Conscientiousness: Its Significance and Merit
His eminence, venerated Sheikh Saud Al-Shureem—may Allah protect him—delivered this
Friday's Khutbah titled “Conscientiousness: its Significance and Merit.” He talked about the
importance of conscientiousness and the sense of scruples in society. Then, he defined their
significance and stressed their intrinsic worth. He equally outlined the three subtypes of
conscientiousness and described the consequences of their absence from people’s lives.
Part One
All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the (only) Originator [or the (Only)
Creator] of the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers with
wings, two or three or four… [Faŧer: 1]; The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of
repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Bestower (of favours). Lâ ilâha illâ
Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), to Him is the final return.
[Ghafer: 3]; all praises and thanks be to Him (both) in the first (i.e. in this world)
and in the last (i.e. in the Hereafter). And for Him is the Decision, and to Him
shall you (all) be returned. [Al-Ǭašaš: 70].
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah with no associate, and I also
bear witness that Muhammad () is Allah’s Servant and Messenger, portrayed in the Holy Quran as
…the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad ), who
believes in Allâh and His Words [(this Qur’ân), the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel
(Gospel) and also Allâh’s Word: "Be!" - and he was, i.e. ‘Îsâ (Jesus) son of
Maryam (Mary), علیھما السلام ]… [Al-Arâf: 158]. May Allah send His bounteous Salat (i.e.
Graces, Honours, and Mercy) and Peace on him, his chaste and virtuous family, wives (mothers of
the believers), Companions, and the tab'în (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet []
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after his death), and on all those who have virtuously embraced their tradition till the Day of
Judgement.
O Servants of Allah!
Observe taqwa (i.e. fear of violating Allah’s commands) and bear in mind that the Herein is but an
ephemeral form of life rather than a locus of eternal residence. Allah has made you trustees of its
resources to test your conduct: As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty
to Allâh and fears Him And believes in Al-Husnâ We will make smooth for
him the path of ease (goodness) [Al-Layl: 5-7]
O Muslims!
The world nowadays is experiencing a most sophisticated era of technical advancement and ultramodern
information technology. It is witnessing a state of euphoria stimulated by successive
innovations and inventions in all walks of life. No sooner do people get familiar with an original
novelty through scrutinising its structure and function than another equally ingenious innovation
bewilders them to the extent that they forget about the previous one.
Thanks to its strong motivation and high sense of curiosity, the world has reached outer space and
manufactured the atomic bomb. Yet, it has been unable to stimulate the conscience and resuscitate the
scruples of societies and peoples. It has failed to fill the spiritual void reigning over society and
affirm the concept that life is simply a means rather than an end in itself. Paradoxically enough, they
do have the capacity to observe stars in the sky but remain quite sightless when it comes to detecting
a particle of dust in the eye.
In fact, much ink has been spilled on the topic of individual conscientiousness and scruples which
has been constantly advocated by many earnest reformers and advisers who are dutiful to their nation
and people. Unfortunately, such advocacy had little echo in real life as it failed to move the Islamic
nation from confinement to liberty, from humiliation to glory, from egotism to self-effacement, and
from dearth to worth. Quite often, awareness is only available when it is too late—if ever it is the
case. It is reactive rather than proactive. More often than not, rescue coincides with the disaster itself
instead of resulting from the vociferous warnings of counsellors. This confirms the poet’s verse:
The Sheikh cites a line of poetry:
(I offered them advice while we were going round the tortuous turning of the district by night, but
they only understood its essence the following morning).
O servants of Allah!
Conscientiousness is that inner human feeling which makes individuals monitor their own
behaviour. It is a sense of scrupulous self-monitoring that fosters in the individual a psychological
predisposition to distinguish between good and evil in speech, action, and thought. It enables one to
appreciate what is good and repel what is evil. In essence, Islam is a divinely revealed religion
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founded on freedom. This is why it emancipated people from worshipping humans and orientated
them to the worship of Allah alone and unrivalled. Islam affirmed that glory is the fruit of faith
whereas humiliation and inferiority are strongly associated with unbelief, wickedness, and sinful
disobedience.
