When Does an Injured Person Make Tayammum & When Does He Wipe Over the Bandage?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Completing one’s wudhoo‘ (or ghusl) by wiping over bandages over cuts, broken bones, or other wounds is established as a legitimate concession according to all four traditional math-habs [1], just as tayammum (using earth, soil, or sand for purification) is a legitimate concession for those who cannot access water, or using water would cause harm to them. [2] So a wounded person has these options to consider when taking a bath or making wudhoo‘, but which one should he choose?

The basic rule is that tayammum is only valid when water is unavailable or harmful when used. So if making wudhoo’ normally and wiping over one’s bandage at the place of his injury is possible without harm, then this is the correct course of action. [3] If there is potential harm in wiping over the bandage with water, then the injured person is allowed to make tayammum in place of wudhoo’ in such a case.

Scenario A: A man has a wound which has a scab over it, and washing it with water does not cause any harm. In this case, such an injured person must make wudhoo’ and take a bath as normal, using water when available.

Scenario B: A man has a wound which is open, and washing it with water could cause an infection or delay its healing. In this case, such an injured person must not allow water to get in the wound, and he makes wudhoo’ or takes a bath with water as he does normally, except that he wipes over the bandage at the place of his injury.

Scenario C: A man has a serious wound on one of the limbs of wudhoo’, like a severe burn on his foot or a large cut on his forearm, and the affected area must be kept absolutely dry. Wiping over the bandages in this case Continue reading

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen on Attending Classes While in I’tikaaf (Seclusion in the Masjid)

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Some people may feel it is inappropriate to attend a class about Islaam while performing i’tikaaf (seclusion in the masjid), which is commonly done in the last ten nights of Ramadhaan.

Our shaykh, the great scholar, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have Mercy on him) posed and answered the following question:

*ﻭﻫﻞ ﻳﻨﺎﻓﻲ ﺭﻭﺡ ﺍﻻ‌ﻋﺘﻜﺎﻑ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺸﺘﻐﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺘﻜﻒ ﻓﻲ ﻃﻠﺐ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻢ؟*

 Does it go against the spirit of i’tikaaf to occupy oneself with seeking knowledge?

*ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﺏ: ﻻ‌ ﺷﻚ ﺃﻥ ﻃﻠﺐ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻃﺎﻋﺔ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ، ﻟﻜﻦ ﺍﻻ‌ﻋﺘﻜﺎﻑ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﻟﻠﻄﺎﻋﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ، ﻛﺎﻟﺼﻼ‌ﺓ، ﻭﺍﻟﺬﻛﺮ، ﻭﻗﺮﺍﺀﺓ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﺁﻥ، ﻭﻣﺎ ﺃﺷﺒﻪ ﺫﻟﻚ، ﻭﻻ‌ ﺑﺄﺱ ﺃﻥ ﻳَﺤﻀﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺘﻜﻒ ﺩﺭﺳﺎً ﺃﻭ ﺩﺭﺳﻴﻦ ﻓﻲ ﻳﻮﻡ ﺃﻭ ﻟﻴﻠﺔ؛ ﻷ‌ﻥ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻻ‌ ﻳﺆﺛﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻻ‌ﻋﺘﻜﺎﻑ، ﻟﻜﻦ ﻣﺠﺎﻟﺲ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﺇﻥ ﺩﺍﻣﺖ، ﻭﺻﺎﺭ ﻳﻄﺎﻟﻊ ﺩﺭﻭﺳﻪ، ﻭﻳﺤﻀﺮ ﺍﻟﺠﻠﺴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮﺓ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺸﻐﻠﻪ ﻋﻦ ﺍﻟﻌﺒﺎﺩﺓ ﺍﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ، ﻓﻬﺬﺍ ﻻ‌ ﺷﻚ ﺃﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻋﺘﻜﺎﻓﻪ ﻧﻘﺼﺎً، ﻭﻻ‌ ﺃﻗﻮﻝ ﺇﻥ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻳﻨﺎﻓﻲ ﺍﻻ‌ﻋﺘﻜﺎﻑ.* 

The answer: No doubt that seeking knowledge is an act of obedience to Allaah. However, i’tikaaf has more to do with specific acts of obdedience, such as prayer, remembrance, recitation of Quran, etc. There is no problem if the one performing i’tikaaf attends a lesson or two during the day or night, as this does not affect the (validity of) i’tikaaf.

However Continue reading

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen: Did the Prophet Make Human Errors? What About Personal Sins?

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Al–Merciful…

[Our shaykh, the great scholar of Islaam, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have Mercy on him), posed an important question that many Muslims debate about, and answered it with sound evidence, showing the weakness of the stance of those who would disagree, saying…]

Could human errors ( الخطأ ) have occurred from the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace)?

The answer: The Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) said:

(( اللهم اغسلني من خطاياي ))
(( O Allaah!  Cleanse me of my mistakes… ))
[1]

So he directly ascribed “mistakes” ( خطايا ) to himself.  He also Continue reading