Manhiaat!

[Abunuran]

As-salaam Alikum,


Manhiaat



Disallowed Matters



English Translation


Book by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid



Contents



Introduction


List of prohibitions mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah


‘Aqeedah (basic tenets of faith)


Tahaarah (cleanliness and purity)


Salaah (prayer)


The mosque


Funerals


Fasting


Hajj and udhiyah (sacrifices)


Trading and earning


Marriage


Matters pertaining to women


Matters of meat and food


Clothing and adornment


Diseases of the tongue


Etiquette of eating and drinking


Etiquette of sleeping


Miscellaneous

[Abunuran]

<b>Introduction</b>



Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.


We previously published a brief work entitled “Muharamaat: Prohibitions that are taken too lightly”, which discussed some of the various offences against Sharee’ah which may involve shirk and major and minor sins. Evidence for these things being prohibited was quoted from the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and real-life situations were described in order to explain clearly the different ways in which people may fall into committing sin.


There are many things that have been prohibited in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and it is very important for the Muslim to know about them so that he can keep away from them and thus avoid earning the wrath and anger of Allaah or bringing about his own doom in this world and the next.


So I thought of compiling this list of prohibited things, in accordance with the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Religion is sincere advice (al-deen al-naseehah),” and in the hope that it will be of benefit both to myself and to my Muslim brothers.


So I have compiled what information I could from the Qur’aan and from the ahaadeeth classed as saheeh by the scholars who specialize in this field (relying mostly on the reports classed as saheeh by al-‘Allaamah Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani in his books).


Topics are grouped according to the classifications used in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).


I have not quoted every hadeeth in full, only the relevant parts. In most cases the reports include words which clearly indicate prohibition (such as “Do not…”), and I have explained the reason for the prohibition in some cases.


I ask Allaah to help us to avoid sin and wrongdoing wherever it exists, visible or hidden, and to accept our repentance.


Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.

[Abunuran]

<b>List of prohibitions mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah</b>



Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited many things, avoiding which brings great benefits and protects us from many kinds of evil and harm. These prohibitions include both things which are haraam (forbidden) and things which are makrooh (disliked, discouraged). The Muslim should avoid these things, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us: “What I have forbidden you to do, avoid.”


The committed Muslim is keen to avoid all things that have been prohibited, whether they are classed as haraam or makrooh. He does not act like the weak of faith, who do not care if they do things that are makrooh, even though taking such matters lightly leads to committing haraam deeds, as the makrooh deeds effectively form a barrier around haraam actions.


Moreover, the person who avoids makrooh deeds will be rewarded for this, if he avoids them for the sake of Allaah. On this basis, we make no distinction here between makrooh and haraam, because making this distinction requires a great deal of knowledge, but most of what follows describes actions that are haraam rather than makrooh.


There now follows a list of things that are prohibited in Islam:

[Abunuran]

<b>‘Aqeedah (basic tenets of faith):</b>



Shirk in general, whether major, minor or hidden.


It is forbidden to go to fortune-tellers and soothsayers, to believe in what they say, to offer a sacrifice to anything other than Allaah, and to speak about Allaah and His Messenger without knowledge.


It is forbidden to wear or hang up amulets, including the kind of pearls which are used to ward off the evil eye; to perform the kind of sihr (witchcraft) used to cause a split between two people or to bring two people together; to perform any kind of sihr (witchcraft, magic) in general; to engage in fortune-telling and soothsaying; to believe that the stars and planets have any effect on events and people’s lives (astrology); and to believe that things may bring benefits when Allaah has not created them so.


It is forbidden to think about the nature of Allaah – one should instead think about His creation. No Muslim should die thinking in any way of Allaah except positively.


It is forbidden to state that any believer is going to go to Hell; to call any Muslim a kaafir except with sound proof; to ask anyone to do something for you or to give you something for the sake of Allaah; or to refuse to give something when you are asked for it for the sake of Allaah – you should give it so long as it does not involve sin, because this is respecting the rights of Allaah.


It is forbidden to curse time, because Allaah is the One Who is controlling it; to be superstitious, because this is a form of pessimism.


It is forbidden to travel to the lands of the mushrikeen; to live with the kuffaar; to take the kaafirs –Jews, Christians and other enemies of Allaah – as close friends instead of the believers; or to take kaafirs as close friends whom one consults and is friendly with.


It is forbidden to cancel out good deeds by intending to show off, gain a good reputation or remind others of one's favours in a hurtful fashion.


It is forbidden to travel to any place for the purpose of worshipping there, except for three places – al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem). It is forbidden to erect structures over graves and take them as places of worship.


It is forbidden to curse the Sahaabah; to indulge in arguments about any disputes that arose among the Sahaabah; to indulge in arguments about qadr (divine predestination); to argue about the Qur’aan with no knowledge; to sit with those who engage in false arguments about the Qur’aan; to visit a sick person who is a follower of al-Qadariyyah and other similar groups who engage in bid’ah; and to attend the funeral of any such person.