All such meanings manifest themselves through individual conscientiousness and a sense of
ethical awareness to be subsequently extended to the entire Islamic society. Whenever this dynamic
sense of ethical awareness is absent from a given society, its members will systematically turn into
spiritless bodies. Certain societies might paradoxically promote their members to the status of satanic
entities in human disguise.
Each manifestation in social reality of such common issues such as strength vs. weakness, wealth
vs. poverty, faith vs. immorality, and justice vs. injustice is inevitably closely connected to the state
of people’s conscience and their sense of ethical awareness: whether vigilant, lost, or dormant.
Nowadays, Muslim societies are suffering from the absence of fully committed conscientiousness and
sense of ethical awareness. In the past, when such principle was prevalent in their daily lives, people
in the Levant used to say “bless you” to someone who sneezed in the western side of the territory, and
when someone sought succour in the north those in the south would answer his cry for help.
In fact, one can but look aghast at what is going on in the life of this nation. Quite surprisingly,
even the screams of pain from someone just next to you would remain unheard; his helpless hand
gestures to seek urgent assistance would fail to attract the attention of passers-by: …Verily, it is
not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that
grow blind [Al-Ĥajj: 46] .
The nation’s conscience will never awaken before its individuals’ conscience regains life, for how
can the shadow of a body be straight if the body itself is crooked and how can someone with crippled
fingers wear a ring? As a rule, the weaker conscience is, the later this sense of conscientiousness and
ethical revival will be. It seems as if certain people’s conscience had been resistant to change to the
extent of sterility and absolute inefficacy.
People can be categorised into different groups depending on the nature of their inner conscience.
The first category is endowed with an unmistakably energetic conscience allowing them to recognise
and enjoin what is good and reject what is evil. They share their nation’s worries, sufferings, and
hopes. They relieve people’s grief, alleviate their sufferings, and echo their sighs. They are modest
with true believers but relentless opponents to criminal tyrants. They implacably ignore human
reproaches: …That is the Grace of Allâh which He bestows on whom He wills. And
Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower [Al-Maîda: 54]
The second category of people has a dormant conscience bordering on vacuity. A man with a
dormant conscience is like a dumb and powerless slave1 who is a burden on his master; whichever
way he directs him, he brings no good. He is only a statistic devoid of action. He is in a death-in-life
state lurking in anticipation for some material benefits or deriving personal privileges. He may also
1 The Sheikh’s statement is indirectly quoted from the Holy Quran And Allâh puts forward (another) example of
two men, one of them dumb, who has no power over anything (disbeliever), and he is a burden on his master;
whichever way he directs him, he brings no good. [Al-Naĥl: 76]
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be tainted with the fear of leaving unsupported and weak offspring behind.2 His inner voice echoes the
following expression: “I am all for number ONE.” Consequently, this category of people hardly offers help or
advice . They behave as though they were created just to eat and drink. These people are required to resuscitate
their conscience before it irreversibly joins the dead ones.
As to the third category, these are people characterised by inert conscience. They are dominated by evil and
contain little, if any good. They are neither at the forefront nor at the rear . They only share all that is evil and
are only noticed enjoining evildoing and proscribing good conduct and noble values. These people are
typically tight-fisted. They have forgotten Allah; as a result, Allah has totally ignored their existence and
doomed them to oblivion. They are typically liars, cheaters, egotists, slanderers, fault-finders, and going about
with calumnies.3
An internal voice betrays their inner thoughts: “I must just rescue myself; after me the deluge! Attack is the
best defence strategy.” They are like houseflies targeting bleeding injuries. Their society abhors their existence
and constantly seeks protection from their imminent threat. It seems as if they were created just to commit evil
acts and have their action scales burdened with sins until their final encounter with Allah, suffering total
disfigurement.
So, observe taqwa (i.e. fear of violating Allah’s commands)—may Allah bestow His grace on
you—and never forget that living conscience is the stimulator of real faith. Its fruit is mutual love,
compassion, and empathy. It acts as a catalyst for unity in the entire complementary organism of the
nation—as confirmed in the Prophet's () Hadith , “The case of the believers in their mutual love,
compassion, and empathy is similar to that of the (human)body: whenever a single organ suffers
from pain, the rest of the body will respond by showing symptoms of sleeplessness and fever.”
(Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Saĥiĥ Book).
If each one of us tried himself before his own conscience one would realize that the tree of
negligent conscience never bears fruit. Should any of us completely surrender to the dictates of his
conscience, whether good or evil, he would feel so intolerably uptight and disturbed about it and his
eye will never be able to see the truth the way it should be seen. Right then everyone calling to
account will realize that turning a blind eye to accountability to one’s conscience and patronizing it
have much more serious consequences than the causes of such failure.
It follows then that every faithful must take the initiative to interrogate his conscience; for a silent
conscience is a ‘silent devil’. Likewise, a conscience that speaks only evil is a ‘speaking devil’.
The Islamic sharia has come down to us in order to uphold conscience and to prevent it from
perishing or withering away, inducing members of the Muslim community to realize the importance
of such an undertaking, to guard themselves against the evil of dead or negligent conscience, and to
bear in mind that a living and vigilant conscience is their only resort for strength and integration.
2 Once again, the Sheikh’s statement is indirectly quoted from the Holy Quran: And let those (executors and
guardians) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own, if they had left weak offspring
behind. So let them fear Allâh and speak right words. [Al-Nissâ: 9]
3 The Sheikh’s statement is indirectly quoted from the Holy Quran: A slanderer, going about with calumnies.
[Al-Ǭalam: 11]
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The Messenger of Allah () said: “Don't nurse envy against one another! Don’t practice
Najsh4! Don't nurse aversion against one another! Don't be inquisitive about one another and
don't outbid one another (with a view to raising the price)! Be fellow-brothers and servants of
Allah! A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, lie to
him, or scorn him. Taqwa (piety) is right here” [and he pointed to his chest three times]. O
Servants of Allah! That is indeed what is meant by ‘living conscience’.
“Taqwa is right here”. Then he says: “ It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look
down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith: his
blood, his wealth and his honour.”
May Allah bestow His blessings, for you and for me, in the Qur'ān and sunnah and benefit us
with the verses, Dhikr٥ and wisdom therein. I have said what I have said; if it is true it is thanks to
Allah, but if it is wrong it is because of me and the accursed Satan. I seek forgiveness from Allah. He
is All-Forgiving!
Part Two
Praise be to Allah Alone! May His Peace and Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) be upon
the seal of all messengers!
O People!
No true believer would doubt it for a moment that the ummah, while being scorched by the flames
of conflicts, disasters, aggression and wars that have ravaged everything in their way, is now more
than ever in need for true conscience that is clear from all forms of hatred and envy. What the
ummah really needs are Muslims with compassionate and admonishing conscience willing to
overlook their personal and relatively negligible interests and focus on the yet more important and
more pressing issues that concern their brothers in faith and community in general. Having said that,
we must all realize that once there is no more conscience, egoism and selfishness will take over and
the prevalent logic among individuals and communities will be something like: ‘mind your own
business’; ‘what for? You won’t be able to make a difference’; ‘what else can you do?’ ‘You’re not
entrusted to sponsor, represent or protect so and so.”
When conscience is no more, one starts hearing statements like ‘leave what’s for Allah to Allah
and what’s for Ceasar to Ceasar’. When conscience is no more, the treacherous are trusted and the
truthful are accused of treason; liars are believed and the honest are called liars.
In the absence of conscience lambs change to roaring lions, he-camels to she-camels and turkey
vultures to eagles. Seas will derive their waters from wells, the frivolous will speak out and people
will entrust their leadership to the ignorant who will then walk and lead others astray.
٤ Deceiving a purchaser through a third party offering a higher price
٥ Remembrance of Allah
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When conscience is gone, reproach becomes admonition, backbiting freedom of speech, and
slandering exhortation.
When conscience is gone, the oppressor will not refrain from destroying an entire population. He
will then proceed to slaughter, blow up, imprison and displace people; they cry out and call out for
help, but in vain.
