It is recommended to recite al-Fåti?ah unrestrictedly; meaning, without confining it to a specific place

or occasion. Allah, Transcendent and Exalted is He, says: Recite from the Qur’an as much as is easy

for you.2 And in the very same verse: So recite from it as much as is easy. Hence reciting the Qur’an

entails a tremendous reward. Allah, Transcendent is He, will grant to you in return ten good deeds for

each letter [of the Qur’an] you recite. I do not say that Alif. Låm. M•m. is a letter. Rather, Alif is a letter;

Låm is a letter; and M•m is a letter. Its like was said by the Prophet, peace be upon him, as reported

by al-Tirmidh•, no.2910; by way of Ibn Mas‘¥d, may Allah be pleased with him.

Al-Tirmidh• also records, no.2926; by way of Abu Sa‘•d al-Khudr•, may Allah be pleased with him; the

hadith: “Whoever, because of being preoccupied with the Qur’an or with remembrance of Me, asks

not of Me, I shall grant him the best of what I give to those who ask [of Me].” This is because [reciting]

the Qur’an is one of the most meritorious and highly recommended of deeds.

As for doing so at the start of any gathering, or at its conclusion, then there is no explicit text related

about this. If someone does so believing that it is a Sunnah, or an obligation, then this contravenes the

Sacred Law. But if he recites it in order to seek blessings (tabarruk) with the Noble Qur’an, then, Allah

willing, there is nothing wrong with this according to the view we hold to be the soundest. The issue

entails a dispute related to what is called bid‘ah i?åfiyyah – “innovation by way of extension”.3 Many

Målik• scholars detest this type of bid‘ah, whereas in the opinion of other scholars the issue goes back

to the nature of al-dal•l al-‘åmm – general proofs, and what their scope encompasses of [unrestricted]

allowance or recommendation. This latter rule is the view of the Shafi‘•s and al-‘Izz b. ‘Abd al-Salåm,

as well as of al-Qaråf• who was a Målik•.

Therefore the issue, Allah willing, is one in which there is no problem, in the sense that it should not

be a cause for schisms to arise between Muslims: “Do not hate one another, do not envy one another,

do not turn your backs on one another,” says one hadith recorded by al-Bukhår•, no.6065 and Muslim,

no.2599; by way of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him.

Thus, whoever wishes to recite [al-Fåti?ah at the start or end of a meeting], we should not prevent them

from doing so. However, one should not think that this is a Sunnah, or that the Prophet, upon whom

be peace, began in such a manner. This would not be correct. Nevertheless, if someone were to recite

it for its blessings, or out of seeking the reward it has with Allah, then there is nothing wrong in doing

so; Allah willing.

All praise be to Allah. May blessings and peace be upon our Prophet; and upon his Family, Companions

and followers. To proceed:

The beginning of your question may be whittled down to: Has Islam reached the whole of humanity?

The reply: Islam has not reached the whole of humanity, but it will reach the whole of humanity. For

there occurs in one hadith: “The Hour will not be established until there remains no house of brick or

fur save that the religion will enter it: bringing with it honour or humiliation.” Related by Imam A?mad

(no.16957), al-Bayhaq• in his Sunan (9:181) and al-Tabarån• in al-Kab•r (no.1280). Hence this religion

will certainly enter [everywhere]. Today the media and the means of mass communication have turned

the world into a global village; such, therefore, are channels for Islam to be conveyed to every house.

Thus it is incumbent upon each Muslim to strive diligently to communicate Islam to others. But as for

whether or not this has [completely] happened, then not as yet.

As for those deserving of punishment in the Hellfire, it refers to those to whom this religion has been

conveyed but they refuse to believe in it. Allah, Transcendent and Exalted is He, says: And this Qur’an

has been revealed to me that I may warn you with it and whomsoever it may reach.1 Meaning, that it

is a warning to all whom it reaches, even if one has not seen or spoken with the Prophet. Whosoever

the Qur’an has been communicated to, is of those who have been warned. Consequently, the Qur’an

that is with each of us must, of need, be conveyed to the whole of humanity. Those to whom the Qur’an

has been conveyed, then the proof (?ujjah) has been established upon them. Those to whom it has

not been conveyed, the proof has not been established to them, and their case is like that of the ahl

al- fa† rah – those who lived in a period of time before the advent of a divinely-revealed message. About

this, Allah, Transcendent is He, revealed: Nor do We punish until We have sent a Messenger.2 He also

said: Whenever a fresh host is cast into it [Hell], its keepers ask them: “Did not a warner come to you?”

They will say: “Yes, a warner came to us; but we denied.”3

Thus Messengers were divinely sent in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after

the Messengers. So a person to whom the message has not reached, then the proofs cannot be said to

have been established; proofs and arguments that are to be clear, thorough and decisive: Say: “Allah’s

is the decisive argument.”4

Someone to whom the message reaches may not affirm it due to either simply ignoring it (i‘rå?an

‘anhå), being prejudiced against it, being hostile to it, disbelieving it, or rejecting it – as Allah, Exalted

is He, says: And they rejected them [the signs], though they inwardly recognised them, out of injustice

and pride.5 That is to say, they rejected them whilst their souls were certain about them and inwardly

knew them to be the truth. So they chose to be blind to the truth: But when they cover themselves with

their garments He knows what they hide and what they reveal. He knows what is in their breasts.6 In

other words, they desire not to see the truth.

Many non-Muslims today fall into this situation, in that some of them are able to discern truths if they

are made manifest. However, whether it is out of not wishing to forsake familiar habits; or losing their

standing among people; or having contempt for Muslims; or being prejudiced against them; or just out

of sheer folly and misguidance, many turn away from even considering (or contemplating) the Qur’an.

It is this turning away from contemplating the Qur’an or becoming acquainted with the message, while

being able to do so, which undoubtedly causes a person to be divinely punished. For: The religion in

the sight of Allah is Islam.7 Also: Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall never be accepted

from them, and they will be loosers in the Hereafter.8 Of course, a devotional life in this world should

be lived in peaceful co-existence with others; for no one can be compelled to accept the faith. Afterall:

There is no compulsion in religion.9

This, then, is our stance, and our address and invitation here. Yet this is not to suggest that the truth

is multiple, and that everyone can [ultimately] believe whatever they want. For the truth is indeed one;

the truth is this religion: a religion that is the seal and guardian over all other religions. This, in brief, is

a reply to the question.

ENDNOTES

* From www.binbayyah.net (trans. Surkheel Abu Aaliyah).

1. Qur’an 6:19.

2. Qur’an 17:15.

3. Qur’an 67:8-9.

4. Qur’an 6:149.

5. Qur’an 27:14.

6. Qur’an 11:5.

7. Qur’an 3:19.

8. Qur’an 3:85.

9. Qur’an 2:256.

The Question:

“Is it allowable for one to ask where Allah is? Is Allah (May He be exalted) above His servants? And is that understanding representative of anthropomorphism? Also, what is our position towards those who say that such a question is not permissible and that Allah (swt) is above any place or location?”

The Answer:

Affirming Allah’s Exalted Status:

“Indeed, Allah (swt) describes Himself as being The Most High: “Praise the name of your Lord The Most High.” And, “He is The High.” and, “He is the High the All Powerful.” (Based on these verses) it is not allowed for anyone to dispute (the truth) of this attribute, nor is it allowable for any Muslim to differ regarding it. As for inquiring about the nature (of this attribute), then this is not something that you are obliged to deal with, nor is it something sought from you. There is the hadith of the slave woman who was brought to the Prophet (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) with her master so she could be freed and the Prophet (Peace and blessing be upon him) asked her, “Where is Allah?” However, this hadith is ahad and there is no other narration of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) where he (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asks someone this question. Nor is it related that any of our pious ancestors asked such a question.

