Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid (Arabic: محمد صالح المنجد) (born 14 June 1961 (30 Dhu al-Hijjah 1380 AH)[1]) is a Syrian-born Palestinian-Saudi Islamic scholar. He is the founder of the fatwa website IslamQA, a popular website for responses on the topic of Islam.[2][3]
In 1996, Al-Munajjid launched a question and answer Islamic website, IslamQA.info. The website states, "All questions and answers on this site have been prepared, approved, revised, edited, amended or annotated by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid, the supervisor of this site."[8] IslamQA.info was banned in Saudi Arabia for issuing independent fatwas. In Saudi Arabia the kingdom's Council of Senior Scholars has sole responsibility and authority for issuing fatwas[9][10] under a royal edict issued in August 2010 (while restrictions had been in place since 2005, they were seldom enforced); this move was described by Christopher Boucek [who?] as "the latest example of how the state is working to assert its primacy over the country's religious establishment."[11]
Al-Munajjid has asserted it is obligatory to destroy anything that may tempt or confuse the faithful, including buildings, people, animals, or inanimate objects.[14][15]
Al-Munajjid has stated that Muslim women are required to cover their entire body including the face (only showing eyes) and hands.[16] This ruling is obligatory. Women are required to stay within their city of residence, unless they are in the company of a mahram and are forbidden to ride in a taxi/car driven by a non-mahram male, as "it may lead to evil consequences".[17]. However, this does not mean a woman is forbidden from driving a car.
Slavery
Al-Munajjid has not denounced slavery, and, in a January 2016 fatwa, stated that a man was allowed to have intercourse with a slave that he owns whether he is married or not, and that his wife or wives have no right to object. A Muslim wife "has no right to object to her husband owning female slaves or to his having intercourse with them ... The scholars are unanimous in this assessment, and no one is permitted to view this act as forbidden, or to forbid it. Whoever does so, is a sinner, and is acting against the consensus of the scholars.” However, he did state that Islam does condemn ill treatment of slaves.[18][19][20]
Al-Munajjid has stated that slavery necessarily came about because of jihad against the kuffar (non-believers) and the need to determine what to do with those who have been taken prisoner and thus become property, noting that "In principle, slavery is not something that is desirable" as Islam encourages the freeing of slaves for the expiation of sins.[21] Slaves are to be treated in a "kind manner" including the provision of food and clothing.[22]
Homosexuality
Al-Munajjid stated that "The crime of homosexuality is one of the greatest crimes, the worst of sins and the most abhorrent of deeds, and Allah punished those who did it in a way that he did not punish other nations."[23][24] He has openly called for the death penalty for sodomy (those who practice male homosexual intercourse), with works distributed in his name saying that "those guilty of this crime are to be killed by the sword".[25]
Books
Al-Munajjid's books include:
Koonu ‘ala al-Khayr A‘waanan (Be Helpers in Doing Good)
Arba‘oona Naseehah li Islaah al-Buyoot (The Muslim Home: 40 Recommendations)
33 Sababan li’l-Khushoo‘ (33 Ways of Developing Khushoo‘ in Salaah)
Al-Asaaleeb an-Nabawiyyah fi ‘Ilaaj al-Akhtaa’ (The Prophet's Methods for Correcting People's Mistakes)
Saba‘oona Mas’alah fi’s-Siyaam (70 Matters related to Fasting)[26]
‘Ilaaj al-Humoom (Dealing with Worries and Stress)
Al-Manhiyaat ash-Shar‘iyyah (Disallowed Matters)
Muharramaat istahaana biha Katheer min an-Naas (Prohibitions that are Taken Too Lightly)
Madha taf‘alu fi’l-Haalaat at-Taaliyah (What you should do in the following situations)
^Richard Gauvain, Salafi Ritual Purity: In the Presence of God, p 355. ISBN9780710313560
^Gauvain, Richard (November 2012). Salafi Ritual Purity: In the Presence of God. Routledge. p. 335. ISBN978-0710313560. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020. ... participants generally refer to the established Saudi scholars. In this case, the most common source of reference was Muhammad Salih al-Munajid's well-known website: Islam Question and Answer which provides normative Saudi Arabian Salafi responses.
^"What are the differences between the Maturidi school of thought and Ahl as-Sunnah?". IslamQA fatwa 205836. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2015. The Maturidis, like other kalaami (philosophical) groups such as the Mu'tazilah and Ash'aris, discussed the necessity of knowing Allah, may He be exalted, on the basis of reason before studying the texts (of Qur'an and Sunnah); they regarded that as the foremost duty of any accountable person, and said that there was no excuse for not doing that. Rather they believe that a person would be punished for not doing it, even if that was before any Prophets or Messengers were sent. Thus they were in agreement with the view of the Mu'tazilah. This is a view that is evidently wrong, as it contradicts what is proven in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
^"Islam QA fatwa: 96323: The 'aqeedah of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and the praise of the imams for him and Ibn Hajar's attitude towards him". Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015. The view of the salaf is one of moderation, neither denying the divine attributes nor likening Allaah to His creation. They do not liken the attributes of Allaah to the attributes of His creation, as they do not liken His essence to the essence of His creation. They do not deny that which He ascribes to Himself or that His Messenger ascribes to Him, which leads to denying His beautiful names and sublime attributes, and to displacing words from (their) right places (cf. al-Nisa' 4:46) and turning away from (Fussilat 41:40) the names and signs of Allaah. Both those who deny Allaah's attributes and those who liken Him to His creation are guilty of both errors. Those who deny His attributes failed to understand the names and attributes of Allaah except in a manner that is befitting to created beings, so they denied these concepts and thus they have combined both errors; first of all they likened Him to His creation, then they denied His attributes as a result. That is likening the names and attributes to what may be understood from the names and attributes of His creation, then they denied the attributes that He deserves to have that are befitting to Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
^"Fatwa: Obligation to destroy idols". Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015. This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to remove things that may tempt or confuse the people, whether they are buildings, people, animals or inanimate objects ... They were unanimously agreed that whatever casts a shadow is not allowed and must be changed. Images that cast a shadow are three-dimensional images like these statues.
^"Do women have to wear niqaab?". IslamQA fatwa 21134. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2023. Therefore, if the woman's Niqab or burqa' does not show anything but the eyes, and the opening is only as big as the left eye, as was narrated from some of the salaf, then that is permissible, otherwise she should wear something which covers her face entirely.