When conscience is no more, tyranny gets the upper hand, justice wanes, stinginess prevails,
exhortation goes scarce, pests and punishments are poured down, buildings are destroyed block by
block, with no chance for restoration.
Finally, when conscience goes feelings go with it and it matters, no more, who is up and who is
down. People would then prefer to be buried under the ground rather than remain on it.
On the authority of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah ()
said: “The Last Hour would not come until a person would pass by a grave of another person and
he would roll over it saying: I wish it had been my abode; not out of religious belief but because of
this calamity. [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]
There is no good in this life and this living
When the key to conscience is lost and gone
Don’t you see that the solid grains are turning
Into flour under the effect of the grinding stone
Ask Allah –may He have mercy on you– to send His Salat (Graces, Honours and Mercy) and
Peace on the best creature of Allah and the purest of mankind, Muhammad ibn `AbdAllāh, who is
given al-Hawdh (the sacred basin) and is vested with intercession; for Allah sent His Salat (Graces,
Honours and Mercy) and Peace on him and then ordered His angels, that are praising His sanctity, to
do likewise and called out to you, O believers, to ask Him to send His Salat (Graces, Honours and
Mercy) and Peace on him. Allah the Almighty () says: Allâh sends His Salât (Graces,
Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad), and also His angels
(ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât[1] on
(ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad ), and (you should) greet (salute) him
with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum). [AlAhzab:
56]. The Prophet (ρ) said: "He who offers me a Salat, Allah will offer him ten such Salats as a
reward".
O Allah! Send Your Salat (Graces, Honours and Mercy), Peace and Blessing upon Your Servant
and Messenger, Muhammad! O Allah! Be pleased with the four Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman
and Ali, all of his Companions, on the tab'în and those who righteously followed them till the Day of
Judgment. O Allah! Be also pleased with us all, along with them, by Your Pardon and Generosity, O
You, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate!
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O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims, and fail polytheism and polytheists (who associate
O Allah! Grant glory to Your religion, Your Book and the Sunnah of Your !partners with You)
Prophet, and Your believing servants!
O Allah! Relieve the distressed among Muslims, alleviate their anguish, pay off the debts of those
indebted, and cure our patients and theirs, with Your Mercy, O You, Most Merciful!
O Allah! Grant our souls piety, and purify them, You are the best Who Purifies them, You are
their Guardian and Master! With Your Mercy, You, the Most merciful!
O Allah! Grant us safety in our homelands, and set right our Imams and Guardians. O Allah!
Make our leadership from among those who fear You, guard taqwa and seek Your satisfaction, O
Lord of the Worlds!
O Allah! Guide our leader to say and do whatever You love and please, O You, the Living, the
Everlasting! O Allah! Set right his retinue, O You, the Lord of Majesty and Honour!
O Allah! Be on the side of our brothers who are oppressed and defenseless in their religion,
wherever they may be! O Allah! Grant them victory against Your enemy and theirs; O Allah! Grant
them victory sooner rather than later, You, The Lord of Majesty and Honour! O Allah! Grant them
victory in Palestine, Syria, Burma, and everywhere, You, The Lord of Majesty and Honour; the Lord
of the Worlds!
O Allah! Make it a speedy victory and relief for them! O Allah! Make it a crowning victory, O
You, the Living, the Everlasting!
O Lord! You are Allah, and there is no deity worthy of worship but You! You are the Selfsufficient
while we (humans) are destitute! Do send down rain on us and save us from despair! O
Allah! Send down rain on us and save us from despair! O Allah! Send down rain on us and save us
from despair! O Allah! We beseech You not to make the worst of our deeds a reason for depriving us
of the best of Your Grace! You, the Lord of Majesty and Honour!
O Allah! We are but creatures of Yours. We implore You not to make our sins stand between us
and Your grace, O You, the Living, the Everlasting, the Lord of the Worlds!
… Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter
that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire! [Al-Baqarah: 201]
Glorified be our Lord, the Lord of Honor and Power! You are free from what they wrongly
attribute unto You! May peace be upon all the Messengers! And the last of our supplications is
“praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!”
