Fatwa #480841 July 2021South Africa
I was shocked and taken aback about the double standards adopted by Majlis
Question
Dear Respected Mufti Ebrahim Sahib,
Assalamualaykum warahmatullah,
RE. Masjid Ul Fuqara Notice Board.
When you pointed out in your recent fatwa, the notice on the board in Musjid Ul Fuqara in PE, I was shocked and taken aback about the double standards adopted by Majlis. I observed an emotional outburst in his response thereafter. If Majlis is the sole trustee of Masjid Ul Fuqara, a sole trustee must take full responsibility of what is on the Masjid Board under his administration! Majlis avoided taking the burden of that statement and put it on another brother. If he believed in that notice, he should simply acknowledge it and not say Majlis didn’t write it. He is afraid of taking responsibility of the statement that has many implications on the zig zag position he has adopted. I also saw glaring inconsistencies in his explanations Ie. Outside Masjid - Inside Masjid, Mask on - Mask in the pocket. Also he has said “it is haraam to don the niqaab of Iblees during Salaat”, and then he says “Rather than expelling such musallis from the Masjid”, its very confusing.
Why doesn’t he uphold that supposedly high level of Imaan and negate the masks even in front of the authorities and fight for the Haqq? Is fighting the so called 'Draconian laws' not Imaan? This makes one like a coward, to claim one thing and do something else and turn ones back when the challenge comes.
Also my question is, why does he use vulgar language and attack individuals and not tackle the issue?? In my entire history, I have never seen any Aalim of haqq use vulgar language. We’ve always been taught in madressah not to use vulgar language and be abusive. Is that the Islam we know?!
Answer
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Respected Brother,
You have made comments about Majlis response. You did not ask a question. You may refer your concerns to Majlis directly.
We reserve our response on Majlis related issues on what we feel is appropriate to educate the Ummah and save them from being misguided.
We had corresponded with Majlis on the issue of contagion. He concluded his correspondence with the verse, wherein Allah Ta'ala tells the Jahannamis, Ikhsa'u wala tukallimoon, implying that I am a Jahannami.
I requested him to continue our correspondence. I informed him that it is Haraam to use vulgar and derogatory statements and substantiated my position from the Qur’aan and Ahadith. I stated that his attitude is contrary to the Sunnah. He then closed correspondence with me. Here is the entire correspondence for public review.
As for your question about using derogatory language:
Allah expressly prohibits us from referring to each other in derogatory terms.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِّن نِّسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ ۖ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (11)
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حدثنا هناد بن السري, قال: ثنا أبو الأحوص, عن حصين, قال: سألت عكرِمة, عن قول الله ( وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ ) قال: هو قول الرجل للرجل: يا منافق, يا كافر.
حدثنا يعقوب بن إبراهيم, قال: ثنا هشيم, قال أخبرنا حصين, عن عكرِمة, في قوله ( وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ ) قال: هو قول الرجل للرجل: يا فاسق, يا منافق.
حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد, قوله ( وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ) قال: دُعي رجل بالكفر وهو مسلم.
حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ ) يقول الرجل: لا تقل لأخيك المسلم: ذاك فاسق, ذاك منافق, نهى الله المسلم عن ذلك وقدّم فيه.
حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى, قال: ثنا ابن ثور, عن معمر, عن قتادة ( وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ ) يقول: لا يقولنّ لأخيه المسلم: يا فاسق, يا منافق.
حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله ( وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ ) قال: تسميته بالأعمال السيئة بعد الإسلام زان فاسق.
Translation:
O you who have Imaan! Men should not mock (scoff) other men for perchance (perhaps) they (those mocked) may be better than them (those who mock). Neither should any women mock other women, perchance they (the mocked ones) may be better than them (those who mock). Never find fault nor defame each other (Muslims) and do not call each other (by offensive and insulting) names. (To accuse a person falsely) of sin after (he has accepted) Imaan is indeed evil. Those who do not repent are indeed oppressors (of their own selves because they will be subjecting themselves to punishment).
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Commentary: “And do not call each other (by offensive and insulting) names”:
Ikrimah RA says: It refers to a person calling another O Munafiq (Hypocrite), O Kafir (disbeliever).
Ikrimah RA says: It refers to a person calling another O Fasiq (Transgressor), O Munafiq (Hypocrite).
Mujahid RA says: It refers to a person calling another a Kafir when he is a Muslim.
Qatada RA says: Do not refer to your Muslim brother as he is a Munafiq or that one is a Fasiq. Allah has prohibited from this……
Referring to people with derogatory terms is against the sunnah of Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam.
See the following Ahadith.
الأدب المفرد بالتعليقات (ص: 161) - عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: (لا يَنْبَغِي للمُؤمِنِ أنْ يَكُونَ لَعَّانَاً)
[Translation: Nabi ﷺ said: "It does not behove a believer to curses others."]
صحيح البخاري (8/ 13) - عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: لم يكن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم سبابا، ولا فحاشا، ولا لعانا، كان يقول لأحدنا عند المعتبة: «ما له ترب جبينه»
[Translation: The Prophet (ﷺ) was not one who would abuse (others) or say obscene words, or curse (others), and if he wanted to admonish anyone of us, he used to say: "What is wrong with him, his forehead be dusted!”]
عَن ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّه عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم: "لَيْس المُؤْمِنُ بالطَّعَّانِ، وَلا اللَّعَّانِ، وَلا الْفَاحِشِ، وَلا الْبَذِيء "رواه الترمذي
[Translation: Nabi ﷺ said: "The believer does not insult the honour of others, nor curses, nor coarse nor obscene."
مصنف ابن أبي شيبة (5/ 560) - عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ عَلِيٌّ قَوْلُ الرَّجُلِ لِلرَّجُلِ: يَا خَبِيثُ يَا فَاسِقُ،
قَالَ: هُنَّ فَوَاحِشُ، وَفِيهِنَّ عُقُوبَةٌ وَلَا تَقُولُهُنَّ فَتَعَوَّدَهُنَّ
[Translation: Ali Radhiyallahu Anhu was asked with regards to calling another O Khabith, O Fasiq, he said: These are obscene words…."]
After reading the above Ahadith of Rasullullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam condemning vile language, if Majlis chooses to intoxicate himself in the rum of his own verbosity by spewing further filth and openly violating the Mubarak Ahadith of Rasullullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, then he risks a great burden on himself. As for my personal self, I have forgiven him for all the terms, Jahannami, "get out dog" “glass house”etc. to mention a few and what he will say in future. We will not refer to his well -known, broken and crushed glass. [رويدك يا انجشة بالقوارير]
All that will not deter me from guiding the Ummah against the deviation of extremism which was the hallmark of the Khawaarij.
The following two Ahadith are noteworthy.
وعن إبراهيم بن عبد الرحمن العذري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «يحمل هذا العلم من كل خلف عدوله ينفون عنه تحريف الغالين وانتحال المبطلين وتأويل الجاهلين . رواه البيهقي
“In every successive century those who are reliable authorities will preserve this knowledge, rejecting the changes made by extremists, the plagiarisms of those who make false claims for themselves, and the interpretations of the ignorant.”
(Mishkat-248)
يَخْرُجُ فِيكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَحْقِرُونَ صَلاَتَكُمْ مَعَ صَلاَتِهِمْ، وَصِيَامَكُمْ مَعَ صِيَامِهِمْ، وَعَمَلَكُمْ مَعَ عَمَلِهِمْ، وَيَقْرَءُونَ القُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، يَنْظُرُ فِي النَّصْلِ فَلاَ يَرَى شَيْئًا، وَيَنْظُرُ فِي القِدْحِ فَلاَ يَرَى شَيْئًا، وَيَنْظُرُ فِي الرِّيشِ فَلاَ يَرَى شَيْئًا، وَيَتَمَارَى فِي الفُوقِ»
صحيح البخاري (6/ 197)
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "There will appear some people among you whose prayer will make you look down upon yours, and whose fasting will make you look down upon yours, but they will recite the Qur'an which will not exceed their throats (they will not act on it) and they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out through the game whereupon the archer would examine the arrowhead but see nothing, and look at the unfeathered arrow but see nothing, and look at the arrow feathers but see nothing, and finally he suspects to find something in the lower part of the arrow." [Bukhari]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.