How did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) order the young women to go out for the festival, even though it is a recommended practice?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh. We mentioned that the prayer of women on the day of the festival is a recommended practice (mustahabb). So how do you explain the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) order to Umm Atiyyah? Some scholars have held that it is obligatory, citing this order and the fact that he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the menstruating women and the young women to go out. What is your guidance?
The Shaykh : Who said it is obligatory?
The questioner : The truth is, I have heard some students of knowledge...
The Shaykh : As for those who say it is obligatory, leave the students of knowledge alone. The students of knowledge now base their understanding on the principle that the default ruling for a command is obligation, but they do not care about or pay attention to the words of the previous scholars. This is an error and a harm. First: the scholars differ on whether a command is for obligation or whether the default is that it is for recommendation. This is one point; it is not a matter of consensus that can be used as evidence to say, "This is a command for obligation." Second: a person must return to the words of the previous scholars to see if anyone said this. Is it a novice in knowledge who, when he encounters a command that is known by the consensus of scholars not to be for obligation, says it is for obligation? Even though, if you were to discuss with him the most basic matters of the principles of jurisprudence, he would not know anything. He simply held onto "the command is for obligation and the prohibition is for forbiddance", and that is it. Every command is for obligation, and he may even make it one of the pillars of Islam. Every prohibition is for forbiddance, and he may even make it one of the major sins. This is wrong. This is a path that is not good. Did any of the previous scholars say it is for obligation, so that we can say this is the default? If we say the default is obligation, that is one thing. But if we say the default is recommendation, and that the commands of Allah and His Messenger, if no evidence establishes their obligation, the default is the innocence of the conscience and the absence of sin, then this is the default. Accordingly, the command is for recommendation.
The Shaykh : Who said it is obligatory?
The questioner : The truth is, I have heard some students of knowledge...
The Shaykh : As for those who say it is obligatory, leave the students of knowledge alone. The students of knowledge now base their understanding on the principle that the default ruling for a command is obligation, but they do not care about or pay attention to the words of the previous scholars. This is an error and a harm. First: the scholars differ on whether a command is for obligation or whether the default is that it is for recommendation. This is one point; it is not a matter of consensus that can be used as evidence to say, "This is a command for obligation." Second: a person must return to the words of the previous scholars to see if anyone said this. Is it a novice in knowledge who, when he encounters a command that is known by the consensus of scholars not to be for obligation, says it is for obligation? Even though, if you were to discuss with him the most basic matters of the principles of jurisprudence, he would not know anything. He simply held onto "the command is for obligation and the prohibition is for forbiddance", and that is it. Every command is for obligation, and he may even make it one of the pillars of Islam. Every prohibition is for forbiddance, and he may even make it one of the major sins. This is wrong. This is a path that is not good. Did any of the previous scholars say it is for obligation, so that we can say this is the default? If we say the default is obligation, that is one thing. But if we say the default is recommendation, and that the commands of Allah and His Messenger, if no evidence establishes their obligation, the default is the innocence of the conscience and the absence of sin, then this is the default. Accordingly, the command is for recommendation.