The ruling on a husband deserting his wife without a valid reason
Is it permissible for a husband to forsake his wife for an entire year—sleeping in one room while the wife sleeps in another—despite her having committed no offense against him? Answer: If the woman has fulfilled her marital obligations, then the husband’s desertion of her is strictly prohibited, pursuant to the words of Allah the Almighty: ‘but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).’ [An-Nisa: 34]. Reflect upon His saying: ‘For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).’ It serves as an indication that if a husband forsakes or estranges himself from his wife while she is fulfilling his rights—driven by a sense of superiority and arrogance—then Allah Almighty is more Exalted and more Great than he is. Consequently, he must repent to Allah and fear the Exalted and Great, Glorified be He. Conversely, if she is in a state of recalcitrance and fails to fulfill his rights, he is permitted to forsake her in the bed until she rectifies her conduct. As for verbal estrangement, he may not boycott her for more than three days, as the Prophet—may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family—stated: ‘It is not permissible for a Muslim to desert his brother for more than three [nights]; they meet, and this one turns away and that one turns away, and the best of them is the one who initiates the greeting.’
Condemning the Pre-Islamic Mindset Regarding the Birth of Girls
What is the Islamic legal ruling, in Your Eminence’s view, regarding someone who dislikes daughters and becomes angry when a girl is born to him? Answer: This [behavior] resembles the enemies of Allah, the disbelievers, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: “And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief!” (An-Nahl: 58). This is not permissible; it is an evil act. It is not allowed to imitate the enemies of Allah. Rather, one should praise Allah and ask Him for her righteousness and that Allah makes her beneficial. How many a daughter has Allah provided who is better than a son? Here is ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her and make her content)—she is among the most virtuous women of the worlds. The point is: a person should not dislike [having] daughters; rather, they should praise Allah and ask for her righteousness and success. One must not harbor such dislike, as disliking daughters is a practice from the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah). We ask Allah for well-being.
When to Leave: Handling Gatherings that Criticize Scholars and Rulers
We find many people speaking ill and harboring ill-will toward the [Muslim] rulers and the scholars, using descriptions that we detest. When we denounce their behavior, they laugh at us and say, ‘You are poor, soul-less people who do not know.’ I even remember being in a gathering where we were discussing this, and I mentioned to them that I pray (make Du’a) for the rulers; they laughed at me and mocked my words. So, what should be said to such people? Answer: You have fulfilled your duty and advised them. If they do not accept [your advice], then do not sit with them. Leave that gathering and do not keep their company, because you have done what was required of you while they refused to accept it and chose to laugh. Do not sit with them, for [Allah says]: ‘And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’ân) that when you hear the Verses of Allâh being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them.’ [An-Nisa: 140] It is not permissible to sit in gatherings where evil is present—especially such a grievous evil as this—except for one who denounces it and finds that their denunciation is accepted. However, if it is not accepted, then one must leave that gathering, [as Allah says]: ‘And when you (Muhammad) see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’ân) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaitân (Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers).’ [Al-An’am: 68]. These people are mocking the verses of Allah; because the verses of Allah forbid reviling the Muslim rulers and forbid attacking the honor of [any] Muslims. Yet, they mock the very verses of Allah that prohibit them from doing so.
Does Ulil-Amr Refer Only to Scholars?
What is your opinion on those who say that the meaning of “those in authority” mentioned in the [Quranic] verse 1 refers only to the scholars and not the rulers? Is this correct? Answer: This is a personal interpretation; this is a view from himself. “Those in authority” (Ulil-Amr) are both the scholars and the rulers, as you have heard. In fact, the outward, apparent meaning of the term refers to the rulers. However, the people of knowledge are the people of authority regarding religious knowledge, while the rulers are the people of authority regarding executive power. “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority.” (Al-Qur’an, An-Nisa’(4):59) ↩
Duty Toward Palestine: A Call to Repentance and Return to Faith
He [the inquirer] asks, what is the duty of Muslims toward what is happening in Palestine, and toward the Jews—may the curse of Allah be upon them? Answer: Muslims must, first and foremost, reform themselves. They must rectify their souls, repent to Allah, return to their religion, and establish the Sharia (Law) of their Lord. For if they rectify themselves and prepare to face the enemy, then Allah will grant them victory over their foe. But so long as they remain unreformed within themselves, they will never be able to withstand anyone; rather, Allah will give the enemies dominion over them because of how they have changed [their commitment to] their religion.
