A Useful Principle: Anything established on a Sharia basis cannot be invalidated except by Sharia evidence.

The Shaykh : We must know a useful principle for the student of knowledge: anything established on a Sharia basis cannot be invalidated except by Sharia evidence. This principle benefits you in the chapter of fasting, the chapter of Hajj, the chapter of zakah, the chapter of prayer, and ritual purity. Anything established on a Sharia basis cannot be invalidated except by Sharia evidence. For example, if someone says to a person who has performed wudu that he ate something and his wudu is invalidated, what do we say to him? We say, "Bring the evidence." This man performed wudu in a Sharia manner, so his ritual purity cannot be invalidated except by Sharia evidence. If a man says to someone who performed wudu and wiped over his socks, then removed the socks, that his ritual purity is invalid because he removed the socks, what do we answer in the usual case? We say, "Bring the evidence that removing the socks invalidates wudu." If he brings evidence, it is on our eyes and heads. If he does not bring evidence, we say the original state is the continuation of wudu, and it cannot be invalidated. Based on this, if a person removes his socks after wiping over them, his wudu is not invalidated; rather, he remains in a state of wudu. However, he does not put them on a second time unless he performs wudu and washes his feet. Now, if someone says that if a person looks at the 'awrah of another person, his wudu is invalidated, and this is well-known among the common people, who say, "If you look at the 'awrah, your wudu is invalidated," what do we say? We say, "Bring the evidence." There is no evidence that if a person looks at the 'awrah, his wudu is invalidated. So if he looks at the 'awrah, his wudu remains valid. If someone says that if a person eats camel meat while in a state of wudu, his wudu is invalidated, what do we say to him? We say, "Bring the evidence. Who said that camel meat invalidates wudu?" If he brings evidence, we say it is on our eyes and heads, and we say to the one who ate camel meat, "You must perform wudu." If he does not bring evidence, what do we say? We say the wudu remains valid. Is there evidence for invalidating wudu by eating camel meat? The answer is yes, there is evidence. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Since the wudu from sheep meat was made dependent on choice, that indicates that wudu from camel meat is obligatory, because if it were not obligatory, it would revert to the person's choice. Is that clear, everyone? Now, if someone says that if a person moves three times in his prayer, his prayer is invalidated—a man is praying and moves three times: once he rubbed his eye, once he adjusted his turban, and once he looked at the clock—and someone says to him, "Your prayer is invalidated," what do we say? We say, "Bring the evidence." If he brings evidence, the ruling is what the evidence indicates. If he does not bring evidence, it is not disliked, and the prayer remains valid. If someone says that if a person pulls out a tooth while fasting, his fast is invalidated, what do we say? "Bring the evidence." If he brings evidence, otherwise the fast is valid. These multiple issues and many others are based on the principle we mentioned: if something is established by Sharia evidence, it cannot be invalidated except by Sharia evidence. Take this, O student of knowledge, as a weapon against anyone who claims the invalidity of a worship or a transaction, and say, "Bring the evidence." If someone says, "If I sell a car for a cash price of twenty thousand and sell it for a deferred price of twenty-five thousand in installments, the second sale is invalid. Installment sales are not permissible," what do we say to him? "Bring the evidence." Is there evidence? Yes, because the original state is that every sale is valid, because Allah said: So the original state of every sale is validity until someone brings evidence of the sale's defect.