Knowledge
Chapter 4
Various branches of
knowledge
41869: A communist atheist is
claiming that fasting is harmful
Question:
I live in Russia where I am studying. Most of
our professors are communists who do not believe
in the existence of the Creator. One of them
said to us: "How can this God of yours command
you not to eat and drink during the day when
this is damaging to the health?" How do you
advise us to respond to this communist, may
Allaah humiliate him?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Fasting _ as well as being basically an act
of worship that is prescribed in Islam and an
obligation enjoined by Allaah, is also one of
the most beneficial of remedies and most
effective means of strengthening one's body.
This is according to the testimony of non-Muslim
doctors, let alone Muslim ones.
Fasting plays an effective role in treating
psychological problems and strengthening the
will-power of the fasting person, softening his
feelings, and making him love to do good and
keep away from argumentative and hostile
tendencies; it also increases his spiritual
feelings. So it strengthens his personality and
makes him more able to bear problems and
burdens. Undoubtedly this is reflected
positively in a person's health.
This is one aspect. From another angle,
fasting also plays a role in treating many
physical disorders, such as diseases of the
digestive system like gastritis, irritable bowel
syndrome, liver diseases and indigestion, as
well as treating obesity, hardening of the
arteries, high blood pressure, angina, asthma,
etc.
The Swiss doctor Barcellus wrote:
The benefit of hunger as a remedy is many
times better than using medicines. Doctor Helb
used to forbid his patients to eat for several
days, then he would offer them light meals. In
general, fasting plays a role in destroying the
worn-out tissues at the time of hunger, then
rebuilds them when food is ingested. This is the
reason why some scientists, including Pashutin,
regard fasting as a means of restoring youth.
Tom Burns of the Columbia School of
Journalism says: I regard fasting as an
experience which is deeply spiritual more than
physical. Despite the fact that I started to
fast with the aim of losing excess weight, I
realized that fasting is very beneficial for the
mind. It helps me to see with greater clarity
and to develop new thoughts and to focus my
feelings. Within only a few days of starting my
fast in the spa I began to feel that I was
passing through a very spiritual experience.
Of course fasting may be harmful and
extremely difficult for some people in certain
situations; Allaah has exempted them from
fasting _ such as those who are sick and those
who are traveling.
Moreover the benefits of fasting come when
one adheres to the etiquette of fasting, such as
delaying suhoor, hastening to break the fast,
not being extravagant in the manner or amount of
food eaten, and avoiding being extravagant in
serving a large variety of foods.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says: Most
religions enjoin fasting and it it is something
that people used to do even at times other than
religious occasions; some individuals fast in
response to human nature.
In the twentieth century a number of books
appeared in America and Europe which spoke of
the medical benefits of fasting. There was
Treating sickness by fasting by Shelton;
Medical Fasting: The Ideal Nutritional
System by Alan Coutt; Fasting, the Elixir
of Life by Enrique Tanner; Return to a
Healthy Life through Medical Fasting by
Watzener.
Fasting is of great benefit in treating some
diseases of the heart, because 10% of the blood
that the heart pumps to the body goes to the
digestive system during the digestive process;
this amount is reduced during fasting, when the
digestive process does not occur during the day.
This means that the heart works less and can
rest more.
Fasting is also used to treat skin diseases,
because if the amount of water in the blood is
reduced, the amount of water in the skin is also
reduced.
It increases the skin's impermeability and
resistance to bacterial disease.
It reduces the extent of skin diseases that
can spread over a large area of the body such as
psoriasis.
It reduces allergies and other skin problems.
Fasting reduces toxic secretions in the
intestines and reduces the fermentation that can
lead to ulcers.
These are some of the health benefits of
fasting, from which you may understand that what
that communist atheist says has no sound basis.
