Eiqh-us-Sunnah.

SayyidSaabiq
Eiqh1.1:PuriIication
Theshari'ahhasdividedwaterintoIourkinds:
-1- mutlaqwater,
-2- usedwater(IorpuriIication),
-3- watermixedwithpureelementsand
-4- watermixedwithimpureelements.WeshalldiscusseachoIthemseparately.
Eiqh1.1a:Mutlaqwater
ThiskindoIwaterisconsideredpurebecauseoIitsinherentpurityandassuch,itcanbeusedbyan
individualtopuriIyhimorherselI.ItconsistsoItheIollowingcategories:
Eiqh1.1b:Rainwater,snow,andhail
ThesesubstancesarepurebecauseAllahsaysso:"AndsentdownwaterIromtheskyuponyou,that
thereby He might puriIy you..." (al-AnIal 1), and "We send down puriIying water Irom the sky" (al-
Eurqan48).ThisisalsosupportedbytheIollowinghadith:AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessenger
oI Allah, upon whom be peace, used to be silent between the (opening) takbir oI the prayer and the
verbal Qur'anic recitation. Abu Hurairah asked him, "O Messenger oI Allah, may my Iather and
mother be sacriIiced Ior you, why do you remain silent between the takbir and the recital? What do
you say (silently during that time)?" He said, "I say, 'O Allah, make a distance between me and my
sinssimilartothedistanceyouhavemadebetweentheEastandtheWest.OAllah,cleansemeoImy
sinsinthemannerthatawhitegarment(iscleansed)Iromdirt.OAllah,washmysinsIrommewith
snow,water,andhail."'Thishadithisrelatedbythe"group",exceptIorat-Tirmizhi.
Eiqh1.2:Seawater
Sea water's purity is based on the Iollowing hadith: Abu Hurairah related that a man asked the
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,"OMessengeroIAllah,wesailontheoceanandwecarry
only a little water. II we use it Ior ablution, we will have to go thirsty. May we use sea water Ior
ablution?"SaidtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,"Its(thesea)waterispureanditsdead
(animals) are lawIul (i.e., they can be eaten without any prescribed slaughtering)." This hadith is
relatedby"theIive."At-Tirmizhicallsithassansahih,andal-Bukharisaysitissahih.
Eiqh1.2a:WaterIromthewelloIZamzam
'Ali narrated that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, called Ior a bucket that contained
waterIromthewelloIZamzam.HedrankIromthebucket,thenmadeablution(withitswater).This
hadithisrelatedbyAhmad.
Eiqh1.2b:Alteredwater
This involves waterwhoseIormhasbeenalteredbecauseoIitsbeinginaplaceIoralongperiodoI
time,orbecauseoItheplaceinwhichitislocated,orbecauseoIitsbeingmixedwithasubstancethat
cannot be completely removed Irom it (i.e., water mixed with algae, tree leaves, and so on). The
scholarsagreethatthistypeoIwaterIallsundertheheadingoImutlaqwater.
The rationale is simple: everything that Ialls under the general term oI water, without any Iurther
qualiIications, is considered pure, Ior the Qur'an says, "...and iI you Iind notwater,thengotoclean,
highground..."(al-Ma'idah6).
Eiqh1.2c:Usedwater
This category reIers to water which drips Irom the person aIter he perIorms ablution or ghusl. It is
consideredpurebecauseitwaspurebeIoreitsuseIorablution,andthereisnobasistothinkthatithas
lost its purity. This statement is supported by the hadith oI Rab'i bint Mu'wazh which describes the
ablutionoItheMessengeroIAllah.Shestates,"Hewipedhisheadwith(thewater)remainingonhis
handsIromhisablution."ThishadithisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.AbuDawud'sversionis,
"The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, wiped his head with the extrawaterthatwasinhis
hand." Abu Hurairah also reported that the Messenger oI Allah met him alone in the streets oI
Madinahwhilehewasinpost-seximpurity.HethereIoreslippedaway,madeghuslandreturned.The
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Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, asked him "Where have you been, Abu Hurairah?" He
answered,"Iwasinpost-seximpurityanddidnotwanttositwithyouwhileIwasinthatcondition."
The Prophet replied, "Glory be to Allah. The believer does not become impure." This is related by
"thegroup."
This is based on the rationale that since a believer never becomes impure, the water he uses Ior
puriIicationalsodoesnotbecomeimpure.Thus,apureobjecttouchingapureobjectcannotresultin
one'sbecomingimpure.Ibnal-Munzhirsaidthatitisrelatedthat'Ali,Ibn'Umar,AbuUmamah,'Ata,
al-Hassan,MakhulandanNakha'isaidthatiIapersonIorgottowipehisheadwhilemakingablution,
itissuIIicientIorhimtowipehisheadwithanywaterremaininginhisbeard.Ibnal-Munzhirstated
that this proves that they took "used water" as pure. This opinion comes Irom one oI the narrations
attributed to Malik and ash-ShaI'i. Ibn Hazm ascribes it to SuIyan al-Thauri, Abu Thaur, and all
scholarsoItheZhahirischooloIthought.
Eiqh1.3:Watermixedwithpureelements
This category includes water that has been mixed with substances likesoap,saIIron,Ilowers,andso
on,thatis,objectsconsideredpurebytheshari'ah.Suchwaterisconsideredpureaslongasithasnot
beensomixedwithothersubstancesthatonecannolongercallitwater.IIthisisthecase,thewateris
stillconsideredpure,butitcannotbeusedIorpuriIication.Umm'AtiyahnarratedthattheMessenger
oI Allah, upon whom be peace, entered her house aIter the death oI his daughter Zainab and said,
"WashherthreeorIiveormoretimes--iIyouseeIittodoso--withwateranddrytreeleaves.Eorthe
Iinal washing, use some kaIoor or something Irom kaIoor. When you are Iinished, inIorm me." She
didso,aIterwhichhegavethewomenhisoutergarmentandtoldthemtowrapZainabinit.Thiswas
relatedby"thegroup."
ThedeceasedshouldbewashedwithsomethingthatmaypuriIyaliveperson.Ahmad,an-Nasa'iand
Ibn Khuzaimah record Irom Umm Hani that the Messenager oI Allah and Maimunah washed
themselvesIromone(water)containerthathadatraceoIdoughinit.InbothoIthesehadith,weIind
that the water was mixed with another substance, but since the other substance was not substantial
enoughtoalteritsnature,itremainedIitIorconsumption.
Eiqh1.3a:Watermixedwithimpureelements
Wecandividethiscategoryintotwosub-categories:
-1- Theimpuresubstancealtersthetaste,colororodoroIthewater.Inthiscase,it cannotbeusedIor
puriIication.AccordingtoIbnal-MunzhirandIbnal-Mulaqqin,thereisaconsensusonthispoint.
-2- The liquid is still considered water, meaning that the impure substance has not altered its taste,
colororodor.SuchwaterisconsideredpureandmaybeusedIorpuriIication.Thisisbaseduponthe
Iollowing hadith: Abu Hurairah reported that a bedouin urinated in the mosque.Thepeoplestoodto
get him (and stop him). The Prophet said, "Leave him and pour a bucket oI water or a container oI
water over his urine. You have been raised to be easy on the people, not to be hard on them." This
hadithisnarratedby"thegroup,"exceptIorMuslim.
AbuSa'eedal-KhudriaskedtheProphet,"CanwemakeablutionIromthewelloIBuda'ah(i.e., awell
in Madinah)?" The Prophet, upon whom be peace, told him, "Water is pure and nothing makes it
impure."
This hadith is related by Ahmad, ash-ShaI'i, Abu Dawud,anNasa'iandat-Tirmizhi,whoclassiIiedit
as hassan. Ahmad said, "This hadith is sahih and Yahya ibn Ma'een and Muhammad ibn Hazm
classiIieditassuch."ThisisalsotheopinionoIIbn'Abbas,AbuHurairah,al-Hassanal-Basri,Ibnal-
Musayyab, 'Ikrimah, Ibn Abu Laila, al-Thauri, Dawud azh-Zhahiri, an-Nakha'i, Malik and others.
Saysal-Ghazzali,"Iwishash-ShaI'i'sopinionwaslikeMalik's."
ThereisalsoahadithIrom'Abdullahibn'UmarinwhichtheMessengeroIAllahisreportedtohave
said,"IIthereareatleasttwobucketsoIwater,itwillnotcarryanyimpurity."Thishadithisrelated
by the "Iive." However, this hadith is muzhtarab in its chain oI narrators and text. Ibn 'Abdul-Barr
said in at-Tamheed, "As to the opinion oI ash-ShaI'i which is based on this hadith, it is weak on
scrutinyandisnotconIirmedbyhistoricalreports."
Eiqh1.4:LeItoverwater
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"LeItoverwater"iswhatremainsinapotaItersomehasbeendrunk.ThereareIivediIIerenttypesoI
leItoverwater.
Eiqh1.4a:WaterleItoveraIterpeoplehavedrunkIromthepot
Accordingtotheshari'ah,suchwaterisconsideredpureregardlessoIwhethertheonewhodrankIrom
thepotwasaMuslim,anunbeliever,apersoninpost-seximpurityoramenstruatingwoman.
Although Allah says in the Qur'an, "Verily, the idol worshippers are impure" (at-Taubah) this is a
reIerencenot to their physical state, but to their Ialse belieIs and creed.Theymaycomeintocontact
withdirtorimpurities,butthisdoesnotmeanthattheirpossessionsorbodiesareimpure.InIact,they
usedtomixwiththeMuslims.TheiremmissariesanddelegationsusedtovisittheMessengeroIAllah
andenterhismosque.TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,didnotorderthattheobjectstheytouched
becleansed.AsIormensturatingwomen,'Aishahsaid,"Iusedtodrink(Iromacontainer)whileIwas
menstruating.IwouldthenpassittotheMessengeroIAllahandhewoulddrinkIromthesamespot
whereIhadputmylips."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
Eiqh1.5:WaterleItinacontaineraIteranallowableanimalhasdrunkIromit
Suchwaterisconsideredpure.SincetheanimalqualiIiesIorconsumption,itssalivaisalsopure.Abu
Bakribnal-Munzhirsaid,"ThescholarsareagreedthatsuchwaterispermissibletodrinkoruseIor
ablution."
Eiqh1.5a:WaterremaininginapotaIterithasbeendrunkbyadonkey,mule,beastsoIbirdsoIprey
Suchwaterisalsoconsideredpure,basedonthehadithoIJabirinwhichtheMessengeroIAllahwas
askedaboutmakingablutionwithdrinkingwaterleItbydonkeys.TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,
answered,"Yes,andIromthedrinkingwaterleItbyanyoIthebeastsoIprey."Thishadithwasrelated
byash-ShaiIi,ad-Daraqutniandal-Baihaqiwhosaid,"WhenitsdiIIerentchainsareputtogetherthey
becomestrong."IthasalsobeenrelatedIromIbn'UmarthattheMessengeroIAllahwentoutatnight
whilehewasonajourney.Hepassedbyamanwhowassittingbyapond.Said'Umar,"Didabeast
oI prey drink Irom yourpondtonight?"TheMessengeroIAllahtoldhim,"OowneroIthepond,do
not inIormhim.Itisnotnecessary,Ior him(thebeastoIprey)iswhathecarriedinhisstomachand
Ior us is what he leIt, water to be used Ior drinking and puriIying." This is related by ad-Daraqutni.
Yahya ibn Sa'eed reported that once 'Umar was among a group that included 'Amr ibn al-'Aas and,
when they came upon a pond, 'Amr said, "O owner oI the pond, have the beasts oI prey discovered
yourpond?"'Umarsaid,"DonotinIormus,sincethepeopledrinkaIterthewildbeastsandthewild
beastsaIterthepeople."ThisisrelatedbyMalikin al-Muwatta.
Eiqh1.6:WaterleItinapotaIteracathasdrunkIromit
Suchwaterisalsoconsideredpure.ThisisprovenbythehadithoIKabshahbintKa'bwho,whenshe
wasunderthecareoIAbuQatadah,enteredtheroomtopoursomewaterIorhim.Acatcame,drank
someoIthewater,andQatadahproceededtotiltthecontainersothecatcoulddrinkmore.Kabshah
said, "He noticed that I was watching him." He asked, "Are you surprised, O niece?" I answered,
"Yes."Hesaid,"TheMessengeroIAllah,upon whombepeace,said,'It(thecat)isnotimpure.They
interminglewithyou."'
Eiqh1.6a:WaterleItinapotaIterapigordoghasdrunkIromit
Suchwaterisconsideredimpureandmustbeavoided.Al-BukhariandMuslimhaverecorded,onthe
authority oI Abu Hurairah, that the messenger oI Allah said, "II a dog drinks Irom one oI your
containers, wash it seven times." Ahmad and Muslim also have this addition, "Cleanse one oI your
containers iI a dog licks it by washing it seven times, the Iirst washing being with dirt." As Ior the
leItoverwateroIapig,itisclearlyconsideredIilthandimpure.
Eiqh1.6b:TypesoIimpurities
NajasahreIerstoimpuresubstancesthattheMuslimmustavoidandwashoIIiItheyshouldhappento
contaminatehisclothes,bodyandsoon.SaysAllahintheQur'an,"PuriIyyourraiment"(alMudathar
4);and,"AllahlovesthosewhorepentandwhopuriIythemselves"(al-Baqarah222).TheMessenger
oIAllahalsosaid,"PurityishalIoItheIaith."
Eiqh1.6c:Deadanimals
This reIers to animals which die Irom "natural causes," that is, without the proper Islamic way oI
slaughtering. It also includes anything that is cut oII oI a live animal. Abu Waqid al-Laithy reported
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thattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"WhatiscutoIIoIaliveanimalisconsidereddead,"i.e.,
it is considered like ananimalthathasnotbeenproperlyslaughtered.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud
andbyat-Tirmizhi,whoclassiIiesitashassanandsaysthatthescholarsactaccordingtothishadith.
Eiqh1.7:DeadanimalsoItheseaanddeadlocusts
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger oI Allah said, "Two types oI dead animals and two types oI
bloodhavebeenmadelawIulIorus.ThetypesoIdeadanimalsareseaIoodandlocusts.Thetwotypes
oIbloodarethe(bloodoIthe)liverandthespleen."
This is related by Ahmad, ash-ShaI'i, al-Baihaqi and adDaraqutni. The hadith is weak, but Imam
AhmadsaysthatitisauthenticinmauqooIIorm.AbuZar'ahandAbuHatimhavesaidthesame.Such
areporthastheimplicationoIamarIu'hadithbecauseacompanionsaying,"ThiswasallowedIorus"
or"ThiswasIorbiddenIorus"islikeoneoIthemsaying,"Wewereorderedtodothis,"or"Wewere
Iorbidden to do this," and so on. (Such statements are considered marIu' with respect to their
regulations).AndwehavealreadymentionedtheProphet'sstatementconcerningtheocean,"Itswater
ispureandits'deadanimals'areallowable(toeat.)."
Eiqh1.7a:Deadanimalsthathavenorunningblood
(Thatis)bees,ants,andsoon.Theyareconsideredpure.IItheyIallintosomesubstanceanddie,the
substance will not become impure. Ibn al-Munzhir said, "I do not know oI any disagreement
concerningthepurityoIsuchwatersavewhathasbeenrelatedIromash-ShaI'i.Itiswell-knownthat
he views them as being impure. Nevertheless, it does not bother him iI the object Ialling into a
substancedoesnotalterit(inanyway)."
Eiqh1.7b:Bones,horns,claws,Iur,Ieathers,andskinandsoonoIdeadanimals
All oI these are considered pure. Concerning the bones oI dead animals, az-Zuhri said, "I have met
some scholars oI the preceeding generations who used such objects Ior combs and pots Ior oil, and
theydidnotseeanythingwronginthat."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.SaidIbn'Abbas,"TheclientoI
Maimunahwasgivenasheepascharity,anditdied.TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
passedbyitandsaid,'Whydoyounotremoveitsskin,treatitandputittouse?'Shesaid,'Itisdead'
(i.e.,ithasnotbeenslaughteredproperly).Hesaidtoher,'OnlyeatingitisIorbidden."'Thisisrelated
bythegroup.IbnMajahattributestheincidenttoMaimunahandherclient.Al-Bukhariandan-Nasa'i
donotmentiontreatingtheskin.ItisreportedIromIbn'Abbasthatherecited:"Say(OMuhammad):
"Inallthathasbeenrevealedtome,IdonotIindanythingIorbiddentoeat;iIonewantstoeatthereoI,
unless it be carrion, or blood poured Iorth, or swine Ilesh..." (al-An'am145).Thenhesaid,"Whatis
Iorbidden is its meat. As Ior its skin, skin used Ior waterskins, teeth, bones, Iur and wool, they are
permissible." This is narrated by Ibn Munzhir and Ibn Hatim. Similarly, its rennet and milk are
consideredpure.ThisissupportedbytheIactthatwhenthecompanionsconqueredIraq,theyatethe
cheese oI the Magians which was made Irom rennet, although their slaughtered animals were
considered the same as 'dead animals.' It is conIirmed Irom Salman al-Earsi that when he was asked
aboutcheese,clariIiedbutterandpelts,hesaid,"WhatispermissibleiswhatAllahmadepermissible
in His book. What is Iorbidden is what Allah made Iorbidden in His book. What he omits, He has
pardoned Ior you." It is well-known that he was being asked about the cheese oI the Magians, as
Salmanwas'Umar'sdeputyinMada'in,Iraq.
Eiqh1.8:Blood
ThisincludesbloodthatpoursIorthIromananimal'sbody,suchasbloodIromaslaughteredanimal,
or Irom menstruation, except Ior what small amounts are overlooked. Ibn Juraij said about the
Qur'anic verse "...or blood poured Iorth..." (al-An'am 145), that this is the blood that Ilows out. The
blood that does not Ilow out, but remains in the veins, is permissible. This is related by Ibn al-
Munzhir.AnditisalsorelatedIromAbuMajlizninhisdiscourseonbloodthathewasasked,"What
aboutthebloodthatremainsintheslaughteredsheeporatthetopoIthecookingpot?"Heanswered,
"Thereisnoproblemwithit.WhatisIorbiddenisthebloodthatIlowsout(oItheanimalatthetime
oI slaughtering)." This was recorded by 'Abd ibn Hameed and by Abu ash-Shaikh. It is also related
Irom 'Aishah that she said, "We used to eat the meat when the blood was streaking the pot." Al-
Hassan said, "The Muslims always prayed, even while they were bleeding." This was mentioned by
al-Bukhari. It is conIirmed that 'Umar prayed while his wound was bleeding. Elucidating the point,
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Ibn Hajr says in Eath al-Bari (a commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari): "Abu Hurairah did not see
anythingwronginadroportwooIbloodduringtheprayers.BasedonthisreportIromAbuHurairah,
the blood oI a Ilee or the blood that comes Irom a pimple are to be overlooked. Abu Majlizn was
asked about pus that gets on the body or the clothes. He said, 'There is nothing wrong with them.
Allahmentionsonlytheblood,notthepus."'
Commenting on the subject, Ibn Taimiyyah says, "It is obligatory to clean the clothes Irom pus,
purulent matter or similar Iluids." He also says, "There is no prooI concerning its impurity." It is
preIerredIorthepersontoavoidcontactasmuchaspossiblewiththesesubstances.
Eiqh1.9:Pig'smeat
According to the verse (al-An'am 145) quoted earlier, items mentioned therein are impure. The
pronoun'they'reIerstoallthreeoIthementioneditems.Itis,however,allowedtoknitwiththehairoI
apigaccordingtomostoIthescholars.
Eiqh1.9a:VomitingoIaperson,urine,andexcrement
There is agreement among the scholars that these objects are impure. But, a slight amount oI vomit
(commonly understood as a small amount oI liquid) and the urine oI an unweaned male baby are
overlooked and pardoned. It is suIIicient just to sprinkle water over the urine oI an unweaned male
baby. This is based on the hadith oI Umm Qais. She came to the Messenger oI Allah with her
unweaned son. AIter a while, the baby urinated in the Prophet's lap. The Prophet, upon whom be
peace, called Ior some water, which he sprinkled over his clothes, anddidnotgivethemacomplete
washing.Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
'AlinarratedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid,"TheurineoIababyboyshouldhavewatersprinkled
uponit.TheurineoIababygirlistobewashedoII."SaysQatadah,"ThisreIerstoamalebabythat
hasnotyetbeguntoeat.IIhealreadyeats,thenthegarmentistobewashed."
ThishadithisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,at-TirmizhiandIbnMajah.Inal-Eath,IbnHajrsaysits
chainissahih.
Sprinkling is suIIicient as long as the boy is still nursing. II he eats solid Iood, his urine must be
washed Irom the clothes and body. There is no disagreement on this latter point. Perhaps the reason
Ior this exemption to the male baby's urine is that people have a tendency to carry their male babies
around,anditwouldhavebeendiIIiculttocleantheclothesaItertheirIrequenturinations.
Eiqh1.10:Al-Wadi
Wadi is a thick white secretion discharged (by some people) aIter urination. It is considered impure.
'Aishahsaid,"WadicomesoutaIterurination.ThepersonshouldwashtheprivatepartsandperIorm
ablution. It is not necessary to perIorm ghusl. This is related by Ibn al-Munzhir. Ibn 'Abbas related
that "mani (sperm) requires ghusl. As Ior mazhi (semen) and wadi they require a complete
puriIication." This is related by al-Athram. Al-Baihaqi has it with the wording, "Concerning mazhi
(prostaticIluid)andwadi,hesaid,'WashyoursexualorgansandperIormthesametypeoIablutionas
youperIormIorprayer."'
Eiqh1.10a:Al-MazhiorprostaticIluid
This is a white sticky Iluid that Ilows Irom the sexual organs because oI thinking about sexual
intercourse or Ioreplay, and so on. The person is usually not aware oI when exactly it is secreted. It
comesIromboththemaleandtheIemalesexualorgans,althoughtheamountIromthelatterisusually
more thantheIormer's.Scholarsareagreedthatitisimpure.IIitgetsonthebody,itisobligatoryto
washitoII.IIitgetsontheclothes,itsuIIicestosprinkletheareawithwater,asitisveryhardtobe
completely protected Irom this impurity, especially Ior the young, single person. 'Ali said, "I used to
excretemazhi,soIaskedamantoasktheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,aboutit.Iwas
shy to do so because oI my positionwithrespecttohisdaughter('AliwastheProphet'sson-in-law).
Hesaid,'Makeablutionandwashyourpenis."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhariandothers.SahlibnHaniI
said,"IusedtosuIIerIromexcessiveamountsoImazhi.IusedtomakelotsoIghuslbecauseoIit.So
ImentionedthistotheMessengeroIAllah, uponwhombepeace,andhesaid,'ItissuIIicienttotakea
handIuloIwaterandsprinkleitoveryourclotheswherevertheIluidappears."
The hadith is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmizhi. The latter says, "The hadith is
hassan sahih. In the chain is Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who is considered weak when he relates in
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mu'an'an (handed-down) Iorm because oI his reputation as one who commited tadlis. But in this
narration, he makes it clear that he heard the hadith directly." Al-Athram narrated the same hadith
withthewording,"IwasbotheredbyagreatdealoImazhi,soIwenttotheProphet,uponwhombe
peace,andinIormedhimoIthis.Hesaid'ItissuIIicientIoryoutotakeahandIuloIwaterandsprinkle
itover(themazhi)."'
Eiqh1.11:Sperm,Al-Mani
Somescholarssaythatspermisimpure,butapparentlyitispure,Ioritisonlyrecommendedtowash
itoIIiIitisstillwet,andtoscratchitoIIiIitisdry.Said'Aishah,"IusedtoscratchthespermoIIthe
Messenger oI Allah's clothesiI it was dry, and wash itoIIiIitwasstillwet."(Thisisrelatedbyad-
Daraqutni,Abu'Awanahandal-Bazzar).ItisalsorelatedthatIbn'Abbassaid,"IaskedtheMessenger
oIAllahaboutspermonclothes.Hesaid,'Itisthesameasmucusandspittle.ItissuIIicienttorubthe
areawitharagorcloth."'
The hadith was related by ad-Daraqutni, al-Baihaqi and atTahawi. There is a diIIerence in the
narrationoverwhetheritshouldbeinmarIu'ormauqooIIorm.
Eiqh1.11a:TheurineandstoolsoIanimalsthatarepermissibletoeat
BothoItheseareconsideredimpure.IbnMas'udrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace, went to answer the call oI nature. He asked 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud to bring three stones.
'Abdullah said, "I could not Iind three stones, so I Iound two stones and animal dung and brought
themtohim.Hetookthetwostonesandthrewawaythedungsaying,'Itisimpure."'
The hadith is related by al-Bukhari, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Khuzaimah. In one narration it states, "It is
impure.ItisthestooloIadonkey."AlittleamountoIitispardonedthough,asitisverydiIIicultto
completelyprotectone'sselIIromit.Al-WaleedibnMuslimsays,"Isaidtoal-Auza'i,'Whataboutthe
urineoIanimalswhosemeatisnoteaten,likethemule,donkeyandhorse?'Hesaidthattheyusedto
come into contact with these during their battles, and that they did not wash it oII their bodies or
clothes.AsIortheurineandstoolsoIanimalswhosemeatispermissible,Malik,Ahmadandagroup
oI the ShaiIiyyah says that it is pure. Commenting on the subject, Ibn Taimiyyah says, "None oI the
companionh "mMs WalsaysQ nd !m*N)mVm` 5|0 (-Q
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Accordingtomostscholars,alcoholisimpure.SaysAllahintheQur'an,"Alcohol,gamesoIchance,
idolsanddiviningarrowsareonlyaninIamyoISatan'shandiwork."Somescholarssaythatitispure,
IortheytakethemeaningoIrajisinitsabstractsenseasdescribingalcoholandwhateverisrelatedto
it.ThisisnotlabeledasimpureinadeIinite,sensoryway.SaysAllah,"StayawayIromtheimpurities
oIidols."Idolsareimpureintheabstractsense,andtheyareconsideredimpureiIonetouchesthem.
The explanation oI the preceding verse is that they are a tool oI Satan, Ior they cause enmity and
hatredandkeeppeopleawayIromtheremembranceoIAllahandpra.yer.InSubulas-Salaamitsays,
"Their origin is pure and their being prohibited does not mean that the object itselI is impure. Eor
example, hashish is prohibited but it is pure. But, something impure is not necessarily prohibited.
Every impure thing is prohibited, but not vice-versa. That is because oI the ruling that something
impurecannotbetouchedunderanycircumstances.IIarulingsaysthatsomethingisimpure,itisalso
prohibited.ThisdiIIersIromarulingthatsomethingisprohibited.Eorexample,itisIorbiddentowear
silkandgold,buttheyareabsolutelypurebyconsensus."IIoneunderstandsthat,thentheprohibition
oIalcoholdoesnotnecessarilyentailitsalsobeingconsideredimpure:itneedssomeotherevidence
toprovethatitisimpure.IInot,thenweareleItwiththeoriginalpositionthatitispure.IIoneclaims
otherthanthat,hemustsubstantiateit.
Eiqh1.13:PuriIyingthebodyandclothes
IItheclothesorbodyarecontaminatedwithimpurities,itisobligatorytowashthemwithwateruntil
theyarecleansedoItheimpurities.ThisisespeciallythecaseiItheimpurityisvisible,suchasblood.
IItherearesomestainsthatremainaIterwashingwhichwouldbeextremelydiIIiculttoremove,they
can be overlooked. II the impurity is not visible, such as urine, it is suIIicient to wash it one time.
'AsmabintAbuBakrrelatedthatawomancametotheProphet,uponwhombepeace,andsaid,"Our
clothes are contaminated with menstrual blood. What should we do about this?" He said, "Scrape it,
rubitwithwater,pourwateroveritandthenprayinit."(Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim)II
impurities get on the lower portion oI a woman's dress, it is puriIied by dust as she trails along. A
woman said to Umm Salamah, "I have a long dress that drags on the ground, even when I walk
through places that contain Iilth. What should I do about it?" Umm Salamah answered her, "The
MessengeroIAllahsaid,'WhatcomesaIteritpuriIiesit."'ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.
Eiqh1.13a:Dogs
Dogsareconsideredimpure.Anycontainerthatadoghaslickedmustbewashedseventimes,theIirst
time with dirt. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenager oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said,
"PuriIyingacontainerthatadoghaslickedisdonebywashingitseventimes,theIirstwashingbeing
with dirt (that is, water mixed with dirt until it becomes muddy)." This was related by Muslim,
Ahmad,AbuDawud,andal-Baihaqi.IIadoglicksapotthathasdryIoodinit,whatittouchedand
whatsurroundsitmustbethrownaway.Theremaindermaybekept,asitisstillpure.AsIoradog's
Iur,itisconsideredpure.
Eiqh1.14:PuriIyingtheground
II there are impurities on the ground, it is puriIied by pouring water over it. This is proven by Abu
Hurairah's hadith, mentioned earlier, about the bedouin who urinated in the mosque. The Prophet,
uponwhombepeace,saidallthatneeded tobedoneIorpuriIicationwastopourwateroverit.Said
Abu Qulabah, "The drying oI the ground is its puriIication." 'Aishah said, "The puriIication oI the
ground is its becoming dry." (Related by Ibn Abi Shaibah.) This, oI course, reIers to the casewhere
theimpurityisaliquid.IItheimpurityisasolid,thegroundwillonlybecomepurebyitsremovalor
decay.
Eiqh1.14a:PuriIyingclariIiedbutterandothersimilarsubstances
Ibn'AbbasrelatesIromMaimunahthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wasaskedaboutamouse
thatIellintoapotoIclariIiedbutter.Hesaid,"Take(themouse)andwhatisarounditout,andthrow
itaway.Theneat(therestoI)yourclariIiedbutter."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Commenting on the subject, al-HaIezh Ibn Hajr says, "Ibn 'Abdul Barr reported that there is
agreement that iI a dead animal Ialls into a solid matter, what the dead animal touches and what is
around it must be thrown away, provided that one can make sure that the animal did not touch the
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remainder. As Ior a liquid substance, there is some diIIerence oI opinion. The majority say that the
entireliquidbecomesimpure;az-Zuhri,al-Auza'i,andsomeothersdisagreewiththatopinion.
Eiqh1.15:PuriIyingtheskinoIdeadanimals
Tanning puriIies the skin and the Iur oI a dead animal. This is based on the hadith oIIbn'Abbas,in
which the Prophet said, "II the animal's skin is tanned, it is puriIied." (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)
Eiqh1.15a:PuriIyingmirrorsandsimilarobjects
Mirrors,knives,swords,nails,bones,glass,paintedpotsandothersmoothsurIacesthathavenopores
are puriIied by simply wiping them and removing any impure remains. The companions oI the
Prophetusedtopraywhilewearingswordssmearedwithblood,andtheyusedtojustwipetheswords
topuriIythem.
Eiqh1.15b:PuriIyingshoes
ShoesmaybepuriIiedbyrubbingthemagainsttheground,aslongastheremainsoItheimpurityare
removed. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "II one oI
yousteppedinsomeIilth,thedirtwillpuriIyhisshoes."RelatedbyAbuDawud.Inanothernarration
it states, "II one oI you steps in some Iilth with his shoes on, the dirt will puriIy them." Abu Sa'eed
reportedtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,saying,"Whenapersoncomestothemosque,heshould
look at his shoes. II he Iinds any Iilth on them, he should wipe them against the ground and pray in
them." (Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.) Since shoes are repeatedly exposed to Iilth, it is
suIIicient just towipethemagainsttheground.ThisissimilartothecaseoIdeIecation.InIact,itis
strongerthanthatcase,asdeIecationusuallyoccursonlytwoorthreetimesaday.
Eiqh1.15c:UseIulpointsthataregreatlyneededconcerningpuriIication
Rope used Ior hanging clothes with impurities on them may aIterwards be used Ior hanging pure
clothes.
IIaliquidIallsonapersonandhedoesnotknowiIitwaswaterorurine,heneednotinquireaboutit.
II he does inquire, the one who is asked need not answer him even iI he knows that the liquid is
impure.Inthatcase,thepersonneednotwashhisclothes.
IIapersonIindssomethingmoistonhisbodyorclothesatnight,andhedoesnotknowwhatitis,he
neednotsmellittodiscoverwhatitmightbe.Itisrelatedthat'Umarpassedbyagutter(andgotwet).
'Umar's companion asked the owner oI the gutter iI the water was pure or impure. 'Umar told the
ownernottoanswerthequestion,andwentonhisway.
Clothes that have street mud on them need not be washed. Reported Kamyal ibn Ziyad, "I saw 'Ali
wadingthroughthemud,aIterwhichheenteredthemosqueandprayedwithoutwashinghislegs."
II a person Iinishes his prayer and sees some impurities on his clothes or body oI which he was not
previouslyaware,orhewasawareoIthembutIorgotaboutthem,orhedidnotIorgetaboutthembut
hewasnotabletoremovethem,thenhisprayerisstillvalidandheneednotrepeatit.Thisopinionis
supported by Allah's statement, "And there is no sin Ior you in the mistakes you make
unintentionally." (al-Ahzab 5). Many oI the companions and those oI the Iollowing generation gave
thislegalverdict.
IIapersoncannotdeterminewhatpartoIhisclothescontaintheimpurity,heshouldwashthewhole
garment. This is based on the axiom, "II an obligation cannot be IulIilled except by perIorming
anotherrelatedact,thenthatactalsobecomesobligatory."
II a person mixes his pure clothes with his impure clothes (and gets conIused between them), he
shouldinvestigatethematterandprayonceinoneoItheclothes.ThisissimilartothequestionoIthe
exactdirectionoItheqiblah.ItdoesnotmatteriItheproportionoIpureclotheswaslargeorsmall.
Eiqh1.16:ItisnotproperIoronetocarrysomethingthathasAllah'snameuponitwhileheisgoing
tothebathroom
ItisnotproperIoronetocarrysomethingthathasAllah'snameuponit(unlessheisaIraidoIlosingit
orhavingitstolen),whileheisgoingtothebathrom.AnasrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,upon
whom be peace, had a ring engraved with Muhammad Rasool-ullah, (Muhammad the Messenger oI
Allah),whichhewouldremovewhenhewenttothebathroom.IbnHajrsaysthatthishadithismalul
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(a type oI weak hadith having a deIect) and Abu Dawud says it is m unkar, (singularly related by
peoplewhoarenottrustworthy).TheIirstportionoIthehadithisauthentic,however.
Eiqh1.17:HeshouldmoveandhidehimselIIromotherswhilegoingtothebathroom
This is especially true in the case oI deIecation, so others can not hear noxious sounds or smell bad
odors. Said Jabir, "We were journeying with the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, and he
would only relieve himselI when he was out oI sight." (This is related by Ibn Majah.) Abu Dawud
recordsthat,"WhenhewantedtorelievehimselI,hewouldgowherenoonecouldseehim."Healso
related,"WhentheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,wentouthewouldgoveryIaraway."
Eiqh1.17a:OneshouldmentionthenameoIAllahandseekreIugeinHimwhenenteringtheprivyor
removinghisclothestorelievehimselI
Anas reported that when the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, entered the privy he would
say, "In the name oI Allah. O Allah! I seek reIuge in you Irom male and Iemale noxious beings
(devils)."Thisisrelatedby"thegroup."
Eiqh1.17b:Oneshouldnottalkwhengoingtothebathroom
One should not respond to a greeting or repeat what the caller to prayer is saying. He may speak iI
there is some necessity (i.e., to guide a blind man who Iears he may be harmed). II he sneezes, he
shouldpraiseAllahtohimselIandsimplymovehislips(withoutmakingasound).Ibn'Umarrelated
thatamanpassedbytheProphet,uponwhombepeace,andgreetedhimwhilehe(theProphet)was
urinating. The Prophet did not return his greeting. (This is related by "the group," except Ior al-
Bukhari.)AbuSa'eedreportedthatheheardtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,say,"Isn't
it true that Allah detests those who converse while they relieve themselves?" This was related by
Ahmad,AbuDawudandIbnMajah.
ThishadithseemstosupportthepositionthatitisIorbiddentotalk.Manyscholars,however,saythat
itisonlydisliked,notIorbidden.
Eiqh1.18:Oneshouldneither IacenorturnhisbackontheqiblahwhilerelievinghimselI
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "When one oI you
relieveshimselI,heshouldneitherIacetheqiblahnorturnhisbackonit."ThiswasrelatedbyAhmad
andMuslim.
The prohibition implies that it is only disliked. As Ibn 'Umar related that he once went to HaIsah's
home,wherehesawtheMessengeroIAllahrelievinghimselIwhileIacingSyriawithhisbacktothe
Ka'bah.Thisisrelatedby"thegroup." Somereconciliatethesehadithbysayingthatinthedesertitis
IorbiddentoIaceorturnone'sbackontheKa'bah,whileitispermittedinbuildings.SaidMarwanal-
Asghar, "I saw 'Umar sittingonhisshe-camelandIacingtheqiblahwhileurinating.I said,'OIather
oI 'Abdurahman ... is this not Iorbidden?' He said, 'Certainly not ... This has been prohibited only in
open areas. II there is a barricade (or separator) between you and the qiblah, there is nothing wrong
withit."
This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Khuzaimah and al-Hakim. Its chain is hassan as Ibn Hajr said in
Eathal-Bari.
Eiqh1.18a:OneshouldseekasoItandlowpieceoIgroundtoprotecthimselIIromimpurities
AbuMusarelatedthattheMessengeroIAllahcametoalowandsoItpart oIthegroundandurinated.
Hethensaid,"WhenoneoIyouurinates,heshouldchoosetheproperplacetodoso."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.OneoIitsnarratorsisunknown,butitsmeaningissound.
Eiqh1.18b:Oneshouldnotuseaholeintheground
QatadahrelatedIrom'AbdullahibnSarjaswhosaid,"TheMessengeroIAllahIorbadeurinationintoa
hole."SaidQatadah,"Whatisdislikedabouturinatingintoahole?"Saidhe,"ItistheresidenceoIthe
jinn."
This hadith is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, al-Hakim and al-Baihaqi. Ibn Khuzaimah
andIbnas-SakinclassiIieditassahih.
Eiqh1.18c:Oneshouldavoidshadedplacesandthoseplaceswherepeoplewalkandgather
AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"BewareoIthoseacts
whichcauseotherstocurse."Theyasked,"Whatarethoseacts?"Hesaid,"RelievingyourselIinthe
people'swalkwaysorintheirshade."ThishadithisrelatedbyAhmad,MuslimandAbuDawud.
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Eiqh1.19:Oneshouldnot urinateinbathingplacesorinstillorrunningwater
'AbdullahibnMughaIIalnarratedthattheProphetsaid,"NoneoIyoushouldurinateinabathingplace
andthenmakeablutioninthewater.ThemajorityoIwaswascomesIromthat."Thisisrelatedby"the
Iive,"butthestatement,"andthenmakeablutioninit"wasonlyrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.
Jabir said the Prophet Iorbade urinating in still as well as running water. (Related by Ahmad, an-
Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) In Majma az-Zuwaid it states, "This was related by at-Tabarani, and its
narratorsaretrustworthy."
IIthereisadraininthebathingplace,itispermissibletourinateintoit.
Eiqh1.19a:Onemaynoturinatewhilestanding
II a person can guarantee that no impurities will touch hisclothes, it is permissible to urinate while
standing. Said 'Aishah, "II someone relates to you that the Messenger oI Allah urinated while
standing, do not believe him. He only urinated while sitting." This hadith is related by "the Iive,"
exceptIorAbuDawud.At-Tirmizhi'scommentis,"Itisthebestthingrelatedonthispoint,anditis
themostauthentic."
One should not Iorget that what 'Aishah said is based on the knowledge that she had. HuzhaiIah
relatesthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,wenttoapublicgarbagedumpandurinated
while standing. HuzhaiIah went away, and the Prophet then called him over. The Prophet made
ablutionandwipedoverhisshoes.Thisisrelatedby"thegroup."
Commenting upon the issue, an-Nawawi says, "To urinate while sitting is most desirable in my
opinion, but to do so standing is permissible. Both acts are conIirmed by the Messenger oI Allah,
uponwhombepeace.
Eiqh1.19b:OnemustremoveanyimpuritiesIromhisclothesandbody
Todoso,hecanusearock,stoneoranyotherpurematter.Onemayuseonlywatertocleanthearea,
oranycombinationsoIpuriIyingagents.'AishahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace, said, "When one oI you goes to relieve himselI, he should clean himselI with three stones."
(RelatedbyAhmad,anNasa'i,AbuDawudandad-Daraqutni).
AnasrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllahwouldentertheprivy,andthatAnasandanotherboywould
carrythewatercontainerandspearIorhim.TheProphetwouldcleanhimselIwithwater."(Relatedby
al-BukhariandMuslim.)
Ibn'AbbasrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,passedbytwogravesandsaid,
"They are being punished. But they are not being punished Ior a great matter (on their part). One oI
themdid notcleanhimselIIromurineandtheotherusedtospreadslander."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Anas also related the Prophet as saying, "PuriIy yourselves Irom urine, as most punishment in the
graveisduetoit."
Eiqh1.20:OneshouldnotcleanhimselIwithhisrighthand
'Abdurahman ibn Zaid related that Salman was asked, "Your Prophet teaches you everything, even
how to relieve yourselves?" Salman said, "Certainly ... He Iorbade us Irom Iacing the qiblah while
doing so, Irom cleaning ourselves with our right hand, and Irom cleaning ourselves with less than
three stones. We also should not use an impure substance or a bone tocleanourselves."(Relatedby
Muslim,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhi.)
HaIsah reported, "The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, reserved his right hand Ior eating,
drinking, putting on his clothes, takingandgiving.HeusedhisleIthandIorotheractions."(Related
byAhmad,AbuDawud,IbnMajah,IbnHibban,al-Hakimandal-Baihaqi).
Eiqh1.20a:OneshouldremoveanybadsmellIrom hishandsaItercleaninghimselI
Abu Hurairah said, "When the Messenger oI Allah upon whom be peace, relieved himselI, I used to
bring him a container oI water. He would cleanse himselI, then rub his hands against the soil."
(RelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,al-Baihaqi,andIbnMajah.)
Eiqh1.20b:OneshouldsprinklehispenisandunderwearwithwateraIterurination
MakesurethathehascleansedhimselI.IIoneIindssomedampnessinhisclothesaItersodoing,he
can content himselI by saying, "That is just water." This is based on the hadith related by al-Hakim
ibn SuIyan or SuIyan ibn al-Hakim who said,"WhentheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
urinated,hewouldwashandsprinkle(hispenis)."Inanothernarrationitstates,"IsawtheMessenger
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oIAllahurinate,aIterwhichhesprinkledwateroverhispenis."Ibn'Umarusedtosprinklehispenis
untilhisunderwearbecamewet.
Eiqh1.20c:Enteringthebathroom
One should enter the bathroom or a privy with his leIt Ioot, and exit with his right Ioot, saying: "O
Allah! I seek your Iorgiveness." 'AishahrelatedthatwhentheMessengeroIAllahleItthebathroom,
hewouldsaythissupplication.(Relatedby"theIive,"exceptIoran-Nasa'i.)What'Aishahstatedisthe
soundeststatementonthistopic.ItisrelatedthroughanumberoIweakchainsthattheProphet,upon
whombepeace,usedtosay,"PraisebetoAllahwhomadetheIilthleavemeandwhohasgivenme
health," and "Praise be to Allah who let me enjoy it, kept Ior me its energy and relieved me oI its
harm."
Eiqh1.21:ActsthatcorrespondtotheNatureoIMankind
Allah has chosen certain acts Ior all oI His prophets and their Iollowers to perIorm. These acts
distinguishthemIromtherestoImankind,andareknownassunanal-Iitra,(the actsthatcorrespond
tothenatureoImankind).
Eiqh1.21a:Circumcision
ThispreventsdirtIromgettingonone'spenis,andalsomakesiteasytokeepitclean.Eorwomen,it
involves cutting the outer portion oI the clitoris. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger oI Allah
said, "Ibrahim circumcised himselI aIter he was eighty years old." (Related by al-Bukhari.) Many
scholars say that it is obligatory.' The ShaI'iyyah maintain that it should bedoneontheseventhday.
Saysash-Shaukani,"Thereisnothingthatstatesexplicitlyitstimeorindicatesthatitisobligatory."
Eiqh1.21b:Shavingpubichairsandpullingoutunderarmhairs
Theyaretwosunanacts.IIthehairisonlytrimmedorpulledout,itwillsuIIice.
Eiqh1.21c:Clippingone'sIingernails,trimmingandshavinghismoustache
Ibn 'Umar related that the Messenger oI Allah said, "DiIIer Irom the polytheists: let your beards
(grow)"andshaveyourmoustache."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim).AbuHurairahreportedthat
the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "Eive things are part oI one's Iitra: Shaving the
pubic hairs, circumcision, trimming the moustache, removing the hair under the arms and trimming
the nails." (Related by "the group.") It does not mention which one would speciIically IulIill the
sunnah. One should make sure that his moustache is not so long that Iood particles, drink and dirt
accumulateinit.ZaidibnArqamrelatedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said"Whoeverdoes
nottake(oII)someoIhismoustacheisnotoneoIus."(RelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'iandat-Tirmizhi,
whoclassiIieditassahih.)ItispreIerredtocutthepubichairs,pluckouttheunderarmhairs,cutthe
nailsandtrimthemoustacheonaweeklybasis,apracticewhichismosthygenic. IIsomeunnecessary
hair is leIt on the body Ior a longer period oI time, it may disturb the person. One may leave this
actionIorIortydays,butnolonger.SaidAnas,"ThetimeperiodIorustotrimthemoustache,cutthe
nails,pluckouttheunderarmhairsandcutthepubichairswasIortynights."(RelatedbyAhmad,Abu
Dawudandothers).
Eiqh1.22:Lettingone'sbeardgrowandbecomethick
ThisisaIeatureoIdignity.Itshouldnotbecutsoshortthatitappearslikeashavedbeard,norshould
itbe leItsolongthatitbecomesuntidy.ItisalsoasignoImanhood.Saysal-Bukhari,"WheneverIbn
'Umarmadethehajjor'umrah,hewouldholdhisbeardinhisIistand,whateverexceededhisIist,he
wouldcutoII."
Eiqh1.22a:Oilingandcombingone'shair
AbuHurairahreportedtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,assaying,"Whoeverhashairshouldhonor
it."(RelatedbyAbuDawud.)
Said'AtaibnYasar,"AmancametotheProphetwithunkempthairandanuntidybeard.TheProphet
pointedtohim,asiIorderinghimtostraightenhishairandbeard.Hedidsoandreturned.Thereupon
theProphetobserved,'IsthatnotbetterthanoneoIyoucomingwithhishairunkempt,asiIhewerea
devil?"'(RelatedbyMalik.)
AbuQatadahrelatedthathehadagreatamount oIhair.HeaskedtheProphet,"OMessengeroIAllah,
IhavelotsoIhair.ShouldIcombit?"Heanswered,"Yes...andhonorit."AbuQatadahusedtooilit
twiceadayduetotheProphet'swords,"...andhonorit."
