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).
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).
Some believe that al-Muntaqim (The One Who Avenges, The Inflictor of Retribution) is one of Allāh’s Names. This is incorrect:
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728), may Allāh have mercy upon him, said, “And the name al-Muntaqim is not from the beautiful names of Allāh established from the Prophet ﷺ. It only occurs in the Qurʾān in a restricted sense, such as His, the Most High’s statement, {We shall surely inflict retribution on the guilty} [al-Sajdah (32): 22], and His statement, {Allāh is indeed Exalted in Might and Owner of Retribution} [Ibrāhīm (14): 47]. The ḥadīth regarding the number of beautiful names, which contains the mention of al-Muntaqim, is not, according to the people of insight into ḥadīth, from the speech of the Prophet ﷺ.
See: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (8: 96).
Shaykh Ibn al-ʿUthaymīn (d. 1420), may Allāh have mercy upon him, said, “As for al-Muntaqim, it is not from the names of Allāh because Allāh the Exalted did not mention this description for Himself except in a restricted sense, and every description which comes in a restricted sense, is not from Allāh’s names, because Allāh’s names are absolutely perfect without the need for qualification. Allāh, the One far removed from every imperfection, and Exalted be He, only mentioned al-Muntaqim as a counter to crime, so He said, {We shall surely inflict retribution on the guilty} [al-Sajdah (32): 22], therefore, al-Muntaqim is not from the names of Allāh.”
See: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá (1: 162, no. 72).
Anas b. Mālik reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
“If the iqāmah for prayer is given while one of you is fasting, let him begin with the evening meal before the Maghrib prayer, and do not rush from your evening meal.”
Sh. al-Albānī (رَحِمَهُ اللهُ) mentions that the addition “while one of you is fasting” does not negate other narrations which omit these words because the versions without these additional words are still absolute in any case, thereby encompassing the one who is fasting, and the one who is not. Rather, the fasting person is more deserving of this concession than the non-fasting person, as is obvious.
Source: Jāmiʿ Turāth al-ʿAllāmah al-Albānī fī al-Fiqh (10: 177). See: al-Ṣaḥīḥah (3964).
Sh. al-Albānī (رحمه الله) was asked whether optional deeds, in a general sense, are multiplied, and also evil deeds. He replied:
“There is no explicit scriptural-text (نَصٌّ) in the Divine Law stating that good deeds are multiplied, and likewise evil deeds with respect to the virtue of [a particular] place, or virtue of [a particular] time…virtue of a place such as Makkah or al-Madīnah for example…or virtue of a time such as this month of ours, this month of Ramaḍān.
There is no explicit scriptural-text regarding good deeds or evil ones being multiplied. However, some scholars say, by way of deduction (اسْتِنْبَاطًا), that they are multiplied…by way of deduction i.e., not [based on] a scriptural-text but only independent reasoning (اجْتِهَادًا), so if a person says: “good deeds are multiplied”, there is no harm in that because it is the view of some scholars, however it is not permissible to be definitive in that regard.”
Source: Jāmiʿ Turāth al-ʿAllāmah al-Albānī fī al-Fiqh (10: 109).
Sh. Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, may Allāh have mercy upon him, said:
“al-Tiwalah is something [people] do claiming that it causes a woman to be loved by her husband and vice versa. The closest [term] to that is what is referred amongst us as al-diblah (ring). It is said that the husband inscribes his wife’s name in his ring, and the wife inscribes her husband’s name in her ring, and they claim that they – the couple – attain love and affection through this action of theirs, and that if he removes the ring, or she removes it, it means [their] separation.
So, if one asks: what is the means for a man to love his wife and his wife to love her husband? We say: the means to that has been explained by Allāh in His statement: {And live with them in a good manner} [al-Nisāʾ (4): 19]. So, if a person lives in a good manner with his wife, and she does likewise; love, closeness and blissful married life occurs.”
Source: Fatāwá Nūr ʿalá al-Darb (1: 107-8, no. 77).
Note:
One of the many notable and beneficial features of Sh. al-ʿUthaymīn’s works, is that he always tries to provide a divinely legislated solution, and alternative, to something which is prohibited in the Dīn. May Allāh bless him with all goodness.
Salafi Knowledge 