I noticed that when someone passed by one of my friends and greeted him, my friend not only refrained from replying but also gave a rather haughty look. When I asked him why he did that, he told me that the other person was arrogant and that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Arrogance to someone who is arrogant is charity.” Is this Hadeeth authentic? And is what my friend did correct? A – When one shows arrogance to one of the servants of Allah, he is perpetrating one of the major sins, and no one is permitted to be arrogant toward another, even if another person is himself arrogant. One cannot cure another person's arrogance by doing the same to him; rather, one may help him by advising him sincerely and warning him about Allah's punishment, by saying, for example, “Fear Allah, for verily arrogance is one of the major sins.” The Hadith mentioned by the questioner is false — it has no basis and is not authentically related from the Prophet (peace be upon him). – Sheikh Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 7, no. 169. Reciting the Qur'an Q- I know a man who used to be a student of the Qur'an; however, he hasn't read it for a year; what is the ruling regarding this? A – This is not how it should be. Those who know him and especially those who have knowledge should advise him and explain to him the virtues of reciting and contemplating the Qur'an, and perhaps as a result, he may change and begin to recite and study it once again. And guidence lies with Allah. – Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts; Fatawa, no. 7175 Allah's Shade for men and women Q- The Hadith regarding the seven to whom Allah gives shade to, on the day when there will be no shade except His — is it specific to men, or will women receive the reward mentioned if they do exactly the same deeds? A – The reward mentioned in this Hadith is not specific to men, but rather, it includes both men and women. The Hadith applies to a young girl, for instance, who grows up worshipping Allah Almighty. Similarly, it applies to women who love one another for the sake of Allah, or to a woman who, when she is seduced by a handsome man of good position, says, “Indeed, I fear Allah.” It also applies to a woman who gives charity from good and honestly earned wealth, yet her left hand doesn't know what her right hand has spent, and to the woman who remembers Allah when she is alone. As for the quality of being a just Imam (ruler), or congregational prayer in the Masjid, these two are specific to men, for the prayer of a woman in her home is better for her, a fact that is related in authentic narrations from Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). – Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 7, pg. 185 __
