Sign of Splitting of Moon as Eclipse

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

In one of my previous entries regarding the sign of the splitting of the moon (Sura 54:1-2), I cited the narration of Abdullah b. Mas’ud^RA which seems to suggest that the splitting of the moon was some kind of eclipse. Here I shall quote another narration from Ibn Abbas^RA which is more explicit in pointing out that the sign of the splitting of the moon was actually an eclipse:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : كُسِفَ الْقَمَرُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالُوا : سُحِرَ الْقَمَرُ فَنَزَلَتْ اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ مُسْتَمِرٌّ

Ibn Abbas narrated: The moon was eclipsed in the time of Allah’s Apostle upon whom be peace, but they said: “The moon has been bewitched”, so (the Ayah) was revealed: The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split. And if they see a Sign they turn away and say “passing magic” (Mu’jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani #11642)

Bleeding Nullifies Wudu

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

Concerning the controversy of whether bleeding nullifies Wudu, the position of the Hanafi school appears to me to be the correct one, and Allah knows best. Likewise, I concur with the ruling of the Hanafi school regarding the impurity of flowing blood. The fact that bleeding nullifies Wudu can be understood from the Hadith of Fatima bint Abi Hubaish^RA, who was suffering from persistent bleeding. The Prophet ﷺ instructed her to:

ثُمَّ تَوَضَّئِي لِكُلِّ صَلاَةٍ

“Perform Wudu for every Salat” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Imam al-Bukhari placed this Hadith in his Kitab al-Wudu in the chapter with the general heading Bab Ghaslid-Dam.

There is also a weak narration:

الْوُضُوءُ مِنْ كُلِّ دَمٍ سَائِلٍ

“Wudu is from every flowing of blood” (Sunan ad-Daraqutuni)

Ibn Adi has narrated the same Hadith but with a different chain of transmission to the companion Zaid b. Thabit^RA in his al-Kamil fi’l-Duafa.

Imam al-Tirmidhi, in his Kitab at-Tahara, under the chapter heading Bab Ma Jaa Fil-Wudu min al-Qa’i war-Ru’af (“Wudu from vomit and nosebleeds”) brings the authentic Hadith:

أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَاءَ ، فَأَفْطَرَ ، فَتَوَضَّأ

“Allah’s Apostle vomited, so he broke the fast and performed Wudu.” (Jami al-Tirmidhi #87)

Although this Hadith deals specifically with the issue of vomiting, by bringing it under a heading that includes nosebleeds, Imam al-Tirmidhi indicated an analogy between nosebleed and vomit, i.e., that if Wudu breaks due to vomit it should technically be nullified because of a nosebleed also. Another narration, though weak, is more explicit in stating:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ، قَالَتْ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ أَصَابَهُ قَيْءٌ أَوْ رُعَافٌ أَوْ قَلَسٌ أَوْ مَذْيٌ ، فَلْيَنْصَرِفْ ، فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ ، ثُمَّ لِيَبْنِ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ وَهُوَ فِي ذَلِكَ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ

Aisha^RA said: Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: “Whoever vomits, has a nosebleed, belches or emits prostatic fluid should stop praying, perform ablution, then resume his prayer, and while he is in that state he should not speak.” (Sunan Ibn Maja #1221)

Short Haircuts Forbidden for Women

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

The downfall of a nation is intimately tied to the corruption of its women. It can be said, quite fairly, that corruption has spread among the women of the Muslim Umma. The spread of sexual immorality, in particular, is among the reasons for the agony which the Muslim world is having to endure, just as this was the cause of the destruction of the Israelites of old. The lack of modesty and bashfulness among the women of our Umma at times makes even Jews and Christians surprised and ashamed. Of all the religions in the world, Islam indisputably lays the greatest emphasis on modesty and chastity, exemplified in the institution of Hijab. Additionally, Islam seeks to preserve the masculinity of men and the femininity of women. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) cursed men who attempt to resemble women and cursed women who attempt to resemble men. In these trying times we see a catastrophic narrowing of the dimorphism between men and women. For example, Muslim women are increasingly donning masculine style of dress such as trousers while a lot of young men consider it fashionable to wear gold necklaces, piercings and other forms of jewelry which is a sign of femininity. Hair is one of those things which is one the most obvious examples of sexual dimorphism in the human species. Men are meant to have beards while women have much longer hair. For a man to be clean shaven is a dishonor for him and an emasculation, while for a woman to cut her hair short is likewise something shameful and a repudiation of her femininity. Abd Allah b. Amru^RA narrated:

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْجُمَّةِ لِلْحُرَّةِ وَالْعَقِيصَةِ لِلأَمَةِ

The Prophet (upon whom be peace) forbade free women from cutting their hair above their shoulders (Mu’jam al-Saghir of al-Tabarani #370)

 

 

al-Haythami said the narrators are thiqaat (Majma al-Zawa’id, v.5 p.169)

 

 

Therefore, Muslim ladies should be aware that they are forbidden from cutting their hair short. The minimum length of their hair has to be shoulder length, and any shorter than that is prohibited as it will be considered as resemblance with men (likewise, men are forbidden from growing their hair beyond shoulder length as that will be a resemblance with women). And Allah knows best.

Maliki Fatwa: Not Sinful to Eat With Left Hand

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

The contemporary Maliki scholar, shaykh Rami Nsour, approved the faulty position of his madhhab: “In the Maliki school it is not considered sinful to eat with the left hand” in direct contravention of the guidance of the Prophet (upon whom be peace):

لاَ تَأْكُلُوا بِالشِّمَالِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَأْكُلُ بِالشِّمَالِ

“Do not eat with the left hand, for verily Satan eats with the left hand.” (Sahih Muslim)

 

Salama b. Akwa^RA reported that a person ate in the presence of Allah's Messenger ﷺ with his left hand, whereupon he said: “Eat with your right hand.” He said: “I cannot do that,” whereupon he ﷺ said: “May you not be able to do that.” It was vanity that prevented him from doing it, and he could not raise it (the right hand) up to his mouth. (Sahih Muslim)

 

So while it is apparently not “sinful” for a person to eat with his left hand according to the Maliki school, Imam Malik himself collected the following Hadith in his Muwatta:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى أَنْ يَأْكُلَ الرَّجُلُ بِشِمَالِهِ

Allah’s Apostle ﷺ forbade a man eat with his left hand.

The wording of these narrations make it plain that eating with one’s left hand is not merely disliked or discouraged, but in fact strictly forbidden in the Shari’a and therefore anyone who purposely eats with his left hand is not only opposing the Prophet’s Sunna but also committing a sin. From the Sunna is to eat and drink with one’s right hand and to cleanse one’s private parts after answering the call of nature and when bathing with one’s left hand.

Hanafi Fatwa Against Raising Forefinger in Tashahhud

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

In the previous entry, we examined the issue of moving the index finger during the Tashahhud, a position popularized by Albani in recent times. While moving the finger in Tashahhud and pointing it in the sitting between the Sujud appear to be innovated practices that are spreading among a certain section of Muslims, there is the polar opposite practice of some other Muslims who refuse to point with the index finger in the Tashahhud at all. This is something prevalent among most of the non-Sunnis, like the Shi’a and the Ibadiya. However, there is also a trend among some of the Ahnaf who likewise oppose the Sunna of raising and pointing with the index finger in the Tashahhud. This is particularly true of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi silsila attributed to the Mujaddid of the second millenium, Ahmad Sirhindi, known affectionately as “Imam Rabbani”. Likewise, many of the Hanafis in Afghanistan do not raise their index finger in the Tashahhud. But other Hanafis who have greater regard for the Hadith do raise their index finger during the Tashahhud. This is due to the fact that it is something firmly established in the authentic Hadith, such as the narration of Ibn Umar^RA via Ali b. Abd ir-Rahman al-Mu’awi:

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا جَلَسَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَرَفَعَ إِصْبَعَهُ الْيُمْنَى الَّتِي تَلِي الإِبْهَامَ فَدَعَا بِهَا وَيَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى رُكْبَتِهِ الْيُسْرَى بَاسِطُهَا عَلَيْهَا

That the Prophet (upon whom be peace) would sit in the Salat and place his hands upon his knees and he raised his right finger that is next to the thumb, supplicating with it, and he stretched his left hand on his left knee. (Sahih Muslim) Imam Malik has likewise reported it in his Muwatta.

Yet in the Hanafi text al-Fatawa al-Sirajiya of Siraj al-Din Ali b. Uthman al-Hanafi (d. 569 H), it is written that it is disliked to point with the forefinger in the Salat at the saying of ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah, and that is the chosen position of the madhhab (p.73):

 

 

In his discussion on the issue, Ahmad Sirhindi concluded that pointing the finger in Tashahhud is Haram and stated: “It is not appropriate for us muqallidun (blind-followers) to point with the finger in accordance with the Ahadith but against the fatawa of the Ulama Mujtahidin, thereby committing something forbidden and disliked.” (Maktubat: daftar 1, maktub 312)

 

Weakness of Moving Finger in Tashahhud

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

In the previous entry, we looked at the issue of pointing with the index finger in the sitting between the two prostrations, something which is practiced by many Salafis attached to the Saudi, Hanbali shaikhs Abd ul-Aziz bin Baz and Ibn Uthaymin. Albani, however, considered that an innovation. At the same time, Albani favored the practice of moving the index finger during the Tashahhud position, in accordance with this Hadith of Wa’il b. Hujr^RA:

ثُمَّ قَعَدَ وَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ وَرُكْبَتِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَجَعَلَ حَدَّ مِرْفَقِهِ الأَيْمَنِ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ قَبَضَ اثْنَتَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِهِ وَحَلَّقَ حَلْقَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ إِصْبَعَهُ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يُحَرِّكُهَا يَدْعُو بِهَا

Then he (Prophet) sat up and placed his left leg under him; he put his left hand on his left thigh and knee, and he put the edge of his right elbow on his right thigh, then he held two of his fingers together and made a circle, and raised his forefinger, and I saw him moving it and supplicating with it. (Sunan an-Nasa’i #890)

 

The Salafi scholar of Yemen, shaikh Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi’i (d. 2001), who established the Dar al-Hadith madrassa in the town of Dammaj, considered the addition “and I saw him moving it” as being shadh and was opposed to moving the finger during the Tashahhud:

“However, in reference to moving it, then the only one who narrated that was Zaa'idah bin Qudaamah and he has contradicted 13 narrators (who all narrated this same hadeeth from Waa'il): Bishr bin Al-Mufadhdhal with Abee Daawood, Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah with An-Nasaa'ee, Ath-Thawree with An-Nasaa'ee, 'Abdul-Waahid bin Ziyaad with Ahmad, Shu'bah with Ahmad, Zuhayr bin Mu'aawiyah with Ahmad, 'Abdullaah bin Idrees with Ibn Khuzaymah, Khaalid bin 'Abdullaah At-Tahhaan with Al-Bayhaqee, Muhammad bin Fudhayl with Ibn Khuzaymah, Abul-Ahwas Sallaam bin Sulaym with At-Tayaalisee, Aboo 'Awaanah and Gheelaan bin Jaami' both were quoted by Al-Bayhaqee as mentioning it (i.e. this hadeeth without moving the finger), and all of them reported it from 'Aasim bin Kulayb (who narrated it from his father, from Waa'il) and none of them mentioned moving (the finger) in it. It was also reported from the companions 'Abdullaah bin Az-Zubayr, 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, Aboo Humayd As-Saa'idee, Aboo Hurayrah, Sa'd bin Abee Waqqaas, Ibn 'Abbaas, Khaffaaf bin Eemaa', and all of them did not mention moving (the finger). So it is known from this that the report of Zaa'idah is strange and contradicting (Shaathth). And Allaah knows best.” (as-Sahih al-Musnad Mimma Laysa fi al-Sahihayn, v.2 p.239)

 

 

In another Hadith, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) is reported to have said:

تَحْرِيكُ الأُصْبُعِ فِي الصَّلاةِ مَذْعَرَةٌ لِلشَّيْطَانِ

“Moving the finger in the Salat is terrifying for Satan” (Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi)

But this narration is weak due to the narrator Muhammad b. Umar al-Waqidi, as Imam al-Bayhaqi commented:

تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْوَاقِدِيُّ ، وَلَيْسَ بِالْقَوِيِّ

“Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi is alone in narrating it, and he is not strong.”

 

One of the proofs for not moving the finger in the Tashahhud is the Hadith of Abdullah bin al-Zubair^RA:

أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُشِيرُ بِأُصْبُعِهِ إِذَا دَعَا وَلاَ يُحَرِّكُهَا

He mentioned that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) would point with his forefinger when he supplicated, and he would not move it. (Sunan Abi Dawud #989)

However, Albani and others have deemed the additional wording “and he would not move it” as not authentically established. Nevertheless, the lack of any strong evidence from the Sunna that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) would move his finger during the Tashahhud is sufficient to abandon that strange practice, which appears to be contrary to the tranquility and stillness that is generally required in the Salat.

Place of Hands After Ruku and Pointing Between Sujud

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

Nasir ud-Din al-Albani (d. 1999) considered both the acts of clasping the hands after Ruku (instead of leaving them hanging at one’s sides) and pointing the index finger between the two prostrations as reprehensible innovations. It is, perhaps, more accurate to say that this is an issue of valid ikhtilaf and a matter of Ijtihad. I do agree that there isn’t any solid basis for doing these two acts, especially considering the fact that the vast majority of the Muslim Umma, from generation to generation, i.e., Amal al-Tawatur don’t do it. The deceased “Grand Mufti” of Saudi Arabia, Abd ul-Aziz bin Baz (d. 1999), along with Ibn Uthaymin (d. 2001), propagated these “innovations”, and many of the Hanbalis of Saudi Arabia practice these acts during the Salat. At times, a Salafi or Hanbali who practices these acts draws attention to himself while praying in a congregation outside Saudi Arabia. Those who advocate clasping the hands after rising up from Ruku confess that they have no specific evidence for doing so, but only general statements from the Hadith of the Prophet (upon whom be peace), such as the narration of Sahl b. Sa’d^RA: “The people were ordered to place the right hand upon the left forearm in the Salat.” (Sahih al-Bukhari #740) Some of them quote another narration:

ثُمَّ قَامَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَاسْتَوَى حَتَّى رَجَعَ كُلُّ عَظْمٍ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ

“Then he stood up and raised his hands, and stood straight until every bone returned to its place.” (Sunan Ibn Maja)

However, this Hadith is referring to the bones of the spine, returning to their place, meaning the Prophet (upon whom be peace) stood up straight, as Albani has explained. Nevertheless, Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal^RA reportedly said a person is at liberty to either leave his hands at the sides or place them back upon each other after rising from Ruku.

Concerning the pointing of the index finger in the sitting between the two prostrations, the following narration of Wa’il b. Hujr^RA is quoted:

ثُمَّ جَلَسَ ، فَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى رُكْبَتِهِ الْيُسْرَى ، وَوَضَعَ ذِرَاعَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى ، ثُمَّ أَشَارَ بِسَبَّابَتِهِ ، وَوَضَعَ الَإبْهَامَ عَلَى الْوُسْطَى ، وَقَبَضَ سَائِرَ أَصَابِعِهِ ، ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَكَانَتْ يَدَاهُ حِذَاءَ أُذُنَيْهِ

“…then he (Prophet) sat and spread his left leg, then placed his left hand upon his left knee, and placed his right forearm upon his right thigh, then he pointed with his index finger, placing his thumb upon his middle finger in a circular form and he clenched the rest of his fingers, then he prostrated and his hands were parallel to his ears.” (Musnad Ahmad)

Ibn al-Qayyim favored this practice, as is evident in his citation of this narration in his Zad al-Ma’d. Nevertheless, Albani considered the wording of this narration as mistaken, based on extra wording that opposes the more numerous narrations and versions of this Hadith which state that the Prophet (upon whom be peace) pointed with his index finger during the Tashahhud with no mention of pointing in the sitting between the two prostrations. The practice of the vast majority of Muslims, from generation to generation, of not pointing in the sitting between the two prostrations, should be given greater consideration as opposed to an isolated narration, and Allah knows best.

Sunna of Wiping Face After Raising Hands in Du'a

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

Many “Salafis”, particularly those who closely follow the muhaddith Nasir ud-Din al-Albani, consider the near universal practice of Muslims of wiping the face with the hands after raising them in Du’a to be an innovation. This is quite odd since the Salafis claim to follow the Salaf and one of their principles is that any action that is proven from the pious Salaf, especially a Companion of the Prophet (upon whom be peace) cannot, by definition, be considered an innovation. Now it is well known that the eminent and pious Tabi, namely, Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 H), used to wipe his face with his hands after making Du’a, as reported by Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal (Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaahiyah, 2/840, 841) and other sources. For example, Imam al-Marwazi narrates from Mu’tamar that he saw Aba Ka’b (Abd Rabbihi b. Ubaid al-Azdi) wiping his face with his hands after raising them in Du’a and asked him who he had seen doing so, to which he answered: “al-Hasan (al-Basri) rahimahullah.” Imam Muhammad b. Nasr al-Marwazi goes on to say that he saw Ishaq b. Rahuwaih^RA (d. 238 H) prefer acting upon these Ahadith. (Qiyam ul-Lail p. 327)

 

 

Abu Nu’aym, who is Wahb, narrates:

رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ، وَابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ يَدْعُوَانِ ، يُدِيرَانِ بِالرَّاحَتَيْنِ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ

“I saw Ibn Umar^RA and Ibn al-Zubair^RA supplicating and they wiped their hands on the face.” (al-Adab al-Mufrad of al-Bukhari)

 

This is an authentic Athar, as affirmed by Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, as all of its narrators are narrators in the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari.

 

There are also a few narrations attributed to the Prophet (upon whom be peace), for example:

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ لَمْ يَحُطَّهُمَا حَتَّى يَمْسَحَ بِهِمَا وَجْهَهُ

Umar bin Al-Khattab [may Allah be pleased with him] narrated: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah would raise his hands in supplication, he would not lower them until he had wiped his face with them.” (Jami al-Tirmidhi #3386)

Though this Hadith is weak due to the narrator Hammad b. Isa al-Juhani. Nevertheless, due to its shawahid narrated by Ibn Abbas^RA and Yazid b. Sa’id al-Kindi^RA as reported in the Sunan of Abi Dawud, in addition to the authentically reported act of the Prophet’s companions Ibn Umar^RA and Ibn al-Zubair^RA, as well as the pious Tabi, Hasan al-Basri^RA, strongly indicate that this act must originate from the Prophet himself (upon whom be peace). It is certainly not an innovation, but something that has been practiced by the masses of the Muslim Umma from generation to generation, and Allah knows best.

Shafi'i Innovation of Regular Qunut in Fajr

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

Blind-followers of the Shafi’i madhhab insist on reading the Qunut during the final rak’a of  Salat al-Subh on a regular basis.

عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ سُئِلَ أَنَسٌ أَقَنَتَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الصُّبْحِ قَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَوَقَنَتَ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ قَالَ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ يَسِيرًا‏

Muhammad b. Sirin^RA asked Anas b. Malik^RA, “Did the Prophet (upon him be peace) recite the Qunut during the Subh (Fajr) prayer?”, (Anas) said: “Yes”. He was further asked, “Did he recite Qunut before Ruku?” (Anas) said: “After Ruku for some time.” (Sahih al-Bukhari #1001)

The word yasir in this Hadith indicates shortness of time as explained by the Ulama such as al-Kirmani. This is in fact further eludicated to refer to the period of a month in which the Prophet (upon him be peace) read the Qunut al-Nazila, as explained by Badr al-Din al-Ayni (d. 855 H) in his well-know work Umdat al-Qari

قوله: " بعد الركوع يسيرا " ، قال الكرماني : أي زمانا يسيرا، أي قليلا، وهو بعد الاعتدال التام. وقال الطرقي : أراد يسيرا من الزمان لا يسيرا من القنوت ; لأن أدنى القيام يسمى قنوتا، فاستحال أن يوصف بالحقارة

وقال بعضهم: قد بين عاصم في روايته مقدار هذا اليسير حيث قال فيها: إنما قنت بعد الركوع شهرا. (قلت): رواية عاصم رواها البخاري على ما يجيء عن قريب، ورواها أيضا مسلم في صحيحه: حدثنا أبو بكر بن أبي شيبة ، وأبو كريب قالا: حدثنا أبو معاوية ، عن عاصم ، عن أنس قال: سألت عن القنوت بعد الركوع، أو قبل الركوع، فقال: قبل الركوع. قال: قلت: فإن ناسا يزعمون أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قنت بعد الركوع ! فقال: إنما قنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شهرا يدعو على أناس قتلوا أناسا من أصحابه يقال لهم: القراء . انتهى. فهذا صريح بأن المراد من قوله: " يسيرا "، يعني: شهرا، وهو يرد على الكرماني فيما قاله

In another narration, sayyidina Anas^RA narrates the fact that this Qunut during the Fajr prayer read after the Ruku was the Qunut al-Nazila and the Prophet (upon whom be peace) only did it for a month, after which he stopped:

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَانَ يَقْنُتُ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ يَدْعُو عَلَى حَىٍّ مِنْ أَحْيَاءِ الْعَرَبِ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ تَرَكَ

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that Allah’s Apostle (upon whom be peace) used to recite Qunut in the Subh prayer supplicating against one of the Arab tribes for a month, then he stopped doing so. (Sunan Ibn Maja #1243)

Finally, we have a Hadith from one of the Prophet’s companions, Tariq al-Ashja’i^RA who prayed behind not only the Prophet (upon whom be peace) but all of his rightly-guided successors (Allah be pleased with them) and concluded that the practice of regularly offering Qunut in the Fajr prayer was an innovation in the Religion:

عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ الأَشْجَعِيِّ، سَعْدِ بْنِ طَارِقٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي يَا أَبَتِ إِنَّكَ قَدْ صَلَّيْتَ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ هَا هُنَا بِالْكُوفَةِ نَحْوًا مِنْ خَمْسِ سِنِينَ فَكَانُوا يَقْنُتُونَ فِي الْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ أَىْ بُنَىَّ مُحْدَثٌ

Abi Malik al-Ashja’i, Sa’d bin Tariq said: I asked my father: “O my father, verily you prayed behind Allah’s Apostle (upon whom be peace), and (behind) Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and (behind) Ali here in Kufa for about five years. Did they recite Qunut in Fajr?” So he said: “O my son, this is an innovation.” (Sunan Ibn Maja #1241)

But in defense of this innovation, the Shafi’is cite the following Hadith:

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ : مَا زَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْنُتُ فِي الْفَجْرِ حَتَّى فَارَقَ الدُّنْيَا

Anas bin Malik said: Allah’s Apostle upon whom be peace did not cease reciting Qunut in Fajr until he departed (this) world. (Musnad Ahmad)

The sanad of this narration contains the narrator Abu Ja’far Isa b. Mahan al-Razi:

“Abu Ja’far al-Raazi’s name was ‘Eesa ibn Maahaan al-Raazi. He was classed as da’eef (weak) by many scholars. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: He is not strong (qawiy) in hadeeth. Yahya ibn Ma’een said: He writes his hadeeth but he makes mistakes. ‘Amr ibn ‘Ali said: There is some weakness in him; he is sincere but he has a bad memory. Abu Zur’ah said: An old man who is often confused. Al-Nasaa’i said: He is not strong. Ibn Hibbaan said: He differed from the well known narrators of hadeeth by narrating munkar reports, and I would not like to quote his hadeeth as evidence except in cases where he narrated something that was also narrated by trustworthy narrators. Al-‘Ajli said: He is not strong. End quote from Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (12/57).” (Islam Question & Answer)

Reading Basmala in Salat

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

In a previous entry I cited the proofs for the Basmala being the first Ayah of Sura al-Fatiha, and also as an Ayah that initiates the remaining chapters of the Qur’an with the exception of the 9^th Sura. But according to the Maliki school, the Basmala is not an Ayah of the Qur’an, nor is it to be read, either aloud or silently, during the obligatory Salat. The Malikis begin the Salat by straight away reciting Alhamdu Lillaahi Rabbil-’Aalameen. They do not recite any opening supplication either, such as the Isti’adha, in opposition to the firmly established Sunna, considering it makruh to do so (Mukhtasar al-Akhdari p.21)

The Hanafis and Hanbalis, in accordance with the Sunna, read the Basmala, though silently, while the Shafi’is recite it loudly:

عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  يَفْتَتِحُ صَلَاتَهُ بْبِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Ibn Abbas^RA narrated: The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would open his Salat with Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. (Jami al-Tirmidhi #245)

A Hadith attributed to Abdullah b. Mughaffal^RA via his son to the effect that reciting the Basmala during the Salat is an innovation is in fact weak, due to the fact that Abdullah’s son is majhul al-hal, and no one authenticated him apart from al-Tirmidhi.

Interestingly, sayyidina Umar b. al-Khattab^RA used to recite:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ تَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

loudly at the beginning of the Salat (Sahih Muslim)  

 

The reading of Isti’adha before the recitation of al-Fatiha is enjoined in the Qur’an itself (Sura 16:98). From the Sunna, we know that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would read the following formula of Isti’adha in the Salat:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِهِ

(Sunan Ibn Maja)

To summarize, the position of the Maliki madhhab of not reciting any opening supplication, Isti’adha or even Basmala in the Salat is in stark contrast to the established Sunna of the Prophet (upon him be peace) and his companions (Allah be pleased with them).

Mutazilite and Kharijite (Najdat) Denial of Necessity of Imamate

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

Here I shall examine some of the deviated sects which denied the necessity of the institution of Imamate. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him & his family) proclaimed:

مَنْ مَاتَ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً

“Whoever died without an Imam died a death of jahiliyya” (Musnad Ahmad)

Major Mu’tazilite theologians such as Abu Bakr al-Assam, Hisham al-Fuwati, al-Nazzam, Abbad b. Sulayman and others all apparently denied the necessity of the Imamate. (Studia Islamica, no. 88 (1998), pp. 55-76)

Perhaps the most prominent deniers of the necessity of the Imamate were a Kharijite faction known as the Najadat or Najdiya, attributed to Najda b. Amir al-Hanafi: “Ka’bi says of the Najdat that they permitted dissimulation in everything said and done, even in the matter of homicide. He adds that the Najdat unanimously asserted that men have no need whatever for an imam: all that is required of them is to show mutual justice and fairness. If they should find that this cannot be achieved without the authority of an imam, and, accordingly, appoint one, this would be lawful.” (Kitab al-Milal wa ‘l-Nihal, p. 105) One clearly sees elements of political anarchism in the idealogy of the early Khawarij, especially subsects like the Najdiya. Their view that “the Umma does not need an imam or anyone else, and that they and people (in general) are only obliged to uphold the Book of God in their dealings with one another” directly contradicts the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him & his family) who emphasized the necessity of having an Imam.