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Cuttingone'shairoIIispermissible,andsoislettingitgrowiIonehonorsit.Ibn'Umarnarratedthat
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Shave it all or leave it all." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim,
Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i). To shave part oI it and leave part oI it is greatly disliked.NaIa' related
Irom Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger oI Allah prohibited qiza'. NaIa' asked,"Whatisqiza'?"Hesaid,
"ItistoshaveoIIpartoIthehairoIayouthandtoleavepart."(AlBukhariandMuslim.)
Eiqh1.23:Leavinggreyhairsinplace
Thisappliestobothmenandwomen.'AmribnShu'aibrelatedontheauthorityoIhisIatherIromhis
grandIather that the Prophet said, "Do not pluck the grey hairs as they are a Muslim's light. Never a
MuslimgrowsgreyinIslamexceptthatAllahwritesIorhim,duetothat,agooddeed.Andheraises
him a degree. And he erases Iorhim,duetothat,oneoIhissins."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,
at-Tirmizhi,an-Nasa'iandIbnMajah.)AndAnassaid,"Weusedtohatethatamanshouldpluckout
hiswhitehairsIromhisheadorbeard."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
Eiqh1.23a:ChangingthecoloroIgreyhairbyusinghenna,reddye,yellowdye,andsoon
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"TheJewsandChristiansdonot
dye, so diIIer Irom them."(Relatedby"thegroup.")AbuZharrreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah
said, "The bestthingthatonecanusetochangethecoloroIgreyhairsishennaandkatm(areddish
dye)."(Relatedby"theIive.")
There are some narrations that state that dying is disliked, but it is obvious that these narrations
conIlictwiththesunnahandcustom.ItisrelatedIromsomeoIthecompanionsthatitisbetternotto
dye, while others say it is better to do it. Some used a yellow dye,whileothersusedhennaorkatm.
OthersusedsaIIron,andagroupoIthemusedablackdye.IbnHajrmentionedinEathal-Barithataz-
Zuhri said, "We used black dye iI our Iace was youthIul, but iI wrinkles were present and the teeth
were gone we would not use it." Said Jabir, "Abu QuhaIah (Abu Bakr's Iather) was brought to the
Prophet during the conquest oI Makkah while his head was "white." The Prophet, upon whom be
peace,said,"TakehimtooneoIhiswivesandletherchangethecoloroIhishairwithsomething,but
she should avoid (making his hair) black." (Related by "the group," except Ior al-Bukhari and at-
Tirmizhi).Thisdealtwithacertainincident,andcannotbegeneralized.Eurthermore,blackwouldnot
beproperIorsomeoneasoldasAbuQuhaIah.
Eiqh1.24:TousemuskandothertypesoIperIume
ThesearepleasingtothesoulandbeautiIytheatmosphere.AnasreportedtheMessengeroIAllahas
saying, "Among the things oIthisworld,IlovewomenandperIume,andthecoolnessoImyeyesis
prayer."(RelatedbyAhmadand an-Nasa'i.)AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid,
"IIsomeoneoIIersperIume,donotrejectit,Ioritislighttocarryandhasasweetscent."(Relatedby
Muslim,an-Nasa'iandAbuDawud.)AbuSa'eedreportedthattheProphetsaidabout musk,"Itisthe
bestoIperIumes."(Relatedby"thegroup,"exceptIoral-BukhariandIbnMajah).
NaIa'narratedthatIbn'Umarusedtoburnandinhaleabranchcalledaluwahthathasanicesmell.He
alsousedcamphor.Heusedtosay,"ThisisthewaytheMessengeroIAllahinhaledsuchscents(that
is,byburningthem.)"(RelatedbyMuslimandan-Nasa'i.)
Eiqh1.25:Ablutionmeanstowashone'sIace,hands,arms,headandIeetwithwater.
Eiqh1.25a:PartoIIslamiclaw
ThisisprovenIromthethreemajorsourcesoIIslamiclaw:
-1- The Qur'an. Says Allah in the Qur'an, "O you who believe, when you rise Ior prayer, wash your
Iacesandyourhandsuptotheelbowsandlightlyrubyourheadsand(wash)yourIeetuptotheankles
(al-Mai'dah6).
-2- TheSunnah.AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid,"Allahdoesnotacceptthe
prayeroIonewhonulliIiedhisablutionuntilheperIormsitagain."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,
AbuDawudandat-Tirmizhi.)
-3- The Consensus. There is a consensus oI scholarly opinion that ablution is part oI Islamic law.
ThereIore,itisarecognizedIactoIthereligion.
Eiqh1.25b:Itsvirtues
ManyhadithstatethevirtuesoIablution.WeshallmentionjustaIew:
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-1- 'Abdullahibnas-Sunnabijistatedthatthe MessengeroIAllahsaid,"Whenaslavemakesablution
andrinseshismouth,hiswrongdeedsIallIromit.Asherinseshisnose,hiswrongdeedsIallIromit.
When he washes his Iace, his wrong deeds Iall Irom it until they Iall Irom beneath his eyelashes.
When he washes his hands, his wrong deeds Iall Irom them until they Iall Irom beneath his
Iingernails.Whenhewipeshishead,hiswrongdeedsIallIromituntiltheyIallIromhisears.When
hewasheshisIeet,hiswrongdeedsIallIromthemuntiltheyIallIrombeneathhistoenails.Thenhis
walkingtothemosqueandhisprayergivehimextrareward."(RelatedbyMalik,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajah
andal-Hakim.)
-2- Anas reported that the Messenger oI Allah said, "II good characteristics exist in a person, Allah
makes all oI his acts good. II a person puriIies himselI Ior prayer, he expiates all oI his sins and his
prayerisconsideredanextrarewardIorhim."(RelatedbyAbuYa'la,al-Bazzarandat-Tabaraniinal-
Ausat.)
-3- AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid,"'ShallIinIormyou(oIanact)bywhich
Allah erases sins and raises degrees?" They said, "Certainly, O Messenger oI Allah." He said,
"PerIecting the ablution under diIIicult circumstances, taking many steps tothemosque,andwaiting
Ior the (next) prayer aIter the (last) prayer has been perIormed. That is ribat. (Related by Malik,
Muslim,at-Tirmizhiandan-Nasa'i.)
-4- AbuHurairahalsoreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,passedbyagrave
siteandsaid,"Peacebeuponyou,OhomeoIbelievingpeople.Allahwilling,weshallmeetyousoon,
although I wish I could see my brothers." They asked, "Are we not your brothers, O Messenger oI
Allah?"Hesaid,"Youaremycompanions.MybrothersaretheoneswhowillcomeaIter(us)."They
said,"HowwillyouknowthepeopleoIournationwhowillcomeaIteryou,OMessengeroIAllah?"
He said, "II a man has a group oI horses with white Iorelocks amidst a group oI horses with black
Iorelocks, will he recognize his horses?" They said, "Certainly, O Messenger oI Allah." He said,
"They(mybrothers)willcomewithwhitestreaksIromtheirablutions,andIwillreceivethematmy
cistern. But there will be some who will be driven away Irom my cistern as a stray camel is driven
away. I will call them to come. It will be said, 'They changed matters aIter you,' then I will say, 'Be
oII,beoII."'(RelatedbyMuslim.)
Eiqh1.27:TheobligatorypartsoItheablution
Ablution has certain components which, iI not IulIilled accordingto the correct Islamic procedures,
makeone'sablutionvoid.
Eiqh1.27a:Intention
ThisisthedesiretodotheactionandtopleaseAllahbyIollowingHiscommand.ItispurelyanactoI
theheart,Iorthetongue(verbalpronouncement,andsoon)hasnothingtodowithit.Topronounceit
isnotpartoItheIslamiclaw.ThattheintentionisobligatoryisshownintheIollowing:'Umarrelated
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Every action is based on the intention (behind it), and
everyoneshallhavewhatheintended..."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Eiqh1.27b:WashingtheIace
Thisinvolves"pouring"or"running"waterIromthetopoItheIoreheadtothebottomoIthejaws,and
Iromoneeartotheother.
Eiqh1.27c:Washingthearmstotheelbow
Theelbowsmustbewashed,IortheProphet,uponwhombepeace,didso.
Eiqh1.27d:Wipingthehead
Thismeanstowipeone'sheadwithhishand.ItisnotsuIIicientjusttoplacethehandontheheador
to touch the head with a wet Iinger. The apparent meaning oI the Qur'anic words, "...and wipe over
your heads..." does not imply that all oI the head needs to be wiped. It has been recorded that the
ProphetusedtowipehisheadthreediIIerentways:
-1- WipingalloIhishead.'AbdullahibnZaidreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wiped
hisentireheadwithhishands.HestartedwiththeIrontoIhishead,thenmovedtotheback,andthen
returnedhishandstotheIront.(Relatedby"thegroup.").
-2- Wiping over the turban only. Said 'Amru ibn Umayyah, "I saw the Messenger oI Allah, upon
whom be peace, wipe over his turban and shoes." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah).
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BilalreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Wipeoveryourshoesandheadcovering."
(Related by Ahmad.) 'Umar once said, "May Allah not puriIy the one who does not consider wiping
over the turban to be puriIying." Many hadithhavebeenrelatedonthistopicbyal-Bukhari,Muslim
andothers.MostoIthescholarsagreewiththem.
WipingovertheIrontportionoIthescalpandtheturban
Al-MughirahibnShu'bahsaidthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,madeablutionand
wiped over the Iront portion oI his scalp, his turban and his socks. (Related by Muslim.) There is,
however, no strong hadith that he wiped over part oI his head, even though al-Ma'idah: apparently
impliesit.ItisalsonotsuIIicientjusttowipeoverlocksoIhairthatproceedIromtheheadoralong
thesidesoIthehead.
Eiqh1.28:WashingtheIeetandtheheels
This has been conIirmed in mutawatir (continuous) reports Irom the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
concerning his actions and statements. Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet lagged behind us in one oI our
travels.HecaughtupwithusaIterwehaddelayedtheaIternoonprayer.Westartedtomakeablution
andwerewipingoverourIeet,whentheProphetsaid,'Woetotheheels,savethemIromtheHell-Iire,'
repeatingittwoorthreetimes."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Needlesstosay,theprecedingobligationsaretheonesthatAllahhasmentionedin(al-Ma'idah6).
Eiqh1.28a:Eollowingtheprescribedsequence
Allah mentioned the obligations in a speciIic order. He also diIIerentiated the legs Irom the hands--
thoughbothoIthemhavetobewashed--Iromthehead,whichonlyneedstobewiped.Thepolytheists
oI Arabia would not diIIerentiate items unless there was some beneIit in doing so. The way Allah
structured the ablution made it easier Ior them to comprehend it. Al-Ma'idah 6 explains what is
obligatory and it Ialls under the generality oI the Prophet's statement, "Begin with what Allah began
with." The Prophet used to Iollow that sequence as one oI ablution's principles. There is no such
report that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, ever departed Irom that sequence. Ablution is part oI
worship, and in matters oI worship there is no room Ior anything except doing what has been
commanded.
Eiqh1.28c:
This section deals with those acts connected with the ablution, but which are not obligatory, as the
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,didnotrigorouslysticktothemorcensureanyoneIornotdoingthem.
TheyareasIollows:
Eiqh1.29:MentioningthenameoIAllahatthebeginning
Therearesomeweakhadiththatmentionthisact,andalloIthechainsoIthesehadithpointtotheIact
that there is some basis Ior this act. In any case, it is a good act in and oI itselI and, ingeneral,itis
partoItheIslamiclaw.
Eiqh1.29a:DentalHygiene
Thisinvolvesusingastickorsimilarobjecttocleanone'steeth.ThebesttypetouseisthatoIthearak
treeIoundintheHejaz.Suchapracticestrengthensthegums,preventstoothdisease,helpsdigestion
and Iacilitates the Ilow oI urine. This sunnah is IulIilled by using any object which removes yellow
stainsontheteethandcleansthemouth,suchasatoothbrush,andsoon.AbuHurairahreportedthat
theProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Wereitnottobeahardshiponmycommunity,Iwouldhave
orderedthemtouseatoothbrushIoreveryablution."(RelatedbyMalik,ash-ShaI'i, al-Baihaqiandal-
Hakim.)'AishahreportedthattheProphetsaid,"ThetoothbrushpuriIiesthemouthandispleasingto
theLord."(RelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'iandat-Tirmizhi.)
Usingatoothbrushislikedatanytime,butthereareIivetimesinwhichit isespeciallyliked:
-1- ablution,
-2- prayer,
-3- readingtheQur'an,
-4- risingIromsleep,and
-5- when the taste in one's mouth has changed. Easting and non-Iasting people may use it at the
beginning, the end, or at any other time during the day. 'Amr ibn Rabi'ah said, "I have seen the
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MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,oncountlessoccasionsusingatoothbrushwhileIasting."
(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandat-Tirmizhi.)
When one uses a toothbrush, it is sunnah to clean it aIterwards. Said 'Aishah, "When the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, used his toothbrush, he would give it to me. I would wash it, use it, wash it
againandgiveitbacktohim."(RelatedbyAbuDawudandalBaihaqi.)
It is part oI the sunnah that one who has no teeth may use his Iingers to clean his mouth. Asked
'Aishah, "O Messenger oI Allah, how should a toothless person cleanse his mouth?" "By putting his
Iingersintohismouth,"hereplied.(Relatedbyat-Tabarani.)
Eiqh1.30:Washingthehandsthreetimesatthebeginning
ThisisbasedonthehadithoIAusibnAusal-ThaqaIiwhosaid,"IsawtheMessenageroIAllahmake
ablution, and he washed his hands three times." (Related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i.) Abu Hurairah
reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "When one oI you rises Irom his sleep, he
shouldnotputhishandintoapotuntilhehaswasheditthreetimes,Iorhedoesnotknowwherehis
handwas(whileheslept)."(Relatedby"thegroup",al-BukharididnotmentionthenumberoItimes.)
Eiqh1.30a:Rinsingthemouththreetimes
Laqit ibn Sabrah reported that the Prophet said, "When one perIorms ablution, he should rinse his
mouth."(RelatedbyAbuDawudandal-Baihaqi.)
Eiqh1.30b:SniIIingupandblowingoutwaterthreetimes
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "When one oI you perIorms
ablution, he should sniII water uphisnostrilsandthenblowitout."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim
andAbuDawud.)
ThesunnahistoputthewaterintothenostrilswiththerighthandandblowitoutwiththeleIt.'Ali
oncecalledIorwaterIorablution,rinsedhismouth,sniIIedupwaterintohisnostrilsandblewitout
with his leIt hand. He did that three times and then said, "That is how the Prpohet, upon whom be
peace,wouldpuriIyhimselI."(RelatedbyAhmadandan-Nasa'i.)
This sunnah is IulIilled by putting water into the mouth and nostrils in any way. The practice oI the
Prophet was to dobothactsatthesametime.'AbdullahibnZaidsaid,"TheProphetwouldrinsehis
mouthandnosewithjustonehand(atonetime,together).Hedidthatthreetimes."Inonenarrationit
says, "He would rinse his mouth and nose with three scoops oI water." (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)ItisalsosunnahtobeplentiIul(withwater)whileperIormingthissunnah,exceptiIoneis
Iasting.LaqitaskedtheProphet,"InIormmeaboutyourablution."Hereplied,"CompleteandperIect
theablutionand(putwater)betweenyourIingers.UselotsoIwaterwhilesniIIingitupyournostrils,
unlessyouareIasting."(Relatedby"theIive."At-Tirmizhisaiditissahih.)
Eiqh1.31:Runningone'sIingersthroughhisbeard
'AishahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahwouldrunhisIingersthroughhisbeard.(RelatedbyIbn
Majahandat-Tirmizhi,whoclassiIieditassahih.)
AnassaidthatwhentheMessengeroIAllahperIormedablution,hewouldtakeahandIuloIwaterand
putitunderhisjawsandpassitthroughhisbeard.Hesaid,"ThisiswhatmyLord,Allah,orderedme
todo."(RelatedbyAbuDawud,al-Baihaqiandal-Hakim.)
Eiqh1.31a:Runningwaterthroughone'sIingersandtoes
Ibn 'Abbas said that when the Messenger oI Allah perIormed ablution, he would run his Iingers
through his Iingers and toes. (Related by "the Iive," except Ahmad.) It is also related that it is
preIerable to remove jewelry, Ior example, rings, bracelets, and so on, while perIorming ablution.
Even though these reports are not accepted as Iully authentic, one must Iollow them, Ior they Iall
underthegeneralcategoryoIcompleting andperIectingtheablution.
Eiqh1.31b:Repeatingeachwashingthreetimes
This is a sunnah that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, almost always Iollowed. II he acted
otherwise, it was just to show that the other acts are permissible. 'Amr ibn Shu'aib related on the
authority oI his Iather Irom his grandIather who said: "A bedouin came to the Messenger oI Allah,
uponwhombepeace,andaskedhimabouttheablution.Heshowedhimhowtowasheachpartthree
timesandsaid,'Thisistheablution.Whoeverdoesmorethanthathasdonewrong,transgressedand
committed evil." (Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) 'Uthman also reported that the
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Messenger oI Allah would repeat each washing three times. (Related by Ahmad, Muslim and at-
Tirmizhi.)Itisalso proventhatheperIormedeachwashingonlyonceortwice.AccordingtomostoI
thereports,hewipedhisheadonlyonce.
Eiqh1.31c:Beginningeachactionwiththerightside
Said'Aishah,"TheMessengeroIAllahlovedtobeginwithhisrightsidewhileputtingonhisshoes,
straighteninghishairandcleaning(orpuriIying)himselI."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMusilm.)Abu
Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "When you clothe or wash yourselI, begin with your right
side."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,at-Tirmizhi,andan-Nasa'i.)
Eiqh1.32:Rubbingthelimbswithwater
This means to rub the hands over the bodily parts with water. 'Abdullah ibn Zaid reported that the
Messenger oI Allah was brought a pot oI water which he used to perIorm ablution, and then rubbed
his arms. (Related by Ibn Khuzaimah.) He also related that the Messenger oI Allah perIormed
ablution, then rubbed his limbs. (Related by Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and Abu
Ya'la.)
Eiqh1.32a:Closesequence
Each bodily part must be washed right aIter the other intheprescribedsequence(withoutseparating
thewashingoIthediIIerentpartsoIactsnotrelatedtotheabution).ThisisthecustomarypracticeoI
theearlyandlatergenerationsoIMuslims.
Eiqh1.32b:Wipingtheears
ThesunnahistowipetheinterioroItheearswiththeindexIingersandtheexteriorportionswiththe
thumbs.ThewaterusedtowipetheheadisalsousedIortheears,astheearsarepartoIthehead.Al-
MiqdamibnMa'dYakrihreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wipedhisheadandhisears,
theinteriorandexterior,whilemakingablution.HealsoputhisIingerinsidehisear.(RelatedbyAbu
Dawudandat-Tahawi.)
While describing the ablution oI the Prophet, upon whom be peace, Ibn 'Umarsaid, "He wiped his
head and ears with one wipe." (Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.) In one narration it states, "He
wipedtheinnerportionoIhisearswithhisindexIinger,andtheouterportionwithhisthumb."
Eiqh1.32c:ElongatingthestreaksoIlight
This reIers to washing the complete Iorehead, a practice which is more than what is obligatory in
washing the Iace, and will increase the streak oI light (on the Day oI Judgement). It also reIers to
washing above the elbowsandankles.AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid,"My
nationwillcomewithbrightstreaksoIlightIromthetracesoIablution."AbuHurairahthensaid,"II
one can lengthen his streak oI light, he should do so." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
AbuZar'ah relatedthatwhenAbuHurairahmadeablution,hewashedhisarmsabovehiselbowsand
his Ieet up to his calves. He was asked, "Why do you do this?" He said, "This is the extent oI the
embellishment."(RelatedbyAhmad.)Accordingtoal-BukhariandMuslim,itschainissahih.
Eiqh1.32d:EconomizingtheuseoIwater,eveniIoneisinIrontoIthesea
Anas said, "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, usedtoperIormghusl(thecompletebathing)witha
sa'a oI water (1.616 cm) 3 to 5 madd (each 4 madd equals one sa'a). He also used to make ablution
with one madd (404 cm) oI water." (Related by al-Bukhari and Musim.) 'Ubaidullah ibn Abu Yazid
narratedthatamanaskedIbn'Abbas,"HowmuchwaterissuIIicientIorghusl?"Heanswered,"One
madd." "And how much is suIIicient Ior ghusl?" He said, "One sa'a." The man said, "That is not
suIIicientIorme.""Ibn'Abbassaid,"No?ItwassuIIicientIoronebetterthanyou,theMessengeroI
Allah, upon whom be peace." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bazaar and at-Tabarani in al-Kabeer. Its
narrators are trustworthy.) 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar narrated that the Messenger oI Allah passed by Sa'd
while he was perIorming ablution and said, "What is this extravagance, Sa'd?" He said, "Is there
extravagance in the use oI water?" He said, "Yes, even iI you are at a Ilowing river." (Related by
AhmadandIbnMajahwithaweakchain.)
Extravagance is to use water without any beneIit, like washing the parts more than three times. Ibn
Shu'aib'shadith,quotedearlier,illustratesthepointinquestion.'AbdullahibnMughaIIalnarratedthat
he heard the Prophet say, "There will be people Irom my nation who will transgress in making
supplicationsandinpuriIyingthemselves."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandan-Nasa'i.)
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Saysal-Bukhari,"Thescholars donotlikeonetousewaterbeyondwhattheProphet,uponwhombe
peace,usedIorablution.
Eiqh1.33:SupplicationwhileperIormingablution
There is nothing conIirmed Irom the Prophet, upon whom be peace, regarding supplications during
ablution save the hadith oI Abu Musa al-Ash'ari who said, "I came to the Messenger oI Allah with
water.WhilehewasperIormingablution,Iheardhimsupplicate,'OAllah,Iorgivemysins.Makemy
residence spacious Ior me and bless me in my provisions.' I said, 'O Prophet oI Allah, I heard you
supplicating such and such.' He said, 'Did I leave anything out?" (Related by an-Nasa'i and Ibn as-
Sunniwithasahihchain.)An-Nawawiincludesthiseventunderthechapter,WhatistobesaidaIter
onecompletestheablution,andIbnas-Sunnihasitunder,Whatistobesaidwhenoneisinthestate
oIablution.
An-NawawiholdsthatbothmeaningsmaybeimpliedIromthehadith.
Eiqh1.34:SupplicationaIterablution
'Umar reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "II one completes (and perIects) the
ablution and then says, 'I testiIy that there is no god except Allah, the One Who has no partner, and
thatMuhammadisHisslaveandMessenger,"theeightgatesoIparadisewillbeopenedIorhimand
hemayenteranyoIthemthathewishes."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
AbuSa'eedal-KhudrireportedthattheProphetsaid,"Whoevermakesablutionandsays,'Glorybeto
Thee,OAllah,andthepraisebetoThee.IbearwitnessthatthereisnogodexceptYou.IbegYour
IorgivenessandIrepentuntoyou,'willhaveitwrittenIorhim,andplacedonatabletwhichwillnot
bebrokenuntiltheDayoIResurrection.Thishadithisrelatedbyat-Tabaraniinal-Ausat.Itsnarrators
areoIthesahih.An-Nasa'ihasitwiththewording."Itwillbe stampedwithaseal,placedbelowthe
throne, and it will not be broken until the Day oI Resurrection." The correct statement is that it is
mauqooI.
As Ior the supplication, "Allah, cause me to be Irom among the repentant, and cause me to be Irom
among the pure," it has been narrated by at-Tirmizhi who said, "Its chain is muzhtarib and there is
nothingauthenticconcerningthis(supplication)."
Eiqh1.34a:Prayingtworak'ahaIterablution
AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,saidtoBilal,"OBilal,tell
mewhatgooddeedyouhavedoneinIslamthatIhearthesoundoIyourIootstepsinParadise?"Bilal
said,"ThataIterIpuriIymyselIduringthedayornight,IpraywiththatpuriIicationasmuchasAllah
has destined Ior me." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) 'Uqbah ibn 'Aamr related that the
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"IIoneperIormsandperIectshisablutionandprays
two rak'ah with his heart and Iace (completely on his prayer), Paradise becomes his." (Related by
Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih.) Khumran, theclientoI'Uthman,
added,"Isaw'UthmancallIorwaterIorablution,pouritIromthepotontohisrighthandandwashit
three times. He then put his right hand into the container, rinsed his mouth and nose and blew the
water out. Then he washed his Iace three times, Iollowed by his arms up to the elbows. Then he
washed his Ieet three times and said 'I saw the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, make
ablution like this.' And then he would say, 'Whoever makes ablution like this and then prays two
rak'ah without having any other concern on his mind, all his past sins will be Iorgiven." (Related by
al-Bukhari,Muslimandothers.)
Other practices (protecting the eyes and wrinkles, removing any rings, wiping the neck, and so on)
have not been mentioned here as their narrations arestillquestionable.But,onemayIollowthemas
partoIgeneralcleanliness.
Eiqh1.35:NulliIicationoIablution
It isnotdesirablethatonewhoismakingablutionshouldleaveanyoIthesunanthathavejustbeen
mentioned.ThepersonwouldthenlosethegreatrewardoIthese(simple)acts.Anytimeoneabandons
thesunnah,hehasdoneadislikeddeed.
Eiqh1.35a:AnexcretionoIthepenis,vaginaoranus
This would include urine, Ieces (Allah says, "...or one oI you comes Irom relieving himselI," thus
provingthatsuchanactobligatesanewpuriIication),andreleasinggasIromtheanus.AbuHurairah
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reported that the Messenger oI Allah said, "Allah does not accept the prayer oI a person who has
released gas until he makes a new ablution. A person Irom Hazhramaut asked Abu Hurairah, "What
does releasing gas mean?" He answered, "Wind with or without sound." (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)HealsonarratedthattheProphetsaid,"IIoneoIyouIindsadisturbanceinhisabdomenand
is not certain iI he has released any gas or not, he should not leave the mosque unless he hears its
soundorsmellsitsscent."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
HearingtheescapinggasorsmellingitisnotaconditionIornulliIyingablution,buthestressedthat
one should be certain oI the action. As Ior al-Mazhi (prostatic Iluid), the Prophet said, "Make
ablution." Concerning sperm or al-mani, said Ibn 'Abbas "It requires ghusl and Ior al-mazhi and al-
wadi,washyoursexorgansandmakeablution."Thiswasrelatedbyal-BaihaqiinhisSunan.
Eiqh1.35b:DeepsleepthatmakesapersoncompletelyunawareoIhissurroundings
IIthepersondidnotkeephisbottocksIirmlyseatedontheIloorwhilesleeping,hemustmakeanew
ablution.SaIwanibn'Asalsaid,"TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,usedtoorderuswhilewewere
travelling not to take our socks oII unless we were in post-sex impurity (i.e. not Ior deIecation,
urination or sleep)." (Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi, who graded it sahih.) II one's
buttocks has remained Iirmly on the Iloor during his sleep, no new ablution is necessary. This is
impliedbythehadithoIAnaswhosaid,"ThecompanionsoItheProphetwerewaitingIorthedelayed
night prayer until their heads began nodding up and down (Irom drowsiness and sleep). They would
then pray without perIorming ablution." (Related by ash-ShaiIi, Muslim, Abu Dawud and at-
Tirmizhi.) The wording that at-Tirmizhi recorded Irom the chain oI Shu'bah is, "I have seen the
companionsoItheProphetsleepingtotheextentthatonecouldhearsomeoIthemsnoring.But,they
would stand Ior prayer without a new ablution." Said Ibn alMubarak, "In our opinion, thishappened
whentheyweresitting."
Eiqh1.36:LossoIconsciousness
This nulliIies the ablution regardless oI whether it was owing to insanity, Iainting, drunkenness, or
somemedicine.ItalsodoesnotmatteriIonewasunconsciousIorashortorlongperiodoItime,oriI
onewassitting,orIelltotheearth,andsoon.TheaspectoIunawarenesshereisgreaterthanthatoI
sleeping.Thescholarsareagreedonthispoint.
Eiqh1.36a:Touchingthesexualorganwithoutany"barrier"betweenthehandandthe organ
Busrah bint SaIwan narrated that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever touches his
sexualorgancannotprayuntilheperIormsablution."
Thishadithisrelatedby"theIive."At-TirmizhiclassiIieditassahihandal-Bukharicalleditthemost
authenticreportonthattopic.Malik,ash-ShaiIi,Ahmadandothersalsonarratedit.AbuDawudsaid,
"I asked Ahmad, 'Is the hadith oI Busrah authentic?' He said, 'Certainly it is authentic." In the
narration oI Ahmad and an-Nasa'i, Busrah heard the Prophet saying, "Ablution is to be made by the
one who touches his sexual organ." This is general and encompasses touching one's own sexual
organsortouchingsomebodyelse's.AbuHurairahreportedtheProphetassaying,"Whoevertouches
his sexual organ without any covering (between them) must perIorm ablution." (Related by Ahmad,
IbnHibbanandal-Hakim,whoclassiIieditassahih,asdidIbn'Abdul-Barr.)
Said Ibn as-Sakin, "That hadith is Irom the best oI what has been related on this topic." Ash-ShaI'i
related:"AnymanwhotoucheshispenismustperIormablution.Anywomenwhotoucheshervagina
must perIorm ablution." Commenting on its authenticity, Ibn alQayyim quotes al-Hazimi who says,
"Thatchainissahih."TheHaniIiyyahareoItheopinion,based ontheIollowinghadith,thattouching
the sexual organ does not nulliIy the ablution: "A man asked the Prophet iI a man who touches his
penis has to perIorm ablution. Said the Prophet, upon whom be peace, "No, it is just a part oI you."
(Relatedby"theIive."IbnHibbanclassiIieditassahih,andIbnal-Madinisaid,"Itisbetterthanthe
hadithoIBusrah.'')
Eiqh1.37:Touchingawoman
'AishahrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,kissedherwhilehewasIastingand
said, "Kissing does not nulliIy the ablution, nor does it break the Iast." (Related by Ishaq ibn
Rahawaihandal-Bazzarwithagoodchain.)
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Evaluating its authenticity, 'Abdul-Haqq says, "I do not know oI any deIect in the hadith that could
causeitsrejection."
'Aishah also said, "One night, I missed the Messenger oI Allah in my bed, and so went to look Ior
him.IputmyhandonthebottomoIhisIeetwhilehewasprayingandsaying,'OAllah,IseekreIuge
in Your pleasure Irom Your anger, in Your Iorgiveness Irom Your punishment, in You Irom You. I
cannotpraiseyouasYouhavepraisedYourselI"(relatedbyMuslimandat-Tirmizhi,whoclassiIiedit
as sahih.), and she also reported, 'The Prophet kissed some oI his wives and went to prayer, without
perIorming ablution." (Related by Ahmad and "the Iour,'' and its narrators are trustworthy.) She also
said,"IwouldsleepinIrontoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,withmyIeetinthedirectionoIthe
qiblah (to him). When he made prostrations, he would touch me, and I would move my Ieet." In
anothernarrationitsays,"Whenhewantedtoprostrate,hewouldtouchmylegs."
Eiqh1.38:BleedingIromanunusualplace
Thisinvolvesbleedingduetoawound,cuppingoranosebleed,andregardlessoIwhethertheamount
oIbloodissmallorlarge.
Said al-Hassan, "The Muslims still prayed even while wounded." (Related by al-Bukhari.) He also
reported,"Ibn'Umarsqueezedapimpleuntilitbled,buthedidnotrenewhisablution.IbnAbi'Uqiyy
spatbloodandcontinuedhisprayer.'Umar ibnal-KhattabprayedwhilebloodwasIlowingIromhim.
'Ibbad ibn Bishr was hit with an arrow while praying, but continued his prayers." (Related by Abu
Dawud,IbnKhuzaimah,andal-Bukhariinmu'allaqIorm.)
Eiqh1.38a:Vomit
RegardlessoIwhetherthe amountoIvomitwasgreatorsmall,thereisnosoundhadiththatitnulliIies
ablution.
Eiqh1.38b:Eatingcamelmeat
That this does not nulliIy the ablution was the opinion oI the Iour rightly guided caliphs, the
companionsandtheIollowinggeneration,althoughthereisanauthentichadiththatstatesoneshould
makeablutionaIterit.
SaidJabiribnSumrah,"AmanaskedtheProphet,'ShouldwemakeablutionaItereatingmutton?'He
said, 'II you wish, make ablution. II you do not, do not make ablution.' The man asked 'Should we
make ablution aIter eating camel meat?' He said, 'Yes."' Al-Barra' ibn 'Aazib related that someone
askedtheProphetaboutprayinginthedensoIcamels,andhesaid,"Donotpraytherein,Iortheyare
oI the devils." He asked about the dens oI sheep, and he said, "Pray therein, Ior they are blessings.
(Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud andIbnHibban.)IbnKhuzaimahsaid,"IknowoInodisputeover
theauthenticityoIthisreport."Insummation,an-Nawawicanbequotedassaying,"Thisopinionhas
thestrongestprooI,althoughthemajorityoIthescholarsdiIIerIromit."
Eiqh1.39:OIdoubtswhetherornotonehasreleasedgas
ThisisthecasewherethepersoncannotquiterecalliIheisinastateoIpurityornot.SuchastateoI
minddoesnotnulliIyablution,regardlessoIwhetherthepersonisinprayerornot,untilheiscertain
thathehasnulliIiedhisablution.'AbbadibnTameemrelatedthathisunclequeriedtheProphetabout
a person who Ieels something in hisabdomenwhilepraying.SaidtheProphet,"Heshouldnotleave
(theprayer)untilhehearsitorsmellsit."(RelatedbyMuslim,AbuDawudandat-Tirmizhi).Itdoes
not mean that its sound or bad smell nulliIies ablution, but thatthepersonmustbecertainaboutthe
IactthathehasnulliIiedhisablution.SaysIbnal-Mubarak,"IIoneisuncertainabouthisconditionoI
purity,hedoesnotneedtoperIormanewablution."IIoneiscertainthathehasnulliIiedhisablution
anddoubtswhetherhehaspuriIiedhimselIornot,hemustperIormanewablution.
Eiqh1.39a:Laughingduringprayer
ThisdoesnotnulliIyablution,IortherearenoconIirmedreportsthatstatesuchathing.
Eiqh1.39b:Washingadeadperson
Thisalsodoesnotrequireanewablution,IorthereportsthatsayitnulliIiesablutionareweak.
Eiqh1.39c:AnytypeoIritualprayer
Thisinvolvesonlyobligatory,voluntary,orIuneralprayers,notthesupplications(du'a).Thisisbased
on Allah's statement, "O you who believe. When you get up to perIorm a prayer (salah) wash your
IaceandyourarmsuptotheelbowsandwipeyourheadandIeettotheankles."Also,theMessenger
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oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "Allah does not accept a prayer (that was perIormed while the
person)wasnotinastateoIpurity.NordoesheacceptcharityIrommisappropriatedbooty."(Related
by"thegroup,"exceptIoral-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.40:CircumambulatingtheKa'bah
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger oI Allah said, "Circumambulation is a type oI prayer, but
Allahhaspermittedspeakingduringit.Whoeverspeaksduringitshouldonlyspeakgood."
Thishadithisrelatedbyat-Tirmizhi,ad-Daraqutni,al-Hakim,Ibnas-SakinandIbnKhuzaimah,who
classiIieditassahih.
Eiqh1.40a:TouchingacopyoItheQur'an
AbuBakribnMuhammadrelatedIromhisIatherontheauthorityoIhisgrandIatherthattheProphet,
upon whom be peace, sent a letter to the people oI Yemen which stated, "No one is to touch the
Qur'anexceptonewhoispuriIied."
Thishadithisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i,ad-Daraqutni,al-Baihaqiandal-Athram.OIitschain,Ibn'Abdul-
Barrsays,"Itappearstobeacontinuoustransmission."'Abdullahibn'UmarreportedthattheProphet,
upon whom be peace, said, "No one is to touch the Qur'an unless he has puriIied himselI." (Al-
Haithami mentioned it in Majma' az-Zawaid and said its narrators are trustworthy.) Apparently, this
hadithhasaproblem.Theword"puriIy"musthaveoneparticularmeaninghere.ThereIore,tosaythat
one who has a minor deIilement may not touch the Qur'an makes no sense. Concerning Allah's
statement,"...whichnonetouchessavethepuriIied,"(alWaqi'ah79),apparentlythepronounreIersto
"the Book kept hidden" (Irom the preceding verse) and that is "the well-preserved tablet" and the
"puriIied" reIers to the angels, which is similar to the verses, "On honored scrolls, exalted, puriIied,
(setdown)byscribes,nobleandrighteous"(Abasah13-16).Ibn'Abbas,ashSha'bi,azh-Zhahak,Zaid
ibn'Ali,al-Mu'aiyadBillah,Dawud,IbnHazmandHammadibnAbuSulaimanareoItheopinionthat
onewhohasaminordeIilementmaytouchtheQur'an.MostoIthescholars,however,agreethatsuch
peoplemayrecitetheQur'anwithouttouchingit.
Eiqh1.40b:WhilementioningthenameoIAllah
Al-Muhajiribn QunIuzhrelatedthathegreetedtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,butthatthelatter
did not return his salutation until he had made ablution: "There is nothing that prevented me Irom
responding to you except that I do no like to mention the name oI Allah unless I am in a state oI
purity."SaidQatadah,"BecauseoIthis,al-HassanhatedtorecitetheQur'anormentionAllah'sname
unless he had perIormed ablution. (Related by Amad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.)
RaeportedAbuJuhaimibnal-Harith,"TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,metapersonatthewelloI
Jaml, who greeted him, but he did not return his greeting until he had wiped his Iace and hands."
(Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i.) This action was one oI
preIerence,notoIobligation.MentioningthenameoIAllahispermissibleIortheonewhoisinastate
oIpurity,onewhohasaminorimpurity,apersoninpost-seximpurity,oronewhoisstanding,sitting,
andsoon.Said'Aishah,"TheMessengeroIAllahusedto rememberAllahatalltimes."(Relatedby
"the Iive," except Ior an-Nasa'i.) Al-Bukhari recorded it in mu'alliq Iorm.) Reported 'Ali, "The
Messenger oI Allah would come Irom relieving himselI, recite to us and eat meat with us. Nothing
would stop him Irom the Qur'an except post-sex impurity." (Related by "the Iive." At-Tirmizhi and
Ibnas-Sakincategorizeditassahih.)
Eiqh1.41:Goingtosleep
Al-Barra'ibn'AazibreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"Whenyougo
toyourbed,perIormablution,lieonyourrightsideandthensay,'OAllah,IsubmitmysoultoYou,
andIturnmyIacetoYou.IentrustmyaIIairstoYou.IretreatuntoYouIorprotectionwithhopeand
Iear in You. There is no resort and no savior but You. I aIIirm my Iaith in Your books which You
revealed and in Your prophets you sent.' II you die during that night, you will be along the natural
path.MakeityourIinalstatement(oIthenight).Hereportedthatherepeatedthissupplicationtothe
Prophet, upon whom be peace, and he said, "...and Your messengers." The Prophet interjected,
"No,...'andtheprophetsYousent."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andat-Tirmizhi.)Thisalsoapplies
toonewhoisinpost-seximpurity.Ibn'UmaraskedtheProphet,"OMessengeroIAllah,canoneoI
us sleep while he is in post-sex impurity?" The Prophet answered, "Yes, iI he makes ablution."
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Reported 'Aishah, "When the Prophet, upon whom be peace, wanted to sleep in a state oI post-sex
impurity,hewouldwashhisprivateparts andperIormablution."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Eiqh1.41a:Toremoveasexualimpurity
II a person in a state oI post-sex impurity wants to eat, drink or have intercourse again, he should
perIormablution.
Said 'Aishah, "When the Prophet, upon whom be peace, was in a state oI impurity because oI
intercourse and wanted to eat or sleep, he would perIorm ablution." 'Ammar ibn Yasar reported that
the Prophet permitted a person in post-sex impurity to eat, drink or sleep iI he perIormed ablution
Iirst.(RelatedbyAhmadandat-Tirmizhi,whoclassiIieditassahih.)
AbuSa'eedreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"IIonehasintercoursewithhiswiIe
and wants to repeat the act, he should perIorm ablution." (Related by "the group," except Ior al-
Bukhari.IbnKhuzaimah,IbnHibbanandal-Hakimrecordeditwiththeaddition,"Itmakesthereturn
morevivacious.")
Eiqh1.42:BeIoreperIormingghusl
It is preIerred to perIorm ablution beIore ghusl regardless oI whether that particular ghusl was an
obligatory or a preIerred act. Said 'Aishah, "When the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace,
perIormed post-sex ghusl, he would begin by washing his hands and then pour water Irom his right
hand to his leIt and wash his private parts. He would then perIorm ablution.." (Related by "the
group.")
Eiqh1.42a:BeIoreeatingIoodtouchedbyIire
SaidIbrahimibn'AbdullahibnQarizh,"IpassedbyAbuHurairahwhilehewasperIormingablution
and he said, 'Do you know why I am making ablution? ItisbecauseIatesomeyoghurtdriedovera
Iire, Ior I heard the Messenger oI Allah say, 'PerIorm ablution beIore eating Iood touched by Iire."
(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslimand"theIour.")
'AishahrelatedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"PerIormablutionIromwhatevertouches
Iire." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) This order is one oI preIerence as the
Iollowing hadith makes clear: 'Amr ibn Umayyah azhZhamari said, "I saw the Messenger oI Allah,
uponwhombepeace,cuttingapieceoIasheep'sshoulderandeatingit.Hewasthencalledtoprayer.
He put the kniIe down, prayed, and did not perIorm another ablution." (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)
Eiqh1.42b:RenewingtheablutionIoreveryprayer
SaidBuraidah,"TheProphet,uponwhombe peace,madeablutionIoreveryprayer.OnthedayoIthe
conquestoIMakkah,hemadeablution,wipedoverhissocksandprayedanumberoItimeswithjust
one ablution. 'Umar said to him, 'O Messenger oI Allah, you did something that you have not done
(beIore).'Heanswered,'Ididitonpurpose,'Umar."'(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslimandothers.)
Said Anas ibn Malik, "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to make ablution Ior every prayer."
He was asked, "And what did you people use to do?" Malik said, "We prayed the prayers with one
ablutionunlesswenulliIiedit."(RelatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari.)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "Were it not to be a hardship on my people, I would
orderthemtomakeablutionIoreveryprayer."(RelatedbyAhmadwithahassanchain.)
Ibn'UmarreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Whoevermakesablutionwhileheis
already in a state oI purity will have ten good deeds written Ior him."~ (Related by Abu Dawud, at-
Tirmizhi,andIbnMajah.)
Eiqh1.43:NotesoIimportanceconcerningablution
ItispermissibletospeakwhileperIormingablution.ThereisnothingreportedIromthesunnahthat
prohibitsit.
MakingsupplicationswhilewashingtheextremitiesisbasedonIalsehadith.ItisbestIortheperson
touseonlythesupplicationsmentionedundertheSunnahActsoIAblution.
II the person who is making ablution has a doubt concerning how many times he has washed a
particularpartoIthe body,heshouldgobythenumberheiscertainabout.
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II any barrier or substance with weight, such as wax, is Iound on the body, it would invalidateone's
ablutionunlessitisremovedandtheablutionisperIormedagain.Coloring,likehenna,ispermissible,
asitdoesnotaIIecttheablution'scorrectness.
Peoplewithunusualcircumstances(i.e.womenwith"prolongedIlowsoIblood"),peoplewhocannot
control their urine, people with Ilatulence, and so on, should perIorm one ablution Ior each prayer
whethertheirproblemexistsallorpartoIthetime.Theirprayerswillbeacceptableevenwhiletheir
problemsareoccuring.
OnemaybeassistedbyothersinperIormingablution.
OnemayuseatoweltodryhimselIduringanytimeoItheyear.
Eiqh1.44:ProoIoIitslegitimacy
Wiping over the socks is part oI the sunnah. An-Nawawi states, "All those who qualiIy Ior ijma'
(consensus)agreethatitisallowedtowipeoverthesocks--duringtravellingorathome,iIneededor
not--even a woman who stays at home or a handicapped person who cannot walk can do so. The
Shi'ahandKhawarijrejectit,buttheirrejectionisnotvalid.SaysIbnHajrinEathal-Bari,"AlloIthe
preservers (oI hadith) are oI the opinion that wiping over the socks has come through a continuous
transmission.SomehavecollectedalloIitsnarrations(Iromamongthecompanions),anditsnumber
exceedseighty.ThisincludeshadithIromthetenpepolewhowerepromisedParadise."Thestrongest
hadithonthispointhasbeenrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,Muslim,AbuDawudandat-Tirmizhion
the authority oI Hammam anNakha'i who said,"Jariribn'Abdullahurinated,perIormedablutionand
wipedoverhissocks."Itwassaidtohim,"Youdothatandyouhaveurinated?"Hesaid,"Yes,Isaw
the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, urinate and then do likewise." Said Ibrahim, "They
wereamazedatthathadith,becauseJarirhadembracedIslamaItersurahal-Ma'idahwasrevealed(10
AH). One oI its verses calls Ior washing one's Ieet. This hadith helps us understand the verse by
conIining it to one who is not wearing socks. This constitutes a particular case, and the person who
wearssockscanjustwipeoverthem.
Eiqh1.44a:Wipingoverslippers
Itisallowedtowipeoverslippers,asthishasbeenrelatedIrommanycompanions.SaysAbuDawud,
"Wiping over sandals (has been done by) 'Ali ibn Abu Talib, Ibn Mas'ud, al-Barra' ibn 'Aazib, Anas
ibnMalik,AbuUmamah,SahlibnSa'dand'AmribnHareeth.IthasalsobeenrelatedIrom'Umaribn
al-KhattabandIbn'Abbas."'Ammar,Bilalibn'AbdullahibnAbuAuIiandIbn'Umaralsohavehadith
onthissubejct.InIbnalQayyim'sTahzhibas-Sunan,herelatesIromIbnal-Munzhir,"Ahmadmadea
statement about the permissibility oI wiping over slippers because oI his Iairness and justice.
Nevertheless,thebasisoIthispermissibilityisthepracticeoIthecompanionsandamaniIestanalogy.
There is no real diIIerence between socks and slippers. It is correct that they take the same ruling.
Mostscholarssaythat onecanwipeovereitherone."ThosewhopermititincludeSuIyanal-Thauri,
Ibn al-Mubarak, 'Ata, al-Hasan and Sa'eed ibn alMusayyab. Commentingonthissubject,AbuYusuI
andMuhammadsaid,"ItisallowedtowipeoverthemiItheyarethickandcompletelyhidewhatthey
cover."
Abu HaniIah did not approve oI wiping over thick slippers, but he changed his mind three or seven
daysbeIorehisdeath.Hewipedoverhisslippersduringhisillnessandsaidtohisvisitors,"Ididwhat
Iusedtotellpeoplenot todo."Al-MughirahibnShu'bahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,upon
whom be peace, made ablution and wipedoverhissocksandslippers.ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,at-
Tahawi,IbnMajahandat-Tirmizhi,whocalledithassansahih.AbuDawudgradeditweak.2
AsitispermissibletowipeoversockssoisitpermissibletowipeoveranyIootcovering,whichhas
beenusedtoavoidthecoldorprotectthewound,andsoon.OIitspermissibility,IbnTaimiyyahsays,
"ItisallrighttowipeoverIootcoveringbecauseittakesprecedenceoverwipingsocksorslippers,Ior
usuallyaIootcoveringisusedIorsomeneedandtoprotecttheIeetIromsomeharm.IIwipingover
the socks and slippers is allowed, then wiping over any Ioot covering should come Iirst. Whoever
claims that there is a consensus on the inadmissibility oI wiping over Ioot coverings does so with a
lackoIknowledge.NottospeakoIaconsensus,hecannotproveitsIorbiddanceevenIromtheworks
oI ten Iamous scholars." He goes on to say, "Whoever ponders over the words oI the Messenger oI
Allah,uponwhombepeace,andgivesanalogyitsproperplace,willknowthatthelicenseIromhim
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was spacious on this subject and in accord with the beauty oI Islamic law and the monotheistic
magnanimitywithwhichtheProphethadbeensent."EveniItherearesomeholesorcutsinthesocks,
itispermissibletowipeoverthem,aslongasthepersonhasonlysuchsockstowear.Saysal-Thauri,
"The slippers oI the emigrants and helpers were not Iree oI cuts or holes, like the slippers oI the
people (in general). II this were a matter oI concern, it would have been mentioned and related by
them."
Eiqh1.45:ConditionsIorwipingoverthesocks
Onemusthaveputhissocks(orwhatevercoveringheisusing)whileinastateoIpurity.
Said al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, "I was with the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, one night
during an expedition. I poured water Ior him to make ablution. He washed his Iace and arms and
wipedhishead.ThenIwenttoremovehissocksandhesaid,'Leavethemon,asIputthemonwhileI
wasinastateoIpurity,'andhejustwipedoverthem."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-BukhariandMuslim).
Al-Humaidi related inhisMusnadthatal-Mughirahreported,"Wesaid,'OMessengeroIAllah,may
wewipeoveroursocks?'Hesaid,'Yes,iIyouputthemonwhileyouwereinastateoIpurity."The
stipulationsbythejuriststhatthesocksmustcompletelycovertheIoottotheankle,andthatonemust
be able to walk (a distance) in them alone, has been shown by Ibn Taimiyyah in his al-Eatawa tobe
weak.
Eiqh1.46:Theplacetobewipedonasock
IslamiclawprescribesthatthetopoIthesockistobewiped.
Said al-Mughirah, "I saw the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, wipe over the top oI his
socks."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandat-Tirmizhi,whocalledithassan.)'Aliobserved,"IIthe
religionwasbasedonopinion,thebottomoIthesockwouldtakepreIerenceinbeingwipedtothetop
oI the sock." (Related by Abu Dawud and ad-Daraqutni with a hassan or sahih chain.) What is
obligatory in the wiping is what is meant by the lexicographical meaning oI the word "wipe." There
arenospeciIicationsauthenticallymentionedwithrespecttothewiping.
Eiqh1.46a:ThedurationoIthewiping
Eor the resident, this period is one day and night. Eor the traveller, it is three days and nights. Said
SaIwanibn'Assal,"Wewereordered(bytheProphet)towipeoverthesocksiIwewereinastateoI
puritywhenweputthemon,IorthreedaysiIweweretravellers,andIoronedayandnightiIwewere
residents. We did not remove them unless we were in post-sex impurity." (Related by ash-ShaI~i,
Ahmad,IbnKhuzaimah,at-Tirmizhi,andan-Nasa'i,whogradeditsahih.)
ShuraihibnHanisaid,"Iasked'Aishahaboutwipingoversocksandsheanswered,'Eorthetraveller,
three days and three nights; Ior the resident, one day and night." This hadith is related by Ahmad,
Muslim, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. OI its authenticity, al-Baihaqi says, "This is themost
authentic report on this topic." Some say that the duration begins with the time oI the wiping, while
otherssayitbeginsIromthetimeoInulliIyingtheablutionaIterwearingthesocks.
Eiqh1.46b:ThedescriptionoIthewiping
AIterthepersoncompleteshisablutionandputsonhissocksorslippers,itisproperIorhimtowipe
overthemlateronwhenhewantstoperIormablution.HeispermittedtodothatIoronedayandnight
iIheisresident,andIorthreedaysandnightsiIheisatraveller.ButiIheisinpost-seximpurity,he
mustremovehissocks,inaccordancewiththeprecedinghadithoISaIwan.
Eiqh1.47:Whatinvalidatesthewiping
TheIollowinginvalidatesthewiping:
-1- TheendoIthepermissibletimeperiodIorwiping.
-2- Post-seximpurity.
-3- RemovaloIthesocks.II(i)or(iii)occurswhilethepersonwasinastateoIpurity,heneedonly
washhisIeet.
Eiqh1.49:Ghusl,thecompleteablution
Ghusl means to wash the entire body with water. Says Allah in the Qur'an, "II you are sexually
impure,puriIyyourselves."And,"Theyquestionyouconcerningmenstruation.Say:Itisanillness,so
let women alone at such times and do not have sex with them until they are cleansed" (al-Baqarah
222).
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Eiqh1.49a:DischargeoIal-Maniowingtostimulationwhileasleeporawake
The opinion oI the jurists in general is that ghusl is a must should one have a discharge oI al-mani
(sperm)owingtostimulationwhileasleeporawake.AbuSa'eedreportedthatheheardtheMessenger
oI Allah, upon whom be peace, say, "Water (washing) is (needed) aIter (ejaculation oI) sperm."
(RelatedbyMuslim.)
Umm Salamah reportedthatUmmSulaimsaid,"OMessengeroIAllah,AllahisnotashamedoIthe
truth. Does a woman have to perIorm ghusl iI she hasa wet dream?" He said, "Yes, iI she sees the
liquid."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslimandothers.)
TherearesomeotherpointsoIimportancethatneedtobenoted:
Eiqh 1.49 b: II the sperm is discharged without any type oI stimulation (owing to illness orextreme
cold)
Inthiscase,ghuslisnotobligatory.'AlireportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,saidtohim,
"IIspermisejaculated,perIormghusl."(RelatedbyAbuDawud).
Said Mujahid, "We were in a meeting in the mosque with the companions oI Ibn 'Abbas (Tawus,
Sa'eedibnJubairand'Ikrimah).Whenhestoodtopray,amancameinandsaid,'Isthereonewhocan
give a legal verdict?' We said, 'Ask your question.' He said, 'Whenever I urinate, a liquid always
Iollows it.' We asked, 'Is it the type oI liquid that gives birth to children?' He said, 'Yes.' We said,
'Then you have to perIorm ghusl.' The man went away. Ibn 'Abbas hurried to Iinish his prayer, aIter
which he told 'Ikrimah to bringthemanback.Heturnedtousandsaid,'IsyourverdictIoundinthe
Book oI Allah?' We said, 'No.' He asked, 'Is it based on the sayings oI the Prophet, upon whom be
peace?' We said, 'No.' 'Then Irom what?' We said, 'Erom our opinion.' He said, 'That is why the
MessengeroIAllahsaidthatonelearnedmanis morediIIicultIorSatanthanathousandworshippers.'
The man came and Iaced Ibn 'Abbas, who said to him, 'When that happens, is it owing to any
stimulation?' He answered, 'No.' Ibn 'Abbas asked, 'Do you Ieel any numbness in your body?' He
answered,'No.'SaidIbn'Abbas,'ThatisIromthecold.AblutionissuIIicient."'
Eiqh1.50:IIonehasawetdreambutdoesnotIindanytracesoIejaculation
There is no need Ior ghusl in this instance either. Ibn al-Munzhir said, "All oI the knowledgeable
peopleknowntomeagreeonthispoint."ThehadithoIUmmSalamahmentionedearliersupportsthis
proposition.
Eiqh1.50a:
II one wakes Irom sleep and Iinds some moistness, but does not recall any wet dream, though he is
sureitissperm,whatshouldhedo?TobesaIe,heshouldperIormghusl.SaidMujahidandQatadah,
"There is no need Ior ghusl until he is sure that it is sperm, Ior his prior condition oI purity is not
endedbyanuncertainty.
Eiqh1.50b:IIamansqueezeshispenistopreventejaculation
This also makes ghusl unnecessary. This is based on the hadith whichstatesthatghuslisrequirediI
the sperm can be seen. But, iI the person walks and cannot control his ejaculation. he must perIorm
ghusl.
Eiqh1.51:Spermontheclothesduringprayer
II a man does not know how the sperm got on his clothes, and he has already prayed, should he
perIorm ghusl and repeat all oI his prayers since the last time he slept? II he thinks that it happened
beIore his most recent sleep, he should repeat all oI his prayers since the supposed time oI his
ejaculation.
Eiqh1.51a:Touchingthetwocircumcisedparts
ThisreIerstothepenisandthevagina.IIone'spenishasenteredhiswiIe'svagina,ghuslisobligatory
even iI there was no ejaculation. Says Allah, "II you are sexually impure, puriIy yourselves."
Commenting on the subject, ash-ShaiIi says, "In the Arabic language, sexual impurity reIers to any
type oI sexual intercourse, regardless oI whether sperm was ejaculated or not. II someone says, 'So
andsoissexuallyimpureduetosoandso,'itreIerstoanytypeoIsexualintercoursebetweenthem,
even iI there was no ejaculation. No one disagrees that the Iornication which requires the prescribed
punishmentissexualintercourse,eveniIthereisnoejaculation."
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Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "When anyone sits between the
Iour parts oI her body and exerts himselI (has intercourse), bathing becomes obligatory (Ior both)."
(RelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.)
Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyab reported that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari said to 'Aishah, "I would like to ask you
something,butIamembarrassed."Shesaid,"Askanddon'tbeshy,IorIamyourmother."Heasked
about a man who had intercourse but did not ejaculate. She said, on theauthorityoItheProphet,"II
the two circumcised parts encountered each other, ghusl is obligatory." This hadith is related by
Ahmad and MalikwithdiIIerentwordings.Thereisnodoubtthattheremustbeinsertion;iIthereis
onlytouching,ghuslisnotobligatoryIoreither.Allscholarsagreeonthispoint.
Eiqh1.51b:Womenandtheirperiod
Concerning menstruation and childbirth bleeding, Allah says in the Qur'an, "Do not approach them
until they become pure. When they are pure, go to them in the manner that Allah has prescribed Ior
you."TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,saidtoEatimahbintAbuHabish,"Donotpray
duringyourperiod.AIterithasended,perIormghuslandpray."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Post-childbirthbleedingistreated inasimilarmanner,accordingtotheconsensusoIthecompanions.
IIawomangivesbirthandhasnoIlowoIbloodaIterwards,somescholarssaythatshemustperIorm
ghusl,whileotherssaythatitwouldnotbenecessary.Thereisnotextualauthorityon thislatterpoint.
Eiqh1.52:Death
When a Muslim dies, it is obligatory to wash his or her body, according to the consensus oI the
Muslims.Thiswillbediscussedinmoredetaillateron.
Eiqh1.52a:Anon-MuslimuponembracingIslam
New converts to Islam must perIorm ghusl. Abu Hurairah reported that Thumamah al-HanaIi was
captured. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, passed by him and said, "What do you havetosayIor
yourselI, O Thumamah?" He said, "II you kill me, you would be killing a relative. II you give me a
bounty(setmeIree),IwouldbethankIul.IIyouwantwealth(asaransom),wecangiveyouwhatyou
wish."ThecompanionsoItheProphetpreIerredtheransomandsaid,"WhatwouldwegetiIwekilled
him?" One time when the Prophet passed by him, he Iinally embraced Islam. The Prophet, upon
whom be peace, untied him and told him to go to the garden oI Abu Talhah and perIorm ghusl. He
perIormed ghusl and prayed two rak'ah. The Prophet said, "Indeed, your brother became a Iine
Muslim."ThishadithisrelatedbyAhmad.ThereisalsoasourceIorthestoryinreportsbyal-Bukhari
andMuslim.
Eiqh1.52b:Prayer
Eiqh1.52c:CircumambulatingtheKa'bah
ThereasoningbehindthiscanbeIoundinWhatactionsrequiretheablutionasaprerequisite.
Eiqh1.52d:TouchingorcarryingtheQur'an
ThecompanionswereallagreedthatitisIorbiddentotouchorcarrytheQur'anwhileoneisinastate
oI impurity. There are some jurists, such as Dawud ibn Hazm, who allow the physically unclean
person, whether because oI sex or menstruation, to touch or carry the Qur'an, and they see nothing
wrongwiththis.HederiveshissupportIromahadithinthetwoSahihsinwhichitisstatedthatthe
Prophet sent alettertoHeracliussaying,"InthenameoIAllah,theCompassionate,theMerciIul...O
peopleoIthebook,cometoastatementthatiscommonbetweenusandyou,thatweshouldworship
nonebutAllah,andthatweshallascribenopartneruntoHim,andthatnoneoIusshalltakeothersIor
lords besides Allah. II they turn away, thensay'Bearwitnessthatwearetheywhohavesurrendered
(unto Him)." (al'Imran 64). Ibn Hazm concludes, "This is the letter the Messenger oI Allah wrote,
containing this verse, to the Christians, and oI course they touched it." The majority oI scholars
answerhimbystatingthatoneisallowedtotouchpartsoItheQur'anthatareusedinletters,books,
taIsir,andsoon,assuchthingsarenotcopiesoItheQur'an,norisitconIirmedthatsuchanactionis
Iorbidden.
Eiqh1.53:RecitingtheQur'an
Accordingtomostscholars,onewhoisphysicallyunclean(becauseoIsexormenstruation)maynot
recite any portion oI the Qur'an. This is based on a hadith Irom 'Ali, in which he stated that nothing
kepttheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,IromtheQur'ansavebeingsexuallyimpure.This
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isrelatedby"theIour."At-Tirmizhigradeditsahih.Saysal-HaIezinal-Eath,"Somepeopledeclare
some oI its narratorsweak.But,inIact,itisoIthehassanclassanditissatisIactoryasaprooI."He
also related, "I saw the Messenger oI Allah perIorm ablution and recite some oI the Qur'an, aIter
which he said, 'This is Ior the one whoisnotinpost-seximpurity.IIoneisinpost-seximpurity,he
maynotdoso,notevenoneverse."AhmadandAbuYa'larelatedthishadithwiththatwording.With
that wording, al-Haithami says, "Its narrators aretrustworthy."Saysash-Shaukani,"IIthat(report)is
authentic,thatisprooIenoughthatitisIorbidden."TheIirsthadithdoesnotIorbid it,Ioritjuststates
that it was his practicenottorecitetheQur'anwhilehewasinpost-seximpurity.Similarreportsdo
notshowthatitisdisliked.ThereIore,howcanitbeusedasaprooIthatitisIorbidden?"Al-Bukhari,
at-Tabarani,Dawud,andIbnHazmareoItheopinionthatitispermissibleIoronewhoisinpost-sex
impurity (or in menstruation) to recite the Qur'an. Says al-Bukhari, "Ibrahim said, 'There is no
problem iI a menstruating woman recites a verse.' Ibn 'Abbas did not see anything wrong with a
sexuallyimpurepersonrecitingtheQur'an.TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,usedtomentionAllah
under all circumstances." In Ibn Hajr's notes to that work, he says, "There is no authentic hadith
reported by the author (al-Bukhari) concerning the prohibition oI reciting by one who is sexually
impureormenstruating."ThesumtotaloIwhathasbeenrelatedonthisissueinIormsusonthispoint,
thoughtheinterpretationsdiIIer.
Eiqh1.54:Stayinginthemosque
It is Iorbidden Ior one who is physically unclean (because oI sex or menstruation) to stay in the
mosque. 'Aishah said, "The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, saw that his companions'
houseswerepracticallyinthemosque.Hesaid,'DirectthosehousesawayIromthemosque.'He then
entered the mosque, but the people did nothing, hoping that Allah would reveal to Muhammad that
whattheyweredoingwaspermissible.AIterhecameout,hesaid,'DirectthosehousesawayIromthe
mosque, Ior it is not permitted Ior a menstruating woman or sexually impure person to be in the
mosque."(RelatedbyAbuDawud.)
Umm Salamah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, came to the mosque's courtyard and
saidatthetopoIhisvoice,"ThemosqueisoIIlimitstomenstruatingwomenandthesexuallyimpure
persons." (Related by Ibn Majah and at-Tabarani.) Such people can, however, pass through the
mosque,IorsaysAllah,"Oyouwhobelieve,drawnotnearuntoprayerwhenyouaredrunkuntilyou
know that which you utter, nor when you are impure save when journeying upon the road, until you
have bathed" (an-Nisa' 43). Said Jubair, "One oI us used to pass through the mosque though he was
impure." (Related by Ibn Abu Shaibah and Sa'eed ibn Mansur in his Sunan.) Zaid ibn Aslam said,
"Thecompanions oItheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,usedtowalkthroughthemosques
while they were sexually impure." (Related by Ibn al-Munzhir.) Yazib ibn Habib reported that the
companions' doors opened up intothemosque,andthatwhentheyweresexuallyimpure,theycould
Iindnowateroranypathtowatersavethroughthemosque.ThenAllahrevealed,"...norwhenyouare
impure,savejourneyingupontheroad..."(Relatedbyat-Tabari.)
Commenting on the preceding reports, ash-Shaukani says,"The meaning is so clear that there is no
roomIordoubt."Said'Aishah,"TheProphetsaidtome,'HandmemyclothIromthemosque.'Isaid,
'I am menstruating.' He said, 'Your menstruation is not in your hand." (Related by the group, except
Ioral-Bukhari.)SaidMaimunah,"TheMessengeroIAllahusedtocometooneoIourroomswhilewe
were menstruating and put his head on (his wiIe's) lap and recite the Qur'an. Then one oI us would
takehisclothesandputtheminthemosquewhileshewasmenstruating."(RelatedbyAhmadandan-
Nasa'i.Thereporthassupportingevidence.)
Eiqh1.55:ActionsIorwhichghuslispreIerred
This category oI actions involves a reward Ior perIorming ghusl, and no blame iI he does not. Such
actionsare:
Eiqh1.55a:BeIoretheEridayprayer
MuslimsareencouragedtoperIormghuslbeIoretheygatherIortheEridayprayer.InIact,Islamiclaw
evengoestotheextentoIorderingonetoperIormghuslatthistimeaspartoItheoverallcleanliness
and hygiene oI the Muslim society. Abu Sa'eed reported that the Prophet said,"Ghusl on Eriday is
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obligatory (wajib) on every adult, as is using a toothbrush and applying some perIume." (Related by
al-BukhariandMuslim.)
The meaning oI "obligatory" here is that it is greatly recommended. This understanding oI the
Prophet'ssayingisderivedIromwhatal-BukharirecordedaboutanincidentIromIbn'Umarabouthis
Iather.Oneday,'Umaribnal-Khattabwasstandinganddeliveringthekhutbahwhen'Uthman,oneoI
thepeopleIromamongtheemigrantsandhelpers,entered.'Umarsaidtohim,"Whattimeisitnow?"
Hesaid,"Iwasbusyandcouldnotreturnhome.WhenIheardthecalltoprayer,Ididnotmakemore
thantheregularablution."'Umarsaid,"Andtheablutiononly,whenyouknowthattheMessengeroI
AllahorderedustoperIormghusl?"Commentingontheincident,saysash-ShaI'i,"'Uthmandidnot
leave the prayer to perIorm ghusl, nor did 'Umar order him to do so. This illustrates that the
companionsknewthatthisorderwasoneoIchoice.ItalsoshowsthatitispreIerred."
Muslim recorded that Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet saying, "Whoever makes the ablution and
perIectsitandthengoestotheEridayprayerandlistensattentively,willhaveIorgivenessduring(the
period)betweentheEridayandthenext(Eriday),andanadditionalthreedays."Saysal-Qurtubi,"This
hadith shows that ghusl is preIerred. The mention oI ablution, the reward and acceptability points to
theIactthatablutionaloneissuIIicient.''IbnHajrstatesinat-Talkhis,"ItisoneoIthestrongestprooIs
that ghusl Ior the Eriday prayer is not obligatory. The statement that it is preIerred is built upon the
IactthatiIonedoesnotperIormghusl,itwillnotharm(hisprayer).But,iIothersareharmedbyhis
perspirationorbadsmellIromhisclothesandbody,ghuslbecomesobligatory,andnotperIormingit
detracts Irom the rewards oI salah.SomescholarssaythattheEridayghuslisadutyeveniIitsnon-
perIormance causes no harm (to others). Their basis Ior this opinion is the hadith related by Abu
HurairahinwhichtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"ItisadutyuponeveryMuslimtoperIorm
ghusl once every seven days, by washing his head and body." Al-Bukhari and Muslim accept the
hadith mentioned on the subject in their apparent meanings, and reIute the ones contrary to the last
hadith(oIAbuHurairah).
ThetimeIortheEridayghuslisbetweendawnandthetimeoItheEridayprayer.ItispreIerabletodo
itatthetimeoIdeparture(tothemosque).IIoneloseshisablutionaIterthat,itissuIIicientIorhim
justtomakeanewablution(hedoesnothavetorepeattheghusl).
Saysal-Athram,"IheardAhmadbeingaskediIapersonperIormedghusl,andthenlostit,wouldthe
regular ablution be suIIicient Ior him. He said, 'Yes, and I have not heard anything about that
preIerable to the hadith oI Ibn 'Abzi," Ahmad is reIerring to the hadith related by Ibn 'Abzi Shaibah
(with a sahih chain Irom 'Abdurahman ibn 'Abzi on the authority oI his Iather, who was a
companion.)He perIormed ghusl Ior the Eriday prayer, and aIterwards nulliIied his ablution. AIter
that,heperIormedjusttheregularablution,anddidnotrepeathisghusl.ThetimeIortheghuslends
with the time oI the prayer. II one perIorms ghusl aIter the prayer, it would not be the ghusl oI the
Eriday prayer, and one who does so is not Iollowing the Prophet's order. Ibn 'Umar reportedthatthe
Prophet said, "BeIore you come to the Eriday prayer, you should perIorm ghusl. (Related by "the
group.") Muslim says, "When one oI you wants to come to the Eriday prayer, he should perIorm
ghusl."Ibn'Abdul-Barrrelatedthatthereisaconsensusonthispoint.
Eiqh1.56:PerIormingghuslIorthe'Idprayers
Scholars also encourage Muslims to perIorm ghusl Ior the 'id prayers, even though there is no
authentic hadith to support this opinion. It says in al-Badr alMuneer, "The hadith concerning
perIormingghuslIorthe'idsareweak.ButtheredoexistgoodreportsIromthecompanions(onthis
point)."
Eiqh1.56a:GhuslIorwashingacorpse
Accordingtomanyscholars,perIormingghuslisalsopreIerredIoronewhohaswashedacorpse.Abu
Hurariah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever has washed a corpse must
perIormghusl,andwhoevercarried himmustperIormablution."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,at-
Tirmizhi,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajahandothers.)However,thereissomecriticismoIthishadith.'Aliibnal-
Madani, Ahmad, Ibn al-Munzhir, ar-RaIi' and others say, "The hadith scholars did not classiIy
anything on this topic as authentic." But Ibn Hajr quotes at-Tirmizhi and Ibn Hibban: "At-Tirmizhi
called it hassan and Ibn Hibban called it sahih. And, due to its numerous chains, it is most likely
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hassan. An-Nawawi strongly reIutes what at-Tirmizhi said." Says azh-Zhahabi, "The chains oI this
hadith are stronger than a number oI chains oI the hadith that the jurists argue by." The order in the
hadithimpliespreIerence,basedonwhathasbeenrelatedby'Umar,whosaid,"Weusedtowashthe
dead. Some oI us would perIorm ghusl and some would not." (Related by al-Khateeb with a sahih
chain.)When'AsmabintUmaishwashedthebodyoIherdeceasedhusband,AbuBakras-Siddiq,she
askediItherewereanyamongtheemigrantspresent,andsaid,"Thisdayis extremelycoldandIam
Iasting.DoIhavetomakeghusl?"Theysaid,"No."(RelatedbyMalik.)
Eiqh1.57:MakingGhuslIorHajj
Accordingtothescholars,itisalsopreIerableIoronewhoisundertakingthepilgrimageor'umrahto
perIorm ghusl. Zaid ibn Thabit related that he saw the Messenger oI Allah, when he intended to
perIorm the hajj, perIorm ghusl. (Related by ad-Daraqutni, al-Baihaqi and at-Tirmizhi, who called it
hassan.As-Usailiregardeditasweak.)
Eiqh1.57a:MakingGhusluponenteringMakkah
It is preIerable Ior whoever wants to enter Makkah to perIorm gh usl. It is reported that Ibn 'Umar,
whengoingtoMakkah,wouldspendthenightinTawa,andwouldenterMakkahduringtheday.He
mentioned that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, also used to do this. (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.) Ibn al-Munzhir said,"AlloIthescholarssayitispreIerredtoperIormghusluponentering
Makkah, but iI one does not do so,thereisnoexpiationIorhimtomake.MostoIthemsaythatthe
regularablutionissuIIicient.
Eiqh1.57b:MakingGhuslatMount'AraIah
SuchanactispreIerredwhileonestopsthereduringthehajj.MalikibnNaIa'reportedthatIbn'Umar
usedtodosobeIoreembarkinguponthehajj,uponenteringMakkah,andwhilestoppingat'AraIah.
Eiqh1.57c:Theintention
ThisinvolvesdistinguishingtheactsoIworshipIromthecustomaryacts.Theintentionisonlyinthe
heart,andshouldnotbestated,asthiswouldbetantamounttoinnovation.
Eiqh1.58:Washingallbodilyparts
This is based on the Iollowing: Says Allah, "II you are sexually impure, cleanse yourselves," that is,
perIorm ghusl, and "They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: 'It is an illness, so leave women
aloneatsuchtimesandgonotinuntothemuntiltheyarecleansed,"thatis,untiltheyperIormghusl.
The prooI that cleansing means ghusl is in the verse, "O you who believe, draw not unto the prayer
whenyouaredrunkuntilyouknowwhatyouutter,norwhenyouarepolluted,savewhenjourneying
upon the road, until you have bathed (taghtasilu)." This shows that ghusl, the washing oI all bodily
parts,ismeant.
Eiqh1.58a:HowghuslisperIormed
According to the practice oI the Prophet, upon whom be peace, the correct manner oI perIorming
ghuslis:
-1- washbothhandsthreetimes,
-2- washthepenis,
-3- make a complete ablution (like the one made Ior prayer--the Prophet used to delay washing his
IeetuntiltheendoIhisghusliIhewasusingatub,andsoon),
-4- rubwaterthroughone'shairthreetimes,lettingthewaterreachdowntotherootsoIthehair,
-5- pour water over the entire body, begining with the right side, then the leIt, washing under the
armpits, inside the ears, inside the navel, inside the toes and whateverpartoIthebodycanbeeasily
rubbed.ThisaccountisbasedontheIollowingreportIrom'Aishah:"WhentheProphet,uponwhom
bepeace,tookhisbathaItersexualintercourse,hewouldbeginbywashinghishands.Thenhewould
pour water Irom his right hand to his leIt and washhis sexual organs, make the ablution Ior prayer,
take some water and put his Iingers to the roots oI his hair to the extent that he sees that the skin is
wet, then pour water over his head three times and then over the rest oI his body." (Related by al-
BukhariandMuslim.)Inonenarrationitstates,"Heusedtorubhisheadwithhishandsuntilhewas
certainthewaterreachedhisskin,andthenhepouredwateroveritthreetimes."Itisalsorelatedthat
she said, "When theProphetwouldperIormghuslaIterhavinghadsexualintercourse,hewouldcall
Iorsomewater,whichhewouldpouronhisrighthandtowashtherightsideoIhisheadandthenthe
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leIt. He would then take water with both hands and pour it over his head." Said Maimunah, "I put
wateroutIortheMessengeroIAllahtoperIormghusl.Hewashedhishandstwoorthreetimes,and
thenhepouredwaterIromhisrighthandtohisleItandwashedhisprivateparts,wipedhishandson
theearth,rinsedhismouthandnose,washedhisIaceandhands,washedhisheadthreetimes,poured
wateroverhisbody,andIinallymovedIromhisplaceandwashedhisIeet.Ibroughthimatowel,but
hedidnottakeit,IorheshookthewateroIIwithhishands."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Eiqh1.59:GhuslIorwomen
A womanperIormsghusljustasamandoes,exceptthatiIshehasplaitedhairshedoesnothaveto
undoit,providedthatthewatercanreachtherootsoIherhair.UmmSalamahsaid,"OMessengeroI
Allah,Iamawomanwhohascloselyplaitedhaironmyhead.DoIhavetoundothemIorghuslaIter
sexualintercourse?"Hesaid,"No,itisenoughIoryoutothrowthreehandIulsoIwateronyourhead
and then pour water over yourselI. AIter doing this, you shall be cleansed." (Related by Ahmad,
Muslim and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan sahih.) 'Ubaid ibn 'Umair reported that 'Aishah
discovered that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr was ordering the women to undo their plaits oI hair (Ior ghusl).
Sheobserved,"ItisamazingthatIbn'AmrordersthewomenttoundotheplaitsoIhairIorghusl.Why
doesn'thejustorderthemtoshavetheirheads?IandtheMessengeroIAllahusedtobatheIromone
vessel, and all I did was pour three handIuls oI water over my head."(Related by Ahmad and
Muslim.)
ItispreIerrableIorawomanperIormingghusltocleanseherselIIrommenstruationorpost-childbirth
bleedingtotakesomecottonsmearedwithmuskorperIumeandwipeitoverthetracesoIblood.This
will remove the bad smell oI the menstrual blood. 'Aishah reported, "'Asma bint Yazid asked the
MessengeroIAllahaboutghuslaItermenstruationhasended.Hesaid,"Sheshouldusewatermixed
withtheleavesoIthelote-treeandcleanseherselI.Thensheshouldpourwateroverherheadandrub
it well till it reaches the roots oIthehair,aIterwhichsheshouldpourwateroverit.AIterwards,she
should take a piece oI cotton smeared with musk and cleanse herselI with it." 'Asma asked, "How
should she cleanse herselI with it?" He said, "Praise be to Allah, she should cleanseherselIwithit."
'AishahsaidinasubduedtonethatsheshouldapplyittothetracesoIblood.'Asmathenaskedabout
bathingaItersexualintercourse.Hesaid,"SheshouldtakewaterandcleanseherselIorcompletethe
ablution, pour water on her head and rub it till it reaches the roots oI her hair, and then she should
pour water over herselI." 'Aishah observed, "How good are the women oI the 'helpers' that shyness
doesnotkeepthemIromlearningtheirreligion."(Relatedby"thegroup,"exceptat-Tirmizhi.)
Eiqh1.60:QuestionsrelatedtoGhusl
It is suIIicient to perIorm one ghusl Ior both menstruation and sexual impurity, or Ior the Eriday
prayerandthe'idprayer,orIorsexualimpurityandtheEridayprayer,iIonehastheintentionIorboth
oIthem.ThisisbasedontheProphet'ssaying,"Allactsarebasedonintentions."
II a person perIormed post-sex ghusl but did not make ablution, the ghusl willsuIIice.Said'Aishah,
"TheMessengeroIAllahdidnotperIormablutionaIterghusl."Ibn'Umarsaidto amanwhohadtold
himthatheperIormedablutionaIterghusl,"YouwenttooIar."SaysAbuBakribnal-'Arabi,"Thereis
no diIIerence oI opinion among the scholars that ablution Ialls under the category oI ghusl. II the
intentionwastoremovesexualimpurity,italsoincludestheminorimpurities,aswhatsexualimpurity
preventsisgreaterthanwhattheminorimpuritiesprevent.ThesmalleroneIallsunderthegreaterone,
andtheintentionIorthegreateronesuIIices.''
ItisacceptableIorapersoninpost-sexuncleanlinessoramenstruatingwomantoremovetheirhairs,
cut their nails, go to the markets, and so on, without any dislike. 'Ata said that such people can get
cupped,cuttheirnailsandtheirhair,andthatthisisallowedeveniIhe(orshe)hasnotperIormedthe
regularablution.(Relatedbyal-Bukhari).
Onemayenterapublicbathroom.AslongashekeepshisprivatepartsIrombeingseen,andhedoes
not look at others' private parts. Says Ahmad, "II you know that everyone inside the bathroom is
wearingaloincloth,youmayenter.IInot,thendon'tenter."TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,
"A man should not look at another man's private parts, and a woman should not look at another
woman's private parts." There is no problem with mentioning Allah's name in the public baths, as
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mentioning the name oI Allah under any circumstances is good, since there is no text prohibiting it.
TheMessengeroIAllahusedtorememberAllahunderallcircumstances.
Thereisnoproblemindryingone'sselIwithatowelorotherclothaIterperIormingablutionorghusl
duringthesummerorwinter.
ItispermissibleIoramantousethewaterleItoverbyawomanandvice-versa.ThisisderivedIrom
theIactthatitispermissibleIorthemtoperIormghuslIromthesamecontainer.Ibn'Abbasnarrated
that some oI the Prophet's wives were perIorming ghusl Irom a container. The Prophet came and
perIormedhisablutionorghuslIromit.Theysaidtohim,"Weweresexuallyunclean."Hesaid,"The
water does not become impure." (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi, who
called it hassan sahih). 'Aishah used to wash with the Messenger oI Allah Irom one container, and
theywouldtaketurnstakingwateruntilhesaid,"LeavesomeIorme,leavesome Iorme."
ItisnotallowedtobatheinthenudeinIrontoIpeople.ItisIorbiddentouncoverone'sprivateparts.
IIyoucoveritwithsomeclothes,itispermissible.TheMessengeroIAllahwouldcoverEatimahwith
acurtainwhensheperIormedghusl.IIoneperIormsghuslinthenude,IarawayIromthepeople,itis
not prohibited. The prophets Musa (Moses) and Ayyub (Job) did so, as al-Bukhari, Ahmad, and an-
Nasa'irecorded.
Eiqh1.63:Tayammum,thedryablution
DeIinition. Literally tayammum means "aim, purpose." In Islamic law, it reIers to "aiming Ior or
seekingsoiltowipeone'sIaceandhandswiththeintentionoIpreparingoneselItopray,andsoon."
Eiqh1.63a:ProoIoIitslegitimacy
ThisisprovenbytheQur'an,sunnahandijma'(consensus). TheQur'ansays,"AndiIyouareill,oron
a journey, or one oI you comesIromrelievinghimselI,oryouhavetouchedwomen,andyoudonot
Iind water, then go to high clean soil and rub your Iace and hands (therewith). Lo, Allah is Benign,
Eorgiving"(an-Nisa':43).EromthesunnahwehavethehadithrelatedbyAbuUmamahinwhichthe
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "All oI the earth has been made Ior me and my nation a pure
place oI prayer. Whenever a person Irom my nation wants to pray, he has something with which to
puriIy himselI, that is, the earth." (Related by Ahmad.) Einally, there is a consensus that tayammum
IormsalegitimatepartoItheshari'ah,asitreplacesablutionorghuslunderspeciIiccircumstances.
Eiqh1.63b:BlessingIromAllah
ThisIormoIablutionisviewedasablessingIromAllahtotheMuslims.JabirrelatesthattheProphet,
uponwhombepeace,said,"IhavebeengivenIivethingsthatwerenotgiventoanyonebeIoreme:I
havebeenmadevictoriousduetoIearIoradistanceoIonemonth'sjourney;theearthhasbeenmade
aplaceoIprayerIorme--whereverandwhoeveroImynationwantstopray,hemaypray;andthewar
bootyhasbeenmadelawIalIorme,andthiswasnotlawIulIoranyonebeIoreme.Ihavebeengiven
permission to intercede. The prophets used to be raised Ior their own people only, but I have been
raisedIoralloImankind."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Eiqh1.64:ThereasonIoritslegitimacy
Said 'Aishah, "We went out with the Messenger oI Allah on one oI his journeys until we reached
Baida'. At this place, one oI my bracelets broke and Iell somewhere. The Messenger oI Allah and
othersbegantolookIorit.Therewasnowateratthatplace,nordidanyonehaveanywaterwithhim.
ThepeoplewenttoAbuBakrandsaid,"Doyouseewhatyourdaughterhasdone?"AbuBakrcameto
me,whiletheProphetwassleepingonmythigh.HeblamedmeandsaidtomewhateverAllahwilled
himtosay.Healsopokedmeinmyside.Icouldnotmove,IortheProphet,uponwhombepeace,was
sleepingonmylap.Hesleptuntilthemorningwithoutanywateravailable.Then,Allahrevealedthe
verse oI tayammum. As-Sayyid ibn Huzhain said, 'That was not the Iirst blessing Irom theIamilyoI
AbuBakr.'ThecamelthatIwasongotupandweIoundthenecklaceunderneathit."(Relatedby"the
group,"exceptIorat-Tirmizhi.)
Eiqh1.64a:OnecannotIindwater,ortheamountoneIindsisinsuIIicientIorablution
'Imran bin Husain said, "We were with the Messenger oI Allah during a journey. When he led the
peopleinprayer,onemanstayedapart.Heaskedhim,"WhatpreventedyouIrompraying?"Hesaid,
'Ineedapost-nocturnalbathandthereisnowater.'Hesaid,'Usethesoil,IoritissuIIicient.'''(Related
byal-BukhariandMuslim.)
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Abu Zharr related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The soil is a puriIier Ior a Muslim,
eveniIhedoesnotIindwaterIortwentyyears."(Relatedby"theIour."At-Tirmizhigradesithassan
sahih.)ButbeIoreonemakestayammum,hemustlookIorwaterIromanyposiblesource.IIheissure
waterisnottobeIoundoritistooIaraway,hedoesnothavetolookIorit.
Eiqh1.64b:Oneisinjuredorill
II one is in this condition, and believes water will worsen it (hedoesnothavetobe absolutelysure,
but may base his opinion on past experience or what a knowledgeable person has told him), he may
perIormtayammum.Jabirsaid,"WewereonajourneyandoneoIusgotinjured.Later,hehadawet
dream.Heaskedhiscompanions,'CanIperIormtayammum?'Theysaid,'No,notiIyouhavewater.'
HeperIormedghuslanddied.WhentheycametotheMessengeroIAllah,theyinIormedhimoIwhat
had transpired. He said, 'They killed him, Allah will kill them. Do you not ask iI you do not know?
The rescue oI the ignorant person isthequestion.HecouldhaveperIormedtayammumanddropped
water on his wound or wrapped it with something and wipe over thewrapping,andwashtherestoI
his body." This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, ad-Daraqutni and Ibn as-Sakin, who said it is
sahih.
Eiqh1.65:IIthewateriscoldenoughtophysicallyharmtheuser
ThisisonlyallowedontheconditionthathecanIindnoonetoheatit,orisunabletousethepublic
bathrooms.'Amribnal-'Aasnarratedthathewasparticipatinginanexpedition.Hehadawetdream
duringanextremelycoldnight,andwasaIraidthatiIheperIormedghuslhewoulddie.Heprayedthe
morningprayerwithhiscompanions.HethenwenttotheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
to ask him about this. Muhammad said, "O 'Amr, did you pray with your companions while you
neededapost-nocturnalbath?"'Amrmentionedtheverse,"Donotkillyourselves,AllahismerciIulto
you" to the Prophet. The Prophet just laughed and didn't say anything. (Related by Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, al-Hakim, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Hibban and al-Bukhari in mu'allaq Iorm.) This example
illustratedtheProphet'stacitapproval.
Eiqh1.65a:Whenwaterisnearby,butonedoesnotwanttoIetchitduetoIear
IIoneIearsIorhisliIe,Iamily,wealth,(Iorexample,iIanenemyisnearby--beastorhuman--oroneis
a prisoner, and so on), one may perIorm tayammum. This is also allowed iI there is water but one
lacksthepropermeanstogetit,oriIoneIearssomeaccusationagainsthimiIhegetsit.
Eiqh1.65b:IIoneissavinghiswaterIorlateruse
ThiscouldbeIorahound,Iordough,cookingortoremoveanimpuritythatisnotpardonable.Says
ImamAhmad,"ManyoIthecompanionsperIormedtayammumtosavetheirwaterIordrinking."'Ali
said that a man who is travelling and becomes unclean because oI sex or a wet dream can perIorm
tayammumiIheIearshewillgothirsty:"HeshouldperIormtayammumandnotghusl."(Relatedby
ad-Daraqutni.)SaysIbnTaimiyyah,"IIapersonneedstorelievehimselIbuthasonlyasmallamount
oIwater,itisbestthathepraywithtayammumandrelievehimselI,ratherthankeephisablutionand
praybeIorerelievinghimselI."
Eiqh1.66:Onecangetwater,butIearsthattheprayerwillbeoverbythetimehegetsit
HecanperIormtayammumandpray,anddoesnotneedtorepeathisprayer(aIterhegetswater).
Eiqh1.66a:ThesoilusedIortayammum
Itmustbepuresoil:thiscanbesand,stone,gypsum,andsoon.SaysAllah,"PerIormtyammumwith
puresoil,"andallscholarsoIArabicagreethat"soil"iswhatevercoverstheearth,dirtorotherwise.
Eiqh1.66b:HowtoperIormtayammum
Eirst, one must have the intention (see the section on ablution). Then, he mentions Allah's name,
strikesthesoilwithhishands,wipeshisIaceandhishandsuptothewrist.Nothingismoreauthentic
and clear than what 'Ammar related. He said,"Webecamesexuallyimpureandhadnowater,sowe
rolled in the dirt and prayed. This was mentioned to the Prophet and he said,'Thiswouldhavebeen
enough Ior you,' and he struck the earth with his hands, blew in them and then wiped his Iace and
handswiththem."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim).Inanothertexthestates,"Itwouldhavebeen
enoughIoryoutostrikethegroundwithyourhands,blowintothem,thenwipeyourIaceandhands
uptotheelbows."(Relatedbyad-Daraqutni.)
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ThishadithshowsthatonestrikeoItheearthissuIIicient,andoneonlywipesthearmstothewrists.It
isIromthesunnahthat onewhomakestayammumwithdirtshouldblowintohishandsIirstandnot
makehisIacedustyordirty.
Eiqh1.66c:Whattayammummakespermissible
AIterdoingso,heispureandmaydoanyoItheactsrequiringpriorpuriIication,suchasprayingand
touching the Qur'an. He does not have to perIorm it during the time oI prayer, and he may pray as
many prayers as he wishes (unless he nulliIies it), exactly as he can aIter perIorming the regular
ablution.AbuZharrreportedthattheProphetsaid,"Thesoil isapuriIierIoraMuslim,eveniIhedoes
notIindwaterIortwentyyears.TheniIhetoucheswater,thatis,tomakeablution,andsoon,itwould
begood."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandat-Tirmizhi,whosaiditissahih.
Eiqh1.66d:WhatnulliIiestayammum
In addition to the presence oI water, everything that nulliIies the ablution nulliIies tayammum. II a
personpraysaIterperIormingtayammumandthenIindswater,hedoesnotneedtorepeathisprayer
even iI there is time leIt to do so.AbuSa'eedal-Khudrisaid,"Twomenwentoutonajourney.The
time oI prayer came and, as they had no water, they perIormed tayammum. Then they Iound some
waterduringthetimeoIthesameprayer.OneoIthemrepeatedhisprayerwithablutionandtheother
didnot.WhentheysawtheMessengeroIAllah,theyaskedhimabouttheproperprocedureinsucha
case. He said to the one who did not repeat his prayer, 'You have acted accordingtothesunnahand
your prayer is suIIicient Ior you.' He said to the other, 'You will get a double reward."' (Related by
Abu Dawud and anNasa'i.) II one comes across water beIore he prays or Iinishes his prayer with
tayammum,hisprayerbecomesnullandvoid,Iorhemustmakeablutionwithwater.IIapersonisnot
clean because oI sex or a wet dream, or a woman is menstruating, and they pray aIter perIorming
tayammum, they need not repeat their prayer aIter Iinding water, but they must perIorm ghusl with
water when they can. 'Umar said, "The Prophet led the people in prayer, and aIterwards saw a man
whohadnotprayed.Hesaid,'Whydidn'tyoupraywithus?'Themanreplied,'Iwassexuallyunclean
andtherewasnowater.'Hetoldhim,'Usethesoil,anditwillbeenough.''Imranthenmentionedthat
they later Iound water. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, brought abowloIwaterIorthemanand
toldhimtoperIormghusl.(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.67:WipingOverCasts,WrappersandSimilarItems
Itisallowabletowipeoveranywrapperordiseasedorinjuredbodilypart.Therearemanyhadithon
thispoint,andalthoughtheyareallweak,theirmanychainsstrengtheneachother,makingthemvalid
to talk about. One hadith, that oI Jabir (quoted earlier), relates a story about a man who was on a
journey and suIIered an injury. While he slept, he had a wet dream, aIter which he asked his
companions iI he could perIorm tayammum. They said he could not, so he made ghusl and died
becauseoIit.WhenthatwasmentionedtotheProphet,hesaid"Theykilledhim,mayAllahkillthem.
Do you not ask about what you do not know? ... It would have been enough Ior him to perIorm
tayammumanddropalittlewateroverhiswoundorelsewipeit,thentowipeitandwashtherestoI
thebody."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,IbnMajah,ad-DaraqutniandIbnas-Sakin,whoclassiIiedit
assahih.Ibn'Umarusedtodothis.
InIact,itisobligatorytowipeoversuchcastsorwrappersinablutionorghuslinsteadoIwashingthe
injured parts. This must be done even iI he has to heat the water. But, iI he believes that this would
harmthediseasedorinjuredpart,orthathisconditionmayworsen,orthathispainwouldincrease,he
maywipetheinjuredpartwithwater.IIheIearsthatthiswouldalsobeharmIul,heshouldwrapitand
thengentlywipeoverit.It isnotnecessaryIorhimtobeinastateoIpuritywhileapplyingthecastor
wrapper to be wiped. There is also no time limit Ior such wipings, Ior he can do so as long as his
conditionlasts.RemovingthewrapperorcastnulliIiesthewiping,asdoestheIinalcure.
Eiqh1.68:ThePrayeroIOneWhoHasnoMeansoIPuriIyingHimselI
Whoever cannot get water orsoilmayprayinwhateverstateheisin,andhewillnothavetorepeat
hisprayerlater.ThisisbasedonwhatMuslimrelatedIrom'Aishah.Shehadborrowedsomejewelry
Irom'Asmaanditbroke(andIell).TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,sentsomepeople
tosearchIorit.Theprayertimecameandtheyhadtopraywithoutablution.Whentheycametothe
Prophet,theycomplainedtohimandtheversesoItayammumwererevealed.UsaidibnHuzhairsaid,
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"May Allah give you good recompense. Allah never reveals an order with respect toyouexceptthat
HeremovesbyitsomehardshipandgivestheMuslimssomebeneIit."Thecompanionsprayedwhile
in a state oI impurity, but the Prophet did not admonish them nor did he order them to repeat their
prayers.Saysan-Nawawi,"ThatisthestrongeststatementoIprooI(onthisquestion)."
Eiqh1.69:Menstruation
InArabic,thewordIormenstruation(haizh)literallymeans"running."HereitreIerstothedischarge
oIbloodduringawoman'sstateoIhealth,notIromgivingbirthorbreakingthehymen.
Most scholars say that its time begins at the age oI nine. II blood is seen beIore that age, it is not
menstrual blood, but is considered to be putrid blood. As there is no evidence about when a woman
stopsmenstruating,iIanelderlyladyIindsbloodIlowingitisconsideredmenstrualblood.
