Rulings for Islamic Sisters

(1) Ruling on women visiting the blessed hair of the beloved Prophet ﷺ

Question: What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following: In our village, there is a house where the Beloved Prophet's صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم blessed hair is kept. They arrange its general visitation every month on a Monday. Separate timings are set for men and women. During the women's timing, only women visit, and women are also assigned to manage their orderly passage. However, a respected elder from our village forbids women from visiting the Beloved Prophet's صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم blessed hair. He states that only men can visit the Merciful Prophet's صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم blessed hair, and it is not permissible for women to do so. Please provide us with guidance: Is what he says correct?

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

It is permissible and a source of blessing and mercy for women to visit the Holy Prophet's صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم blessed hair, while observing its etiquette. The female Companions رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُنَّ kept the blessed hair with them and held it dearer than their own lives, considering it the best asset for this world and the Hereafter. Sayyidatunā Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا would regularly collect the Noble Prophet's صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم blessed hair that settled on the ground from his blessed bed and preserve it in a vial. From these beautiful habits of the noble female Companions رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُنَّ, it is understood that women can also keep the blessed hair with them and visit it. There is no impediment or objection to this according to the Shariah. Therefore, in the given scenario, it is permissible and a source of blessing for women to visit. Those who forbid this, their prohibition is not correct from the perspective of the Shariah. If they declare it impermissible, they should repent of it. To issue such a religious ruling due to one's ignorance is a sin; repentance is obligatory upon such a person, and it is also necessary, as far as possible, to convey the correct information and rectify the error to those who were given the incorrect ruling.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

(2) What if a vow is not fulfilled?

Question: What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following: A female student made a vow that if she passed her matriculation exams, she would observe three fasts. However, she failed. Is it now obligatory for her to fulfil this vow?

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

When a vow is conditioned upon something, the principle is that when the condition is met, fulfilling the vow becomes obligatory. However, if the condition is not met, then fulfilling the vow is not obligatory.

Therefore, in the situation described, fulfilling the vow—observing three fasts—is not obligatory because the vow was conditioned upon passing the exam. Since the condition was not met, i.e., she did not pass the exam, it is now no longer obligatory to fulfil this vow.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم