The infallibility of the Prophets

 

I would like to ask a question about ‘aqeedah. Is it part of our ‘aqeedah to believe that the Prophets committed sins and were not infallible?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The Prophets
are the best of mankind, and the most noble of creation before Allaah.
Allaah chose them to convey the call of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah to mankind,
and Allaah has made them the intermediaries between Him and His creation in
conveying His Laws. They were commanded to convey the message from Allaah,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“They are
those whom We gave the Book, Al‑Hukm (understanding of the religious laws),
and Prophethood. But if these disbelieve therein (the Book, Al‑Hukm and
Prophethood), then, indeed We have entrusted it to a people (such as the
Companions of Prophet Muhammad) who are not disbelievers therein”

[al-An’aam 6:89] 

The Prophets’ task was to
convey the message from Allaah even though they were human, hence the issue
of infallibility may be examined from two angles: 

1 –
Infallibility in conveying the message

2 –
Infallibility from human error 

Firstly:
With regard to the first issue, the Prophets were infallible in conveying
the message from Allaah. They did not conceal anything that Allaah had
revealed to them, and they did not add anything from themselves. Allaah said
to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“O
Messenger (Muhammad)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you
from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.
Allaah will protect you from mankind”

[al-Maa'idah 5:67] 

“And if
he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us (Allaah),

We surely
would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might),

 And then
We certainly would have cut off his life artery (aorta),

And none
of you could have withheld Us from (punishing) him”

[al-Haaqqah 69:44-47] 

And Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And he
(Muhammad) withholds not a knowledge of the Unseen”

[al-Takweer 81:24] 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan
ibn Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this
verse: He is not stingy with that which Allaah has revealed to him,
concealing some of it. Rather he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) the most trustworthy of the inhabitants of heaven and the people of
earth, the one who conveys the message of his Lord, the faithful conveyor
(of the message). He does not withhold any part of it, from rich or poor,
from ruler or subject, from male or female, from city-dweller or Bedouin.
Hence Allaah sent him to an illiterate and ignorant nation, and he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not die until they had
become knowledgeable scholars, steeped in knowledge…

End quote. 

So with
regard to conveying the religion of his Lord, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not make any mistakes at all, whether
major or minor, rather he was infallible and under the constant protection
of Allaah. 

Shaykh ‘Abd
al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fataawa Ibn
Baaz, 6/371: 

All the
Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Prophets (peace be upon them) –
especially Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – are
infallible and protected from error in that which they conveyed from Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“By the
star when it goes down (or vanishes).

Your
companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred.

Nor does
he speak of (his own) desire.

It is
only a Revelation revealed.

He has
been taught (this Qur’aan) by one mighty in power [Jibreel (Gabriel)]”

[al-Najm
53:1-5] 

Our Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is infallible in
all that he conveyed from Allaah, in word and deed and in what he approved
of. There is no dispute on this point among the scholars.

End quote. 

The ummah is
agreed that the Messengers are infallible in their conveying the message.
They did not forget anything that Allaah revealed to them, except for things
that were abrogated. And Allaah guaranteed His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he would remember it and would not
forget it, except for that which Allaah wanted him to forget, and He
guaranteed to remember the whole Qur’aan in his heart. Allaah said
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“We shall make you to
recite (the Qur’aan), so you (O Muhammad) shall not forget (it)”

[al-A’la
87:7] 

“It is
for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad) the ability to recite it
(the Qur’aan).

And when
We have recited it to you [O Muhammad through Jibreel (Gabriel)], then
follow its (the Qur’aan’s) recitation”

[al-Qiyaamah 75:17-18] 

Shaykh
al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 18/7]: 

The verses
which point to the Prophethood of the Prophets indicate that they are
infallible with regard to the message that they convey from Allaah, so what
they convey from their Lord can only be true. This is the meaning of
Prophethood and this implies [?] that Allaah tells [the Prophet] of the
unseen and he tells the people of the unseen. So the Messenger is commanded
to call people and to convey the message to them.

End quote. 

Secondly:
With regard to the Prophets as people, they may make mistakes. This may be
discussed as follows: 

1 –They
do not commit major sins 

With regard
to major sins, the Prophets do not commit major sins at all, and they are
protected from such major sins both before their missions began or
afterwards. 

Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’
al-Fataawa, 4/319: 

The view
that the Prophets are infallible and protected against committing major
sins, as opposed to minor sins, is the view of the majority of Muslim
scholars and of all groups. It is also the view of the scholars of tafseer
and hadeeth and fuqaha’. Indeed, nothing has been narrated from any of the
salaf, imams, Sahaabah, Taabi’een and those who followed them except that
which is in accordance with this view.

End quote. 

2 – Matters that have nothing to do
with conveying the message and the revelation. 

With regard
to minor sins, these may be committed by them, or by some of them. Hence the
majority of scholars are of the view that they are not infallible when it
comes to minor sins. But if they committed such actions they were not left
to persist therein, rather Allaah pointed that out to them and they hastened
to repent therefrom. 

The evidence
that they might commit minor sins and that they were not left to persist
therein is the verses in which Allaah says of Adam (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Thus did
Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray.

Then his Lord chose him,
and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance”

[Ta-Ha 20:121-122] 

This
indicates that Adam committed sin, but he was not left to persist therein,
and he repented to Allaah from that. 

And Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“He said:
‘This is of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) doing, verily, he is a plain misleading
enemy.’

He said:
‘My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, so forgive me.’ Then He forgave
him. Verily, He is the Oft‑Forgiving, the Most Merciful”

[al-Qasas
28:15-16] 

So Moosa
(peace be upon him) confessed his sin and sought forgiveness from Allaah
after he killed the Egyptian, and Allaah forgave him his sin. 

And Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“and he
[Dawood] sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and
turned (to Allaah) in repentance.

So We
forgave him that, and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good
place of (final) return (Paradise)”

[Saad
38:23-24] 

Dawood’s sin
was hastening to pass judgement before hearing the case of the second
disputant. 

And our
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
rebuked by his Lord for several things that are mentioned in the Qur’aan,
such as the following (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O
Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allaah has allowed to
you, seeking to please your wives? And Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most
Merciful”

[al-Tahreem 66:1] 

This refers
to the well-known story with some of his wives. 

Allaah also
rebuked His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
concerning the prisoners of war at Badr: 

Muslim
narrated in his Saheeh (4588) that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: When the
prisoners were taken captive, the Messenger of Allaah (S) (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with them): “What do you think about these prisoners?” Abu Bakr
said: “O Prophet of Allaah, they are our cousins and kinsmen. I think that
we should accept a ransom from them which will give us some support against
the kuffaar, and perhaps Allaah will guide them to Islam.” The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “What do you
think, O Ibn al-Khattaab?” He said: “I say, no, by Allaah, O Messenger of
Allaah. I do not agree with Abu Bakr. I think that you should hand them over
to us so that we may strike their necks (execute them). Hand over ‘Aqeel to
‘Ali so that he may strike his neck, and hand over So and so – a relative of
‘Umar – to me, for these are the leaders and veterans of kufr.” The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked
what Abu Bakr said and he did not like what I [‘Umar] said. The next day I
came and found the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and Abu Bakr weeping. I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, tell me,
what has made you and your companion weep? If there is a reason to weep, I
will weep with you, and there is no reason, I will pretend to weep in
sympathy with you because you are weeping.” The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am weeping

because I was shown the torture to which they were subjected.
It was brought as close to me as this tree” – a tree which was near the
Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – then
Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning): 

“It is not for a Prophet
that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he
had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the
good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but
Allaah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

Were it
not a previous ordainment from Allaah, a severe torment would have touched
you for what you took.

So enjoy
what you have gotten of booty in war, lawful and good”

[al-Anfaal 8:67-69] 

So Allaah
permitted booty to them. 

From this
hadeeth it is clear that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) chose to ransom the prisoners, this was a decision that
he made by ijtihaad after consulting his companions, and he had no
revelation from Allaah concerning that. 

The words of
Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“(The Prophet) frowned
and turned away.

Because
there came to him the blind man (i.e. ‘Abdullaah bin Umm Maktoom, who came
to the Prophet while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraysh chiefs)”

[‘Abasa
80:1-2] 

This is the famous story
of the great companion ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Umm Maktoom and the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when Allaah rebuked
him. 

Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/320: 

What has
been narrated from the majority of scholars is that they (the Prophets) are
not infallible with regard to minor sins, but they are not left to persist
therein. They do not say that this does not happen under any circumstances.
The first group from whom it was narrated that they are infallible in all
cases, and who say that the most, are the Raafidis (Shi’ah), who say that
they are infallible and protected even against forgetfulness and
misunderstanding. 