Eiqh1.69a:RequirementsIorbloodtobeconsideredmenstrual
-1- Dark.Once,whenEatimahbintAbuHabashhadaprolongedIlowoIblood,theProphettoldher,
"IIitisthebloodoImenstruation,itwillbedarkandrecognizable.IIitisthat,thenleavetheprayer.
IIitisotherthanthat,thenmakeablutionandpray,Ioritisonlyduetoavein."ThisisrelatedbyAbu
Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban and ad-Daraqutni, who said all oI its narrators are trustworthy. Al-
Hakimalsorelatedit,andsaidthatitmeetsMuslim'sstandards.
-2- Red.ItistheoriginalcoloroIblood.
-3- Yellow.Itisaliquid,likepus.
-4- Amuddycolor.Itisanintermediatecolorbetweenblackandwhite,likedirt.
MalikandMuhammadal-Hassan(andal-Bukhariinmu'allaqIorm)recordedthatwomenwouldsend
'Aishahsmallboxeswithyellow-stainedcotton,andshewouldtellthem,"Donotbeinhasteuntilyou
seethepurewhitecotton."IIthedischargeisyellowormuddyduringthedaysoImenstruation,itisto
beconsideredaspartoIthemenses.Duringotherdays,itisnotregardedassuch.Umm'Atiyyahsaid,
"AIter we were pure, we did not consider the yellow or muddy discharge to be anything." This is
relatedbyAbuDawudandal-Bukhari,butwithoutthewords"...aIterwewerepure..."
Eiqh1.70:ThereisnostatedminimumormaximumlengthoItimeIorthemenses
All statements dealing with this topic have no sound backing.IIawomanhasacustomarylengthoI
timeIorhermenses,sheshouldaccordingtoit.UmmSalamahaskedtheProphetaboutawomanwith
a prolonged Ilow oI blood. He said, "She should look Ior the number oI days and nights that she
usually has her menses and the time oIthemonthduringwhichitoccurs.Thensheshouldleavethe
prayer (during those days, and then aIterwards) perIorm ghusl, tie something around her vagina and
pray." (Related by "the Iive,'' except Ior at-Tirmizhi.) II she has no customary period to go by, then
shecantrytodistinguishbetweenthediIIerenttypesoIblood.Thispracticeisbasedonthepreviously
quotedhadithoIEatimahbintAbuHubaish,whichstatesthatmenstrualbloodisdistinguishableand
well-knowntowomen.
All scholars agree that there is no minmum or maximum time limit between two menstrual periods.
SomesaythatthelatterperiodisIiIteendays,whileotherssayitisthreedays.
Eiqh1.70a:Post-Childbirthbleeding
Such bleeding occurs aIter the birth oI a child, regardless iI the child survived the birth or not. This
typeoIbleedinghasnominimumduration,IoritcouldstoprightaIterthebirth,ortherecouldeven
benoblood.ThereIore,herconIinementwouldendandshewouldbeobligedtoIast,pray,andsoon.
The maximum duration is Iorty days. Said Umm Salamah, "During the liIetime oI the Prophet, the
post-childbirthwomanwouldbeinconIinementIorIortydays."(Relatedby"theIive,"exceptIoran-
Nasa'i.)
AIter recording the hadith, at-Tirmizhi states, "The knowledgeable companions, the Iollowing
generationandthosethatcamelateragreethatawomanexperiencingpost-childbirthbleedinghadto
stop praying Ior Iorty days unless her blood stopped. II her bleeding stops beIorethattime,sheisto
make ghusl and start praying. II she sees blood aIter Iorty days, most scholars say that she is not to
stoppraying."
Eiqh1.71:EorbiddenActsIorWomenExperiencingMenstruationandPost-ChildbirthBleeding
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All acts Iorbidden Ior a person who has not yet cleansed himselI Irom sex or a wet dream are
prohibitedtowomeninthesetwoconditions,astheseareconsideredmajorimpurities.But,thereare
alsotwoIurtherprohibitions:
Eiqh1.71a:TheycannotIast,menstruatingwomen
II women Iast, their Iasting will be considered null and void. II they Iast during the month oI
Ramadan, they will still have to make those days oI Iasting up later on. Mu'azhah said, "I asked
'Aishah, 'Why must we make up the Iasts missed due to our menstruation, and not the prayers?' She
said,'ThatwaswhattheMessengeroIAllahtoldustodo.WewereorderedtomakeuptheIasts,and
wewereorderednottomakeuptheprayers."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Eiqh1.71b:Shecannotengageinsexualintercourse
Said Anas, "When a Jewish woman was menstruating, her husband would not eat or sleep with her.
The companions asked the Prophet, upon whom be peace, about that, and Allah revealed: "They
questionyouconcerningmenstruation.Say:'Itisanillness,soletwomenaloneatsuchtimesandgo
notinuntothemuntiltheyarecleaned.AndwhentheyhavepuriIiedthemselves,thengoinuntothem
as Allah has enjoined upon you. Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him and loves those who
have a care Ior cleanliness" (al-Baqarah 222). The Messenger oI Allah also said, "Do everything
exceptintercourse."(Relatedby"thegroup,"exceptIoral-Bukhari.)
In his comments on the subject, an-Nawawi states, "II a Muslim believes it is permissible to have
intercoursewithhismenstruatingwiIe,hebecomesanunbelievingapostate.IIhedoesit,notthinking
thatitispermissible,butoutoIIorgetIulnessornotknowingthatitisIorbiddenornotknowingthat
his wiIe was menstruating, then there is no sin or expiation upon him. II he does it on purpose,
knowingthatitisIorbidden,hehascommittedagravesinandmustrepent.Therearetwoopinionson
this:themorecorrectoneisthatthereistobeexpiation."HeIurthersays,"Allscholarssaythatone
may touch anything above the navel or below the knees. Most scholars say that it is permissible to
touch what is between the navel and the knees, but not the vagina or anus." An-Nawawi concludes
that it is permitted but hated, as that is the strongest position Irom the evidence . This evidence is
based upon the practiceoItheProphet'swives:whenhewishedtobewiththemduringtheirperiod,
theywouldputsomethingovertheirvagina.(RelatedbyAbuDawud.)Al-HaIezobserves,"Itschain
is strong." Masruq ibn al-Ajda' asked 'Aishah, "What is oII limits to me sexually during my wiIe's
menstruation?"Shesaid,"Nothing,exceptthevagina."(RelatedbyalBukhariinhisTarikh.)
Eiqh1.72:WomenwithProlongedElowsoIBlood
Islam deIines such an occurrence as the Ilowing oI blood outside oI the regular time. This usually
happensinthreespeciIiccases.IntheIirstcase,thewomanknowsthatherIlowoImenstrualbloodis
lasting longer than usual. In such a case, she will act according to her customary period, and the
remainder will be considered days oI prolonged blood Ilows. This is based on the hadith oI Umm
Salamah,inwhichsheaskedtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,aboutthiscondition.He
said,"SheshouldwaitIorthedaysandnightsoIhernormalperiodandIigurethemoutoIthemonth,
and she should leave the prayer during those days. (AIterwards) she should perIorm ghusl, tighten
something around her vagina and then pray." (Related by Malik, ash-ShaIi and"theIive,"exceptIor
at-Tirmizhi.)
Evaluating the report,an-Nawawisays,"Itschainmeetstheconditions(oIal-BukhariandMuslim)."
Al-Khattabi holds, "That regulation is Ior the woman who is experiencing prolonged blood Ilows. II
the blood is Ilowing, the Prophet ordered her to leave the prayer during her regular period, and to
perIorm ghusl aIter her customary time has passed. Then, she becomes just like any other puriIied
person."
Inthesecondcase,awomandoesnotknowherperiodwellenoughtodetermineiIsheisexperiencing
menstrualbleedingoraprolongedIlowoIblood.Inthatcase,hermenstruationisconsideredtobesix
orsevendays,whichisthemostcommonamongwomen.
SaidJamnahbintJahsh,"IhadaverystrongprolongedIlowoIblood.IwenttotheProphettoaskhim
aboutit.WhenIaskedhimiIIhadtostopprayingandIasting,hesaid'Tiearoundacloth,anditwill
stop.'Isaid,'Itisgreaterthanthat.'Hesaid,'Curbit.'Isaid,'ItIlowsgreatly.'Hethensaid,'Youmay
dooneoItwothings:eitheronewillsuIIice.Whichoneyouareabletodoyouknowbest.Thisisa
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strike Irom Satan. Be on your period Ior six or seven days, which Allah knows, and then perIorm
ghusluntilyouseethatyouareclean.PrayIorIourteennightsorthirteennightsanddaysandIast,and
thatwillbesuIIicientIoryou.Dothateverymonthastheotherwomenbecomepureandmenstruate.
II you can, you may delay the noon prayer and hasten the aIternoon prayer. PerIorm gh usl and pray
thenoonandaIternoonprayerstogether.Thendelaythesunsetandhastenthenightprayersandpray
themtogether.PerIormghuslIorthemorningprayerandprayit.ThisishowyoumayprayandIastiI
youhavetheabilitytodoso..."Andhesaid,"Thatisthemorelovedwaytome."
AstotheauthenticityoIthehadith,itisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandat-Tirmizhi,whogradesit
as hassan sahih. He says, "I asked al-Bukhari about it, and he called it hassan." Ahmad ibn Hanbal
saysitishassansahih.
Al-Khattabiobserves,inanotetothishadith,thatthisisIorthewomanwhoisa"beginner"anddoes
not know her regular days oI menstruation. The Prophet told her to act according to the customary
situationoIwomen,andtoconsiderherselI ashavingherperiodonlyonceamonth,likemostwomen.
Hisstatement,'Aswomenmenstruateandastheybecomepure'pointstothisIact.Thisisbyanalogy
to the aIIairs oI women with respect to each other in menstruation, pregnancy, maturity and other
aIIairsoItheirs."
In the third case, a woman has a regular period, butsheisabletodistinguishtheblood.Sheshould,
thereIore,behaveaccordingtothetypeoIbloodshesees.EatimahbintAbuHubaishhadaprolonged
Ilow oI blood, and the Prophet told her, "II it is menstrual blood, it is dark and recognizable. II you
havethat,abstainIromtheprayer.IIitisotherthanthat,makeablutionandpray,Ioritisavein."
WomenwhoIallintoanyoIthesecategoriesmustabidebytheIollowingregulations:
Eiqh1.73:Ghusl,menstruatingwomen
ShedoesnothavetoperIormghuslIoreveryprayer,exceptIortheonetimewhenherperiodorblood
Ilowhasended.
Eiqh1.74:ShemustmakeablutionIoreveryprayer,menstruatingwomen
SaidtheProphet,"Make ablutionIoreveryprayer."AccordingtoMalik,thisisonlypreIerredandnot
obligatory(unlessshenulliIiesherablution,oIcourse).
Eiqh1.74a:Keepingthebloodincheck,menstruatingwomen
SheistowashhervaginabeIoreshemakesablution,andsheshouldwearsomethingwhichsoaksup
theblood.ItispreIerredIorhertodowhatshecantokeepthebloodincheck.
Eiqh1.74b:Ablution,menstruatingwomen
SheshouldnotmakeablutionbeIoretheprayer'stimebegins.
Eiqh1.74c:Sex,menstruatingwomen
She may have intercourse with her husband even while the blood is Ilowing, according to most
scholars,becausethereisnoevidencetothecontrary.SaidIbn'Abbas,"IIshecanpray,herhusband
can have intercourse with her." Al-Bukhari says that iI she is pure enough Ior prayer, she certainly
mustbepureenoughIorintercourse.AbuDawudandal-Baihaqirelatedthat'AkramahbintHamnah
had a prolonged Ilow oI blood and that her husband had intercourse with her. An-Nawawi holds its
chaintobehassan.
Eiqh1.74d:Whatshecando,menstruatingwomen
Sheistobeconsideredapureperson,andshemaypray,Iast,remaininthemosque,recitetheQur'an,
touchacopyoItheQur'an,andsoon.
Eiqh1.75:Prayer
The prayer is a type oI worship consisting oI speciIic statements and actions. It is begun by
pronouncing the greatness oI Allah, and is concluded with salutations oI peace. As prayer is the
essenceoIIslam,wewilldiscussithereindetail.
Tostateitsimply,prayermustexist,IorwithoutitIslamcannotstand.TheProphet,uponwhombe
peace,said,"TheheadoIthematterisIslam,itspillaristheprayer,andthetopoIitshumpisjihadin
thewayoIAllah."ItwastheIirstactoIworshipthatwasmadeobligatorybyAllah.Itsobligationwas
revealed directly to theProphet,duringhisascensiontoheaven.SaidAnas,"Theprayersweremade
obligatory on the Prophet, upon whom be peace, the night oI his ascension to heaven. At Iirst, they
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wereIiItyinnumber,butwerereducedseveraltimesuntiltheywereIive.Thenitwasproclaimed,'O
Muhammad,theorderisnotchanged.TheseIiveare(equivalent)totheIiIty.''
As to the authenticity oI the report, it is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is
sahih.
Salah is the Iirst act that the person will be held accountable Ior. 'Abdullah ibn Qart related that the
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said"TheIirstactthattheslavewillbeaccountableIoron
the Day oI Judgement will be prayer. II it is good, then the restoIhisactswillbegood.AndiIitis
evil,thentherestoIhisactswillbeevil."(Relatedbyat-Tabarani.)ItisthelastthingthattheProphet,
upon whom be peace, recommended to his nation beIore he died, saying, "Prayer, prayer and what
your right hand possesses." It will be the last thing taken away Irom the religion. When it perishes,
Islamwillperish.TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"IIIslamwerestrippedaway,
piece by piece, people would hold tight to the next one. The Iirst thing taken would be ruling and
governance, and the last thing would be prayer." (Related by Ibn Hibban Irom the hadith oI Abu
Umamah.) In many verses oI the Qur'an, Allah Iollows up prayer with the remembrance oI Allah.
"Lo! Worship preserves (one) Irom lewdness and iniquity, but verily,remembranceoIAllahismore
important." (al-'Ankabut 45); "He is successIul who grows and remembers the name oI his Lord, so
pray(al-A'la14-15);"SoserveMeandestablishworshipIorMyremembrance"(Taha74).Sometimes
He mentions prayer along with zakah: "Establish prayer and pay zakah" (al-Baqarah 110). And at
times,withpatience:"Seekhelpinpatienceandprayer"(al-Baqarah45),andwithhajj:"Soprayunto
yourLordandsacriIice"(al-Kauthar2);"Say:Lo!myworshipandmysacriIiceandmylivingandmy
dyingareIorAllah,LordoItheWorlds.Hehasnopartner.ThisamIcommanded,andIamtheIirst
oIthosewhosurrender(untoHim)"(al-An'am162-163).Atothertimes,AllahbeginstheactsoIpiety
withprayersandendswiththem,asintheversesaboutthema'arij(ascensiontoheaven):"SuccessIul
indeedarethebelieverswhoarehumbleintheirprayers,"andtheverses,"Andwhopayheedtotheir
prayers.ThesearetheheirswhowillinheritParadise.Therewilltheyabide"(al-Mu'minun1-29-11).
TheimportanceoIsalahissogreatthatoneisorderedtoobserveitwhiletravellingornot,whileone
is saIe or in Iear: "Be guardians oI your prayers, and oI the mid-most prayer, and stand up with
devotion to Allah. And iI you go in Iear, then (pray) standing or on horseback. When you are saIe,
rememberAllah,asHehastaughtyouthatwhich(heretoIore)youknewnot"(al-Baqarah238-239).
Eiqh1.76:AllahexplainshowtoprayduringIear,saIetyorwartime
"And when you are among them and arrange their prayers Ior them, let only a party oI them stand
with you (to worship) and let them take their arms. Then, when they have perIormed their
prostrations, let them Iall to the rear and let another party cometo pray with you, and let them take
theirprecautionsandarms.TheywhodisbelievelongIoryoutoneglectyourarmsandyourbaggage,
thattheymayattack.ItisnosinIoryoutolayasideyourarms,iIrainimpedesyouoriIyouaresick.
But take your precautions. Lo! Allah prepares Ior the disbelievers shameIul punishment. When you
have perIormed your prayer, remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining. And when you are in
saIety, observe your prayer properly. Prayer at Iixed hours has been enjoined on the believers" (an-
Nisa'102-103).
Eiqh1.77:Allahalsostronglywarnsthosewhotamperwiththeirprayersorareheedless
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Now there has succeeded them a later generation who have ruined their
prayers and have Iollowed lusts. But they will meet deception" (Maryam 59); "Ah, woe unto
worshipperswhoareheedlessoItheirprayers"(al-Ma'un4-5).
Eiqh1.77a:PrayerisoneoIthemostimportantactsinIslam
PrayerisoneoIthemostimportantactsinIslam,andthusitrequiresaspecialguidance
Ibrahim asked his Lord to give him descendants who abided by their prayers: "My Lord! Cause me
and (some) oI my oIIspring to remain constant in prayer. And O our Lord! Accept my supplication"
(Ibrahim40).
Eiqh1.77b:OneWhoIgnores HisPrayers
NotprayinganddenyingitsobligationisseenasdisbelieIandplacesthepersonoutsidethereligionoI
Islam.Allscholarsagreeonthispiont.Theybasetheiropiniononseveralhadith,someoIwhichare:
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Jabir reports that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Between a person and disbelieI is
discardingprayer."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,at-TirmizhiandIbnMajah.)
Buraidah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The pact between us and them is
prayer.Whoeverabandonsitisadisbeliever."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,at-Tirmizhi,anNasa'i
andIbnMajah.)
'Abdullahibn'Amribnal-'AasreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,onedaymentionedthe
prayer and said, "Whoever guards and observes his prayer, they will be a light and a prooI and a
saviorIorhimontheDayoIResurrection.Whoeverdoesnotguardandobvservethem,theywillnot
bealightoraprooIorasaviorIorhim.OntheDayoIResurrection,hewillbewithQarun,Eir'aun,
Haman and Ubayy ibn KhalI." (Related by Ahmad, at-Tabarani and Ibn Hibban. Its chain is
excellent.)
That one who does not pray will be with the leaders oI the unbelievers in the HereaIter makes it
evidentthatsuchapersonisanunbeliever.SaysIbnal-Qayyim,"Theone whodoesnotpraymaybe
preoccupied with his wealth, kingdom, position or business. II one is kept away Irom his prayers by
hiswealth,hewillbewithQarun.OnewhosekingdomkeepshimawayIromtheprayerswillbewith
Haman,andonewhosebusinesskeepshimawayIromtheprayerswillbewithUbayyibnKhalI."
Says 'Abdullah ibn Shaqiq al-'Aqeely, "The companions oI Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not
considertheabandonmentoIanyact,withtheexceptionoIprayer,asbeingdisbelieI."(Relatedbyat-
Tirmizhiandal-Hakim,whosaiditmetal-Bukahri'sandMuslim'sconditions.)
Says Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Mirwazi, "I heard Ishaq say, 'It is authentic (that) the Prophet (said or
ruled): One who does not pray is an unbeliever." It is Irom the Prophet himselI that one who
intentionallydoesnotprayuntilthetimeIortheprayerisoverisanunbeliever."
SaysIbnHazm,"IthascomeIrom'Umar,'Abdurahmanibn'AuI,Mu'azhibnJabal,AbuHurairahand
othercompanionsthatanyonewhoskipsoneobligatoryprayeruntilitstimehasIinishedbecomesan
apostate. We Iind no diIIerence oI opinion among them on this point." This was mentioned by al-
Munzhiri in at-Targheeb wa atTarheeb. Then he comments, "A group oI companions and those who
came aIter them believed that an intentional decision to skip one prayer until its time is completely
Iinishedmakesoneanunbeliever.ThepeopleoIthisopinionincude'Umaribnal-Khattab,'Abdullah
ibn Mas'ud, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, Mu'azh ibn Jabal, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah and Abu ad-Darda'.Among
the non-companions who shared this view were Ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahwaih, 'Abdullah ibn al-
Mubarak,an-Nakha'i,al-Hakimibn'Utaibah,AbuAyyubas-Sakhtiyani,AbuDawudat-Tayalisi,Abu
BakribnAbuShaibah,ZuhairibnHarb,andothers.
Somehadithmakeitclearthatsuchapersonshouldbekilled.Eorexample:
Ibn'AbbasreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"ThetiesoIIslamandtheprinciples
oI the religion are three, and whoever leaves one oI them becomes an unbeliever, and his blood
becomes lawIul: testiIying that there is no god except Allah, the obligatory prayers, and the Iast oI
Ramadan." (Related by Abu Ya'la with a hassan chain.) Another narration states, "II anyone leaves
one oI them, by Allah he becomes an unbeliever and no voluntary deeds or recompense will be
accepted Irom him, and his blood and wealth become lawIul." This is a clear indication that such a
personistobekilled.
Ibn'UmarrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"Ihavebeenorderedtokill
thepeopleuntiltheytestiIythatthereisnogodexceptAllah,andthatMuhammadistheMessengeroI
Allah, and they establish prayer and pay the zakah. II they do that, their blood and wealth are
protected Irom me save by the rights oI Islam. Their reckoning will be with Allah." (Related by al-
BukhariandMuslim.)
Umm Salamah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "There will be rulers over you
whowilldogoodandevilthings.Whoeverhatesthese(latter)actswillbeinnocentoIthem.Whoever
denies them will be saIe, but (not) one whoacceptsandIollowsthem."Theyasked,"Shouldwekill
them?"Hesaid,"NotiItheypray."(RelatedbyMuslim.)ThereIore,hemadeitunlawIultokilleven
anunjustrulerwhoobserves hisprayers.
Abu Sa'eed reported that 'Ali, while he was in Yemen, sent the Prophet some gold, which he then
dividedamongIourpeople.Amansaid,"OMessengeroIAllah,bewareoIAllah."TheProphetsaid,
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"Woetoyou.OIallthepeopleoItheearth,amInotthemostdutiIulinbeingawareoIAllah?"Khalid
ibnal-Walidsaid,"OMessengeroIAllah,shallIkillhim?"Hesaid,"PerhapsheisoneoIthosewho
pray."Khalidsaid,"Howmanypeoplesaywiththeirtongueswhatisnotintheirhearts?"TheProphet
said, "I have not been ordered to look into the hearts oI people, nor to rip open their bellies."
(Abridged Irom al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In this hadith also, prayer is given as the reason Ior not
killing a person. It is understood, thereIore, that not praying would have resulted in the person's
killing.
Eventhoughtheprecedinghadithclearlyrulethatonewhodiscardssalahbecomesanunbelieverand
shouldbekilled,manyearlyandlaterscholars(excludingAbuHaniIah,Malikandash-ShaIi)believe
that such people become evildoers who must repent. II such a person does not repent, he is to be
killed, that being the prescribed punishment, according to Malik, ash-Shai'i and others. AbuHaniIah
maintains thatsuchapersonisnottobekilled,butmustbegivenaminorpunishmentandconIined
until he prays. They say the hadith that calls such people unbelievers reIer to those who deny the
prayers,andsoon.Theysaythatanyotherinterpretationiscontradictedbyothertexts.Eorexample,
Allah says, "Lo! Allah does not pardon one who gives Him partners. He pardons all save whom He
wills" (an-Nisa' 116). There is also a hadith related by Abu Hurairah and recorded by Ahmad and
Muslim in which the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Every prophet has a special supplication
thatisanswered.Everyprophethastenedtomakehissupplication,butIconcealedmineandwilluse
itIormynationontheDayoIResurrection.Itwillbegranted--Allahwilling--towhoeverdieswithout
associating any partners with Allah." Al-Bukhari also recorded that Abu Hurairah reported that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The person who will be the happiest due to my intercession is
theonewhosays,'ThereisnogodbutAllah'sincerelyIromhisheart."
Says ash-Shaukani, "The truth oI the matter is that he becomes anunbelieverwhoistobekilledIor
his unbelieI. The hadith authenticates that Islamic law calls one who does not pray an unbeliever. It
hasalsoputtheperIormanceasthebarrierbetweenabelieverandanunbeliever.Abandoningprayer
means he may be called an unbeliever. We need not concern ourselves with arguments presented by
thoseoItheopposingopinion.Wecansaytothem:ItisnotimpossiblethatsometypesoIunbelievers
mayobtainIorgivenessormayhavearighttointercession,suchastheunbelieIoIthosewhoprayto(
our)qiblah.Nevertheless,theIactremainsthattheycommitsomesinswhichtheIslamiclawviewsas
unbelieI.Toturntotheothernarrowinterpretationsisjustredundant."
Eiqh 1.80:WhoMustPray
Prayerisobligatoryuponeverysane,adultMuslim.'AishahrelatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,upon
whom be peace, said, "The pen is raised Ior three (meaning: there is no obligation upon three): one
who issleepinguntilhewakens,thechilduntilhebecomesanadult,andonewhoisinsaneuntilhe
becomessane."
AstotheauthenticityoIthisreport,itisrecordedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,at-Tirmizhi,an-Nasa'i,Ibn
Majah, and al-Hakim, who grades it sahih according to the criterion oI al-Bukhari and Muslim. At-
TirmizhiclassiIiesitashassan.
AlthoughitisnotobligatoryIorachildtopray,itisamustthathisguardianorderhimtodosowhen
heisseven,andheshouldbeathimiIhedoesnotprayaIterhereachestheageoIten.Aminorshould
practiceprayinguntilhereachespuberty.'AmribnShu'aibrelatedIromhisIatherontheauthorityoI
his grandIather that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Order your children to pray when they
reachtheageoIseven.Beatthem(iItheydon'tpray)whentheyreachtheageoIten.Andhavethem
sleepseparately."
The hadith is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and al-Hakim. The latter grades it sahih according to
Muslim'scriteria.
Eiqh1.81:TheNumberoIObligatoryPrayers
ThenumberoIprayersprescribedbyAllahisIive.IbnMahyraiznarratedthatal-Makhdaji,Iromthe
tribe oI Kananah, heard Abu Muhammad--a man in ash-Shams--saying, "The witr prayer is
obligatory." He said he went to 'Ubadah ibn as-Samit and inIormed him oI this. 'Ubadah corrected
him,saying,"AbuMuhammadismistaken.IheardtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,say
'AllahhaslaidIiveprayersuponHisslaves.WhoeverIulIillsthemanddoesnotmissanyoIthemwill
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have a pact with Allah that He will let him enter Paradise. Whoever does not come with them will
have no pactwithAllah.IIHewishes,Hemaypunishhim,andiIHewishes,HemayIorgivehim."
(Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) In one version it states, "Or one who
comeswithadeIiciencyinthemorwhodegradestheirduties."Talhahibn'Ubaidullahnarratedthata
bedouin with unkempt hair came to the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, and said, "O
Messenger oI Allah, inIorm me oI what Allah has made obligatory on me as regards praying." He
said, "Eive prayers, unless you do others voluntarily." He asked the Prophet to inIorm him about
Iasting, and he said, "The Iast oI Ramadan, unless you do others voluntarily." Then he asked him
aboutcharity...andtheMessengeroIAllahinIormedhimoItheIslamiclegislations.Thebedouinthen
said, "By the One who has honored you, I shall not voluntarily add anything to it, nor shall I be
deIicient in what Allah has ordered me to do." The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, then
said,"HewillenterParadiseiIheistruthIul(towhathesaid)."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Eiqh1.82:TheTimesoIthePrayers
Each prayer has its own particular time at which it must be perIormed. Says Allah, "Prayer at Iixed
hourshasbeenenjoineduponthebelievers"(an-Nisa'103).
TheQur'anitselIpointstothesediIIerenttimes
Allahsays,"PrayatthetwoendsoIthedayandinsomewatchesoIthenight.Lo!Gooddeedsannul
evildeeds.ThisisareminderIorthemindIul"(Hud114).Surahal-Isra'states,"Establishprayeratthe
settingoIthesununtilthedarkoIthenight,and(therecital)oItheQur'anatdawn.Lo!TherecitaloI
theQur'anatdawniseverwitnessed"(al-Isra'78),and"CelebratethepraisesoIyourLordbeIorethe
risingoIthesunandbeIoreitssetting.GloriIyHimsomehoursoIthenightandatthetwoendsoIthe
day, that you may Iind acceptance" (Taha 130).ThisversespeciIicallyreIerstothedawnprayerand
the aIternoon prayer, as it is recorded in the two Sahihs. Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali reported, We
were sitting with the Messenger oI Allah and we looked at the moon on a clear night. The Prophet
said,'YouwillseeyourLordasyouseethismoon,andyouwillnotbeharmedbyseeingHim.So,iI
youcan,donotletyourselvesbeoverpoweredinthecaseoIprayerbeIoretherisingoIthesunandits
setting,'andherecitedtheaboveverse."
ThosearethetimesoItheprayersthattheQur'anmentions.Eromthesunnah,wehavetheIollowing:
'Abdullahibn'AmrreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"ThetimeoIthe
noonprayeriswhenthesunpassesthemeridianandaman'sshadowisthesamelengthashisheight.
ItlastsuntilthetimeoItheaIternoonprayer.ThetimeoItheaIternoonprayerisuntiltheyellowingoI
thesun(duringitssetting).ThetimeoItheeveningprayerisaslongastwilight.ThetimeoIthenight
prayeristothemiddleoIanightoImediumduration.AndthetimeoIthemorningprayerisIromthe
appearance oIthedawnuntilthetimeoIsunrise.Whenthesunrises,abstainIrompraying,asitrises
betweenthehornsoISatan."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
Jarir ibn 'Abdullah narrated that the angel Gabriel came to the Messenger oI Allah and said to him,
"Stand and pray," and they prayed the noon prayer when the sun had passed its meridian. He then
cametohimIortheaIternoonprayerandsaid,"Standandpray,"andtheyprayedtheaIternoonprayer
while the length oI a shadow oI something was similartothelengthoI theobject.Thenhecameat
sunset and said, "Stand and pray," and they prayed the sunset prayer when the sun had just
disappeared.Thenhecameatnightandsaid,"Standandpray,"andtheyprayedthenightprayerwhen
the twilighthaddisappeared.Hecameagainwhendawnbroke(andtheyprayedthemorningprayer).
Then Gabriel came on the next day at noon and said (to the Messenger oI Allah), "Stand and pray,"
andtheyprayedthenoonprayerwhenthelengthoItheshadowoIsomethingwasclosetothelength
oItheobject.ThenhecameIortheaIternoonprayerandsaid,"Standandpray,"andtheyprayedwhen
theshadowoIsomethingwastwiceaslongasthelengthoItheobject.Thenhecameatthesametime
(as the previous day) Ior the sunset prayer, without any change. Then he came Ior the night prayer
aIterhalIoIthenighthadpassed("or,"hesaid,"one-thirdoIthenight").Thenhecamewhenthesky
was very yellow and said, "Stand and pray," and they prayed the morningprayer.ThenGabrielsaid,
"BetweenthesetimesarethetimesIortheprayers."
As to the authenticity oI the report, it is recorded by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi. Al-Bukhari
observes,"Itisthemostauthenticreportconcerningtheprayertimes."
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Eiqh1.83:TheTimeIortheNoonPrayer(Zhuhr)
The previous two hadith make it clear that the noon prayer begins when the sun passes its meridian
anditcontinuesuntilanobject'sshadowisapproximatelythesamelengthastheobjectitselI.IIitis
extremelyhot,itispreIerredtodelaythenoonprayeruntilitiscooler.Thisisdoneinordertoretain
the humility and awe oI the prayer. II this is not the case, it should be prayed early in its time. This
opinionisbasedontheIollowinghadith:ReportedAnas,"IIitwasextremelycold,theProphet,upon
whom be peace, would pray early. II it was extremely hot, he would wait Ior it to cool down."
(Related by al-Bukhari.) Abu Zharr relates, "We were with the Prophet, upon whom be peace, on a
journey.Whenthecallertoprayerwantedtogivetheazhan,theProphetsaid'Letitcooldown.'This
happened two or three times, until we saw the shadows oI the hills. Then the Prophet said, 'The
extreme heat is Irom the Iragrance oI Hell. II the heat becomes extreme, delay the prayer until it
becomes cool." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) However, this delay does have a limit.
According to Ibn Hajr's Eath al-Bari, "The scholars diIIer over how long one may wait to let the
temperature cool. Some say, 'Until the shadow oI an object becomes an arm's length,' or 'Until the
shadowbecomesone-IourthoIone'sheight.'Otherssayone-thirdorone-halI,andsoon.Itsrulingis
according to its basicprinciple,anditchangeswithdiIIerentcircumstances,providedthattheprayer
isnotdelayeduntil theendoIitstime."
Eiqh1.84:TheTimeIortheAIternoonPrayer('Asr)
ThisprayerbeginsintheaIternoonwhentheshadowoIanobjectisoIthesamelengthastheobject
itselI,andcontinuesuntilthesunsets.AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,
said, "Whoever catches one rak'ah oI the aIternoon prayer beIore the sun sets and then prays the
remainderoItheprayeraIterthesunhassethasnotmissedtheaIternoonprayer."
ThebestandmostpreIerredtimetopraytheaIternoonprayerendswhenthesunbecomesyellowish
onthehorizon.ThisisimpliedbytheprecedinghadithoIJabirand'Abdullahibn'Umar.Todelaythe
prayeruntilthesunbecomesyellowish,althoughitispermissiable,isgreatlydisliked,unlessthereis
some need to do so. Anas reported that he heard the Prophet, upon whom be peace, say, "The
IollowingistheprayeroIthehypocrite:hewaitsuntilthesunisbetweenthehornsoISatan,thenhe
getsupandpraysIourquickrak'ah,andhedoesnotrememberAllahthereinsavealittlebit."(Related
by"thegroup,"exceptIoral-BukhariandIbnMajah.)
Saysan-NawawiinhiscommentaryonSahihMuslim,"Ourcompanions(theShaIiyyah)holdthatthe
aIternoon prayer time can be divided into Iive categories:themostvirtuoustime,thepreIerredtime,
theallowabletimeinwhichthereisnodislikedaspect,theallowabletimethatcontainssomeaspectoI
dislike, and the time that is due to some excuse or necessity. The most virtuous time is at the
beginning oI the permissible time. The preIerred time is until the shadow oI an object is twice the
lengthoItheobjectitselI.ThepermissibletimewithoutanyaspectoIdislikeisIromthetimethesun
becomes yellowish. The permissible time with some aspect oI dislike is Irom the time the sun
becomesyellowishuntilthesettingoIthesun.ThetimeoIexcuseornecessitybegins,inIact,atthe
timeoIthenoonprayerIoronewhoistocombinethenoonandaIternoonprayers,duetotravellingor
rain.IItheaIternoonprayerismadeduringanyoIthosetimes,ithasbeenIulIilledproperly.IIalloI
thosetimespassandthesunhasset,thenonemustmakeuptheprayer."
Onacloudyday,itshouldbeprayedearlierinitstime.Buraidahal-Aslamireported,"Wewerewith
the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, during a battle and he said, "Hasten in praying on a
cloudy day, Ior one who misses the aIternoon prayer has destroyed all oI his works." (Related by
AhmadandIbnMajah.)
OI the subjecat, Ibn al-Qayyim says, "Leaving the prayer is oI two types: leaving it completely and
never praying it (which destroys all oI one's deeds), and leaving it during a particular day, which
destroysalloIthedeedsoIthatday."
Eiqh1.85:TheAIternoonPrayeristhe"Mid-most"Prayer
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Observe and guard the prayers and the mid-most prayer, and stand with
totalsubmissiontoAllah.AuthentichadithhavemadeitclearthattheaIternoonprayersisthe"mid-
most"prayer.
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'Ali reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said on the day oI al-Ahzab (the battle oI the
clans),"MayAllahIilltheirgravesandhouseswithIire,astheykeptuspreoccupiedIromthe"mid-
most" prayer until the sun had set." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Muslim, Abu Dawud and
Ahmadhave"theaIternoonprayer"insertedaIter"themid-most"prayer.")
Explaining the context oI this hadith, Ibn Mas'ud said, "The idol-worshippers kept the Prophet Irom
the aIternoon prayer until the sun had become reddish and yellowish. The Messenger oI Allah said,
"They kept us preoccupied Irom the "mid-most" prayer, the aIternoon prayer--may Allah Iill their
belliesandgraveswithIire."'(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andIbnMajah.)
Eiqh1.85a:TheTimeIortheSunsetPrayer(Maghrib)
ThetimeIorthe sunsetprayerbeginswiththedisappearanceoIthesunandlastsuntiltheredtwilight
ends. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The time Ior the
sunset prayer is when the sun has disappeared and the twilight has notgone." (Related by Muslim.)
Abu Musa related that a man askedtheProphetabouttheprayertimes,andhementionedthehadith
whichstatesthatheorderedthesunsetprayerwhenthesunhadsetand,onthenextday,heprayedit
whentheredtwilightwasendingandhesaid,"Thetime(Iorthesunsetprayer)isbetweenthesetwo
times."
An-Nawawi says in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, "It is the opinion oI the research scholars oI
ourcompanions(theShaI'iyyah)that...itisallowedtodelayitaslongas itistwilight.Itisallowedto
begin the prayer at any time during that period. There is no sin in delaying it Irom itsearliesttime."
ConcerningtheearlierquotedhadithinwhichGabrielledtheprayersandprayedthesunsetprayerat
the same time on both days, it only shows that it is greatly preIerred to perIorm the sunset prayeras
earlyaspossible.Thispointismadeclearbysomeotherhadith:
As-Sa'ib ibn Yazid related that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "My nation will
always be along the natural path as long as they pray the sunset prayer beIore the stars appear."
(RelatedbyAhmadandat-Tabarani).
In Ahmad's Musnad it is related Irom Abu Ayyub al-Ansari that the Prophet said, "Pray the sunset
prayerwhentheIastingpersonbreakshisIastandwhenthestarsareabouttoappear."
In Sahih Muslim it is related Irom RaIa' ibn Khadeej that "We prayed the sunset prayer with the
Messenger oI Allah, and one oI us would leave (aIterwards) and would still be able to see where he
shothisarrow,(becausetherewasstillsomuchlightleItinthesky)."
InSahihMuslimitisrecordedIromSalamahibnal-Aku'thattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace,wouldpraythesunsetprayerwhenthesunhadsetanddisappeared(behindthehorizon).
Eiqh1.86:TheTimeoItheNightPrayer('Isha)
This prayer begins when the red twilight disappears and continues up to halI oI the night. Reported
'Aishah, "They used to pray the night prayer between the disappearance oI the twilight and the Iinal
thirdoIthenight'sbeginning."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroI
Allah,uponwhombepeace,said,"IIitwerenottobeahardshipuponmynation,Iwouldorderthem
to delay the night prayer until a third or a halI oI the night had passed." (Related by Ahmad, Ibn
Majah and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is sahih.) Reported Abu Sa'eed, "Once, we waited Ior the
MessengeroIAllahtoleadthenightprayeruntilhalIthenighthadpassed,atwhichtimehecameand
prayed with us. He said, 'Stay in your places oI sitting while the people have gone to their places oI
lyingdown(Iorsleep),IoryouareinprayeraslongasyouarewaitingIortheprayer.IIitwerenotIor
the weakness oI the weak, the illness oI the ill and theneed oI those who have needs, I would have
delayedthetimeoIthisprayertoahalIoIthenight."
AstotheauthenticityoIthisreport,itisrecordedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,IbnMajah,an-Nasa'iand
Ibn Khuzaimah. Its chain is sahih). The hadith describes the best time to pray. As Ior the allowable
timeandthetimeduetoneed,itlastsuntildawn.AbuQatadahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,
uponwhombepeace,said,"Thereisnonegligenceinsleeping,butthenegligenceliesinnotpraying
aprayeruntilthetimeoIthenextprayerhascome."(RelatedbyMuslim.)Thishadithshowsthatthe
time oI every prayer continues until the beginning oI the time Ior the next prayer, except Ior the
morningprayer,asallscholarsagreethatitstimelastsonly untilsunrise.
Eiqh1.87:DelayisPreIerredintheIshaPrayer
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ItismostvirtuoustodelaythenightprayeruntiltheendoIthepreIerredtimeIorit,whichishalIthe
night. Reported 'Aishah, "One night the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prayed the night prayer aIter
mostoIthenighthadgoneandmostoIthepeopleinthemosquehadIallenaleep.Thenhecameout,
prayed,andsaid,"ThiswouldbethepropertimeiIitwerenotahardshiponmynation."'(Relatedby
Muslim and an-Nasa'i.) The Prophet, upon whom be peace, did not do this on a regular basis, as he
heardthatitwouldbeahardshiponhisnation.HewouldtakeintoconsiderationthesituationoIthose
inthemosque.SometimeshewouldhasteninperIormingtheprayerandatothertimeshewoulddelay
it. Said Jabir, "The Messenger oI Allah would pray the noon prayer during the hottest time oI noon,
theaIternoonprayerwhenthesunwasclear,thesunsetprayerwhenthesunhadgonedown,andthe
night prayer he would sometimes delay and sometimes hasten iI he Iound people gathered (in the
mosque).IIhenoticedthattheywerelingering,hewoulddelayit.Hewouldpraythemorningprayer
whileitwasstilldark."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Eiqh1.88:SleepingBeIoretheNightPrayerIsEorbidden
One should not sleep beIore the night prayer, nor have discussions aIter it. Abu Barza al-Aslami
related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, loved to delay the night prayer (which was called
darkness, al-'atmah) and he hated sleeping beIore it and talking or discussions aIter it." (Related by
"thegroup.")InanothersayingbyIbnMas'ud,itisreported,"TheMessengeroIAllahorderedusnot
totalkaIterthenightprayer."(RelatedbyIbnMajah.)
Thereasonsbehindthisare:sleepmaymakea personmissthenightprayerinitsbesttime,oritmay
cause himtomissthecongregationalprayer,andtalkingandsocializingaIterwardswouldcauseone
tomisappropriateatimeIromwhichhecouldgreatlybeneIit.IIonewantstosleepandhassomeone
to wake him up, or he is discussing a beneIicial matter, then it is not disliked. Said Ibn 'Umar,"The
ProphetwoulddiscusswithAbuBakrsomeoItheaIIairsoItheMuslimsduringthenight,andIwas
withhim."(RelatedbyAhmadandat-Tirmizhi,whosaiditishassan.)ReportedIbn'Abbas,"Isleptin
thehomeoIMaimunahonenightwhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wasthere.Iwatchedtosee
howtheProphetprayedduringthenight.HetalkedwithhiswiIeIorawhileandthenslept."(Related
byMuslim.)
Eiqh1.88a:TheTimeoItheMorningPrayer(Eajr)
ThetimeoIthemorningprayerbeginswiththetruedawnandlastsuntilsunrise.ItispreIerredtopray
itearlyinitspermissibletime.AbuMas'udal-AnsarireportedthattheMessengeroIAllahprayedthe
morningprayerinthedarkness(oIthedawn).Anothertime,heprayeditwhenthedawnwasshining
(orglowing).ThenaIterthat,healwaysprayedinthedarkness(oIthedawn)untilhedied."(Related
by Abu Dawud and al-Baihaqi. Its chain is sahih.) Said 'Aishah, "Believing women would pray the
morningprayerwiththeProphet,uponwhombepeace,beingenvelopedintheirclothing.Theywould
return to their homes aIter the prayer and no one could recognize them due to the darkness (oI the
dawn)."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
RaIa' ibn Khadeej related a hadith in which the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Make the
morning prayer at daybreak, as your reward will be greater." In another version it states, "Make the
morning prayer at the shining (time oI the dawn), as your reward will be greater." (Related by "the
Iive."At-TirmizhiandIbnHibbangradeitassahih.)ItreIerstothetimethatoneIinishestheprayer,
notthetimewhenonebeginsit.Thatis,oneshouldmaketherecitallongsothatoneisinprayeruntil
thedawnbecomes"shiny."ThisiswhattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,usedtodo,Iorhewould
recitebetween60and100verses.Italsomeanstomakesurethatthedawnhascome.
Eiqh1.89:PerIormingOneRak'ahDuringtheTimeoI Prayer
Whoevercatchesarak'ahoIprayerbeIoreitstimehasexpiredhascaughttheentireprayerinitstime.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever catches one rak'ah oI
the prayer has caught the prayer." (Related by "the group.") This reIers to any oI the prayers. Al-
Bukharihasrecorded,"WhoeveroIyoucatchesoneprostrationoItheaIternoonprayerbeIorethesun
hassetshouldcompletehisprayer.IIoneoIyoucatchesoneprostrationoIthemorningprayerbeIore
thesunhasrisen,heshouldcompletehisprayer."HerethemeaningoIprostrationisrak'ah.Theclear
meaning oI the hadith is that one who catches one rak'ah oI the morning or aIternoon prayer should
completetheprayereveniIthesunissettingorrising,alsothosearetimesinwhichitisnotlikedto
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pray. II one rak'ah is perIormed, then the prayer is to be completed and the obligation oI prayer will
havebeenIulIilled,althoughitisnotallowedtointentionallydelaythoseprayersuntilsuchtimes.
Eiqh1.89a:SleepingThroughorEorgettingthePrayer
WhoeversleepsthroughorhasIorgottentoprayacertainprayershouldprayitwhenhewakesupor
remembers the prayer. Abu Qatadah related that sleeping through the prayer time was mentioned to
theProphet,uponwhombepeace,andhesaid,"Thereisnonegligenceinsleep,butnegligenceoccurs
while one is awake. II one oI you Iorgets a prayer or sleeps through its time, then he should pray it
whenheremembersit."
AstotheauthenticityoIthereport,itisrecordedbyan-Nasa'iandat-Tirmizhi,whosaiditissahih.
Anas related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever Iorgets a prayer should pray it
whenheremembersit,andthereisnoexpiationIoritsavethat."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Reported 'Imran ibn Husain, "We went with the Messenger oI Allah during the night. When the last
portionoIthenightcame,webecametiredandIellasleep.WedidnotwakeuntilweIelttheheatoI
the sun. Some oI us tried hurriedly to puriIy ourselves. TheProphetorderedustobecalm.Thenwe
rodeonuntilthesunhadrisenandwemadeablution.HeorderedBilaltomakethecalltoprayer,and
thenprayedtworak'ahbeIorethe(obligatory)morningprayer.Thenwestoodandprayed. Wesaid,'O
MessengeroIAllah,shouldwenotrepeatittomorrowinitspropertime?'Hesaid,'WouldyourLord
theMostHighIorbidyouIrominterestandacceptitIromyou?"'(RelatedbyAhmedandothers.)
Eiqh1.90:TheTimesinWhichthePrayersareProhibited
ItisIorbiddentoprayaIterthemorningprayeruntilthesunriseandIromthesunriseuntilthesunhas
completelyrisentothelengthoIaspearabovethehorizon,andwhenthesunisatitsmeridianuntilit
moves sightly to the west, and aIter the aIternoon prayer until the sun sets. Abu Sa'eed reported that
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "There is no prayer aIter the morning prayer until the sun
rises."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)'Amribn'Abbasrelatedthathesaid,"OProphetoIAllah,
inIorm me about the prayers." He said, "Pray the morning prayer and then abstain Irom prayer until
sunrise and the sun has completely risen, Ior it rises between the horns oI Satan. That is when the
unbelievers prostrate to it. Then pray, as your prayer will be witnessed and attended to until the
shadowoIaspearbecomeslessthanitslength.Atthattimestoppraying,Ioratthattimethehell-Iire
isIedwithIuel.Whentheshadecomes,youmaypray,Ioryourprayerwillbewitnessedandattended
(tobyangels)untilyoupraytheaIternoonprayer.ThenabstainIromprayinguntilthesunsets,Iorits
setsbetweenthehornsoISatan,andthatiswhentheunbelieversmakeprostrationstoit."(Relatedby
AhmadandMuslim.)
