Has any evidence been reported about a person changing his place in order to perform the prayer after the obligatory prayer? A- Yes, it has been reported in the Hadith of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered us not to connect one prayer to another without speaking or going out.” The scholars have understood from this that it is desirable to separate the obligatory prayer from the optional one (Sunnah) by moving from the place in which the former was offered. Q- A person bought some land intending to use it for his dwelling, and after three years passed, he changed his intention to use it for trade. Is there any Zakah due on the past years? A- There is no Zakah due on it because in the years that passed, he only intended to build his house for his residence on that. But from the time when he made the intention to trade and profit from it, the hawl (passage of one year) comes into effect. If the hawl is completed after that, he must pay Zakah. Q- Is it permissible to touch the cloth covering of the Ka'bah? A- Seeking blessings from the cloth covering of the Ka'bah and touching it are innovations because such a thing has not been reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and when Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) made tawaf around the Kab'ah and began to touch the corners of the House, Ibn Abbs (may Allah be pleased with him) censured him. Mu'awiaah (may Allah be pleased with him), answered saying, “No part of the House is untouchable” But Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah, you have a good example, and I have seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) touching the two Yemeni Corners.” That is the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner and this is an evidence that when touching the Ka'bah and its corners, we should restrict ourselves to what has been reported in the Sunnah, because there is a good example in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). As for clinging to the part of the wall, which is between the Black Stone and the door, it has been reported from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that they did so, holding on to it and supplicating. And Allah knows best. Q- What is the Shariah ruling on shaving or shortening the hair in the Umrah? And which is better? A- Shaving or shortening the hair in Umrah is obligatory because the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Makkah for his Farewell Pilgrimage and he had performed Tawaf and Sa'ee, he ordered all those who had not brought a sacrificial animal to shorten their hair, then to come out of their state of ihram. Since he ordered them to shorten their hair, and the basic principle regarding orders is that they are obligatory, it proves that the hair must be shortened. It is also proven by the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded them to shave their heads when they were prevented on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah from performing Umrah, and he (peace be upon him) even became angry when they were reluctant to do so. As for whether it is better to shorten the hair or shave one's head in Umrah, it is better to shave – except for the mutamatti' (the one performing Hajj and Umrah) who come late, for it is better in his case to cut short the hair, so that it is possible for him to shave the head for the Hajj. And Allah knows best. – Excerpted from Islamic Verdicts on the Pillars of Islam by Sheikh Muhammad Bin Salih Al-‘Uthaimeen, complied and arranged by Fahd Bin Nasir Ibrahim As
