Is it Permissible To Allow a Hindu To Pick Marigold Flowers To Be Used For Temple Devotion?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

An Indian woman from our neighborhood knocked on our door and asked my wife if she could pick some marigold flowers and take them from our front garden.

My wife said she could take them. And just as the woman left, she said she’ll take them when she needs them, and she wants them for her temple. My wife said, “ok”. And the woman left. If I see the woman taking flowers, shall I stop her and tell her I can’t allow it because it’s for her Hindu temple?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Yes, if you are certain she will use it for her temple devotions, you should politely ask her not to take any flowers as you would like them to have a complete cycle and enjoy their full bloom. Maybe give her a pot of marigold flowers as a gift instead as an alternative to keep good relations with the neighbor.

This returns to the discussion relating to assisting in sin. In the Hanafi school, the degrees of assisting another in sin are:

Direct assistance in sin
Indirect assistance in sin
A possible cause for a sin

It is impermissible (haram) to do something that directly assists in sin, slightly disliked (makruh tanzihan) to do that which indirectly assists in sin, and better to avoid something that may be a possible cause for sin. [Nahlawi, Durar al-Mubaha]

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.

Check this link:
Assistance in sin Archives – SeekersGuidance

Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org), like from the Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org) or Youth Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org), building your way up doing each course?

I pray this helps answer your question.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.