evidence in the Sharī’a to imply its impermissibility.
This is because though they were given to mark the Easter Holidays, they were shared to both Muslims and Christians in the Work place.
The onus to provide evidence to the contrary would be binding upon the one that holds its impermissibility
And Allāh knows best.
QUESTION
ON THE DEBT OF A DECEASED MOTHER FEARED UNPAID AFTER HER DEATH
__”Asalam alaekum Wa rahmotulah wa-barakatuhu. A Question: A man remember (after the death of her mother ) that she borrowed some money. He doesn’t know how much. The owner died before his mother’s death. His mother didn’t say anything about it before her death. He became afraid that “what if his mother didn’t pay back before her death ” Islamically what will he do?”_
ANSWER
Wa alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
Alhamdulillāh.
The ‘Ulamā are at an agreement that to settle the debt of the dead is an Obligation on the Relatives of the deceased.
Before any other thing is done with whatever he leaves behind, his total debts must be sorted, calculated and paid back to whosoever he owes.
This is because what is left of his things that is owed to someone else is not a part of his properties and this cannot be included among his properties that are to be inherited.
But in the situation depicted in the question where the exact debt is unknown and the one to whom the debt is owed is also deceased, then the situation is complex.
This is because what was obligatory upon his mother right after the death of the person she owed was to seek to ensure she paid same to his inheritors.
What is therefore obligatory in this situation is for him to seek to clear whatever doubts he has in his mind in this regards by seeking further clarifications for those who knew the dealings and the kinds of relationships between his mother and her Creditor.
He must keep seeking clarification and making findings until he gets clarity in this regard.
He must remember the Hadīth in which the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
نفس المؤمن معلقة بدينه حتى يقضى عنه
“The Soul of a Believer is attached to his debts until it is paid off on his behalf”
This was recorded and declared a Hasan Hadīth by At-Tirmidhī.
The Hāfidh Imām Al-‘Irāqī – rahimahullāh – said:
“What is meant is that the matter of his soul is undecided. It is not judged upon to have been saved or destroyed until it is seen whether his debts are settled or not.”
The matter of debts after death is very serious and severe and he must be persistent on findings until Allāh shows him a way in this regards.
If however he tried all he could and is not able to get clarity in this regard then he must continue to make du’ā for his mother until Allāh settles his heart on this matter.
Likewise, he should give out Sadaqāt on behalf of his dead mother to those in need and to the Cause of Allāh that that may benefit her in the grave
Ibn Qudāmah said in Al-Mughnī:
“And whatever form of Worship he does and intends that its reward be for one who is deceased, then it will benefit the (deceased) by Allāh’s will.”
Bārakallāhu fīkum.
QUESTION
ON OBSERVING THE GHUSL WITH SOAPS
” Assalam’alaykum @admin.A questioner ask: can i still perform ghusl after bathing with soap or the ghusl should b done first before bathing with soap?”
ANSWER
Wa ‘Alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
It should be known that the Sharī’a has not made obligatory upon the one who observes the Ghusl to or to not use Soaps during, before or after the Ghusl.
And the belief that many Muslims seem to have that in the course of the Ghusl, they must not use Soaps but rather to make two different and distinct baths, one without soap which is the Ghusl, and the other with soap which is the ordinary bath, is completely unfounded and bearing a responsibility that is not placed upon them by the Sharī’ah.
Therefore, the matter is left to your discretion.
You may decide to, after washing the private organs and observing your Wudhū as it is done in Ghusl, to apply soap and sponge all over your body and then wash up your entire body with the intention of observing the Ghusl.
You may also decide to observe the Ghusl first without soap, and then after that, apply soap and then wash your body again.
And you may decide to wash yourself with soaps before you observe Ghusl.
All of these are permissible but what is most optimal and closest to the Sunnah of the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – which is established that he was economical with water usage during Ghusl and would not waste it, is to apply soaps all over the body after the Wudhū and then wash the entire body with water with the intention of Ghusl completely.
For it has been recorded in the Sahihayn from Anas bn Mālik – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – that the Rasūl – salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam – used to observe the Ghusl with a Sā’ (four Mudd) or Five Mudd.
This will range between about 2.5 to 3 litres and shows how economical the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – was with water.
However, if what is asked in the question involves applying the soap, such as a liquid soap or disinfectants such as dettol into the water used for the Ghusl, then the ‘Ulamā differed on the ruling of that.
Imām Abū Hanīfah held the position that it were permissible and that the Ghusl was ok with it.
This position was also favoured by Imām Ahmad in one of the narrations from him.
Imām Ibn Taymiyyah also favoured this position whereas the Majority of the ‘Ulamā considered it wrong and the Ghusl not sound.
While the position held by Imām Abū Hanīfah is stronger, it is safer to go by the position favoured by the majority
And Allāh knows best
Bârakafīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
