Sh. al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said:
“This is not from the Sunnah, the Sunnah in the sermon of the marriage is to read the Sermon of Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه, and it is famous and known, and if one left it off there is no harm, but it is better to read it.”
Source: Fatāwá Nūr ʿalá al-Darb (10: 110, no. 5055).
Sh. ʿUthaymīn, may Allāh have mercy upon him, was asked about mentioning individuals by name, the evil deeds they used to do, and how Allāh dealt with them, and whether that falls under backbiting.
He, may Allāh have mercy upon him, replied:
“Yes, mentioning the dead with respect to their evil deeds was prohibited by the Messenger, upon him be praise and protection, for he said, ‘Do not speak badly of the dead, for they have reached the result of what they have sent forth.’ [al-Bukhārī (1329)]. Rather, pardon and forgiveness is sought from Allāh for them, it may be that his supplication is answered for them, thereby Allāh forgives them and pardons them. As for mentioning their evil deeds, then they are to be mentioned in an unspecified manner, so it is said, for example, in warning against interest, ‘Have you not seen people who violated the prohibitions of Allāh and they engaged in dealing with interest, then they departed from this worldly life and none of their wealth was buried with them, rather they left it behind for others, thus the spoil is for others and the loss is for them?’ and what is similar to that by which the living can take heed, as for mentioning him specifically, then this is not permissible.”
Fatāwá Nūr ʿalá al-Darb (12: 487, no. 6679).
Sh. al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ was asked how a Muslim should hold himself to account. The Shaykh mentioned the following points:
He should reflect over:
For example:
This is how one holds himself to account with respect to what he did and what he failed to do, in order to straighten any crookedness and remove any evil – this is the meaning of holding oneself to account.
Source: Fatāwá Nūr ʿalá al-Darb li Faḍīlat al-Shaykh al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, 12: 16, no. 6190.
Sh. Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ was asked:
The Shaykh رَحِمَهُ اللهُ replied:
“Optional deeds are of two types: a type which has a cause, and a type which does not have a cause.
The one which has a cause – it elapses along with the elapsing of the cause and is not made up. For example: the prayer for “greeting the masjid” (taḥiyyat al-masjid). If a man comes and sits down, and his sitting continues for a long time, and then he wants to pray taḥiyyat al-masjid, there is no taḥiyyat al-masjid because it is a prayer which has a cause, it is tied to a cause, so when it elapses so does its legality.
Similar to that is what is apparent with the Day of ʿArafah and the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ. If a person delays fasting the Day of ʿArafah and the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ without an excuse, there is no doubt he does not make it up, and it will not benefit him if he did make it up, meaning: it will not benefit him in that being [a substitute for] the Day of ʿArafah and the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ.
As for the case where it passes by a person while he is excused, such as the menstruating woman, the one experiencing post-natal bleeding, and the ill, then what is apparent is that it is not made up because this is specific to a specific day, the ruling of which elapses with the elapsing of that day.”
Source: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (20: 43, no. 399).
In the Name of Allāh, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Special Mercy
All praise is due to Allāh the Most High and Most Great, the One Who is alone in creating and controlling, the One Who honoured His friends with His help, and humiliated His enemies through His forsaking [of them], so how excellent a Protector is our Lord, and how excellent a Helper is He.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh alone without any partners, to Him belong the Kingdom and praise, and He is, over all thing, completely capable. And I bear witness that Muḥammad is His slave and His Messenger; the bringer of glad tidings, the warner, and shining lantern, may the praise and protection of Allāh be upon him, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Recompense.
To proceed:
Indeed, in this month, the month of Muḥarram, was the salvation of Mūsá, may praise and protection be upon him, and his people from the enemy of Allāh – Pharaoh and his army. By Allāh it was a major blessing obligating gratitude towards Allāh the Almighty and Majestic. This is why, when the Prophet ﷺ arrived in al-Madīnah, and he found the Jews fasting the tenth day of this month, the Prophet ﷺ said, “I have more right to Mūsá than you”, thus he fasted it and commanded its fasting. He was asked about the virtue of fasting it and he said, “I hope in Allāh that it may expiate for (the sins of) the year that came before it.” After that he commanded contradicting the Jews by fasting the tenth and a day before it which is the ninth, or a day after it which is the eleventh.
