Q and A – Malfoozaat of Faqeeh-ul-Ummat رحمه الله رضي الله عنها
Q: What is the law regarding one who abandons a Sunnate– Mu’akkadah (emphasised Sunnah)
A: In Malfoozaat Statements, anecdotes of Faqeehul-Ummat Vol 1 page 358, Mufti Mahmood Rahmatullahi alayh states:
One will be regarded as a Faasiq (flagrant sinner) for having left out a Sunnate-mu’akkadah due to disconcern or due to having formed a habit of leaving it. If one co-incidentally leaves it out, he will not a be a faasiq though he will be blameworthy.
Showing preference to one child over the other
Q: Is there any harm in a parent preferring one child over the other as far as presenting them with gifts is concerned?
A: It appears in Bukhaari Shareef (vol 1, pg 352) that a sahaabi by the name of Nu`maan bin Basheer had presented a slave to his son. His wife insisted that she would only be pleased with him until Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم approved of him presenting the slave to his son.
This sahaabi went up to Nabi and related what had transpired between him and his wife. He then requested Nabi to approve of his gift to his son.
Nabi asked him, “Have you granted an equal amount to your other children?” He replied in the negative. Nabi then mentioned to him,
“Fear Allah Ta`ala and implement equality amongst your children.”
A similar narration appears in Bukhaari Shareef (vol 1, pg 361) as well, wherein Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم stated, “Do not appoint me as a witness over your oppression.”
In yet another Hadeeth, Nabi is reported to have mentioned, “I will not stand as a witness over oppression.”
From this we understand that one should be impartial among his children. It is incorrect that one child is granted a gift and the other is either deprived or granted lesser. This is not the estate of a deceased person where each heir is allotted a different share.
A Narration Regarding the Shaving of the Beard
I once met an Egyptian aalim (who had a clean-shaven beard) in Makkah Mukarramah. (Thinking that since he is an aalim, he might have come across a narration to prove his action) I asked him, Mufti Sahib: Why do you shave your beard? Is it proven in any hadeeth? Aalim: Then must I keep a big moustache and imitate Shaitaan? Mufti Sahib: Can’t you understand? My question is that why don’t you grow a beard and imitate Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم ? Why are you shaving your beard and imitating Shaitaan? He remained silent and then said, Aalim: I shave due to cleanliness and neatness. Mufti Sahib: (It appears in the hadeeth) (Most definitely Allah Ta`ala is pure and He loves purity.) Further, Allah Ta`ala had granted every aspect of cleanliness and purity to Nabi صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم . There was not a single aspect of cleanliness and hygiene unheard of in the life of Nabi , and Nabi had a beard. Hence, shaving the beard is not an act of cleanliness. Rather, growing the beard is an act of hygiene and neatness.
Malfoozaat of Faqeeh-ul-Ummat
