Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother:

I ve 2 qs

1. is it lawful to say as salam alekum to na-mehram?

2. it is a widespread belief that cutting down of fruit-bearing trees brings bad luck to the house where it is growing. In this reference, we have a coconut tree in our back yard which has now dried up and we dont know if it will ever bear fruit again. Is it alright to chop it specially when there r chances it might damage the boundary wall if it falls on it?

Thanks

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Answer:

Good Back luck and salaam greetings to Non mehram

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: is it lawful to say as salam alekum to na-mehram?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 86:

86 When a (courteous) greeting is offered you meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.27 Narrated by Abdullah bin Amr

A person asked Allah's Messenger (saws) "What (sort of) deeds in or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" He (saws) replied, "To feed (the poor), and greet those whom you know and those whom you don't know."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 849 Narrated by Abu Yusuf Abdullah ibn Salam

Abdullah heard the Prophet (saws) say: ‘O people! Spread the Salaams (greetings), feed (the poor and needy), behave kindly to your blood relations, offer prayer when others are asleep, and (thus) enter Paradise in peace.

In light of the above guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws), the scholars in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that it is a preferred Sunnah to initiate the ‘Salaams’ or greetings regardless of whether one knows the other or not or regardless of whether one is mehram or non-mehram, and it is considered obligatory for a believer to reply when he/she receives a ‘Salaam’ or greeting from his believing brother or sister in faith.

One cannot use this command and guidance of spreading the salaams as a license to mix, meet, and initiate a causal or vain talk with non-mehram members of the opposite sex. But when greeting and making ‘salaams’ (supplications of peace and mercy) especially to non-mehram members of the opposite sex, one must fear Allah their Lord and do so within the boundaries of guidance by lowering their gaze and in a straight-forward business-like and honorable manner.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Noor verses 30-31:

30 (O Prophet (saws):) Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

31 And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty….

Your Question: it is a widespread belief that cutting down of fruit-bearing trees brings bad luck to the house where it is growing.

A wide-spread belief which supposedly brings good or bad luck in the ‘unseen’, especially when such a belief is not endorsed by Allah Subhanah or His Messenger (saws) is no more than a falsehood and a superstition invented by the ignorant….and such baseless, self-invented theories and superstitions have absolutely no basis in reality, guidance and Truth as endorsed by Al-Islam.

No house, no property, no car, no land, no tree, no fruit, no flower, NO-NOTHING IN CREATION has the power in itself to bring about some good or bad luck on anyone in the unseen! It is Allah Subhanah Alone Who has the Sole Right, Power, and Strength to bring about good or try them with evil in the ‘unseen’! These self-invented theories that certain things when done bring good luck and certain things bring back-luck are nothing more than superstitions, and superstitions have absolutely no place in the religion of Truth called Al-Islam.

Whatever good and whatever evil effects a person, they are from Allah Subhanah. No one has any power to bring good or evil upon anyone, unless Allah Subhanah Wills it. Therefore, the believers must put their full trust in Allah Subhanah Alone.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verses160:

If Allah helps you, none can overcome you! And if Allah forsakes you, who is there, then, after Allah that can help you? Therefore, the true believers should trust in Allah Alone.

But no house, or property, or land, or tree, or any thing else in creation have the power to bring about good or evil by themselves in the ‘unseen’! A believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, must absolutely abstain from such baseless and self-invented beliefs and superstitions, and put his sole trust and faith in the Power and Decree of Allah Subhanah Alone.

Your Qeustion: Is it alright to chop it specially when there r chances it might damage the boundary wall if it falls on it?

There is absolutely no prohibition in Islam if for a genuine need or fear one cuts off a tree, regardless of whether it is fruit-bearing or not. In the case related by you, since there is a genuine fear that the tree might fall and hurt ones life or property, there is absolutely no harm if the tree is removed.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan