When It Is Permissible for a Muslim to Practice Hajr Toward Another Muslim for More Than Three Days

الأحوال التي يجوز هجر المسلم فيها فوق ثلاث

When It Is Permissible for a Muslim to Practice Hajr Toward Another Muslim for More Than Three Days

Translated by: Reza Ervani bin Asmanu

This article, “When It Is Permissible for a Muslim to Practice Hajr Toward Another Muslim for More Than Three Days,” is included in the Islamic Questions and Answers Category

السؤال

Question:

متي يجوز للمسلم أن يهجر أخاه المسلم فوق ثلاثة أيام ؟

When is a Muslim permitted to practice hajr toward another Muslim for more than three days?

الإجابــة

Answer:

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وصحبه، أما بعد:‏

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions. To proceed:

فالأصل أنه يحرم هجران المسلم فوق ثلاث إلا لوجه شرعي، لحديث رسول الله صلى الله ‏عليه وسلم”

The basic ruling is that it is prohibited for a Muslim to practice hajr toward another Muslim for more than three days, unless there is a legitimate Islamic reason. This is based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

لا يحل لمسلم أن يهجر أخاه فوق ثلاث ليالٍ، يلتقيان فيعرض هذا، ويعرض ‏هذا وخيرهما الذي يبدأ بالسلام”‏. رواه البخاري.

“It is not permissible for a Muslim to practice hajr toward his brother for more than three nights. They meet, and this one turns away and the other turns away. The better of the two is the one who initiates the greeting of salam.” (Narrated by Imam al-Bukhari)

‏ وقد اعتبر السلف وجمهور الأئمة الابتداع في العقائد من الأسباب المشروعة للهجر، ‏وأوجبوا هجران أهل الأهواء من المبتدعة، الذين يجاهرون ببدعهم أو يدعون إليها.‏

The Salaf and the majority of the imams regarded innovation in matters of belief as one of the legitimate reasons for hajr. They held that people of deviant inclinations among the innovators who openly manifest their innovations or call others to them should be boycotted.

‏ وقال الحافظ أبو عمر ابن عبد البر : أجمعوا على أنه يجوز الهجر فوق ثلاث، لمن كانت ‏مكالمته تجلب نقصاً على المخاطب في دينه، أو مضرة تحصل عليه في نفسه، أو دنياه. فرب ‏هجر جميل خير من مخالطة مؤذية .‏

Al-Hafiz Abu ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: “They agreed that it is permissible to practice hajr for more than three days toward a person whose companionship or conversation would bring harm to one’s religion, oneself, or one’s worldly affairs. A gracious separation may sometimes be better than harmful companionship.”

‏ ومن أسباب الهجر الشرعي فوق ثلاث هجران أصحاب المعاصي المجاهرين بها، كما هجر ‏النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم المتخلفين عن غزوة تبوك من غير عذر، كما في قصة كعب بن ‏مالك، وصاحبيه رضي الله عنهم.‏

Among the legitimate reasons for practicing hajr for more than three days is boycotting those who openly commit sins. The Prophet ﷺ practiced hajr toward those who stayed behind from the Expedition of Tabuk without a valid excuse, as in the story of Ka’b ibn Malik and his two companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

‏ ويجوز الهجر فوق ثلاث للزوجه الناشز إلا أن هجرها لا يكون إلا في المضجع، وليس في ‏كل الأحول، كما قال تعالى

It is also permissible to practice hajr toward a nashiz wife for more than three days. However, her hajr is to be carried out in the marital bed and not in every circumstance, as Allah Most High says:

( واهجروهن في المضاجع ) [ النساء :٣٤] بعد العظة ‏والنصيحة

“And leave them in their beds.” (Surah an-Nisa’, verse 34), after admonition and advice have first been given.

‏ وبالجملة فإن الهجر علاج، ولا يصار إليه إلا إذا تحقق أو غلب على الظن أن ‏هجر المهجور أنفع – في الجملة – من وصله، فإن كان العكس لم يشرع الهجر، لأن ‏الحكم يدور مع علته وجوداً ‏وعدماً.‏

In general, hajr is a form of corrective treatment. It should only be used when it is known, or strongly expected, that practicing hajr toward the person concerned will be more beneficial overall than maintaining normal relations with him. If the opposite is true, then hajr is not prescribed, because a ruling exists or ceases to exist according to the presence or absence of its effective cause.

على أنه يشرع للمسلم إذا هجر أخاه لسبب مشروع أن يرد السلام ولو بصوت منخفض إذا رأى أن المصلحة في الإسرار برد السلام.

Nevertheless, when a Muslim practices hajr toward another Muslim for a legitimate reason, it remains prescribed for him to return the greeting of salam, even in a low voice if he believes there is benefit in responding discreetly.

‏ والله أعلم ‏

And Allah knows best.

Source: IslamWeb