Moreover we fast in obedience to the command
of Allaah Who has enjoined us to fast, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the
fasting) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may
become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious"
[al-Baqarah 2:183]
If Allaah commanded us to kill ourselves we
would do it in order to please our Lord, but we
believe with certainty of faith that He would
never command us to do anything but that which
is in our best interests in this world and in
the Hereafter.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
26855: The book Durrat
al-Naasiheen
Question:
There is a book called Durrat al-Naasiheen,
which is about preaching and teaching, by one of
the scholars of the ninth Hijri century whose
name is `Uthmaan ibn Hasan ibn Ahmad
al-Khawbari. I read the following in this book:
"It was narrated from Ja'far ibn Muhammad from
his father from his grandfather that he said:
`Allaah looked at a jewel and it turned red;
then He looked at it a second time and it melted
and trembled out of fear of its Lord; then He
looked at it a third time and it turned to
water; then He looked at it a fourth time and
half of it became solid; from half of it the
Throne was created and from the other half
water. Then He left it as it was and from that
time it has continued to tremble and will
continue to do so until the Day of
Resurrection."
And it was narrated from `Ali (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that those who carry the
Throne are four angels whose feet touch the rock
that is beneath the seventh earth the distance
of five hundred years' travel. Please explain to
us.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This book is not reliable. It includes
fabricated (mawdoo') and weak
(da'eef) ahaadeeth that cannot be relied
on _ including these two hadeeths. There is no
basis for these hadeeth, rather they are
fabricated ahaadeeth that are falsely attributed
to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). So we should not rely on this book or
similar books which include both good and bad,
and contain fabricated and weak ahaadeeth. The
scholars have worked hard to protect the
ahaadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and they have explained
which are sound and which are not. So the
believer should rely on the good and useful
books such as al-Saheehayn, the four
books of al-Sunan,
Muntaqa'l-Akhbaar by Ibn Taymiyah,
Riyadh al-Saaliheen by al-Nawawi,
Buloogh al-Maraam by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar,
`Umdat al-Hadeeth by al-Haafiz `Abd
al-Ghaniy ibn `Abd al-Waahid al-Maqdisi, and
other similar useful books that are regarded as
reliable by the scholars. Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li'l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/406
(www.islam-qa.com)
22051: Ruling on studying
western theories that go against sharee'ah
Question:
I am a university student. All of my studies
are western theories that go against Islam. What
is your opinion, knowing that I intend to refute
these theories and benefit the Muslim ummah
during my studies and after I graduate?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this
question, and replied as follows:
I say that this is undoubtedly jihad for the
sake of Allaah, for a person to study these
theories that go against Islam in order to
refute them from a standpoint of knowledge.
Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said to Mu'aadh, when he
sent him to Yemen, "I am sending you to some
people from among the People of the Book."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Kitaab
al-Zakaah, 1395; Muslim, Kitaab
al-Eemaan, 29). He told him about them so
that he would be prepared to deal with them.
Similarly, the scholars who studied these
matters, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah,
who studied various branches of knowledge and
philosophical issues and the like so that he
could refute their proponents.
If you are studying these matters in order to
refute them, and you are confident that you are
able to refute them without being affected by
them, because you worship Allaah much and fear
Him, then I hope in sha Allaah that this will be
good for you and of benefit to the Muslims. But
if you cannot refute them in a rational manner
or with proof, do not follow this route.
Similarly if you are not completely certain and
deeply convinced, then I advise you to leave
these matters alone, for they are dangerous. No
one should expose himself to problems when there
is the fear that he is not able to tackle them
properly.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 132
(www.islam-qa.com)
22044: Learning English for
the purpose of da'wah
Question:
What is your view on a seeker of knowledge
learning English, especially if he wants to use
it for da'wah and calling others to Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this
question. He replied as follows.
Our view on learning English is that it is a
means and it is a bad menans if the aim is bad.
But the one thing that we must avoid is using it
instead of Arabic. That is not permitted. We
have heard some foolish people speaking English
instead of Arabic, and some of the foolish
people who are dazzled by the west, whom I
regard as lackeys (of the west), teaching their
children to use the greetings of the
non-Muslims, and teaching them to say "bye-bye"
when departing, and so on.
Because using this language instead of
Arabic, which is the language of the Qur'aan and
the noblest of languages, is haraam. It was
narrated that the salaf forbade speaking in the
tongues of the non-Arabs.
With regard to using it as a means of da'wah,
there is no doubt that this is obligatory
sometimes. I did not learn it and I wish that I
had learned it. On some occasions I have found
forced to use an interpreter who could not fully
express what I wanted to say.
I will tell you a story of something that
happened to me in the mosque of Jeddah airport,
with some men from the Islamic Awareness
organization. After Fajr prayer, we were
speaking about the Tijaani sect and how it is a
false sect that that apostatized from Islam. I
started to say what I knew about them, then a
man came and asked me for permission to
interpret my words into Hausa. I gave him
permission, and he started to interpret. Then a
man came rushing in and said, "This man who is
interpreting for you is praising the
Tijaaniyyah." I was astonished and I said,
"Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji'oon
(Truly, to Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we
shall return)." If I had known this language I
would not have needed these cheaters. The point
is that knowing the language of the people whom
you are addressing is undoubtedly important so
that you can convey the information to them.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We sent not a Messenger except with
the language of his people, in order that he
might make (the Message) clear for them"
[Ibraaheem 14:4]
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-`Uthaymen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 143)
(www.islam-qa.com)
10489: Ruling on learning
worldly sciences and the manufacture of military
hardware
Question:
What is the ruling on learning worldly
sciences and the manufacture of military
hardware? Is this obligatory on the Muslims?
Will the Muslim who learns them be rewarded?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
With regard to science (apart from the
sciences of sharee'ah), i.e., extracting metals
and minerals, agricultural science and all
beneficial sciences, it may be obligatory to
learn of them that which the Muslims need, and
it is fard kifaayah. The ruler should enjoin
that which the Muslims need, and help the
specialists in that field to achieve that, i.e.,
by helping them to do that which will benefit
the Muslims and strengthen them against their
enemies. A person's deeds will be rewarded
according to his intentions. It will be counted
as an act of worship to Allaah if his intention
is correct and sincere. If he does it without
any intention it will be counted among
permissible deed, I mean permissible kinds of
manufacturing, extracting minerals, agriculture,
etc…
All of these are essential matters, but if
they are done with the proper intention they may
also be acts of worship. If there is no such
intention then they may be permissible things.
They may be fard kifaayah in some cases, if
necessity calls for that. The ruler has to
demand that of whoever is qualified to do it,
because they are essential matters and there is
a need for that. They differ according to
intention and according to need.
From al-`Ilm wa Akhlaaq Ahlihi, p. 15, by
Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have
mercy on him) (www.islam-qa.com)
20110: What is the ruling on
Arabs learning English?
Question:
What is the ruling on learning English
nowadays?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Learning it is a means. If there is a need
for it as a means of calling people to Allaah,
then learning it may be obligatory. If there is
no need to learn it, then do not occupy your
time with that or let it distract you from
things which are more important and more
beneficial. People vary with regard to how much
they need to learn English. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded
Ibn Thaabit to learn the language of the Jews.
Zayd ibn Thaabit said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
commanded me to learn the language and writing
of the Jews for him. He said, `By Allaah, I do
not trust a Jew to write my letters for me.' So
I learned it, and no more than half a month
passed by before I had mastered it. I used to
write it for him if he wanted a letter written,
and I would read it for him if a letter was sent
to him." (Narrated by Abu Dawood, Kitaab
al-`Ilm, Baab Riwaayat Ahl al-Kitaab;
Imaam Ahmad, part 5, p. 186; al-Haakim,
al-Mustadrak, part 1, p. 75 _ he said it
is a saheeh hadeeth, and al-Dhahabi agreed with
him).
Learning English is one of the means which,
if you need it you may learn it, and if you do
not need it then do not waste your time with it.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 120
(www.islam-qa.com)
1887: Islamic view of space
exploration
Question:
As-salam-alaikum
With all this talk of space exploration and
"whether there is life" outside our beautiful
planet, what does the Quran have to say about
alien beings? Furthermore, should we discover
life on another planet, how should we react to
this new discovery? This may sound as a strange
question, but the thought is in my belief an
interesting one, which brings into question
science that does not always work side by side
with any religion. Salams.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Islam does not prevent man from attempting to
explore space and the wonders it contains, or
from looking at the dominion of Allaah and what
He has created in heaven and earth, as He has
commanded us to do in His Book. But we should
pay attention to two things:
We should weigh the time, effort and money
spent on this purpose against the benefits which
we expect to gain from it.
