The Criterion in Acts of Worship and Transactions
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What is the criterion by which we know that an act is prohibited—invalid—given that we see some scholars validating an act that is prohibited and invalidating another?The Shaykh: For example?The questioner: It does not come to my mind right now, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: We must know that the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition. Therefore, anyone who worships Allah with something, whether in belief, speech, or action, their act is invalid unless they present evidence that it is prescribed. This is the original ruling. The evidence for this is the statement of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, rebuking those who legislate what Allah has not sent down authority for: [Surat al-Shura: 21] He rebuked them.And the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): (Whoever does an act for which there is no command from us, it is rejected) This is the rule: the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition, forbiddance, and invalidity unless valid evidence is presented for it.
As for matters other than acts of worship, the original ruling is permissibility, such as transactions among people, customs among people, and morals among people. The original ruling for these is permissibility until evidence is presented for prohibition. These are two rules by which all actions are weighed that have no precedent.For example: The hadith regarding the Prayer of Tasbih is not authentic; rather, it is invalid, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated. Accordingly, it is not prescribed.Meaning: We cannot perform an act that brings us closer to Allah without evidence.
Likewise: The Prayer of Need: if a person has a need, he prays two rak'ahs and then asks Allah in a specific, known manner. This is also not authentic.
Likewise: Celebrating the Prophet's birthday, as they claim, is also invalid and not correct. First, from a historical perspective, it is not correct, because historians differed on eight or seven opinions regarding the birth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).And some contemporary scholars have clarified: That it was on the ninth day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, contrary to what is known now, which is the twelfth day. And even if we hypothetically assume the birth was established on this day, it is not permissible to make it a festival.
The questioner: I mean the act that is prohibited, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: There is no prohibited act except in the case of the Shari'ah. The original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition and forbiddance until evidence is presented that they are prescribed.We give you an example: If a person circumambulates the Ka'bah and starts touching all four corners,We said: As for the Black Stone, it is the Yemeni Corner, so touching it is prescribed. As for the other two, touching them is not prescribed, so it is prohibited and an innovation. For this reason, when Mu'awiyah and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) circumambulated the House, Mu'awiyah touched all the corners, and Ibn Abbas rebuked him.So Mu'awiyah said: [Nothing of the House is neglected.
So Ibn Abbas said to him: Indeed, you had in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example, and I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) touching the two Yemeni corners.] So Mu'awiyah returned to the opinion of Ibn Abbas.
The questioner: An example came to my mind, O Shaykh: (No prayer in the presence of food) This is a prohibited act. Does this invalidate the prayer, and what is the criterion in this?The Shaykh: We return to the rules. (No prayer in the presence of food) Why?The questioner: Because of distraction.
The Shaykh: So if a person prays while not caring about this food and it does not disturb him, does he fall under the prohibition? Since we know the cause, he does not fall under the prohibition. What remains is if he is praying while hungry—wanting to eat—We say: The most that is involved is distraction of the heart, and most scholars say that it does not invalidate the prayer.
And they cite the hadith: (Indeed, Satan comes to the son of Adam while he is praying and says: Remember such and such on such and such a day) And according to the opinion of those who say that khushu' (humility) is obligatory in prayer,He says: If the presence of food that he desires leads to his heart being distracted from the prayer such that he does not know what he is saying, his prayer is invalid.
The Shaykh: We must know that the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition. Therefore, anyone who worships Allah with something, whether in belief, speech, or action, their act is invalid unless they present evidence that it is prescribed. This is the original ruling. The evidence for this is the statement of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, rebuking those who legislate what Allah has not sent down authority for:
Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented?
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُAs for matters other than acts of worship, the original ruling is permissibility, such as transactions among people, customs among people, and morals among people. The original ruling for these is permissibility until evidence is presented for prohibition. These are two rules by which all actions are weighed that have no precedent.For example: The hadith regarding the Prayer of Tasbih is not authentic; rather, it is invalid, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated. Accordingly, it is not prescribed.Meaning: We cannot perform an act that brings us closer to Allah without evidence.
Likewise: The Prayer of Need: if a person has a need, he prays two rak'ahs and then asks Allah in a specific, known manner. This is also not authentic.
Likewise: Celebrating the Prophet's birthday, as they claim, is also invalid and not correct. First, from a historical perspective, it is not correct, because historians differed on eight or seven opinions regarding the birth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).And some contemporary scholars have clarified: That it was on the ninth day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, contrary to what is known now, which is the twelfth day. And even if we hypothetically assume the birth was established on this day, it is not permissible to make it a festival.
The questioner: I mean the act that is prohibited, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: There is no prohibited act except in the case of the Shari'ah. The original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition and forbiddance until evidence is presented that they are prescribed.We give you an example: If a person circumambulates the Ka'bah and starts touching all four corners,We said: As for the Black Stone, it is the Yemeni Corner, so touching it is prescribed. As for the other two, touching them is not prescribed, so it is prohibited and an innovation. For this reason, when Mu'awiyah and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) circumambulated the House, Mu'awiyah touched all the corners, and Ibn Abbas rebuked him.So Mu'awiyah said: [Nothing of the House is neglected.
So Ibn Abbas said to him: Indeed, you had in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example, and I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) touching the two Yemeni corners.] So Mu'awiyah returned to the opinion of Ibn Abbas.
The questioner: An example came to my mind, O Shaykh: (No prayer in the presence of food) This is a prohibited act. Does this invalidate the prayer, and what is the criterion in this?The Shaykh: We return to the rules. (No prayer in the presence of food) Why?The questioner: Because of distraction.
The Shaykh: So if a person prays while not caring about this food and it does not disturb him, does he fall under the prohibition? Since we know the cause, he does not fall under the prohibition. What remains is if he is praying while hungry—wanting to eat—We say: The most that is involved is distraction of the heart, and most scholars say that it does not invalidate the prayer.
And they cite the hadith: (Indeed, Satan comes to the son of Adam while he is praying and says: Remember such and such on such and such a day) And according to the opinion of those who say that khushu' (humility) is obligatory in prayer,He says: If the presence of food that he desires leads to his heart being distracted from the prayer such that he does not know what he is saying, his prayer is invalid.