Abu Hanifa Azerbaijani

"I miss these days so much..." For years I have been trying to learn and study something on the path of knowledge. Until now, I have sat in the presence of many teachers and scholars, however briefly, and listened to their lessons. But up until this age, my eyes had never seen a personality like Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi (may Allah preserve him!). This man seems as if he does not belong to this century. For some time now, Allah has granted me the opportunity to learn knowledge one-on-one at his knee. Allah the Almighty has bestowed such a great blessing upon a poor and sinful servant like me, and no matter how much praise and gratitude I offer, it is still not enough. Our lessons take place at his own home. I am ready at his door at the appointed hour, and the moment the exact time is up, the door opens — he is extremely mindful of time. Then I enter the room where we study. Either he himself or his son greets me standing at the threshold of the room. When each lesson ends, despite being ill and elderly, he personally sees me off to the door himself and says: "You have traveled such a distance for the sake of knowledge, so it is my duty to show you respect as well." He shows immense respect toward books. He never allows one book to be placed on top of another, nor a pen to be placed on top of a book. He also does not accept using one book as a prop for another. He says: "We must show the same respect to the works of scholars as we show to the scholars themselves." One never tires of sitting in his presence, but sadly, the time spent with him flows away like water. He is a whole madrasa in one man. He is capable of teaching any level of any Islamic science without referring to any book. He knows dozens of books by heart along with their commentaries. One even gets the impression that he has engraved Imam Ibn Abidin's famous "Hashiya" word for word into his memory. The conditions he sets before his students are quite demanding — perhaps a day will come when my patience won't be enough for these conditions. But knowing and meeting such a scholar was one of the greatest favors bestowed upon me in this world. Unfortunately, this world does not sufficiently appreciate the worth of such a treasure...

During the lesson, I asked Sheikh Nidal: suppose an Islamic state is established and you're asked to prepare its legal framework — how long would it take you to draft these laws? He replied, "I'd write it in six months." When I asked, "Could you write a sample portion for us?" the Sheikh immediately shot back: "Are you the Leader of the Believers (Amir al-Mu'minin)?" I couldn't hold back my laughter hearing that — I nearly fell off my chair. May Allah the Almighty protect him; he has a sharp wit and an amazing quick-wittedness.

Lessons on "Hashiyat al-Tahtawi" with my Syrian teacher Anas as-Sibai (may Allah protect him) are continuing.

Question (541): I am a chemistry teacher. Can I tutor students at home to prepare them for university? Does the fact that the student I prepare will study in an environment not in accordance with Sharia affect my earnings? Answer (541): Yes, there is no problem in teaching and preparing students at home, on the condition that the limits of mahram and non-mahram interaction are observed during the teaching process. The environment the student later chooses to enter and the choices they make afterward are beyond your responsibility, so the income you earn for your effort is halal. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (540): Is it permissible for the buyer to pay compensation to the seller for the loss resulting from the buyer's withdrawal from (breaking) his promise to purchase? Answer (540): No such obligation falls upon him. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (539): The one following the imam is Hanafi, while the imam is Shafi'i. The imam performed two sujūd al-sahw according to the Shafi'i school and then gave the salam, which is contrary to the Hanafi ruling. Is it necessary for the one following the imam to follow the imam in the sujūd al-sahw? Answer (539): Yes, it is obligatory (wajib) for the Hanafi to follow the Shafi'i imam, because this is a matter of ijtihad. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (538): After returning from the congregational prayer at the mosque, is it permissible to pray together with one's wife in order for her to also gain the sawāb of congregational prayer? Answer (538): The congregational prayer is not to be repeated. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (537): A man divorced his wife twice, saying "You are divorced" the first time and "You are divorced" the second time. The third time, the wife asked him to divorce her, and the man, without saying "You are divorced," simply said "Divorced." Does this expression constitute the third talaq? And what is the legal consequence of this? Answer (537): Yes, the third talaq occurs, and the woman is completely separated from him by bayn kubra (major separation). She does not become halal for him again unless she marries another man. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Only a believer consistently guards his wudu." وَلَا يُحَافِظُ عَلَى الْوُضُوءِ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ The hadith is authentic (sahih). The لَا...إِلَّا structure in the sentence expresses exclusivity (hasr) in Arabic. This structure emphasizes that maintaining wudu consistently and paying special attention to it (always striving to stay in a state of wudu) is a trait belonging only to a perfect believer.

In Jordan, the adhān to prayer is given every morning before Fajr. Before this adhān, the Quran is also recited aloud in mosques. These sounds can be heard in almost every neighborhood. However, people or officials don't complain that "we can't sleep early in the morning" or "the children wake up."

To perfect your faith, read the Quran abundantly. Alongside this, study the life paths of righteous people and spend every moment of yours in remembrance (dhikr). Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Imam Tahtawi says: "Therefore, when food is presented to a guest, he has no right to ask 'Where did you get this from?'" Many make this mistake when visiting a Muslim's home. Let's be careful about this.

Our channel will continue its activity under this name. It will feature both valuable fatwas from Sheikh Nidal, as well as diverse and beneficial scholarly content. Don't forget to share our channel with your loved ones to support this good cause.

Question (541): If we know that a certain person took an interest-bearing loan to start a business, is it permissible to buy from him or trade with him? Answer (541): It is not permissible to trade with someone whose wealth is mostly haram. So how can one trade with someone whose entire wealth is haram? Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (540): What is the hukm if, due to circumstances, I send my son to a private school and my daughter to a public school? Or vice versa? Answer (540): Being just between them (giving them equal rights) is from the Sunnah. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (539): What should be done with the ash from burning paper containing the names of Allah or verses? Is it kufr to throw this ash into the trash? Answer (539): Throw it into a clean water stream. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (538): What is the hukm of wearing this hat (shown in the image) and using an umbrella for a person in ihram? Answer (538): If the umbrella does not touch the head, then its use is permissible. However, wearing a hat for someone who is in ihram is impermissible, as covering the head in ihram is forbidden. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (537): What is the ruling if a woman greets non-mahram men? For example, can she say salam when entering a grocery store? If a non-mahram man greets her, must she reply to the salam? Answer (537): A woman does not greet men, nor does she reply to their greeting. Likewise, men do not greet young women, nor do they reply to their salam audibly. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (536): What is the hukm of placing cones or barriers in front of houses or commercial premises to prevent people from stopping there? Answer (536): No one has the right to do so, as the road is considered a common right for everyone regarding passage and usage. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi

Question (535): For a woman during prayer, is it more preferable to braid her hair or to leave it loose? Answer (535): Braiding the hair is a virtue of free women. Allama Sheikh Nidal al-Hanafi