Fatwa #4556228 June 2020Pakistan
Can we attend functions which have drapes on the stage?
Question
As salaamu Alaikum .
Respected mufti Saheb .
Came across this in bhesti Zewar, Aqaaid Section.
(Evil Customs ) (To hang and suspend carpets from walls and ceilings merely for decorations and beautification) .
My question is. Are we allowed to attend functions (jalsas) that have draping on the stage? Colour material set in a certain way to make the stage look pleasant and neat.
i Heard a learned person saying that Ibn Umar رضى الله عنه would not attend such functions. I am looking for a straightforward answer. can i attend or not?
Was salaam
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
According to our understanding of the section in Behishti Zewar, there are two causes of the prohibition.
a) Hanging carpets as a custom
b) Extravagance
In principle, if one is a leader as in the example of Abdullah bin Umar (Radhiyallahu Anhu), then he should not attend such gatherings as his presence will be misunderstood as approval of the prohibited actions.
If one is not a leader and he is aware that there will be clear violations of Shariah taking place, then it is not permissible for him to attend such a gathering. If such a person did not know and he became aware of the clear violations of Shariah while at the gathering, then he should prohibit the wrong with wisdom and diplomacy.
In the enquired situation, if the draping on the stage is to merely make the stage look neat and pleasant, then that is unlike the situation referred to in Beheshti Zewar where the hanging rugs and carpets do not serve any purpose and are practiced purely as a custom.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mohamed Ebrahim bin Ismail Abdullah
Student - Darul Iftaa
Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
01-11-1441|23-06-2020