This is a reasonable enough question for one who has not entered Islam, but one who believes in and practices this religion already knows the blessings which are his because of this religion. There are many reasons for this, which include the following: (1) The Muslim worships One God, Who has no partner, and Who has the most beautiful names and the highest attributes. Thus the Muslim’s focus and aim is concentrated, focused on His Lord and Creator; he puts his trust in Him and asks Him for help, patience and support; he believes that Allaah is able to do all things, and has no need of a wife or son. Allaah created the heavens and earth; He is the One Who gives life and death; He is the Creator and Sustainer from Whom the slave seeks provision. He is the All-Hearing Who responds to the supplication of His slave, and from Whom the slave hopes for a response. He is the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving, to Whom the slave turns in repentance when he has committed a sin or fallen short in his worship of Allaah. He is the Omniscient and All-Seeing, Who knows all intentions and what is hidden in people’s hearts. The slave feels ashamed to commit a sin by doing wrong to himself or to others, because his Lord is watching over him and sees all that he does. He knows that Allaah is All-Wise, the Seer of the Unseen, so he trusts that what Allaah decrees for him is good; he knows that Allaah will never be unjust to him, and that everything that Allaah decrees for him is good, even if he does not understand the wisdom behind it. (2) The effects of Islaamic worship on the soul of the Muslim include the following: Prayer keeps the slave in contact with his Lord; if he enters it in a spirit of humiliation and concentration, he will feel tranquil and secure, because he is seeking a "powerful support," which is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted. For this reason, the Prophet of Islaam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: "Let us find relaxation and joy in prayer." If something distressed him, he would hasten to pray. Everyone who finds himself faced with disaster and tries prayer finds strength, patience and consolation, because he is reciting the words of his Lord, which cannot be compared to the effect of the words of a created being. If the words of some psychologists can offer a little comfort, what do you think of the words of the One Who created the psychologist? Now let us look at zakaat (the poor due), which is one of the pillars of Islaam. Zakaat purifies the soul from stinginess and miserliness, and accustoms people to being generous and helping the poor and needy. It will bring a great reward on the Day of Resurrection, just like other forms of worship. It is not burdensome, like man-made
taxes; it is only 25 in every thousand, which the sincere Muslim pays willingly and does not try to evade or wait until someone chases him for it. Fasting involves refraining from food and sex for an appointed time. It is a form of worship, and a way in which one can feel the hunger of those who are deprived. It is also a reminder of the blessings of the Creator, and it brings rewards beyond measure. Hajj is the Pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allaah, which was built by Ibraaheem (Abraham, upon whom be peace). By performing Hajj one is obeying the command of Allaah and the call to come and meet Muslims from all over the world. (3) Islaam commands all kinds of good and forbids all kinds of evil. It encourages good manners and proper treatment of others. It enjoins good characteristics such as truthfulness, patience, deliberation, kindness, humility, modesty, keeping promises, dignity, mercy, justice, courage, patience, friendliness, contentment, chastity, good treatment, tolerance, trustworthiness, gratitude for favours, and self-control in times of anger. Islaam commands the Muslim to fulfil his duty towards his parents and to uphold family ties, to help the needy, to treat neighbours well, to protect and safeguard the wealth of the orphan, to be gentle with the young and show respect to the old, to be kind to servants and animals, to remove harmful things from the road, to speak kind words, to forgive at the time when one has the opportunity to take revenge, to be sincere towards one’s fellow-Muslims, to meet the needs of the Muslims, to give the debtor time to repay his debt, to prefer others over oneself, to console others, to greet people with a smiling face, to visit the sick, to support the one who is oppressed, to give gifts to friends, to honour his guest, to treat his wife kindly and spend on her and her children, to spread the greeting of peace (salaam) and to seek permission before entering another person’s house, lest one see something private that the other person does not want one to see. Some non-Muslims may do these things out of politeness or good manners, but they are not seeking reward from Allaah or salvation of the Day of Judgement. If we look at what Islam has prohibited, we will find that it is in the interests of both the individual and society as a whole. All these prohibitions serve to safeguard the relationship between the slave and his Lord, and the relationship of the individual with himself and with his fellow-man. The following examples demonstrate this: Islam forbids the association of anything in worship with Allaah and the worship of anything other than Allaah, because this spells doom and misery. Islaam also forbids visiting or believing soothsayers and fortune-tellers; magic or witchcraft that may cause a rift between two people or bring them together; belief in the influence of the stars on events and people’s lives; cursing time, because Allaah is directing its affairs; and superstition, because this is pessimism. Islam forbids cancelling out good deeds by showing off, boasting or reminding others of one’s favours; bowing or prostrating to anything other than Allaah; sitting with hypocrites or immoral people for the purposes of enjoying their company or keeping them company; and invoking the curse or wrath of Allaah on one another or damning one another to Hell.
