Question
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
I’ve heard that at night we shouldn’t leave any liquids open. According to the sunnah. Is this true? And also, I’ve heard if left open we should throw it away. Is this true or a hoax?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The covering of utensils and consumables is understood from the following Ahaadeeth:
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ غَطُّوا الإِنَاءَ وَأَوْكُوا السِّقَاءَ فَإِنَّ فِي السَّنَةِ لَيْلَةً يَنْزِلُ فِيهَا وَبَاءٌ لاَ يَمُرُّ بِإِنَاءٍ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ غِطَاءٌ أَوْ سِقَاءٍ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ وِكَاءٌ إِلاَّ نَزَلَ فِيهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْوَبَاءِ “
Translation: Jabir Bin Abdullah reported Nabi (ﷺ) as saying: Cover the vessels and tie the waterskin, for there is a night in a year when pestilence descends, and it does not pass an uncovered vessel or an untied waterskin but some of that pestilence descends into it.
(Saheeh Al-Muslim)
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: أَغْلِقُوا الأَبْوَابَ، وَأَوْكُوا السِّقَاءَ، وَأَكْفِئُوا الإِنَاءَ، وَخَمِّرُوا الإِنَاءَ، وَأَطْفِئُوا الْمِصْبَاحَ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَفْتَحُ غَلَقًا، وَلاَ يَحُلُّ وِكَاءً، وَلاَ يَكْشِفُ إِنَاءً، وَإِنَّ الْفُوَيْسِقَةَ تُضْرِمُ عَلَى النَّاسِ بَيْتَهُمْ
Translation: “Lock the doors, tie the water-skins, turn over the vessels, cover the vessels, and put out the lamps. Shaytan does not open a locked door, nor untie a water-skin, nor uncover a vessel. A mouse can cause a house to burn down with its inhabitants inside it.”
(Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
Commentators of Hadeeth explain various benefits of practicing on the above Ahadeeth: [1]
- Protection from Shaytaan.
- Protection from the pestilence which descends on one night of the year.
- Protection from filth and impurities.
- Protection from insects.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Muhammad I.V Patel
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
تحفة الأحوذي (5/ 433)
قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ ذَكَرَ الْعُلَمَاءُ لِلْأَمْرِ بِالتَّغْطِيَةِ فَوَائِدَ مِنْهَا الْفَائِدَتَانِ اللَّتَانِ وَرَدَتَا فِي هَذِهِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَهُمَا صِيَانَتُهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَا يَكْشِفُ غِطَاءً وَلَا يَحُلُّ سِقَاءً وَصِيَانَتُهُ مِنَ الْوَبَاءِ الَّذِي يَنْزِلُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مِنَ السَّنَةِ
وَالْفَائِدَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ صِيَانَتُهُ مِنَ النَّجَاسَةِ وَالْمُقَذِّرَاتِ
وَالرَّابِعَةُ صِيَانَتُهُ مِنَ الْحَشَرَاتِ وَالْهَوَامِّ فَرُبَّمَا وَقَعَ شَيْءٌ مِنْهَا فِيهِ فَشَرِبَهُ وَهُوَ غَافِلٌ أَوْ فِي اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَضَرَّرُ بِهِ انته