What is the ruling on placing the mushaf on the ground on top of the mosque carpet? One of them issued a fatwa that placing it there leads to disbelief.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on placing the mushaf on the ground on top of the mosque carpet? Some of them issued a fatwa that placing it there leads to disbelief?
The Shaykh : There is no harm in it, and there is no blame on him, if he places it in a manner that does not involve disrespect, such as placing it in front of him or beside him. In that case, there is no harm and no blame, and it is not disbelief.
As for if he places it between his feet—may Allah protect anyone from doing that while he is a believer—then there is no doubt that it is a disrespect to the words of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And on this occasion, I warn people against issuing fatwas without knowledge, because issuing a fatwa without knowledge is speaking about Allah without knowledge. And Allah has coupled speaking about Him without knowledge with shirk (associating partners with Allah), and He said:[Al-A'raf 7:33].
And it came in the hadith:.
And it is not permissible for anyone to speak about the Shari'ah of Allah except with knowledge by which he knows that this is from the Shari'ah of Allah, or that this is contrary to the Shari'ah of Allah. And it is not permissible for anyone, if he is bold, to be bold in declaring someone a disbeliever except with clear, explicit evidence. Because takfir (declaring someone a disbeliever) means taking a man out of the circle of Islam and into the circle of disbelief. So the matter is great. And if it is not possible for anyone to say about a lawful thing that it is forbidden, or about a lawful thing that it is forbidden,
then it is not possible for anyone to say about a Muslim person that he is a disbeliever. In fact, this may be even greater, because ruling on disbelief entails major, great issues.
For example, a disbeliever is not married off, and he does not become a guardian in marriage, and he does not become a guardian over his children. And if he dies, he is not washed, not shrouded, no prayer is performed over him, and he is not buried with the Muslims. And he does not inherit according to the majority of scholars. So the matter is not light, and takfir is difficult.
So in any case, my advice to my brothers is: that they fear Allah in themselves and that they fear Allah in their brothers. Let them not say about Allah what they do not know, and let them not speak of something they are not capable of handling. And if they are hastening for leadership in knowledge and imamate in religion, they have erred. For whoever hastens for something before its time is punished by being deprived of it. Rather, let them look and be patient until they become worthy of imamate in the religion of Allah, and then they will issue fatwas to the people.
Then I also warn the common people to only seek fatwas from those who are known to be qualified for issuing fatwas. Because if they seek fatwas from those they do not know are qualified for issuing fatwas, they may be led astray by the misguidance in what they are issued. And if a person were to fall ill, he would not go to just anyone to seek treatment from him, but rather he would go to known doctors. So it is the same in the religion of Allah. If something is unclear to him, he does not go to just anyone among the people and seek a fatwa from him. And how many erroneous fatwas occur.
So I warn my brothers, these people, and I say: I ask Allah to make you imams in religion, and you deserve the imamate. Strive to learn first, then act second, and issue fatwas to the people, so that you become imams for the people in their religion and in their prayers.
Likewise, I also warn my brothers whom Allah has blessed with some knowledge, but who are still in the pursuit of knowledge and at the first stage. I warn them against hastening in issuing fatwas, so that they mislead people without knowledge, and they themselves will regret it when they grow older and see that they have gone astray. They will regret it, and at that time, regret will not benefit them. Because once a fatwa has spread, it is very difficult for it to disappear. And the one whose fatwa matched his desire may say, "I will not retract this fatwa, even if the mufti retracts it, because I do not know whether the truth is in his first statement or his last." So the matter is dangerous, extremely dangerous. So we ask Allah to make us all among those who saw the truth as truth and followed it, and saw the falsehood as falsehood and avoided it. Indeed, He is Generous, Bountiful.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah thank you and magnify your reward.
The Shaykh : There is no harm in it, and there is no blame on him, if he places it in a manner that does not involve disrespect, such as placing it in front of him or beside him. In that case, there is no harm and no blame, and it is not disbelief.
As for if he places it between his feet—may Allah protect anyone from doing that while he is a believer—then there is no doubt that it is a disrespect to the words of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And on this occasion, I warn people against issuing fatwas without knowledge, because issuing a fatwa without knowledge is speaking about Allah without knowledge. And Allah has coupled speaking about Him without knowledge with shirk (associating partners with Allah), and He said:
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَAnd it came in the hadith:
The boldest of you in issuing fatwas are the boldest of you in entering the Fire.
أجرأكم على الفتيا أجركم على النارAnd it is not permissible for anyone to speak about the Shari'ah of Allah except with knowledge by which he knows that this is from the Shari'ah of Allah, or that this is contrary to the Shari'ah of Allah. And it is not permissible for anyone, if he is bold, to be bold in declaring someone a disbeliever except with clear, explicit evidence. Because takfir (declaring someone a disbeliever) means taking a man out of the circle of Islam and into the circle of disbelief. So the matter is great. And if it is not possible for anyone to say about a lawful thing that it is forbidden, or about a lawful thing that it is forbidden,
then it is not possible for anyone to say about a Muslim person that he is a disbeliever. In fact, this may be even greater, because ruling on disbelief entails major, great issues.
For example, a disbeliever is not married off, and he does not become a guardian in marriage, and he does not become a guardian over his children. And if he dies, he is not washed, not shrouded, no prayer is performed over him, and he is not buried with the Muslims. And he does not inherit according to the majority of scholars. So the matter is not light, and takfir is difficult.
So in any case, my advice to my brothers is: that they fear Allah in themselves and that they fear Allah in their brothers. Let them not say about Allah what they do not know, and let them not speak of something they are not capable of handling. And if they are hastening for leadership in knowledge and imamate in religion, they have erred. For whoever hastens for something before its time is punished by being deprived of it. Rather, let them look and be patient until they become worthy of imamate in the religion of Allah, and then they will issue fatwas to the people.
Then I also warn the common people to only seek fatwas from those who are known to be qualified for issuing fatwas. Because if they seek fatwas from those they do not know are qualified for issuing fatwas, they may be led astray by the misguidance in what they are issued. And if a person were to fall ill, he would not go to just anyone to seek treatment from him, but rather he would go to known doctors. So it is the same in the religion of Allah. If something is unclear to him, he does not go to just anyone among the people and seek a fatwa from him. And how many erroneous fatwas occur.
So I warn my brothers, these people, and I say: I ask Allah to make you imams in religion, and you deserve the imamate. Strive to learn first, then act second, and issue fatwas to the people, so that you become imams for the people in their religion and in their prayers.
Likewise, I also warn my brothers whom Allah has blessed with some knowledge, but who are still in the pursuit of knowledge and at the first stage. I warn them against hastening in issuing fatwas, so that they mislead people without knowledge, and they themselves will regret it when they grow older and see that they have gone astray. They will regret it, and at that time, regret will not benefit them. Because once a fatwa has spread, it is very difficult for it to disappear. And the one whose fatwa matched his desire may say, "I will not retract this fatwa, even if the mufti retracts it, because I do not know whether the truth is in his first statement or his last." So the matter is dangerous, extremely dangerous. So we ask Allah to make us all among those who saw the truth as truth and followed it, and saw the falsehood as falsehood and avoided it. Indeed, He is Generous, Bountiful.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah thank you and magnify your reward.