Part 14

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‘And to Allah belongs the Ghaib (unseen) of the heavens and the

earth, and to Him return all affairs (for decision). So, worship

Him (O Muhammad #%) and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you (people) do.”!"!

And Musa, peace be upon him, said to his people:

““O my people! If you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims (those who submit to Allah’s Will).’ They said: ‘In Allah we put our trust. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the folk who are Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) (i.e. do not make them overpower us). And save us by Your Mercy

from the disbelieving folk.’”'*! And Allah, the Most High says:

CLS SE5 HH “And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust.""*!

8] gal ‘Imran 3:160

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And Allah, the Most High says: Aa Ba Awayee gsew a

‘And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.

Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.”"")

Therefore it is an obligation for the believer to depend upon his Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and to have a good opinion of Him.

But he should undertake the measures necessitated by the Islamic Law, by belief in Allah’s Qadar, and the necessary practical measures which Allah, the Most High has commanded. Because undertaking the means to achieve good and to ward off evil is a part of having faith in Allah, the Most High and in His Wisdom, and it does not nullify reliance on Allah. Look at (the example of) the master of those who depend on Allah, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah #2: He used to undertake the measures necessitated by the Islamic Law and the measures necessitated by belief in Allah’s Qadar. He would seek refuge for himself before sleeping by reciting Surat AlIkhlas and Al-Mu‘awwithatan'*) and he used to wear his armor when he went into battle, and he dug a trench in front of AlMadinah to protect it when the pagan confederates gathered around it. Allah, the Most High declared that those things by which the slave seeks refuge with Him from the evils of war are among His Blessings for which He deserves thanks. He reported that His Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, said:

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‘And Wwe Taught him the making of metal coats of mail (for

"1 artalag 65:3 1 4)-Mu‘awwithatan: Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas.

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battles), to protect you in your fighting. Are you then gratefur"! Allah commanded Dawud, peace be upon him, to make them well and to make them long and loose-fitting, because they would give greater protection.

Based upon this, there is no sin for the inhabitants of those countries which are close to places of war in taking precautions by using masks to prevent poisonous gases affecting their bodies, and protecting their houses from the gases seeping into them, because this is a way of assuring safety from evil and protection from injury. There is also no objection to them storing up foods and other things for themselves, things they fear they may need and may not be able to find. The more fear of that increases, the more need for taking precautions increases. But it is necessary that their dependence be upon Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful and that they undertake these measures in accordance with Allah’s Law and His Wisdom, on the basis that they are means which Allah has permitted for them, not on the basis that it is these things themselves that bring benefits or repe] harms. They must thank Allah, the Most High for making it easy for them to achieve such measures.

And by Allah, I ask that He protect us all from the causes of trials and destruction, and that He help us and our brothers to achieve stronger faith in Him and dependence on Him, and to undertake the necessary measures which Allah has permitted in the manner which pleases Him. Verily, He is the Most Magnanimous, the Most Generous. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.

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Q. 24. What is the ruling on depending on the means (to achieve an end)?

A. Depending upon means is divided into categories:

1, That which nullifies the essence of Tawhid. That is for a person to depend upon something which could not possibly have any effect, and he depends upon it totally, shunning Allah, such as the dependence of the grave worshippers on their inhabitants to remove afflictions from them. This is major Shirk which removes a person from the pale of Islam, and the ruling on the one who does it is mentioned by Allah, the Most High in His Words:

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“Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.)

2. That he depends upon a correct, lawful means, while disregarding the originator (of those means), which is Allah, the Most High; and this is a form of Shirk, but it does not remove a person from the pale of Islam. Because he depended upon the means and he forgot the One Who causes them, which is Allah, the Most High.