Islaam forbids urinating into stagnant water; defecating on the side of the road or in places where people seek shade or where they draw water; from facing the qiblah (direction of prayer) or turning one’s back towards it when passing water or stool giving the greeting of salaam (peace) to one who is answering the call of nature; and putting one’s hand into any vessel before washing it, when one has just woken up. Islaam forbids the offering of any nafl (supererogatory) prayers when the sun is rising, when it is at its zenith, and when it is setting, because it rises and sets between the horns of Shaytaan (Satan); praying when there is food prepared that a person desires; praying when one urgently needs to pass water, stool or wind, because that will distract a person from concentrating properly on his prayer. Islam forbids the Muslim to raise his voice in prayer, lest it disturb other believers; to continue offering supererogatory prayers at night when one feels drowsy - such a person should sleep then get up; to stay up all night in prayer, especially one night after another; and to stop praying when there is doubt as to the validity of one’s wudoo’ - unless one hears a sound or smells an odour. Islaam forbids buying, selling and making "lost and found" announcements in the mosque - because it is the place of worship and remembrance of Allaah, where worldly affairs have no place. Islam forbids haste in walking when the iqaamah (call immediately preceding congregational prayer) is given, and prescribes walking in a calm and dignified manner. It is also forbidden to boast about the cost of building a mosque; to decorate a mosque with red or yellow paint or adornments which will distract the worshippers; to fast day after day without a break . Islaam forbids building over graves, making them high, sitting on them, walking between them wearing shoes, putting lights over them or writing on them. It is forbidden to disinter the dead or to take graves as places of worship. Islam forbids wailing, tearing one’s clothes or leaving one’s hair unkempt when a person dies. Eulogizing the dead in the manner of the times of Ignorance (Jaahiliyyah) is also forbidden, although there is nothing wrong with informing others that a person has died. Islaam forbids the consumption of riba (interest); all kinds of selling which involve ignorance (of the product), misleading and cheating; selling blood, wine, pork, idols and everything that Allaah has forbidden - their price, whether bought or sold - is haraam (unlawful); najash, which is offering a price for something one has no intention of buying, as happens in many auctions; concealing a product’s faults at the time of selling; selling something which one does not own or before it comes into one’s possession; undercutting, outbidding or out bargaining another; selling produce before it is clear that it is in good condition and free of blemish; cheating in weights and measures; and hoarding. A partner who has shares in a plot of land or a date palm tree is forbidden to sell his share without consulting his partners. It is forbidden to consume the wealth of orphans unjustly; to bet or gamble; to take anything by force; to accept or offer bribes; to steal people’s wealth or to consume it unjustly; to take something for the purpose of destroying it; to undermine the value of people’s possessions; to keep lost property which one has found, or to keep quiet about it and
not announce it, for it belongs to the one who recognizes it; to cheat in any way; to ask for a loan with no intention of repaying it; to take anything of the wealth of a fellow-Muslim, unless it is given freely, because what is taken because of another person’s shyness is haraam (impermissible); and to accept a gift because of intercession. Celibacy and castration are forbidden, as is marrying two sisters, or a woman and her aunt (paternal or maternal), whether he marries the aunt after marrying her niece or vice versa, for fear of breaking the ties of kinship. It is forbidden to make deals in marriage, such as saying "Let me marry your daughter and I will give you my daughter or sister in marriage." Such reciprocal deals are a form of oppression and injustice, and haraam. Islaam forbids mut’ah (temporary marriage), which is a marriage contract for a period of time agreed by the two parties, at the end of which the marriage expires. Islaam forbids intercourse with a menstruating woman, until she has purified herself (by taking a bath after her period ends), and also forbids anal intercourse. A man is forbidden to propose marriage to a woman when another man has already proposed to her, unless the other man withdraws his proposal or gives him permission. It is forbidden to marry a previously-married woman without consulting