Hajr (abandonment and shunning: its rules for a believer, a sinner, an innovator and a wife)

هَجْر

Hajr in the lexical sense is the opposite of joining; technically it is leaving what must be attended to, and a person's separation from another in body, speech or heart. ¹ ² Abandoning what God has forbidden is commanded, on the saying 'the emigrant is one who abandons what God has forbidden'. ³ It is forbidden for a Muslim to shun his Muslim brother for more than three nights; most jurists allow shunning for three nights, and some count shunning beyond that among the major sins except toward one who has left the brotherhood of Islam. ⁴ ⁵ Whether shunning ends by written messages to an absent person, or by greeting, the jurists differ. ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ The better of the two who shun is the one who greets first. ⁹ Shunning a non-Muslim is allowed, and a husband may shun a rebellious wife in bed until she obeys. ⁹ ¹⁰ Shunning openly sinful or innovating people as correction is recognised, and the jurists give several rulings on it and three on the one who sins in secret. ¹⁰ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³ ¹⁴

Summary

Hajr in the lexical sense is the opposite of joining; technically it is leaving what must be attended to, and one person's separation from another in body, speech or heart. ¹ ²

Abandoning what is forbidden

One is commanded to abandon what God has forbidden, on the saying 'the emigrant is one who abandons what God has forbidden'. ³

Shunning a Muslim brother

It is forbidden to shun a Muslim brother beyond three nights; most jurists allow shunning for three nights, and some count shunning beyond that among the major sins. ⁴ ⁵ The better of two who shun each other is the one who greets first. ⁸ ⁹

Letters and greetings

The schools differ on whether shunning ends by written messages to an absent person, and on whether it ends by greeting. ⁶ ⁷ ⁸

A non-Muslim and a rebellious wife

Shunning a non-Muslim is allowed, and a husband may shun a rebellious wife in bed until she obeys. ⁹ ¹⁰

Openly and secretly sinful people

Shunning the openly sinful or innovating is recognised as correction; the jurists give several rulings on it, and three on the one who sins in secret. ¹⁰ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³ ¹⁴

Sources

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16814

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16815

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16816

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16817

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16818

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16820

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16821

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16822

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16823

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16824

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16825

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16826

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16827

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.16828

Hajr (abandonment and shunning: its rules for a believer, a sinner, an innovator and a wife)

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