Part 32

Little do you consider the greatness of Allaah and His favours upon you, and the clear proofs He has given you, so you therefore associate others in worship with Him." [surah an-Naml (27):62] (iii) Seeking aid and rescue from those who are alive, aware of the situation and capable of assistance and rescue. It is permissible to seek aid and rescue from them: Allaah, the Most High, says in the story of Moosaa: "So the man who was upon the same Religion as Moosaa sought the aid of Moosaa against his enemy the copt, so Moosaa struck him forcefully and killed him." [surah al-Qasas (28):15] (iv) Seeking rescue and aid from a living person who is not capable of assisting him, without believing that he has some hidden power. For example that a drowning person calls for rescue from a person who is paralysed. This is futility and is a mockery of the one whom he seeks rescue from, and is therefore prohibited for this reason. A further reason for its prohibition is that anyone who saw him seeking rescue from the paralysed man may be deceived into thinking that the paralysed man must have some hidden power enabling him to rescue people. The evidence for sacrificing (adh-dhabh) is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High: "Say, O Muhammad, indeed my Prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all purely and solely for Ayaah, Lord of all creation. There is no share of any of that for other than him." [82] [surah al-An'aam (6): 162-3]. Also the Prophet said: "Allaah has cursed anyone who sacrifices for other than Allaah" [Reported by Muslim (Eng. transl. 3/ 10931094/no.4876)] ________________________________________________________ Sacrifice is to kill by spilling the blood of the animal in a particular manner, and is done for a number of reasons: (i) That it is done as an act of worship, such that he intends by it veneration of the one for whom he sacrifices, and intends it as an act of submission to him and a means of nearness to him. So this may not be done except for Allaah, the Most High, and has to be done in the manner which Allaah, the Most High, has prescribed. Directing it to other than Allaah is major shirk and the evidence (as mentioned by the author) is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "Say, O Muhammad, indeed my Prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are all purely and solely for Allaah, Lord of all creation. There is no share of any of that for other than Him' [surah al-An'aam (6):162-3] (ii) That it is done out of hospitality for the guest, or for as wedding feast (waleemah) or the like, then this is something commanded, either as an obligation or a recommendation, as he said "Whoever truly believes in Allaah and the Last Day, then let him treat the guest honourably" [Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. transl. 8/99/no. 156) and Muslim (Eng. transl. 3/935/no. 4286)]. He {%) said to 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Auf, "Give a wedding, feast (waleemah) even if it is only with a single sheep" [Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. transl. 7/72/no.96)]. (iii) That it is done to provide food charitably, or to sell the meat and so on, then this falls under that which is permissible and is in principle according to the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "Do those mushriks who worship others along with Allaah not see that We have created for them, from what our Hands have created, cattle which they are in charge of, and We have made the cattle subservient to them: so from them are those which they eat the meat of." [surah Yaa Seen (36):71-2] Furthermore, it may be something desirable or prohibited depending upon what it leads to. The evidence for vows (an-nadhr) [83] is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High: "They fulfil their vows and they fear a day whose evil is widespread" [84] [surah al-Insaan (76):7]. ________________________________________________________ i.e. the evidence that vows are worship is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "They fulfil their vows and they fear a day whose evil is widespread." [surah al-Insaan (76):7] The Aayah is a proof since Allaah praises them for fulfilling their vows, which shows that Allaah loves that and every action that is beloved to Allaah is worship. This is further supported by the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "...they fear a day whose evil is widespread." [surah al-Insaan (76):7] The fulfilling of vows which Allaah, the Most High, has praised are all acts of worship which Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, has obligated. This is because when a person starts any of the obligatory acts of worship, then he has become duty bound to fulfil and complete them. The proof for this is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "Then let them complete the duties of their hajj, and fulfil their vows (e.g. the sacrifice), and let them perform the tawaaf of ifaadah around the ancient House." [surah al-Hajj (22):29] Vows by which a person makes a pledge and thus obligates himself to do something or other, or makes some act of obedience to Allaah, that is not obligatory, binding upon himself, then this is disliked, and some of the scholars declared it to be forbidden.