End quote. 

Some people
think this is too much to suggest that Prophets may commit sin, and
misinterpret some of the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah which indicate
that. Two specious arguments lead them to do that: 

(i) – The
fact that Allaah has commanded us to follow the Messengers and take them as
our example. The command to follow them is taken as meaning that everything
they did is an example for us to follow, and that every action and belief of
theirs is an act of worship. If we suggest that that the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) committed a sin, there will be a
dilemma, because that implies that we are commanded to imitate this sin
which was committed by the Prophet because we are commanded to follow his
example, but at the same time we should no agree with it or do it, because
it is a sin.  

This
argument is valid and is appropriate if the sin is hidden and not obvious in
such a way that it could be confused with acts of obedience. But Allaah has
explained to His Messengers where they went wrong and enabled them to repent
without delay. 

(ii) – Sins
contradict perfection and are a shortcoming. This is true if they are not
accompanied by repentance, for repentance brings forgiveness of sin, and
does not contradict perfection or bring blame upon a person. Rather in many
cases a person may be better after repenting than he was before he fell into
sin. It is well known that no Prophet committed sin but he hastened to
repent and seek forgiveness. The Prophets did not persist in sin or delay
repentance, for Allaah protected them from that, and after repenting they
became more perfect than they were before.   

3 –
Unintentional mistakes with regard to some worldly matters 

With regard
to mistakes in some worldly matters, it is permissible for them to make such
mistakes although their reason is sound and their insight is strong. This
happened to several of the Prophets including our Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This happened with regard to
various spheres of life such as medicine, agriculture, etc. 

Muslim
narrated in his Saheeh (6127) that Raafi’ ibn Khadeej said: The
Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to
Madeenah and found them pollinating the palm trees. He said: “What are you
doing?” They said: “We always do this.” He said: “Perhaps if you do not do
it, that will be better.” So they did not do it, and the harvest failed.
They told him about that and he said: “I am only human. If I tell you to do
something with regard to your religion, then do it, but if I tell you to do
something based on my own opinion, then I am only human.” Hence it is known
that the Prophets are infallible and protected from error with regard to the
Revelation, so we should beware of those who cast aspersions upon the
Messenger’s conveying of the Message and his laws, and say that it is his
own personal opinion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) could never do such a thing. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Nor does he speak of
(his own) desire.

It is only a
Revelation revealed”

[al-Najm
53:3-4] 

The Standing Committee
was asked: Do the Prophets and Messengers make mistakes? 

They
replied: 

Yes, they
make mistakes but Allaah does not let them persist in their mistakes, rather
he points out their mistakes to them as a mercy to them and their nations,
and He forgives them for their mistakes, and accepts their repentance by His
Grace and Mercy, for Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, as will be
clear to anyone who studies the verses of the Qur’aan which speak of that. 

The hadeeth “When the wings of the night spread , keep your children in, for the devils come out at that time” is a saheeh hadeeth

 

We have grown up being told that at Maghrib time children should not go out to play as this is the time the Jinn and shayatine come out and that they will poses any children playing out side. Is there any basis to this?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, a number of saheeh
ahaadeeth were narrated concerning this etiquette. For example, it is
narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“When the wings of the
night spread  – or when evening comes – keep your children in, for the
devils come out at that time. Then when part of the night has passed, let
them go. And close the doors and mention the name of Allaah, for the
shaytaan does not open a closed door. And tie up your waterskins and mention
the name of Allaah, and cover your vessels and mention the name of Allaah,
even if you only put something over them, and extinguish your lamps.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(3280) and Muslim (2012).  

Al-Nawawi included this in
a chapter entitled Chapter on covering vessels, tying up waterskins, locking
doors, mentioning the name of Allaah over them, extinguishing fires and
lamps when going to sleep, and keeping children and livestock in after
Maghrib. 

Muslim (2013) also narrated
from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not let
your animals and children go out when the sun has set, until the first part
of the night is over, for the devils come out when the sun sets, until the
first part of the night is over.” 

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning the first hadeeth: 

“The wings of the night”
refers to when night comes after the sun has set. 

The words “then let them
go” – Ibn al-Jawzi said: Rather there is fear for children at that hour,
because the najaasah that the shayaateen seek is usually present with them
at that time, and the dhikr that would protect them is usually absent from
children, and when the shayaateen spread out they hang on to whatever they
can hang on to. Hence there is fear for children at that time. 

The reason why they spread
out at that time is that they are more able to move about at night than
during the day, because darkness is more conducive to devil forces coming
together than any other time. End quote.  

Fath al-Baari,
6/341 

al-Nawawi (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: 

This hadeeth includes a
number of types of goodness and etiquette which combine the interests of
both this world and the Hereafter. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) enjoined these etiquettes which are the cause of safety
from the harm of the shaytaan, and Allaah has made all of these means causes
of being safe from his harm. He is not able to uncover vessels or untie
waterskins or open doors or harm children or others if these means are
followed. This is like what it says in the saheeh hadeeth, that if a person
says Bismillah when entering his house, the shaytaan says “No place to stay”
i.e., we have no authority to stay overnight with these people. And if a man
says when having intercourse with his wife, “O Allaah, keep the shaytaan
away from us and keep the shaytaan away from what You bestow upon us (of
offspring),” that will be a cause of the child being kept safe from the harm
of the shaytaan. This is similar to this hadeeth, which is well known among
saheeh ahaadeeth. 

This hadeeth encourages us
to remember Allaah in these cases and other similar situations. Our
companions said: It is mustahabb to mention the name of Allaah over
everything that matters, and to praise Allaah at the beginning of everything
that matters, because of the well known hasan hadeeth. 

The words “wings of the
night” is a well known phrase that refers to the darkness of the night. And
it was said that it refers to when the darkness of night comes.  

The words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “Keep your children in”
mean: prevent them from going out at that time. 

The words “for the devils
come out at that time” mean that there is the fear at this time that
children may be subjected to the devils’ harm because there are so many of
them at that time. And Allaah knows best. End quote. 

Sharh Muslim
(13/185). 

The Standing Committee for
Issuing Fatwas was asked the following question: 

In the saheeh hadeeth
narrated by al-Bukhaari, it says: “When the wings of the night spread, or
when evening comes, keep your children in.” Then it says: “And extinguish
your lamps.” Does this command mean that it is obligatory? If it is
mustahabb, what is the evidence to show that it is not obligatory?  

They replied: The commands
mentioned in this hadeeth are to be understood as recommendations and
advice, according to most scholars, as was stated by a number of scholars,
such as Ibn Muflih in al-Furoo’ (1/132), al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in
Fath al-Baari (11/97). And Allaah knows best. End quote. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (26/317) 

And Allaah knows best.

How to smack children to make them pray?

 

How do we smack children to make them pray?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Abu Dawood (459) and Ahmad
(6650) narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb from his father that his grandfather
said: The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Teach your children to pray when they are seven years old, and smack
them if they do not pray when they are 10 years old, and separate them in
their beds.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’ (247). 

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah
have mercy upon him) said in al-Mughni (1/357):

This telling and discipline
is prescribed in the case of children in order to train them to pray, so
that they will be used to it and it will become their habit, and they will
not forsake it when they reach puberty. End quote. 

Al-Subki said: 

The guardian must tell the
child to pray when he is seven years old and smack him if he does not do so
when he is 10. 

We think we should enjoin
what is not obligatory and smack for failing to do that which is not
obligatory. We smack animals for disciplinary purposes, so what about
children? That is in the child's interests, and so that he will get used to
praying before he reaches puberty. End quote.

Fataawa al-Subki,
1/379 

So boys and girls are to be
told to pray when they are seven years old and are to be smacked if they do
not pray when they reach the age of 10. Similarly they are to be told to
fast Ramadan and should be encouraged to do good things, such as reading
Qur’aan, offering supererogatory prayers, Hajj and ‘umrah, and reciting a
lot of tasbeeh, tahleel, takbeer and tahmeed, and they should be prevented
from committing all kinds of sin. 

With regard to smacking a
child for not praying, it is stipulated that the smacking should be light
and should not be painful and should not break the skin, or break a tooth or
bone. It should be on the back or the hand and the like, and the face is to
be avoided because it is forbidden to strike it, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him) forbade that. 

It should not be more than
10 blows, and it should be done for the purpose of discipline and teaching.
So he (the parent etc) should not show his desire to punish, except when
there is a need to show that, such as if the child is turning away from
prayer and forsaking it, and the like.  

It was narrated from Abu
Bardah al-Ansari that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace
of Allaah be upon him) say: No one should be given more than 10 lashes
except in the case of one of the hadd punishments of Allaah.” narrated by Al
Bukhaari (6456) and Muslim (3222). 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy upon him) said:

the words of the Prophet,
“No one should be given more than 10 lashes except in the case of one of the
hadd punishments of Allaah,” referred to an offence or criminal act, which
has to do with what Allaah has prescribed as a punishment. 

If it is said: What do we
mean by 10 or less?   

The answer is: This has to
do with when a man hits his wife, his slave, his child, or his hired worker
for the purpose of discipline and the like: it is not permissible for him to
give more than 10 blows. This is the best way to understand the hadeeth. End
quote. 

I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een
(2/23) 

It should also not be done
in front of anyone else, so as to protect the child's self-esteem and his
dignity in front of his friends and others. 

It should be known from the
father's behaviour with his children and his disciplining of them that he
does not smack anybody whom he smacks except in obedience to Allaah and to
his Messenger (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him), and that the only
reason he does that is the child's best interests, and his keenness to raise
him in the prescribed manner, so that the child will not .grow up hating
Islamic teachings which he may find difficult, and that he was smacked for
not doing them. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: 

Take care of the members of
your household and do not neglect them, O slave of Allaah. You have to
strive hard in their best interests, and tell your sons and daughters to
pray at the age of seven, and smack them if they do not do so when they are
10, a light smack that will help them to obey Allaah and make them get used
to offering prayers on time, so that they will adhere properly to the
religion of Allaah and know the truth, as is narrated in saheeh reports from
the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him). End
quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz
(6/46). 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to tell our children to pray when
they are seven years old, and to smack them if they do not pray when they
are 10 years old, even though they are not obliged to do that yet, so that
they may be trained in doing acts of worship and obedience and may get used
to them, so that it will be easy for them to do that after they grow up and
it will be dear to them. The same applies to all matters that are
blameworthy; young children should not get used to them even though they are
not yet under any obligation, because otherwise they will get used to them
when they grow up and will enjoy indulging in them. End quote.  

Fataawa Noor ‘ala
al-Darb, 11/386 

The command implies that it
is obligatory, but it is limited only to cases where smacking will be
beneficial, because sometimes you smack a child but he does not benefit from
being smacked, it only makes him scream and cry more and does not serve any
benefit. Moreover what is meant by smacking here is smacking is that is not
painful, a light smack that serves the purpose and does not cause any harm.
End quote. 

Liqa’ al-Baab il-Maftooh,
95/18 

He (may Allaah have mercy
on him) also said:

it should not be a smack
that causes injury, and it should not be a smack in the face for example, or
a smack to a lethal site; rather he should be smacked on the shoulder or the
hand and the like, which would not cause him to die. Smacking on the face is
risky, because the face is the highest and noblest part of a person and if a
person is smacked on the face it is more humiliating and shameful then if he
were to be smacked on the back. Hence it is forbidden to smack on the face.
End quote 

Fataawa Noor ‘ala
al-Darb, 13/2 

Shaykh al-Fawzaan said: 

Smacking is one of the
means of child rearing. The teacher may smack, the trainer may smack, the
guardian may smack for disciplinary purposes; and the husband may smack his
wife in cases of wilful defiance (nushooz). 

But that must be within
certain limits, and it should not be a blow that causes pain, breaks the
skin or breaks the bone; rather it should be only as much as is necessary.
End quote. 

Ighaathat al-Mustafeed
bi Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed (282 -- 284) 

It should also be noted
that disciplining a child should not be done only for neglecting to pray;
rather it should also be done if he is careless about the conditions,
essential parts and obligatory duties of prayer. A child may pray, but he
combines prayers, or he prays without wudoo’, or he does not pray properly.
So he must be taught everything about it, and we should make sure that he is
aware of its obligatory duties, essential parts and conditions, then if he
neglects any of these things, we must advise him and teach him time after time, then if he persists he may be disciplined by means of smacking until he prays properly. 

And Allaah knows best.

Whoever sets a bad precedent will bear the burden of sin of those who do it until the Day of Resurrection

 

If a person dies, and leaves behind bad deeds and bad things, will these bad things accumulate? Meaning if there was a father who set a bad example to his children, and his children grow up following in their father’s footsteps, will this father bear the burden of his children's sins?.

Praise be to Allaah.

If a person dies having done actions that were contrary to
Islam, and others such as children, friends, neighbours and so on,
followed his example, then he bears the burden (of sin) of what he did and
the burden of those who did the same, following his example, without that
detracting from their burden of sin in the slightest. Muslim (1017)
narrated that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (sa) said: “Whoever sets a good precedent in Islam
will have the reward for that and the reward of those who do it after him,
without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever
sets a bad precedent in Islam will bear the burden of sin for that, and
the burden of those who do it after him, without that detracting from
their burden in the slightest.” 

Ibn ‘Allaan said: 

“Whoever sets a bad precedent in Islam” means sin, even if it
is small, if he does it and his example is followed, or if he promotes it or
helps others to commit it. “Will bear the burden of sin for that”, means,
for having done it. “And the burden of those who do it after him, without
that detracting from their burden in the slightest.” End quote. 

Daleel al-Faaliheen, 2/136 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

This is a warning against setting a bad precedent, and shows
us that whoever sets a bad precedent will bear the burden of sin for that
and the burden of those who do it, until the Day of Resurrection, even if it
was on a small scale at first, then it became more widespread; he will bear
the burden of its spreading. For example, if one person granted a concession
to one other person with regard to something permissible that became a clear
means leading to something haraam or close to haraam, if that became
widespread because of the fatwa given to people, then the burden will be
upon him as will the burden of those who did it until the Day of
Resurrection. End quote.

Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, p.
199  

It was narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “No soul is killed unlawfully, but there is a share of the sin on the
first son of Adam, because he was the first one to set the precedent of
killing.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3336) and Muslim (1677). 

Al-Nawawi said: 

This hadeeth represents one of the basic principles of Islam,
which is that anyone who introduces any kind of evil will bear the burden of
sin of everyone who follows his example in doing that until the Day of
Resurrection. End quote. 

So the father who gives his children a bad upbringing and is
a bad example for them, and they follow him in his deviant conduct, will
bear the burden of his children’s sin, because he was the cause of their
deviating; the children will also bear the burden of their own actions in
full and nothing will be detracted from it. 

What this father should have done was to give his children a
good upbringing and fulfil the responsibility that Allah placed upon his
shoulders in the best manner. 

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his
flock. … A man is the shepherd of his household and is responsible for his
flock.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7138) and Muslim (1829) 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

The man is the shepherd of the members of his household, his
wife, his son, his daughter, his sister, his paternal aunt and his maternal
aunt. He is the shepherd of members of his household and he is responsible
for his flock; he must take the best possible care of them because he is
responsible for them. End quote. 

Sharh Riyadh al-Saaliheen, p.
337 

And Allah knows best.

What is the role of the mother’s husband towards his wife’s children, with regard to their upbringing and education?

 

What is the role of the mother’s husband towards the children of his wife? In this case the father of my daughter is not Muslim and he does not want to become Muslim. Can my husband take charge of the issue of educating and raising my daughter? Will Allah ask him how he raised her? How should my husband deal with her when I feel that he does not love her and is not comfortable with her, because she is eight years old and she did not receive any Islamic education in the beginning, so her behaviour is not proper?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The small child, whether male or female, should follow
whichever parent is Muslim, if the parents belong to different religions.
This is the view of the majority of scholars. 

It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (2/310): 

If the parents follow different religions, and one is a
Muslim and the other is a kaafir, then their young child, or their older
child, if he is insane when he reaches the age of puberty, should be Muslim,
following the better religion of his parents. 

This is the view of the Hanafis, Shaafa‘is and Hanbalis. End
quote. 

Based on that, this daughter of yours is a Muslim, and the
responsibility for taking care of her and raising her rests with you. She
has nothing to do with her kaafir father with regard to care and
upbringing. 

Secondly:  

With regard to her mother’s husband (your husband), it is
haraam for him to marry this daughter so long as he has consummated the
marriage with her mother, because the daughter is a rabeebah (stepdaughter)
to him, and the stepdaughter is one of those whom the man is forbidden to
marry, so long as he has consummated the marriage with her mother. Allah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, … your
stepdaughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have
gone in — but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry
their daughters)”

[al-Nisa’ 4:23]. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas
said: 

It is haraam for a man to marry the daughters of his wife
with whom he has consummated the marriage, and he is regarded as a mahram to
all of her daughters both before and after marriage. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, … your
stepdaughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have
gone in —”

[al-Nisa’ 4:23].

But if he has not consummated the marriage with her, then he
is not a mahram for her daughters, because Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning): “but there is no sin on you if you have
not gone in them (to marry their daughters)” [al-Nisa’ 4:23].

End quote. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq
‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah ibn Qa‘ood 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
17/346, 347) 

So your husband is a mahram to her, but the responsibility
for the upbringing and care of this daughter does not rest on his shoulders,
unless he does that willingly and as part of treating her mother kindly. And
this is what we advise him to do, so that he might earn a great reward,
especially if he knows how great the need is for such a teacher and
educator, and that her father is not qualified to undertake this mission,
and that her mother is too weak to undertake this responsibility on her own.
He has a good example in the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), as he married women who had children and he took charge
of their upbringing and caring for them. There follow some examples of
that: 

It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah said: I was a
young boy under the care of the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), and my hand used to wander all over the plate. The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to me: “O
young boy, say the name of Allaah and eat with your right hand, and eat from
what is nearest to you.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5061) and Muslim (2022) 

‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah was the stepson of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he was the son of the Mother of
the Believers Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) from Abu Salamah;
he was born in Abyssinia when his parents migrated there. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: 

Among the lessons we learn from this hadeeth: it is
obligatory for a person to discipline his children and teach them how to eat
and drink, and to teach them what they should say when eating and drinking,
as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did with his
stepson. In this hadeeth we see the good attitude of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) and how he taught others; he did not rebuke
this boy when his hand started wandering all over the plate; rather he
taught him gently and spoke to him gently: “O young boy, say the name of
Allaah and eat with your right hand.” End quote. 

Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen,
3/172 

Your husband should understand that his wife’s daughter is
still very young, and that he can succeed in bringing her up to be obedient
and chaste by winning her over with kind treatment and gifts, and speaking
kindly to her. If friendship develops between the two parties and love grows
strong between them, he can influence her in ways that will make her
attitude and behaviour better. You also have an important role to play in
making her dear to your husband and strengthening the relationship with
them, helping your husband to be patient in dealing with her, and reminding
him of the great reward that there is in bringing her up and taking care of
her. 

We ask Allah to help you to do that which is best for you, to
make you steadfast in following true guidance, and to guide you to the way
of modesty and piety. 

And Allah knows best.

Her sister is eleven years old and her mother does not instruct her to pray; does she have any responsibilities?

 

My sister does not pray. She is eleven years old and I have repeatedly spoken to my mother about encouraging her to pray, but my mother says: You have nothing to do with her; she has a Lord who will call her to account. But the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Teach them (to pray) when they are seven years old and smack them (if they do not pray) when they are ten.” My question now is: Is there anything I should do with regard to this matter?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

We ask Allah to record for you the reward of paying attention
to your sister and your keenness for her to pray regularly. And we ask
Allah, may He be exalted, to guide your mother to undertake the duty of
calling her daughter to do good, and to raise her properly. If the daughter
refuses to pray, the mother should smack her as a form of discipline, so as
to save her from following her whims and desires, and so as to raise her to
obey Allah, may He be exalted. And we ask Him to guide your sister and to
make it easy for her to adhere to His commands. 

Secondly: 

The text of the hadeeth mentioned in the question is:

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may
Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said: “Instruct your children to pray when they are
seven years old, and smack them (if they do not pray) when they are ten, and
separate them in their beds.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood (495); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

The one to whom the command to teach the child is addressed
is not only the father and is not only the mother either; rather it is
addressed to everyone who is responsible for this child, but the father is
the first one to be addressed, because he is the “shepherd” of his
household, and he is the one who is responsible for his flock; the mother
shares this responsibility with him. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said: 

It is obligatory for every person in authority to instruct
those over whom he has authority to pray, even the children who have not yet
reached puberty. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “Instruct your children to pray when they are seven years old, and
smack them (if they do not pray) when they are ten, and separate them in
their beds.” 

Whoever has a slave who is a minor, an orphan or a child and
does not instruct him to pray, the adult may be given a severe disciplinary
punishment (ta‘zeer) if he does not instruct the minor (to pray), because he
has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger. The same applies to one who has adult
slaves, servants, a wife or slave women: he has to instruct all of them to
pray; if he does not do that, then he is disobeying Allah and His Messenger.
End quote. 

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 22/50, 51 

And he (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Rather guardians have to instruct children to pray when they
reach the age of seven, and smack them (if they do not pray) when they are
ten. 

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 28/360 

Based on that, if your mother or father are present, they are
responsible for teaching your sister and smacking her if she has reached the
age of ten (and is not praying). If your father is not present, and you have
an older brother, then the responsibility is shifted to him and your
mother. 

For more information, please see the answer to question no.
126208 

Your mother should also pay attention to herself, lest she
bear the burden of sin for what she said. Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, will not call your sister to account for not praying if she has not
reached the age of puberty, but the mother is accountable for not teaching
her daughter and not encouraging her to pray, and not smacking her if she
does not pray. 

Al-Maawardi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Teaching that to them before they reach puberty makes them
get used to it and feel comfortable with it, but neglecting them and failing
to teach them causes obvious harm, as it makes them lazy when it (prayer)
becomes obligatory, and makes them feel reluctant to do it at the time when
it becomes obligatory. As for teaching it to them when they are younger than
seven, that is not obligatory; in most cases they do not learn properly what
is taught to them and they are not able to do what they are told. But when
they reach the age of seven, they are able to discern and learn properly
what they are taught. At that age it becomes obligatory for their parents to
teach them, but they do not have to smack them if they do not do it. When
they reach the age of ten, it becomes obligatory to smack them if they do
not pray, but the smack should not be painful or cause injury, and it should
be in places where there is no fear of causing injury. And when they reach
puberty, they are now regarded as accountable, so they should be reminded
and they have to purify themselves, pray and do all other obligatory duties.
End quote. 

Al-Haawi al-Kabeer, 2/314 

With regard to your role, it is to carry on advising and
guiding your sister, and encouraging her to pray in a kind and gentle
manner. 

We ask Allah to guide her. 

And Allah knows best.

He has a problem with forgetfulness, lack of focus and not being organized

 

I think that I have some personal problems. For example, I forget things quickly, I am not focused, I am lazy and careless, I am not organized in my work, may character is weak and I am unable to say no to other people. This sometimes causes me a lot of distress and regret, and other problems that I do not want to mention. This is despite the fact that Allaah has bestowed some blessings upon me, and I enjoy some positive things in life, such as success in my professional and family life, praise be to Allaah. Sometimes they say that I am intelligent and educated, and even a genius, and I think that there is some truth in these words, but the problems is that these personal problems that I mentioned bother me a great deal. I hope you can advise me on how to solve these problems, and that you will also pray for me.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Firstly: 

You should praise Allaah for the blessings that He has bestowed upon you, namely
Islam and true guidance, good health, the ability to hear, see and speak, and other innumerable blessings, including the positive things and
success in your professional and family life that you mention. You should utter words of praise and thanksgiving to Allaah, for how many people
are deprived of these blessings or many of them? 

If a person is content with that which Allaah has decreed for him, and is aware of
the blessing of Allaah in the things that He has given him, he will enjoy peace of mind and his fear and grief will disappear. This will usually
bring a solution to many of the things that are bothering him, such as lack of focus, shyness and so on. 

Secondly: 

Rest assured that these things that you mention can be dealt with, improved and
changed, but this depends on whether you really want that and do the things that will help you to achieve that. One of the greatest means of doing
that is asking Allaah to improve your attitude and to grant you maturity, and to protect you from the evil of your own self, and so on. So strive
to recite a lot of the du’aa’s of that type narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

Another means of improving your memory and reducing forgetfulness is to keep your
mind busy and make it get used to memorizing verses from the Book of Allaah. The more a person memorizes, the easier it becomes for him and the
more enthusiastic he will become, and more able to achieve that. 

Another means is to stop looking, listening, speaking, eating and sleeping too
much, so that your heart will be prepared to memorize that which is beneficial, for too many distractions make the mind unfocused. 

What is meant by doing too much of these things is that for which there is no need
and in which there is no benefit. 

Another means is to avoid haraam things, especially in food and drink, and
looking. Concerning this al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) wrote his famous lines of verse: 

“I complained to Wakee’ about my bad memory, and he advised me to give up sin.

He said, ‘Know that knowledge is light, and the light of Allaah is not to be
entrusted to a sinner.’” 

Thirdly: 

There is nothing wrong with you reading some books about organization which will
help you learn the methods of being organized, making decisions, and controlling your feelings of anxiety and shyness, and interacting with people
in general. 

We ask Allaah to give you strength and success in this world and in the Hereafter.