her, or a virgin without seeking her permission. It is forbidden to wish (a newly married couple) "Bi’l-rafaa’ wa’l-baneen (a joyful life and many sons)," because this is the greeting of the people of Jaahiliyyah(ignorance), who hated daughters. The divorced woman is forbidden to conceal what Allaah has created in her womb (if she is pregnant). A husband and wife are forbidden to speak (to others) about the intimacies of married life. It is forbidden to turn a woman against her husband or to take divorce lightly. It is forbidden for a woman to ask for another’s divorce, such as asking a man to divorce a woman so that she can marry him. A wife is forbidden to spend her husband’s money without his permission, or to keep away from his bed without good reason, because the angels will curse her if she does that. A man is forbidden to marry his father’s wife, or to have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant from another man. It is forbidden for a man to practice ‘azl (coitus interruptus) with his free wife without her permission. It is forbidden for a man to return home from a journey late at night and startle his family, unless he has previously notified them when he will arrive home. A man is forbidden to take anything of his wife’s mahr (dowry) without her consent, or to keep annoying his wife so that she will give up her wealth. Islaam forbids women to make a wanton display of themselves (tabarruj). It also forbids extreme forms of female circumcision. Women are forbidden to admit anyone into their husband’s home without his permission; his general permission is acceptable so long as they stay within the limits of sharee’ah (Islaamic law). It is forbidden to separate a mother and child (in case of divorce); to let one’s womenfolk behave foolishly (in an immoral fashion) and not say anything; to let one’s gaze wander everywhere; and to follow an accidental glance with an intentional glance. Islaam forbids the eating of dead meat, regardless of whether it died by drowning, strangulation, shock or falling from a high place; eating blood, pork and anything slaughtered in a name other than that of Allaah or for idols; eating the flesh or drinking the milk of beasts that feed on filth and waste matter; eating the flesh of every carnivorous beast that has fangs and every bird that has talons; eating the meat of domesticated donkeys; killing animals by keeping them and throwing stones at
them until they die, or detaining them without food until they die; slaughtering with teeth or nails; slaughtering one animal (for food) in front of another; or sharpening the knife in front of the animal to be slaughtered. In the area of clothing and adornment, men are forbidden the extravagance of wearing gold. Muslim men are forbidden to be naked or to expose their thighs; to leave their clothes long (below the ankles) and trail them on the ground for the purpose of showing off; and to wear clothes that will attract attention. It is forbidden to bear false witness; to make false accusations against a chaste believing woman; to accuse someone who is innocent; to utter lies; to slander and backbite; to call people by offensive nicknames; to spread gossip and malicious slander; to make fun of the Muslims; to boast about one’s status; to shed doubts on a person’s lineage; to utter slander, insults and obscenities; to speak in an indecent or rude manner; or to utter evil in public, except by one who has been wronged. Islaam forbids telling lies; one of the worst kinds of lie is to lie about dreams, like fabricating dreams and visions in order to prove one’s virtue, or make some material gains, or to frighten an enemy. Muslims are forbidden to praise themselves, or to talk in a secret way: two may not converse secretly to the exclusion of a third, because this is offensive. It is forbidden to curse a believer or someone who does not deserve to be cursed. Islaam forbids speaking ill of the dead; praying for death; wishing for death because of some suffering that one is passing through; praying against one’s self, one’s children, one’s servants or one’s wealth. Muslims are told not to eat the food that is directly in front of others or to eat from the centre of the dish or platter; rather they should eat from what is directly in front of them or thereabouts, because the barakah (blessing) comes in the middle of the food. It is forbidden to drink from a broken edge of a vessel, because this could cause harm; or to drink from the mouth of a vessel; or to breathe into it. It is forbidden to eat while lying on one’s stomach; to sit at a table where wine is being drunk; to leave a fire burning in one’s house when one sleeps; to sleep with Ghamr in one’s hand, like an offensive smell or the remainder of food (grease); to sleep on