Said'Uqbahibn'Amr,"TherearethreetimesduringwhichtheProphetprohibitedusIromprayingor
buryingourdeceased:sunriseuntilthesunhasrisen(somedistance),whenthesunisatitsmeridian,
and when the sun is setting until it has completely set." (Related by "the group," except Ior al-
Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.90a:OpinionsoItheJuristsConcerningPrayerAItertheMorningandNightPrayers
MostscholarsagreethatonecanmakeupmissedprayersaIterthemorningoraIternoonprayers.This
isbasedontheProphet'swords,"IIsomeoneIorgetstheprayer,heshouldprayitwhenheremembers
it."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
Concerning voluntary prayers, the Iollowing companions disliked such prayers during those times:
'Ali,IbnMas'ud,AbuHurairahandIbn'Umar. 'UmarusedtobeatthosewhooIIeredtworak'ahaIter
the aIternoon prayers (in the presence oI other companions), and was not rebuked. Khalid ibn al-
Waleedalsousedtodothis.Thosetabi'eenwhodislikedsuchprayerswereal-HassanandSa'eedibn
al-Musayyab. Abu HaniIah and Malik also hated such prayers. Ash-SahI i reasoned that prayers at
such times are allowable iI the person has a reason Ior that prayer (the prayer oI salutation to the
mosque,ortheprayersaIteroneperIormstheablution,andsoon).HeusesasaprooItheIactthatthe
Prophet, upon whom be peace, prayed the two noon sunnah rak'ah aIter the aIternoon prayers. The
HanbaliyyahsaythatitisIorbiddentoprayduringsuchtimeseveniIonehasareasontodoso,except
inthecaseoI thetworak'ahIorthecircumambulationoItheKa'bah.ThisisbasedonthehadithIrom
Jabir ibn Mut'am that the Prophet said, "O tribe oI 'Abd Manat, do not prevent anyone Irom
circumambulatingthishouse(theKa'bah)orIromprayingthereinatanytime theywish."
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AstotheauthenticityoIthiereport,itisrelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,at-TirmizhiandIbnMajah.
At-TirmizhiandIbnKhuzaimahcalleditsahih.
Eiqh1.91:AboutPrayingatSunrise,SunsetandWhiletheSunisatitsMeridian
TheHaniIiyyahareoItheopinionthatprayerduringsuchtimesisnotvalid,regardlessoIwhetherthe
prayerwasobligatoryorvoluntary,oriIonewasmakingupaprayerorIulIillingarequirement.But,
they make an exception Ior the aIternoon prayer oI that particular day and the Iuneral prayer (iI the
IuneralisatanyoIthesetimes,theIuneralprayerisstilltobemade).Theyalsopermittheprostration
in response to Qur'anic recitationiItherespectiveverseswererecitedatsuchtimes.AbuYusuIalso
makesanexceptionIorvoluntaryprayersonEridaywhilethesunisatitsmeridian.TheShariyyahsay
that voluntary prayers which are not oIIered Ior a particular reason are disliked at such times.
Obligatory prayers, voluntary prayers because oI some occasion, voluntary prayers on Eriday when
thesunisatitsmeridianandtheprayeroIthecircumambulationoItheKa'bahareallpermissibleat
suchtimeswithoutanydislikedaspects.TheMalikiyyahsaythatvoluntaryprayersduringsunriseand
sunset are Iorbidden, even iI there is some occasion Ior them. The same appliestoaprayerthatwas
vowed, prostration owing to Qur'anic recitation, and the Iuneral prayer (unless they Iear some decay
oralterationinthedeceased).Buttheyalwaysallowprayer,voluntaryorobligatory,atthetimewhen
the sun is at its meridian. Al-Baji wrote in his commentary to alMuwatta, "In al-Mubsut it is related
Irom Ibn Wahb that Malik was asked about praying at mid-day and he said, 'I Iound the people
prayingatmid-dayoIEriday.Somehadithdonotconsideritdesirable(toprayatsuchtimes),butIdo
notstopthepeopleIrompraying.Idonotliketoprayatthattimebecauseitisnotdesirabletodoso."
The Hanbaliyyah say that no voluntary prayers should be made during such times, regardless oI
whetherornotthereisareasonIorsuchprayers,andregardlessoIwhetheritisEridayornot,saveIor
the prayer oI salutations to the mosque on Eriday (they allow thiswithoutanydisikeIoritwhilethe
sunisatitsmeridianorwhiletheimamismakinghisaddress).TheyalsosaythattheIuneralprayeris
Iorbidden at that time, unless there is a Iear oI alteration or decay in the corpse. They allow the
makingupoImissedprayers,thevowedprayersandtheprayeroIthe circumabulationoItheKa'bah
(eveniIitisvoluntary)atanyoIthesethreetimes.
Eiqh1.92:VoluntaryPrayeratDawnBeIoretheMorningPrayer
Yasar,theclientoIIbn'Umar,said,"Ibn'UmarsawmewhileIwasprayingaIterthedawnhadbegun,
andhe said,'TheMessengeroIAllahcametouswhilewewereprayingatthistimeandhesaid,'Let
your witness reach those who are absent that there is no prayer aIter (the beginning oI) the dawn
excepttworak'ah."
AstoitsplaceinthecorpusoIhadith,it isrecordedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.Althoughthehadith
isweak,itsnumerouschainsstrengtheneachother.
WecanconcludeIromthisthatitisdisikedtomakevoluntaryprayersbeyondthetwosunnahrak'ah
aIterthedawnhasbegun.Thiswasstatedbyash-Shaukani.Al-Hassan,ash-ShaiIi,andIbnHazmsay
voluntary prayers are permissible at that time without any aspect oI dislike. Malik openly allowed
prayers during that time Ior those who missed the voluntary prayers during the night due to some
excuse. It is mentioned thatitreachedhimthat'Abdullahibn'Abbas,al-QasimibnMuhammad,and
'Abdullahibn'AamaribnRabi'ahwouldpraythewitrprayeraIterthedawnhadbegun.Said'Abdullah
ibn Mas'ud, "It does not bother me iI they make the iqamah (the second call) to prayer while I am
praying witr." Yahya ibn Sa'eed reported, " 'Ibadah ibn as-Samit was the imam Ior the people. One
day he went to the morning prayer and the caller to prayer made the iqamah Ior the prayer. 'Ibadah
kept quiet until he prayed the witr prayer and then he led them in the morning prayer." Sa'eed ibn
JubairreportedthatIbn'Abbasslept(onenight),wokeupandtoldhisservant,"Looktoseewhatthe
peoplearedoing."(Bythattimehehadlosthiseyesight).Theservantreturned andtoldhimthatthey
weredispersingIromthemorningprayer.Ibn'Abbasthenstood,prayedwitrandprayedthemorning
prayer.
Eiqh1.93:VoluntaryPrayerswhiletheIqamahIsBeingMade
II the prayer has already started, it is disliked to preoccupy one's selI with voluntary prayers. Abu
HurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"IItheprayerisbeginning,thereisno
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prayersavetheobligatoryone."Inanothernarrationitstates,"SaveIortheoneIorwhichiqamahhas
beenmade."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,at-Tirmizhi,an-Nasa'iandIbnMajah.)
Reported'AbdullahibnSarjis,"AmanenteredthemosquewhiletheProphetwasleadingthemorning
prayer. The man prayed two rak'ah at the side oI the mosque and then entered (the congregation)
behindtheMessengeroIAllah.WhentheProphethadIinishedtheprayerhesaid,'Osoandso,which
oI the two prayers do you count --the one you prayed by yourselI or the one you prayed with us?"
(Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i.) The Messenger objected to this act, but he did not
order him to repeat his prayer. This shows that such a prayer is valid but disliked. Reported Ibn
'Abbas, "I was praying while the caller to prayer was making the iqamah. The Messenger oI Allah
pulled me and said, 'Do you pray Iour rak'ah Ior the morning (obligatory) prayer?" The hadith is
related by al-Baihaqi, at-Tabarani, Abu Dawud, at-Tayalisi and al-Hakim, who said it is sahih
accordingtothecriterionoIal-BukhariandMuslim.AbuMusaal-Ash'ari relatedthattheProphetsaw
a man praying two rak'ah oI the morning prayer while the caller to prayer was making the (second)
call.TheProphettouchedhiselbowandsaid,"Shouldn'tthisbebeIorethat?"(Relatedbyat-Tabarani.
Al-'Iraqisaysitisgood.)
Eiqh1.95:Azhan,calltoprayer
TheazhanisacalltoinIormothersinspeciIicwordsthatthetimeIoraprayerhasbegun.Itisacallto
thecongregation,andisanexpressionoItheIslamicpractices.ItisobligatoryorhighlypreIerred.Al-
Qurtubi and others have said that the azhan, although it has very Iew words, covers all essentials oI
theIaith.ItbeginsbyproclaimingthegreatnessoIAllah,pointingtoHisexistenceandperIection.It
mentionsHisonenessandthedenialoIpolytheism,anditconIersthemessengershipoIMuhammad,
upon whom be peace. It calls to speciIic acts oI obedience aIter testiIying to Muhammad's
messengership,anditcallstoaprosperitywhichiseverlasting,pointingtothereturntoAllah.Then,
inamanneroIemphasis,itrepeatssomeoIwhatwasalreadymentioned.
Eiqh1.95a:Azhan,itsVirtuesandExcellence
Many hadith describe the virtues oI the azhan and the one who calls it. Such hadith include the
Iollowing:
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetsaid,"IIthepeopleknewwhatwasintheazhanandtheIirst
row(oItheprayerinvirtue),andthattheycouldnotgetitsavebydrawinglots,theywoulddrawlots.
IItheyknewtherewardIorprayingthenoonprayerearlyinitstime,theywouldracetoit.AndiIthey
knew the reward Ior the night and the morning prayers in congregation, they would come to them
eveniItheyhadtocrawl."(Relatedbyal-Bukhariandothers.)
Mu'awiyyahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Thecallerstoprayerwillhavethe
longestnecksoIallpeopleontheDayoIResurrection."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andIbnMajah.)
Al-Barra'ibn'AazibreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"AllahandHisangelspray
upon those in the Iirst rows. And thecaller to prayer is Iorgiven, Ior as Iar as his voice reaches and
whoever hears him will conIirm what he says. He will get a reward similar to those who pray with
him."ThishadithisrelatedbyAhmadandan-Nasa'i.Al-Munzhirisaysitschainisgood.
Abu ad-Darda' reported that he heardtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,say,"IIthreepeopledonot
maketheazhanandestablishtheprayeramongthemselves,Satangainsmasteryoverthem."(Related
byAhmad.)
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Theimamisaguarantor,andthe
caller to prayer is one who is given the trust. O Allah, guide the imam and Iorgive the caller to
prayer."
'Uqbah ibn'AamarsaidheheardtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,say,"YourLord,theExalted,is
amazed(andpleased)byonewhoiswatchingsheepinhispasture,thengoestothemountaintomake
the call to prayer and pray. Allah, the Exalted, says, 'Look at my slave there who makes the call to
prayerandestablishestheprayeroutoIIearoIMe.IhaveIorgivenmyslaveandhaveallowedhimto
enterParadise."'(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandanNasa'i.)
Eiqh1.96:Azhan,TheEventBehindItsLegislation
The azhan was made part oI the shari'ah during the Iirst year aIter the migration to Madinah. The
hadithclariIywhatleduptoitsinstitution.
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NaIa'relatedthatIbn'Umarsaid,"TheMuslimswouldgatherandcalculatethetimeoIprayer,andno
one would call them. They spoke about that one day. Some said, 'We should have a bell like the
Christians.'Otherssaid,'WeshouldhaveahornliketheJews.'Suggested'Umar,'Whydon'twehave
onepersoncalltheotherstoprayer?'TheMessengeroIAllahsaid,'Stand,Bilal,andmakethecallto
prayer."(RelatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari.)
Reported 'Abdullah ibn (Zaid ibn) 'Abd Rabbih, "WhentheProphetwastoordertheuseoIabellto
call the people to prayer, he disliked it because it resembled the Christian practice. While I was
sleeping, a man came to me carraying a bell. I said to him, 'O slave oI Allah, will you sell me that
bell?'Saidhe,'Whatwouldyoudowithit?'Ireplied,'Iwouldcallthepeopletoprayerwithit.'Said
he, 'Shall I not guide you tosomethingbetterthanthat?'Isaid,'Certainly.'Saidhe,'Youshouldsay,
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu alla
ilaha illallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah, ashhadu anna Muhammadar-Rasool-lal-
lah. Hayya 'alas-salah, hayyah 'alassalah. Hayya 'alal-Ialah, hayya 'alal-Ialah. Allahu akbar, Allahu
akbar.Lailahaillal-lah.'Thenhewentashortdistanceawayandsaid,'WhenyoustandIortheprayer,
say, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-
lal-lah Hayya 'alas-salah, hayya 'alal-Ialah. Qad qaamatis-salah, qad qaamatis-salah. Allahu akbar,
Allahuakbar.Lailahaillal-lah.'Whenthemorningcame,IwenttotheMessengeroIAllahtotellhim
whatIhadseen.Hesaid,'Yourdreamistrue,Allahwilling.GotoBilal,tellhimwhatyouhaveseen,
andtellhimtomakethecalltoprayer,Iorhehasthebestvoiceamongyou.'IwenttoBilalandtold
himwhattodo,andhemadethecalltoprayer.'Umarwasinhishousewhenheheardit.Hecameout
with his cloak, saying 'By the One who has raised you with the truth, I saw similar to what he saw.'
TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,'ToAllahisthepraise."ThehadithisrelatedbyAhmad,Abu
Dawud,IbnMajah,IbnKhuzaimahandat-Tirmizhi,whocalledithassansahih.
Eiqh1.97:Azhan,HowItIsMade
Therearethreewaystomaketheazhan:
-1- Make Iour takbir at the beginning and say the rest oI the phrases twice, without any repetition,
exceptIorthelaststatementoIlaillahailla-lah.So,theazhanwouldbemadeupoIIiIteenphrases,as
intheprecedinghadithoI'Abdullah.
-2- Make Iour takbir and then repeat ashhadu an la ilaha illal-lah, twice, and ashhadu anna
Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah twice, in a low voice, then repeat them again in a louder voice. Abu
MahzhurareportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,taughthimanazhanconsistingoInineteen
phrases.Thishadithisrelatedby"theIive."At-Tirmizhicalledithassansahih.
-3- Maketwotakbirandrepeatthe"statementsoIwitness,"makingthenumberoIphrasesseventeen.
Muslim records that Abu Mahzhurah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, taught him the
Iollowingazhan:Allahuakbar,Allahuakbar.Ashhaduallailahaillal-lah,ashhaduallailahaillal-lah.
AshhaduannaMuhammadar-Rasool-lal-lah,ashhaduannaMuhammadar-Rasool-lal-lah.Thenrepeat
ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah (twice), ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah (twice), hayya 'alas-
salah(twice),hayya'alal-Ialah(twice).Allahuakbar,Allahuakbar.Lailahaillal-lah."
Eiqh1.98:Azhan,At-Tathweeb:(Saying"Prayerisbetterthansleep"intheMorningAzhan).
ItispartoItheshari'ahthatthecallertoprayersay,"as-salaatukhairunminan-naum(prayerisbetter
thansleep)inthemorningazhan.AbuMahzhurahaskedtheProphet,uponwhom bepeace,toteach
himtheazhan,andhetoldhim,"IIitisthemorningazhan,say,as-salaatukhairunminan-naum,as-
salaatukhariunminannaum.Allahuakbar,Allahuakbar.Laillahaillal-lah."(RelatedbyAhmadand
AbuDawud.)Itistobesaidonlyinthemorningazhan.
Eiqh1.98a:Iqamah
TherearethreewaystoperIormtheiqamah:
-1- SayingtheIirsttakbirIourtimesandeverythingelsetwice,withtheexceptionoIthelaststatement
oIlailahaillal-lah.AbuMahzhurasaidthattheProphet,upon whombepeace,taughthimtheiqamah
consisting oI seventeen phrases: Allahu akbar (4 times), ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah (twice), ashhadu
anna Muhammad arRasool-lal-lah (twice), hayya 'alas-salah (twice), hayya 'alal-Ialah (twice), qad
qaamatis-salah(twice),Allahuakbar,Allahuakbar.Lailahaillal-lah.Thisisrelatedby"theIive."At-
Tirmizhigradesit
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-2- Tosaythebeginningandendingtakbir,andthephraseqadqaamatus-salahtwice.Everythingelse
istobesaidonce,makingelevenphrases.This isbasedontheprecedinghadithoI'AbdullahibnZaid:
"When you stand Ior the prayer, say "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu alla illaha illal-lah,
ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-RasoolAllah. Hayya 'alas-salah, hayya 'alal-Ialah. Qad qaamat-issalah,
qadqaamatis-salah.Allahuakbar,Allahuakbar.Laillahaillal-lah.
-3- The same as in the preceding, but Qad qaamatus-salah is said only once, making a total oI ten
phrases.ImamMalikchosethisway,becauseheIoundthepeopleoIMadinahperIormingitthus.But
saysIbnal-Qayyim,"ItisnotproventhattheMessengeroIAllaheversaid'Qadqaamatus-salah'only
once."Ibn'Abdul-BarrisoItheview,"Ineverycase,itissaidtwice."
Eiqh1.99:WhatIsSaidDuringtheAzhan
ItispreIerredthatwhoeverislisteningtotheazhanrepeatitwiththecaller,exceptIorthetwohayya
'alas-salah, hayya 'alal-Ialah phrases, aIter which he should say La haula wa la quwatah illa billah
(thereisnopowerormightsaveAllah).
Says an-Nawawi, "Our companions hold that it is preIerable Ior the listener to repeat aIter the caller
(to prayer), except when he comes to the two preceding phrases, Ior this shows that he approves oI
what the caller is saying. Those two statements are calls to the prayer, and it is only proper Ior the
caller to prayer to saythem.ItispreIerableIorthelistenertosaysomething,suchasLahaulawala
quwatahillabillah.ItisconIirmedinthetwoSahihsIromAbuMusaal-Ash'arithattheProphet,upon
whombepeace,said,'LahaulawalaquwatahillabillahisatreasureIromthetreasuresoIParadise.'
Our companions say that to repeat the call to prayer is preIerred Ior everyone who hears the call,
whethercleanorunclean,inastateoIpost-sexualuncleanlinessormenstruating,andsoon,asitisa
remembranceandalloIthosepeoplewhocanshouldmakeit.Thosewhocannotdosoaretheones
whoarepraying,whoarerelievingthemselves,orarehavingsexualintercourse.IIoneisrecitingthe
Qur'an, or making remembrance oI Allah (zhikr) or studying and so on, he should stop what he is
doingandrepeataIterthecallertoprayer.Hemaythenreturntowhathewasdoing,iIhewishes,or
hecanprayavoluntaryorobligatoryprayer."Saysash-ShaI'i,"OneshouldnotrepeataIterthecallto
prayer,butwhenheIinishesheshouldrepeatwhathehassaid."Inal-Mughni,itsays,"IIoneenters
the mosque and hears the azhan, it is best that he wait until the caller Iinishes it beIore he begins to
repeatit.Thiswayhewillcatchbothgooddeeds.IIhedoesnotrepeataIterthecallbutstartspraying,
thereisnoproblem.ThisiswhatAhmadsaysonthesubject."
The Muslim should pray Ior the Prophet, peace be upon him, aIter the call is over in any oI the
manners that have been related, and ask Allah to give him the place oI wasilah. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr
relatedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"IIyouhearthecalltoprayer,repeat
aIterit.ThensupplicateIorme,IorwhoevermakesonesupplicationIorme,AllahmakestenIorhim.
Then ask Allah to grant me the place oI wasilah. It is a place in Paradise reserved Ior a slave Irom
amongtheslavesoIAllah.Ihopetobehim,andwhoeverasksAllahtograntmetheplaceoIwasilah,
my intercession becomes permissible Iorhim." (Related by Muslim.) Jabir reported that the Prophet
said,"Whoeversays(aIter)hearingthecalltoprayer,'OAllah,LordoIthiscompletecallandoIthe
estabishedprayers,grantMuhammadtheplaceoIwasilah,themostvirtuousplaceandraisehimtoa
praiseworthy position that you have promised him,' will have my intercession made permissible Ior
himontheDayoIJudgement.(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.100:TheSupplicationAItertheAzhan
AIter the azhan, one should make individual supplications, as that is the time when they will most
likelybeaccepted.AnasreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Asupplicationmade
betweentheazhanandtheiqamahisnotrejected."
As to the authenticity oI this report, it is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and at-Tirmizhi, who
called it hassan sahih, and added "They asked, 'What should we say, O Messenger oI Allah?' He
responded, 'Ask Allah IorIorgivenessandwell-beinginthisworldandtheHereaIter."'Abdullahibn
'Amr related that amansaid,"OMessengeroIAllah,thecallerstoprayergetmorevirtuesthanus."
Hesaid,"SaywhattheysayandwhentheyIinish,askanditshallbegiven."(RelatedbyAbuDawud
withasahihchain.)
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On the same subject, reported Umm Salamah, "TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,taughtmetosay
(aIter)thesunsetcalltoprayer,'OAllah,thisisthebeginningoIYournightandtheendoIYourday.
IhavesupplicatedtoYou,soIorgiveme."
Eiqh1.100a:SupplicationduringtheIqamah
It is preIerred that one who hears the iqamah repeat the words, except when Qad qaamatus-salah is
said,heshouldsay,"Allahestablishesitandmakesiteverlasting."SomeoIthecompanionsreported
thatwhenBilalsaidthisphrase,theProphetwouldsay"Allahestablishesitandmakesiteverlasting."
Eiqh1.101:ConditionsToBeMetByTheCallertoPrayer
ItispreIerredthathemeettheIollowingconditions:
-1- It is a must that he make the azhan Ior Allah's sake and not Ior wages. 'Uthman ibn Abu al-'Aas
asked the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, to appoint him as the imam oI his people. He
replied,"Youaretheirimam.BecareIulabouttheweakamongstthem,andappointacallertoprayer
whodoesnotacceptwagesIorhisazhan.
This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi, with aslightlydiIIerent
wording,whocalledithasan.Healsosaidthatthescholarsagreewiththis,andthattheyhatetosee
thecallerreceivewagesIortheazhan.
-2- He should be clean Irom major or minor impurities. Al-Muhajir ibn QanIazh reported that the
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,saidtohim,"NothingpreventedmeIromreturning(yoursalutations)
except that I dislike to mention the name oI Allah when I am not clean. This report has come Irom
Ahmad,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajahandIbnKhuzaimah.Thelattergradesitsahih.
According to the ShaIiyyah, making the call while one is not in a state oI cleanliness is permissible
although disliked. According to Ahmad, the HanaIiyyah and others, it is permissible and is not
disliked.
-3- He should be standing and Iacing the qiblah (the direction oI the Ka'bah). Said Ibn al-Munzhir,
"ThereisagreementthatitissunnahIorthecallertobestanding,IorthenhecanbeheardIaraway.It
is also sunnah that he Iace the qiblah while making the azhan. II he turns away Irom the qiblah, his
azhanwillbesound,buttheactwillbedisliked.
-4- He should turn with his head, neck and chest to the right upon saying "Hayya 'alas-salah" and to
theleItuponsayingHayya 'alalIalah."Saysan-Nawawi,"ItisthemostauthenticIorm."
ReportedAbuJuhaiIah,"Bilalmadetheazhan,andIsawthemovementoIhismouthIromthissideto
thatsideuponsaying"Hayya'alas-salah"and"Hayya'alal-Ialah."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhariand
Muslim.)
Accordingtoal-Baihaqi,thisturningisnotdocumentedthroughsoundchains.Inal-Mughni,itstates
IromAhmadthatthecallershouldnotturntotheleItortotherightunlessheisatthetopoIaminaret,
sothatthepeopleonbothsidescanhearhim.
-5- HeshouldinserthisindexIingersintohisears.TalkingoIhispractice,Bilalsaid,"Iputmyindex
Iingersintomyearsandmadetheazhan.(RelatedbyAbuDawudandIbnHibban.)
Says at-Tirmizhi, "The scholars preIer the callers to put their index Iingers into their ears while
makingtheazhan."
-6- HeshouldraisehisvoiceIorthecall,eveniIheisaloneinthedesert.'Abdullahibn'Abdurahman
related Irom his Iather that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said to him, "I see that you love the sheep and the
desert. II you are with your sheep or in the desert, then raise your voice while making the call to
prayer,Ioranyjinn,humanorthingwithinhearingdistanceoIyourvoicewillbeawitnessIoryouon
the Day oI Resurrection...I heard the Messenger oI Allah say that." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari,
an-Nasa'iandIbnMajah.)
-7- Heshouldpausebetweeneachphraseduringtheazhanandbequickinmakingtheiqamah.Many
narrationshavereportedthatthisactispreIerred.
-8- He should not speak during the iqamah. Some scholars dislike that he should even speak during
theazhan,althoughal-Hasan,'AtaandQatadahpermitit.SaysAbuDawud,"IaskedAhmad,'Maya
manspeakduringhisazhan?'Hesaid,'Yes.''Mayhespeakduringtheiqamah?'Hesaid,'No,'andthat
isbecauseitispreIerredthathemakeitquickly."
Eiqh1.102:TheAzhanBeIoreandattheBeginningoIthePrayerTime
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The azhan is to be made exactly at the beginning oI the prayer time, except Ior the morning prayer,
when it may be said beIore dawn (provided that the people are able to distinguish between the early
azhanandthatoIthepropertime).'Abdullahibn'UmarrelatedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,
said, "Bilalmakestheazhanduringthenight,soeatanddrinkuntilyouheartheazhanoIIbnUmm
Maktum." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) The wisdom behind allowing the morning azhan a
littleearlierismadeclearinahadithrecordedbyAhmadandothersIromIbnMas'ud:"NoneoIyou
shouldletBilal'sazhanpreventyouIromthepre-dawnmeal,asheismakingtheazhanIorthosewho
areprayingtostopandIorthosewhoaresleepingtogetup."ButBilalmadehisazhaninexactlythe
samewayastheregularazhan.At-Tahawiandan-Nasa'irelatethatthetime diIIerencebetweenBilal's
azhanandthatoIIbnUmmMaktumwasthetimeittookIoronetocomedownIromtheminaretand
Iortheotherstogetuptoit.
EnoughtimeshouldbeleItbetweentheazhanandiqamahIorpeopletopreparethemselvesIorprayer
and get to the mosque. The hadith that state the time diIIerence are weak. Al-Bukhari has a section
entitledHowMuchTimeIsThereBetweentheAzhanandIqamah?,butnospeciIiclengthoItimehas
been conIirmed therein. Ibn Batalsaid,"Thereisnotimelimitset,exceptthatoIthetimebeginning
and the people gathering Ior the prayer." Jabir ibn Sumra said, "The callers to prayer oI the Prophet
wouldmaketheazhanandthenleavesometime,makingtheiqamahonlywhentheysawtheProphet,
uponwhombe peace,coming(totheplaceoIprayer).(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,and
at-Tirmizhi.)
Eiqh1.103:WhoeverMakestheAzhanMayMaketheIqamah
Thisissobecausethecallertoprayertakesprecedenceinmakingtheiqamah.SaysAsh-ShaiIi,"IIa
manmadetheazhan,heshouldIollowitupwiththeiqamah."OIthis,at-Tirmizhisays,"MostoIthe
scholarsagreewiththisopinion."
Eiqh1.103a:WhenOneShouldStandIorthePrayer
Malik states in al-Muwatta, "I have not heard anything concerning the speciIic time to stand Ior
prayer. I have seen some peope lagging and others being quick." Ibn al-Munzhir recorded that Anas
wouldstandwhenQadqaamtus-salahwassaid.
Eiqh1.103b:LeavingtheMosqueAItertheAzhan(andBeIorethePrayer)
It is not allowed to leave the call unanswered or to leave the mosque aIter it has been made, unless
there is some excuse or one has the intention to return Ior the prayer. Abu Hurairah related that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, told them, "II one oI you is in themosque and the call is made, he
shouldnotleavethemosqueuntilheprays."(RelatedbyAhmadwithasahihchain.)Itisalsorelated
thatAbuHurairahsaidaboutamanwholeItthemosqueaIterthecallhadbeenmade,"Thatmanhas
disobeyedAbual-Qasim (theProphet,uponwhombepeace)."ThisisrelatedbyMuslimandothers.
Mu'azh at-Jahni related that the Prophet said, "It is the utmost apathy and sign oI disbelieI and
hypocrisythatonewhohearsthecalloIAllahtosalvationdoesnotrespond."(RelatedbyAhmadand
at-Tabarani.)
Commentinguponthis,at-Tirmizhisays,"IthasbeenrelatedIrommorethanoneoIthecompanions
that one who hears the call and does not respond will have no prayer. Some said that this is the
maximum imposition, which shows that there is no excuse Ior one who does not attend the
congregationalprayerwithoutavalidreason."
Eiqh1.104:TheAzhanandIqamahIorThoseWhoMissedtheProperTimeoIPrayer
One who sleeps through the time oI a prayer or who Iorgets a prayer may make azhan and iqamah
whenhedesirestopray.InastoryrecordedbyAbuDawud,whentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,
andhiscompanionssleptthroughthetimeoIthemorningprayer,heorderedBilaltomaketheazhan
and iqamah Ior the prayer. II one has missed many prayers, it is preIerred to make one azhan at the
beginningIollowedbyaniqamahIoreachprayer.Saysal-'Athram,"IheardAbu'Abdullah(Ahmad)
beingaskedwhatamanwhohadmissedaprayershoulddoabouttheazhan.Hementionedthehadith
oI Hushaim Irom Abu az-Zubair...that the idol-worshippers kept the Prophet busy during Iour oI his
prayersduringtheBattleoItheClans.WhenpartoIthenighthadpassed,heorderedBilaltomakethe
azhan and the iqamah and they prayed the aIternoon, sunset, and night prayers in succession, each
timeIollowedbytheiqamah.
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Eiqh1.104a:TheAzhanandIqamahIorWomen
SaidIbn'Umar,"ThereisnoazhanoriqamahIorwomen."(Relatedbyal-Baihaqiwithasahihchain.)
ThiswastheopinionoIAnas,al-Hassan,IbnSireen,an-Nakha'i,al-Thauri,Malik,AbuThaurandthe
peopleoI"juristicreasoning."Ash-ShaiIi,IshaqandAhmadsaidiItheymaketheiqamahandazhan,
thereisnoproblem.ItisrelatedIrom'Aishahthatshewouldmaketheazhanandiqamahandleadthe
womeninprayer,standinginthemiddleoItherow.(Relatedbyal-Baihaqi.)
Eiqh1.105:EnteringtheMosqueAIterthePrayerIsEinished
The author oI al-Mughni states, "II one enters the mosque aIter the prayer is Iinished, he may make
the azhan and iqamah. Ahmad's practice, based on what al-'Athram and Sa'eed ibn Mansur recorded
IromAnas,wastoaskapersontomaketheazhanandiqamah,aIterwhichhewouldpraywith(some
people)incongregation.IIapersonwishes,hemaypraywithoutmakingtheazhanandiqamah.Says
'Urwa,"IIyoureachamosquewhereinthepeoplehavealreadyprayed,youmaybaseyourprayeron
theirazhanandiqamah,astheirsaresuIIicientIorthosewhocomeaIterthem."Thiswastheopinion
oI al-Hassan, ash-Sha'bi and an-Nakha'i. Al-Hassan, however, said, "I preIer that he makes the
iqamah. II he makes the azhan, he should do so in a low voice and not aloud, Ior some people may
consideritoutoIplace."
Eiqh1.105a:TheTimeBetweentheIqamahandthePrayer
It ispermittedtotalkbetweentheiqamahandtheprayer.Oneneednotrepeattheiqamah,eveniIthe
intervalislong.ReportedAnasibnMalik,"TheiqamahwasmadewhiletheMessengeroIAllahwas
talkingtoamaninthecorneroIthemosque.HedidnotcometotheprayeruntilthepeoplehadIallen
asleep." (Related by al-Bukhari) One time, the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace,
remembered that he was in post-sex impurity aIter the iqamah had been made, so he went to make
ghuslandcamebacktoleadtheprayerwithout(anew)iqamah.
Eiqh1.105b:TheIqamahoIOneWhoIsNottheDesignatedCaller
II someone other than the appointed caller wants to make the azhan, he must obtain the latter's
permission. II the appointed or regular caller is late and they Iear that they will miss the time oI the
azhan,anotherpersonmaymakethecall.
Eiqh1.106:ExtraneousAdditionstotheazhan
TheazhanisaIormoIworship.MuslimsarenotallowedtoaddorsubtractanythingIromit.Thereis
an authetic hadith which states, "Whoever introduces something to this aIIair oI ours will have it
rejected."WewilldiscusssomeoItheseactshere:
Thecallersaying,"Ibearwitnessthatourleader(Muhammad)istheMessengeroIAllah."IbnHajris
oItheopinionthattheword'leader'maynotbeadded,althoughitispermissibleonotheroccasions.
ShaikhIsma'ilal-'AjlunirecordsinKashIal-KhaIa',"WipingtheeyeswiththeindexIingersandthen
kissing them aIter hearing the caller say 'I bear withess that Muhammad is the messenger oI Allah,'
andwiththelistenersaying,'IbearwitnessthatMuhammadisHisslaveandmessenger.Iampleased
with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as the Prophet," is based on ad-
Dailami'sreportIromAbuBakrthatwhenheheardthecallersay,"IbearwitnessthatMuhammadis
theMessengeroIAllah,"hewouldsaythesame,kisstheinsideoIhisindexIingersandwipehiseyes.
The Prophet then said, "Whoever does what my Iriend (Abu Bakr) did, then my intercession will be
permissible Ior him." In al-Maqasid it says, "This is not true. And what Abu Bakr ar-Raddad al-
Yamanial-MutasawaIrecordedinMujibatar-RahmahwaAza'imal-MaghIirahisnottrue.Itschainis
oIunknownnarratorsand,moreover,thechainisbroken."ThereisanotherreportoIequallydubious
importIromal-Khidrsandmentionedintheprecedingbook:"Whoeversays,uponhearingthecaller
say,'IbearwitnessthatMuhammadistheMessengeroIAllah,''WelcomeOmyloveandthecoolness
oI my eyes, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, upon whom be peace,' and then kisses his index Iingers and
wipeshiseyewiththem,hewellnevergoblind;norwillheneverbeaIIlictedwithaneyeinIection."'
NoneoIthesepracticescanbeattributedtotheProphetorhiscompanions.
Eiqh1.107:SingingtheAzhan
To"sing"theazhanortostateitinimproperArabicbyaddingaletterorlengtheningthesoundoIa
vowel, and so on, is disliked. II it changes or obscures the meaning oI what is said, it becomes
Iorbidden.
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Reported Yahyaal-Baka',"IsawIbn'Umarsaytoaman,'IammadatyouIorthesakeoIAllah.'Then
hesaidtohiscompanions,'Hesingsinmakinghisazhan,andhetakeswagesIorit."'
Eiqh1.107a:Zhikrandazhan
Making zhikr, supplications, and practices oI a similar nature beIore the morning azhan are
innovations to the sunnah.Inal-Iqnaanditscommentary,abookoIHanbaliIiqh,itisstated,"What
some callers do beIore the morningazhan(i.e.zhikr,chanting,loudsupplicationsandsoon)arenot
part oI the sunnah. No scholar has said that it is preIerred to do such acts. In Iact, they are hateIul
innovationsintroducedaIterthetimeoItheProphetandhiscompanions.Nooneistoordersuchacts,
and no one is to blame one who avoids such acts. II one has leIt money Ior such acts, it is not
permissible to use it Ior those acts, as they contradict the sunnah. In Talbis Iblis by Ibn al-Jauzi, it
states, "I have seen people staying up a part oI the night on the minaret admonishing the people,
making zhikr and reciting the Qur'an in a loud voice. They keep people Irom sleeping and disturb
thosewhoaremakinglate-nightprayers.Thesearerejectedandevilactions."IbnHajrsaysinEathal-
Bari,"WhatisdoneinthewayoIzhikrbeIorethemorningazhan,theEridayprayersandtheprayers
IortheProphetisderivedneitherIromtheazhannorIromtheIslamiclaw.
Eiqh1.107b:Tosayaloud"PeaceandblessingsupontheMessenger"aItertheazhan
Thisisahatedinnovation.IbnHajrsaysinal-Eatawaal-Kubra,"Ourshaikhsandothershavegivena
legal verdict about the prayers and salutations Ior the Prophet aIter the azhan and how the callers to
prayer do it. Their verdict is that (the prayers Ior the Prophet) has its root in the sunnah, but the
manner in which they perIorm it is an innovation." Muhammad 'Abduh was asked about saying the
prayersandsalutationIortheProphetsubsequenttotheazhanandhesaid,"Theazhan,asmentioned
in al-Khaniyyah, is only Ior the prescribed prayers. It consists oI IiIteen phrases, the last being La
ilaha illal-lah. Whatever is mentioned beIore or aIter it is an innovation. It has been introduced Ior
rhythm,andnothingelse.Thereishardlyascholarwhohasallowedit,nordoesitmakeanysenseto
say that it is a good innovation, Ior every innovation in matters oI worship is evil. Whoever claims
thatitisnotIormelodyislying."
Eiqh1.109:KnowledgethatthetimeIorprayerhasbegun
IIoneiscertainorIairlycertainthatthetimehasbegun,hemaypray.Howhe reachedhisdecisionis
notimportant.
Eiqh1.109a:PurityEromMajorandMinorImpurities
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "O you who believe, when you rise Ior the prayer, wash your Iaces, your
hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your hands and (wash) your Ieet up to the ankles. II you are
unclean, puriIy yourselves." Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet said, "Allah does not accept any
prayerthatwasnotperIormedwhileinastateoIpurity,nordoesheacceptcharityIromwhathasbeen
stolenIrombooty."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Eiqh1.109b:PurityoItheBody,ClothesandPlace
SuchobjectsshouldbecleanoIphysicalimpuritiesasmuchaspossible.IIonecannotremovethem,
he may pray with the impurities present and does not have to repeat the prayer later. Concerning
bodily purity, Anas related that the Prophet upon whom be peace, said, "Stay clean oI urine, as the
majority oI punishment in the grave is due to it." This is related by ad-Daraqutni, who said it is
hassan.
Reported 'Ali, I used to have a great deal oI prostatic Iluid Ilowing, so I asked a man to ask the
Prophetaboutit(asIwasshytoaskhim,duetomyrelationshipwithhimthroughhisdaughter).He
asked him and the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Make ablution and wash your penis."
(Relatedbyal-Bukhariandothers.)
'Aishah also related that the Messenger oI Allah said to women with a prolonged Ilow oI blood,
"WashthebloodIromyourselIandpray."
Concerning purity oI clothing, we have the Iollowing: Says Allah, "And puriIy your raiment" (al-
Muddathir4).JabiribnSumrahreportedthatheheardamanasktheProphet,"MayIprayinthesame
clothesthatIhadonduringintercoursewithmywiIe?"Hesaid,"Yes,butiIyouseesomestainsonit,
you must wash it." This hadith is related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah. Its narrators are trustworthy.
ReportedMu'awiyyah,"IaskedUmmHabibah,'DidtheProphetprayinthesameclothesthathewore
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when he had intercourse?' She said, 'Yes, iI there were no stains on it."'(Related by Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) Abu Sa'eed reported that the Prophet removed his shoes and the
people behind him did likewise. When he Iinished the prayer, he asked, "Why did you remove your
shoes?"Theysaid,"Wesawyouremoveyours."Hesaid,"GabrielcametomeandinIormedmethat
there was some Iilth on them. ThereIore, when one oI you comes to the mosque, he should turn his
shoes over and examine them. II one Iinds any dirt on them, he should rub them against the ground
andpraywiththemon."ThehadithisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,al-Hakim,IbnHibbanandIbn
Khuzaimah.Thelattergradesitassahih.
ThishadithshowsthatiIoneentersthemosque(withhisshoeson)andisunawareoIsomeimpurity
or has Iorgotten it, and he suddenly remembers it during the prayer, he must try to remove it and
proceedwiththeprayer.Hedoesnothavetorepeatitlateron.
Concerning the purity oI the place where one is praying, Abu Hurairah said, "A bedouin stood and
urinated in the mosque. The people got up to grab him. The Prophet said, 'Leave him and pour a
containerIulloIwateroverhisurine.Youhavebeenraisedtobeeasyonthepeople,nottobehardon
them."(Relatedby"thegroup,"exceptIorMuslim.)
Commenting on this subject, ash-Shaukani says, "II what has been produced oI prooI is Iirmly
established, then one would know that it is obligatory to have one's clothes Iree oI impurities.
WhoeverpraysandhasimpuritiesonhisclothinghasleItoneoItheobligationsoItheprayer.Buthis
prayerwouldnotbevoided."Inar-Rauzhatan-Nabiyyahitstates,"ThemajorityoIscholarsareoIthe
opinionthatitisobligatorytopuriIythreethings:thebody,theclothes,andtheplaceoIprayer.Some
areoItheopinionthatthisisaconditionIorthesoundnessoItheprayer,andotherssaythatitisjusta
sunnah.ThetruthoIthematteristhatitisobligatory.Whoeverintentionallyprayswithimpuritieson
hisclothinghasleItoneoItheobligations(oItheprayer),buttheprayerisstillvalid."
Eiqh1.111:Coveringthe'Aurah
SaysAllahintheQur'an,"OChildrenoIAdam,takeyouradornment(bywearingproperclothing)Ior
every mosque" ( al-A'raI 31). The meaning oI "adornment" here is the covering oI the 'aurah. The
meaningoI"mosque"is "prayer."ThereIore,itmeans"Coveryour'aurahIoreveryprayer."Salamah
ibnal-Aku'saidtotheProphet,"OMessengeroIAllah,mayIprayinalongshirt?"Hesaid,"Yes,but
buttonit,evenwithjustathorn."(Relatedbyal-BukhariinhisTareekh.)
Eiqh1.111a:AmanmustcovertheIrontandbackoIhispubicregion
There is disagreement about the navel, thighs and knees. The reports seem to contradict each other.
TheIollowinghadithareusedtoprovethatsuchpartsarenotpartoItheman's'aurah:
Eiqh1.111b:Exposingaman'sthigh
Says 'Aishah, "The Prophet was sitting with his thigh exposed when Abu Bakr asked, and received,
permission to enter. The same thing happened with 'Umar. However, when 'Uthman sought
permissiontoenter,theProphet coveredhimselIwithhisclothes.WhentheyleIt,Isaid,'OMessenger
oI Allah, you permitted Abu Bakr and 'Umar to enter while your thigh was exposed. When'Uthman
asked permission to enter, you covered yourselI with your clothes.' He said, 'O 'Aishah,should I not
be shy oI a man who, by Allah, even the angels are shy oI'?" (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari in
mu'allaqIorm.)
Says Anas, "During the battle oI Khaibar, the Prophet's gown was withdrawn Irom his thigh until I
couldseeitswhiteness."(RelatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari.)
Says Ibn Hazm, "It is correct to say that the thigh is not part oI the 'aurah. II it were so, why would
AllahallowHisProphet,whoisprotected(Iromsin),touncoverhissothatAnasandotherscouldsee
it? Allah would have kept him Irom doing this. According to Jabir as recorded in the two Sahihs,
when the Prophet was young (beIore his prophethood), he was one time carrying the stones oI the
Ka'bah, wearing only a loincloth. His uncle al-'Abbas said to him, 'O nephew, why don't you untie
yourwaistclothandputitonyourshoulderIorpadding?'TheProphetdidsoandIellunconscious.He
wasneverseennakedagainaIterthat."'
MuslimrecordsIromAbual-'Aliyathat'Abdullahibnas-Samitstruckhisthighandsaid,"IaskedAbu
Zharr, and he struck my thigh as I struck yours, and he said, 'I asked the Messenger oI Allah, upon
whom be peace, and he struck my thigh as I have struck yours and said, 'PerIorm the prayer in its
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time..." Ibn Hazm said, "II the thigh was 'aurah, whywouldtheMessengeroIAllahtouchit?"IIthe
thighwas'aurahaccordingtoAbuZharr,whywouldhehavestruckitwithhishand?Thesamecanbe
asked Ior 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit andAbual-'Aliya.ItisnotallowedIoraMuslimtostrikewithhis
hand another man's pubic area, or the clothes over the pubic area. Nor can a man touch the clothing
overawoman's'aurah.
IbnHazmmentionsthatHubairibnal-HuwairithlookedatAbuBakr'sthighwhenitwasuncovered,
andthatAnasibnMalikcametoQasibnShamaswhenhisthighwasuncovered.
However,theIollowinghadithareusedtoshowthatthethighsandsoonarepartoIthe'aurah:
ReportedMuhammadJahsh,"TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,passedbyMa'marwhile
his thighs were uncovered. He said, to him, 'O Ma'mar, cover your thighs, Ior they are (part oI the)
'aurah." This is related by Ahmad, al-Hakim and al-Bukhari in Tareekh and in mu'allaq Iorm in his
Sahih.
ReportedJurhad,"TheMessengeroIAllahpassedbymewhenthecloakIwaswearingdidnotcover
my thigh. He said, 'Cover your thigh, Ior it (is part oI the) 'aurah." This is related by Ahmad, Abu
Dawudandat-Tirmizhi,whocalledithassan,andbyal-Bukhariinmu'allaqIormintheSahih.
Eiqh1.113:Woman'saurahhijab
There is no such dispute over what constitutes a woman's 'aurah. It is stated that her entire body is
'aurah and must be covered, except her hands and Iace. SaysAllahintheQur'an,"AndtodisplayoI
their adornment only that which is apparent (do not expose any adornment or beauty save the hands
and Iace)." It hasbeenauthenticallyrelatedIromIbn'Abbas,Ibn'Umarand'AishahthattheProphet
said, "Allah does not accept the prayer oI an adult woman unless she is wearing a headcovering
(khimar, hijab)." This is related by "the Iive," except Ior an-Nasa'i, and by Ibn Khuzaimah and al-
Hakim.At-Tirmizhigradesitashassan.
ItisrelatedIromUmmSalamahthatsheaskedtheProphet,"Canawomanprayinalongshirt(likea
night shirt) and headcovering without a loincloth?" He said, "II the shirt is long and Ilowing and
covers the top oI her Ieet." This is related by Abu Dawud. The scholars say it is sahih in mauqooI
Iorm(asastatementoIUmmSalamahandnotthatoItheProphet.)
Itisalsorelatedthat'Aishahwasasked,"Inhowmanygarmentsisawomantopray?"Sheanswered,
"Ask 'Ali ibn Abu Talib and then return to me and tell me what he said." 'Ali's answer was, "In a
headcoverandalongIlowingshirt."Thiswastoldto'Aishahandshesaid,"Hehastoldthe truth."
