News:
The past few weeks have seen some issues concerning misuse of power and money by the government being raised in the Malaysian media. One of the issues concerned a ruckus in the Parliament last week about the wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who attended the Qatar International Business Women's conference at the St. Regis Hotel in Doha using an executive jet. The Parliament was told earlier this month that the use of executive jets by the government cost RM15 million for fuel and RM160 million for maintenance, with a single flight costing around RM 470,000. Answering the questions in the Parliament, the Minister in the Prime Minister's office, Datuk Shahidan Kassim explained that the departure of Rosmah to Qatar with an executive jet is with the approval of the cabinet and in the national interest. The MP of Pengerang, Azalina, on the other hand told the Parliament that Rosmah was invited to Doha on her personal capacity although she confirmed that the use of the jet was approved by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and members of the cabinet.
Comment:
The issue of the use of state property for personal gain by the leaders of a country is not a new issue and is not a strange thing in today's system of government. It happens everywhere and at all levels. It is rampant from the humblest of servants up to top officials and leaders.
In Islam, the statuses of those who work with the state are as ajir (employees). The state is the musta'jir (employer), represented by the head of state or other leaders (as trustee / governor) authorized by the state. The rights and obligations of both parties are arranged by the ijarah contract agreed. The salary to be paid by the employer is based on the job the employee has carried out in a certain period and with certain conditions that have been agreed in advance by both the employer and employee. On this basis, any income outside the salary or considerations obtained outside of what has been agreed upon by both parties is considered as unlawful earnings. Therefore, anyone who misappropriates the state's wealth for personal use is sinful and deserves to be punished in this world and in the Hereafter, more so if the misappropriation is perpetrated by the leaders of states.
Power to rule is a trust given by Allah (swt). If this trust, which is to rule by Allah's law is clearly ignored by the leaders of today's Muslim countries, what more issues concerning the misappropriation of wealth of the state! What transpires in this case where the wife of the Prime Minister was allowed to use the executive jet which is reserved for official governmental matters, when it was made distinct that the invitation to the conference is on a personal capacity, is a clear misappropriation of state wealth on the part of the leader. Misappropriation of wealth as a form of betrayal of trust under the current capitalist system will continue to haunt us as long as Islam is cast aside. Leaders who rule by Islam are leaders who are cognizant that power is a trust that Allah has put on them and they have to fulfil this trust with full devotion.
The Prophet said: «يا أبا ذر إنك ضعيف وإنها أمانة وإنها يوم القيامة خزي وندامة إلا من أخذها بحقها وأدى اليه فيها» "O Abu Dhar, you are weak and this (leadership and power) is a trust. On the day of Resurrection it will turn into shame and remorse, except for those who take the truth and fulfill that which is entrusted to them." [Muslim]
And said: «إذا وسد الأمر إلى غير أهله فانتظر الساعة» "If this matter (the trust of leadership and power) is given to one who is not capable of it, then wait for the moment's destruction." [Bukhari]
The Prophet (saw) reminds the Muslims in general and to the rulers specifically, that power is no more than a heavy burden that must be borne by them. If this burden is not fulfilled, then destruction is imminent. If we are indifferent towards our leaders who forsake the trust of authority that Allah has placed upon their shoulders, by not implementing Islam fully, then indeed, consciously or not, we are following their footsteps, walking into the fire of Hell! Nauzubillahi min dzalik!
Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Dr. Muhammad / Malaysia
As reported by The Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald (18/11) that the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has become a target of surveillance carried out by the Australian Intelligence Agency - DSD. Not only President Yudhoyono was tapped but also his wife, Ani Yudhoyono,
Hizb ut Tahrir / Indonesia organized a series of actions to condemn acts of spying carried out by Australia in Indonesia, most notably the demonstration organized by the party in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, where the Indonesian regime demanded the closing of the Australian embassy and the severance of diplomatic relations with it in response to the Australian regime's acts of spying in Indonesia.
Friday, 19 Muharram 1434 AH corresponding to November 22, 2013 CE
For Picture Slideshow: Click Here
.jpg)
Question
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu
Yesterday as the people were dispersing after Friday prayer, and as you know how the people gather around the doors of the mosque, someone called out: "Send salutations upon the Prophet" to which another person responded: "Remain silent, this is an innovation (bid'ah)."
The question is: Is this an innovation or not? Wa Jazakum Allahu Khayran
Answer
Wa Alaikum Assalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu
They man's call upon the people to send salutations upon the Prophet (saw) at the door of the Masjid is not an innovation, because an innovation is a violation of a Shar'i matter, the means of which have been determined by the Shari'ah. The innovation, linguistically as noted in Lisaan al-Arab is "المبتدع الّذي يأتي أمراً على شبهٍ لم يكن...، وأبدعت الشّيء: اخترعته لا على مثالٍ", "The innovator comes with a matter in a form until then inexistent..., having ‘invented' a matter: Making it up with no example for it." Its conceptual meaning is the same. If for example the Prophet (saw) did something in a particular method and a Muslim deviates from this method, then this is an innovation. An innovation is thus a deviation from the method prescribed by the Shari'ah to carry out a Shar'i matter. And this is the deduced meaning of the Hadith:
«وَمَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ» "Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected." [Bukhari and Muslim]
For example, if one were to perform three Sujuud in his prayers as opposed to two, since he has innovated a matter and deviated from the method of the Prophet (saw). If one were to throw eight stones instead of seven stones in Mina then he would have committed innovation because it has opposed what the action of the Prophet (saw). And if, for example, one were to add or remove words from the Adhan, then he or she would also have fallen into innovation as the Prophet (saw) approved of the specific wording of the Adhan.
However, the ruling on deviating from a matter of the Shari'ah in which a distinct method was not ordained falls into one of the legal ordinances, meaning: It is either Haram, Makruh, etc. if it is a matter of the regulatory ordinance (Hukm Wad'i) depending on the applicable indication to the matter, then it comes under the categories of Baatil, Fasiq, etc.
For example, it was reported by Muslim from Aisha (ra) in description of the Prophet's prayer (saw) that she said: ... وَكَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ لَمْ يَسْجُدْ، حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ قَائِمًا، وَكَانَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السَّجْدَةِ، لَمْ يَسْجُدْ حَتَّى يَسْتَوِيَ جَالِسًا... "He (saw) upon raising is head from Ruku' would not make Sujud until he was standing upright and when he raised his head from Sujud he would not make Sujud until he was sitting upright."
Accordingly, in this narration the Prophet (saw) shows us that the Muslim should upon raising his head, not make Sujud until he is standing upright, and if he rose from his Sujud, he should not return to a state of Sujud until he is sitting upright. This is the method ordained by the Prophet (saw) and if anyone were to deviate from this prescribed method, then he or she has fallen into innovation. So, if a Muslim in prayer were to go immediately from Ruku' to Sujud without standing upright between the two, then he will have fallen into an innovation since it is opposition to the way the Prophet (saw) demonstrated to us. This is a wrongful innovation and the one committing it has fallen into grave sin.
However, it was reported by Muslim upon the narration of 'Ubaydah Bin Samit that:إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَنْهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الذَّهَبِ بِالذَّهَبِ، وَالْفِضَّةِ بِالْفِضَّةِ، وَالْبُرِّ بِالْبُرِّ، وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالشَّعِيرِ، وَالتَّمْرِ بِالتَّمْرِ، وَالْمِلْحِ بِالْمِلْحِ، إِلَّا سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ، عَيْنًا بِعَيْنٍ، فَمَنْ زَادَ، أَوِ ازْدَادَ، فَقَدْ أَرْبَى "I heard the Prophet (saw): He forbid the selling of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates and salt for salt unless the same for the same, eye to eye, for whoever added or had something added, has indulged in Riba." If the Muslim violated this Hadeeth and sold gold with gold with increase (interest), and not the weight with weight, then it is not to be said that he has committed innovation, rather it is said that he has committed haram i.e. interest (riba).
In conclusion: The deviation from the method prescribed by the Prophet (saw) is an innovation. And the deviation from an absolute command of the Prophet (saw) without the prescription of a method falls into one of the following legal ordinances (Ahkaam Shar'iyah): Haram and Makruh, Fasiq and Baatil...This is determined according to the evidences.
In relation to your question, the Prophet (saw) did not prescribe a method for the speech of those leaving the mosque after Friday prayer. And thus the Muslim who sent salutations upon the Prophet upon leaving the Masjid has not fallen into innovation. Rather his action falls into the spectrum of legal ordinances (Halal, Haram, Makruh, etc) and accordingly, the act is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it. As a matter of fact, he is rewarded according to his intention, inshaAllah.
Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
Link to the question from the Ameer's Facebook page