one’s stomach; or to talk about or try to interpret bad dreams, because these are tricks of the Shaytaan. It is forbidden to kill another person except in cases where it is right to do so; to kill one’s children for fear of poverty; to commit suicide; to commit fornication, adultery or sodomy (homosexuality); to drink wine, or even to prepare it, carry it from one place to another, or sell it. Muslims are forbidden to please people by angering Allaah; to offend their parents or even to say "Uff" (the slightest word of contempt) to them; to claim that a child belongs to anyone but his real father; to torture by means of fire; to burn anyone, alive or dead, with fire; to mutilate the bodies of the slain; to help anyone commit falsehood; or to cooperate in wrongdoing and sin. It is forbidden to obey any person by disobeying Allaah; to swear falsely; to swear a disastrous oath; to eavesdrop on people without their permission; to invade people’s privacy or look at their private parts; to claim something that does not belong to one
or that one did not do, for the purpose of showing off; to look into someone’s else’s house without permission; to be extravagant; to swear an oath to do something wrong; to spy on others or be suspicious about righteous men and women; to envy, hate or shun one another; to persist in falsehood; to be arrogant or feel superior; to be filled with self-admiration; to be pleased with one’s arrogance. Islam forbids taking back one’s charity, even if one pays to get it back; employing someone to do a job without paying him his wages; being unfair in giving gifts to one’s children; bequeathing everything in one’s will and leaving one’s heirs poor - in such a case the will should not be executed; writing a will that concerns more than one third of one’s legacy; being a bad neighbour; or changing a will to the detriment of one or some of one’s heirs. A Muslim is forbidden to forsake or shun his brother for more than three days, except for a reason sanctioned by sharee’ah; to hold small stones between two fingers and throw them because this could cause injury to eyes or teeth; to include his heirs in a will, because Allaah has already given heirs their rights of inheritance; to disturb his neighbour; to point a weapon at his Muslim brother; to hand someone an unsheathed sword, lest it harm him; to come (walk) between two people except with their permission; to return a gift, unless there is some shar’i objection to it; to be extravagant; to give money to foolish people; to wish to be like someone to whom Allaah has given more of something; to cancel out his charity by giving offensive reminders of his giving; to wilfully conceal testimony; or to oppress orphans or scold one who asks for help or money. It is forbidden to treat with evil medicines, because Allaah would not create a cure for this ummah which includes something that He has forbidden. It is forbidden to kill women and children in warfare; to boast to one another; or to break promises. Islaam forbids betraying a trust; asking for charity that one does not need; alarming a Muslim brother or taking away his possessions, whether jokingly or seriously; changing one’s mind after giving a gift, except in the case of a gift from a father to his child; practising medicine without experience; or killing ants, bees and hoopoe birds. A man is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah (private parts) of another man, and a woman is forbidden to look at the ‘awrah of another woman. It is forbidden to sit between two people without their permission; or to greet only those whom one knows, because the greeting is to be given to those whom you know and those whom you do not know. A Muslim is forbidden to let an oath come between him and good deeds; he should do what is good and make expiation for the oath. It is forbidden to judge between two disputing parties when one is angry, or to judge in favour of one party without hearing what the other has to say. It is forbidden for a man to walk through the market-place carrying something - like a sharp weapon - that could harm the Muslims, unless it is properly covered. A Muslim is forbidden to make another person get up, so that he can take his place. There are more commands and prohibitions which came for the benefit and happiness of individuals and mankind as a whole. Have you ever seen any other religion that can compare to this religion? Read this response again, then ask yourself: is it not a great pity that I am not one of them? Allaah says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]
Finally, I hope that everyone who reads this will be guided to the correct way and to follow the truth. May Allaah protect you and us from all evil.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
