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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

He acquired some wealth by means of haraam shares; how should he get rid of it?

I bought shares in a company that is not permissible according to sharee’ah, and I want to take out my capital; how should I get rid of the profits?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Wealth that is acquired by investing in haraam shares or via riba-based banks, must be gotten rid of by spending it on various charitable causes. It may be given to the poor and needy, or spent on the general interests of the Muslims, such as building hospitals or schools, or paving roads, or it may be given to seekers of knowledge and the like.

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:

What is the ruling on buying shares in companies and banks? Is it permissible for a person who has bought shares in a company or bank to sell the shares after subscribing to a broker who buys and sells shares, and it is possible that they may be sold for more than the value for which the person bought them? What is the ruling on the interest that the shareholder takes every year on the value of the shares he holds?

They replied:

Buying shares in banks and companies that deal with riba is not permissible. If the shareholder wants to get rid of his riba-based shares, he may sell his shares at the current market value, and take his original capital only; he should spend the rest on charitable causes, and it is not permissible for him to take any of the interest or profits of his shares. But if the shares were in a company that does not deal in riba, then the profits are permissible. End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (13/508).

It also says (14/299): The basic principle is that it is permissible to buy shares in any company if it does not deal in haraam things such as riba and so on, but if it deals in haraam things such as riba, then it is not permissible to buy shares in it. Based on this, if any of the shares mentioned are in a company that deals with riba or any other haraam things, then he must withdraw from it and get rid of the profits by spending them on the poor and needy. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.

Benefiting from experience acquired in a haraam job

I worked in the customs, and I heard that this work is haraam because of the mukoos (levies), but I continued in this job for a while, because I was hesitant. Then I made up my mind and left the job. Now I am wondering, is it permissible for me to benefit from the experience acquired in this job to seek provision by means of it in a permissible job, such as being employed by somebody who works in import and export, so that I can take care of clearing the goods in customs, which are permissible goods. In other words, is it permissible to benefit from experience which was gained through a haraam job in a permissible job?.

Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with you benefiting from this experience and using it in a permissible job.

Similarly, if a person deals in haraam things, and benefits from that experience in business and handling money, then there is nothing wrong with him using this experience in permissible jobs. Islam brought the command to give up riba, deceit, cheating and other haraam things but it does not forbid any of those who have repented -- or even those who have not repented – from working in permissible fields benefiting from that experience.

As for working in the customs, the ruling on that has been explained in the answer to question number 39461.

We ask Allaah to accept your repentance, make the consequences good for you and to grant you provision by His grace.

And Allaah knows best.

If a slanderer repents, can his testimony be accepted?

If a slanderer repents from his slander and mends his ways, can his testimony be accepted or not?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has stipulated three punishments for slander. They are: the hadd punishment; rejection of testimony; and describing the slanderer as an evildoer (Faasiq).

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the Faasiqoon (liars, rebellious, disobedient to Allaah).

5. Except those who repent thereafter and do righteous deeds; (for such) verily, Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Noor 24:4-5].

With regard to the hadd punishment, the fuqaha’ are unanimously agreed that the hadd punishment for slander is eighty lashes if the slanderer is a free person [i.e., not a slave], man or woman, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“flog them with eighty stripes”

[al-Noor 24:4].

As for his testimony not being accepted, the scholars are unanimously agreed that the testimony of the slanderer should not be accepted so long as he has not repented, because he has committed a major sin, namely slander, and has not repented from it, so he cannot be described as being of good character, and good character is a condition of testimony being accepted; and because he is a liar and an evildoer according to the text of the verse: “They indeed are the Faasiqoon (liars, rebellious, disobedient to Allaah).”

“Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not produced witnesses! Then with Allaah they are the liars”

[al-Noor 24:13].

The testimony of the evildoer and liar cannot be accepted, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And take as witness two just persons from among you (Muslims)” [al-Talaaq 65:2]. So it is stipulated that the witness should be of good character, and the evildoer and liar are not of good character.

If he repents from slander and admits that he was lying, then the majority of scholars (Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad) are of the view that his testimony may be accepted. They said:

1. Because repentance erases the sins that came before it, so if he repents his sin and its effects are erased completely, and non-acceptance of testimony is one of the effects of that sin.

Imam al-Shaafa’i said in al-Umm (7/94):

If he admits that he lied, his testimony may then be accepted, but if he does not do that then his testimony cannot be accepted, until he does that, because the sin for which his testimony is rejected is slander, but if he admits that he was lying then he has repented. End quote.

2. Because the expression “forever” in the verse applies so long as he persists in evildoing. Hence after that the verse mentions after the ruling that he is an evildoer: “and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the Faasiqoon (liars, rebellious, disobedient to Allaah).” If the description of evildoer ceases to apply to him, then the reason for rejecting his testimony also ceases to exist.

3. It was narrated from ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he said to those who had slandered al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah, after he had carried out the hadd punishment of flogging on them: “Whoever repents, his testimony will be accepted.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in a mu’allaq majzoom report.

His repentance means that he admits that he was lying about the slandered person whom he accused of zina. Hence the words of ‘Umar according to Ibn Jareer were, “Whoever admits that he was lying, his testimony will be accepted.”

If the slanderer repents and mends his ways, his testimony will be accepted, like any other Muslim of good character.

Al-Mughni (12/386); al-Majmoo’ (22/98-101).

And Allaah knows best.

Repentance

I have committed many sins which no one knows of except Allaah. What do I have to do so that Allaah will accept my repentance?

Praise be to Allaah.

A Muslim’s faith may become weak and he may be overwhelmed by his desires. The Shaytaan may make sin attractive to him, so he wrongs himself (commits sin) and falls into that which Allaah has forbidden. But Allaah is Kind to His slaves, and His mercy encompasses all things. Whoever repents after doing wrong, Allaah will accept his repentance, for Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful.

“But whosoever repents after his crime and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allaah), then verily, Allaah will pardon him (accept his repentance). Verily, Allaah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful [al-Maa’idah 5:39 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allaah is Forgiving and Generous. He commands all His slaves to repent sincerely so that they may gain the mercy of Allaah and His Paradise. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” [al-Tahreem 66:8]

The gate of repentance is open to His slaves, until the sun rises from the west. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah spreads out His Hand at night to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the day, and He spreads out His Hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who did wrong during the night. (This will continue) until the sun rises from the west.” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2759)

Sincere repentance is not merely the matter of words spoken on the tongue. Rather, the acceptance of repentance is subject to the condition that the person gives up the sin straight away, that he regrets what has happened in the past, that he resolves not to go back to the thing he has repented from, that he restores people’s rights or property if his sin involved wrongdoing towards others, and that he repents before the agony of death is upon him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom Allaah will forgive and Allaah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.

And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: ‘Now I repent;’ nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful torment” [al-Nisaa’ 4:17-18]

Allaah accepts repentance and is Merciful. He calls sinners to repent, so that He might forgive them:

“…your Lord has written (prescribed) Mercy for Himself, so that if any of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous good deeds (by obeying Allaah), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-An’aam 6:54 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allaah is Kind to His slaves and loves those who repent. He accepts their repentance, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And He it is Who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do”[al-Shooraa 42:25]

“Truly, Allaah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves”[al-Baqarah 2:222]

When a kaafir becomes a Muslim, Allaah turns his bad deeds (sayi’aat) into good deeds (hasanaat), and forgives him all his previous sins, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” [al-Anfaal 8:38]

Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He loves the repentance of His slaves. He commands them to repent so that He might forgive them. But the devils among mankind and the jinn want to turn people away from the truth and make them incline towards falsehood, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path) [al-Nisaa’4:27]

The mercy of Allaah encompasses all things. If a person’s sins are very great and he has wronged himself very much, but he then repents, Allaah will accept his repentance and will forgive his sins no matter how great they are. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”[al-Zumar 39:53]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Our Lord comes down to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains, and says, ‘Who will call upon Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758)

Man is weak. If a person sins then he has to repent and seek forgiveness every time. Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful, and He is the One Who says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allaah’s forgiveness, he will find Allaah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Nisaa’ 4:110]

The Muslim is vulnerable to making mistakes and sins. So he has to repent and seek forgiveness repeatedly. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, I seek the forgiveness of Allaah and I turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times each day.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 6307)

Allaah loves the repentance of His slaves, and accept it. Indeed, He rejoices over it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a person repents, Allaah rejoices more than one of you who found his camel after he lost it in the desert.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 6309)

Questions about haraam wealth and benefiting from it before and after repenting

I have a brother who works in a foreign country. He has a disco and two restaurants, but he sells alcohol in them and he wants to repent to Allah.
The first question is: what is the ruling on the money that he used to send to his mother and two sisters, noting that one of his sisters has a job and is able to spend on the household. As for me, I am still studying and I cannot spend on them.
The second question is: he has a brother who is married and has a family of six; he wanted to start a halaal business and needed some of the money, so (the first brother) gave him some and they became equal partners in this venture. What is the ruling on the money generated by this business?
The third question is: we can say that all of his wealth comes from the disco and the two restaurants. What must he do with the money after he repents? Please note that he is married to a foreign woman and he has a son aged twelve. Is it permissible for him to use the money and spend it on his family?
The fourth question is: is it permissible to borrow some of this money without interest in order to set up a halaal business, then pay off the loan with money earned through this business?
The fifth question is: he used to give charity from his wealth to some poor families in his city and he set aside monthly living expenses for some families. What is the ruling on this money for these families who received it? Will he have hasanaat (the reward for good deeds) from this wealth?.

Praise be to Allaah.
It is haraam to set up discos and work in them, as it is also haraam to sell alcohol. The wealth that is earned from that is evil, haraam earnings, because when Allah forbids a thing, He also forbids its price. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that alcohol is cursed, as are the one who sells it, the one who drinks it and the one who carries it, as it says in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood (3674) and Ibn Maajah (3380). It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed khamr and the one who drinks it, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who squeezes it, the one for whom it is squeezed, the one who carries it and the one to whom it is carried.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

It was also narrated by at-Tirmidhi (1295) from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed ten with regard to wine: the one who squeezes (the grapes etc), the one who asks for it to be squeezed, the one who drinks it, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who pours it, the one who sells it and consumes its price, the one who buys it and the one for whom it is bought.

What is required of one who has fallen into any of that is to repent to Allah, may He be exalted, gave up the sin, regret what has happened in the past and resolve never to go back to it. As for the wealth that he acquired by haraam means, whatever he has consumed or spent, he does not have to do anything about it. Whatever he still has with him, he had to get rid of it according to the most correct of the scholarly opinions. So he should spend it on the poor and needy, and other charitable good causes.

If he is in need of the money, then he may take of it whatever will suffice him, and get rid of the rest. There is nothing wrong with him taking some of it as capital for business or permissible work.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If this prostitute and wine maker repent and they are poor, it is permissible to give them as much of this money as they need. If he is able to engage in trade or to do a craft such as weaving and spinning, he may be given some of the money as capital.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 29/308

We praise Allah, may He be exalted, for having guided your brother to think of repentance, and we ask Him, may He be glorified, to accept it from him and to forgive and pardon him.

It must be pointed out that what he is required to do is to get rid of the haraam wealth only, and not all the wealth that your brother has earned. No doubt the two restaurants served some halaal foods, as well as haraam things such as alcohol. What he has to do is to work out how much of the profits came from haraam things, and get rid of that money. As for the profits that came from selling halaal foods, that money is permissible for him and there is nothing wrong with him benefiting from it; he does not have to get rid of it.

As for your questions, the answers to them are as follows:

Firstly:

With regard to the money that your mother and others took and benefited from it, they do not have to do anything about it. The same applies to whatever they still have of it; they may benefit from it. The basic principle concerning that is that money that is haraam because of the way in which it was acquired is haraam for the one who acquired it only. As for the one who took it from him in a permissible way, such as if he gave it as a gift or spent it on his family, and the like, it is permissible for him. So there is no blame on your family for what they have taken of this money.

Similarly there is no blame on the one who took a loan from it, because the sin has to do with the one who acquired the money in a haraam way only; there is no sin on the one who borrowed it from him.

Secondly:

Partnership with a person in whose wealth there is any haraam element is valid, although it is better not to get involved in it, and any profits resulting from this venture are halaal in sha Allah. But your brother has to get rid of the haraam wealth, as stated above.

Thirdly:

Among the ways of getting rid of haraam wealth is to give it to a poor person who needs to get married or who needs accommodation, or the one who will set up a business from which he will spend on himself, and the like. It is permissible to put this money into a fund from which needy people may borrow, but the wealth cannot come back to your brother and he cannot regain possession of it, because he is obliged to get rid of it, as stated above.

Fourthly:

Whatever your brother has given to the poor of maintenance and regular income is something praiseworthy and he will have a reward commensurate with the proportion of halaal wealth in what he gave. Perhaps these good deeds were a cause of his having been guided and it may be the result of sincere prayers by those needy people. He should set aside some of this money that he has to get rid of, and give it to these poor people, and he will be rewarded for doing so.

We ask Allah to help and guide us and you, and to make us all steadfast.

And Allah knows best.

Doing Hajj with money he earned by working in a company that produces tobacco

I work as an engineer in a company that produces molasses tobacco. My wife works in the same company as well. There is an association that helps others who can’t afford able to do Hajj; I have participated in it long time ago. Alhamdulillah now we are able to go. We do not have any other source for living apart from our salaries from the tobacco company; we both are now over 50. Is it halal for us to perform hajj using this money? All our income is just from this work. My wife and I have received the tickets for hajj and we cannot return them. Please answer quickly, and do not be eager to make it haram, for everything is in the hands of Allah.

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

Smoking tobacco and shisha (hookah, hubble-bubble) is haraam, because they are harmful and filthy. This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 45271.

If it is haraam to consume or use a thing, it is not permissible to manufacture or sell it, or to help with that.

Based on that, working in a company that produces tobacco is haraam work, and the salary that results from that is also haraam.

What you must do is repent to Allaah and give up this job, regret what has happened in the past and resolve not to do it again in the future.

If you did not know that consuming tobacco is haraam, or you were following a mufti who is lenient on this issue, then we hope that there will be no blame on you for what is past, and the wealth that you have is permissible for you.

But if you knew that consuming tobacco is haraam, then you have to get rid of this wealth by spending it on charitable causes and in the public interests of the Muslims, unless you need it, in which case you may take as much as you need. See the answer to question no. 78289.

Secondly:

If a person wants to do Hajj, his money must be pure and halaal. There is the fear that if a person does Hajj with haraam wealth, Allaah may not accept his Hajj, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah is Good and does not accept anything but that which is good.” Narrated by Muslim (1015).

But if you have already obtained permission to go for Hajj and tickets that you cannot return, then we think that you should do Hajj, and regard this money as a loan and pay an equivalent amount on charitable causes when Allaah blesses you – even if it is after a while. Thus we hope that your Hajj will be accepted. You must also repent to Allaah and resolve to give up the haraam work.

It is no secret to you that provision is in the hand of Allaah, and that He gives to His righteous slaves and close friends who fear Him. Place your hopes in that which is with Allaah. We ask Allaah to accept your repentance and your Hajj, and to grant you more of His bounty and kindness.

And Allaah knows best.

He committed a sin and does not know what he should do now

A person who has commited sin[who knew he is commiting sin -at the time]....now that same person feels such guilt that cant be expressed. What should this person do?.

Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim does not have to tell anyone of his sin, rather it is not recommended that he should do that. He should conceal his sin and not expose it. The Muslim should feel disturbed about his sin so that he will be motivated to repent sincerely. It is not sufficient for the Muslim to recognize that he has committed a sin, rather he should remember that Allaah is always watching, so that he will not do it at all. If the Shaytaan makes him fall into one of his traps, he must regret committing this sin and he has to give it up and resolve not to return to it.

In this way the Muslim will have done what Allaah requires of him, namely sincere repentance. The Muslim must not despair of the mercy of Allaah or think that He is unlikely to forgive his sin or guide him to repentance. For the Shaytaan is eager to make the Muslim fall into sin and then he is eager to close the doors of repentance in his face.

After he repents sincerely, the Muslim becomes better than he was before he committed this sin. Sincere repentance may alert him to things that he was careless about, so he gives up bad companions who help him to commit sin, and he stops travelling to immoral countries where he committed sin, and he stops watching and listening to things that Allaah has forbidden, namely singing, musical instruments and movies.

Perhaps he has been careless about these matters but the sincere repentance that Allaah has enjoined awakens him to that.

The Muslim may forget that Allaah is always watching before he commits the sin, because if he was aware of that he would not have done it. But if he had forgotten, then he should try to remember whilst he is committing the sin that Allaah can see him, and that the noble angels can see him, and that Allaah may decree that he should die whilst he is committing this sin – so how would he meet his Lord in the Hereafter?

If the Shaytaan manages to ensnare the Muslim before and during the sin, then let him remember afterwards that Allaah stretches forth His hand at night to accept the repentance of those who sinned during the day, and He stretches forth His hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sinned at night, and that Allaah rejoices over the repentance of His slave even though He is the one Who guided him to repent and made it easy for him, and He has no need of the repentance of this person.

The Muslim must fear Allaah his Lord and regret what he has done; he must also resolve not to return to it and to do a lot of acts of worship. He must change his environment and friends, looking for something better. It is not permissible for him to mention his sin to anyone, and he should make his repentance sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone. He should also be eager to pray in congregation in the mosque and attend study circles.

We ask Allaah to help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him, and to make it easy for us to do good.

And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.

He went to a fortune teller then he repented, but he found that what the fortune teller told him is coming true, day after day!

One of my friend did a big mistake, he went to a furtune teller before starting his medical studies. After that he got knowledge and he repented sincerely towards Allah, and made Taubah for his sin. But the problem here is that whatever the Fortune teller informed him is coming true day by day. He want to remove his thinkings from this but unable to act such. He started offer praying. Whats the solution for such problems according to Islam. What you advice him about this.

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

It is not permissible to go to soothsayers and fortune tellers, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights.” Narrated by Muslim (2230).

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has intercourse with a menstruating woman or with a woman in her back passage, or goes to a fortune teller and believes what he says, has disbelieved in that which Allaah revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3904), al-Tirmidhi (3904) and Ibn Majaah (936); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

The kufr mentioned in the hadeeth is to be understood in the sense of minor or lesser kufr, according to many scholars, unless he believes that the witch or soothsayer has knowledge of the unseen or he believes his claims to have knowledge of the unseen.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 8291.

The one who has fallen into any of these matters must repent to Allaah, by regretting what he has done and resolving not to do it again.

Secondly:

As for what the fortune teller told him coming true day after day, this doesn’t matter, and it does not affect the shar’i ruling in such cases at all. This may be due to one of two things:

1 – That the fortune teller used general words and phrases that reflect things that happen to all people, such as saying “you will go through some trials, then you will find relief” or “you will be blessed with some wealth” or “you will get married” and so on, and the person thinks that the fortune teller is telling the truth because of that.

2 – The fortune teller told him of something true that would happen in the future, then it happened as he said it would. This is something that the shaytaan snatched for him from the heavens, then passed it on to the fortune teller, who added lies and false things to it. If the incident that he spoke of happens, people believe everything he said. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pointed out when he explained this matter. Al-Bukhaari (6213) and Muslim (2228) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: Some people asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about soothsayers. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them: “They are nothing.” They said: O Messenger of Allaah, sometimes they tell us something that turns out to be true. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “That is a word from the jinn that the jinni snatches, and he cackles it into the ear of his familiar as a hen cackles, but they mix more than a hundred lies with it.”

al-Bukhaari (4701) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His words, making a sound like a chain striking a rock. When the fear is banished from their hearts, they say, What is it that your Lord has said? They say: The truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great. Then the one who is listening out hears that, and those who are listening out are standing one above the other” – Sufyaan [one of the narrators] demonstrated with his hand, holding it vertically with the fingers outspread. – “So he hears what is said and passes it on to the one below him, and that one passes it to the one who is below him, and so on until it reaches the lips of the soothsayer or fortune-teller. Maybe the meteor will hit him before he can pass anything on, or maybe he will pass it on before he is hit. He tells a hundred lies alongside it, but it will be said, Did he not tell us that on such and such a day, such and such would happen? So they believe him because of the one thing which was heard from heaven.” i.e., he is believed because of the one true word that was heard from heaven and passed on to the fortune teller.

If we assume that the fortune teller told him something that did actually happen, such as if he told him about where a lost item was to be found, or some such, and this is what happened, if the questioner did not know it, then it is not “unseen” in absolute terms, rather it was “unseen” to the one who did not see it or know it. The fortune teller is able to see such things, either by himself or with the help of his helpers among the devils of mankind and the jinn, as is well known.

To sum up: So long as your friend has repented to Allaah, then he should not pay any attention to what the fortune-teller said or be afraid of what he said. Some of the things he mentioned may happen, or they may not. Usually they do not happen, because the ratio of truth – if the fortune teller receives information from the jinn – is no more than 1%.

For more information please see the answer to question no. 32863.

And Allaah knows best.

Does he have to marry his female relative whom he touched in a haraam manner?

I am in a horrible situation. I have commited a sin by touching a unmarried women in our relatives. I didn't had exual intercourse but I have touched this lady and she also touched me. Now since this lady is relative ( my mothers brothers daughter) I am scared that this lady will tell others. I have so far led my life as per islamic shariah and people respect me a lot. I am unmarried and I am going to get married to a pios muslimah. Should I am liable to marry this woman whom I have touched? I am very scared of this woman who is neighbour to my family. What should I do to get out of this situation? I know that I have commited a sin. I am preying allah to forgive my sin. I can't imagine marrying this women who always used tricks to attract me. Now I am trapped. Should I tell my parents about it? Do I need to tell the girl whom I am gonna marry about this? Can the girl whom I have touched force me to marry her by islamic law?

Praise be to Allaah.
You have to ask Allaah for forgiveness and repent to Him for what you have done, and you have to resolve never to go back to that. The fact that you touched this woman does not mean that you are obliged to marry her; there is nothing in Islam that compels a sane adult to marry any woman whom he does not want to marry. No marriage is valid unless it meets the necessary conditions, one of which is the consent of the husband who is accountable.

You do not have to tell your parents or the girl you are going to marry about what happened; rather you are obliged to conceal what you have done, and to repent, and this is between you and your Lord. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Avoid this filth that Allaah has forbidden. Whoever does any such thing, then let him conceal it with the concealment of Allaah.” (Narrated by al-Bayhaqi; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 663).

“Filth” means evil actions and bad speech that Allaah has forbidden. Subul al-Salaam, 3/31

And Allaah knows best

Her husband had intercourse with her and he did not know that she was menstruating

What does my husband have to do in repentance if he has intercourse with me and I discovered aftter we were finished that my period had come ?

Praise be to Allaah.

If a man has intercourse with his wife and does not know that she is menstruating, then there is no blame on him. It says in a hadeeth narrated from Abu Dharr al-Ghifaari that the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Allaah will forgive my ummah for their mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, al-Talaaq, 2033; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, 1662).

But the wife should tell him of her situation and let him know that she is bleeding in menstruation, because a man may not realize that and he may have intercourse with her whilst she is menstruating, which is haraam according to sharee’ah. In that case the sin is on her. Menstrual blood is something that is well known to women, and when it starts the woman is considered to be menstruating.

If what happened happened without either party knowing, then they are not sinners, because they did not know and they did not do it deliberately. And Allaah knows best.

Rulings on sins committed against other people before being guided

A person was ignorant, then Allaah blessed him with Islam. Before that, he used to commit some sins. He says, “I heard a hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honour or anything else, let him ask him for forgiveness today before there is no dinar and no dirham.’ What do you advise me to do?”

Allaah has enjoined repentance upon His slaves, as He says (interpretation of the meanings):

“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”

[al-Noor 24:31]

“O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance!”

[al-Tahreem 66:8]

“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”

[Ta-Ha 20:82]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who has never sinned.”

Whoever commits any sin must repent, regret what he has done, give it up, keep away from it and resolve not to go back to it. Allaah accepts the repentance of those who repent.

When a person sincerely repents by regretting what he has done and resolving not to repeat it, and he gives it up out of respect and fear of Allaah, then Allaah accepts his repentance and wipes out his past sins by His grace and kindness.

But if the sin involved wrongdoing against someone else, then the sinner has to do what he is obliged to do by repenting from what has happened, regretting it, giving it up and resolving not to do it again. He must also restore the rights of the one whom he wronged, or seek his forgiveness , such as saying, Please forgive me,” etc. Or he should give him his dues, because of the hadeeth quoted in the question, or other ahaadeeth and aayahs. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has done some wrong to his brother, let him seek his forgiveness today before there is no dinar or dirham, when if he has some righteous deeds (to his credit), some of his hasanaat (good deeds) will be taken in proportion to his wrongdoing, and if he has no hasanaat some of the sayi’aat (bad deeds) of the one whom he wronged will be taken and added to his burden.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh). So the believer should strive to put things right and restore his brother’s rights. So he should either give him his dues or ask him for his forgiveness. If it has to do with his honour then he has to ask for his forgiveness if he can. If he cannot, or he fears the consequences of telling him or that telling him about what he said will cause more trouble, then he should pray for forgiveness for him and make du’aa’ for him, and mention his good points that he knows of , to compensate for saying bad things, aiming to wash away something bad with something good. So he should speak of his good points that he knows of and spread good words about him to counteract the bad things which he said before, and he should pray for forgiveness for him and make du’aa’ for him. In this way the problem will be solved.