As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings!) Welcome to the e-mail list of the Islam Q&A website. 1. She used her neighbour's Internet and discovered her talent in writing; should she use this talent? use link http://islamqa.com/en/ref/126262 I used my neighbour's Internet (DSL network) without their knowledge, and whilst using it I did a psychological test on an Internet website, and I discovered that my talent is writing. Is it permissible for me to use this talent (writing) even though I acquired it in a way that is not permissible, as I believe, to earn money and write books, especially since I do not know who they (the neighbours) are? Is there any way out from this by giving charity on their behalf and so on? May Allaah reward you with good. Praise be to Allaah. We have previously spoken about the ruling on using someone else's Internet connection. Please see the answer to question number 99544 <http://islamqa.com/index.php?ln=eng&QR=99544> . If we assume that your using this Internet connection affected its speed and harmed your neighbour, then this is a sin that you must ask forgiveness for. But it does not mean that you cannot make use of talents in writing or benefit from them, whether it is said that you had this talent before or you acquired it by using the Internet -- which is unlikely -- but if you give something in charity on behalf of the people whose rights you transgressed against, that is something good in sha Allaah. We do not advise you to use that talent in writing that you have discovered in the Internet, because this is something that may not have good consequences, because there is a lot of nonsense on the Internet, the traps of the shaytaan are widespread in it and his tricks are hidden. Strive to write essays or books that will be of benefit to you and your brothers, focus more on calling people to Allaah, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and teaching useful books to your sisters and the people around you. Let your focus in writing be that which is of benefit and which brings you closer to Allaah, and you will be happy when you see it in the record of your good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. We ask Allaah to bless and guide us and you. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A 2. Intimacy with a woman who is menstruating. use link http://islamqa.com/en/ref/36864 I read somewhere that during the period of menstrual cycle, the part below the waist of a woman is haram to do intercourse with, while the part above the waist is halal and there is nothing wrong taking part in sex with husband with upper part only? Is this correct in the light of true ahadeeth? Praise be to Allaah. What you have read is not correct. The correct view is that the man may be intimate with his wife when she is menstruating in all ways apart from intercourse. The evidence for that has already been explained in the answer to question no. 36722 <http://islamqa.com/index.php?ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=36722&dgn=3&> . Many of the scholars were of the view that it is haraam for a man to be intimate with his wife during her menses with regard to the area between the navel and the knees, and they quoted evidence for that, but this view has some flaws, for example : 1 - The report narrated by Abu Dawood (213) from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal who said: "I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) what it is permissible for a man to do with his wife when she is menstruating. He said, 'Whatever is above the izaar (waist wrapper), but refraining from that is better.'" This hadeeth is da'eef, and was not proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Abu Dawood said: It is not strong. It was classed as da'eef by al-'Iraaqi as it says in 'Awn al-Ma'bood. And it was classed as da'eef by al-Albaani in Da'eef Abi Dawood, 36. 2 - Ahmad (87) narrated from 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "What can a man do with his wife when she is menstruating?" The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whatever is above the izaar." Ahmad Shaakir said in Tahqeeq al-Musnad (86): its isnaad is da'eef (weak) because there is a missing link in it. 3 - Abu Dawood (212) also narrated from Haraam ibn Hakeem that his paternal uncle asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "What is it permissible for me to do with my wife when she is menstruating?" He said, "Whatever is above the izaar." The scholars differed concerning this hadeeth. Ibn al-Qayyim narrated in Tahdheeb al-Sunan that some of the huffaaz regarded it as da'eef, and he concurred with that. It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 197. Even if the hadeeth is saheeh, it does not constitute evidence that this is not permissible to engage in intimacy between the navel and the knees, because it is possible to reconcile between this hadeeth and other ahaadeeth which state that such intimacy is possible in one of the following ways: 1- It means that this is mustahabb to avoid the site of menstruation, not that it is obligatory to do so. 2- It may be interpreted as applying to the one who is not able to control himself, because if he is allowed to be intimate with the area between the thighs, for example, he may not be able to control himself and may have intercourse in the vagina, so he would be doing something haraam, either because he is lacking in religious commitment, or because his desire is too strong. So the ahaadeeth which indicate that it is permissible apply to the one who can control himself and the ahaadeeth which indicate that it is not allowed apply to the one who fears that he may fall into haraam. >From al-Sharh al-Mumti' by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1/416-417 And Allah knows best We ask Allah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allah grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions! (Ameen) Answered By: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid With Kind Regards Mohammad Usman Jeddah-SAUDI ARABIA The sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad <http://muhammad.net/> (peace be upon him) 'Acquiring (religious) knowledge in company for an hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in prayer.' < Al-Tirmidhi;Narrated: Abdullah ibn Abbas (r) >
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