Man should first learn how to walk and behave
on earth before he tries to go into space.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
1513: Doctor's Knowledge of
the Fetus
Question:
Is the doctors' knowledge of the fetus in the
uterus complete?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Imaam Abu `Abdullaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa`eel
al-Bukhaari reported, in al-Jaami` al-Saheeh,
which is the soundest book after the Qur'aan:
"Ibraaheem ibn al-Mundhir told me that Ma`n
told us that Maalik told me, from `Abdullaah ibn
Deenaar from Ibn `Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (Peace
& Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said:
`The keys of the Unknown are five, which no-one
knows except Allaah: no-one knows what will
happen tomorrow except Allaah; no-one knows what
is in the wombs except Allaah; no-one knows when
it will rain except Allaah; no-one knows in
which land he will die; and no-one knows when
the Hour will begin except Allaah." (Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Tafseer al-Qur'aan, hadeeth
no. 4328).
He also reported it with the wording: "The
keys of the Unseen are five: `Verily, Allah!
With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour,
He send down the rain, and knows that which is
in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn
tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he
will die. Verily Allaah is All-Knower, All-Aware
(of things)' [Luqmaan 31:34]." (Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Tafseer al-Qur'aan, Baab (wa
`indahu mafaatih al-ghaybi laa ya`lamu illaa
huwa), hadeeth no. 4261).
Allaah is the only One Who has knowledge of
the Unseen, as He says (Interpretation of the
meaning) :
"Say: `None in the heavens and
the earth knows the Unseen except Allaah . .
." [al-Naml 27:65] The Unseen referred to in
this aayah is the same as that described in
Soorat Luqmaan (see quote in preceding
paragraph).
There is no doubt whatsoever
that this hadeeth is saheeh. What has confused
the questioner is the fact that doctors are able
to know the gender of the foetus via x-rays and
ultrasound scans, but we should note that this
knowledge is vague and incomplete. They may make
mistakes, as has happened on numerous occasions.
Moreover, they can only perform these scans etc.
after a certain number of weeks of pregnancy
have passed, and not before. Even if they know
whether the foetus is male or female, they do
not know whether it will be miscarried or
carried to term, whether it will be born alive
or dead. They do not know the precise length of
time that it will stay in its mother's womb.
They have nothing but conjecture and
uncertainties. They do not know how long this
person will live, how he will behave or what his
provision will be, or whether he will be of the
people of Paradise or the people of Hell.
Knowledge of what is in the wombs is not merely
a matter of knowing whether the foetus is male
or female; it is broader than that, and no-one
can know it all except Allaah, as He says
(Interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah knows what every female bears, and
by how much the wombs fall short or exceed.
Everything with Him is in (due) proportion."
[al-Ra`d 13:8]
In his Tafseer of this aayah, Ibn Katheer,
may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "Allaah is
telling us here of His complete knowledge:
nothing is hidden from Him and He knows fully
what the females of every species carry in their
wombs. He says (Interpretation of the meaning):
`(He) knows that which is in the wombs,'
i.e., He knows whether it is male or female,
good or bad, destined for Paradise or doomed to
Hell, whether its life will be long or short.
Similarly He says (Interpretation of the
meaning): `He knows you well when He created
you from the earth, and when you were foetuses
in your mothers' wombs' [al-Najm 53:32] In
the two Saheehs there is a report from Ibn
Mas`ood, who said: `The Messenger of Allah
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him)
said: "The way that each of you is created is
that he is gathered in your mother's womb for
forty days and then for a similar length of time
as a blood-clot and then for a similar length of
time as a lump of flesh. Then an angel is sent
and he breathes the spirit into him and is
charged with four commands: to write down his
provision, his life-span, his actions, and
whether he will be wretched or happy."'
