An individual enquired that some people are very particular and insistent about certain matters which are not explicitly specified in Shariah, e.g. whether to wear a watch on the left or right hand, whether the shirt should be sewn such that when buttoning it the right half is on top or the left half, etc. and some people specify some things to extra detail where it seems Shariah has given a wider scope of action, e.g. some people say that the Sunnah of qailoolah (siesta) will only be fulfilled if one lies down in a particular sleeping pose from a specific time to a specific time.

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammed Taqi Usmani ( Allah preserve & protect him)replied:

! لا تحجروا واسعاً. (Don’t limit something which is vast) .

If Shariah has not specified something then one should do it according to one’s convenience. Someone asked Imam Abu Hanifah (May Allah’s mercy be upon him) “When I go to take a bath in a river, should I enter the river from the East, West, North or South?” Imam Sahab replied: “Enter from where you hang your clothes.”

Sayyidi jokingly continued: “Just take care that nobody steals your clothes, otherwise you’ll be in trouble.

Intekhab e Kaiseri, Ramadan 1440, DarulUloom Karachi office , post zohar majlis