What reason is there for a scholar to hesitate to give a legal ruling? A – A scholar may hesitate to give a legal ruling – if he is qualified to do so and has knowledge – because the evidences that he has seem contradictory, or it could be that he feels that the questioner is not serious, as some questioners are not searching for the truth, they only want to play around, or to know the opinion of this scholar, and a second scholar, and a third scholar, etc. In such cases, the scholar may hesitate or may refuse to answer the questioner. If the scholar feels that he is playing around in order to see what the people (i.e. the scholars) say, or he wants to compare some of the sayings of the people (i.e. the scholars) with others – and this is worse, for he goes around saying: “ The scholar so-and-so said such and such and the scholar so-and-so said such and such.” These are some reasons why a scholar may hesitate in delivering a ruling. – Sheikh Bin Uthaymeen; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 1, p. 372, Darussalam Names of Surahs Q- Who named the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an – was it the Messenger (peace be upon him) or if not, then who? A – We do not know of a text from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that indicates names of all Surahs. However the names of some Surahs – such as Al-Baqarah and Aal-Imran – does occur in some of the authentic Ahadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him). As for the rest of the Surahs, from what is most apparent, it was the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who named them. – Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts Hanging pictures on walls Q- What is the ruling concerning hanging a picture on the wall? A – It is not allowed to hang a picture or keep a picture of any being that possesses a soul. It is obligatory to destroy such pictures. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not leave any image, but (instead) efface it.” (Sahih Muslim) It is confirmed in the Hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited having pictures in houses.” (Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad) Therefore, all pictures meant for remembrance should be torn to pieces or burnt. However, pictures that are needed out of necessity, such as for official identification purposes and so forth, may be kept. – Sheikh Bin Baz; Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women, p. 41
