Ads by Muslim Ad Network

Can a Man Suffering from Dermatitis Cover His Shoulder While in Ihram?

05 September, 2016
Q Dear scholars, as-salamu `alaykum. Can a man with a skin disease in his right shoulder wear the attire of Ihram without leaving his right shoulder bare? Jazakum Allah khayran!

Answer

Wa `alaykum As-SalamuwaRahmatullahiwaBarakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah, the Almighty, to help us serve His cause and render our work sincere for His Sake alone.

Uncovering one’s right shoulder in ihram is a practice known in Arabic as idtiba`. Idtiba` is a sunnah (recommendable), not obligatory. Imam Malik holds the view that it is not even a sunnah. Therefore, Muslim jurists agree that whoever abandons idtiba` does not have to make any expiation. If this is the ruling for not observing idtiba` by a healthy pilgrim, it applies a fortiori to a personhas an excuse that prevents him from uncovering his shoulder. Let us now shed more light on the issue.

Ads by Muslim Ad Network

Abu Dawud reported through a sound chain of transmitters that Ibn `Abbas said, “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions made `Umarh from Al-Ji`ranah. They jogged while circumambulating the Ka`bah, putting their Ihram clothing under their right armpits with the end of the top part over their left shoulders.”

Al-Bayhaqi reported through a sound chain of transmitters that Ibn `Abbas said, “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions made idtiba` [while circumambulating the Ka`bah], jogged in three rounds, and walked in the remaining four rounds.”

These hadiths and incidents indicate the permissibility of making idtiba`. Idtiba` means to put the clothing of Ihram under the right armpit and throw the end of the top part of the attire over the left shoulders, thus, leaving the right shoulder uncovered.

The majority of Muslim scholars agree that the practice of idtiba` is commendable, whereas Imam Malik views that both idtiba` and ramal were observed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions in order to exhibit their strength and endurance to the polytheists andthat reason no longer exists.

However, the argument of Imam Malik could be refuted by the statement of `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, as quoted by Imam Nawawi, “There may be no significance in jogging (ramal) and uncovering the shoulder (idtiba`) now since Islam has become firmly established and polytheism no longer prevails.However, we do not like to abandon anything we used to observe with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him.”

In all cases, it is well known that idtiba` is specifically for men. In other words, women are not allowed to make idtiba`, for this means uncovering her `awrah (parts of the body that have to be covered in front of others.

The Hanifite author of Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar says, “Women are exactly like men as far as the rituals of Hajj are concerned, unless there is a specific injunction for either men or women. A woman should uncover her face but not her head. She is permitted, or rather recommended, to cover her face with something that does not touch the face. Women also should not make talbiyah in a loud voice. A woman’s voice should be low enough tolet herself alone hear it, so as not to cause temptation to male pilgrims. However, saying that the woman’s voice is `awrah does not have authentic evidence to substantiate it. Moreover, women should not make ramal or idtiba`, nor make haste between the two marks [while making Sa`i], whereas men should haste during Sa`i. A woman is not also required to shave her hair; rather she should clip part of it. A female pilgrim can wear sewn clothes, shoes and jewelry, but she should not go near the Black Stone if it is overcrowded in order to avoid getting physically close to men.”

Thus, jurists agree that when a pilgrim abandons idtiba`, there is no blame on him, nor does he have to expiate for it.

Imam An-Nawawi said, “If a pilgrim abandons idtiba`, ramal, touching the [Black] Stone, kissing it or making du`a’ during Tawaf, then his Tawaf is still valid and he neither incurs a sin nor should he slaughter an animal. He has simply missed out performing a virtuous act. Ash-Shafi`i and other scholars maintain that it is improper to neglect such acts, but it is not a sin”.

Allah Almighty knows best.