Part 9

Sakhaawi is of the opinion that there is no authentic hadith condemning the game of chess. The majority of scholars are of the opinion that backgammon is haraam. This is so because there are many authentic traditions condemning it, thus: “Abu Musa al-Ash’ari reported Allah’s Messenger 35 has said: He who plays backgammon disobeys Allah and His Apostle.”*”

Buraida (ra) reported the Holy Prophet 235 has said: “He who plays backgammon disobeys Allah and His Apostle.”

As for the prohibition of chess which was mentioned in the English version of Sahih Muslim 4/1222; this is a mistranslation by the translator. The Holy Prophet 3 never meant chess but he meant backgammon because he used the word Nard. If he had meant chess he would have used the word Shatranj.

The scholars who have allowed the game of chess have laid down three guidelines by which the players adhere to: 1, The Salah should not be delayed from its prescribed time. 2. Gambling should not be involved. 3. Players should not lose their temper nor use obscene

As for the remaining board games like draughts, scrabble, monopoly, trivial pursuit, dominoes, they are all

permissible because according to the Islamic Shariah everything is halaal until proven haraam and there is no evidence that these games are haraam.

Were I to swear by Allah and tell a lie, is more preferred by me than to swear by someone other than Allah and speak the truth.

Related by Abu Na’eem and classified fabricated by Daar Qutnee.

He who swore by Allah 3% that they will not do something and then breached his oath by doing that thing has to pay an expiation to Allah 3% by freeing a slave or feeding ten poor people or clothe them or fast for three days if he cannot afford the three previous mentioned options.**

Imam Bukhari said: “A man from the desert came to the Holy Prophet 328 and said: O Messenger of Allah! What are

the major sins? He 323 answered: Associating partners with Allah the Most High. The man asked: And after that? The Holy

Prophet 3% replied: A false oath. I said what is a false oath.

He 2% said: That which deprives a Muslim of his property i.e. taking an oath while he is a liar, in order to rip off another Muslim.¥

* See tafser Ibn Katheer for the explanation of Surah Maida 5:89. 85 See Riyadus Saaliheen Vol. 2, p. 825, No. 1714.

Verily the Angels said to Allah: O Lord how do You exercise patience in regards to the many sins of Bani Adam? He said: I test them then I pardon them for their sins. The Angels said: If only we were in their place we wouldn't have disobeyed you. He said: Then choose two Angels from among you to be in their place. So they chose Harut and Marut; and they both descended towards the Earth. Allah then gave them sexual desires. They then finally descended to the Earth. Upon reaching Earth there came to them a woman called Zuhra and they both fell in love with her. So they both began to conceal from each other the feelings of lust, which they had in their hearts for Zuhra. One of them returned to her; then the other came and said: Do you feel what I feel for her, he said yes. Then they both asked her for her body. She replied I will never submit my body to you both until you teach me the secret word that you use to ascend the Heavens and return to Earth. Then both Harut and Marut refused; then again they asked her for her body but she refused also. They both then gave in and taught her the secret word to ascend to the Heavens. She immediately used it and as soon as she ascended the Heavens Allah 3% tossed a star at her, which destroyed all of her wings. Harut and Marut then begged Allah to forgive them; so Allah gave them a choice, He said; If you like I can return you to your Angelic state and punish you on Judgement Day. Or if you like I can punish you now in the Duniya and return you to your Angelic state on Judgement Day. One of them said to the other the punishment of the Duniya is temporary, so they chose to be punished in the duniya rather then to be

punished in the hereafter. Allah then told them to go to Babylon, so they both went there and stayed; they are presently hanging hetween the Heavens and the Earth being punished until Judgement Day.

Related by Ibn Jareer 2/364 and classified fabricated by Ibn Jawzee 1/457, in his book of fabricated Ahaadith. HapITH 32

The carrying of a rod is a sign of a true Muslim and a tradition of all Prophets.

Related by Daylamee and classified fabricated by Adh-Dhahabi.

He who practices I’tikaaf (seclusion) for ten days of Ramadhan will get the reward of two Hajj and two umrah.

Related by Al-Bayhaqee and classified fabricated by AdhDhahabi.

It is better for you to speak in Arabic and avoid speaking in Persian for verily it breeds hypocrisy.

Related by Al-Haakim and classified fabricated by AdhDhahabi.

One of the most prominent Sahaabahs was Salman (ra) the Persian, He was not listed by Angel Gabriel “=! as one of the hypocrites of Madinah nor was Bilal (ra) the Ethiopian listed as one of them. Instead the leader of the hypocrites was an Arab called Abdullah Ibn Ubay Ibn Salool. Also in regards to the desert Arabs who speak only Arabic Allah 3% said:

“The Bedouins are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy.”

There is no good in black people; when they are hungry they steal and when their stomach is full they commit zina. However they have two noble characteristics, which are generosity to their guests and perseverance at times of hardship.

Related by Tabaraani and classified fabricated by Imam Bukhari and Ibn Jawzee.

This fabricated hadith as well as hadith 34 is detrimental to the Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood because they create a feeling of nationalism and racism; which are both unbelief.

Ibn-ul-Qayyim al Jawzia said all ahaadith cursing black people are fabricated. Bilal (ra)the Muathin of the Prophet Se was black and the Prophet 2% said: “Bilal is from my household.”

Our father Adam *%€ was black hence Allah 5% said:

“And indeed, We created Mankind from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.”*”

Prophet Musa *33' was also black. If the people who fabricate this hadith say those were Prophets so it was expected for them to be good; we say to them Luqman the wise and Bilal were black with good character and they were not prophets. How could the above-mentioned khabar be authentic when the Holy Prophet #5 said to Bilal: J heard the sound of your shoes in Paradise just in front of me. 788

If black people didn’t have any good in them how was it possible for Bilal (ra) to be promised Paradise by the Holy Prophet 25.

Narrated Jabir Ibn Abdullah (ra): “Umar used to say Abu Bakr is our chief and he manumitted our chief meaning Bilal. ee

In the Arab world people do not call their sons Bilal (ra) even though he was a prominent Sahaabah; all this is due to racism on their part.

The Holy Prophet “= once sat on a cushion made of silk.

Classified fabricated by Al-Haafiz Zaylaee.

This fabricated khabar was used by some Muslims to allow Muslim men to sit on silk. It is haraam for Muslim men to sit on silk because the authentic ahaadith have forbidden it.

The Sahaabah Sa’d ibn Abee Waqqaas (ra) used to say: “It’s more preferred by me to sit on live ember than to sit on silk!

The scholars of Islam agree unanimously among themselves that Muslim women are allowed to wear silk and gold, while it is haraam for the males. However, they differ on the issue of Muslim women sitting on silk. Some are of the opinion that it is haraam for them; hence they are allowed to wear silk but are not allowed to sit on it. These scholars use Qiyaas and argue that Muslim women are allowed to wear gold but disallowed to drink from gold cups or use gold spoons, forks etc. Likewise they are allowed to wear silk but disallowed to sit on it.

The other scholars take a more literal approach to the text and say since the hadith only forbids Muslim men from sitting on silk then it’s halaal for Muslim women. Imam Nawawi

I am more incline to the first opinion because it’s closer to the Islamic approach to life; in that to have furniture made of silk is extravagance and an exaggeration in love of the dunya. It would be more appropriate to donate such wealth to starving Muslims or to the Mujahideen.

In this regard Allah 3% said: a, eo eg et ~oe ye ‘

“And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the abode in the hereafter for those who are God-fearing. Will you not then understand.”

Additionally the Holy Prophet 2% said: “If this Dunya was valuable to the extent of a mosquito wing Allah would never give a Kafir a cup of water to drink from it.”**

So how can a Muslim become intoxicated by the pomp and glitter of this world after learning this Hadith?

Marry and do not divorce for verily Allah’s throne shakes whenever a divorce occurs.

Related by Ibn Adee and classified fabricated by Ibn Jawzee.

In this world people don’t always turn out to be what they seem to be. Also you do not know a person properly until you live with him or her. Thus in a world which is filled with pretenders and hypocrites, divorce is a great blessing from Allah 3% to remove undesirable people from our lives.