Mubah

Lit. “Permissible.” It is synonymous with “jaa’iz.” One of five classifications for an action in fiqh or Islamic Law. A mubah action is one which neither in itself brings a person closer to Allah and will be rewarded in the akhira if one performs it; nor will it be sinful if one fails to perform it. For example, drinking tea, sitting on a chair, and so forth. However, in Islamic spirituality, any mubah action can be converted into a mustahab one if one does it with the intention of getting closer to Allah, and if one remembers Allah while performing it. Furthermore, any mubah action can be converted into a haraam one if one does it with the intention of showing off, or it otherwise takes one away from Allah.

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