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Question

My mother is very old and she became very sick last year. She was only able to fast ten days, and she is weak and cannot cope with fasting. My question is: how can I make up for her the days that she did not fast?.

Praise be to Allah.If she cannot fast because she is sick, but there is the hope that she will recover and become able to fast later on, then she has to make up the days that she did not fast in Ramadan, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [Al-Baqarah 2:185]
But if she cannot fast and there is no hope that she will be able to do so in the future because of sickness or old age, then she does not have to fast, but she has to feed one poor person for each day. 
The evidence for that is the report narrated by Abu Dawood (2318) from Ibn ‘Abbaas concerning the verse (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskeen (poor person) (for every day)” [Al-Baqarah 2:184]
[Ibn ‘Abbaas] said: This was a concession granted to old men and women who are able to fast but with difficulty, they have the option of not fasting and feeding one poor person for each day instead. Al-Nawawi said: Its isnaad is hasan. 
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/262): 
Al-Shaafa’i and our companions said: an old man who is able to fast but it is very difficult for him, and a sick person who has no hope of recovery do not have to fast, and there is no scholarly difference of opinion on this matter. Ibn al-Mundhir narrated that there was consensus on this point. But they have to give the fidyah (ransom, payment in lieu) according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions. 
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked in Majmoo’ al-Fatawa (15/203) about an old woman who is unable to fast – what should she do? 
He replied: 
She has to feed one poor person for each day, giving half a saa’ of the local staple food, whether it is dates, rice or something else. This is equivalent to approximately one and a half kilograms. This was the fatwa of a number of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), including Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him). If she is poor and cannot feed others then she does not have to do anything. It is permissible to give this kafaarah (expiation) to one or to more than one person at the beginning of the month, or in the middle or at the end. And Allah is the Source of strength. 
The Standing Committee (10/161) was asked about a woman who was elderly and unable to fast the month of Ramadan. She has been in this situation of being too old and too sick to fast for three years. What should she do? 
They replied: 
If the situation is as described, she has to feed one poor person for each day that she did not fast in Ramadan in those three years, by giving half a saa’ of wheat, dates, rice, maize or whatever staple food you use to feed your families.

Question

Is it permissible to take a sum of money in return for doing a service for someone? For example, someone asked me to buy something for him, because I have knowledge of such things. Then one of my friends agreed to give me that thing for a cheap price, because of my standing with him. Can I increase the price a little for the one who asked me to buy it and keep the difference for myself without him knowing?.

Praise be to Allah.
    If someone has appointed you to buy something for him, you do 
    not have the right to increase its price, because you have been entrusted 
    with that, and the basic principle is that any loss or gain goes back to the 
    person who appointed you, unless he allows you to take some of it. 

    It is permissible for you to ask him for a fee in return for 
    acting on his behalf, or to tell him that you will buy the item and then 
    sell it to him. If the seller gives it to you for free, then according to 
    the scholars it belongs to the one who appointed the other to buy it, not to 
    the one who was appointed (the agent). 

    It says in Mataalib Uli’l-Nuha (3/132): “If a seller 
    gives someone who is acting as an agent a gift, after he bought something 
    from him, it is like decreasing the price, so it is part of the transaction 
    and so it belongs to the one who appointed him.” This means that any 
    reduction in price is for the benefit of the one who appointed the person to 
    buy the item; the same applies to any gift that is given by the seller to 
    the agent. 

    The Standing Committee was asked: 

    Someone else appointed me to buy something for him, and its 
    price was five pounds, for example, but the man gave it to him for four and 
    a half pounds. Does he (the agent) have the right to take the remaining 
    money, which is half a pound (fifty pence), or not? 

    The Committee replied: 
This is regarded as 
    appointing someone else to do something on one's behalf, and it is not 
    permissible for the person appointed as an agent to take anything from the 
    wealth of the one who appointed him, except with his permission, because of 
    the general meaning of the evidence which states that the wealth of a Muslim 
    man is haraam to others unless he gives it willingly. 

    Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 
    14/273. 

    It also says (in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 
    14/275): 
The Muslim must be 
    honest in his dealings. It is not permissible for him to lie and to take 
    people’s wealth unlawfully. That includes the case of a man who appoints his 
    brother to buy something for him; it is not permissible for him (the agent) 
    to take anything more than the price that he paid for the goods. Similarly 
    it is not permissible for the one who sold it to him to write a price other 
    than the real price on the bill in order to deceive the one who appointed 
    him, so that he will pay more than the real price and the agent will pocket 
    the difference, because this is a kind of coopering in sin and iniquity, and 
    consuming people’s wealth unlawfully. A Muslim’s wealth is not permissible to others unless he gives it willingly. 

    And Allaah knows best.

Question

Some men have hair growing on their
cheeks. Is it permitted to shave it or not?

Praise be to Allah.The hair on the cheeks is included in the ruling 
  on the beard. It is not permitted to remove it or shave it or cut it, because 
  the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
  him) said: “Trim the moustache and let the beard grow: be different from 
  the mushrikeen.” Among those who have stated that the hair on the cheeks 
  is part of the beard are the authors of al-Qaamoos and al-Lisaan 
  [famous Arabic dictionaries].

Question

Is it disliked or Haraam to take fertility drugs to icrease your liklihood of conceiving?

Praise be to Allah.If the drugs are made from permissible and pure substances then it is o.k. to take them, but the woman should inform her husband of that.

Question

Is the Day of Reckoning one day?.

Praise be to Allah.Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah 
    have mercy on him) said:  
The Day of Reckoning is one day, but it is a 
    day whose length is equal to fifty thousand years, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“A questioner asked concerning a torment 
    about to befall
Upon the disbelievers, which none can 
    avert,
From Allaah, the Lord of the ways of 
    ascent.
The angels and the Rooh [Jibreel 
    (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years”
[al-Ma’aarij 70:1-4]
i.e., this torment will befall the 
    disbelievers on a day the length of which is equal to fifty thousand years. 
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from 
    the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no 
    owner of gold or silver who does not pay what is due on it (i.e., zakaah) but when the Day of Resurrection comes, plates of fire will be prepared 
    for him and with them will be branded his forehead, his flanks and his back, and every time they cool down they will be reheated, on a Day the 
    length of which is equal to fifty thousand years, until judgement is passed among the people.” 
This long Day is the day that will be hard 
    for the kaafirs as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“and it will be a hard Day for the 
    disbelievers”
[al-Furqaan 25:26] 
“Truly, that Day will be a Hard Day —
Far from easy for the disbelievers”
[al-Muddaththir 74:9-10]
What may be understood from these two verses 
    is that it will be easy for the believer, and that is indeed the case. For this long Day with its horrors and serious matters will be made easy by 
    Allaah for the believer, but it will be hard for the kaafir.  I ask Allaah to make me and my Muslim brothers among those for whom Allaah will make 
    the Day of Resurrection easy. 
But thinking too deeply about such matters of 
    the unseen comes under the heading of extremism concerning which the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Those who go 
    to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed .” 
Our duty with regard to the matters of the 
    unseen is to submit and to accept them according to their apparent meaning, without discussing them in depth or trying to compare them to worldly 
    things. For the matters of the Hereafter are not like the matters of this world; even if the meanings may have something in common, there is still 
    a great difference between them. I will give the example of what Allaah has told us about there being palm-trees, pomegranates, fruits, the flesh 
    of birds, honey, water, milk, wine etc in Paradise, but He also tells us (interpretation of the meaning): 
“No person knows what is kept hidden for 
    them of joy as a reward for what they used to do”
[al-Sajdah 32:17]
And Allaah says in a hadeeth qudsi: “I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye 
    has seen, no ear has heard nor has it entered the heart of man.” 
There are things in this world that bear the 
    same names as these blessings of Paradise mentioned here but the fact that they have a name in common does not mean that the wine of Paradise is 
    like the wine of this world, or that the fruits of Paradise are like the fruits of this world, and so on. 
Although they may share a name and a common 
    meaning, all the things of the unseen that share a meaning with things that are seen in this world are not like them in reality, so we should pay 
    attention to this principle and accept the matters of the unseen according to the apparent meanings, and not try to do any more than that.  
Hence when Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy 
    on him) was asked about the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 
“The Most Gracious (Allaah) rose over 
    (Istawa) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty)”
[Ta-Ha 20:5] –
How did He rise over it? He lowered his head and started to sweat, because of the seriousness 
    of this question. Then he raised his head and spoke his famous words that became the standard comment regarding all the attributes that Allaah has 
    ascribed to Himself: “(The concept of) rising is not unknown, but how it happened (in the case of Allaah) cannot be comprehended. Believing in it 
    is obligatory and asking about it is bid’ah (an innovation).” 
Probing deeply into such matters is bid’ah 
    because the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) who were more keen than us to seek knowledge and goodness did not ask the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) such questions, and they are sufficient as an example. What I have said now about the Last Day may 
    also be applied to the attributes of Allaah which He has ascribed to Himself of knowledge, power, hearing, seeing, speaking etc. The way in which 
    these words apply to Allaah is nothing like the way in which the same words apply to man. Each attribute suits the one to whom it is ascribed. 
    Just as there is none like unto Allaah in His Essence, there is none like unto Him in His attributes. 
In conclusion: the Last Day is one Day, and it will be hard for the kaafirs and easy for the believers. What has been narrated about the various kinds of reward and punishment is a matter which cannot be fully understood in this world, even though the basic meanings may be known to us in this world.

Question

I am aware that using a visa card, etc. that carries abalance is considered riba, but does a card that you pay off each month without a balance and no interest charge still apply to this? is it still riba?.

Praise be to Allah.This question has been asked before, under No. 3402, where it says: Credit cards are based on conditions of riba: if I delay repayment, they will impose a penalty on me, but in the place where I live in America, I cannot rent a car or a store or use many services without a credit card. If I do not use a credit card I will have a lot of problems and it will be unbearable for me. If I commit to paying it off by a certain time so that I will not pay any interest, is it permissible for me to use this card in the difficult circumstances in which I live?  
He answered as follows: If it is certain that not using it is going to cause difficulty and the likelihood of you being late in paying it is remote, then I hope that there is nothing wrong with that. (Answered by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him). 
It should be noted that two conditions are mentioned in the question: not using it should cause difficulty and he should have no other option but to use it; and the second condition is that he should be committed to paying it off without any delay.

Question

Is it permissible to eat meat dishes at non muslim restuarants where pork and/or alcohol is served. It is not known whether the meat was slaughtered Islamically or not. However the meat and the pork are stored in the same refrigerator and/or cooked using the same utensils.

Praise be to Allah.What 
          the Muslim should do if this is the case, is to avoid eating in these 
          restaurants. He should look for halaal meat in halaal places, even if 
          that is a little difficult for him, because of the importance in Islam 
          of ensuring that food comes from good sources.  
And 
          Allaah knows best.

Question

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu ya Shaykh;
Is it permissible (or obligatory) for sisters to pray in Jama‘a (with a leader) if there are no
brothers? I’ve heard different views on this.
Jazakumullahi khairan
wassalamu alaikum

Praise be to Allah.wa alaikum us-salaam wa-rahmat ullaahi wa-barakaatuh

It is permissible for women to pray in congregation among themselves. Their leader should stand in the 
middle of the row according to the narration regarding Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) which 
indicates that she used to lead women in prayer and would stand with them in the middle of the row. 
This has been narrated by ‘Abdur Razzaq in Al-Musannaf 3/141 and Daraqutni 1/404, and is authentic 
due to evidences for it.
Similarly Umm Al-Hasan narrated that she saw Umm Salmah (may Allaah be pleased with her) leading 
women in prayer while she stood in the middle of their row. This has been narrated by Ibn Abee 
Shaybah 2/88 and is also authentic due to other supporting evidences.
Ibn Qudamah has quoted the difference of opinion on whether congregation for women is 
recommended, and then says about their leader: “The one who leads them should stand in the middle of 
the row. We do not know of a difference of opinion on this among those who support that one women 
may lead others in congregation. Since it is recommended for the women to be covered, ….. standing in 
the middle of the row makes it a better covering for her from the sides.”(Al-Mughni, 2/202) 
The author of Al-Muhadhdhab (4/295) says: “It is sunnah that the leader of women in congregation 
stand in the middle of them as narrated about ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salmah that they lead women and 
stood in the middle of their row.” 
For further details refer to Jaami‘ Ahkaam Al-Nisaa’ by Al-‘Adawi (1/351). 
And Allaah knows what is most correct and best.

Question

I need to know about any celebrations of this religions or any festivals.

Praise be to Allah.As Muslims, we celebrate only two eid (festivals): eid ul-fitr (after the end of Ramadhan), and eid ul-Udh-ha, the day of the greater hajj (pilgrimage). During these two festivals, we offer felicitations, spread joy, and entertain children. But more importantly, we offer remembrance of Allaah's blessings, celebrate His name and offer the eid salaat (prayer). Other than these two occasions, we do not recognize or celebrate any other days in the year.
Of course, there are other joyous occasions for which the Islamic shariah dictates appropriate celebration, such as gathering for special meals during weddings or on the occasion of the birth of a child (aqeeqah). However, these days are not specified as particular days in the year; rather, they are celebrated as they happen in the course of a Muslims life.

Question

I am a muslim brother who wants to get
married, but i need to know what my rights are, as well as what rights my parents have
over me, when it comes to the question of marriage. my parents are XXX muslims,
traditionalists.
I want to marry this muslim girl, she has agreed to marrying me. i am in
the last year of my degree & i really do love this girl. however, one thing that i
have done wrong is that i have touched her intimatly & i can’t help myself when i am
near her. i am scared of this, as i do know that any contact is strictly forbidden, but i
cannot control myself. i have not gone any further than touching. the reason as to why i
want to marry her is not just in order to satisfy my desires, but to take care of her i
every other way as well. i have known her for over 6 years, but the last year has been the
most difficult. please can you give me any info or help on this matter.

Praise be to Allah.You must repent to Allaah for what you have done and stop whatever 
  haraam deed you are doing, whether it is major or minor. If you feel that in 
  order to stop doing this haraam deed you have to marry this woman even if your 
  parents do not agree, then go ahead and marry her, because that is the lesser 
  of two evils, and try to please them in other ways as much as you can. See Question 
  #988, 1114 
  and 1805. We ask Allaah to protect us 
  and you from committing haraam deeds.