#albaanee

Q: “Does it occur in the Sunnah to eat with three fingers in general with respect to all food or just with thareed (a dish of meat and bread)?”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“There isn’t anything in the Prophet’s ﷺ Sunnah that would help us answer this question. There isn’t anything except that the Prophet ﷺ used to eat with three fingers; but what we should say about the meaning of this hadeeth is:

This hadeeth definitely does not mean that it is impermissible for a Muslim to eat with other means like spoons that are well-known today. Rather it only means that if a Muslim eats a type of food that can be eaten with three fingers, then he does not show that he is greedy with the food such that he eats with the whole hand when he is able to eat like Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ would eat: with three fingers. This is the first point. Secondly, it is known that meat gravy for example cannot be eaten with three fingers so here one must use other means to eat it. This is from the worldly affairs; it is not from the affairs of the religion, all the rulings of which Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ was charged to convey to the people. Regarding the worldly affairs, he ﷺ said: ‘You are more knowledgeable about your worldly affairs than me.’”[1]

[1] Saheeh al-Jaami` 1488

Abu Hurairah said that: “When the Prophet ﷺ used to see someone off, he would say:

أَسْتَوْدِعُ اللهَ دِينَكَ وَأَمَانَتَكَ وَخَوَاتِيمَ عَمَلِكَ (I leave your religion, your trusts, and the last of your deeds in Allaah’s protection).”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“A number of benefits can be derived from this authentic narration. First: the lawfulness of seeing someone off with its statement:

أَسْتَوْدِعُ اللهَ دِينَكَ وَأَمَانَتَكَ وَخَوَاتِيمَ عَمَلِكَ

The traveler then responds to him by saying:

أَسْتَوْدِعُكُمُ اللهَ الَّذِي لا تَضِيعُ وَدَائِعُهُ (I entrust you to Allaah whose trusts are never lost).[1]

Second: taking hold of one hand when shaking hands (al-musaafahah), which has been mentioned in many narrations. This is what its linguistic derivation indicates, as Lisaan al-`Arab states that: ‘Al-musaafahah is taking hold of the hand, the same as at-tasaafuh. A man shakes hands with another man if he places the safh of his hand in the safh of the other’s hand, safh meaning the front (palm). An example of this is the narration about al-musaafahah upon meeting, which is an interaction of joining one palm to another and turning face-to-face.’ I say: some of the afore-mentioned narrations report this meaning as well, like the marfoo` narration of Hudhaifah: ‘Indeed, if a believer meets another believer then greets him with the salaam and takes hold of his hand and shakes hands with him, their sins fall off as leaves of trees do.’[2] Al-Mundhiri (3/270) said: ‘At-Tabaraani reported it in al-Awsat, and I don’t know of anyone who was refuted among its narrators.’ I say: it has supporting narrations that raise it to the level of saheeh, such as the narration of Anas mentioned by ad-Dhiyaa al-Maqdisi in al-Mukhtaarah (240/2-1) which al-Mundhiri attributed to Ahmad and others. All these narrations show that the way of the Prophet in shaking hands is to take hold of one hand; hence handshaking with both hands which some of the shaikhs do is against the Sunnah, so let this be known.

Third: shaking hands is legislated at the time of parting as well, which is supported by the general meaning of his ﷺ statement: ‘Shaking hands is part of perfecting the greeting of salaam.’ This is a jayyid narration considering its chains of narration, and perhaps we will dedicate a special chapter to it if Allaah تعالى wills. Then I traced these chains of narration and it became clear to me that they are extremely weak, which cannot be used as supporting evidence to strengthen the narration. Hence, I reported it in as-Silsilah adh-Dha`eefah 1288. The basis for using it as evidence, rather supporting evidence, only becomes clear if one remembers the lawfulness of giving the salaam when parting as well due to his ﷺ statement: ‘If one of you enters a gathering then let him give the salaam, and if he goes to leave then let him give the salaam, as the former is not more deserving than the latter.’[3] Abu Daawood, at-Tirmidhi and others reported it with a hasan chain of narration. So what some people say –that shaking hands at the time of parting is an innovation– is baseless. Yes, whoever looks at the narrations about shaking hands upon meeting will find them to be more numerous and stronger than those about shaking hands when parting. A naturally intelligent person will conclude that the lawfulness of the second handshaking is not like the first one in rank. The first one is sunnah and the second one is mustahabb. As for the second one being an innovation, then no, due to the evidence that we mentioned. On the other hand, shaking hands immediately after the prayers is an innovation no doubt, unless it is between two people who had not met before that, in which case it would be sunnah as you learned.”

