Friday, 5 May 2017

WHAT IS THE RULING ON OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS ON FRIDAY


WHAT IS THE RULING ON OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS ON FRIDAY

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA



https://web.facebook.com/abba.abana/posts/1876598659222993

emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu. Amma ba’d.

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sal Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is His slave and Messenger.

1.0 WHAT IS THE RULING ON OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS ON FRIDAY

Offering congratulations on Friday, because now it is the custom in our country on Friday to send text messages and people congratulate one another on the occasion of Friday by saying “Jumu‘ah mubaarak” or “Jumu‘ah tayyibah.”.

2.0 FRIDAY IS AN “EID” OR “FESTIVAL” FOR THE MUSLIMS,

There is no doubt that Friday is an “Eid” or “festival” for the Muslims, as it says in the hadeeth narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “This is a day of ‘Eid that Allah has ordained for the Muslims, so whoever comes to Jumu‘ah, let him do ghusl, and if he has any perfume let him put some on, and you should use the miswaak.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1098; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, describing the special virtues of Friday: Thirteen: It is a day of ‘Eid that is repeated every week. Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 1/369.

Thus the Muslims have three Eids: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which come once every year, and Jumu‘ah which is repeated once every week. 

3.0 MUSLIMS CONGRATULATING ONE ANOTHER ON THE OCCASIONS OF EID AL-FITR AND EID AL-ADHA

With regard to the Muslims congratulating one another on the occasions of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, this is prescribed and it is narrated from the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them).

As for congratulating one another on the occasion of Friday, what seems to us to be the case is that it is not prescribed, because the fact that Friday is an Eid was known to the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), and they were more knowledgeable than us about its virtues, and they were keen to respect it and give it its due, but there is no report to suggest that they used to congratulate one another on Fridays. And all goodness is in following them (may Allah be pleased with them). 

4.0 RULING ON SENDING TEXT MESSAGES EVERY FRIDAY AND WITH THE PHRASE “JUMU‘AH MUBAARAK”

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) was asked: What is the ruling on sending text messages every Friday and ending with the phrase “Jumu‘ah mubaarak”? 

He replied: The early generation did not congratulate one another on Fridays, so we should not introduce anything that they did not do. End quote from Ajwabat As’ilah Majallat al-Da‘wah al-Islamiyyah

A similar fatwa was issued by Shaykh Sulaymaan al-Maajid (may Allah preserve him), when he said:  We do not think it is prescribed to exchange congratulations on Fridays, such as saying to one another, “Jumu‘ah mubaarak” and so on, because it comes under the heading of du‘aa’s and dhikrs, which must be based on a text (of the Qur’aan or Sunnah) because this is purely the matter of worship and if it were good, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would have done it before us. If anyone suggests that this is permissible, then that may imply that it is prescribed to say du‘aa’s and congratulate one another after having done the five daily prayers and other acts of worship, and du‘aa’ at these times was not done by the early generations. End quote from the Shaykh’s website (may Allah preserve him) 

CONCLUSION

If a Muslim prays for his brother on Friday with the intention of softening his heart and making him happy, and seeking the time when supplications are answered, there is nothing wrong with that. 

5.0 RULING ON OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS ON THE OCCASION OF EID, AND SHAKING HANDS AND EMBRACING AFTER THE PRAYER

It was narrated that that Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to congratulate one another on the occasion of Eid by saying Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa minkum (May Allaah accept (this worship) from us and from you). It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr said: When the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) met one another on the day of Eid, they would say to one another: “Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa mink (May Allaah accept (this worship) from us and from you).” Al-Haafiz said: Its isnaad is hasan. 

Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There is nothing wrong with one man saying to another on the day of Eid: Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa mink (May Allaah accept (this worship) from us and from you). This was narrated by Ibn Qudaamah in al-Mughni

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked in al-Fataawa al-Kubra (2/228): Does the common Eid greeting that is on people’s lips – “Eid Mubaarak” etc – have any basis in sharee’ah or not? If there is a basis for that in sharee’ah, what should we say? 

He replied: With regard to the greeting on the day of Eid, which people say to one another when meeting after the prayer, “Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa minkum wa ahaalahu Allaah ‘alayka (May Allaah accept (this worship) from us and from you and may you live to see another Eid)” etc, this was narrated from a number of the Sahaabah who used to do that and allow others to do so too, and from the Imams such as Imam Ahmad. But Ahmad said: I do not initiate this greeting with anyone. But if someone greets me in this manner I return his greeting. That is because returning a greeting is obligatory, but initiating this greeting is not a Sunnah that is enjoined, but neither is it forbidden. The one who does it has an example and the one who does not do it also has an example. And Allaah knows best. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: What is the ruling on offering Eid greetings and is there a particular wording to be used? 

He replied: It is permissible to offer greetings and congratulations on Eid, and there is no specific greeting. Rather the greetings that people customarily use are permissible so long as no sin is involved. 

He also said: Some of the Sahaabah offered greetings and congratulations on the occasion of Eid. Even if we assume that they did not do that, it has now become something customary that people are used to doing, congratulating one another on the occasion of Eid and on completing the fast and qiyaam. 

And he was asked: what is the ruling on shaking hands, embracing and congratulating one another after the Eid prayer? 

He replied: There is nothing wrong with these things, because people do not do these things as acts of worship intended to draw them closer to Allaah, rather they do them because they are customary, and to honour and show respect to one another. So long as there is nothing in sharee’ah to indicate that a custom is forbidden, then the basic principle is that it is permissible. Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/208-210.

 And Allaah knows best.

SOURCES




1 comment: