The Ruling on Benefitting from a Bank’s Debit & Credit Card Rewards’ Program

January 20, 2023 by Sajid Umar Leave a Comment

Question:

What is the Ruling on receiving rewards banks give to their depositors for using their debit and credit cards?

Answer:

باسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن والاه

Firstly, regarding the rewards in relation to debit cards; the relationship between a depositor and a bank, from an Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) standpoint, as per the view of the majority of contemporary Islamic Scholarship, is one of a lender (loaner) and borrower (loanee), with the depositor, in effect, being the lender, and the bank, in effect, being the borrower.

As a result, according to Islamic Law, when someone establishes a bank account and deposits money into it, they are actually lending the bank the money because the bank does not place the money in a safe-keeping box for the depositor, as should be the case in a safe-keeping transaction, but instead uses it for other purposes, with a promise to pay back the deposited amount to the depositor upon a set of agreed terms and conditions.

Islamic Ruling on Receiving Referral Fees offered by Businesses as part of their Referral’s Program?

January 19, 2023 by Sajid Umar 2 Comments

Question:
What is the ruling on receiving referral fees offered by businesses to their clients as part of their referral’s program?

Answer:

باسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن والاه

May Allah reward you for your question.

In terms of the program in question; then as long as there is no fee to be paid to be a part of the program, and the relationship between the business offering the referral reward fee and the customer acting as the referrer is not one of a lender and borrower from an Islamic Jurisprudence perspective (for example: NOT between a bank and its customers), the referral fee paid to the referrer will be deemed PERMISSIBLE, and the contractual arrangement between the two parties will be equivalent to the Ja’aalah contract discussed in the books of Islamic Jurisprudence, which is considered permissible by the vast majority of the Islamic Jurists (may Allah have mercy upon them).

Regarding the rewards given by the business to the referee for signing up for the referral program, this is also ACCEPTABLE and will be viewed as a gift from one party to the other from the perspective of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), provided that the two parties do not have a lender-borrower relationship as previously stated.

Registration Based Jumuah Prayer Guidance

January 2, 2021 by Sajid Umar 1 Comment

Before the Tier 4 Lockdowns in the United Kingdom I received many questions regarding Jumuah Salah sensitivities given the Covid-19 rules and short winter times.

In terms of the timings of the Salah, I’ve shared my advise on this privately to Imams who have written in, and it is for them to decide on the scope of ‘fiqhi’ precedence they wish to apply regarding this matter with their communities.

In terms of the extent of one’s effort to attend the Jumuah prayer, then for those who do not fear cathing Covid-19, or fear being a means of harming those who are considered vulnerable within the same household, I share the following seven points below for your consideration.

N.B. As for those who fear catching Covid-19, or fear becoming a means of harm falling upon those considered vulnerable in their households, the obligation of Jumuah would be lifted, with the Thuhr prayer taking its place. This was discussed in a dedicated video by myself earlier in 2020 when the first wave of mass lockdowns were implemented. See here.

As for the seven points related to this guidance, then these are as follows:

Trade Boycotts in Islamic Fiqh

November 1, 2020 by Sajid Umar Leave a Comment

Assalamualaikum Sh. Sajid. From an Islamic Transactions perspective, how would the calls towards boycotting products be viewed?

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

:باسم الله والحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد

From an Islamic perspective trade is seen as a means (waseelah) towards achieving different ends (maqaasid). We all trade as a means of aquiring a required benefit, as oppossed to just trading for the sake of it.

Based on this the Shariah applies the rules of the latter upon the former accordingly. Thus generally, if the outcome of the trade is a permissible one, the means towards that outcome will also be considered permissible. However if the outcome of the transaction is considered impermissible in islam, then the means that would eventually lead to that forbidden outcome will also be considered forbidden.

The concept of trade as we have covered together in previous posts, articles and courses was cited as being from the permissible matters (in Arabic: Mubaah), and the scholars of Jurisprudence methodology catagorise Mubaah practices as based on the outcomes they lead to into four catagories, as explained eloquently by ibn alQayyim (rh), as follows:

Differentiation factor between the Earlier & Later Methodology of Hadeeth Scholars

July 8, 2020 by Sajid Umar 3 Comments

A question was asked about the timeline separating the hadeeth methodology of the earlier and later scholars of hadeeth.

In reply to this question I shared the following:

:باسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد

May Allah reward you for this question.

A better manner of framing the methodologies of hadeeth scholars would be as follows:

1. The methodology of the scholars of Hadeeth with regards to the process of studying and determining the authority of Prophetic Narrations (Hadeeth) – (or the earlier methodology as per the text of the question).

2. The methodology of the Fuqahaa’ (Scholars of Fiqh) and the scholars of Usool (Jurisprudence methodology) with regards to the process of studying and determining the authority of (Hadeeth)- (or the later methodology as per the text of the question).

The reason for this being that a separation of the mentioned categories within the field of hadeeth study are actually based on differences in methodology as opposed to actual time frames.

In light of this; the first category would entail the methodology of the most senior scholars of Hadeeth such as: Shu’bah bin alHajjaaj, and his students, -Ibn Mahdi & Yahya bin Sa’eed alQattaan etc, and their students- Imam Ahmed, Ali bin alMadeeni & Yahya bin alMa’een etc, and their students- Imam alBukhari, Imam Muslim & Imam Abu Dawood etc, and their students- Imam atTirmithi, Imam anNasaai and others after them such as Imam adDaaraqutni, and those who follow their principles irrespective of the differences in time frames between them and those listed above.

A brief overview of their methodology in studying and grading hadeeth concludes them having similar theoretical policies, with the implementation of those policies yielding similar results, albeit with some differences in terms of conclusions not considered to be largely noticeable in number.

As for the second category; then they differ in terms of their grading methodology in comparison to that of the first category, and thus would entail scholars from the earlier centuries of Islam being part of this category, as based on their chosen methodology, despite their time-bound proximity to the scholars cited as part of the first category.

Perhaps the best example to further explain this would be in the form of the Hadeeth Methodology of the great Imam Muhammed Ibn Jareer atTabari (310 AH) as can be deduced from his book (Tahtheeb alAathaar). Even though he passed away decades before Imam adDaaraqutni (385 AH); scholars of the sciences of Hadeeth consider him, as based on his writings, to be part of the second category listed above and not the first.

It is for this reason why I suggested a different frame to your question, and I pray the above does shed some light on the topic.

As for the particular strategic differences between the scholars of the two listed categories; then discussing these is beyond the scope of this post, and perhaps I can write out a detailed summary in the near future addressing this InShaAllah.

And Allah knows best.

Riyadh, KSA

Dr. Sajid Umar

17/11/1441 – 08/07/2020

How to recycle documents with Quran & Ahadith on it

November 10, 2019 by Sajid Umar Leave a Comment

Salam alaykum shaykh Sajid.
Hope you are well. We have quite a lot paperwork that is not needed at our school which might have ahadith , verses of Quran etc .It’s not right to put in recycling bin is it? Can we shred them?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم،

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين…

Wa alaykumus Salam wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

May Allah bless you for writing in.

We have in our sources that which cites burning these sort of papers as acceptable, as per the practice of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) after his efforts to standardise the copies of the mushaf (Qur’an in book form).

Question

March 31, 2019 by Sajid Umar 1 Comment

Assalamualaikum Sheikh. I wanted some clarity on an ongoing debate unfolding especially on social media with regards to the messages of praise being showered upon the leadership in New Zealand in light of their handling of the Christchurch tragedy. Some are disputing this practice as incorrect based on past actions and statements of the same leadership.
…

باسم الله، والحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وصحبه ومن والاه…

Wa’alaykums Salaam, waRahmatullahi, waBarakaatuh –

May Allah bless you for writing in.

Islam, Alhamdulillah, is a religion of balance, with all guidance being firmly upon that which constitutes the ‘middle way’.

Allah Almighty says in His book (2: 143):
“Thus We have made a just nation (upon the middle way, with no extremes), that you be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger (Muhammad) be a witness over you”.

Imam alBaghawi, (may Allah shower His mercy upon him), narrated in his commentary of this verse, that al-Kalbi said: ‘Wasatan’ means the followers of the middle religion; one that represents a middle path between exaggeration and negligence, because both are blameworthy in the matter of religion” (Sourse: Tafseer alBaghawi (1/122).

An answer to your questions

February 6, 2019 by Sajid Umar Leave a Comment

Assalamualaikum everyone.

Many of you write in to me regarding intellectual issues related to Muslims living in the West and the the onslaught of attacks against Islam’s perspective on things, and the doubts caused on impressionable Muslims as a result.

I’ve just come across a dream opportunity with the answers you seek.

I have not looked at the details of the program yet; however it comes highly recommended from some of the best students of knowledge whom I trust.

Alasna Institute is a specialized training institute that educates Muslims on how to address doubts and how to gain real intellectual confidence and conviction in Islam.

Specifically, the Institute trains Muslims with exactly the information and skills they need to be empowered in their faith and dawah in the face of ideologies that attack Islam.

Here is your gateway:
https://www.alasna.org

Shaikh Sajid Umar

Is Zuhd about looking poor and ragged?

December 15, 2018 by Sajid Umar Leave a Comment

Question: Assalamualaikum. Is Zuhd about looking poor and ragged and out of touch with life?

Answer: Wa’alaykum as Salaam Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh

May Allah bless us all. Ameen.

Zuhd is not as has been described in the question.

Rather looking at the seerah and the sunnah, and looking at the lives of the sahaabah, may Allah be pleased with them, we understand Zuhd to refer to the following:

*Making use of your life and wealth in a manner that takes you closer to Allah, and a manner that is beneficial to your hereafter.*

*Leaving all that which takes you further away from Allah Almighty, and building your Jannah, even if that thing or act is permissible from an Islamic perspective.*

Smoking, an Islamic perspective

January 21, 2018 by Sajid Umar Leave a Comment

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR BELOVED BROTHER IN ISLAM, SAJID AHMED UMAR.

Praise be to Allah S.W.T, and peace and salutations be upon our beloved Prophet S.A.W,

I have been asked on various occasions regarding Islam’s position on smoking, a practice which is not foreign to many. In addition, we find in today’s day and age the phenomenon of smoking what is known as ‘Hukka’ or ‘Shisha’ becoming a widespread practice. As a result whilst seeking the assistance of Allah S.W.T, I write the following, and request your attention.

Islam, with all praises due to Allah (S.W.T), is a religion which is not just a way of life, but a complete way of life. It is a way of life governed by divine constitution.

As believers in one Allah (S.W.T), and the followers of the Final Prophet S.A.W; it is incumbent that we understand that the measuring stick in deciding what’s correct, and incorrect, is the commands of Allah S.W.T and teachings of his Beloved Prophet (S.A.W), and not our vein desires.

Before getting into the ‘gist’ of this letter, I bring your attention to the following words of our Creator:

‘It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error’.
(Al-Ahzab 36)

From amongst the many goals of the ‘Shariah’, is the protection of one’s mind, and one’s self.

Allah S.W.T says regarding these aspects in his Book:
‘Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad (peace be upon him)) whom they find written with them in the Taurât (Torah) (Deut, xviii, 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John xiv, 16), – he commands them for Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Taiyibât ((i.e. all good and lawful) as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh’s Covenant), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad (peace be upon him)) honor him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur’ân) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful. (Al-A’raaf:157)
And spend in the Cause of Allâh, and do not throw yourselves into destruction, and do good. Truly, Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn (the good-doers)’. (Al-baqarah: 195)

‘And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allâh is Most Merciful to you’. (An-Nisaa: 29)

The reality of smoking and its dangers is no secret to us all. Allow me to bring your attention to the following:

About 442,000 people in the United States die each year from illnesses caused by cigarette smoking, what’s the world death toll like?!
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