Chapter IV: Lawful and Unlawful
68 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II
(2) During the Caliphate of Hazrat Omar, the umsk of Bahrain gained as result of battle reached him. He wife began to measure it when Hazrat Omar said: I don't want that you should place your hands on it and say afterwards that something of it remained in your hands on account of touch. This is the property of the Muslims in general and you can't get more than what you are entitled to from the property of the general Muslims.
(3) Once musk was measured before Caliph Abdul Aziz. He kept his nose shut up lest its smell entered his nose. He said :
What benefit has it got except its scent ? This benefit only is sought from it.
(4) Once the Prophet's grandson Hasan put into his mouth one dried grape out of the grapes of Zakat. The Prophet said :
Throw it off, Throw it off.
(5) Once a man went to see his friend at night. Soon after his death, he put out the light and said : The right of inheritance has occurred in the oil.
(6) Hazrat Omar gave to his wife some musk for sale. She sold it to another seller. At the time of sale, she began to break one piece by her teeth for which something was attached to her fingers. Hazrat Omar smelt scent from her and said: You have taken the scent of the Muslim in general. This he did to become a truly God-fearing man though it is not unlawful.
(7) Imam Ahmad-b-Hambal said : To smell sent of a tyrant ruler destroys the piety of a man.
(8) When Hazrat Omar became Caliph, he had only one wife whom he loved very much. He, however, divorced her for fear the she might intercede to him for an unlawful thing and perchance he might accept her intercession. For this reason, things free from doubt were even given up for fear of falling into doubtful things. Being habituated to many lawful things, one is led to unlawful things, such as too much eating, excessive use of scent, etc. If too much food is eaten, sexual passion rises high and it leads to unlawful cohabitation. Similarly to look at the beautiful buildings and the pomp and grandeurs of the rich may tempt one to follow them.
(9) There is no benefit to white-wash the walls of a building.
Imam Ahmad held it as Makuh or a abominable. When the
Vol-II Halal and Haram 69
Prophet once was asked about painting in the mosque. He said:
There is no Arish like the Arish of Moses. Arish is a pearl-like antimony with which alhing is painted. The Prophet did not holditlawful.
(10) The ancient sages said : The life religion of a man whose cloth is thin is also thin.