Abu Musa (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SW) said to me, “Shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Jannah?” I said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” Thereupon he (SW) said, “(Recite) `La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’ (There is no change of a condition nor power except by Allah).”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

by Asma bint Shameem [ILoveAllaah.com Exclusive Writer]

Hajj is the most beautiful journey that you will ever undertake in your entire lifetime. And out of those blessed days of Hajj, the one that is the most important, the most crucial, is the day of Arafah, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. For, it is here, in the vast plain of Arafah, that tears are shed, and sins are washed. And it is here that faults are redressed for those who ask Allah for forgiveness and offer sincere repentance for their wrong doings. Happy is the person who receives the Mercy and Pleasure of Allaah on this particular day. In fact, so important is this day, that if someone misses it, his hajj is not valid as the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم said:

“Hajj is ‘Arafah.” (al-Tirmidhi–saheeh by al-Albaani).

Therefore it is of utmost importance that we make the most of this day and spend it as close as possible to the way of the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم so that we can attain maximum benefit from this glorious day.

Here are some do’s and don’t’s of the day of Arafah:

1. Recite a LOT of the talbiyah

Do not forget to recite the Talbiyah when you leave Mina for Arafah and continue to do so through out the day of Arafah until the day of Eid. It was proven that the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم continued to recite the Talbiyah until he had stoned Jamarat al-‘Aqabah (the large pillar) on the day of Eid. Some people forget that and thus miss out on this wonderful act of Ibaadah that can only be done during Hajj and Umrah.

What beautiful words they are…

Here I am O Allaah….at Your service….submitting to You, humbling myself to You….ready to make a change in my life….ready to please You….ready to leave everything except You. You are my Lord and I worship no one but You.

Think about the words and the connotations they carry….don’t just say them. Reflect on the meanings…Let the words come deep from your heart….from within your very soul, not just your tongue.

What magnificent words to say on such a majestic day….Subhaan Allaah!

2. Make dua: LOTS and LOTS of it!

This is the day you’ve been waiting for….the day of Arafah. This is THE DAY to make dua. If there was ever a day to make dua, this is that day. The Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم said:

“The best of du’aa’ is du’aa’ on the day of ‘Arafah.” ( al-Muwatta–hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami)

This is the day you will pour out your heart, and empty your soul to the Lord of the worlds, your Creator, the One Who has given you every single thing you can think of. The One Who has invited you here on this honored day of Arafah, from half way across the world, as His guest.

Otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.

What an honor! And what a chance to have your duas accepted!

So go ahead. Ask. Stretch out those hands of yours in humble submission. Beseech and implore. He is Allaah, ar-Rahmaan, al-Kareem, the Most-Generous. Surely He will give you.

The best dua for this day:

The Prophet said: “The best of du’aa’ is du’aa’ on the day of ‘Arafah, and the best that I and the Prophets before me said is:

لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير

‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer

(There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the dominion, to Him be praise, and He has power over all things).” (al-Tirmidhi–hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb)

3. Do plenty of istighfaar:

The Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم said: “There is no day on which Allaah ransoms more of His slaves from the Fire than the day of ‘Arafah. He draws close then He boasts about them before the angels and says, ‘What do these people want?’” (Muslim)

And you know what? Allah descends to the sky of the Duniya and He boasts about you to the Angels, on this day and says: ‘My slaves have come to Me, looking rough, from every deep valley hoping for My mercy, so if your sins were equivalent to the amount of sand or the drops of rain or like the foam on the sea I will forgive them. So go forth My slaves! Having forgiveness and for what or who you have interceded for.’ (at-Tabarani–hasan by al-Albaani)

Subhaan Allaah! Here is a chance of a lifetime to have all your previous sins forgiven, your record cleared…wiped clean as if you were a newborn…a second chance!

So think of all the sins you may have committed in your life, especially the major ones, make a list of them, (nobody has to see it except you) and ask the Only One Who forgives, al-Ghafoor, at-Tawwaab, to forgive you….urgently…. passionately.

CRY over your sins and don’t let anything stop those tears. Let it all out and plead with Him. Beg for His Mercy. Like a beggar begs….desperate…yet hopeful.

Make sincere repentance by

a) feeling regret and shame over those bad deeds,

b) resolve to stop them right away and

c) never ever to return to them.

These are the conditions of sincere tawbah. And all these records which were filled with sins will then be canceled out with His permission.

4. STAY AWAY from all innovations.

Obviously the closest we will be to the Sunnah of the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم this day, the more likely that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala will be pleased with us and accept it from us.

And anything that is not part of the Sharee’ah that the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم brought, is an innovation in the deen and isrejected by Allaah.

It is something that Allaah is NOT pleased with and thus will not be accepted by Him.

As the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم said:

“Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islaam) will have it rejected.” (Muslim)

Imagine doing something that Allaah is not pleased with, on this glorious day?!! Imagine Allaah turning away from you and your Ibaadah!! Aoodhubillaah.

Surely, there is no one more unfortunate than the one who comes all the way from his home far far away, to Makkah for Hajj, who worked hard gathering his money, making all the arrangements, hoping for reward from Allaah, only to have it rejected because he followed bid’ah!

What a heavy, horrible loss indeed!

BEWARE: Included in the bid’ah are those printed papers with ‘formulas’ and ‘prescriptions’ to be read on the day of Arafah, that are sometimes circulated among the hujjaaj, telling you to read certain supplications one 100 times and certain ayaat one 100 times, picking specific ayaat and duas to be read a specific number of times.

Please, please stay away from such ‘prescriptions’ and ‘formulas’ even if it is supplications from the Sunnah or even ayaat form the Qur’aan.

Why is it wrong?

It is wrong because even though they may be ayaat from the Qur’aan or authentic duas from the Sunnah, yet it is NOT from the practice of the Prophet or the sahaabah that they said these specific duas and ayaat in this manner and a specific number of times, on the day of Arafah.

If it was good, surely the best of creation, the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم, who knew how to worship Allaah the best, certainly would have done so himself and would have certainly told the sahaabah about it.

Yet, there are NO authentic reports that tell us that he صل اللہ عليه و سلم or the sahaabah did any of this.

One may read any ayaat of the Qur’aan, or one may use any of the Sunnah duas, not these specific ones only and one may read them without specifying the number of times they to be read.

There should be no restriction to a specific number or manner.

Just think about it. Would you want to risk doing something that you are not sure of this day?!!

Why not choose those acts of Ibaadah that are for sure, a part of the practice of our beloved Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم and the Sahaabah? Something that is established in our deen in the manner it was done, the times it was done and the places it was done.

Isn’t what the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم did on his hajj, the best example to follow?!!

So if he صل اللہ عليه و سلمdidn’t read these ayaat and duas in this manner and count, we don’t do it either. And his is the best example to follow.

5. Do NOT read any nawafil prayers

The Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم did not pray any other prayers on this day except combining Dhuhr and Asr at its earlier time. There was no other prayer that he prayed this day. Rather he spent his time making dua. And if he صل اللہ عليه و سلم didn’t do it, that means that there is we shouldn’t do it either.

He صل اللہ عليه و سلم said: “Learn from me your rituals (of Hajj).” (Muslim)

The Ulama said: “The Messenger (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) did not perform any supererogatory prayers on the Day of ‘Arafah after having offered Salaat az-Zhuhr and Salaat al-‘Asr combined and at the time of Zhuhr. And if it was legislated and good then he would have been more careful about performing them than us, and all good is in adhering to following his Sunnah.” (Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa.imah lil-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa).

What about salaat at-Tasbeeh?

Salaat at-Tasbeeh is not proven to be from the Sunnah according to the majority of the Ulama such as Imaam Ahmad, Ibn Taymiyah, al-Nawawi, ibn Qudamah, Ibn Uthaaymeen, etc.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “Salaat al-Tasbeeh is not prescribed, because the hadeeth is da’eef (weak).”

Imaam Ahmad said there is no sound evidence for it.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said it is a fabrication, and he said that none of the Imaams recommended it.”

So if it is something that is not from the Sunnah, then why do it, especially on an important day like Arafah?

And even if some of the Ulama did regard it as something that can be done, realize that most of the Ulama say that it is not to be read. Now, for something that is doubtful, wouldn’t you want to leave it and worship Allaah in a way that is for sure prescribed in the Sharee’ah?

Would you want to risk your day of Arafah for something doubtful?

Didn’t the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم say? “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” (al-Tirmidhi–Saheeh by al-Albaani)

Thus it is best to leave it and engage in dua, dhikr, etc that is confirmed from the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم

6. Keep yourself busy with Ibaadah. Do NOT waste time

Keep your self busy in the dhikr of Allaah, glorifying Him and being thankful to Him, sending blessings upon the Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم and in dua and istighfaar.

Don’t let a second, yes, a second go by when you are not remembering Him.

This is the way to keep yourself busy this day, with dua, istighfaar and tasbeeh, (“Subhaan Allah”), tahleel (Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah), tahmeed (al-hamdu Lillah), takbeer (Allahu akbar) and Talbiyah, calling upon your Rabb and beseeching Him, until the sun sets.

Please DO NOT waste your time in things like unnecessary talking, mingling, joking, or just passing the time, things that will be of no benefit to you that day.

Some examples of how people waste time on this vital day.

Taking showers

Some people waste precious time taking showers and more than that…waiting in the long lines to take showers!

Don’t you know that Allaah knows that you are dirty and disheveled? In fact Allaah boasts about you and your dustiness to His angels.

“Allah expresses His pride to His angels at the time of ‘Ishaa’ on the Day of Arafah, about the people of Arafah. He says, ‘Look at My slaves who have come unkempt and dusty.’” (Ahmad–saheeh by al-Albaani).

It’s ok to be a little dusty. That’s the whole purpose of Hajj. To remind ourselves that we will be leaving all the luxuries of this life behind…that we will be resurrected like this, dusty and disheveled one day, that what really matters is what our deeds are like in front of Allaah, not our outward appearances.

Waiting in long lines for food

Some people stand literally for an hour just to get ‘hot food’. Subhaan Allaah. This is Arafah!

You never know when you will get a chance like this again. This is the time to ask Allaah’s forgiveness, to have your sins washed away. This is not the time to eat and drink. That can be done later.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying don’t eat or drink that day. You may eat or drink. All I’m saying is not to stand in lines for long periods of time for food or for anything else.

If one day we eat ‘cold food’ who cares, right? Just utilize your time to the best of your ability.

Climbing up Mount Arafah (Jabal ar-Rahmah)

Some people waste so much time and go to great lengths trying to get to Mount Arafah thinking there is extra reward in touching it, praying there or standing there. There is no such thing. The Prophet صل اللہ عليه و سلم did not climb this mountain or instruct anyone to do so, and he did not approve of anyone climbing it either.

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen says: “…climbing this mountain is not prescribed; rather the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, when he stood behind it on the eastern side: “I have stood here and all of ‘Arafah is the place of standing.” It is as if he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was indicating that each person should stand in his own spot and not push and shove in order to reach the place where the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood.” Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen)

Similarly, don’t waste your time trying to get masjid Namirah

Yes, although it is Sunnah to pray at Masjid Namirah, it is extremely crowded and usually far from some of the tents. Yet some people go through a lot of hardship and waste a lot of time trying to get there because they think that they have to pray Zuhr and ‘Asr there. This causes them a great deal of hardship and causes crowding etc. Some even get lost and lose even more time. The whole of Arafah is good to pray and stand and make dua. The important thing is to utilize our time there to the maximum and worship Allaah so that He will forgive us.

Once Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez delivered a Khutbah at Arafah and said, “O people, you have come from near and far distances, exhausted your camels, and worn out your clothes. The winner today is not the one whose camel is ahead, but rather it is the one whose sins are forgiven. Praise be to Allaah – the Lord of the worlds.”

May Allaah enable us to worship Him in the best manner possible on the Day of Arafah and every other day. May He accept our Hajj and forgive us. Aameen.

READ FULL ARTICLE

The Holy Prophet (SAW) Said:

1) Four things that make your body sick:
a) Excessive talking
b) Excessive sleeping
c) Excessive eating and
d) Excessive meeting other people

2) Four things that destroys the body:
a) Worrying
b) Sorrow (Sadness/Grief)
c) Hunger
d) Sleeping late in the night

3) Four things that dry the face & take away its happiness:
a) Lying
b) Being disrespectful / impudent (insisting on something wrong knowingly)
c) Arguing without adequate knowledge & Information.
d) Excessive immorality (doing something wrong without
fear).

4) Four things that increases the wetness of face & its happiness:
a) Piety
b) Loyalty
c) Generosity (being kind)
d) To be helpful to others without he/she asking for that.

5) Four things that stop the Rizq (Sustenance) :
a) Sleeping in the morning (from Fajr to sunrise)
b) Not Performing Namaz or Ir-regular in Prayers
c) Laziness / Idleness
d) Treachery / Dishonesty

6) Four things that bring / increase the Rizq:
a) Staying up in the night for prayers.
b) Excessive Repentance
c) Regular Charity
d) Zikr (Remembrance of Allah / God).

The Holy Prophet (SAW), also said:

Communicate to others even if you get to know One Verse (Ayaah) & this one verse will stand on the Day of Judgment for intercession.

The Holy Prophet (SAW) said,
Stop doing everything during the Azaan, even reading the Quran.
The person who talks during the Azaan will not be able to say the Kalima E Shahada on his/her death bed….

**DUAA FOR A BETTER LIFE**
Allahumma- ainni- ala- Zikrika -wa Shukrika wa husne-Ibaadatik

It is a very powerful Dua’a.

Reported by Anas (RA): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O Allah, there is no true life but the life of the Hereafter”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Messenger of Allah (Sallallähu alaihi wa sallam) said, “On the Day of Rising no one will bring anything better than someone who says in the morning and evening, “Subhanallahi wa bihamdhihi” (Glory be to Allah and by His praise’ a hundred times except someone who says the same as he says or more.” [Muslim]

1. To wash both the hands before and after meals. (Sunan Abi Dawud Hadtith3755)

2. To sit on the floor. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith5386)

3. To sit in one of the following three postures;

a) In the Tashahhud position (like in Salaat) (Fathul Baari Hadith5399),
b) Same as above with the right knee raised, (Ibid; Takhrijul Ihyaa Hadith1304) and
c) In the squatting posture (Sahih Muslim Hadith5299).

4. To eat with the fingers (thumb, index and middle fingers). (Sahih Muslim Hadith5265 and Majmauz-zawaaid)

5. To take the name of Allah before eating. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith5376)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى بَرَكَةِ اللَّهِ

In the name of Allah and with the blessings of Allah I begin (eating)”.

On forgetting to recite Bismillah at the beginning, recite:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ

“In the name of Allah in the beginning and end”.

By not reciting Bismillah, Satan has an opportunity of partake in the food.

(Mishkat)

6. To eat with the right hand. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith5376)

Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If one of you eats, he should eat with his right hand. And if he drinks something, he should drink with his right hand. For indeed, Satan eats and drinks with his left hand.” [Sahîh Muslim (2020)]

7. To eat from the closest part of the plate and not from the middle. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith5376)

8. As far as possible, to eat collectively from one plate. (Ibn Kathir Surah24 Aayat61; Sunan ibn Majah Hadith3287)

9. To clean every bit of food left on the plate and to lick the fingers before washing them. (Sahih Muslim Hadith5268)

Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) commanded people to lick their fingers and the plate, saying, ‘You do not know where the blessing lies.’” [Muslim]

In one variant of it, “When one of you drops a morsel of food, he should pick it up, remove any dirt on it and then eat it, not leaving it for Shaytan. He should not wipe his hand with a cloth until he has licked his fingers. He does not know in which part of his food the blessing lies.”

In one variant of it, “Shaytan is present with each one of you in every thing you do, he is even present with you when you eat. So when you drop a morsel of food, you should remove any dirt on it and eat it and not leave it for Shaytan.”

10. Eating with three fingers

Ka’b bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu) reported: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) licking his three fingers after eating.” [Sahih Muslim, #5296]

Thus, the best way of eating is that shown by the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) which was eating with his three fingers.

11. To recite the various Masnoon du’aas after meals. including:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
“All praise belongs to Allah, who fed us and quenched our thirst and made us Muslims”.

Alternate dua after meals:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هُوَ أَشْبَعَنَا وَأَرْوَانَا وَأَنْعَمَ عَلَيْنَا وَأَفْضَلَ
“All praise belongs to Allah who filled our stomachs and quenched our thirst, rewarded us and gave us plentiful”.

Note: If the meals are commenced with the above dua, then there will be no accountability of the food eaten on the Day of Qiyamat.

Alternate dua:

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَأَطْعِمْنَا خَيْرَاً مِنْهُ
“O Allah, You grant us blessings in it and grant us better than it”.

(Tirmidhi)

OR

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا الطَّعَامَ وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
“All Praise belongs to Allah who granted this meal, (which I received) without my power or effort”.

All previous sins are forgiven if this dua is recited after meals.

(Mishkat, Kitabul-li-baas)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o0deHJ51PnM

Assunnah Primary School

The Hadith of the Week initiative was introduced at the beginning of 2011. Students are encouraged to memorise it in Arabic and English for the forthcoming week. If they are successful, they are presented with the opportunity to appear on YouTube and narrate the Hadith to a larger audience.

http://assunnahschool.co.uk/

Assunnah Primary School is an independent, selective, faith based Muslim school situated in Tottenham, North London. At Assunnah Primary School, we strive to offer a holistic Islamic tarbiyah based educational experience to our students, nurturing their spiritual, intellectual, social, physical and emotional spheres. Our aim is to ensure our students realise their full individual potential with a well grounded understanding of their ultimate aim in life, which is to seek the pleasure of their Creator through sincere submission to Him. Browse through our website to discover some of the key features of our school.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “The five (daily) Salat (prayers) and the Friday (prayer) to the Friday (prayer) expiate whatever (minor sins) may be committed in between, so long as major sins are avoided.”
[Muslim].

A boy called his mother. She replied “yes?”
After little while the son again called his mother. She replied in the same way.
After few minutes the son called his mother again. She replied “I have just now responded for ur call”
The boy again called his mother for the 4th time. Some irritation fell on the mother’s tone, she replied angrily “What?”
The child again called her mother. She replied angrily “Do not irritate me hereafter. I have alot of work”.

At the same time if we call Allah many times in a moment, He won’t be angry with us. Rather His mercy will increase on us. Allah says,
“(O Muhammad), when My servants ask you about Me, tell them I am quite near; I hear and answer the call of the caller whenever he calls Me.” – (QURAN 2:186)

Also if the people call Allah in need, “Angels encompass them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those with Him.” – [Tirmidhi]

This is because Allah loves us more than 70 times A mother’s love for her child.

The Prophet (Sallallähu alaihi wa sallam) said, “If anyone of you on having sexual relations with his wife said (and he must say it before starting) ‘In the name of Allah.
O Allah! Protect us from Satan and also protect what you bestow upon us (i.e. the coming offspring) from Satan, and if it is destined that they should have a child then, Satan will never be able to harm that offspring.”

[Bukhari 0143]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said “The dua said between the Adhaan and the Iqama is not refused, therefore offer your dua’s (at this time).” [Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about fasting on the Day of ‘Arafah.
He said, “It expiates for the sins of the previous year and of the coming year.”  [Narrated by Muslim]
 

By ‘Allamah Ibn Rushd al-Qurtubi
Translated by Shaykh Hamzah Wald Maqbul

A Translation From the Bidayat al-Mujtahid of Ibn Rushd al-Hafid al-Qurtubi, An Authoritative Manual on the Fiqh of the Four Madhhabs and the People of the Sunnah.

[The people of knowledge] have differed about [what to do] when the ʿid and the Friday fall on the same day: would the ʿid [prayer] suffice [one who prayed it] in place of the Friday prayer? A group [of the people of knowledge] said: “The ʿid [prayer] suffices [one who prayed it] in place of the Friday [prayer], and such a person is not obligated to pray [after the ʿid prayer, anything] except ʿAsr.” This is the opinion of ʿAta’, and it has been attributed to Ibn Zubayr and ʿAli [may Allah be well pleased with them].

[Another] group said, “This is a dispensation meant for Bedouin nomads who come especially to a metropolis only for ʿidand the Friday prayer.” This is in accord with what has been attributed to Sayyiduna ʿUthman, [may Allah be well pleased with him,] that he gave the khutbah of ʿid on a Friday, then said, “Whoever of the people of ʿAliyah (1) wishes to await the Friday prayer, let him wait; whoever wishes to return, let him return.”

[This] was narrated by Malik in the Muwatta’, and similar has been attributed to ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz, and Shafiʿi has chosen it [as his fatwa, may Allah have mercy upon them all] (2)

Malik and Abu Hanifah said, when ʿid and Friday coincide, a legally responsible person is expected to perform both: ʿidbecause it is a sunnah (3) ), and the Friday prayer, because it is obligatory. [They maintain that] neither one takes the place of the other; this is the default assumption that is to be taken, unless there is some [explicit] legislation to the contrary which [is so strong that one] is obliged to change [one’s opinion] to it. (4)

Those who take the opinion of [Sayyiduna] ʿUthman [do so] because it is a matter that one cannot deduce by mere opinion; rather [according to them], it can be nothing other than [a fatwa] in accordance [to the Sunnah]. [Also] it is not totally outside the bounds of the default state [of the Shariʿah, as it still has most people obliged to pray the Friday prayer].

As for dropping the obligatory Zuhr and Friday prayers, which would be dropped in the place of the ʿid prayer, this would be very much against the default state [of the rulings of the Shariʿah and has no weight] unless there is some explicit legislation to the contrary, which [is so strong that one] is obliged to follow it. (5) [The scholars of this opinion further] differed about one who missed the ʿid prayer with the Imam. A group said that he should pray four [rakaʿat]. This is the opinion of [Imams] Ahmad and [Sufyan] al-Thawri. It is also attributed to [ʿAbdullah] ibn Masʿud, [may Allah be pleased with them all].

A group of them said that [such a person] should make up [the ʿid prayer], praying it like the ʿid prayer is prayed: tworakaʿat in which one makes the takbirs just as one would do so in the ʿid prayer, and one recites out loud just as one would do so in it. This is the opinion of Shafiʿi, [may Allah have mercy on him], and Abu Thawr.

[Another] group of them said that he should just pray two [normal] rakaʿat, in which he neither recites out loud, nor makes any of the [extra] takbirs of the ʿid prayer.

[Yet another] group of them said that if the Imam has prayed in the same place [that the one who missed the prayer is praying], then he should pray two rakaʿat; if he is praying in a place other than the musallah [of the Imam], then he makes up four rakaʿat.

[And yet another] group of them said that he is basically neither obliged to [nor is he able to] make up [the ʿid] prayer. This is the fatwa of Malik and his companions. [The great third century mujtahid] Ibn al-Mundhir [also] relates [from Malik] an opinion similar to that of Shafiʿi [may Allah have mercy on them all].

As for those who said that [he must make up] four [rakaʿat], he has made it [i.e. the ʿid prayer] the equivalent to the Friday prayer. This is a weak comparison.

Those who said that [he must make up] two rakaʿat in the way that the Imam prayed them go towards the position that the default state is that a make-up prayer should be performed in the manner of the prayer missed.

Those who said that [the ʿid prayer] cannot be made up, [say so] because it is a prayer [whose validity] is conditioned on [the presence of] the congregation and the Imam, similar to the Friday prayer. For this reason one is not obliged to make it up through two or four rakaʿat, as [even if he prayed them] they wouldn’t mean anything [as a true replacement to theʿid prayer]. These two rulings are the ones in which there is a [valid] difference of opinion, by which I mean the opinions of Malik (6) and Shafiʿi.

As for the rest of the rulings [mentioned] on this issue, they are weak, and meaningless, because the Friday prayer replaces, [however is different from] Zuhr, and these [i.e. the set of four rakaʿat] don’t seem to stand in the place of anything, [in that they are prayed before the time that Zuhr comes in, so they cannot validly be considered Zuhr, and since they are four, they don’t even resemble ʿid or the Friday prayer. This being so,] how can one construct the analogy of one to the other for the purposes of making the prayer up?

In reality even one who misses the Friday prayer and then prays Zuhr, isn’t making up the Friday prayer, as one cannot stand [equally] in the place of the other. Rather he is [only] praying [his normal] Zuhr as an [inferior] replacement for it, [i.e. the Friday prayer] which he missed, and which was obligatory upon him.(7)

And Allah is the One who gives the ability to find that which is correct.(8)

_____________________________

ʿAliyah here is a reference to ʿAwali, an area outside of the city of Madinah which extends from the border of the city, to about three miles out. The people of ʿAwali were expected to come to the city for the Friday prayer, except that Sayyiduna ʿUthman exempted them from having to do so, if they prayed ʿid on a Friday in Madinah (al-Baji, al-Muntaqa). [↩]
Note that Shafiʿi’s opinion is that missing the Friday prayer after having prayed ʿid is a dispensation for Bedouins like the people of ʿAwali only, and not those who actually live in the city. [↩]
It is a sunnah mu’akkadah according to the most correct fatwa of Malik (Khalil, al-Mukhtasar), and wajib according to Abu Hanifah (Quduri, al-Mukhtasar [↩]
Note that the Hanafis, Malikis and Shafiʿis are unanimous that residents of the city are obliged to pray both the ʿid and Friday prayers. This is the preponderant majority opinion of the People of the Sunnah. [↩]
Please see footnote no.8 [↩]
Abu Hanifah and Malik both have the same opinion. [↩]
Note that by this tract further Ibn Rushd emphatically restates his opinion that the ʿid prayer logically cannot replace the Friday prayer. [↩]
Ibn Rushd was considered to be a master of the rational sciences. It is for this reason that he digests the fiqh of the four madhhabs and the People of the Sunnah from a mostly rationalist perspective. It is from this perspective that he dismisses as baseless the opinion that the ʿid prayer can obviate the obligation of, or substitute for the Friday prayer.As for one who would say that there are hadiths that indicate that the messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, allowed the people to(a) skip the Friday prayer, after having prayed the ʿid prayer, or that his blessed hadiths indicate that(b) the Friday prayer can be validly prayed in the time between after sunrise and noon, thus making the ʿid prayer, which consists of two rakaʿat and a khutbah, effectively into a valid Friday prayer; the response is as follows.

The obligation of praying the Friday prayer, as well as the valid discharge of the obligation of praying the Friday prayer in the time of Zuhr is established by tawatur, meaning that it comes through so many narrations and other channels that there is no denying or questioning their validity. One who does so is deemed to be outside of the pale of Islam. This is a point on which all of the People of the Sunnah agree.

If one wishes to modify either these two points they must either bring some kind of rational proof, which would be admissible as long as no hadith is explicitly contrary to it; or they must bring a hadith or narration that is at least as strong as those hadiths or narrations about the default rulings regarding the Friday prayer and its timings that they break (a) or modify (b).

Ibn Rushd is methodical in showing that a rational proof is not forthcoming. He also maintains, as do the Hanafis, Malikis, Shafiʿis that there is no hadith which is strong enough to prove the validity of breaking or changing the default rulings regarding the Friday prayers and its timings. This is what he means when he says “… unless there is some explicit legislation to the contrary, which [is so strong that one] is obliged to follow it.”

The Hanbalis don’t claim any rational backing for (a) or (b), rather they bring some hadiths and narrations which they feel fulfill the conditions necessary to either break or modify the default rulings about the Friday prayer and its timings. It is for this reason that the People of the Sunnah hold that the views of the Hanbalis regarding this issue are a valid difference of opinion, despite the majority of Sunni scholarship not accepting them as correct.

My reason for preparing this tract was not to categorically claim that the Hanbali opinion is totally baseless; rather I notice that the average Muslim in my area seems to be under the false impression that the Hanbali opinion is the only one, and that all others are incorrect. This is not only untrue, but it also ignores the fact that the obligation of praying both the ʿid and Friday prayers is established by the rulings of the overwhelming majority of the scholars of Islam throughout the ages.

For further reading on the Hanbali basis for the validity of not praying the Friday prayer after praying the ʿid prayer, please see al-Mughni of Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi.

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Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar : The Talbiya of Allah’s Apostle was : ‘Labbaika Allahumma labbaik, Labbaika la sharika Laka labbaik, Inna-l-hamda wan-ni’mata Laka walmu Lk, La sharika Laka’ (I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner, I respond to Your call All the praises and blessings are for You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You have no partners with you. (Sahih Bukhari)

The Prophet (Sallallähu alaihi wa sallam) said,
“The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one’s house or in a business center,
because if one performs ablution and does it perfectly, and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for each step which he takes towards the mosque, Allah upgrades him a de
gree in reward and (forgives) crosses out one sin till he enters the mosque.

When he enters the mosque he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and the angels keep on asking for Allah’s forgiveness for him and they keep on saying:
‘O Allah! Be Merciful to him, O Allah! Forgive him, as long as he keeps on sitting at his praying place and does not pass wind.

[Bukhari 0466]

Hadith from Al-Bukhari and Muslim:
Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I performed along with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) two Rak`ah (Sunnah prayer) after the Jumu’ah prayer.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Hadith from Muslim:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him)reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “If anyone of you performs the Friday prayer, he should perform four Rak`ah (Sunnah) after it.”
[Muslim].

Humbleness is to know the value of oneself, to avoid pride, or disregarding the truth and underestimating people. As the Prophet [sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam] said,

“Al-Kibr (pride, haughtiness) is rejecting the truth and looking down upon people.” [Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].

Humbleness is for one who is important and significant and he fears to gain notoriety or to become too great among people. As it was said,

“Humble yourself, you will be as a glimmering star to the viewer on the surface of the water even if it is lofty.”

We don’t say to an ordinary person, “Humble yourself.” But it is said to him,

“Know the value of yourself, and do not place it in the wrong place!”

It was narrated by al-Khattabi in al-Uzlah that Imaam Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak came to Khuraassaan [in Persia] and went to a person who was known for his zuhd and wara’ (asceticism and cautiousness in piety), so when he entered where the man was, he (the man) did not turn around nor give him any consideration at all. When ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak left, some of the people who were inside with the man said to him,

“Don’t you know who that was?!” He said, “No,” He was told, “This is the ‘Ameer (leader) of the believers…this is… this is… this is… `Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak.” So the man was astonished and came out to Ibn al-Mubaarak in a hurry apologizing and absolving himself from what happened, saying, “O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan! Forgive me and advise me!”

Ibn al-Mubaarak said,

“Yes… whenever you come out of your house and see someone, assume that he is better than you!”

He knew that the man was conceited. When Ibn al-Mubaarak inquired as to what the man’s profession was, he found out that he was a weaver!!1 Therefore, this educated Imaam noticed that this mutazahhid (devoted pious person) possessed a kind of arrogance, conceitedness and feeling of superiority over others.

This disease sometimes envelops pious people; this is why he offered advice that was easy for him. Many times we find this characteristic in some of the pious people, as well as some of the du ‘aat (the caller to Islaam). But when it reaches the small students who misbehave with their shaykhs, scholars and teachers this really hurts inside! There is no objection if you differ in opinion or judgement with a scholar or a daai’y (caller to Islaam) as long as you are qualified to do so The problem occurs when this difference of opinion becomes a destructive element to the scholar’s dignity, diminishes his value, disregards and disrespects him. This may be accepted from the common people, or from the people of innovation and misguidance, but it is not allowed in any circumstance for Ahl-As SunnahWay/method/saying or deed of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). (the people who follow the Prophetic Guidance) and from the students of `Ilm al-Shariyyah (knowledge of Islamic Law).

Humbleness is to humble oneself to one who is below you. If you find someone who is younger than you, or of less importance than you, you should not despise him, because he might have a better heart than you, or be less sinful, or closer to Allah than you. Even if you see a sinful person and you are righteous, do not act in arrogance towards him, and thank Allah that He saved you from the tribulation that He put him through. Remember that there might be some riyaa’ or vanity in your righteous deeds that may cause them to be of no avail, and that this sinful person may be regretful and fearful concerning his bad deeds, and this may be the cause of forgiveness of his sins.

According to Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah a mentioned that a man said,

“By Allah, Allah will not forgive so-and-so,”

and that Allah Ta`ala said, “Who is swearing by Me that I will not forgive so-and-so? I surely have forgiven so-and-so and nullified your deed.” [Muslim]. Therefore, do not act in arrogance towards anyone. Even when you see a sinner, do not act superior towards him, nor treat him with arrogance and domination. If you feel that the sinner may perform some acts of obedience which you do not, and that you may also posses some defects which the sinner may not, then deal kindly with him, and gently give da’wah which will hopefully be the cause of his acceptance and remembrance.

Humbleness is that your deed should not become too great in your eyes. If you do a good deed, or attempt to get closer to Allah (ta`ala) through an act of obedience, your deed still may not be accepted, {Allah only accepts from those who have taqwa (fear of Allah and consciousness of Him).} (Surat al-Maida: 27)

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said,

“Whoever performs Hajj for Allah’s pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return (after Hajj free from all sins) as if he were born anew.”
{Bukhari :: Volume 2 :: Book 26 :: Hadith 596}

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“The Winter is the believer’s best season. The nights are long for him to stand in them (in prayer) and its days are short for him to fast in them.”

Abu Hurairah (May Allaah be pleased with him) reported:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying:
“There is a Surah in the Qur’an which contains thirty Ayat which kept interceding for a man until his sins are forgiven. This Surah is

`Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion.’
(Surat Al-Mulk 67).”[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]