Suspicion could ruin relations between people,particularly
when it is based on flimsy evidence,or hearsay.The Prophet
(Peace be upon him)has spoken in very clear terms about
misplaced suspicion,giving clear orders to refrain from it.
One clearly authentic Hadith that groups together some of
the actions that cause discord within the community and
make people dislike one another is reported by Abu
Hurayrah. He quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as
saying: “Beware of suspicion, for it is the most untrue of
what people say. Do not spy against one another, or compete
with one another. Do not boycott, envy or hate one another,
but remain — you servants of God — brothers and sisters.”
(Related by Al-Bukahri, Muslim, Abu Dawood and
Al-Tirmidhi).

This Hadith stresses the importance of maintaining good
relations within the Muslim community. The Prophet
highlights certain things that would undermine such
relations,and he tells us not to allow ourselves to indulge
in them.Boycott,envy and hate should never be allowed to
exist,let alone flourish in any Muslim community.Relations
between Muslims should always be close. All members of the
Muslim community should look at one another as brothers and
sisters.They must value this tie of brotherhood,because it
is established on the best basis,which is servitude to God.

But the Hadith begins with a warning against suspicion
describing it as the most untrue of speech. This is an apt
description because whatever said on the basis of suspicion
has no basis in reality. It is all conjecture, leading to
false accusation and false ideas. It poisons relations and
leads to discord and hostility. It also encourages what the
Prophet mentions next, which is spying on one another.
People would not spy against their neighbors or competitors
unless they have some sort of suspicion which they want to
explore. Hence, they try to gather information secretly,
perhaps through spying. This is again forbidden.

The Prophet teaches us that we should help one another not
to entertain any doubt leading to suspicion. One of the
Prophet’s wives, Safiyyah, mentions that one day, as the
Prophet was spending the last ten days of Ramadan in the
mosque, devoting his time to worship, she came to visit
him. She sat with him for sometime before she left. The
Prophet walked with her toward her home. As they were close
to the door of the mosque, passing close to Umm Salamah’s
(his other wife) door, two men from the Ansar passed by and
greeted the Prophet. The Prophet said to them: “Wait a
moment. This is Safiyyah.” They said: “Limitless is God in
His glory.” They felt very bad, but the Prophet said to
them: “Satan goes as close to man as his own blood, and I
feared that he might put something into your minds.’”
(Related by Al-Bukahri, Muslim and Abu Dawood).

There are different versions of this Hadith, but the one we
included is the most detailed. All agree that the Prophet
sought to clear any doubts that might have occurred to the
two passersby, even before they occur. They were upset that
the Prophet thought they might suspect him. In one version,
one of them said to the Prophet: “Whoever I might doubt, I
would not doubt you.” This is clearly the attitude of
believers toward the Prophet whom they loved and trusted.
How could they suspect him when they believed that he
received revelations from on high? But the Prophet was
clear on this point. Yet he wanted to teach his companions
something that benefits them in their social relations.
This he explains by the closeness of Satan to man and his
thoughts. He can creep into one’s mind so as to be as close
to him as his own blood. This means that at any time
suspicion might arise at the slightest indication, or the
smallest gesture. This is what the Prophet expresses in a
most graphic description: “Satan goes as close to man as
his own blood.” Hence, a wrong thought could be planted in
someone’s mind very easily. Therefore, when we feel that a
particular situation we are in might give rise to some
thought or doubt, we should clarify it, as the Prophet did
when he told his two companions that the woman walking with
him was his wife, Safiyyah.

Sometime suspicion arises because of an event or a
misfortune. Abdullah ibn Masoud says: “A person who has
been victim of theft continues to suspect until his offense
becomes greater than that of the thief.” (Related by
Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad). This is clearly true.
When we suffer a misfortune like theft, we are so aggrieved
that we begin to suspect people, thinking that they were
the perpetrators. But when we entertain such doubts on no
firm basis, we soon become guilty of a worse offense, which
is suspicion without evidence.

The Prophet’s companions, particularly the scholars among
them, understood this well and acted on it. Abu Al-Dardaa
was one such scholar among the Prophet’s companions. One
day he received a letter from Mu’awiyah, the caliph, asking
him to write down for him the names of all transgressors in
Damascus. Abu Al-Dardaa said: “What business would I have
with the transgressors in Damascus? How would I know who is
a transgressor?” His son, Bilal, said: “I will write their
names.” He did so. His father said to him: “How do you know
them? You cannot know that they are transgressors unless
you are one of them. Begin with mending your own conduct.”
He refused to send their names to Mu’awiyah. (Related by
Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).

We note here that Abu Al-Dardaa refused the caliph’s
request on grounds that he could not for certain judge
anyone unless he had clear information. How could he when
he did not have firm first hand information? How could he
have such information unless he was there and spoke to
them? Hence, when his son wrote down their names, he told
him that his action was not acceptable, because having the
necessary information required associating with such
transgressors. Hence, he told his son to start with
reforming himself. We should note that Abu Al-Dardaa
refused to accept his son’s information as correct because
it did not rely on first hand knowledge. His son was later
to become the chief justice in Damascus, during the time of
Yazeed ibn Mu’awiyah.

Committing Suicide Is Strictly Forbidden in Islam.

Q. It is said that suicide is forbidden in Islam and that
the person who commits suicide is destined to go to hell.
Suppose a person is suffering from a severe case of
depression, or some other mental disease. Should such a
person commit suicide, will he also go to hell?

A. One thing which people often do is to say that such and
such a person will definitely go to heaven or to hell. This
is something over which none other than God has any
control.So to suggest that such a person goes here or there
in the hereafter is an affront to God, because it
precipitates His judgment.

There are certain verses of the Qur’an and statements by
the Prophet (peace be upon him) which tell us that those
who perpetrate certain sins will be punished.But then it is
up to God to determine what punishment fits every single
case,because God judges us individually,on the basis of His
perfect knowledge of our intentions and conditions.

It is true that suicide is strictly forbidden,because it is
an affront to God.It is like a person saying to God: “You
have given me life and I am taking it away.” This is what
is meant by the sacred Hadith in which God is quoted as
saying of the one who commits suicide: “My servant has
precipitated My will with regard to himself! Therefore, I
am forbidding him entry into heaven.” But this Hadith
applies to a person in full control of his faculties,
suffering no overpowering adversity and having a reasonable
life. If such a person commits suicide,then may be God will
not allow him in heaven.

A person who commits suicide as a result of a mental
disorder like depression or some other severe form of
anxiety is not in full control of his senses.We cannot say
how God will judge such a person, but we trust to God’s
justice, because He does not deal unfairly with anyone. We
pray for the person concerned, and request God to forgive
him. When a man committed suicide during the Prophet’s
lifetime, the Prophet was distressed. He did not perform
the janazah prayer for the deceased, but he ordered his
companions to do it. When they did, they prayed for the man
and requested God’s forgiveness for him. This shows that
the Prophet did not exclude the possibility of his being
forgiven by God.

To grow a Beard or to Divorce

Q. An expatriate who worked for several years In Sauda
Arabia felt that he should grow a beard in fulfilment of
the Sunnah. His wife back home was adamant that he should
not.She also refused to wear the hijab.When he insisted
that a beard was important,she threatened separation and
filing a case for divorce,which could be granted in his
home country.This placed him in a dilemma,wanting to do
what is good and beautiful, which could cause divorce.
Please comment, mentioning also what is required in hijab.

A. Both man and woman are accountable for their own deeds
and they bear individual responsibility for the fulfillment
of their Islamic duties. Neither can prevent the other from
fulfilling a duty or a Sunnah, which is a practice
recommended by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore,
if a man decides to wear a beard in fulfillment of the
Sunnah, neither his wife, parents nor anyone else can
prevent him from doing so.

Having said that,I would like to emphasize that wearing a
beard is a Sunnah, which means that it is strongly
recommended by the Prophet.It is not a duty, which means
that a person who remains clean shaven does not commit a
sin by so doing.He simply does not earn the reward that God
grants for the fulfillment of a Sunnah. Hence a man may
decide whether to wear a beard or not on the basis of his
circumstances and how this will affect him in his life.

In the above case, the answer is that the man should decide
for himself,after explaining to his wife the importance of
acting on the Prophet’s recommendation and that she is in
fault if she tries to dissuade him.She is certainly wrong
to insist on her attitude thereby,threatening to break up
the marriage.

Moreover, my advice in this case is that when the husband
tells his wife to observe the Islamic dress code and wear
the hijab, he should not link this to their dispute over
the beard. A Muslim woman is required to observe this code
and if she does not, she is failing in her duty, which
means that she could be liable to God’s punishment in the
life to come. He should remind her of her duty every now
and then. If she adamantly refuses,she bears responsibility
for her action.Incidentally, the dress code requirement is
that a Muslim woman should cover all her body, with the
exception of her face and hands, up to her wrists.

In Love With a Married Person

Q. A man who recently converted to Islam is in love with a
married woman,who is prepared to obtain divorce so that
they could marry. What should they do?

A. They should stop their contacts immediately. There can
be no relation between them.The woman must stop seeing the
man or talking to him on the phone or in any way.She is
married and she must remain faithful to her husband.

Any relation outside marriage is forbidden in Islam. On his
part,the man must also stop,because he violates Islamic law
if he continues with such contacts.

The questioner says that the woman wants to obtain divorce.
Well,if and when she is divorced and completes her waiting
period,then they can discuss marriage. Before that,they
cannot even mention the possibility. How can they when the
woman is already married?

Reading the Last Two Surahs.
Q.1 Could you please let me know how the Prophet (peace be
upon him) read the last two surahs, known as
Al-Mu’awadhatayn? Did he say Bismillahi Al-Rahman Al-Raheem
once at the beginning, or twice, with the second separating
the two surahs?

Q.2 Does reading the last three surahs earn special reward?
Can we read the Qur’an from memory, or say salam, without
having performed the ablution,or wudhu?

A.1 There is a historical difference among scholars on the
status of Bismillahi Al-Rahman Al-Raheem with regard to its
position at the beginning of every surah in the Qur’an,
except Surah 9,Repentance.The phrase means “in the name of
God,the Merciful,the Beneficent.” Many scholars consider it
as one verse of the first surah, Al-Fatihah, and other
surahs as well, while others do not consider it a verse of
any surah.

But all agree that it constitutes part of a verse in Surah
27,Al-Naml.This difference expresses itself in how it is
read in prayer,with the first group supporting the view
that it should be read aloud when the Imam is reading
aloud,while others prefer that it should be read quietly,
with no audible voice.

There are Hadiths supporting both views, all relying on
good authority and authentic reporting. When we take them
all together,we may conclude that the Prophet (peace be
upon him)did both versions,sometimes reading this phrase
aloud and sometimes reading it in private while reading the
text of the surah aloud.As to which he did more often, this
is difficult to say. Hence both methods are acceptable.

How the Prophet recited the last two surahs on a particular
occasion is very difficult to say unless we have a Hadith
which gives us the necessary information.To the best of my
knowledge,we do not have such a Hadith.

But the lack of information does not prevent us from
reading the two surahs as the Prophet has guided us to do.
Whether we read the phrase in question aloud or in private
does not make much difference. It should be read. The two
surahs should be separated with reading it because they are
two distinct surahs and not one surah in two parts.

A.2 The last three surahs are short and very comprehensive.
The first of the three emphasizes God’s oneness, and the
other two seek shelter with Him against evil perpetrated by
Satan and by other humans. The Prophet recommended reading
these surahs in different situations,such as early in the
morning and as the night approaches,and before going to
bed.There is the normal reward for reading the Qur’an,and
the answering of the prayer included in them.

It is always better when doing any act of worship to
perform ablution first, but it is not obligatory except
when offering prayers and doing tawaf. Reading the Qur’an
is an act of worship,and it is recommended to have ablution
before reading,whether we are reading from memory or
holding a copy of the Qur’an. To say salam without having
performed ablution is perfectly appropriate.







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