Q: I have read a few copies of your magazine. I have a few problems which leave me perplexed. My mother’s relatives organize a ceremony once in a year called Aasar-e-Shareef. They display a hair of Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him. I don’t know the authenticity of this ceremony. Those who support this ceremony do not object to anything that is un-Islamic. Please let me know whether it is Bid’ah or lawful. A: We do not know what they do during the ceremonial display. Is it only the display of the hair, or, they follow some other practices? If it is mere display, there is no harm, so long as a specific day and time are not fixed for it. That is, the hair is available for display to anyone, any time. As regards accompanying ceremonies, such as, just from our imagination, people are asked to make an ablution before presenting themselves, or they change their clothes for the occasion, or the Qur’an is read out before or after, etc. – all such practices would be termed Bid`ah. It is another thing that the authenticity of the “hair” is extremely doubtful. Every tenth house seems to have one. When you ask them for its origin, they are unable to explain. Some have stuck them on wax enclosed in a glass bulb, and claim that the hair grows, which of course is fictitious. As you have remarked, people who have faith in these kinds of things, and indulge in such ceremonies, normally have no repulsion for un-Islamic practices. Islam is the name of faith and practice. Neither interests them. It is only ceremonies that are close to pagan spirit and practices that interest them. If you have power over the household, stop it. You will incur no sin, even if the hair happens to be authentic and even if the accompanying practices are not innovatory; because, it is fertile ground for the birth of innovations. Young Muslim Digest, Letters to the Editor, Jan-2002
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:10:22 +0000
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