Consequently, it is best to fast the tenth day and add to it a day before it, or a day after it. Adding the ninth day to it is better than the eleventh.
Thus, it is necessary for you, my Muslim brother, to fast the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ, likewise the ninth day, in order to actualise contradicting the Jews which the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ commanded.
May Allāh facilitate success for me and you to be grateful for His blessings, and worship Him with excellence, and may He protect us from the evils of our souls through His care – indeed He is the Most Generous and Most Bountiful.
I have no objections to spreading it (i.e., this letter).
Written by Muḥammad al-Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn 21/12/1409.
Source: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (20: 39-40).
Sh. Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said:
“The scholars say, regarding the fasting of the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ, that it is either [fasted] on its own, or he fasts with it the 9th, or he fasts with it the 11th. There is a fourth mode: which is to fast the 9th, 10th, and 11th – so it is three days of the month.
It is better for the one who wants to fast two days, that he fasts the 9th and the 10th.”
See: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (20: 35, no. 395).
Sh. Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn رحمه الله replied:
“This verse contains a great sentence which is: restriction of reverential fear (خَشْيَة) of Allāh سبحانه وتعالى to the scholars.
Reverential fear is: fear coupled with veneration of the feared, i.e., it is fear that comes as a result of the greatness of the one feared. Allāh is the most deserving of being feared with reverence, and He is the most deserving of being venerated, and He is the most deserving of being feared. However, none has reverential fear of Him except one who is knowledgeable of the greatness, ultimate pride, ability, and honourable might that He possesses.
The scholars intended here (in this verse) are those knowledgeable of Allāh, His Names, His Attributes, and His signs. The intent is not the scholars of manufacturing and technology etc, for indeed those are scholars of the dunyá who know the apparent worldly life, and that is because reverential fear only comes from knowing the condition of the one feared, and it is known that knowledge of these crafts is not connected to the greatness of Allāh عز وجل for it is purely material, in contrast to knowledge of Allāh and His greatness, and so the people who are knowledgeable of this, they are the people who have reverential fear of Him.”
Source: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (26: 26).
I ask Allāh, the Almighty and Majestic, to grant us all reverential fear of Him.
Is it Better to Pray Night Prayer or Seek Knowledge?
Sh. al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said, “Seeking knowledge is better than night prayer because seeking knowledge, as Imām Aḥmad said, nothing equals it for the one who corrects his intention, in that he intends through it to lift ignorance from himself and from others. Thus, if a person stays awake in the first part of the night to seek knowledge seeking the Face of Allāh, whether he be studying or teaching people, then indeed it is better than night prayer. If it is possible for him to combine both matters then that is better.
However, if the two matters clash with each other, seeking knowledge of the Sharīʿah is better and more deserving. This is why the Prophet ﷺ commanded Abū Hurayrah that he pray Witr before sleeping. The scholars say the reason for that is because Abū Hurayrah would memorise the aḥādīth of the Prophet ﷺ in the first part of the night and sleep in the latter part of the night, so the Prophet ﷺ directed him to pray Witr before he sleeps.”
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (14: 113, no. 751).
Sh. al-Albānī (رحمه الله) was asked whether during the month of Ramaḍān, the punishment of the grave is lightened for the deceased:
“We do not have any clarification on this. Allāh knows best.”
The interjector then says, “The gates of the Fire are closed?”
The Shaykh replied:
“Yes, but this does not mean the punishment is lightened for the deceased; this requires a proof-text.”
Source: Jāmiʿ Turāth al-ʿAllāmah al-Albānī fī al-Fiqh (10: 117).
Sh. Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ was asked about a girl who wants to marry the son of her paternal uncle. However, her brothers were breastfed by the mother of this man she wants to marry. Is she permitted for him in marriage or is she forbidden for him?
Sh. Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said:
“It is clear from this question that the man who wants this woman was not breastfed by her mum, and that she was not breastfed by his mum. Accordingly, there is no brotherhood between her and the man, and so, it is lawful for him to marry her. As for his brothers who were breastfed by her mother, she is not lawful for them because she is their sister.”
Source: Fatāwá Nūr ʿalá al-Darb (10: 528, no. 5484) of Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn.
Salafi Knowledge 