Friendship and Rules of Conduct
When a friend becomes tired and stops at a place, one should stop with him; when he becomes thirsty, one should give him water; when he is sad, one should comfort his heart; when he is angry, one should manage him; when he sleeps, one should protect him and his property; when food is scarce, one should prefer him over oneself; when blessings and provisions appear, one should share them with him; one should not leave him alone in expenses; one should not keep the friend’s secret; one should not reveal the friend’s secret; one should behave kindly towards the friend; one should reject the slander and blame of those who slander and blame the friend; one should speak well of the friend in the presence of others; one should not criticize the friend in the presence of others; one should not complain about the friend to others; when he is afflicted and suffers, one should be patient and endure; when consulting with him, one should advise him; even if the friend is superior, one should ask about his name, homeland, and lineage; even if one has submitted to the friends, one should show that one has submitted by saying, ‘I am subject to you’; when dealing with those who have submitted to oneself, one should explain their faults towards oneself through advice, not by shouting, scolding, or speaking ill; this is part of the etiquette of friendship.
Fears Experienced During Travel and the Harm of Bells
Someone who is traveling should recite the following supplication at a place where he will descend or stay, sit, and sleep: «Eüzü billâhi ve bikelimétihi’t-tammati min şerri mâ haleka». Whenever he feels fear, he should recite this supplication and seek refuge with Allah the Almighty. He should not allow a bell to be on the animal he is riding. Because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: «Every bell has a devil in it». He also said: «Angels do not accompany friends who have bells with them».
The Sunnah of Using a Walking Stick (Asd)
It is a sunnah to carry a walking stick (asd) during travel and to make an effort not to go on a difficult path. Because Meymün bin Mihran reported that Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: «Using a walking stick is the sunnah of the prophets and the sign of a believer». Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said that there are six benefits in a walking stick (asd).
1 — Carrying a walking stick is the sunnah of the prophets.
2 — A walking stick is the adornment of the righteous and the pious.
3 — It is a weapon against dogs, snakes, and similar creatures.
4 — It helps the weak.
5 — It is firmness towards the stubborn.
6 — It is an excess of virtue. He enumerated all of them. When a walking stick is with a believer, the devil flees from him. Hypocrites and evildoers seek refuge from him. When he prays, the walking stick becomes his qibla. When he is tired, it supports him. There are many more benefits. Indeed, Allah the Almighty alludes to these in the story of Musa (peace be upon him).
It Is Not Permissible to Mark the Animals and Slaves
It is not permissible to mark the animals and slaves. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal found a decisive evidence for this based on the reports of Harb and Abu Talib. According to the narration from Abu Talib to Imam Ahmad, it is not permissible to brand or mark animals and slaves. Because in the noble hadith reported by Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade the marking of the animals of the people of the tribe of the she-camel. Enes bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade marking the face and also did not permit marking the ear. If it is necessary to mark animals for identification purposes when they mix with other animals, it is permissible to mark their legs or harnesses, but not their faces.
It Is Not Permissible to Make Ugly or Unclean Things in Mosques
It is makruh, forbidden, to do tailoring, shoemaking, shopping, and similar things in the mosque. It is also makruh to speak loudly in the mosque. (The makruh mentioned here does not mean the makruh in fiqh. It refers to all prohibitions (haram or makruh).) However, sounds that are making mention of Allah the Most High, such as reciting His names, are not makruh. It is also makruh to spit in the mosque. The expiation for this is to remove what was spat and to clean the place. It is makruh to decorate mosques with pictures, embroidery, and pleasant-smelling things. However, it is not makruh for the poor and those in i’tikaf to make the mosque their home and place of rest. Because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) allowed the people of Sekif and the envoys and servants of the tribe of Beni Abdi Kays to stay in the mosque. It is permissible to read bad, ugly, and poems and verses that keep Muslims away from disgrace and mockery in the mosque. The best thing is not to read poems and verses in the mosque. However, if those poems and verses give Muslims a sense of refinement, comfort their souls, encourage them to remember Allah and worship Him, increase their efforts, instill fear of Allah, and make them weep, then it is permissible to read them a lot. In this case, the best and most superior thing is to read the Qur’an al-karim. Because mosques and congregations were built for the purpose of remembering Allah the Most High and performing prayers. The most correct thing is that it is not permissible to do anything other than remembering Allah the Most High and performing prayers in the mosque. It is makruh to move the soil of the mosque to another place. However, removing and throwing out the garbage found in the mosque is a sunnah and very valuable. The reward is great. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Removing the garbage from the mosque and throwing it away is a mercy for the soul.”
The Behavior of a Person in a State of Janabah in the Mosque
There is no problem for a person in a state of janabah to pass through the mosque. A woman in menstruation cannot enter the mosque, because otherwise the purity of the mosque would not be guaranteed. In case of necessity, a person in janabah may enjoy himself in the mosque until he performs wudu and ghusl. The best thing is for a person in janabah to perform tayammum to purify himself from janabah. In a similar way, if a person in janabah cannot find water anywhere other than the well in the mosque, he should perform tayammum and then go to the well and perform ghusl there.
The Effect of Music and Poetry on the Mosque
Except for music, poems recited with naghmah are divided into two parts: one is permissible, the other is forbidden. The permissible one is the one that does not weaken the religion and the mind, and the forbidden one is the opposite of that. Even if they are used in games and entertainment, they are forbidden and haram. Poems consisting of bad and senseless words are forbidden and haram in two ways. It is very bad and forbidden to recite the Qur’an al-karim in the style of musicians. Because in this way, they usually do not follow the rules of tajwid and the rules of recitation. In places where elongation is required, they may shorten some letters or drop them. In places where shortening is required, they may elongate and thus distort the style of recitation. These things damage the respect and honor due to the Qur’an al-karim. The honor and respect due to the Qur’an al-karim is to fear Allah the Most High, to listen to His sermons and advice, to take lessons and warnings from His proofs and stories, to wake up from the sleep of forgetfulness, and to have a desire and encouragement towards the promises of Allah the Most High. These states can only be achieved by reciting it in accordance with its rules. Indeed, Allah the Most High says in the second verse of the Enfal surah: “Indeed, the hearts of the believers will tremble when Allah is mentioned, and their faith will be strengthened when the verses are recited to them, and they will rely upon their Lord.”
In the eighty-third verse of the Moidah surah, He says: “You will see that when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, hears the Qur’an al-karim, tears will flow from the eyes of those who believe because they know the truth.” The sounds of music and the recitations of musicians prevent the fruits and results of these honors and respect mentioned above from being achieved. Therefore, it has been forbidden.
It Is Not Permissible to Carry the Noble Mushaf During a Campaign
It is not permissible to go on a campaign with the Noble Mushaf by one’s side. The reason for not granting permission for this is that the people of war may take the Mushaf from him, look down upon it, mock it, and be disrespectful to it.
It Is Not Permissible to Listen to the Voices of Foreign Women
It is not permissible to listen to the voices of foreign women. For the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: «Tesbih is for men, and el öttürmek is for women». That is, when something happens while praying, or when someone passes in front of them during prayer, men should say «Sübhanâllah» to inform others that they are in prayer, and women should move their hands. Women, while praying, if they do not say «Sübhanâllah» but instead move their hands, it is because their voices are forbidden, so that others do not hear them. If even the «Sübhanâllah» that women recite during prayer is not permissible to hear, how can it be permissible to listen to songs and gazels sung by foreign women, which are filled with words that excite and stimulate human nature, lead it towards forbidden things, and incite desire and longing? If someone says, «I listen to the voices of foreign women in such a way that I will be saved in the presence of Allah the Most High», we would say to him, «You are a liar». Because the Sharia does not distinguish between listening in this manner or in any other way. If listening in this way were permissible, it would be permissible for the prophets as well. No, if listening in this way were an excuse, then we would have to permit someone to drink alcohol, claiming that it does not harm or make one drunk, just as we would have to permit someone to listen to a singing woman, claiming that it does not cause desire or longing. If someone says, «My habit is that whenever I drink alcohol, I avoid committing sins», drinking alcohol would not be permissible for him. Again, if someone says, «My nature is that whenever I see foreign women or young men, I sit with them alone, but I take a lesson from their beauty and wake up, and return to myself», it would not be permissible for him to say this. We would say to such a person, «It is obligatory not to utter such words. Taking a lesson from things other than forbidden things and waking up, returning to oneself is permissible.»
Rules Regarding Avoiding Forbidden Acts and Animals
This is the path and profession of those who intend to commit forbidden acts, claiming that they are moving forward on the right path. We do not greet such people. We do not look at their faces. We only say to them: «Allah the Most High commands in the thirtyrd verse of the Surah Nūr: «O beloved Prophet! Tell the believers to cover their eyes from forbidden things and protect their private parts, for this is beneficial for them»». If someone says, «Looking at foreign women and forbidden things reminds me of Allah the Most High», that person would be lying about the Quran and the noble verses. Crying over the dead, lamenting, and reciting elegies is considered makruh and bad. Crying without mentioning their virtues is permissible.
Animals That Can and Cannot Be Killed
If someone sees a snake in the place where they are staying, they should say it three times to move away from there. If it does not go away and remains in the middle, they should kill it. However, it is permissible to kill snakes seen in deserts and fields at that moment. Similarly, it is permissible to kill the «ebter» snake, which has a short tail and a black line on its back, or the ugly and harmful snake with two black spots between its eyes. There is no need to inform the snake. Informing the snake means turning to it and saying, «Go away safely, do not harm us». For it has been reported that when asked about the snake seen in the house, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: «I will inform you of the words that Nuh and Sulayman (peace be upon them) left for you. They said to you: If it does not go away and remains in the middle, kill it.»
In the noble hadith reported by Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him): «Kill all snakes. Whoever fears the revenge and hatred of snakes is not from me.»
In the noble hadith reported by Sâlim from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): «Kill snakes and the «zütafyeteyn» and «ebter» snakes, for they cause blindness and make the mother lose her child in the womb.» Sâlim (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he killed every snake he saw. One day, when Abu Lubâba saw Abdullah driving away a snake, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) informed Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he had prohibited killing snakes found in homes.
The basis of the prohibition of killing the snakes found in houses is reported from Ebi Sâib. Ebi Sdib says: One day I went to the side of Ebü Said-i Hudri (radıyallahü anh). While sitting next to him, I heard something moving from under the mat (divan) on which he was sitting. When I looked, it was a snake. I got up. The house owner, Ebü Said, said to me: «What is it? What happened?» I said: There is a snake here. Upon this, he showed me the house opposite his own and said: In that house, there was a son of my uncle. He was young, a young man, and had just married. Some time later, on the day of the trench battle, he got permission from his wife to go to war. When the Messenger of Allah (sallâllahü aleyhi ve sellem) gave him permission, he ordered him to return safely to his home. When he arrived home, he saw his wife standing outside the door. He pointed his sword and spear at her and said: I will kill you with one strike, what business do you have outside? Upon this, his wife said: «My lord, do not act hastily before seeing who compelled me to leave my home and who compelled me to leave.» Upon this, he immediately entered his house and saw a very terrifying large snake inside. He struck the snake with his spear. The snake, with the spear at its end, came out of the house in a distressed and writhing condition.