3. That he depends solely upon a means simply because it is a means, while his principal dependence is on Allah, and he believes that the means is from Allah, and that if Allah wills He may cut it off (i.e. cause it not to lead to the desired result) and if He wills, He will cause it to remain (i.e. cause it to lead to the desired result), and that the means has no effect on the Will of Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. This does not nullify

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Tawhid, neither completely nor partially. When the correct lawful means are present, a person should not depend upon the means, but upon Allah; so the employee whose heart depends completely upon his salary, regardless of the One Who causes {it to be paid to him) and that is Allah, has committed a form of Shirk. However, if he believes that the salary is a means and that the One Who causes (it to be paid to him) is Allah, the Most Glorified then this does not nullify Tawakkul.

The Messenger #% used to undertake the necessary means, but at the same time, he depended upon the One Who causes it and that is Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Q. 25. What is the ruling on Ruqyah (incantations)? And what is the ruling on writing (Qur’anic) Verses and tying them around the neck of the sick person?

A. There is no sin in Ruqyah for a sick person who is afflicted by witchcraft, if it is from the Noble Qur’an, or from permissible supplications. It has been confirmed that the Prophet #% would utter Rugyah over his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Among the Rugqyahs which used to use are:

cS oo Sei aks 3.58 cua oil asl CON go G5 ee ea og Skies us 25g “Our Lord, Allah, Who is in (i.e. above) the heaven, Sanctified is Your Name; Your Command reigns supreme throughout the heaven and the earth, as Your Mercy is in the heaven, so place Your Mercy in the earth: Send down mercy from Your Mercy, and a cure from Your Cure, upon this ailment."

And he would be cured. Other lawful supplications include:

' Reported by Abu Dawud in the Book of Medicine, in the Chapter on the Method of Ruqyah (3892).

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(Asst aut ane) hak al feuies “In the Name of Allah I utter this Ruqyah, from every sickness which may afflict you, from the evil of every person or from the envious eye. May Allah cure you, in Allah's Name I utter this Rugyah over you."

A person may place his hand on the site of the pain in his body and say:

“I seek refuge with Allah and His Power from the evil of what I find and that I fear."'!

Other supplications have been mentioned by the scholars from the Ahadith narrated from the Messenger #%.

As for the writing of Verses and invocations and tying them around the neck, the scholars have differed in this regard: Some of them permitted it and some of them forbade it, because this has not been reported from the Prophet #%. It has only been eported that he used to recite over the sick person. As for tying Verses or supplications to the sick person’s neck or placing them in his hand, or under his pillow and the like, that is one of the forbidden things, according to the most authoritative opinion, due to the fact that it has not been reported. Every person who makes an action a cause of attaining something else, without permission from the Islamic Law, then this action of his is a form of Shirk because it is a confirmation of a means, which Allah has not ordained as a means.

"1 Reported by Muslim in the Book of Salutations, in the Chapter on Medicine, Illness and Rugyah (2186).

'2] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Salutations, in the Chapter: The Desirability of Putting One’s Hand on the Pain and Supplicating

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Q. 26. Does Ruqyah nullify Tawakkul?

A. Tawakkul is sincere reliance upon Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful in bringing benefits and repelling harmful things, while at the same time, undertaking the necessary means which Allab has commanded. Tawakkul does not mean depending on Allah without undertaking the necessary measures, because depending upon Allah without undertaking the necessary means is slander against Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High and against His Wisdom. Allah, the Most High has connected the effects to their causes. Here there is a question: Who is the greatest of people in depending upon Allah?

It is the Messenger #2; and did he undertake the means necessary to protect himself from harm?

Yes, when he went into battle, he would wear armor to protect himself against arrows, and in the Battle of Uhud, he donned two coats of armor all of this in order to be prepared for any eventuality. So, undertaking necessary measures does not nullify Tawakkul, if the person believes that these means are simply means and nothing more, and that there is no effect from them except by Allah, the Most High’s Permission. Accordingly, the Ruqyah is the Ruqyah of a person over himself and over his sick brothers and it does not nullify Tawakkul. It has been confirmed that the Prophet #% used to recite AlMu‘awwithatan as Ruqyah for himself, and it has been confirmed that he used to use Rugqyah to treat his Companions when they became ill.'") And Allah knows better.