The Ruling on Disparaging Jesus in Retaliation
A newspaper from Azerbaijan was found this week depicting Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) and his mother Mary (Peace Be Upon Them) in a hideous/vile manner. This was done, according to their claims, in response to what the Danish newspapers did regarding our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Does the person who did this to Jesus and his mother commit disbelief (kufr) and apostatize from the religion of Islam—bearing in mind that those who did this affiliate themselves with Islam? Answer: There is no doubt that ignorance does worse to its people than even this. This stems from ignorance—we seek refuge in Allah—and what is the sin of Messiah (Peace Be Upon Him)? What is the sin of his mother (may Allah be pleased with her)? For we believe in all the Messengers, we respect all the Messengers, and all the believers from all nations. Our fellow believers—we ask for mercy upon them and seek forgiveness for them: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith” (Qur’an, al-Hasr, 59:10). We are allies to the believers from any generation and any century; from Adam until the Hour is established, they are our brothers. We pray for mercy upon them and we do not disparage them. As for disparaging the Prophets, that is disbelief (kufr). Those who disparaged Jesus—this is disbelief. It is not permissible to respond to disbelief with disbelief—we seek refuge in Allah—this is a matter that is not allowed. However, as for ruling these specific people as disbelievers, we do not know; perhaps they are ignorant, or they acted based on a misinterpretation, or something similar. Meaning, they have ignorance, and ignorance is an excuse. We do not know regarding the ruling upon them specifically, so we withhold [judgment]. But this act is not permissible; it is hideous, and it constitutes a [forbidden] differentiation between the Prophets. And Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, says regarding the believers: “We make no distinction between any of them” (Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:136) We respect Messiah and we respect all the Prophets, and we believe that whoever disparages even one of them is a disbeliever. However, the ruling of disbelief (kufr) upon a specific individual may be withheld due to ignorance or for a reason we are unaware of.
Advice for Social Media Users
May Allah protect you, honorable Shaykh. The questioner here asks you to provide advice to social media users. Answer: Yes, these media platforms have both good and bad aspects. If they are used for good, they can be beneficial, but if they are used for evil, they can harm everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They are like a double-edged sword, which can bring benefit if used for good, but can cause harm if used for evil. Therefore, Muslims youth should be aware of this and take from these social media channels and websites what is useful and beneficial for their religion and worldly affairs, and leave what is worthless, such as misguided ideas, deviant opinions, and ignorance spread by ignorant people or those who are misguided. Knowledge is not obtained from websites or social media networks; it is obtained directly from scholars, from the Book [of Allah] and the Sunnah by the hands of scholars! It is not obtained from social media networks, rumors, or websites. This is misleading. Knowledge can only be obtained directly from scholars. If the questions arise, they should be posed to scholars, not to the general public. They should be sent directly to scholars, who are responsible for answering them. If there is a matter of security or fear, they can be broadcasted. This is called broadcasting, which is the dissemination of information to the masses, including the ignorant people. They may enter into such matters and make judgments without knowledge. If they had referred the matter back to the Messenger (the Prophet), he would have replied to it during his lifetime and after his death (rely) according to his Sunnah. If they referred the matter to the leaders, they would be divided into two groups: the political leaders and the scholars. In matters of religion and worldly affairs, in matters of jurisprudence, religious problems, and politics, the matter should be referred to the people of knowledge.
The Condition of Proximity in Advising Rulers
Does the hadith, “The best Jihad is a word of truth spoken in the presence of a tyrannical ruler,” apply to someone who publicly criticizes the ruler through the media? Answer: No. The hadith specifies “in the presence of” (‘inda) a tyrannical ruler. This means speaking to him directly (face-to-face). It does not say that one should criticize him from the pulpits (minbars) or in the streets. It says “in his presence.” Allah (Almighty and Majestic) said to Moses and Aaron regarding Pharaoh: “So go you both to him,” 1 “And speak to him mildly” 2. al-Quran, Ta Ha (20):47 ↩ al-Quran, Ta Ha (20): 44 ↩