. Y""" (cont.)

Ibn Uthaimeen said, "For this reason we say that if a person intentionally does not perform the prayer until its time is finished, without any valid excuse, then his prayer will not be accepted from him even if he performs it one thousand times." Then he states a very important principle, "For every act of worship that is required at a specific time, if the time elapses without any excuse, then the act is not accepted but will be rejected."1 If a person, for example, goes to Muzdalifah instead of Arafah on the Day of Arafah, then his staying in Muzdalifah is not correct and will be rejected. Another example is fasting. Fasting is definitely sanctioned by the shareeah. However, if a person fasts on the Day of Eid, that fasting is incorrect according to the shareeah and it is not a means of worshipping Allah. There are many acts that constitute worship; however, they must be done at specific times as stated by the shareeah. Otherwise, they are not acts of worship. For example, during the pilgrimage, as an act of worship, men do not cover their heads. However, this is something specific for that time and place. If a person, outside of the pilgrimage, goes around with his head uncovered and claims to be doing that as an act of worship of Allah, he is wrong and misapplying this important principle. In general, performing acts at times other than when they are prescribed, performing new acts that have not been prescribed or encouraged at all, adding anything to the acts of the shareeah, deleting anything from the acts of the shareeah are all causes to have one's act rejected. 2 Such acts cannot be considered acts of worship of Allah. 1 lbn Uthaimeen, al-Tauheed, p. 30. 2 lbn Rajah points out that the act may become totally void depending on what has been left out. For example, if a person does not make ablution when he has the ability to do so or if a person does not perform prostrations in the prayer when he has the ability to do so, his entire act of prayer will be void. However, if he does not pray in congregation, then his act is lacking but is not totally void. Similarly, with respect to additions to Shareeah acts, if a person adds something like a fifth rakah to a prayer [by mistake], the entire prayer will be valid. But if someone makes ablution by washing every part of his body four times, he still has made ablution but his additional time of washing would be considered a rejected act. He also discusses a tricky case wherein the scholars have differed. Suppose a person performs a proper act but mixes it with something that is not allowed. For example, suppose a person prays yet covers his body with clothing that is forbidden for him, such as stolen clothing. Or, suppose a person prays in a mosque on land that has not been rightfully purchased. In those cases, is his deed completely rejected or has he fulfilled the deed while committing a sin? lbn Rajah states that most of the jurists say that the deed is not completely rejected. He states that the principle is that if the prohibited act is directly and specifically related to the act of worship, then the act will be completely void. If the prohibited act is something external to the act of worship, the act will not be considered completely void. So, for example, prayer without ablution is completely void as opposed to praying in forbidden clothing. lbn Rajah, Jaami, vol. 1 , p. 1 78-180. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi Worldly Transactions and Dealings ( Muamalaat) As noted above, the view of worldly transactions and dealings is different. There is much more flexibility and leeway here. In the case of acts of worship, only Allah knows how He is to be worshipped. However, when it comes to worldly transactions, mankind is free to meet their needs in any way they wish as long as they do not violate certain principles laid down by the shareeah. Therefore, with respect to worldly matters, this hadith is invoked in the following ways: One, if the shareeah lays down a specific principle or law and then someone implements a new principle or law in place of it, that new principle or law shall be rejected. For example, the punishment for fornication is stoning to death for the married adulterers and lashing for the "unmarried fornicators".1 It happened during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that some people tried to circumvent that law. After a case of fornication, two parties decided that the man should pay the woman's family one hundred sheep and a servant. When this was brought to the Prophet's attention, he told the fornicator's father, "By the One in whose hand is my soul, I shall decide between you according to the Book of Allah. The hundred sheep and servant are to be returned to you.