Fatwa ID: 01778

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Doing something without having knowledge of it

 Answer:

Allah in the Holy Quran has said:

‘O those who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire, the fuel of which is human beings and stones….’    (Surah Tahrim v.6)

There are many ways we can save ourselves from the Fire of Hell but the best way of saving ourselves and family from the eternal punishment of Hell is through acquiring knowledge as ultimately knowledge of the oneness of Allah coupled with good actions will save a person from the Fire of Hell and grant entry into paradise.

You mentioned in the question that you did not know that it was compulsory to gargle and to put water in the mouth during a ritual bath. The ruling to the aforementioned scenario from an Islamic point of view will be that your previous ghusl will not be valid; hence, any subsequent salah will not be accepted. It will be necessary for you to do qadha of the salah. You should estimate how many farz and witr prayers you may have prayed in this particular state. After calculating the number of prayers you missed, you should try and offer them as soon as possible. There is no fixed or specific time for offering the missed prayers, whenever you have time make wudu and offer the prayer. (Raddul Muhtar p.518 v.2 & Bahishti Zewar p.123)

You will be sinful for your action, however, it will be less than a person who had the knowledge and did not act upon knowledge.

There is a solution to make sure such events and misunderstandings do not occur again in the future. These misunderstandings can be prevented by seeking knowledge. The greatest gift a person can have after Iman is knowledge.  There are many virtues regarding the importance and benefit of seeking knowledge.

Below I have extracted some ahadith from Riyadh Saliheen on this topic.

Mu`awiyah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet  said, "Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

 Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah's Guidance with which I have been sent.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Sahl bin Sa`d reported: The Prophet said to `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him), "By Allah, if a single person is guided by Allah through you, it will be better for you than a whole lot of red camels.''

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As reported: The Prophet said, "Convey from me even an Ayah of the Qur'an; relate traditions from Banu Israel, and there is no restriction on that; but he who deliberately forges a lie against me let him have his abode in the Hell.''
[Al-Bukhari].

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.''
[Muslim].

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah  said, "He who calls others to follow the Right Guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect on that account.''
[Muslim].

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous decendant who prays for him (for the deceased).''
[Muslim].

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "The world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for the remembrance of Allah that which pleases Allah; and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

Anas  reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "He who goes forth in search of knowledge is considered as struggling in the Cause of Allah until he returns.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "A believer never satisfies doing good until he reaches Jannah.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah  said, "The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds).'' He went on to say, "Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, and even the ant in its hole and the fish (in water) supplicate in favour of those who teach people knowledge.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

Abud-Darda  reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.''
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Ibn Mas`ud reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah  saying, "May Allah freshen the affairs of a person who hears something from us and communicates it to others exactly as he has heard it (i.e., both the meaning and the words). Many a recepient of knowledge understands it better than the one who has heard it.''
[At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah  said, "He who is asked about knowledge (of religion) and conceals it, will be bridled with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection.''
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Hurairah  reported: The Messenger of Allah  said, "He who does not acquire knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allah but for worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of Resurrection.''
[Abu Dawud].

Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars stays alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham