Is performing ghusl and taking proper care of one's personal appearance on Friday a duty upon both men and women? And what is the ruling on taking a bath a day or two before it? A- These rulings are applicable only to men, since it is they who attend the Friday prayer, and it is they who are required to prepare themselves before leaving for the prayer. As for women, this is not required of them. But every person is required to remove dirt for it is a praiseworthy act which no one should fail to do. As for performing ghusl for Friday prayer one or two days before, that is of no benefit, because the Hadiths which have been reported mention Friday specifically, whose duration is from the start of dawn of Friday till the time of Friday prayer. This is the time for taking bath which should be done. As for doing it a day or two before, there is no benefit in it and it does not count as the ghusl of the Friday prayer. And Allah knows best. Q- Does bleeding from the gum of the fasting person break his fast? A- Bleeding from a person's body does not affect his fast, but one should try to avoid swallowing it as much as possible. Similarly, if his nose bleeds and he tries to avoid swallowing it (the blood), there is nothing required of him in this regard and he is not required to make up for it. And Allah knows best. Q- Is it better for the debtor to be given Zakah in order to pay his debts or should the one giving the Zakah approach the creditor and pay the debt to him on the debtor's behalf? A- That depends; if this indebted man is conscientious about paying his debts and fulfilling his obligation, and he can be trusted to utilize what he is given to repay the debt, then we would give him the money. In this way, he may pay his debt because this is more discreet for him and less likely to embarrass him in front of the people who may be looking for him (to back pay his debts). But if the debtor is a man who is a spendthrift and would squander the money in buying unnecessary things with it while the money was given to him to pay his debt, in that case we should not give it to him. Instead, we should approach his creditor to ask him how much amount that person owed him. Then we should give him (the creditor) the money in payment of the debt or a part of it, according to what is easy. And Allah knows best. Q- Do acts of disobedience (i.e. sins) which a pilgrim commits diminish the reward of the Haj? A- Acts of disobedience in general diminish the reward of Haj, according to the statement of Allah, the Most High: “If any one undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Haj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it.” (Qur'an, 2:197) Indeed, some scholars say that acts of disobedience in Haj invalidate it because the pilgrim is forbidden to commit them in Haj. But the majority of scholars hold to the well-known rule that as long as the unlawful act is not specifically related to acts of worship, it does not invalidate the Haj. Acts of disobedience are not specifically confined to ihram, since such acts are unlawful in ihram and outside of ihram as well. This is the correct opinion that these acts of disobedience do not invalidate the Haj, but diminish its reward. 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