According to another hadeeth, the angel says: `O
Lord, male or female? Wretched or happy? How
much provision? How long a life span? and he
writes that.'"
Al-`Awfi said, from Ibn `Abbaas: "`and by how
much the wombs fall short" refers to
miscarriage, and `or exceed' means how how far
beyond the normal time the pregnancy will last
before a child is born, because some women carry
a child for ten months and some for nine months;
the length of pregnancy varies from woman to
woman. This is what is referred to here.
Al-Dahhaak said, from Ibn `Abbaas, that this
phrase referred to pregnancies longer or shorter
than nine months."
Every Muslim must believe in what the Prophet
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him)
has told us, and not doubt a single word of it,
because what the Prophet says is wahy
(revelation) revealed to him by Allaah:
"By the star when it goes down, your
companion (i.e., Muhammad) has neither gone
astray nor has erred. Nor does he speak of (his
own) desire. It is only an Inspiration [wahy]
that is inspired." [al-Najm 53:1-4]
Whoever doubts what the Prophet (Peace &
Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said or doubts
that it is wahy is a kaafir who has left Islam.
The Muslim must believe that what the Prophet
(Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him)
said is absolutely true. This is shown in the
hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Amar, who said: "I
used to write down everything that I heard from
the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings
of Allaah be upon Him), because I wanted to
memorize it. Quraysh told me not to do that and
said: `Are you writing everything down that you
hear? The Messenger of Allaah is only a man who
may speak when he is angry or happy.' So I
stopped writing things down, and I mentioned
this to the Messenger of Allaah (Peace &
Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). He pointed to
his mouth and said: `Write; by the One in Whose
hand is my soul, nothing comes out of it (my
mouth) but the truth.'"
(Reported by Abu Dawud, may Allaah have mercy
on him, in al-Sunan, Kitaab al-`Ilm, hadeeth no.
3161, see also Saheeh al-Jaami`, no. 1196).
We ask Allah to protect us from the whispers
of Shaytaan and to give us strength of faith.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
820: Benefits of the
Internet in spreading knowledge
Question:
Assalammualaikum
I would like to know, from your point of
view, does the Internet bring any benefits to
the Islamic society in terms of spreading
information to the user???
Thank You.
Answer:
All Praises Are Due to Allah.
The answer to your question is in what you
see and not in what you hear. I don't think the
issue needs to be addressed; however, your
question must be regarding the negative and
unlawful things found on the Internet, and not
the positive aspects as they are clearly
evident. There are in fact many down sides in
the Internet, which contain great evil and this
is what pushes one to think of the necessary
ways to fix the ills on the Internet. It is the
obligation of the experts from amongst the
Muslims to work on this issue.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
487: Scientific achievements
of Islam
Question:
What were the Scientific Achievements of
Islam?
Please tell me the answer as soon as
possible!
Answer:
The greatest achievement of Islam is that it
has freed man from the worship of other beings
and delivered him to the worship of the creator
of all beings. As a religious text, the Qur'aan
is not a record of inventions or discoveries in
this life, but rather a revealed book that helps
in the replenishment, enlightenment and solace
of humanity. Through it, man can help in the
development and civilization of this earth, and
through it man can ponder the signs of Allaah's
creation.
Accordingly, Muslims have concentrated on the
study of this universe and made great strides in
the fields of medicine, astronomy, mathematics,
physics, etc. However, the specifics of these
contributions are not the area of concentration
for Muslim scholars, and there are perhaps
better sources than this forum to explain the
role of Muslim scientists, such as books written
for this specific purpose. One can always refer
to books written by fair-minded non-Muslims
about the achievements of al-Khawarizmi in
mathematics, Ibn Haytham in physics, al-Idrisi
in geography,and Ibn Nafees in the circulatory
system.etc.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Click this link to
Preview all 30 Parts Online
Biography of Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Reasons For Buying Tafsir Ibn Kathir
| 
RSS 2.0
Comments
Introduction