[1] Saheeh al-Kalim at-Tayyib 168 [2] As-Silsilah as-Saheehah 526 [3] Saheeh Abu Daawood 5208, Saheeh at-Tirmidhi 2706

Q: “Is it allowed to eat while standing?”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“There is no legislative text to prohibit eating while standing like the text that prohibits drinking while standing. But there is a narration from Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه that when he told those around him in a gathering that the Prophet ﷺ prohibited drinking while standing, someone said to him: ‘What about eating (while standing)?’ and he replied: ‘It is worse.’

I say here, we should follow this Companion because we don’t have anything with which we can contradict him. But what is the distinction between eating while standing and eating while walking? Eating while walking is allowed, because there is legislative text clearly stating that they used to eat while walking during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. As for eating while standing, there is no such text regarding it from the Prophet ﷺ, neither negative nor positive. All we have is this authentic narration from Anas bin Maalik and this is what we act upon.

Moreover, maybe some of you noticed in these times that it has become a fashion for disbelievers to eat while standing although chairs are available; but they don’t sit on them out of pride. In that case, the previous ruling is further strengthened. So we are with the narration of Anas because Anas knew what we don’t know, and because disbelievers nowadays and Muslims who imitate them eat while standing, hence we differ from them.”

Imaam at-Tahaawiyy said:

“The `Arsh (Throne) and the Kursi (Footstool) are real.”

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“Allaah تعالى said about the Kursi: {His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth}.[1] The Kursi is that which is in front of the `Arsh; and it has been authentically reported that Ibn `Abbaas said: ‘The Kursi is the place for the two Feet, and no one can tell how vast the `Arsh is except Allaah تعالى,’ as narrated in my book Mukhtasar Al-`Uluw lith-Thahabi no. 36.[2]

There isn’t any authentic report ascribable to the Prophet ﷺ regarding the Kursi besides his ﷺ statement: ‘The seven heavens in comparison to the Kursi are just like a ring thrown in a desert, and the greatness of the `Arsh over the Kursi is like the greatness of that desert over that ring.’ This is something which also invalidates interpreting the Kursi as ‘knowledge,’ and this interpretation is not an authentic report from Ibn `Abbaas as I clarified in As-Saheehah no. 109.”

[1] Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 [2] Abu Musa al-Ash`ari also said: “The Kursi is the place for the two Feet, and it creaks like a camel saddle does under heavy load” –Mukhtasar Al-`Uluw lith-Thahabi no. 85

The Prophet ﷺ said: “‘None of you will enter Paradise for his deeds.’ They asked: ‘Not even you O Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ?’ He replied: ‘Not even me, unless Allaah covers me with His Favor and Mercy.’”[1]

Shaikh al-Albaani:

“Know that this narration may be problematic to some people and they may presume that it contradicts Allaah’s تعالى statement: {This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit forwhat you used to do}[2] and similar verses and narrations which point out that entering Paradise happens for one’s deeds. This has been addressed in several ways, the most correct answer being that: the preposition “for” in the narration means “for the price of,” and the “for” in the verse means “because of.” In other words, righteous deeds are a necessary means to entering Paradise, however they don’t amount to the price for entering Paradise and its everlasting bliss and ranks.”

[1] Saheeh Muslim 2816 [2] Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:72