It is forbidden to insult the gods of the kuffaar, because this may lead to them insulting Allaah, may He be glorified; to follow deviations and become divided in religion; to treat the Signs of Allaah as a jest; to allow what Allaah has forbidden and forbid what Allaah has allowed; to bow down or prostrate to anything other than Allaah; to sit with hypocrites and sinful people in order to enjoy their company or to keep them company; to keep away from the jamaa’ah, which is those who are agreed upon the Truth.


It is forbidden to imitate the Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians by letting the moustache grow and trimming the beard – we should trim our moustaches and let our beards grow; to initiate the greeting of salaam to a kaafir; and to believe or disbelieve what the People of the Book say about their Scriptures – because we do not know what is true and what is false in them; to consult any of the People of the Book with regard to religious matters (with the intention of gaining knowledge or benefitting from them).


It is forbidden to swear by one’s children, or by false gods or rivals to Allaah; to swear by one’s forefathers or by one’s honour; to say “whatever Allaah and you want”; for a slave to say “my lord, my lady” (rabbi, rabbati) – he should say, “my master, my mistress” (mawlaaya, seedi, sayyidati); for a master to say “my male slave, my female slave” (‘abdi, amati) – he should say “my young man, my young woman (fataaya, fataati, ghulaami); to say “khaybat al-dahr” (what an awful time!); to curse one another by wishing the curse and wrath of Allaah upon one another, or wishing Hell for one another.

[Abunuran]

<b>Tahaarah (cleanliness and purity):</b>



It is forbidden to urinate into stagnant water; to answer the call of nature at the side of the road or in places where people seek shade or places from which they draw water; to face the Qiblah or sit with one’s back towards it when urinating or defecating (although some scholars make an exception in the case of toilet facilities inside a building); to clean oneself with one’s right hand after urinating or defecating; to wipe oneself with one’s right hand; to use bones or dung to clean oneself, because these are the food of our brothers among the jinn; to clean oneself with dung because it is the food of their animals.


It is forbidden for a man to hold his penis in his right hand when passing water; to give the greeting of salaam to one who is answering the call of nature.


When one has just woken up, it is forbidden to put one’s right hand into any vessel before washing it.

[Abunuran]

<b>Salaah (prayer):</b>



It is forbidden to perform naafil (supererogatory or “extra”) prayers when the sun is rising, when it is at its zenith, or when it is setting, because it rises and sets between the horns of the Shaytaan, and when the sun-worshipping kuffaar see it they prostrate to it. It is forbidden to pray after subh (fajr) until after the sun has risen. It is forbidden to pray after ‘asr until after the sun has set. These prohibitions apply to naafil prayers done for no specific reason; if they are done for a specific reason, such as tahiyyat al-masjid (“greeting the mosque”), there is nothing wrong with praying them at these times.


It is forbidden to make houses like graveyards by not praying naafil prayers in them; to follow a fard (obligatory) prayer with a naafil prayer without speaking in between (by making dhikr or otherwise) or by going out then coming back; or to pray anything but the two sunnah rak’ahs of fajr after the adhaan for fajr prayer.


It is forbidden to anticipate the imaam in any movement of the prayer; to pray standing alone behind a row; to look around during prayer; to raise one’s eyes to heaven whilst praying; or to recite Qur’aan during rukoo’ and sujood – although there is nothing wrong with reciting a Qur’aanic du’aa’ in sujood.


It is forbidden for a man to pray wearing only one garment, leaving both shoulders bare; to pray when there is food ready that one wishes to eat; to pray when one needs to pass water, stools or wind – because this is a distraction that keeps one from concentrating properly.


It is forbidden to pray in graveyards and bathrooms; to pray like a chicken pecking, bobbing up and down; to look around like a fox; to spread one’s arms like a beast of prey; to rest one’s forearms on the ground like a dog; to settle like a camel – which means always praying in the same spot in the mosque; to pray in the resting-place of camels, because this was created from the shayaateen.


It is forbidden to wipe the ground during prayer, but if it is necessary to do so, to smooth the gravel or whatever, then one sweep of the hand is enough.


It is forbidden to cover the mouth during prayer; to raise one’s voice in prayer in such a way as to disturb other believers; to continue praying qiyaam al-layl if one becomes drowsy – in this case, one should sleep, then get up again; to pray qiyaam al-layl for the whole night, especially if this is done continuously.


It is forbidden to yawn and blow during prayer; to step over the necks of people (in the mosque); to tuck up one’s clothes and hair when praying.


It is forbidden to repeat a prayer that has been performed properly – which is of benefit to those who suffer from waswaas (insinuating thoughts from Shaytaan that make them doubt the validity of their prayer).


It is also forbidden to stop praying if one is uncertain as to whether one has broken wudoo’ by passing wind – you should wait until you hear a sound or detect an odour.


It is forbidden to sit in circles in the mosque before praying Salaat al-Jumu’ah; to smooth the gravel; to fidget and speak during the khutbah; or to sit with one’s knees drawn up to one’s stomach and with one’s garment drawn over them or one’s hands clasped around them during the khutbah.


It is forbidden to offer any prayer once the iqaamah for a fard prayer has been given; for the imaam to stand in a place that is higher than the congregation, unless it is for a valid reason; to walk in front of a person who is praying; for a person who is praying to allow anyone to walk in front of him or between him and his sutrah (object placed in front of him whilst praying as a kind of “screen” – people may, however, walk in front of the sutrah – Translator).


It is forbidden to spit towards the qiblah or to one's right during prayer – but one may spit to one’s left or beneath one’s left foot. It is forbidden for a person who wants to pray to put his shoes to his right or his left, lest he disturb the people beside him; he should put them between his feet.


It is forbidden to sleep before ‘ishaa’ if one cannot be sure that one will not miss it; to speak after ‘ishaa’ except for a legitimate reason; to lead a man in prayer in his own place of authority, except with his permission; for a visitor to lead the head of the house in prayer, unless he asks him to; to lead a group of people in prayer when they have objections for a legitimate reason.

[Abunuran]

<b>The mosque:</b>



It is forbidden to buy, sell or make lost-and-found announcements in the mosque; to use the mosque as a thoroughfare or for any purpose other than dhikr (remembrance of Allaah) and salaah; to carry out shar’i punishments in the mosque; to clasp one’s hands when one has gone out heading for the mosque, because once a person has decided to go and pray, he is considered to be in a state of prayer.


It is forbidden for anyone to leave the mosque without praying once the adhaan has been given. It is forbidden to sit down in the mosque before praying two rak’ahs; to hasten unduly when the iqaamah is given – one should walk in a calm and dignified manner; to form a row between two pillars of the mosque unless it is essential to do so.


It is forbidden for anyone who has eaten garlic, onions or anything that has an offensive smell to approach the mosque.


It is forbidden for a man to walk through the mosque with anything that may harm the Muslims; to prevent women from going to the mosque as long as all conditions of Sharee’ah are complied with; for a woman to wear perfume when she is going to the mosque.


It is forbidden to have intercourse with women during i’tikaaf (retreat in the mosque); to show off and compete in the building of mosques; to decorate them with red or yellow paint, engravings or anything that may distract the worshippers.

[Abunuran]

<b>Funerals:</b>



It is forbidden to build anything over graves or to raise them and make them high; to sit on graves; to walk between graves wearing shoes; to illuminate them or to write on them; to excavate them.


It is forbidden to take graves as places of worship or to pray facing any grave except when praying the funeral prayer at the graveside.


It is forbidden for a woman to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom the period of mourning is four months and ten days.


It is forbidden for a recently-widowed women to wear perfume, kohl, henna, adornments such as jewellery and fancy, decorated clothes.


It is forbidden to wail for the dead, to help another woman in wailing, because this is crying for the sake of something other than Allaah, and joining together in weeping is classified as wailing.


It is forbidden to hire a woman to wail; to tear one’s clothes or to leave one’s hair uncombed as a sign of grief.


It is forbidden to announce a death in the manner of jaahiliyyah, although there is nothing wrong with simply informing people that the deceased has died.

[Abunuran]

<b>Fasting:</b>



It is forbidden to fast on the day (Eid) of Fitr and the day (Eid) of Adhaa, on the three days of Tashreeq following the day of Adhaa, or days when there is doubt as to the date (e.g., when there is confusion as the beginning of Ramadaan – Translator).


It is forbidden to single out a Friday or a Saturday for fasting; to fast all the time; to start fasting one or two days before the start of Ramadaan; to fast in the second half of Sha’baan, unless one has the habit of fasting regularly.


It is forbidden to fast for two days continuously without breaking one's fast at night; to fast on the Day of ‘Arafaah in ‘Arafaah, unless one does not have an animal to sacrifice; to rinse one’s mouth or nose excessively whilst fasting; for a woman to observe a naafil fast when her husband is present, except with his permission; to forsake suhoor – one should eat or drink something, if only a sip of water; to engage in obscenity, vehement arguments or fights when fasting.

[Abunuran]

<b>Hajj and Udhiyah (sacrifices):</b>



It is forbidden to delay Hajj with no reason or excuse; to engage in obscenity or arguments during Hajj.


It is forbidden for a person in Ihraam to wear a shirt, turban, trousers, cloak or socks; for a woman in Ihraam to wear a face-veil or gloves; to uproot, cut down or strike the trees of the Haram.


It is forbidden to carry weapons in the Haram; to hunt or disturb the animals of the Haram; to pick up lost property, unless to find the owner; to put perfume on one who has died in Ihraam, or to cover his face or to embalm the body – he should be buried in his Ihraam garments, for he will be resurrected reciting the Talbiyah.


It is forbidden to leave Hajj before completing Tawaaf al-Wadaa’ (final circumambulation of the Ka’bah), but women who are menstruating or bleeding after childbirth are excused.


It is forbidden to slaughter one’s sacrificial animal before the Eid prayer; to sacrifice an imperfect animal; to give the butcher a fee for slaughtering; for the one who intends to offer a sacrifice to remove anything from his hair, nails or skin once the first ten days of Dhoo’l-Hijjah have started, until after he has offered his sacrifice.