Interacting with such texts:

It is important to note that questions like this are not sought after nor desired from you. However, when approached with such issues you should do the following:

First, you should read the verse that affirms Allah’s highness. Second, you should read the verse that negates anything being like Him. Finally, you should avoid delving into the deeper meaning of the verse (meaning the how related to Allah’s attribute but just simply affirm it and negate its likeness to creation or vice versa). This is important (to not delve into this/nor make it a bigger issue than it is) because it is not a matter related to actions, and on the Day of Reckoning Allah (May He be exalted) is going to ask you about your actions not His essence. And this (methodology) is the way of the first 3 generations of saints and scholars of the Muslim nation of which there is no uncertainty. Imam Al-Tufi (May Allah have mercy upon him) said: “The way of Imam Ahmed (may Allah have mercy upon him) and the rest of the scholars of the early generations was to affirm these attributes without commenting on them.” Therefore, when it came to these attributes, they would (affirm them) and say nothing. And this was the way of Abu Nua’yim (may Allah have mercy upon him) the teacher of Al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy upon him). Ibn Kathir (May Allah lighten his grave), in his explanation of the verse, “Then He rose upon the thrown” states: “We allow this verse to pass as it is while eliminating any anthropomorphic/thepomorphic elements from Allah’s existence. Exalted is He from what the intellect suggests.” And these where the words of Abu Nua’yim, the teacher of the teacher of Al-Bukhari, the teacher of Imam Ahmed and Yahya ibn Ma’in(May Allah have mercy upon all of them). Thus, differing about this issue and arguing about time and place (with respect to the Divine) is not something from the actions of the early generations and is in contrast to what they were upon. Therefore (when encountering verses like this), you should say nothing and read the verse as it is. Hence, what is necessary is for you to believe as the early generations believed without adding or deducting (anything). And this is what is required of you so do not dispute (with others) about it.”

And Allah knows best.

Sh. Abdullah bin Bayyah (May Allah preserve him)

The Question:

“Is it allowable to celebrate a holiday that commemorates the independence of my country?”

The Answer:

“A holiday [that commemorates] the independence of a country is not a [religious] holiday. The holidays which are forbidden [for Muslims] to observe are those with religious overtones [such as Christmas and Easter*] not the festive gatherings people observe due to certain events. Therefore, people are allowed to celebrate wedding anniversaries, birthdays or any occasion as such celebrations are not related to religious holidays. It is imperative that we work to remove the confusion surrounding this misunderstanding and the doubts that have affected many people [regarding this issue]. [Because of this misunderstanding] people find hardship and difficulty in their religion. Especially when a religious minded person holds [such non religious celebrations] to be from the major sins or rejected acts when, in fact, they are not.

Understanding an Important legal maxim [The origin of things is permissibility unless there is a text to the contrary]

The origin of things is permissibility so there is no problem with you attending such an event. The school of Ahmed [Hanabliah] allowed the celebration of al-’Atirah which was a sacrifice, during the month of Rajab, observed by the people who lived prior to the advent of the Prophet [may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. Although the school of Imam Malik [Malikis] considered it disliked, since it was a practice from those days, the school of Ahmed allowed this practice since there was no text [from the Qur’an, Sunna or Consensus] that explicitly forbade it. Thus, this practice remained upon its original ruling, permissibility [here the sheikh is showing us how the scholars utilized the legal maxim mentioned above]. So, if people gather together to sacrifice there is no objection for them to congregate, celebrate, enjoy themselves and commemorate the independence of their country. Therefore, there is no hardship in celebrating such occurrences.

With regards to the statement [of the Prophet may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] that “Allah [The Exalted] has given you better than those (feasts): Eid al-Adha (Sacrificing) and the ‘Eid al-Fitr”, then “those feasts” were those with strict religious over tones: one a Christian holiday and the other a pagan one. In addition, the Prophet [may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him] mentioned that the Islamic holidays were two: ‘Eid al-Fitr and ‘Eid al-Adha. But it is not understood from this that he [may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him] forbade people from gathering and celebrating [other non-religious occasions]. Even if a person considered [such gatherings] disliked there is no need for him to bother others by making things difficult that were not prohibited by the Qur’an, the Sunna, the consensus [of the scholars] and where no agreement was reached within the schools of Islamic law.

This is because ease in matters [such as these where there is no prohibition and the origin is that of permissibility] is a must, and those statements that create hardship and burden [related to such matters], that are not based on explicit texts [that prohibit them], are weak. Thus, there is nothing that prohibits us from facilitating such matters for the people and giving them some breathing room because ease and facilitation are from the foundations of Islam: Allah says, “And He did not make any hardship for you in religion.” [Surah al-Hajj 78] and “Allah wants to lighten your burdens.” [Surah al-Nisa V. 28] and “Verily, with hardship there is ease. Verily with hardship there is ease.” [Surah al-Sharh V. 5-6]. The Prophet [may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Facilitate [things] and do not make things difficult. Give glad tidings, and do not cause others to flee.” In closing, we reiterate that the foundation of Islam is ease and the independent interpretation of the legal sources [ijtihad of scholars] is respected but is not [equal to] texts from the Shari’ah [Qur’an and Sunna].”

May peace be upon you
Dr. Abdullah Bin Bayyah

Dear Sheikh,

“I live in Sri Lanka and wondered if it was acceptable for the Muslim community here to gather for the sake of remembering Allah as a congregation?”

The Answer:

This is a controversial issue amongst the scholars. Some saw gatherings for the purpose of reciting Qur’an and the remembrance of Allah [in a group] as innovation, and there were others who saw it as something venerable. Each and every one of these scholars relied on certain proofs and evidences. Some relied on the statement of Ibn Mas’ud* [may Allah be pleased with him] “Indeed, you have brought an evil innovation”, and there were others who relied on the apparent [meaning of] the statement of the Prophet [may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] who said, “No people gather together, in one of the homes from the houses of Allah, reciting the Qur’an and studying it amongst themselves, except tranquility descends upon them, they are shrouded in mercy, the angels envelop them with their wings and Allah makes mention of them in front of those who are with Him.” [related by Muslim #2699]. So, the explicit meaning of this hadith directs towards the permissibility of such gatherings. Imam al-Awza’i [may Allah have mercy upon him] was asked about gatherings, after the Dawn prayer, that included congregational studying and the remembrance of Allah [meaning they did so with one voice not silently]. He responded, “There is nothing wrong with such gatherings.” Al-Awza’I said, “Hassan bin ‘Atiyyah informed me that the first person to start this practice was Hisham bin Ismail al-Makhzomi during the caliphate of Abdul Malik bin Marawan and he was criticized for it.”

There were some who rejected what Hisham had done, such as Imam Malik [may Allah have mercy upon him], and there were others who said, “There is no problem with this.” Harb mentioned that he saw the people of Damascus, Hims and Basra gathering together to recite the Qur’an after the Dawn prayer. However, the people of Sham would read the Qur’an together with one loud voice, while the people of Basra and Mecca would gather and one person would read ten verses while the people would remain silent. After the first person finished, they others would read what he had read until they would complete what he had recited. Harb, commenting on this said, “All of this is excellent and pleasing.”

Regarding Sri Lanka, then I tend to lead towards the opinion that such an action is fine. If the Muslims gather there, from time to time, to study and recite the Qur’an [together], or to remember Allah [together], without there being any forbidden acts such as mixing between the sexes, dancing or any type of evil, then it is good, and it is incumbent to avoid making [the observance of such acts] difficult upon them.

Dr. Abdullah Bin Bayyah