Ramadan Q & A #5
by: Ahmad Musa Jibril

Q1: In our masjid, there is a minbar somewhere in the middle of the first row, behind the imam. During regular prayers, we pray one row behind the minbar, this way the first row does not get disconnected. But during Jumua's and Taraweeh, we move all the way up to the minbar , in order to maximize the space. However, there is gap in the first row...maybe 4 feet wide because of the minbar . You have people lined up on the left side and on the right side of the minbar . So, is this wrong, and if it is, then what should we do about it? The whole purpose of moving up all the way up to the minbar is to make more space in order to accomodate more people.

A1: Jazakallahu khair for communicating with us and may Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) make your Ramadan and all your days blessed. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) protect you and your family from evil.

It is clearly (makrooh) to pray on the row where the minbar breaks the row when there is sufficient room in the masjid. From your description, praying on a row where the minmbar is, is like praying on a row with masjid pillars which were known to the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) and the sahabah, as they both (the minbar and masjid pillars) break the rows, the same for any construction or wood that would break the line. Therefore, what I mentioned on pillars applies to the minbar.

The sahabah avoided that. Annas (radia allahu anh) said that during the prophet’s (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) time they used to avoid praying between pillars. (At-Tirmithi 229, Nisaey 2/94, Abu Dawoud 673, Ahmad 3/131)

Mu3waieh bin Kurrah narrated that his father (radia allah anh) said, “We use to avoid praying in between masjid pillars during the time of the prophet Muhammad (sallah allahu alieh wasalam). (Narrated by Ibn Majah 1002, Ibn Khuziemah 1567, Ibn Hibban 2219.

Ibn Abbas used to say before he led his prayer, “Align your row and refrain from praying between the pillars.”

We also know that the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) prayed in between the ka3bah pillars when he went inside the ka3bah. (Saheeh AlBkuhary 2/580)

The scholars state that because the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) prayed in between the pillars, the avoidance of praying between the masjid pillars was for congregational prayers, and not when an individual is praying alone. This is because the masjid pillars or masjid minbar or other similar contruction breaks the row, whereas in an individual prayer this does not apply.

They also go on to say that praying between masjid pillars, as well as a minbar that breaks the row, only applies when there is no space in the masjid and that row(s) is/are not needed.

The Maliki fakeeh Ibn al Araby in his book “Ahkam al Qur’an” said, “There is no dispute among scholars that it is permissible to use the rows with pillars when there is need for them, and it is makrooh when there is no need for those rows for congregational prayers. As to individual prayer, it is not makrooh because the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) prayed inside the ka3bah between two pillars.

Almuhib Altabary was quoted in Fath AlBary as saying, “Scholars considered praying between masjid pillars makrooh (hated) and that is only when there is sufficient room in the masjid. The reason is either because the row gets broken by the pillars or because it was the area where the shoes were placed.”

AlQurtuby said the reason for avoidance of praying between pillars is because that is where the jinn pray.

The most authentic and popular opinion on why this is avoided is because it breaks the row.

The avoidance of praying between pillars only when there is sufficient room is also the fatwa of many contemporary scholars and among them is Sheikh Ibn Uthiemeen (rahimahu Allah)

Q2: Shiekh Ahmad Jibril, you mentioned in a previous question asked to you that it was permissible to raise the hands for Qunoot, do we wipe on our faces after the dua’ ? gazakum allahu khair.

A2: Jazak allahu khair for communicating with us and my Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) make your Ramadan and all your days blessed. May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) protect you and your family from evil.

AlBaihaky (rahimahu Allah) said, “Wiping a face after Qunoot dua’ is something I do not recall having proof from the Salaf. Outside of Qunoot dua’ there is a very weak hadith on wiping the face. However, in Salah it was something that did not have proof by anything authentic or even by Qiyaas. So, it is best to raise your hands without wiping the face.” (Sunan AlBaihaky 2/212)

AlNawawy (rahimahu allah) showed in detail how weak the hadith is on wiping the face after dua’. Then he said in his reply to that, “Albaihaky has a very popular letter to Abu Muhmamd Al Jouwainy forbidding many evils in it and amongst them is wiping the face after Qunoot.” (Almajmoo 3/480)

Ibn Taimieh (rahimahu allah) said, “Wiping the face has only one or two hadith which are weak and cannot be used as proof for this matter.” (Fatawa 22/519)

Q3: May a husband kiss his wife during Ramadan? And what is the sexual limit cast upon them?

A3: During the nights of Ramadan a husband and wife are free to do as they wish the same rights as they have on normal days outside of Ramadan. Allah said in the Qur’an, “Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and you are their garments. Allah knows what you used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while you are in retreat in the mosques. Those are limits (set by) Allah: approach not nigh thereto. Thus does Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint.” (2/187)

During the days of Ramadan one is permitted to kiss, touch, embrace his wife. Husbands and wives are free to do as they wish short of having full sexual intercourse.

Having full sexual intercourse is a sin that will void that day’s fasting and will cause the man the punishment of having to free a slave. If he cannot, he must fast 60 “consecutive” days. If he cannot, then he must feed 60 poor people. The woman must do the same unless she was forced into sexual intercourse.

A man may also not reach a point of orgasm even if it is short of sex by releasing his fluids in any way. Doing so, according to the vast majority of the scholars, voids his fasting during that day, yet he must continue to refrain from eating and drinking. He must also make up a fast for that day.

For those who kiss or engage in pre-sexual contact with their spouse yet cannot control himself from a full sexual intercourse, or cause himself to reach an orgasm releasing his fluids, the scholars state that it is even haram for him to kiss.

In Al-Muwata of Imam Malik, narrated by Ataa bin Yasar, “A man kissed his wife in Ramadan then felt remorse and regretted it. So, he sent his wife to ask the prophet

(sallah allahu alieh wasalam). UmSalamah, the wife of the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) told him, “The prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) does that with me, he kisses me while fasting.” The women told her husband who got angrier saying we are not like the prophet (sallah allahu aleih wasalam) things are permissible for him that are not permissible for us. So, he sent his wife again and the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) was there. He asked UmSalamah, “Didn’t you tell her that I do that?” UmSalamah replied, “Yes.” She went again to her husband who got even angrier saying that some matters are permissible to the prophet not permissible to us, the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) got upset and said, “Wallahi I’m the most fearful of you of Allah and I’m the most who knows his regulations.”

Aisha (radia allahu anha) in Saheeh Muslim said, “The prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) used to kiss and embrace me in Ramadan, yet he was the most one who can control himself.”

And, Allah knows best.

-Ahmad Musa Jibril