Theclotheswornmustcoverthe'aurah,eveniItheyaretightenoughtohighlightthoseIeatures.IIthe
clothesaresothinthatone'sskincolorcanbeseen,theyarenotsuitableIorprayer.
Eiqh1.113a:PreIerredtoweartwogarmentsinsalat
ItispreIerredIorapersontowearatleattwogarments,buthecanwearjustoneiIthatisallhehas.
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "II one oI you is going to pray, he
should wear two garments, Ior Allah has the most right that you should look good Ior Him. II one
doesnothavetwogarments,heshoudcoverhimselIwithacloakwhenheprays,butnotliketheJews
do."(Relatedbyat-Tabaraniandal-Baihaqi.)
'AbdurazaqrelatedthatUbayyibnKa'band'AbdullahibnMas'udhadanargument.Ubayythoughtit
waspermissibletoprayinonegarment,whileIbnMas'udsaidthatthatwasallowedonlyiIonehad
nootherclothes.'Umarmountedthepulpitandsaid,"Thecorrectpositionis:IIAllahgivesyoumore
provisions,you shouldwearmoreclothes.Amancangatherhisclothesabouthim,orprayinawaist
clothandacloak,orinawaistclothandashirt,orinawaistclothandacaItan,orintrousersanda
cloak, or in trousers and a shirt, or in trousers and a caItan, or in leather trousers and a caItan, or in
leathertrousersandashirt.'AndI(anarrator)thinkhesaid,'Leathertrousersandacloak."
Buraida reported that the Prophet Iorbade one to pray using an improperly-aIIixed sheettocoverhis
'aurah,andto prayintrouserswhilenotwearingacloak.(RelatedbyAbuDawudandal-Baihaqi.)It
is related that when al-Hassan ibn 'Ali prayed, he would wear his best clothes. He was asked about
that and he said, "Verily, Allah is beautiIul and He loves beauty, soI beautiIy myselI Ior my Lord."
SuchaviewisinaccordwithAllah'swords,"AndwearyouradornmentIoreveryprayer."
Eiqh1.114:UncoveringtheHeadDuringthePrayer
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Ibn'AsakirrelatedthattheProphetwouldsometimesremovehiscapandplaceitinIrontoIhimasa
sutrah.AccordingtotheHaniIiyyah,onecanpraywithhisheaduncovered.InIact,theypreIerthisiI
itisdoneoutoIasenseoIhumilityandawe.' ThereisnoevidencewhatsoeverthatitispreIerredto
coverone'sheadwhilepraying.
Eiqh1.114a:EacingtheQiblah
All scholars agree that one must Iace the Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah) during every prayer. Says
AllahintheQur'an,"DirectyourIace totheMasjidal-Haram.Whereveryoumaybe,turnyourIaces
toit"(al-Baqarah144).
Reportedal-Barra',"WeprayedwiththeMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,Ioraboutsixteen
orseventeenmonthstowardsJerusalem,aIterwhichtimeheturnedtowardstheKa'bah."(Relatedby
Muslim.)
Eiqh1.114b:IIonecanseetheKa'bah,hemustIacethatparticulardirection
II he can not see it, he must turn in its direction, as this is all that he is able to do. Abu Hurairah
reported that the Prophet said, "The qiblah is between the East and the West." ThisisrelatedbyIbn
Majah and at-Tirmizhi. The latter considers it hassan sahih. This hadith reIers to the people oI
Madinahandwhoeverhasapositionsimilartothem(i.e.,thepeopleoISyria,theArabian Peninsula
andIraq.EorthepeopleoIEgypt,theqiblahisbetweentheEastandtheSouth.)
Eiqh1.115:IIonecannotdeterminethedirectionoItheqiblah
Heshouldaskonewhoknows.IIheIindsnoonetoask,heshouldtryhisbesttodetermineit.In such
acase,hisprayerwillbevalid,andheneednotrepeatiteventhoughhediscoverslateronthathehad
Iacedinthewrongdirection.IIitismadecleartohimwhileheisprayingthatheisIacingthewrong
direction, he need only turn in the proper direction without stopping his prayer. This is based onthe
Iollowing incident: Ibn 'Umar reported that the people were prayingthemorningprayerintheQuba'
mosquewhenapersoncametothemandsaid,"AllahhasrevealedsomeoItheQur'antotheProphet
in which we have been ordered to Iace the Ka'bah, so Iace it." They immedately turned their Iaces
IromSyriatotheKa'bah."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
IIonepraysaccordingtowhathedeterminedandthenwantstomakeanotherprayer,heshouldagain
try to determine the qiblah's direction. II it turns out to be diIIerent Irom what he had determined
earlier,heshouldprayinthenewdirectionwithoutrepeatinghisearlierprayer.
Eiqh1.115a:Twocasesinwhichonedoesn'thavetoIacethe Ka'bah
The Iirst one is perIorming voluntary prayers while riding (an animal, car and soon).Theridermay
bend his head slightly Ior the bowings and prostrations oI the prayer, but he should bend a little bit
lowerIortheprostrations.HemayIaceinwhateverdirectionhisrideisgoing.
Reported 'Amr ibn Rabi'ah, "I saw the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, pray while riding,
andheIacedthedirectioninwhichhewasgoing."ThishadithisrelatedbyMuslim,at-Tirmizhiand
al-Bukhari.Thelatteraddedthat"hebenthisheadslighty."
Hedidnot,however,dothisIortheobligatoryprayers.Ahmad,Muslimandat-Tirmizhirecordedthat
he would pray on his mount while travelling Irom Makkah to Madinah, Iacing away Irom Makkah.
Uponthis,Allahrevealed,"Whereveryouturn,youwillIindAllah'sIace."SaysIbrahiman-Nakha'i,
"TheywouldprayontheirmountsandanimalsinthedirectioninwhichtheywereIacing."IbnHazm
comments,"ThishasbeenrelatedIromthecompanionsandthoseoItheIollowinggeneration,during
travelandresidence."
The second case is praying whilehavingtodealwithIorcedconditions,illnessandIear.Undersuch
circumstances, it is allowed to pray without Iacing the qiblah. The Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "II I order you to do something, do what you are capable oI doing." Says Allah, "II you go in
Iear,then(pray)standingoronyourmounts..."(al-Baqarah239).Ibn'Umaradded,"Eacingtheqiblah
ornotIacingit."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.116:Thestate oIprayer,salah
Therearemanyprophetichadithonthistopic.Here,wewillmentionjusttwooIthem,onedescribing
hisactionsandotherquotinghisstatements.
'AbdullahibnGhanamrelatedthatAbuMusaal-Ash'arigatheredtogetherhispeoplesaying, "OTribe
oIAsh'ari,gathertogether,andgatheryourwomenandchildrentoteachthemhowtheMessengeroI
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Allah, upon whom be peace, prayed with us in Madinah." They all gathered to watch him perIorm
ablution.AIterit,hewaiteduntilthesunhadjust passedthemeridianandtherewassomeshade,and
then he made the azhan. He put the men in the row closest to him, the children in a row behind the
men,andthewomeninarowbehindthechildren.AItertheiqamah,heraisedhishandsandmadethe
takbir, silently recited Surah al-Eatihah and another surah, repeated the takbir and bowed while
saying, "Glory be to Allah and Praise be to Him" three times, aIter which he said, "Allah hears him
who praises Him" and stood straight. He then made the takbir and prostrated, made another takbir,
raisedhishead(andsat),repeatedthetakbirandprostratedagain,aIterwhichhesaidtheIinaltakbir
and stood up. In the Iirst rak'ah he made six takbir, and he made another one when he stood Ior the
second rak'ah. When he Iinished the prayer, he turned to his people and said, "Guard the number oI
my takbir and learn my bowings and prostrations, Ior this is how the Prophet prayed with us during
this part oI the day." (Then he said) when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, Iinishedtheprayer,he
turnedtowardthepeopleandsaid,"Opeople,listenandunderstand.Allahhasslaveswhoareneither
prophets nor martyrs, but both the prophets and martyrs envy them Ior their closeness to Allah." A
bedouinsteppedIorward,pointedtotheMessengeroIAllahandsaid,"OMessengeroIAllah,tellus
about these people." The Prophet was pleased with the bedouin's request and said, "They are Irom
variouspeoplesandtribeswhohavenotiesoIrelationshipbetweenthem.Theyloveeachotherpurely
IorthesakeoIAllah.OntheDayoIResurrection,AllahwillpresentthempulpitsoIlightIorthemto
siton.TheirIaceswillbelightandtheirclotheswillbelight.ThepeoplewillbescaredontheDayoI
Resurrection, but they will not be scared. They are the Iriends oI Allah who will not have any Iear
uponthemnorwilltheygrieve.
As to the authenticity oI this report, it is related by Ahmad and Abu Ya'la with a hassan chain. Al-
Hakimsaysitschainissahih.
Reported Abu Hurairah, "A man entered the mosque and, aIter praying, went to the Prophet, upon
whombepeace.TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,respondedtohissalutationsandsaid,'Returnand
pray,Ioryouhavenotprayed.'Thishappenedthreetimes,andthemanIinallysaid,'BytheOnewho
sentyouwiththeTruth,Idonotknowanybetterthanthat,soteachme.'Hesaid,'WhenyoustandIor
the prayer, make the takbir and then recite what you can Irom theQur'an.Thenbowuntilyouattain
calmness and then come up again until you are standing straight. Then prostrate until you attain
calmnessinyoursitting,andprostateuntilyouattaincalmnessinyourprostration.Dothatduringall
oIyourprayer."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslimandal-Bukhari.)
ThesearegeneralhadiththatdescribehowtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,prayedorwhathesaid
about its perIormance. Now we shall discuss those acts oI the prayer which are obligatory and those
whicharesunnah.
Eiqh1.119:ObligatoryactsoIprayer
Eorittobeacceptable,themethodoIprayermustconIormtothenormsspelledoutintheIslamiclaw.
Eiqh1.119a:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,Intention
SaysAllah,"AndWedidnotcommandthemsavetoworshipAllah,makingthereligionsincerelyIor
Him"(al-Bayinah5).TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Everyactionisbaseduponintention.
Eor everyone is what he intended. Whoever made the migration to Allah and His Prophet, then his
migrationistoAllahandHisProphet.Whoever'smigrationwasIorsomethingoIthisworldorIorthe
purposeoImarriage,thenhismigrationwastowhathemigratedto."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
InIghathaal-LuIan,Ibnal-Qayyimstates,"TheintentionistheaimandpurposeoIsomething.Itisa
condition oI the heart, and it does not come Irom the tongue. Eor that reason, the Prophet and his
companionsneverspoketheirintentions.Whathasbeenintroducedintothismatterduringtheactions
oIpurityandtheprayercomesIromSatanandisatrapIorthosewhoareunsureabouthowtomakeit.
YouwillIindthemrepeatingitoverandover,butthatisnotpartoItheprayeratall."
Eiqh1.120:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,SayingtheOpeningTakbirandBeginningthePrayer
AlireportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"Thekeytoprayerispurity.Whatputsone
intoitsinviolablestateisthetakbir,andthetasleemreleasesoneIromit."
AstotheauthenticityoIthereport,itisrelatedbyash-Shai'i,Ahmad,AbuDawud,IbnMajahandat-
Tirmizhi,whocalleditthemostauthenticreportonthistopic.Al-HakimandIbnas-Sakinconsiderit
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as sahih. The takbir consists oI saying Allahu akbar. Abu Hameed reported that when the Prophet
stoodIorprayer,hewouldstandstraight,raisehishandsandsay,"Allahuakbar."
ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajah,andintheSahihsoIIbnKhuzaimahandIbnHibban.Al-Bazzarrelated
somethingsimilartoit,butwithachainthatissahihaccordingtoMuslim'scriterion.'Aliandothers
alsoreportedthis.
Eiqh1.120a:StandingDuringtheObligatoryPrayers
Onemuststandduringtheprayer,iIatallpossible.SaysAllah,"Guardandpreservetheprayersand
the mid-most prayer, and stand Ior Allah with devotion." Reported 'Umar ibn Hussain, "I had some
physical problem, so I asked the Prophet, upon whom be peace,about the prayer, and he said, 'Pray
standing; iI you are not able to; pray sitting, iI you are not able to; pray (while lying) on your side."
(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)MostscholarssaythatoneshouldnotputhisIeettogetherwhilestandingin
prayer.
Eorvoluntaryprayers,onecanpraysittingeveniIhecanstand,butonewhostandsreceivesalarger
reward than one who sits. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"TheprayeroIonewhositsishalIoItheprayer."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
IIonecannotstand,hemayprayaccordingtowhatheiscapableoIdoing,asAllahdoesnotburdena
soul beyond its ability. He will get a complete reward Ior the prayer. Abu Musa reported that the
Prophetsaid,"IIaslave(oIAllah)issickortravels,hewillgetarewardIorthoseactssimilartowhat
hewouldgetiIhewashealthyandathome."
Eiqh1.120b:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,Recitingal-EatihahinEveryRak'ahoIthePrayer
There are many authentic hadith which state that it is obligatory to recite al-Eatihah in every rak'ah.
Thus,thereisnodiIIerenceoIopiniononthispoint.SomeoIthesehadithare:
'Ibadahibnas-SamitrelatedthattheProphetsaid,"ThereisnoprayerIoronewhodoesnotrecitethe
openingoItheBookal-Eatihah)."Thisisrelatedby"thegroup."
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetsaid,"Whoeverpraysaprayeranddoesnotrecitetheopening
chapter oI the Qur'an has not prayed correctly." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Ad-
Daraqutnialsorecordedahadithwithasahihchainwithalmostexactlythesamewording.
Said Abu Sa'eed, "We were ordered to recite the opening chapter oI the Qur'an and what (else) was
easy(Iorus)."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.Al-HaIezandIbnSayyidan-Nassconsideritschainas
sahih.
In some oI the narrations dealing with the prayer's incompleteness, it states, "And then recite the
'MotheroItheBook'(al-Eatihah),"andhesaid,"Anddothatineveryrak'ah."
It is conIirmed that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recited al-Eatihah in every rak'ah oI every
prayer, obligatory or superogatory. Since this is an act oI worship, we can only Iollow what he did.
AndtheProphetsaid,"Prayasyouhaveseenmepray."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.121:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,Bismillah
The scholars are agreed that the bismillah (the words "In the name oI Allah, the Compassionate, the
MerciIul) is a verse in Surah al-Naml, but they diIIer over whether or not it constitutes a verse oI
everysurah.Therearethreeopinionsonthispoint:
-1- It is a verse oI al-Eatihah and oI every surah oI the Qur'an. ThereIore, it is to be recited with al-
Eatihah during those prayers that are said aloud or quietly. The strongest support oI this opinion
comes Irom the hadith oI Na'em al-Mujammir who said, "I prayed behind Abu Hurairah and he
recited,'InthenameoIAllah...'andthenherecitedal-Eatihah."AttheendoIthehadith,heisquoted
as saying, "By the One in whose Hand is my soul, I have done what resembles how we prayed with
theMessengeroIAllah."
-2- ItisaversebyitselIandwasrevealedtodemarcatediIIerentsurahs.Itisallowedtoreciteitwith
al-Eatihah(inIactitispreIerred),butitisnotsunnahtoreciteitaloud.Anassaid,"Iprayedbehindthe
MessengeroIAllah,AbuBakr,'Umarand'Uthman,andtheydidnotreciteitaloud."
This hadith is related by an-Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban and at-Tahawi with a sahih chain according to the
criterionoIthetwoSahihs.
-3- ItisnotaverseoIal-EatihahoroIanyothersurah.Itisdislikedtoreciteitaloudorquietlyduring
theobligatoryprayers,butnotIorthesuperogatoryprayers.Thisopinion,however,isnotstrong.
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Ibn al-Qayyim has reconciliated the Iirst and second opinions by saying, "Sometimes the Prophet
wouldreciteitaloud,butmostoIthetimehewouldsayitquietlyandnotaloud."
Eiqh1.122:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,OneWhoCannotReciteProperly
Says al-Khattabi, "Basically, one's prayer does not suIIice iI he doesnotreciteal-Eatihah.IIonecan
recite neither al-Eatihah nor other portions oI the Qur'an, he should recite at least seven verses oI a
similar meaning Irom the Qur'an. II he can not learn any part oI the Qur'an (due to some innate
inability,poormemory,orbecauseit'saIoreignlanguage),heshouldsaythetasbeeh(SubhaanAllah
- GlorybetoAllah),thetamheed(al-Hamdulillah- AllpraiseisduetoAllah),andtahleel(Lailaha
illal-lah - There is no God except Allah). It is related that he said, "The best remembrance aIter the
speech oI Allah is Subhaan Allah, al-Hamdu lillah, La ilaha illal-lah and Allahu akbar." This is
supported by RaIa'ah ibn RaIa', who narrated that the Prophet said, "II youhavesomethingIromthe
Qur'an,reciteit.IInot,thensaythetamheed,takbirandthetahleelandthenbow."
This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i and al-Baihaqi. The Iormer considers it
ashassan.
Eiqh1.122a:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,Ar-Ruku'(BowingDown)
Thereisaconsensusontheobligatory natureoItheruku'.SaysAllah,"Oyouwhobelieve,bowdown
andprostrateyourselves..."ThepositionoIruku'isestablishedbybendingover,puttingone'shands
on one's knees, and remaining in that position until he attains "calmness." In another hadith the
Prophetsaid,"Thenbowuntilyouattaincalmnesswhileyourarebowing."AbuQatadahrelatedthat
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The worst pepole are the thieves who steal part oI the
prayer." He was asked how this was done, and he replied, "He does not complete his bowings and
prostrations,"orhesaid,"Hedoesnotstraightenhisbackduringhisbowingsandprostrations."
Astoitsauthenticity,thereportisrelatedbyAhmad,at-Tabarani,IbnKhuzaimahandal-Hakim,who
consideritschainassahih.
Abu Mas'ud al-Badri reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The prayer oI one who
does not straighten his back in his bendings and prostrations is not accomplished." This hadith is
related by "the Iive,'' and Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban, at-Tabarani and al-Baihaqi, who consider its
chainassahih,whileat-Tirmizhigradesitashassansahih.
Knowledgeable companions act according to the principle that a person is to make his back straight
duringhisbowingsandprostrations.HuzhaiIahsawsomeonewhodidnotstraightenhisbackduring
hisbowingsandprostrations,andtoldhim,"Youhavenotprayed.AndiIyouweretodie,youwould
notdieinthewayoIAllahandHisMessenger."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.123:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,StandingErectAItertheBowing
ThisisbasedonAbuHumaid'sdescriptionoItheProphet'sprayer:"HewouldraisehisheadIromhis
bowing,thenstandstraightuntilalloIhisbackbonesreturnedtotheirplaces."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari
andMuslim.)
'Aishah related that when the Prophet raised his head Irom bowing, he would not prostrate until his
backwasstraight.(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetsaid,"AllahdoesnotlookattheprayeroIapersonwho does
not straighten his back between his bowings and his prostrations." (Related by Ahmad. al-Munzhiri
considersitschainasgood.)
Eiqh1.123a:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,Prostration
WehavealreadystatedtheQur'anicversedealingwiththisobligatoryact.TheProphetexplaineditin
a hadith by saying, "Then prostrate until you attain calmness in your prostration, then rise (and sit)
until you attain calmness in your sitting, and then prostrate until you gain calmness in your
prostration.TheIirstprostration,sittingaIterwards,thesecondprostrationandcalmnessduringalloI
theseactsareobligatoryineveryrak'ahoIeveryobligatoryorsuperogatoryprayer.
Eiqh1.124:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,HowtoAttainCalmness
The"calmness"comesIromsittinginthepositionuntilthebonesaresetandstill.Somescholarssay
that,ataminimum,thiswouldtakeaslongasittakestosayoneSubhaanAllah.
Eiqh1.124a:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,BodilyPartsThatTouchtheGroundDuringProstration
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Thesepartsare:theIace,hands,kneesandIeet.Al-'Abbasibn'Abdul-Mutallibreportedthatheheard
the Prophet say, "When a slave (oIAllah)prostrates,sevenbodilypartsprostratewithhim:hisIace,
his hands, his knees and his Ieet." (Related by "the group," except Ior al-Bukhari.) Said Ibn 'Abbas,
"The Prophet ordered us to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to Iold back the hair or clothing:
the Iorehead, the hands, the knees and the Ieet." In another wording, the Prophet said, "I have been
ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts: the Iorehead, and he pointed to his nose, the hands, the
kneesandtheendsoItheIeet."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)Inanothernarration,hesaid,"I
have been ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to Iold back the hair or clothing: the
Iorehead,thenose,thehands,thekneesandtheIeet."(RelatedbyMuslimandan-Nasa'i.)
AbuHumaidreportedthatwhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,prostrated,heplacedhisnoseand
Ioreheadontheground.ThishadithisrelatedbyAbuDawudandat-Tirmizhiwhosaid,"Thescholars
act according to this: a person prostrates on his nose and Iorehead." According to some scholars, iI
one prostrates on just the Iorehead without the nose touching the ground, itwill still be suIIicient.
OtherssaythatitwouldnotbesuIIicientuntilhisnosetouchestheground.
Eiqh1.124b:ObligatoryactsoIprayer,TheEinalSittingandRecitaloItheTashahud
The Prophet's practice illustrates that when the Iinal sitting oI the prayer has been made, one must
recite the tashahud at that time. In one hadith, he said, "When you raise your head Irom the last
prostrationandsitIorthetashahud,youhavecompletedyourprayer."
SaysIbnQudamah,"IthasbeenrelatedthatIbn'Abbassaid,'Weusedtosay,beIorethetashahudwas
made obligatory upon us, 'Peace be upon Allah beIore His slaves, peace be upon Gabriel, peace be
upon Mikhail.' The Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, 'Do not say, 'Peace be upon Allah,' but say,
'SalutationstoAllah.'Thisprovesthatthetashahudwasmadeobligatory,althoughbeIoreitwasnot."
The most authentic report concerning the tashahud is Ibn Mas'ud's, who said, "When we would sit
withtheProphetintheprayer,wewouldsay,'PeacebeuponAllahbeIoreHisslaves,peacebeupon
so and so.' The Prophet said, 'Do not say peace be upon Allah, Ior Allah is peace. When one oI you
sits,heshouldsaysalutationsbetoAllah,andtheprayers,andthegooddeeds,peacebeuponusand
uponAllah'ssincereslaves(iIyousaythat,itappliestoalloIAllah'ssincereslavesintheheavensand
theearth).IbearwitnessthatthereisnogodexceptAllah.IbearwitnessthatMuhammadisHisslave
andMessenger.'Thenyoumaychoosewhateversupplicationyou desire."(Relatedby"thegroup.")
SaysMuslim,"ThepeopleareinagreementoverthetashahudoIIbnMas'ud,andthecompanionsdo
not diIIer over it." At-Tirmizhi, al-Khattabi, Ibn 'Abdul-Barr and Ibn al-Munzhir all agree that Ibn
Mas'ud'shadithisthe mostauthenticoneonthistopic.
SaidIbn'Abbas,"TheMessengeroIAllahusedtoteachusthetashahudlikehetaughtustheQur'an.
He would say, 'Salutations, blessings, prayers and good deeds Ior Allah. Peace be upon you, O
Prophet,andthemercyoIAllahandHisblessings.PeacebeuponusandthesincereslavesoIAllah.I
bear witness that there is no god except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and
messenger."(Relatedbyash-ShaiIi,Muslim,AbuDawudandanNasa'i.)
Saysash-ShaiIi, "DiIIerenthadithhavebeenrelatedaboutthetashahud,butthatoneisthebestinmy
opinion,Ioritisthemostcomplete.Al-HaIezstates,"Ash-ShaiIiwasaskedaboutthischoiceandthe
tashahudoIIbn'Abbas,andhereplied,'IhaveIoundittobethemostencompassing.Ihaveheardit
IromIbn'Abbas(through)authentic(chains).Tome,itismorecomplete..."
ThereisanotherIormoIthetashahudthatMalikchose.Inal-Muwatta,itisstatedthat'Abdurahman
ibn 'Abdul-Qari heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab teaching the people, Irom the pulpit, this tashahud:
"Salutations to Allah, puriIications to Allah, the good deeds and prayers be to Allah. Peace be upon
you, O Prophet, and the mercy oI Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and Allah's sincere
slaves. I testiIy that there is no god but Allah, and I testiIy that Muhammad is His slave and
messenger."
Commenting on the stature oI such hadith, an-Nawawi says, "Those hadith concerning the tashahud
are all sahih. Hadith scholars are agreed that the strongest oI them is the hadith oI Ibn Mas'ud, and
then the hadith oI Ibn 'Abbas. " Ash-ShaI'i said that any tashahud one uses will suIIice, Ior the
scholarsagreethateveryoneoIthemispermissible."
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Eiqh 1.126: Obligatory acts oI prayer, The Salaam (Peace Be Upon You and the Mercy oI Allah) at
thePrayer'sEnd
SayingthesalaamattheendoItheprayerisobligatory.'AlirelatedthattheProphetsaid,"Thekeyto
prayerispurity.Oneentersintoitsinviolablestatebythetakbirandleavesitbythesalaam."
As to its authenticity, the report is related by Ahmad, ash-ShaI i, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and at-
Tirmizhiwhosaid,"Thatisthemostauthenticreportonthistopicandthebest."
'AmribnSa'drelatedthathisIathersaid,"IsawtheProphetmakingthesalaamonhisrightsideand
on his leIt side until I could see the whiteness oIhischeeks."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,anNasa'i
andIbnMajah.)
Reported Wa'il ibn Hajr, "I prayed with the Messenger oI Allah. He would make the salaam on his
rightsidebysaying,'PeacebeuponyouandthemercyoIAllah."InBulughal-Maram,IbnHajrsays
thatAbuDawudrelateditwithasahihchain.
It is obligatory to say one salaam, and it is preIerred to say two. Ibn al-Munzhir comments that all
scholarsagreethatmakingonlyonesalaamispermissible.IbnQudamahwritesinal-Mughni,"There
is no clear text Irom Ahmad that states that two salaams are obligatory. He only said, 'Two salaams
are the most authentic act Irom the Messenger oI Allah.' It is permissible to say that this is the
regualtion,althoughitisnotobligatory,andothershavethesameopinion.Thisisalsopointedoutin
another oI his statements where he said, 'Two salaams are more loved by me. But 'Aishah, Salamah
ibnal-Aku'andSahlibnSa'dnarratedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,madeonlyonesalaam."
We can reconciliate these diIIerences by stating that it is sunnah to say two salaams, but it is
obligatorytosayone.ThisistheconsensusthatIbnal-Munzhirmentioned,andwehavenooptionto
reject that. Says an-Nawawi, "It is the opinion oI ash-ShaiIi and most oI the early and later scholars
that it is sunnah to say two salaams." Malik and a group oI scholars say that only one salaam is
sunnah. They adduce this Irom a weak hadith that can not be used as a prooI. II something oI this
nature had been conIirmed Irom the Prophet, the act was probably done just to show that it is
permissible to say only one salaam. Scholars are agreed that only one salaam is obligatory. II one
makesonlyone salaam,heshouldturntohisrightIortheIirstoneandtotheleItIorthesecondone.
HeshouldturnuntilhischeekscanbeseenIrombehind.ThatisthemostauthenticIormanditissaid,
"IIonesaysthetwosalaamstotherightortotheleItwhileIacingIorward,ortheIirstoneontheleIt
andthesecondoneontheright,thenhisprayerwouldstillbevalidandhewouldhaveIulIilledtheact
oIthetwosalaams.But,hewouldhavelostthevirtueoIhowtheyaretobeperIormed."
Eiqh1.129:SunnahactsoIprayer
Theprayeralsohascertainactswhicharesunnah.ItispreIerredthatthepersonperIormsthemtoget
theirreward.
Eiqh1.129a:SunnahactsoIprayer,RaisingtheHands
This must be done at the beginning oI each prayer's takbir. Says Ibn al-Munzhir, "Allscholarsagree
thattheProphetraisedhishandsatthebeginningoIhisprayer."
Commentinguponthisreport,IbnHajrsays,"TheProphet'sraisinghishandsatthebeginningoIhis
prayerhasbeennarratedbyIiItycompanions,inludingthetenwhoweregiventhetidingsoIParadise.
" Al-Baihaqi related that al-Hakim said, "I do not know oI any sunnah other than this one which is
accepted by the Iour rightly-guided khaliIahs, the ten companions who were given the tidings oI
Paradise, and other companions scattered across many lands." Summing up his evaluation oI the
report,al-Baihaqisays,"AnditisasourteacherAbu'Abdullahhassaid."
Eiqh1.129b:SunnahactsoIprayer,HowtoRaisetheHands
Many narrations have been recorded concerning this subject. Many scholars have chosen the
IollowingIorms:thehandsareraisedtotheshoulderswiththeIingertipsparalleltothebuttonoIthe
ears.Saysan-Nawawi,"Thisishowash-ShaiIicombinedthehadith(onthisquestion),andthepeople
Ioundittobegood."ItispreIerredthatoneextendstheIingerswhileraisingthehands.AbuHurairah
said,"WhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,stoodIorprayer,hewouldraisehishands(withthem
being)open."(Relatedby"theIive,"exceptIorIbnMajah.)
Eiqh1.130:SunnahactsoIprayer,WhentoRaisetheHands
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One must raise the hands at about the same time he makes the takbir. NaIa' related that when Ibn
'Umarwouldbeginhisprayerhewouldsaythetakbirandraisehishands.TheProphetalsodidthis.
(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,an-Nasa'iandAbuDawud.)HealsoreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombe
peace,wouldraisehishandsuponmakingthetakbiruntiltheywereparalleltohisshouldersorclose
tothat.(RelatedbyAhmadandothers.)
AsIorraisingthehandsjustbeIorethetakbir,Ibn'Umarreported,"WhentheProphet,uponwhombe
peace, stood Ior prayer, he would raise hishandsuntiltheywereparalleltohisshouldersandwould
make the takbir. (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) A hadith Irom Malikibnal-Huwairithhasthe
wording, "Make the takbir and then raise your hands." (Related by Muslim.) This implies that the
takbircomesbeIoretheraisingoIthehands,butIbnHajrsays,"Ihavenotmetanyonewhoholdsthat
thetakbircomesbeIoretheraisingoIthehands."
ItispreIerredtoraiseone'shandswhilegoingtobowanduponcomingupIromthebow
Twenty-twocompanionsnarratedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,didso.ReportedIbn'Umar,
"WhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,stoodtopray,hewouldraisehishandsuntiltheywerethe
same heightashisshouldersandthenhewouldmakethetakbir.Whenhewantedtobow,hewould
againraisehishandsinasimilarIashion.WhenheraisedhisheadIromthebowing,hedidthesame
andsaid,'AllahhearshimwhopraisesHim.'(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslimandal-Baihaqi.)Saysal-
Bukhari, "He would not do that when he was going to prostrate nor when he came up Irom his
prostration." Al-Bukhari also says, "He would not raise his handsbetweenthetwoprostrations."Al-
Baihaqihastheaddition,"HedidnotstopdoingthatuntilhemetAllah."Ibnal-Madinisaid,"Inmy
opinion,thathadithisaprooIIorthewholecreation.Whoeverhearsitmustactbyit.Thereisnothing
wrong with its chain." Al-Bukhari wrote a pamphlet on this topic, and related Irom al-Hassan and
HumaidibnHilalthatthecompanionsusedto(perIormtheirprayers)inthismanner.
On the contrary, the HanaIiyyah say that one should only raise his hands at the beginning. This is
based on the hadith oI Ibn Mas'ud, who reported, "I prayed with the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
andheraisedhishandsonlyonce."Thisisaweakopinion,andmanyhadithscholarshavecriticized
thisreport.IbnHibban,though,saidthatthisisthebestreport.
The people oI KuIah narrated that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, did not raise his hands upon
bowing or rising. But, in Iact, this is a very weak statement, Ior it contains many deIects and is
thereIoreinvalid.EveniIweacceptit,asat-Tirmizhidid,itdoesnotinvalidatetheauthenticandwell-
knownhadithmentionedearlier.TheauthoroIat-TanqihsaysthatperhapsIbnMas'udIorgotthatthe
Prophet, upon whom be peace, raised his hands. Az-Zaila'i writes in Nasb ar-Rayah, quoting the
author oI at-Tanqih, "It is not strange that Ibn Mas'ud may have Iorgotten that. Ibn Mas'ud Iorgot
some things Irom the Qur'an that the Muslims aIter him never diIIered about, and those are the last
two surahs oI the Qur'an. He Iorgot how two people are to stand behind the imam, that the Prophet
prayed the morning prayer on the Day oI SacriIice (during the hajj) at its proper time, how the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, combined his prayers at 'AraIah, the position oI the Iorearms and
elbows during the prostration, and how the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recited, 'And Him who
createdthemaleandtheIemale.'IIitispossiblethatIbnMas'udIorgotalloIthesethingsconcerning
theprayer,isitnotpossiblethathealsoIorgotaboutraisingthehands?"
NaIa'relatedthatwhenIbn'UmarstoodIorthethirdrak'ah,hewouldraisehishands,anactionwhich
heascribedtotheProphet.(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,AbuDawudandan-Nasa'i.)Whiledescribingthe
Prophet'sprayer,'AlisaidthatwhenhestoodIromthetwoprostrations,hewouldraisehishandsuntil
theyreachedhisshouldersandmakethetakbir.
Women have to do this the same way. Says Ash-Shaukani, "Know that this sunnah is to be done by
men and women. There is no prooI to show that there is any diIIerence between them on this point.
ThereisalsonoprooItoshowthattheyaretoraisetheirhandstodiIIerentlevels."
Eiqh1.131:SunnahactsoIprayer,PlacingtheRightHandupontheLeIt
This is a preIerred act oI the prayer. There are twenty hadith Irom eighteen companions and their
Iollowersonthispoint.SaidSahlibnSa'd,"Thepeoplewereorderedtoplacetheirrighthandontheir
leItIorearmduringprayers."Commentingonthis,AbuHazmsays,"IdonotknowiIheascribedthis
to the Prophet." This hadith is related by al-Bukhari, Ahmad and Malik inhisal-Muwatta.Al-HaIez
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maintains,"ItsrulingisconsideredtobeIromtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,asitisimpliedthat
the one who ordered them to do so was the Prophet." He also related that the Prophet said, "All
prophets have been ordered to hasten the breaking oI the Iast and to delay the (pre-Iast dawn) meal,
andtoplaceourrighthandsonourleItduringprayer."
There is also a hadith Irom Jabir which says, "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, passed by a man
prayingwithhisleIthandoverhisright,and(theProphet)pulledthemawayandputhisrightoverhis
leIt." This isrelatedbyAhmadandothers.Evaluatingitschain,an-Nawawisays,"Itschainissahih.
Ibn 'Abdul-Barr holds, "Nothing has reached me diIIerent Irom that. It is the opinion oI most
companions and their Iollowers." Malik mentioned it in his al-Muwatta and states, "Malik never
stoppeddoingituntilhemetAllah."
Eiqh1.132:SunnahactsoIprayer,ThePositionoItheHands
Al-Kamal ibn al-Hamam is oI the opinion, "There is no authentic hadith stating that one must place
thehandsunderthechestorbelowthenavel.AccordingtotheHaniIiyyah,thehandsaretobeplaced
below the navel, and the ShaIiyyah say below thechest.Ahmadhastwonarrationscorrespondingto
these two opinions. The correct position is somewhere in the middle - to be equal." Observes at-
Tirmizhi, "Knowledgeable companions, their Iollowers and those that came aIter them believed that
one shouldputhisrighthandovertheleItduringprayer,whilesomesayabovethenavelandothers
say below the navel..." Nevertheless, there do exist hadith that the Propet, upon whom be peace,
placed his hands on his chest. Reported Hulb at-Ta'i, "I saw the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
praying with his right hand over his leIt upon his chest above the elbow." This is related by Ahmad
andat-Tirmizhi,whogradesitashassan.
ReportedWa'ilibnHajr,"OncewhenIprayedwiththeProphet,uponwhombepeace,heplacedhis
righthandoverhisleItuponhischest."ThereportisrecordedbyIbnKhuzaimah,whoconsidersitas
sahih,andbyAbuDawudandan-Nasa'iwiththewording,"Thenheputhisrighthandovertheback
oIhisleItwristandIorearm."
Eiqh1.132a:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheOpeningSupplication
It is preIerred Ior the person to begin his prayer withoneoIthesupplicationsthattheProphet,upon
whom be peace, used to begin his prayers. This occurs aIter the opening takbir and beIore the
recitationoIal-Eatihah.SomeoIthesupplicationsthathavebeenrelatedare:
-1- Reported Abu Hurairah, "When the Prophet, upon whom be peace, made the opening takbir, he
would be quiet Ior a little while beIore his recitation. I asked him, 'O Messenger oI Allah, may my
Iather and mother be sacriIiced Ior you, why are you quiet between the (opening) takbir and your
recitation? What do you say (at that time)?' He said, 'I say, O Allah, make the distance between me
andmysinsasIarasyouhavemadethedistancebetweentheEastandtheWest.OAllah,cleanseme
oImysinsasawhitegarmentiscleansedoIdirt.OAllah,puriIymeIrommysinsbysnow,rainand
hail."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'iandIbnMajah.)
-2- Reported 'Ali, that when the Prophet stood Ior prayer, he would make the takbir and then say,"I
have turned my Iace to the one who created the heavens and the earth as a sincere submissive
(person), and I am not one oI the polytheists. My prayers, my sacriIice, myliIeandmydeathareall
Ior Allah, the Lord oI the Worlds. He has no partner. That is what I have been ordered and I am oI
thosewhosubmit.OAllah,youaretheKingandthereisnoLordbesidesYou.YouaremyLordandI
amYourslave.IhavewrongedmysoulandYouareawareoImysins,soIorgivealloImysins.No
oneIorgivessinssaveYou.Guidemetothebestcharacter.NoonecanguidetothebestoIthatsave
You. Turn me away Irom its evil, and no one can turn me Irom its evil save You. Atyour beckand
call, all the good is in Your hands and evil is not to You. And I am Ior You and to You are the
blessings and the exaltedness. I seek your Iorgiveness and return unto You." (Related by Ahmad,
Muslim,at-Tirmizhi,AbuDawudandothers.)
-3- It is related that 'Umar used tosay,aIterthebeginningtakbir,"GlorybetoYou,OAllah,andto
Youisthepraise.BlessedisYournameandmosthighisYourhonor.ThereisnoLordbesidesYou."
ThishadithisrelatedbyMuslimwithabrokenchain.Ad-DaraqutnitracesitbacktotheProphetand
backto'Umar.
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Commenting on it, Ibn al-Qayyim says, "It has been authenticated that 'Umar began with that in the
place (oI the preceding prayer) oI the Prophet, upon whom be peace. He would recite it aloud and
teachittothepeople.AndowingtothatIact,itisconsideredtohaveitssourcewiththeProphet,upon
whombepeace.Eorthatreason,ImamAhmadsays,"IactbywhathasbeenrelatedIrom'Umar.IIa
personbeginswithsomethingthathasbeenrelated,itisgood."
-4- 'Asim ibn Humaid asked 'Aishah how the Prophet, upon whom be peace, began his late-night
prayers.Shereplied,"YouhaveaskedmeaboutsomethingthatnoonebeIoreyouhasasked.Whenhe
would stand Ior prayer, he would make the takbir ten times (aIter the opening takbir), and then say
'Al-hamdu lillah' ten times. He would then ask Iorgiveness ten times, and then would say, "OAllah,
Iorgiveme,guideme,provideIorme,sustainmeandgivemereIugeIromaconstrainingplaceonthe
DayoIResurrection."(RelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'iandIbnMajah.)
-5- 'Abdurahman ibn 'AuI asked 'Aishah how the Prophet, upon whom be peace, began his prayer
when he would pray during the night. She said, "When he would get up during the night, he would
begin his prayer with, 'O Allah, Lord oI Gabriel, Mikhail and IsraIil, Creator oI the heavens and the
earth, Knower oI the Unseen and the Seen. You will judge between Your slaves concerning matters
whereintheydiIIer.GuidemetothetruthinthosematterswhereintheydiIIerbyYourpermission,Ior
You guide whom You will to the straight path." (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi,
anNasa'iandIbnMajah.)
-6- NaIa'ibnJubairibnMut'amrelatedIromhisIatherwhosaid,"IheardtheMessengeroIAllah say
in his voluntary prayer, 'Allahu akbar kabeera' three times, 'al-Hamdu lillah katheera' three times,
'Subhanallahi bukratan wa asila' three times, and then 'O Allah, I seek reIuge in You Irom Satan the
accursed and Irom his pricking, spittle and puIIing.' I said, 'O Messenger oI Allah, what are his
pricking,spittleandpuIIing?'Hesaid,'HisprickingistheinsanitybywhichhetakesthechildrenoI
Adam.Hisspittleisarrogance,andhispuIIingis(evil)poetry."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,Ibn
MajahandIbnHibban.)
-7- Ibn 'Abbas related that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, got up Ior the night prayer, he
would say, "O Allah, to You is the praise. You are the support oI the heavens and the earth and
whateveristherein.ToYouisthepraise.YouarethelightoItheheavensandtheearthandwhatever
is therein. To You is the praise. You are the Truth. Your promise is true. The meeting with You is
true.Yourspeechistrue.Paradiseistrue.Hell-Iireistrue.Yourprophetsaretrue.Muhammadistrue.
Thehouristrue.OAllah,toYouhaveIsubmitted,andinYouhaveIbelieved.InYouIputmytrust,
andtoYoudoIcome.EorYoudoIdispute,andtoYouisthejudgement.Eorgivememyearlierand
latersins,andwhathasbeenprivateandpublic.Youarethepredecessorandthesuccessor.Thereis
no god except You. There is no lord other than You. There is no power or might except in Allah."
This hadith is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and
Malik.InAbuDawud'sversion,theProphet,uponwhombepeace,saidthataItertheopeningtakbir.
-8- It is a preIerred act Ior the one in prayer to seek reIuge Irom Satan between his opening
supplicationandhisQur'anicrecitation.Allahsays,"WhenyourecitetheQur'an,seekreIugeinAllah
Irom the outcast Satan." In the preceding hadith oI NaIa' ibn Jubair, the Prophet is reported to have
said,"OAllah,IseekreIugeinyouIromSatan,theoutcast."SaidIbnal-Munzhir,"Ithasbeenrelated
Irom the Prophet, upon whom be peace, that he would say, 'I seek reIuge in Allah Irom Satan, the
outcast'beIorereciting."
-9- It is sunnah to say ,"I seek reIuge in..." silently. In al-Mughni, it states, "One should say the
seekingoIreIugesilentlyandnotaloud, andIdonotknowoIanydiIIerenceoIopiniononthatpoint."
But ash-ShaI'i was oI the opinion that one may choose between saying it silently or aloud in those
prayers recited aloud. It has been related that Abu Hurairah recited aloud, but this report hasaweak
chain.
-10- The seeking oI reIuge is to be done in the Iirst rak'ah only. Reported Abu Hurairah, "When the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, would get up Ior the second rak'ah, he would begin with 'al-Hamdu
lillahi,rabbul-'aalimeen',withouthavinganyperiodoIsilence."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
SpeakingoIit,Ibnal-Qayyimsays,"ThejuristsdiIIeroverwhetherornotthatisatimetosay,'Iseek
reIuge...' But they agree that it is not a place tomaketheopeningsupplication.OntheIormerpoint,
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there are two opinions, both oI them related Irom Ahmad. Some oI his companions concluded that
eithertheprayerisonlyonerecitation,soitissuIIicientjusttoseekreIugeonce,orthateachrecitalis
a recital by itselI that requires the seeking oI reIuge. They do not dispute the Iact that the opening
supplicationisIorthewholeprayer.ItissuIIicienttoseekreIugeonlyonce,asitisapparentIromthe
authentic hadith." Then he mentionstheprecedinghadithoIAbuHurairah,andsays,"ItissuIIicient
just to make one opening supplication, since there is no real break between the recital oI the prayer.
The only thing that is between them is the remembrance oI Allah, and so on. ThereIore, it will be
considered as one recital. Ash Shaukani has the Iinal word, and says, 'It is best just to do what has
beenrelatedIromthesunnah,andthatistoseekreIugeintheIirstrak'ahonly."
Eiqh1.136:SunnahactsoIprayer,Saying'Ameen
It is sunnah Ior everyone to say 'ameen aIter reciting al-Eatihah. The word ameen is not part oI al-
Eatihah, but rather a supplication meaning, "O Allah, respond (to or answer what we have said). It
should be said aloud in the prayers where the recital is aloud, and quietly in the prayers where the
recitalissilent.SaidNa'eemal-Mujamir,"IprayedbehindAbuHurairahandhesaid,'InthenameoI
Allah,theCompassionate,theMerciIul,'thenrecitedal-Eatihah,andcloseditwith'ameen.Thepeople
alsosaid'ameen.AItertheprayer,AbuHurairahsaid,'BytheOneinwhoseHandismysoul,Ihave
IollowedtheprayeroItheProphet."
Al-Bukhari mentioned this hadith in mu'allaq Irom while others, such as an-Nasa'i, Ibn Khuzaimah,
Ibn Hibban and Ibn as-Siraj related it. Al-Bukhari records that Ibn Shihab (az-Zuhri) said, "The
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,wouldsay,'ameen."
Says'Ata,"'Ameenisasupplication."Ibnaz-Zubairandthosebehindhimwouldsay'ameenandthe
mosquewouldringwiththeirvoices.
ReportedNaIa',"Ibn'Umardidnotencouragethepeopleto sayitaloud,nordidhediscouragethem.I
haveheardhimreportthat."Reportingonthissamesubject,AbuHurairahsaid,"WhentheMessenger
oIAllah,uponwhombepeace,wouldrecite,'...NotwiththosewithwhomYouaredispleasedandnot
oI those who have gone astray,' he would say, 'ameen such that those close to him could hear him."
(Related by Abu Dawud.) Ibn Majah's version is, "Until the people in the Iirst row would hear him,
andthemosquewouldringwiththesound."Al-Hakimalsorelatesthis hadith,andsaysthatitissahih
according to the criterion oI al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Baihaqi calls it hassan sahih. Ad-Daraqutni
considersitashassan.
A similar report Irom Wa'il ibn Jubair says, "I heard the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace,
recite, '...and not oI those who have gone astray,' and then say 'ameen, and make it long with his
voice." This was related by Ahmad. Abu Dawud has it with the wording, "And he would raise his
voice with it." At-Tirmizhi classiIies it as hassan and states, "More than one knowledgeable
companionandthosewhoIollowedthemhavesaidthatapersonshouldraisehisvoicewhilesaying
'ameenandnotmakeitsilent."IbnHajrholdsthatthechainoIthishadithissahih.Reported'Ata,"I
haveIoundtwohundred companionsoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,inthismosqueandwhen
theimamrecited,'...andnotoIthosewhohavegoneastray,'Iheardthemsay'ameen."'Aishahreported
that the Prophet, upon whombepeace,said,'TheJewsdonotenvyyouIoranythingmorethanthey
envyyouIorthesalutationsandthesayingoI'ameenbehindtheimam."(RelatedbyAhmadandIbn
Majah)
ItispreIerredtosay'ameenalongwiththeimam,andnotbeIoreoraIterhim
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,Whentheimamrecites,'...notoI
thosewithwhomYouareangerednoroIthosewhohavegoneastray,'youshouldsay'ameen.IIthis
correspondstowhentheangelssayit,hewillhavealloIhisprevioussinsIorgiven."(Relatedbyal-
Bukhari.)HealsoreportedthattheProphetsaid,"Whentheimamrecites,'...notoIthosewithwhom
you are angered nor oI those who have gone astray,' then say 'ameen (along with the imam), Ior the
angelssay'ameenandtheimamsays'ameen.IIhis'ameencorrespondstothe'ameenoItheangels,he
willhavehisprevioussinsIorgiven."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandan-Nasa'i.)
Eiqh1.137:SunnahactsoIprayer,Qur'anicRecitationaIteral-Eatihah
ItissunnahIorthepersontoreciteasectionoItheQur'anaIteral-Eatihahduringthetworak'ahoIthe
morningprayerandtheEridayprayer,andtheIirsttworak'ahoIthenoon,aIternoon,sunsetandnight
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prayers, and in all oI the rak'ah oI the superogatory prayers. Abu Qatadah reported that the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, would recite al-Eatihah and some surah in the Iirst two rak'ah oI the noon
prayer, and only al-Eatihah in the last two rak'ah. Sometimes he would recite some verses. The Iirst
rak'ah's recital would be longer than the second. That was how it was done in the aIternoon and
morningprayers.Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,MuslimandbyAbuDawud,whoadds,"Wethinkhe
didthatinordertoallowpeopletocatchtheIirstrak'ah."
JabiribnSumrahreportedthatthepeopleoIKuIahcomplainedaboutSa'dto'Umar,causing'Umarto
dismisshimandreplacehimwith'Ammar.TheyhadmanycomplaintsaboutSa'd,evenclaimingthat
he did not pray properly. 'Umar sent Ior him and said, "O Abu Ishaq (Sa'd), these people claim that
you do not pray properly." Sa'd replied, "By Allah, I prayed with them in the same manner that the
Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, prayed with us, and I never shortened it in any way. I
wouldlengthentheIirsttworak'ahoIthenightprayerandshortenthelasttwo."Said 'Umar,"Thisis
what I expected oI you." He sent him back to KuIah with one or two people to ask the people oI
KuIahabouthim.AlloIthepeoplepraisedhimuntiltheywenttothemosqueoIthetribeoI'Abs.A
mannamedUsamahibnQatadah,alsoknownas AbuSa'da,stoodandsaid,"SinceIamunderoathI
must inIorm you that Sa'd never accompanied the army, did not distribute the booty justly, and was
notjustinhislegalverdicts.Sa'dthensaid,"IpraytoAllahIorthreethings:OAllah,iIthisslaveoI
YoursislyingandstoodonlyIorshow,thengivehimalongliIe,increasehispovertyandputhimto
trials."Yearslater,whenUsamahwasaskedhowhewasdoing,hewouldanswerthathewasanold
man in trial due to Sa'd's supplication. 'Abdul-Malik (one oI the narrators) said that he had seen the
manaIterwardswithhiseyebrowsoverhanginghiseyesduetooldage,andhewouldteaseandassault
theyounggirlsalongthepaths.(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
Said Abu Hurairah, "A recitation should be done in every prayer. What we heard Irom the Prophet,
uponwhombepeace,weletyouhear.Whathewassilentabout,wearesilentaboutwithyou.IIone
doesnotaddanythingtoal-Eatihah,itissuIIicient.IIonedoesaddsomething,itisgood."(Relatedby
al-Bukhari.)
Eiqh1.138:SunnahactsoIprayer,HowtoPerIormtheRecitalaIteral-Eatihah
ThismaybedoneinanyoItheIollowingmanners:SaidAl-Hussain,"IntheIightingatKhorasanwe
had three hundred companions with us, and one oI them would lead the prayer, recite some verses
Irom the Qur'anandthenbow."ItisrelatedthatIbn'Abbaswouldreciteal-Eatihahandsomeverses
Irom al-Baqarah in every rak'ah. (Related by ad-Daraqutni with a strong chain.) Al-Baihaqi narrates
Irom 'Abdullah ibn as-Sa'ib that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recited al-Mu'minun in the
morningprayer,andwhenhecametothepartwhichreIerstoMoses,AaronorJesus,hewouldcough
andbow."'UmarreadintheIirstrak'ah120versesIromthesevenlongsurahs(Mathnawi).Al-AhnaI
readal-KahIintheIirstrak'ahandYunusorYusuIinthesecond,andsaidthatheprayedthemorning
prayerwith'Umar(andherecitedthem).IbnMas'udreadIortyversesIromal-AnIalintheIirstrak'ah
andasurahIromthetenshortsurahs(MuIassil)inthesecond.Qatadahreportedaboutapersonwho
readonesurahintworak'ahorrepeatedthesamesurahtwice,andthencommented:'ItisalltheBook
oIAllah."'UbaidullahibnThabitrelatedthatAnassaid,"OneoIthehelpers(Ansar)led thepeoplein
prayer at (the mosque) oI Quba'. BeIore he began his recitation he would always recite, 'Say: He is
Allah, the One,' until he Iinished that surah, and then he would recite another surah. He did that in
everyrak'ah.Theysaidtohim,'Youbeginwiththatsurah,butwedon'tIinditsuIIicientuntilyouadd
anothersurahtoit?'Hesaid,'Iwillnotstopdoingso.Iliketoleadyouintheprayerwiththat.IIyou
don'tlikeit,Iwillleave(leadingyouintheprayers).'Theythoughtthathewasthebestamongthem,
sotheydidn'twantsomeoneelsetoleadthem.TheyreIerredthemattertotheProphet,uponwhombe
peace, and he said, 'O so and so, what has kept you Irom doing what your companions have asked
you? Why do you keep reciting thatsurah in every rak'ah?' He said, 'I love that surah.' The Prophet,
uponwhombepeace,said,'YourloveIorthatsurahwillcauseyoutoenterParadise."AmanIromthe
tribe oI Juhinah reported that he heard the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recite, "When the earth
quakes," in the morning prayer inbothrak'ah.Andthemansaid,"IdonotknowiIheIorgotthathe
hadreciteditoriIhediditonpurpose."ThishadithisrelatedbyAbuDawud.Thechainhasnothing
initthatcanbecriticized.
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Eiqh1.139:SunnahactsoIprayer,RecitationaIteral-Eatihah
HereweshallmentionwhatIbnal-QayyimlearnedabouttheProphet'srecitationIollowingal-Eatihah
in diIIerent prayers. He commented, "When the Prophet Iinished al-Eatihah, he would sometimes
make a lengthy recitation, and sometimes a short one iI he was travelling or similarly engaged. But
mostoIthetime,hemadearecitationoIintermediatelength.
Eiqh1.139a:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRecitationintheMorningPrayer
HewouldreadIromsixtytoonehundredversesduringthemorningprayer.Sometimeshewouldread
surah Qal; ar-Rum, at-'Takwir, or az-Zilzal in the last two rak'ah. While travelling, he would
sometimes read the last two surahs oI the Qur'an. Sometimes he would read the Iirst portionoI al-
Mu'minun until he would reach the story oI Moses and Aaron in the Iirst rak'ah, and then he would
cough and bow. On Eridays he would read AliI; Lam, Mim, Tanzil as-Sajdah, or ad-Dahr in their
complete Iorms. He did not do what many people do today, which is reciting part oI this surah and
part oI another. Many ignorant people think that it is best to recite something with a prostration on
Eriday morning. But this is just plain ignorance. Some scholars dislike that one should read a surah
withaprostrationduetothisignorantthought.TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,usedtorecitethese
twosurahsbecausetheycontainedremindersoIman'screation,thereturnuntoAllah,thecreationoI
Adam,theentryintoParadiseandHell-Iire,andothermattersthatdidorwillspeciIicallyoccurona
Eriday.ThereIore,hewouldrecitethemonEridaytoremindhiscompanionsoItheeventsoIthatday.
HewouldreciteQaI,al-Qamr,al-A'laandal-GhashiyyahondaysoIgreatimportancelikeEriday,the
'Iddays,and soon.:
Eiqh1.140:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRecitationintheNoonPrayers
Hewouldsometimesmakethisrecitationlengthy.AbuSa'eedevenoncesaid,"Whilehewasstanding
inthenoonprayer,onecouldgotoal-Baqi'eandtakecareoIsomematter,returntohisIamily,make
ablution,return,andstillIindtheProphet,uponwhombepeace,intheIirstrak'ahduetothelengthoI
his recital." (Related by Muslim.) He would sometimes recite all oI AliI, Lam, Mim, Tanzil, or al-
A'la,oral-Lail,orsometimesal-Burujorat-Tariq.
Eiqh1.140a:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRecitationintheAIternoonPrayer
This would be halI the length oI the noon prayer recitation iI that recitation was long or the same
lengthiIitwasshort.
Eiqh1.140b:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRecitationintheSunsetPrayer
TheProphetwouldrecitediIIerentsurahsinthesunsetprayerondiIIerentdays.Sometimeshewould
recite al-A'raI in the two rak'ahs and sometimes at-Tur or al-Mursilat. Says Abu 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-
Barr, "It is related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recited al-A'raI or as-SaIIat or Ha-Mim
Dukhan or al-A'la or at-Tin or the last two surahs oI al-MuIassil. All oI that is related through
authenticchains."Marwanibnal-Hakimusedtodothis,andwhenZaid ibnThabitobjectedtoithe
said,"WhatiswrongwithyouthatyoualwaysreciteoneoItheshortsurahsIromal-MuIassilduring
the sunset prayer? I have seen the Prophet, upon whom be peace, reciting a long chapter therein."
Marwan asked, "And what is a long chapter?" He answered, "Al-A'raI." This hadith is sahih. Abu
Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi related it. An-Nasa'i records that 'Aishah said, "The
Prophet, upon whom be peace, read al-A'raI during the sunset prayer and he divided it between the
two rak'ahs." To always recite a short surah Irom al-MuIassil is an act that diIIers Irom the sunnah,
andthisiswhatMarwanibnal-Hakimdid.
Eiqh1.141:TheRecitationintheNightPrayer
Inthenightprayer,theProphetwouldreciteat-Tin,and hetaughtMu'azhtoreciteash-Shams,al-A'la,
al-Lail, and so on. He objected to Mu'azh reciting al-Baqarah at that time. AIter the prayer, he
(Mu'azh) went to the tribe oI 'Amr ibn 'AuI, and when part oI the night had passed, he repeated his
prayer,and recitedal-Baqarahthere.OnbeinginIormedabouthim,theProphetsaidtohim,"Mu'azh,
areyouonewhoputspeopletohardships?''
Eiqh1.141a:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRecitationintheEridayPrayer
HewouldrecitealJumu'ah,al-MunaIiqunoral-Ghashiyyah,intheircompleteIorms,oral-A'laandal-
Ghashiyyah.HeneverrecitedjusttheendingoIsomesurahswhichbeganwith"Oyouwhobelieve..."
surahalJumu'ah).ThosewhoinsistondoingsoeveryEridayarenotIollowingthesunnah.
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Eiqh1.141b:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRecitationintheTwo'Ids
He would recite QaIor al-Qamar completely, and sometimes al-A'la and al-Ghashiyyah. The rightly
guidedcaliphsdidthesame.OnceAbuBakrreadal-Baqarahinthemorningprayeruntilthesunwas
about to rise. They said, "O successor oI the Messenger oI Allah, the sun is about to rise." He said,
"Had it risen, you would not have Iound us negligent." 'Umar would recite YusuI, an-Nahl, Hud,al-
Isra' and similar surahs. II reciting long surahs was abrogated, it would have been known to the
khaliIahs or to those who may have criticized them. Muslim records Irom Jabir ibn Sumrah that the
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,recitedQaIinthemorningprayer,andthathissubsequent
prayers during that day would be shorter. Umm al-Eazhl heard Ibn 'Abbas recite al-Mursilat and she
told him, "O my son, that recital reminded me oI that surah. It was the last one that I heard the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, recite, and he read it in the sunset prayer." That is one oI the latest
actionsthatwehaveIromhim.
Giventheabove,wemaynowinterprettheProphet'shadith,"Oyouwholeadthepeopleinprayer,be
easy on them," and Anas' statement, "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, conducted the prayer very
lightly,thoughitwascomplete."'Easiness'or'lightness'isarelativeterm.Wemustreturntohowthe
Prophet behaved to understand and Iollow his example correctly. It is not to be determined by the
whims and desires oI those who are present Ior prayer. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, did not
orderthepeopletodiIIerIromhispractice,eventhoughheknewthatbehindhimweretheaged,weak
andpeoplewithneedstotendto.HeperIormedhisprayerinthesamemannerthatheaskedothersto
pray--'light'or'easy'.IIhisprayersweresomewhatlong,theywerestilleasycomparedtohowlonghe
could have made them. The guidance that he came with and practiced is the one that decides our
aIIairsanddisputesIorus.Thisissupportedbythehadithrecordedbyan-Nasa'iandothersinwhich
Ibn'UmarreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,orderedthosewholeadprayerstobe'easy'
byrecitingas-SaIIat.ThereIore,asurahthelengthoIas-SaIIatispartoIwhattheProphet,uponwhom
bepeace,meantwhenhe saidthattheimamsshouldbeeasyonthepeople.
Eiqh1.142:SunnahactsoIprayer,RecitingaSpeciIicSurah
The Prophet, upon whom be peace, did not conIine his recitation oI the Qur'an in prayers to some
speciIicsurahs,(exceptIortheEridayand'Id prayers).Concerningtheotherprayers,AbuDawudhas
recordedahadithIrom'AmribnShu'aibIromhisIatherontheauthorityoIhisgrandIatherwhosaid,
"Thereisnoseparatesurah,largeorsmall,excepttheonesIheardtheProphetrecitewhileleadingthe
people in one oI the obligatory prayers. He used to recite the entire surah in two rak'ahs, or just the
initialpartoIthesurah.IthasnotbeenrecordedIromhimthathewouldreciteIromthemiddleorthe
end oI the surah, nor that he would recite two surahs inonerak'ahduringtheobligatoryprayers.He
would, however, do so during voluntary prayers. Said Ibn Mas'ud, "I know the surahs the Prophet
used to recite together in one rak'ah: ar-Rahman and an-Najm, al-Qamar and al-Haqqah, at-Tur and
azh-Zhariyat, al-Waqi'ah and Noon, and so on." But this hadith does not tell us iI this was during
obligatoryorvoluntaryprayers.Thelatterismoreprobable.Herarelyrecitedonesurahintwo(both)
rak'ahs.AbuDawudrecordsthatamanIromthetribeoIJuhainahheardtheProphet,uponwhombe
peace, recite the complete surah az-Zil~al twice in both rak'ahs oI the morning prayer. The man
commented,"IdonotknowiIhedidthisoutoIIorgetIulnessoriIherecitedittwiceintentionally."
Eiqh1.143:SunnahactsoIprayer,LengtheningtheEirstRak'ahoItheMorningPrayer
TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wouldmaketheIirstrak'ahoIthemorningprayerlongerthanthe
second.Attimes,hewouldcontinuetoprolonghisrecitationuntilheheardnomore Iootsteps(oIthe
people coming to catch the prayer). He made the morning prayer the longest oI his (obligatory)
prayers. This is because its recitation is witnessed by Allah and the angels. It is also stated that it is
witnessedbyboththeangelswhorecordthedaytimedeedsandthosewhorecordthenighttimedeeds.
WhetheritisAllahandHisangelsorHisangelsalonewhowitnessthattime,ordoesitcontinueuntil
the morning prayer is over or until the sun rises cannot be said with certainty, though both oI the
statementsarecorrect.
Eurthermore, since the morning prayer has the least number oI rak'ah, the recitation is prolonged to
compensateIorit.ItisprayedrightaItersleep.Assuch,peoplearewellrested.Also,itoccursbeIore
they have engaged themselves in their livelihood and other worldly aIIairs. The spirit as well as the
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body is responsive to the words oI Allah. This makes the recital easier to ponder over and
comprehend. Also, prayer is the basis and the Iirst oI all works. ThereIore, it is preIerred to prolong
the recital oI the morning prayer. This wouldberecognizedbyonewhoisIamiliarwithIslamiclaw
anditsaim,purposeandwisdom.
Eiqh1.144:SunnahactsoIprayer,HowTheProphetWouldRecitetheQur'an
Hewoulddrawouthisvoiceoverthelongvowels,pauseattheendoIeveryverse,andelongatehis
voicewiththerecital.ThisendsthesectionthathasbeentakenIromthewritingsoIIbnal-Qayyim.
Eiqh1.144a:SunnahactsoIprayer,WhatIsPreIerredtobeDoneDuring theRecitation
Itissunnahtomakeone'svoicebeautiIulandnicewhilerecitingtheQur'an.TheProphet,uponwhom
bepeace,said,"BeautiIyyourvoiceswiththeQur'an."Healsosaid,"HeisnotoneoIuswhodoesnot
chant the Qur'an," "The one with the best voice with the Qur'an is the one that when you hear him,
you Ieel that he Iears Allah," and "Allah never listened to anything like he listened to his Prophet
chantingtheQur'anwithabeautiIulvoice."
Saysan-Nawawi,"ItissunnahIoranyonewhoisrecitingtheQur'an,whetherheisprayingornot,to
ask Allah Ior His blessings when he comes to a verse oI mercy. When he comes to a verse
(describing)punishment,heshouldseekreIugeinAllahIromHellIire,punishment,evil,Iromwhatis
hated,or hemaysay,"Allah,IaskYouIorwell-being,etc."WhenhecomestoaversethatgloriIies
orexaltsAllah,heshouldsay,"GlorybetoAllah,"or"BlessedbeAllah,theLordoItheWorlds,"and
so on. HuzhaiIah ibn al-Yaman is reported to have said, "I prayed with the Prophet, upon whom be
peace,onenight,andhestartedreadingal-Baqarah.IsaidtomyselI,'HewillbowaIteronehundred
verses,' but he continued. Then I said, 'He will complete it and bow,' but he moved to recite very
slowlyal'Imranandthenan-Nisa'.WhenhecametoaversegloriIyingAllah,hewouldgloriIyHim.
IIhecametoaversethatmentionedarequest,hewouldrequestit.IIhecametosomethingthat(one
should)seekreIugeIrom,hewouldseekreIuge."ThiswasrelatedbyMuslim.AmongtheShaIiyyah,
thegloriIying,requestingandseekingreIugeshouldbedoneduringtheprayerandatothertimes.The
imam, Iollowers and one praying by himselI should all do so, Ior they are supplications that one
should say, like 'ameen. It is preIerred that when reading, "Is not Allah the most conclusive oI all
judges?" / at-Tin:8 / one should say, "Certainly, and I am one oI the witnesses to that. When one
reads, "Is not He (who does so) able to bring the dead to liIe? / al-Qiyamah:40 /, he should say,
"Certainly, and I bear witness (to it)." When one reads, "GloriIy the name oI your Lord, the Most
High," ( al-A'la: 1 ), he should say, "Glory to my Lord, the Most High." That should be said during
prayerandotherwise.
Eiqh1.145:Sunnahacts oIprayer,WhenThePrayeristobeAloudorSubdued
It is sunnah to recite aloudinthetworak'ahoIthemorningandtheEridaycongregationalprayer,in
theIirsttworak'ahoItheeveningandthenightprayer,inthetwo'idprayers,theprayerIoreclipses,
and the prayer oI asking Ior rain. The recital should be subdued during all oI the noon and the
aIternoon prayer, during the last rak'ah oI the evening prayer, and during the last two rak'ah oI the
night prayer. Concerning voluntary prayers, those made during the days should be subdued, while
thosemadeduringthenightcanbeeitherloudorsubdued.
Eiqh1.145a:SunnahactsoIprayer,Itisbesttobemoderateinone'srecital
Onenight,theProphet,uponwhombepeace,passedbyAbuBakrwhenhewasprayinginaverylow
voice, and he passed by 'Umar who was praying with his voice raised. (Later), when they were
togetherwithhim,hesaid,"OAbuBakr,Ipassedbyyouandyouwereprayinginaverylowvoice."
Hesaid,"OMessengeroIAllah,theonewhoIwasprayingtocouldhearme."Andhesaidto'Umar,
"O 'Umar, I passed by you and you were praying with a raised voice." He said, "O Messenger oI
Allah, thiswastostopthedrowsinessandtodriveawaySatan."TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,
said,"OAbuBakr,raiseyourvoicesomewhat.And'Umar,loweryourvoicesomewhat."(Relatedby
AbuDawudandAhmad.)IIoneIorgetsandrecitesaloudwhenheshouldbesilentorvice-versa,there
isnoblameuponhim.IIonerecallsthecorrectionwhilehe isdoingthemistakenact,hemaychange
tothecorrectway.
Eiqh1.146:SunnahactsoIprayer,RecitingBehindanImam
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One's prayer is not accepted unless al-Eatihah is recited in every rak'ah. But, one who is praying
behindanimamistokeepquietwhiletheimamisrecitingaloud,asAllahsaysintheQur'an,"When
theQur'anisrecited,listenandremainsilentthatyoumayattainmercy."TheProphet,uponwhombe
peace, also said, "When the imam makes the takbir, (you too) make the takbir. When he recites, be
silent." (Related by Muslim.) One hadith states, "Whoever is praying behind an imam, the imam's
recital is his recital. II the imam reads quietly, then all oI the Iollowers must also make their own
recital.IIonecannotheartheimam'srecital,hemustmakehisownrecital.
Commenting on this subject, Abu Bakr al-'Arabi says, "What we see as the strongest opinion is that
one must recite during the prayers in which the imam's recital is subdued. But, during the prayers
wheretheimamrecitesaloud, onemaynotrecite.ThisisbasedontheIollowingthreeprooIs:
-1- ThiswasthepracticeoIthepeopleoIMadinah,
-2- itistherulingoItheQur'an,asAllahsays,"WhentheQur'anisrecited,listenandremainsilent,"
and
-3- this is supported by two hadith: one Irom 'Imran ibn Hussain states, 'I know that some oI you
competewithme(inmyrecital...),'and'IIitisrecited,youshouldlisten.'Theprecedinghadithisthe
weightiest position according to the Iollowing argument: II one cannot recite along with the imam,
thenwhencanonerecite?IIonesays,'Whileheissilent,'thenwesay,'ItisnotnecessaryIorhimto
besilent,'7sohowcansomethingthatisobligatorybedependentonsomethingthatisnotobligatory?
ButwehaveIoundawayinwhichthepersonmay'recite'withtheimam,andthatistherecitationoI
the heart and oI concentrating on what is being recited. This is the method oI the Qur'an and the
hadith,andthewaytheworshiphasbeenpreserved.ItisalsopartoIIollowing thesunnah.Oneisto
actbywhatisthestrongest(opinion).ThiswasalsothechoiceoIaz-ZuhriandIbnal-Mubarak,andit
is a statement Irom Malik, Ahmad and Ishaq. Ibn Taimiyyah supports it and shows it to be the
strongestopinion.
Eiqh1.147:SunnahactsoIprayer,MakingtheTakbiruponMovingIromPositiontoPosition
It is sunnah to make the takbir upon every rising, lowering, standing or sitting, except when one
comesupIrombowing,inwhichcaseoneshouldsay,"AllahhearshimwhopraisesHim."Reported
IbnMas'ud,"IsawtheMessengeroIAllahmakethetakbiruponeverylowering,rising,standingand
sitting."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'iandat-Tirmizhi,whocalleditshaih.
Saysat-Tirmizhi,"ThecompanionsoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,includingAbuBakr,'Umar,
'Uthman,'Aliandothers,actedaccordingtothishadith,asdidtheirIollowersandthemajorityoIthe
jurists and scholars." Abu Bakr ibn 'Abdurahman ibn al-Harith reported that he heard Abu Hurairah
say, "When the Prophet, upon whom be peace, stood Ior prayer, he would make the takbir while
standing. Then he made the takbir while bowing. When coming up Irom the bowing, he would say,
"Sami'Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears him who praises Him). While standing, he would say,
"Rabbanalakal-hamd(OurLord,toYouisthepraise)."Thenhewouldsay,"Allahuakbar"whenhe
wouldgodownIortheprostration,whenheraisedhishead,andwhenhestoodIromhissittingaIter
thetwoprostrations.Hedidthatineveryrak'ahuntilheIinishedtheprayer.Heprayedinthatmanner
untilheleItthisworld."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,MuslimandAbuDawud.)
'IkrimahsaidtoIbn'Abbas,"Iprayedthenoonprayerinal-ButhabehindaIoolisholdman.Hewould
make twelve takbirs by saying it when he prostrated and when he raised his head." Ibn 'Abbas said,
"That is the prayer oI Abu al-Qasim (the Prophet)." (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari.) It is
preIerrabletostartthetakbirwhenonebeginsone'schangingoIposition.
Eiqh1.147a:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheManneroIBowing
Whenonebows,one'shandsmustreachone'sknees.ItissunnahtomaketheheightoItheheadequal
tothatoIthehips.ThehandsshouldbesupportedbythekneesandshouldbeapartIromone'ssides.
Thehandsshouldbeopenuponone'skneesandthighs,andthepalmsshouldbeIlat.Itisreportedthat
'Uqbahibn'Amrwouldbowwithhisarmsseparated,hishandsonhisknees,andhisIingersopened
beyondhisknees.Hesaid,"ThisishowIsawtheMessengeroIAllahpray."(RelatedbyAhmad,Abu
Dawudandan-Nasa'i.)
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AbuHumaidreportedthatwhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,bowed,hewouldbestraight,his
headneitherupnordown(withrespecttohiships),andhewouldplacehishandsonhiskneesasiIhe
washoldingthem."(Relatedbyan-Nasa'i.)
Muslim records 'Aishah reporting that when the Prophet bowed, his head would be neither risen nor
lowered, but rather between thosetwopositions.Said'Ali,"IIyouputacupoIwateronthebackoI
theProphet,uponwhombepeace,whilehewasbowing,itscontentswouldnotspill."Thisisrelated
byAhmad.AbuDawudrecordeditinhisKitabal-Muraseel.
SaidMus'abibnSa'd,"IprayednexttomyIather.IjoinedbothoImyhandsandputthembetweenmy
thighs (while bowing). He stopped me and said, 'We used to do that, but were later ordered (by the
Prophet)toputourhandsonourknees."'(Relatedby"thegroup.")
Eiqh1.148:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheRemembranceoIAllahDuringtheBowing
It is preIerred to remember Allah with the Iollowing words, "Subhana Rabiyy al-'Azheem (Glory to
my Lord, the Great.)" Reported 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr, "When 'GloriIy the name oI your Lord, the Great,'
wasrevealed,theProphettoldus,'Dosoinyourbowings."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudand
otherswithagoodchain.
ReportedHuzhaiIah,"IprayedwiththeMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,andwhilebowing
hewouldsay,'SubhanaRabiyyal-'Azheem."(RelatedbyMuslim,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,at-Tirmizhi
andIbnMajah.)
The phrase Subhana Rabiyy al-'Azheem wa bihamdihi has been related through a number oI chains,
but all oI them are weak. Ash-Shaukani maintains, "The diIIerent chains support each other. It is
perIectlyacceptableIoronewhoisprayingtolimithimselItoSubhanaRabiyyal-'Azheemortoadd
oneoItheIollowing:
-1- 'Ali reported that while bowing, the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, would say, "O
Allah,IorYouhaveIbowed,anditisYouthatIhavebelievedinandtoYouhaveIsubmitted. You
are my Lord. My hearing, sight, marrow, bones and nerves and what is carried by my Ieet are Ior
Allah,theLordoItheWorlds."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawudandothers.)
-2- 'Aishahreportedthatwhilebowingandprostrating,theMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
wouldsay,"GloriIiedandHolyareYou,LordoItheangelsandthesouls."
-3- Reported'AuIibnMalik,"IprayedwiththeMessengeroIAllahonenight.Herecitedal-Baqarah
and while bowing said, 'Glory be to the One oI Omnipotence, the Master oI the dominions, oI
grandeurandoIhonor."'(RelatedbyAbuDawud,at-Tirmizhiandan-Nasa'i.)
-4- 'AishahsaidthatwhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,bowedorprostrated,hewouldoItensay,
"Glory and praise be toYou,OAllah,ourLord.OAllah,Iorgiveme."Thiswashowheappliedthe
Qur'an.(RelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,Muslimandothers.)
Eiqh1.149:SunnahactsoIprayer,WhatIsSaidUponRisingEromBowingandStanding
ItispreIerredIortheonewhoispraying,whetherhe betheimam,IollowerorprayingbyhimselI,to
say, "Allah hears him who praises Him," upon coming up Irom the bowing. When he is standing
straight,heshouldsay,"OurLord,andtoYouisthepraise,"or"OAllah,OurLord,andtoYouisthe
praise." Abu Hurairah reported that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, rose Irom bowing he
would say, "Allah hears him who praises Him," and while standing (straight) he would say, "Our
Lord,andtoYouisthepraise."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-BukhariandMuslim.)
Al-BukharirecordsinthehadithIromAnas,"Whenhesays,'AllahhearshimwhopraisesHim,'you
say, 'O Allah, our Lord, and to You is the praise." Ahmad and others record a hadith Irom Abu
Hurairah in which the Prophet, upon whom be peace, is quoted as saying, "When the imam says,
'Allah hears him who praises Him,' you say, 'O Allah, our Lord, and to You is the praise.' II one's
statement corresponds to that oI the angels, all oI his previous sins will be Iorgiven." The Prophet
said,"Prayasyouhaveseen mepray."ThisappliestoalloIhisgloriIyingandpraisestatements,even
iI the person is Iollowing the imam. The answer to those who say, 'One should not combine both oI
thesesayings'('Allahhearshim...'and'OAllah,ourLord...')butonlysaythe oneoIpraise,hasbeen
givenbyan-Nawawiwhosaid,"OurcompanionssaythatthementioningoIthecommand,'Andyou
should say, O Allah, our Lord...' is in conjunction with 'Allah hears him who praises him.' But the
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,onlymentionedthestatement,'OAllah,OurLord,toyouisthepraise,'
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because they had already heard the statement, 'Allah hears him who praises Him' aloud Irom him. It
washissunnahtosaythatphrasealoud,buttheydidnothearhimsay,'OurLord,toYouis thepraise'
because he said it in a subdued voice. They knew the Prophet's words, 'Pray as you have seen me
pray,'andknewthatitwastobetakeninthegeneralsensewithoutanyrestrictions.Theyusedtosay,
'Allah hears him who praises Him,' and thereIore there was no need Ior the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, to order them to say it again. But they did not know, 'Our Lord, to You is the praise,' and
thereIoreheorderedthemtosayit."
The two phrases are the least that one should say while standing. But one may add any oI the
supplicatorywordsmentionedintheIollowinghadith:
-1- SaidRaIahibnRaIa',"OnedayweprayedbehindtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace.
WhenheraisedhisheadIrombowing,hesaid,'AllahhearshimwhopraisesHim,'andamanbehind
himsaid,'OurLord,toYouisthepraise,asmuchasitcanbeandasblessedasitcanbe.'Whenthe
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,Iinishedtheprayerhesaid,'Whosaidthatphraseearlier?'Amansaid,
'Idid,OMessengeroIAllah.'TheProphetsaid,'IsawmorethanthirtyangelschasingaIteryoutosee
whowouldrecorditIirst."'(RelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,MalikandAbuDawud.)
-2- 'Ali reported that when the Prophet raised his head Irom bowinghewouldsay,"Allahhearshim
whopraisesHim,andtoYouisthepraiseIillinguptheheavensandtheearth,whatisbetweenthem
andIillingupwhateverYouwishinadditiontothat."(RelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawudand
at-Tirmizhi.)
-3- 'Abdullah ibn Abu 'AuIa reported that when the Prophet raised his head Irom bowing he would
say,"OAllah,toYouisthepraiseIillinguptheskiesandtheearthandIillingupwhateverYouwish
in addition to that.OAllah,puriIymewithsnow,hailandcoldwater.OAllah,puriIymeIromsins
and cleanse me Irom them as one cleans a white garment Irom Iilth." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim,
AbuDawudandIbnMajah.)
-4- SaidAbuSa'eedal-Khudri,"WhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wouldsay,'Allahhearshim
whopraisesHim,'hewould(also)say,'OAllah,toYouisthepraiseIillinguptheskiesandtheearth,
andIillingupwhatYouwishinadditiontothat.YouaretheOnewhoisworthyoIpraiseandglory.
Thisisthemostcorrectstatementthataslavecouldmake.AndweareallslavesuntoYou.Thereis
no one who can prevent what You have given. And there is no one who can give what You have
prevented. No one can beneIit Irom Iortune (in the Iace oI) Your Iortune."' (Related by Muslim,
AhmadandAbuDawud.)
-5- It has also been authentically reported Irom the Prophet, upon whom be peace, that aIter saying
"Allah hears him who praises Him," he would say, "To my Lord is the praise, to my Lord is the
praise,"untilhewouldbestandingIoraslongashewasbowing.
Eiqh1.151:SunnahactsoIprayer,HowToProstrate
MostscholarspreIerthatoneplacehiskneesontheIloorbeIorehishands.Ibnal-Munzhirrelatedthis
Irom'Umaran-Nakha'i,MuslimibnYasar,SuIyanal-Thauri,Ahmad,Ishaqandotherjuristsincluding
Ibn al-Munzhir himselI. Abu at-Tayyeb said that most jurists agree with this. Ibn al-Qayyim said,
"WhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,prayed,hewouldplacehisknees(ontheIloor)beIorehis
hands,thenhishands,hisIoreheadandnose.ThisiswhatisauthenticandhasbeenrelatedbyShuraik
Irom 'Asim ibn Kaleeb on the authority oI his Iather Irom Wa'il ibn Hajr who said, 'I saw the
Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, while prostrating, placing his knees (on the Iloor) beIore
hishands.Upongettingup,hewouldraisehishandsbeIorehisknees.Ineversawhimdootherwise."
Malik,al-Auza'i,IbnHazmandAhmadmaintainthatitispreIerredtoplacethehandsdownIirstand
thentheknees.Saysal-Auza'i,"IsawthepeopleplacingtheirhandsontheIloorbeIoretheirknees."
IbnAbuDawudcomments,"ThatisthestatementoIthepeopleoIhadith."ThereisalsoadiIIerence
oI opinion concerning how one should stand up Irom the prostration aIter the Iirst (or third) rak'ah.
Some say one should raise the hands Irom the Iloor Iirst while others say that one should raise the
kneesIirst.
ItispreIerredIortheonewhoisprostratingtoIollowtheIollowingpoints:
Oneshouldplaceone'snose,IoreheadandhandsupontheIloor
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TheyshouldbeseparatedIromthesidesoIthebody.Wa'ilibnHajrreportedthatwhentheMessenger
oI Allah prostrated, he would place his Iorehead between his palms and separate his arms Irom the
sidesoIhisbody.(RelatedbyAbuDawud.)AbuHumaidreportedthatwhentheProphet,uponwhom
be peace, prostrated, he would place his nose and Iorehead upontheIloor,keephisarmsawayIrom
his sides, and place his hands parallel to his shoulders. This is related by Ibn Khuzaimah and at-
Tirmizhi,whocalledithassansahih.
Oneshouldplaceone'shandsparalleltoone'searsorshoulders
AsbothoItheseactshavebeenrelated.SomescholarscombinethesetwoactsbyplacingtheendsoI
thethumbsparalleltotheearsandthepalmsparalleltotheshoulders.
Oneshouldhaveone'sIingerstogetherandstretchedout
AlHakimandIbnHibbanrecordthatwhentheProphet,uponwhombepeace,bowedhewouldhave
hisIingersseparatedandwhenheprostratedhewouldkeephisIingerstogether.
Oneshouldhaveone'sIingersIacingtheqiblah
Al-Bukhari recorded IromAbu Humaid that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace,prostrated,his
Iingers would be neither spread out nor clasped together, and his toes would be directed toward the
qiblah.
Eiqh1.152:SunnahactsoIprayer,ThelengthoItimeoItheprostrationandwhatistobesaidtherein
It is preIerred Ior the one who is prostrating to say Subhana Rabiyy al-A'la (Glory to my Lord, the
MostHigh).'Uqbahibn'Aamrrelatedthatwhen,"GloriIythenameoIyourLord,theMostHigh"was
revealed, the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Do so in your prostrations." This is related by
Ahmad,AbuDawud,IbnMajahandal-Hakim.Itschainisgood.
HuzhaiIah reported that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prostrated, he would say"Subhana
Rabiyy al-A'la. " This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and at-
Tirmizhi,whocalledithassansahih.Itisamustthatonenotrepeatthesesayingslessthanthreetimes
during the bowings and prostrations. Says at-Tirmizhi, "The scholars preIer the one bowing or
prostrating to make the gloriIications at least three times." According to the majority, the minimum
thatissuIIicientIortheprostrationsorbowingsisonegloriIication.Wehavealreadymentionedthat
"calmness"isobligatory,andthisrequiresatimeoIatleastonegloriIication.
According to some scholars, the complete gloriIication is ten. This is based on the Iollowinghadith:
Sa'eed ibn Jubair related that Anas said,"IhavenotseenanyonebeingmoresimilartotheProphet's
prayer than thisboy ('Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz). We estimated the number oI the gloriIications that he
made during his bowing to be ten and in his prostrations also to be ten." This is related by Ahmad,
AbuDawudandan-Nasa'iwithagoodchain.
Commenting on the subject, ash-Shaukani says, "Some hold that this proves that the complete
(number oI) gloriIications is ten. The more sound opinion is that an individual who is praying may
oIIerasmanygloriIicationsashewishes.ThereareauthentichadiththatstatethattheProphet,upon
whom be peace, elongated his gloriIications during prostrations. The imam may also do so iI he
knowstheIollowerswillnotgettiredbymakingitlonger."
Says Ibn 'Abdul-Barr, "It is a must that every imam should be easy (by not making the prayers too
long)ashasbeenorderedbytheProphet,eveniIheknowsthatthosebehindhimarestrong,because
hedoesnotknowwhatmayhavehappenedtothemandwhatneedstheymayhavetotendto."
Ibnal-Mubarakmaintains,"ItispreIerredIortheimamtomakeIivegloriIications.ThereIore,allthe
people behind him would be able to make (at least) three. It is preIerred that one not limit his
remembranceduringtheprostrationstojustthegloriIications,butheshouldaddsomesupplicationsto
it.Inanauthentichadith,itisrecordedthattheProphetsaid,'TheclosestoneoIyoucomestohisLord
is while he is prostrating, (thereIore) make many supplications therein.' And he also said, 'I have
prohibitedyouIromrecitingwhilebowingorprostrating.Duringthebowing,gloriIytheLord.During
theprostrations,striveyourhardestinmakingsupplications.Mostlikely,youwillbelistenedto."This
wasrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
Manyhaditharerelatedonthistopic,including:
-1- 'AlireportedthatwhentheProphetprostratedhewouldsay,"OAllah,toYouhaveIprostrated,in
YouhaveIbelieved,andtoYouhaveIsubmitted.IhaveprostratedmyIacetotheOnewhocreated
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meandIormedmeinthebestoIIorms.HeistheOnewhogaveithearingandsight.BlessedbeAllah,
theBestoICreators."(RelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.)
-2- WhiledescribingtheProphet'slatenightprayers,Ibn'Abbassaid,"Thenhewouldgotoprayand
duringhisprayerorprostration,hewouldsay,'OAllah,placelightinmyheart,inmyhearing,inmy
sight, on my right,onmyleIt,inIrontoIme,behindme,aboveme,belowme,andmakemelight."
ReportedShu'bah,"Orhesaid,'AndmakeIormelight."(RelatedbyMuslim,Ahmadandothers.)
TalkingoIlight,an-Nawawiobserves,"ThescholarssaythataskingIorlightIorallorgansandsides
means(asking)tohavethetruthandguidancemadeclearIorone'sselI.HeaskedIorthissothatthere
wouldbenodeviationormisguidanceleItinhim."
-3- Reported'Aishah,"IoncenoticedtheProphetmissingIromhisplaceoIsleep.IIeltoverhisplace
with my hand and Iound him prostrating. He was saying, 'O Lord, give my soul God-consciousness
andpuriIyit,IorYouarethebestoIthosewhopuriIy.YouareitsGuardianandProtector."(Related
byAhmad.)
-4- Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say while prostrating, "O
Allah,IorgivealloImysins,thesmallandlarge,theIirstandlast,thepublicandprivate."(Relatedby
Muslim,AbuDawudandal-Hakim.)
-5- Reported'Aishah,"OnenightImissedtheProphetIromhisbed.IlookedIorhimandIoundhim
praying. He was prostrating, his Ieet were in an upright position and he was saying, 'O Allah, I seek
reIuge in Your pleasure Irom Your anger. I seek reIuge in Your granting oI well-being Irom Your
punishment. I seek reIuge in You Irom You. The praise cannot encompassYouandYouareasYou
havepraisedYourselI."(RelatedbyMuslim,AbuDawudandan-Nasa'i.)
-6- Shealsoreportedthatonenighthewasmissingandshesuspectedthathehadgonetoanotherone
oIhiswives.SheIoundhimwhilehewasbowingorprostrating,andhewassaying,"GlorybetoYou,
OAllah,andtoYoubepraise.ThereisnogodbesidesYou."Shesaid,"MaymyIatherandmotherbe
sacriIicedIoryou.Ithoughtyouweredoingsomethingandyouweredoingsomethingelse."(Related
byMuslim,Ahmadandan-Nasa'i.)
-7- While prostrating the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say, "O Allah, Iorgive me (those
things that I have been) mistaken in or ignorant, and the action that I have been extravagant in, Ior
You are more knowledgeable oI them than me. O Allah, Iorgive me my serious mistakes and my
jokingmistakes,mymistakes(thatIwasunawareoI)andoImyintentionalmistakes,andeverything
oIthatwhichIhavedone.OAllah,Iorgivememypastsinsandlatersinsandwhatwasprivateand
whatwaspublic.YouaremyGod,andthereisnogodexceptYou."
Eiqh1.154:SunnahactsoIprayer,SittingBetweentheTwoProstrations
Itissunnahtosit"spreadout"betweenthetwoprostrations(toputtheleItIootdownandtosituponit
andtokeeptherightIootuprightwiththetoespointingtowardtheqiblah).'Aishahreportedthatthe
Prophet would lay out his leIt Ioot and keep his right Ioot upright. (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.) Ibn 'Umar reported that it is Irom the sunnah to keep the right Ioot upright, with its toes
pointing toward the qiblah, and to sit upon the leIt Ioot. (Related by an-Nasa'i.) Reported NaIa',
"WhenIbn'Umarprayed,hewouldIacetheqiblah,evenhisshoes."(Reportedbyal-Athram.)Inthe
hadithoIAbuHumaid,inwhichhedescribedtheprayeroItheProphet,hestated,"Thenhewouldlay
downhisleItIootandsituponituntilalloIhisboneswereinplace,andthenhewouldgotomakethe
prostration(again)."(RelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,andat-TirmizhiwhoclassiIieditassahih.)
IthasalsobeenrelatedthatiIa'a(layingoutbothIeetandsittinguponone'sheels)isapreIerredact.
Comments Abu 'Ubaidah, "This is thestatementoIthepeopleoIhadith."Abuaz-Zubairrelatedthat
he heard Tawus say, "We asked Ibn 'Abbas about iIa'a, and he said, 'It is sunnah to do so.' We said,
'We think it to be too harsh Ior the man.' He said, 'It is a sunnah oI your Prophet, upon whom be
peace."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
Ibn 'Umar reported that when the Prophet rose Irom the Iirst prostration, he would sit upon his toes.
He used to say, "That is Irom the sunnah." Reported Tawus, "I saw the 'Abdullahs ('Abdullah ibn
'Abbas,'Abdullahibn'Umarand'Abdullahibnaz-Zubair)sittingwiththeirIeetlaidIlat."Thelasttwo
reportswererelatedbyal-Baihaqi.TalkingoIitsauthenticity,IbnHajrsays,"Itschainissound."
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Concerningiqa'a--sittingwiththebuttocksonthegroundandwiththethighsstraightontheground--it
isdislikedbyallscholars.SaidAbuHurairah,"TheProphetprohibitedusIromthreethings:pecking
like a rooster (making the prostration very quickly), sitting like a dog (iqa 'a), and not turning one's
wholeheadlikeaIox."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Baihaqi,at-TabaraniandAbuTalawithahassan
chain.ItispreIerredIortheonewhoissittingbetweenthetwoprostrationstoputhisrighthandonhis
right thigh and his leIt hand on his leIt thigh with the Iingers stretched out and directed toward the
qiblah.TheIingersshouldbeslightlyseparatedandshouldnotgobeyondtheknees.
Eiqh1.156:SunnahactsoIprayer,SupplicationsBetweentheTwoProstrations
It is preIerred to make one oI the Iollowing supplications between the two prostrations. One may
repeatthemmorethanonceiIonewishestodoso.An-Nasa'iandIbnMajahrecordedthatHuzhaiIah
reportedthatbetweenthetwoprostrations,theProphetwouldsay,"OLord,Iorgiveme."AbuDawud
recorded Irom Ibn 'Abbas that while prostrating, the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say, "O
Allah,Iorgiveme,havemercyonme,grantmewell-being,guidemeandprovideIorme."
Eiqh1.156a:SunnahactsoIprayer,TheSittingoI"Rest"
This reIers to a quick sitting that one makes aIter the secondprostrationoItheIirstandthirdrak'ah.
The scholars diIIer over this regulation due to the diIIering hadith. Says Ibn al-Qayyim, "The jurists
diIIeroverthisact.IsitasunnahoItheprayerthatoneshouldperIorm,orisitonlydoneduetosome
necessity?TherearetwostatementsonthisquestionandtwonarrationsIromAhmad.Saidal-Khallal,
'Ahmad reIerred to the hadith oI Malik ibn al-Huwairith regarding the intermediate position oI rest
(betweenthetwoprostrations).Hesaid,'YusuIibnMusainIormedmethatAbuUmamahwasasked
aboutstandingup(intheprayer)andhesaid,'ItshouldbedoneonthetopsoItheIeetaccordingtothe
hadithoIRaIa'.'InthehadithoIIbn'AjlanthereisnoprooIthathewouldstandonthetipsoIhisIeet.
Many oI the companions and others who described the prayers oI the Prophet did not mention this
sitting, except in what is related by Abu Humaid and Malik ibn al-Huwairith. II it was part oI his
guidance,hewouldalwaysdoit,andthosewhodescribedhisprayerswouldhavementionedit.
The Iact that he may have done so does not necessarily make it one oI the sunnahs oI the prayer,
unless he did it asaregularpracticeIorthepeopletoIollow.Otherwise,hemayhavedoneitoutoI
someneedtodoso,andthiswouldnotprovethatitisasunnahoItheprayer.~"
Eiqh1.157:SunnahactsoIprayer,SittingIorTashahud
OneshouldsitIorthetashahudandplacehishandsintheIollowingmanner:
-1- Ibn'UmarreportedthatwhentheProphetsatIorthetashahud,hewouldplacehisleIthandonhis
leItkneeandhisrighthanduponhisrightknee,andhewouldIormaringlike(IiIty-three)andpoint
withhisindexIinger.Inanothernarrationitisreported,"Hewouldclosehishandandpointwithhis
indexIinger."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
-2- Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that the Prophet would place his leIt palm on his leIt thighandknee.He
would place the end oI his right elbow upon his right thigh and would then close his right hand,
Iorming a circle. In another narration it states, "He would make a circle with his middle Iinger and
thumbandpointwithhisindexIinger.ThenhewouldraisehisIinger,and(Wa'il)sawhimmovingit
tomakesupplications."(RelatedbyAhmad.)Explainingthehadith,al-Baihaqisays,"Theimplication
oI'hewouldmoveit'isthathewouldpointwithit,notthathewouldcontinuetomoveit."Thiswould
beinagreementwiththenarrationoIIbnaz-Zubairwhoreported,"TheProphetwouldpointwithhis
Iinger while supplicating, and he would not move it." This is related by Abu Dawud with a sahih
chain.An-Nawawialsomentionedit.
-3- Reportedaz-Zubair,"WhentheProphetsatIortashahud,hewouldplacehisrighthandon hisright
thigh and his leIt hand on his leIt thigh. He would point with his middle Iinger, and would not look
beyond his pointing." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim and anNasa'i.) This hadith shows that one is to
place the right hand on the right thigh withoutclosingthehand(makingaIist),andthatheisnotto
lookbeyondhispointing.
Theprecedingthreehadithareallauthentic,andonemayactbyanyoIthem.
Oneshouldpointwithone'srightindexIinger,bendingitalittle,untilonesaysthesalaamsattheend
oItheprayer.ReportedNumairal-Khaza'i,"IsawtheMessengeroIAllahsittingintheprayerwithhis
Iorearm along his right thigh. His index Iinger was raised, curved (or bent) a little, and he was
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supplicating."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajahandIbnKhuzaimahwitha
goodchain.
Said Anas ibn Malik, "The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, passed by Sa'd while he was
makingsupplications(andusing)twoIingers.TheProphetsaidtohim,'Justone,Sa'd"'Thisisrelated
byAhmed,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'iandal-Hakim.
Ibn'AbbaswasaskedaboutamanwhopointedwithhisIingerwhilesupplicating,andhesaid,"This
issinceredevotion."SaysAnasibnMalik,"Thatisimploring."Mujahidmaintains"Doingthishinders
Satan."AccordingtotheShai'iyyah,onepointswiththeIingeronlyonce,whensaying"exceptAllah"
in the statement bearing witness. The HaniIiyyah raise the Iinger in the denial part oI the statement
(there is no god) and put it back down during the conIirmation part (except Allah). The Malikiyyah
movetheIingertotheleItandrightuntiltheyIinishtheprayer.TheHanbaliyyahpointwiththeIinger
everytimetheymentionAllah,asareIlectionoItheonenessoIAllah,andtheydonotmoveit.
Eiqh1.158:SunnahactsoIprayer,SittingIortheEirstandSecondTashahud
WhenAbuHumaiddescribedtheprayeroItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,hesaid,"Whenhesat
aItertworak'ah,hewouldsituponhisleItlegandkeephisrightIootupright.Whenhe satIorthelast
rak'ah,hewouldpulloverhisleItIootandputhisrightIootupright(overtheleItIoot)andsitupon
hisentireposterior."(Relatedbyal-Bukhari.)
MostscholarssaythattheIirsttashahudissunnah
ThisisbasedonthehadithoI'AbdullahibnBuhainahwhoreportedthatoncetheProphetstoodduring
the noon prayer when he should have sat ( Ior the Iirst tashahud). When he Iinished the prayer, he
madetwoprostrations.HemadeatakbirIoreachprostration(anditwas)whilehewassittingbeIore
he made the tasleem. He made those two prostrations because he had Iorgotten to sit (Ior the Iirst
tashahud).(Relatedby"thegroup.")
In Subul as-Salaam, it is stated that this hadith proves that one who Iorgets the Iirst tashah ud must
make the prostrations oI IorgetIulness. The Prophet is, however, reported to have said, "Pray as you
haveseenmepray."ThiswouldpointtotheIirsttashahudbeingobligatory,andonewouldhavetodo
someacttomakeupIorit.But,thisalsoprovesthatitisnotobligatory,IoriIonemissesanactthatis
obligatory,thetwoprostrationsoIIoregetIulnessarenotsuIIicienttomakeupIorit.ThatiswhatIbn
HajrsaysinEathal-Bari.
SaysIbnBatal,"TheprooIisthatthetwoprostrationsduetoIorgetIulnesscannotreplacesomething
thatisobligatory.IIoneIorgetstheopeningtakbir,theywillnotreplaceit.InthecaseoIthetashahud,
it is a remembrance that is not said aloud and it is not obligatory." Some say otherwise, because the
Prophet used to perIorm it and, as such, he let others Iollow him in perIorming it aIter he Iound out
that they were leaving it intentionally. But there is some doubt about this argument. Those who say
that it is obligatory include al-Laith Ibn Sa'd, Ishaq, ash-ShaI'i and the HanaIiyyah. At-Tabari argues
that it is obligatory because originally only two rak'ah and the tashahud were obligatory. When they
weremadelonger,theoriginalobligationswerenotdoneawaywith.ThereIore,itisstillobligatory.
ItispreIerredtomaketheIirsttashahudquickly
ReportedIbnMas'ud,"WhentheProphetsataItertheIirsttworak'ah,itseemedasiIhewas(sitting)
on hot stones." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmizhi and Ibn Majah. At-
Tirmizhigradesitashassanandsays,'Ubaidah(ibn'AbdullahibnMas'ud)didnothear(hadith)Irom
hisIather.Healsosays,"Thescholarsactaccordingtothishadith.TheypreIerthatoneshouldnotsit
toolongaItertheIirsttworak'ah,andthatheshouldnotaddanythingtothetashahud."
SaysIbnal-Qayyim,"ItisnotreportedIromtheProphetthathewouldsayprayersuponhimselIorhis
IamilyduringtheIirsttashahud.NorwouldheseekreIugeIromthetormentoIthegraveortheHell-
Iire, or Irom the test oI liIe, death and oI the Ialse Messiah. Those who say such supplications are
deducing their arguments Irom the general application (oI the supplications and the word tashahud),
butthecorrectpositionisthattheirproperplaceisinthelasttashahud.
Eiqh1.160:SunnahactsoIprayer,PrayersupontheProphet,UponWhomBePeace
In the last tashahud, it is preIerred Ior the person to say prayers upon the Prophet in one oI the
Iollowingmanners:
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-1- ReportedMas'udal-Badri,"BasheeribnSa'dsaid,'OMessengeroIAllah,wehavebeenorderedto
make prayers upon you. How are we to do it?' The Prophet was quiet and then said, 'Say, O Allah,
shower blessings upon Muhammad and upon the Iamily oI Muhammad as you showered blessings
upontheIamilyoIAbraham.AndgrantIavorstoMuhammadandtotheIamilyoIMuhammadasyou
granted Iavors to the Iamily oI Abraham in this world. You arethePraiseworthyandGlorious.'And
makethesalutationsasIhavetaughtyou."(RelatedbyMuslimandAhmad.)
-2- Reported Ka'b ibn 'Ajazah, "We said, 'O Messenger oI Allah, show us how we are to make
salutations and prayers upon you.' He said, 'Say, O Allah, shower blessings upon Muhammad and
upontheIamilyoIMuhammadasyouhaveshoweredblessingsupontheIamilyoIAbraham.Youare
thePraiseworthy,theGlorious.OAllah.grantIavorstoMuhammadandtheIamilyoIMuhammadas
yougrantedIavorstotheIamilyoIAbraham.''
ThesalutationsupontheProphet,uponwhombepeace,isapreIerredactandisnotobligatory.This
contentionisbasedonahadithrecordedbyat-Tirmizhi(whosaiditissahih),AhmadandAbuDawud
Irom Eizhalah ibn 'Ubaid who said, "The Messenger oI Allah heard amansupplicatinginhisprayer
andhedidnotmaketheprayersontheProphet.TheProphetsaid,'Hehashastened.'
Then he called him and said, 'When one oI you prays, begin with the praise and lauding oI Allah.
Then make prayers upon the Prophet, and supplicate whatever you wish oIAllah."TheauthoroIal-
Muntaqisays,"ThisisaprooIIorthosewhosaythattheprayersupontheProphetarenotobligatory,
because he did not order the one who did not do it to repeat his prayer. This is supported by his
statementtoIbnMas'ud,aItermentioning(only)thetashahud,'Thenchoosewhateveryouwishtoask
(oI Allah)." In his comments on this hadith, ash-Shaukani observes, "In my opinion, there is no
conIirmedprooIthatitisobligatory."
Eiqh1.161:SunnahactsoIprayer,SupplicationsAItertheLastTashahudandBeIoretheTasleem
It is preIerred Ior the person to supplicate aIter the Iinal tashahud and beIore making the Iinal
salutations (that end the prayer). The person may ask Ior whatever he wishes oIthegoodoIthisliIe
andthehereaIter.IbnMas'udreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,taughthimthetashahud
andthensaid,"Thenchoosewhateveryouwishtoask(oIAllah)."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
SupplicationsarepreIerredactsingeneral,regardlessoIwhethertheyarereportedIromtheProphetor
not,althoughsupplicationsauthenticatedbythesunnaharebetter.SomeoItheseare:
-1- AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said,"WhenoneoIyou
IinishestheIinaltashahud,heshouldsay,'OAllah,IseekreIugeinYouIromthetormentoItheHell-
Iireandthegrave,IromthetrialsoIliIeanddeath,andIromthetrialsoItheIalseMessiah."(Related
byMuslim.)
-2- 'Aishah reported that the Messenger oI Allah would supplicate in his prayer, "O Allah, I seek
reIuge in You Irom the tormentoIthegrave,IromthetrialsoItheanti-Christ,andIromthetrialsoI
liIeanddeath.Allah,IseekreIugeinYouIromsinanddebt."(RelatedbyMuslimandal-Bukhari.)
-3- 'AlireportedthatwhentheProphetprayed,thelastthinghewouldsaybetweenthetashahudand
thetasleemwas,"OAllah,Iorgivemypastandlatersins,whatwasinprivateandwhatwasinpublic,
andwhatIhavebeenextravagantin.YouaremoreknowledgeableoIitthanI.YouarethePromoter
andtheRetarder.ThereisnogodexceptYou."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
-4- 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that Abu Bakr said to the Messenger oI Allah, "Teach me a
supplication that I may use in my prayers." He told him, "Say, O Allah, I have wronged my soul a
great wrong and no one Iorgives sins except You, so Iorgive me with such Iorgiveness that only
comes Irom You and have mercy on me. Verily, You are the OIt-Eorgiving, the OIt-MercIul."
(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
-5- Hanzhalah ibn 'Ali said that Muhjan ibn al-Adra' related to him that the Prophet entered the
mosque while a man was just about to Iinish his prayer. The latter made the tashahud and said, "O
Allah,IamaskingYou,OAllah,theOne,theOnly,theAbsolute,whobegetsnorisbegotten,noris
anyonelikeHim,toIorgivemysins,IorYouaretheEorgiving,theMerciIul."TheProphetthensaid
threetimes,"HehasbeenIorgiven."(RelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.)
-6- Shaddad ibn Aus reported that during his prayer, the Prophet would say, "O Allah, I ask You to
conIirmmeintheaIIairs,tokeepmeonthecorrectpath,tomakemethankIulIoryourblessingsand
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excellentinYourworship.OAllah,IaskYouIoratranquilheartandtruthIultongue.OAllah,Iask
YouIorthegoodoIwhatYouknow,andIseekreIugeinYouIromtheeviloIwhichyouareaware,
andIaskYourIorgivenessIromwhatYouknow."(Relatedbyan-Nasa'i.)
-7- Said Abu Mijlaz,"'AmmaribnYasarledusintheprayerandhemadeitveryshort.Thepeople
blamed him Ior that and he told them, 'Did I not complete my bowings and prostrations ... and didI
notsupplicatethereinwhattheProphetusedtosupplicate,saying,'OAllahbyYourknowledgeoIthe
unseen and Your power over thecreation,letmeliveiIYouknowthatlivingisbestIorme,andlet
medieiIYouknowthat dyingisbetterIorme.IaskYou(toIorgiveme)IorIearoIYouinwhatis
not seen and what is seen, to make my speech truthIul whileangryorpleased,andtohavethesame
aim inpovertyandriches.GrantmethepleasureoIlookingtoYourIaceandoI thelongingtomeet
You.IseekreIugeinYouIromaharmIullossandIromthetrialsoIamisguider.OAllah,embellish
mewiththebeautyoIIaith,andmakeusoItheguidedoItheguiders."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadand
an-Nasa'iwithagoodchain.
-8- AbuSalehrelatedIromoneoIthecompanionsthattheProphetsaidtoaman,"Whatdoyousayin
your prayer?" He said, "I say the tashahud and then I say, 'O Allah, I ask oI you Paradise and seek
reIuge in You Irom Hell-Iire.' But I cannot murmer as good as you or Mu'azh (as eloquent as you
are)."TheProphetsaid,"WeaskconcerningParadiseandtheHell-Iire."(RelatedbyAhmadandAbu
Dawud.)
-9- IbnMas'udreportedthattheProphettaughthimtosaythissupplication:"OAllah,bringourhearts
togetherandmakeourrelationsgood.GuideustothepathsoIpeaceandbringusoutoIthedarkness
and into the light. Keep us away Irom lewdness, both hidden and open. O Allah, bless us in our
hearing and our sight, in our hearts, our wives and our oIIspring. Turn unto us, Ior You are theOIt-
Turning,theOIt-MerciIul.MakeusthankIulIorYourblessingsandcompleteituponus."(Relatedby
AhmadandAbuDawud.)
-10- Said Anas, "We were sitting with the Prophet and a man stood up andprayed.Whenhebowed
and madethetashahud,hewouldsupplicate,'OAllah,IaskoIYou,IortoYouisthepraise.Thereis
nogodexceptYou,theGiverwithoutquestion,theCreatoroItheheavensandtheearth.OSublime
andHonorableOne,OLivingandSustainingOne,IaskoIYou.'TheProphetsaidtohiscompanions,
'Doyouknowwhohemadehissupplicationwith?'Theysaid,'AllahandHisMessengerknowbest.'
He said, 'By the One in whose hand is the soul oI Muhammad, he supplicated Allah by His greatest
name.IIonesupplicatesbythatname,itwillbelistenedto.IIheasksbyit,itwillbegiven."(Related
byan-Nasa'i.)
-11- 'UmairibnSa'dsaid,"IbnMas'udusedtoteachusthetashahudoItheprayerandthenhewould
say,'WhenoneoIyouIinishesthetashahud,heshouldsay:OAllah,IaskyouIorallgood,thatwhich
I am aware oI and that which I am not. IseekreIugeinYouIromallevil,thatwhichIamawareoI
andthatwhichIamnot.OAllah,IaskyouIorthegoodthatyourdevotedservantsaskedIor.Iseek
reIugeinYouIromallevil,thatwhichIamawareoIandthatwhichIamnot.OAllah,IaskyouIor
the good that your devoted servants asked Ior. I seek reIuge in You Irom the evil that your devoted
servantssoughtreIugeIor.OurLord,giveusthegoodoIthisliIeandthegoodoItheHereaIter.'He
said, 'No prophet or righteous person supplicated Ior anything except that it is contained therein."
(RelatedbyIbnAbuShaibahandSa'eedibnMansur.)
Eiqh1.164:SunnahactsoIprayer,WordsoIRemembrance andSupplicationsAItertheTasleem
It is sunnah Ior the person to use a number oI words oI remembrance and supplications which have
beenrelatedIromtheProphet.ThemanyreportsincludetheIollowing:
-1- ReportedThauban,"WhentheProphetwouldIinishhisprayer,hewouldseekAllah'sIorgiveness
three times and then say, 'O Allah, You are the peace, and Irom You is peace. You are Iilled with
good,OSublimeandHonorableOne."Thisisrelatedby"thegroup,"exceptIoral-Bukhari.Muslim
hastheaddition,"Waleedsaid,'Iaskedal-Auza'i,'HowdidheseekAllah'sIorgiveness?'Hesaid,'By
saying,'IseekAllah'sIorgiveness,IseekAllah'sIorgiveness,IseekAllah'sIorgiveness."
-2- OnedaytheProphettookMu'azhibnJabal'shandandsaidtohim,"OMu'azh,Iloveyou."Mu'azh
responded, "May my Iather and mother be sacriIiced Ior you, O Messenger oI Allah, I love you."
Then the Prophet said, "I advise you, O Mu'azh, say at the end oI every prayer, 'O Allah, aid me in
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Your remembrance, Your thanks, and in perIecting Your worship." This is related by Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim, who said it is sahih according to al-
Bukhari'sandMuslim'scriterion.AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace, said, "Do you strive your utmost in making a supplication? Then say, 'O Allah, aid us in
makingYourremembrance,ingivingYouthanksandinperIectingYourworship."
-3- Reported 'Abdullah ibn Zubair, "When the Prophet made thetasleemattheend oItheprayer,he
would say, 'There is no god but Allah the One. There is no partner with Him, to Him belongs the
sovereigntyandtoHimisthepraise.Hehaspoweroverallthings.
There is no might or power save with Allah. We do not worship any but Him. To Him belongs the
Iortune,thegraceandthebestpraise.ThereisnogodexceptAllah,andreligionissincerelyIorHim
eveniIthedisbelieversabhorit."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-BukhariandMuslim.)
-4- Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reported that the Prophet would say at the end oI every obligatory
prayer,"ThereisnogodexceptAllah,theOne.ThereisnopartnerwithHim.ToHimisthedominion
and the praise. He has power over all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You have conIerred,
nor can one conIer what You have withheld. A Iortune does not beneIit its owner against You."
(RelatedbyAhmad,al-BukhariandMuslim.)
-5- Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet said, "Eor whoever recites the verse oI the throne al-
Baqarah:244 at the end oI every prayer, nothing will prevent him Irom entering Paradise except that
(hemust)die(Iirst)."(Relatedbyan-Nasa'iandat-Tabarani.)
'AlireportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said,"WhoeverrecitestheverseoIthethroneat
the end (aIter) oI every obligatory prayer will be in Allah's protection until the next prayer." This is
relatedbyat-Tabaraniwithahassanchain.
-6- AbuHurairahrelatedthattheProphetsaid,"WhoevergloriIiesAllahaItereveryprayerthirty-three
times, and praises Allah thirty-three times and extols Allah's greatness thirty-three times and then
says, 'There is no godexceptAllah,theOne.ThereisnopartnerwithHim.Hisisthedominionand
Hisisthepraise,andHehaspoweroverallthings,'isIorgiven,eveniIhissins areasabundantasthe
IoamoIthesea."(RelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,MuslimandAbuDawud.)
-7- Ka'b ibn 'Ajrah related that the Prophet said, "There are certain statements which, iI one were to
utter or observe them at the end oI every obligatory prayer, one would not be dismayed. (They are)
gloriIyingAllahthirty-threetimes,praisingAllahthirty-threetimesandextollingHisgreatnessthirty-
Iourtimes."(RelatedbyMuslim.)
-8- SumayyreportedIromAbuSalehontheauthorityoIAbuHurairahthatthepooremigrantswentto
theMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,andsaid,"Thewealthyhavegottenthehighranksand
everlasting bounties." The Prophet said, "Why is that?" They said, "They pray as we pray and they
IastasweIast.(But)theygiveincharityandwedonotgiveincharity.TheyIreetheslavesandwedo
not Iree the slaves." The Messenger oI Allah told them, "Shall I teach you something by which you
may overtake those who surpass you, by which you will surpass those who will comeaIteryou,and
nonewillthenbebetterthanyouexceptiIhedoeswhatyoudo?"Theysaid,"Certainly,OMessenger
oIAllah."Hetoldthem,"GloriIyAllahthirty-threetimes,praiseHimthirtythreetimes,andextolHis
greatnessthirty-Iourtimes."SoIreturnedtoAbuSalehandtoldhimwhattheyhadsaid.Hetookmy
handandsaid,"Allahuakbar,subhaanAllah,al-hamdulillah,Allahuakbar,subhaanAllah,al-hamdu
lillah..."untilalloIthemreachedthirty-three."(Relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.)
-9- The Prophet would say each oI the Iollowing twenty-Iive times: Subhaan Allah, al-hamdu lillah,
AllahuakbarandLailahaillaAllah,waashaduannalashareekalahu.Lahual-mulkwalahual-hamd
wahuwa'alakullishaianqadeer(ThereisnogodexceptAllah,theOne.Hehasnopartner.Hisisthe
dominion,Hisisthepraise,andHehaspoweroverallthings.)
-10- 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "There are two
characteristics which, iI one observes them, will cause him to enter Paradise. They are very easy
actions, but very Iew perIorm them." The people said, "What are they, O Messenger oI Allah?" He
said, "To praise Allah, extol His greatness and gloriIy Him at the end oI every obligatory prayer ten
times each. When one goes to bed, he should gloriIy Allah, praise Him and extol His greatness one
hundredtimeseach.Thoseare,intotal,only250actionsoIthetongue,yettheyareequalto2500on
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the scale. Does any oI you commit 2500 sins during one day and night?" They asked, "How come
those easy actions are perIormed by so Iew?" He said, "Satan comes to one during his prayer and
remindshimoIsuchandsuchneed,andheIailstosaythe(above).Hecomestohiminhisbedand
makes him sleep so that he can not say them." 'Abdullah said, "I have seen the Messenger oI Allah
counting them on his Iingers.'' This is related by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan
sahih.)
-11- ItisrelatedIrom'AlithatheandEatimahwereseekingaservanttomaketheirworkeasier.The
ProphetreIusedandsaidtoher,"ShallItellyouoIsomethingbetterthanwhatyouhaveaskedIor?"
They said, "Certainly." He said, "These are words that were taught to me by Gabriel, peace be upon
him.GloriIyAllahattheendoIeveryprayer tentimes,praiseHimtentimesandextolHisgreatness
ten times. When you go to bed, gloriIy Allah thirty-three times, praise Him thirty-three times and
extol His greatness thirty-Iour times." Said 'Ali, "By Allah, I never neglected to do what the
MessengeroIAllahtaughtus."
-12- 'AbdurahmanibnGhanimreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid,"Whoeversays,'Thereisno
godbutAllah,theOne.ThereisnopartnerwithHim.HisisthedominonandHisisthepraise.Inhis
hand is all the good. He gives liIe and death, and He has power over all things,' ten times aIter the
sunrise and dawn prayer, beIore turning away and liIting his leg, will have written Ior him Ior each
repetition ten good deeds, and will have erased Ior him ten evil deeds. He will also be raised ten
degress,willbeprotectedIromeveryplot,andhewillbeprotectedIromtheoutcastSatan.Nosinwill
leadtohisdestructionexceptidolatry,andhewillbethepersonwiththebestdeeds,surpassedonlyby
the one who does more and says more than what he has said." This is related by Ahmad and at-
Tirmizhi,butwithout"InHishandisallthegood."
-13- Muslim ibn al-Harith reported that his Iather said, "The Messenger oI Allah said to me, 'When
youpraythemorningprayer,beIoreyou talktoanyonesay,'OAllah,IseekyourprotectionIromthe
Hell-Iire' seven times. II you should die on that day, Allah will record Ior you protection Irom the
Hell-Iire. When you pray the sunset prayer,saybeIoreyouspeaktoanyone,'OAllah,IaskParadise
oIYou.OAllah,IseekYourprotectionIromtheHell-Iire'seventimes.IIyoudieduringthatnight,
AllahwillrecordIoryouprotectionIromtheHell-Iire."(RelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.)
-14- Al-Bukhariandat-TirmizhirelatedthatSa'dibnAbuWaqqasusedtoteachtheIollowingwords
tohischildren,"TheMessengeroIAllahwouldseekreIugeattheendoIeveryprayer(bysaying),'O
Allah, I seek reIuge in you Irom cowardice. I seek reIuge in You Irom miserliness, I seek reIuge in
You Irom senility, and I seek reIuge in You Irom the trials oI this world, and I seek reIuge in You
IromthetormentoIthegrave."
-15- Abu Hatim related that the Prophet would say, upon Iinishing his prayers, "O Allah, make my
religion,whichencompassesalloI myaIIairs,good.OAllah,makethisworldoImineinwhichIlive
good.OAllah,IseekreIugeinYourpleasureIromYouranger.IseekreIugeinYourpardoningIrom
yourvengeance.IseekreIugeinYouIromYou.NonecanwithholdwhatYouhaveconIerred,noone
can conIer what You have withheld. No possesser oI Iortune can beneIit Irom his Iortune against
you."
-16- Abu Dawud and al-Hakim recorded that at the end oI every prayer the Prophet would say, "O
Allah,givemewell-beinginmybody.OAllah,givemewell-beinginmyhearing.OAllah,giveme
well-being in my seeing. O Allah, I seek reIuge in You Irom disbelieI and poverty. O Allah, I seek
reIugeinYouIromthetormentoIthegrave.ThereisnogodbutYou."
-17- Ahmad,AbuDawudandan-Nasa'irecorded,withachaincontainingDawudat-TaIawiwhoisa
weak narrator, Irom Zaid ibn Arqam that the Prophet would say at the end oI his prayers, "O Allah,
ourLord,LordoIeverything.IbearwitnessthatYouaretheLord,YouareOne,Youhavenopartner.
O Allah, Our Lord, Lord oI everything. I bear witness that Muhammad is Your servant and
Messenger.OAllah,ourLord,theLordoIeverything.IbearwitnessthatalloIyourworshippersare
brethren.OAllah,ourLord,LordoIeverything.MakemeandmyIamilysinceretoyouduringevery
momentoIthisliIeandtheHereaIter.OSublimeandHonorableOne,listenandrespond.Allahisthe
greatest oI the greatest, the light oI the heavens and the earth. Allah is the greatest oI the greatest,
AllahissuIIicientIormeandHeisthemostblessedguardian.AllahisthegreatestoIthegreatest.''
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-18- Ahmad, Ibn Shaibah and Ibn Majah recorded, with a chain that contains an unknown narrator,
IromUmmSalamah,thattheProphetwouldsayaIterthetasleemoIthemorningprayer,"OAllah,I
askoIYoubeneIicialknowledge,suIIicientprovisions,andacceptabledeeds."
Eiqh2.1:TheirSigniIicance,SupererogatoryPrayers
At-tatawwu', or nawaIil or supererogatory prayers, have been legislated to make up Ior any
deIiciencies leIt in the perIormance oI Iard salah (obligatory prayers). In salah, there are virtues that
are not Iound in any other Iorm oI worship. Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallamsaid:"TheIirstthingthatthepeoplewillbecalledtoaccountIorontheDayoIResurrection
willbetheprayers.OurLordwillsaytotheangelsalthoughHeknowsbetter:'LookintothesalahoI
my servant to see iI he observed it perIectly or been negligent in it. So iI he observed it perIectly it
willberecordedtohiscredit,butiIhehadbeennegligentinitinanyway,Allahwouldsay:SeeiIMy
servant has any supererogatory prayers. Then iI he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say:
MakeupthedeIiciencyinMyservant'sobligatory prayerwithhissupererogatoryprayers.'ThereaIter
allhisactionswillbeexaminedinlikemanner"(AbuDawud).
Abu Umamah narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Allah does not listen to
anything Irom His slave as He does tothetworak'at(oIprayer)thatheoIIers.Mercydescendsover
the servant's head as long as he remains in prayer" (Ahmad and at-Tirmizhi). As-Sayuti grades it
sahih. In al-Muwatta', Malik says: "It has reached me that the Prophet said: '(Try to) keep to the
straightpathalthoughyouwon'tbeabletodosocompletely;andknowthatthebestoIyourdeedsis
thesalah,andonlya(true)believerpreserveshiswudu.'"MuslimrecordsIromRabi'ahibnMalikal-
AslamithattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Ask(anything)."Rabi'ahsaid:"IaskoIyouto
beyourcompanioninparadise."TheProphetsaid:"Oranythingelse?"Rabi'ahsaid:"Thatisit."The
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said to him: "Then help me by making many prostrations (i.e.,
supererogatoryprayers)."
Eiqh2.2:OIIeringSupererogatoryPrayersinOne'sHouse
Ahmad and Muslim relate Irom Jabir that the Messenger oI Allah said: "II one oI you oIIers his
prayers in the Mosque then he should make a portion oI hisprayersinhishouse,asAllah hasmade
hisprayersinhishouseameansoIbetterment(Iorhim)."
AhmadrecordsIrom'UmarthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"ThenawaIilsalahoIamaninhishouse
arealight;whoeverwishesshouldlightenuphishouse."
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Make some oI your
prayersinyourhousesanddonotturnyourhousesintograves."ThisstatementisrelatedbyAhmad
andAbuDawud.AbuDawudrecordsIromZaidibnThabitonsoundauthoritythattheMessengeroI
Allah said: "A person's salah in his house is better than his salah in my mosque, except Ior the Iard
salah."
ThesehadithprovethatitispreIerredtosayone'snawaIilprayersinone'shousesinceprayersinone
' s house are better than those that he perIorms in the mosque. An-Nawawi says: "The Prophet
sallallahu alehiwasallamencouragedonetooIIernawaIlinone'shousebecausethentheprayersare
moreprivateandwillhavelessoIachanceoIbeingdoneIorshowandwillbeIreeIromdeIects that
vitiategooddeeds.Eurthermore,thiswillbeablessingIorthehouseasmercyandangelswilldescend
onitwhileSatanIleesIromit."
Eiqh2.2a:Supererogatoryprayers,theirElongation
It is preIerred to prolong the reciting by making many rak'at. The group, except Ior Abu Dawud,
reports that al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah said: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would stand and
prayuntilhisIeetorshanksswelled.Whenhewasaskedaboutit,hesaid:'ShouldInotbeathankIul
slave?"'AbuDawudrecordsIrom'AbdullahibnHubshial-Khath'amithattheProphetsallallahualehi
wasallam was asked: "What is the best deed?" He said: "Prolonging the qiyam; (standing) |in the
prayer|."Thenitwasasked:"Whatisthebestcharity?"Hereplied:"ThesacriIicemadebyonewho
has little to give." Then it was asked: "What is the best migration?" He responded: "The migration
Irom what Allah has Iorbidden." Then it was asked: "What is thebestjihad?"Hereplied:"Whoever
strives against the polytheists with his wealth and soul." They asked: "What is the most honorable
death?"Heanswered:"Hewhosebloodisspilledandwhosehorseiswounded."
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Eiqh2.3:Itisallowedtomakesupererogatoryprayerswhileinjulus(sitting)
ItisacceptableIoronetomakenawaIilwhilesittingeventhoughhehastheabilitytostand.Itisalso
acceptableIoronetomakepartoIsuchprayerssittingandpartoIthemstandingeveniIalloIthatis
inonerak'ah,(i.e.,onesitsIorpartoItheIirstrak'ahandthenstandsIortherestoIit,orviceversa).
AlloIthatisacceptablewithoutanydislikeIorit.Onemaysitinanymanneronelikesalthoughitis
preIerable to sit cross-legged. Muslim records that 'Alqamah asked 'Aishah: "How did the Prophet
perIorm two rak'at while sitting?" She replied: "He would recite while sitting and then when he
wishedtomakeruku',hewouldstandandbow."Ahmad,AbuDawud,at-Tirmizhi,an-Nasa'i,andIbn
Majahrecordthatshesaid:"IneversawtheMessengeroIAllaheversittingwhilerecitingduringthe
nightprayeruntilhebecameold,thenhewouldsituntilwhenaboutthirtyorIortyverseswereleItoI
hisrecitalthenhewouldstand,Iinishtherecitalandmakeruku'..."
Eiqh2.3a:DiIIerentTypesoINawaIil
NawaIilmaybedividedintotwotypes:generalandspeciIicprayers.ThenawaIilaresaidtobethose
prayerswhichareinadditiontotheIardsalah,asprayedbytheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam.
An-Nawawi says: "II one decides to make nawaIil prayers and he does not make any intention
concerningthenumber|oIrak'at|heshallmake,thenhemayendtheprayeraIteronerak'ahormake
ittworak'atorincreaseittothreeoronehundredoronethousand,andsoIorth.IIhepraysanumber
oI|rak'at|,withoutknowinghowmany,andthenendstheprayerhissalahwillstillbevalid."Thereis
nodiIIerenceoIopiniononthis.TheShaI'iyyahareinagreementwithitandthereisatextattributed
toash-ShaI'ionthispoint.
Al-Baihaqi records with a chain oI narrators, that Abu Zharr prayed many rak'at and then concluded
hissalah.Al-AhnaIibnQaisaskedhim:"DoyouknowiIyouIinishedonanoddoranevennumber?"
He replied: "Even iI I do not know, Allah knows. I heard my Iriend Abu al-Qasim say: 'No slave
makesasajdahtoAllahwithoutAllahraisinghimadegreeandwipingoutoneoIhissinsduetoit."'
This is related by ad-Darimi in his Musnad with a sahih chain, but it should be noted that there is a
diIIerenceoIopinionovertheintegrityoIoneoIitsnarrators.
The speciIic nawaIil prayers are reIerred to as al-sunan ar-ratibah, or the sunnah prayers that have a
speciIic order, number, and so on. These include the sunnah prayers oI Iajr, zuhr, 'asr, maghrib, and
'isha.
Eiqh2.4:TheTworak'atoIEajr
There are a number oI hadith that state the virtues oI observingthesunnahprayeratdawntime.Eor
example:'AishahrelatesthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaidaboutthetworak'atbeIorethe
Iajr "They are dearer to me than the whole world." This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, and at-
Tirmizhi.AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"Donotleavethetworak'atoItheIajr,eveniI
you are being attacked by a cavalry." This is conIirmed by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Baihaqi, and at-
Tahawi. The message oI the hadith is that one should not leave the two rak'at oI the Iajr no matter
what the excuse, even while underenemyattackorundermosttryingconditions.'Aishahsays:"The
Messenger oI Allah was not so particular about observing any supererogatory prayer as he was in
observingthetworak'atbeIoresalatulIajr."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,Ahmad,andAbu
Dawud.ShealsoreportsthattheProphetsaid:"Thetworak'atoItheIajrarebetterthanthisworldand
all it contains." This is reportedby Ahmad,Muslim,at-Tirmizhi,andan-Nasa'i.AhmadandMuslim
alsorecordthatshesaid:"Ihaveneverseenhim|theProphet|moreinhastetodoagooddeedthanhe
wastoperIormthetworak'atbeIorethemorning|prayer|."
Eiqh2.4a:ToMakeThemQuickly
It is well-known that the Prophet would make a very short recital in the two rak'at beIore the dawn.
HaIsah reports: "The Prophet would pray the two rak'at oI Iajr beIore the dawn in my house and he
wouldmakeitveryquick."NaI'istates:"Abdullah|Ibn'Umar|wouldalsomakeitveryquickly."This
is related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and Muslim. 'Aishah narrates: "The Prophet would pray the two
rak'atbeIorethedawnprayerinmyhousesoquicklythatIwonderediIhehadrecitedtheEatihahin
themornot."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandothers.Shealsosaid:"WhentheProphetprayedthetwo
rak'atbeIorethedawnprayerIestimatedthetimethathetookinrecitalwaslikewhatittakestorecite
al-Eatihah. This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, al-Baihaqi, Malik, and at-Tahawi. It is preIerred to
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recite what has been related Irom the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam: 'Aishah reports that the
ProphetwouldsilentlyrecitetheIollowinginthetworak'atbeIoresalatulIajr
"Say:Odisbelievers,"and"Say:HeisAllah,theOne."
This is related by Ahmad and at-Tahawi. He would recite them aIter al-Eatihah asthereisnoprayer
withouttherecitaloIal-Eatihah,aswehavealreadydiscussed.ShealsoreportsthattheProphetsaid:
"Thesearethetwomostblessedsurahs,"andhewouldrecitetheminthetworak'atbeIoresalatulIajr.
This is related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah. Jabirrelatesthatamanstoodtopraythetworak'atbeIore
the dawn prayer and recited "Say: O disbelievers!" intheIirstrak'ahuntilheIinishedthesurah.The
Prophet said: "That slave knows his Lord." In the second rak'ah he recited: "Say: He is Allah, the
One"...totheendoIthesurah.TheProphetsaid:"Thatslave(oIAllah)believesinhisLord."Talhah
said: "I love to recite these two surahs in these two rak'at." This is related by Ibn Hayyan and at-
Tabarani. Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet sallallahualehiwasallamwouldrecitetheIollowingin
thetworak'atbeIorethedawnprayer:"Say:WebelieveinAllahandwhathasbeen revealedtous,"'
andIromsurahal-Imran,'Cometocommontermsasbetweenusandyou.'ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
Eiqh2.5:Eirstrak'ahoIIajr
In the Iirst rak'ah, aIter al-Eatiha, he would recite the verse: "Say: We believe in Allah, and the
revealationgiventousandwhatwasrevealedtoAbraham,Ismail,Isaac,Jacobandthetribes,and|in
what|wasgiventoMosesandJesus,andwhatwasgiventotheProphets,IromtheirLordandwedo
notdiIIerentiatebetweenanyoIthem.AndweareMuslims."
Eiqh2.5a:Secondrak'ahoIIajr
Inthesecondrak'ahhewouldrecite:"Say:OPeopleoItheBook,cometoastatementthatiscommon
betweenusandyou;thatweshallnotworshipanysaveAllahandweshallnotassociateanypartners
with Him and we shall not take others as Lords besides Allah. And iI they turn away thensay:Bear
witnessthatwearetheywhohavesurrendereduntoHim."
He also reports, in a version recorded by Abu Dawud, that in the Iirst rak'ah the Prophet sallallahu
alehiwasallamwouldrecite:"Say:WebelieveinAllah..."
In the second rak'ah he would recite: "But when Jesus became conscious oI their disbelieI, he cried:
'WhowillbemyhelpersinthecauseoIAllah?'Thedisciplessaid:'WewillbeAllah'shelpers...'"
Erom the report oI 'Aishah, mentioned earlier, it is concluded that it is permissible just to recite al-
Eatihahineachrak'ah.
Eiqh2.6:SupplicationaIterIinishingthetwosunnahrak'atbeIoretheIajrprayer
An-Nawawi says in al-Azhkar. "It is related in the book oI Ibn as-Sanni Irom Abu al-Malih (whose
namewas'AamribnUsamah)ontheauthorityoIhisIatherthathisIatherhadprayedthetworak'atoI
the dawn |beIore salatul Iajr| and the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam was praying the two rak'at
closetohim, andheheardtheProphetsay,whilesitting:
'OAllah,LordoIJibrail,IsraIeel,Mikail,andMuhammad,theProphet,IseekreIugeinTheeIromthe
Eire,'"...threetimes.
HealsorecordsIromAnasthattheProphetsaid:"Whoeversays,onEridaymorningbeIorethesalatul
Iajr,
'I seek the Iorgiveness oI Allah, there is no other god except Him, the Living, the Sustaining, and I
repentuntohim,'threetimes,AllahwillIorgivehissinseveniItheywereasabundantastheIoamon
thesea."
Eiqh2.6a:Lying downaIterthetwosunnahrak'atoIIajr
'Aishahsays:"AItertheProphethadprayedthetwo|sunnah|rak'atoItheIajr,hewouldliedownon
hisrightside."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.Theyalsorecordthatshereported:"AItertheMessenger
oIAllah hadprayedthetwo|sunnah|rak'atoItheIajr,hewouldliedowniIIwasasleeporwouldtalk
tomeiIIwasawake."
ThereisquiteadiIIerenceoIopinionoverthispoint.Apparently,itispreIerredIoronetodosoiIone
praysthesesunnahrak'atin one'shouseandnotinthemosque.IbnHajarsaysinEathal-Bari:"Some
oItheearlyscholarswereoItheopinionthatitispreIerredtodosoiIonepraysinone'shouserather
than in the mosque." This has been recorded Irom Ibn 'Umar. Some oI our scholars reinIorce this
argument by stating that there is no evidence that the Prophet ever did so in the mosque. It has also
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beenauthenticallyrecordedIromIbn'Umarthat"hewouldthrowpebblesatanyonewhodidsointhe
mosque,"andthiswasrelatedbyIbnAbiShaibah.ImamAhmadwasaskedaboutitandhesaid:"Ido
notdoitbutiIapersondoesit,itisgood."
Eiqh2.7:BelatedperIormanceoIsunnahrak'atoIIajr
AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"WhoeverIailstopraythetwo|sunnah|rak'atoItheIajr
until the sun rises, |he should then| pray them." This is related by al-Baihaqi. About its chain an-
Nawawisaysitisgood.
Qaisibn'UmarrelatesthathewenttothedawnprayerandIoundtheProphetprayingIajr.Although
Qais had not prayed the sunnah prayer, he joined the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam and prayed
withhim.WhenhehadIinishedsalatulIajr,heprayedthetworak'at(sunnah)prayer.TheMessenger
oI Allah passed by him and inquired: "What is this prayer?" Qais then inIormed him oI all that had
happened. The Prophet kept silent and did not say anything. This is related by Ahmad, Ibn
Khuzaimah,IbnHibban,at-Tirmizhi,AbuDawud,andIbnMajah.Al-'Iraqisaysitschainishasan.
Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and Muslim relate Irom 'Imran ibn Hussain that, during a journey, the Prophet
slept past the time oI salatul Iajr andwhenhewokehewaitedIorthesuntorisealittleandthenhe
ordered the mu'zhzhin to make the azhan. Then, the Prophet prayed the Iajr sunnah, aIter which he
ordered the iqamah to be made and prayed salatul Iajr. It is apparent Irom this hadith that one is to
make up the sunnah prayer beIore or aIter the sun rises, regardless oI whether only sunnah prayer is
missedorbothsunnahandIardaremissed,andwhetherthereisavalidexcuseornot.Itmaybemade
upbyitselIorwiththeobligatorydawnprayer.
Eiqh2.7a:TheSunnahPrayerOIZuhr
Ithasbeenrelatedthatthesunnahrak'atatzuhrareIour,six,oreight.
Eiqh2.7b:ReportsconcerningIourrak'at
Ibn 'Umar said: "We observed and preserved Irom the Prophet ten rak'at |oI sunnah prayers|: two
beIorezuhrandtwoaIterit,twoaItermaghribinhishouse,twoaIter'ishainhishouseandtworak'at
beIoretheIajr."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Al-MughirahibnSulaimanreportsthatheheardIbn'Umarsay:"TheProphetneverleItthetworak'at
beIorezuhrandtworak'ataIterit,tworak'ataItermaghrib,tworak'a~aIter'ishaandtworak'atbeIore
Iajr."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithagoodchain.
Eiqh2.8:Reportsconcerningsixrak'at
'Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said: "I asked 'Aishah about the prayer oI the Prophet and she said: 'He would
prayIourrak'atbeIorezuhrandtwoaIterit."'ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andothers.
Umm Habibah bint Abu SuIyan reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Whoever prays twelve
rak'atduringthedayandnightwillhaveahousebuiltIorhiminparadise:Iourrak'atbeIorezuhrand
twoaIterit,tworak'ataItermaghrib,tworak'ataIter'isha,andtworak'atbeIoreIajr."Thisisrelated
byat-Tirmizhiwhocalledithasansahih.MuslimreportsitbrieIly.
Eiqh2.8a:Reportsconcerningeightrak'at
UmmHabibahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"WhoeverpraysIourrak'atbeIorezuhrandIouraIterit,
Allah will Iorbid that his Ilesh be in the Iire." ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,Ibn
Majah,andat-Tirmizhiwhocallsitsahih.
It is related that Abu Ayyub al-Ansari would pray Iour rak'at beIore zuhr. The people said to him:
"Youmadethatprayercontinuetoolong!"Hesaid:"IsawtheMessengeroIAllahdoingso.Iasked
himaboutitandhesaid:'ItisatimeinwhichthedoorsoItheheavensareopenedandIwishthatmy
gooddeedsberaised(toheaven)duringit.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithagoodchain.
Eiqh2.8b:ThemeritsoIIourrak'atbeIorezuhr
'Aishah said: "The Prophet never leItprayingIourrak'atbeIorezuhrandtworak'atbeIoreIajrunder
any circumstances." This is related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari. It is also related Irom her that during
thoseIourrak'at,hewouldprolongtheqiyam|theportioninwhichonerecitestheQur'an|andperIect
theruku'andsujudtherein.
There is no contradiction between the hadith oI Ibn 'Umar, which states that the Prophet prayed two
rak'at beIore zuhr, and other hadith which state that the Prophet prayed Iour rak'at beIore zuhr. Ibn
HajarwritesinEathal-Bari:"ItisbettertotakethemasdescribingdiIIerentcircumstances,sometimes
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heprayedtworak'atandsometimesheprayedIourrak'at.SomesaythatitmaybeconstruedthatiIhe
prayed theminthemosque,heprayedonlytworak'at,andwhenheprayedinhishouse,heprayed
Iourrak'at.Ontheotherhand,itcouldimplythatheprayedtworak'atinhishouseandthenwentto
the mosque and prayed two rak'at there also. Ibn 'Umar only saw what he prayed in the mosque and
notwhatheprayedinhishouse,while'AishahwasawareoIbothoIthem.TheIirstinterpretationis
strengthenedbywhatAhmadandAbuDawudrecordedIrom'Aishah,namely, thattheProphetprayed
Iourrak'atinhishousebeIorezuhrandthenhewenttothemosque."
Abu Ja'Iar at-Tabari says: "Most oI the time he prayed Iour rak'at and occasionally he prayed two
rak'at."
II one prays Iour rak'at beIore or aIter the noon prayers, it is preIerred to pray them in two sets
consistingoItworak'ateach,althoughitispermissibletomakethemtogetherwithonlyonetaslimat
theendoItheIourrak'at,astheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"TheprayersoIthenightand
dayare(setsoI)two|rak'at|."ThiswasrelatedbyAbuDawudwithasahihchain.
Eiqh2.9:MakingupthemissedsunnahoIzuhr
'Aishah reports that iI the Prophet missed the Iour rak'at beIore zuhr, he would praythemaIterward.
This is related by at-Tirmizhi who calls it hasan ghareeb. Ibn Majah records that she said: "II the
ProphetmissedtheIourrak'atbeIorezuhr,hewouldpraythemIollowingthetworak'ataIterzuhr."
The preceding is concerned with making up the sunnah prayers that one is to pray beIore zuhr.
Concerningmakingupthetworak'ataIterzuhr,wehavetheIollowingreportsasrecordedbyAhmad.
Umm Salamah says: "The Prophet prayed zuhr and then he received some wealth and he sat to
distributeit|andcontinuedtodoso|untilthemu'azhzhinmadetheazhanIor'asr.Heprayed'asrand
came to me, as it was my day, and he prayed two quick rak'at. I said: 'What are those two rak'at, O
Messenger oI Allah? Have you been ordered to perIorm them?' He said: 'No, they are the two rak'at
thatIperIormaIterzuhrbutIwasbusydistributingthiswealthuntiltheazhanwasmadeIor'asrandI
hatedtomissthem.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,andbyAbuDawudinsomewhatdiIIerent
wording.
Eiqh2.9a:ThesunnahoImaghrib
It is sunnah to pray two rak'at aIter maghrib. Earlier we mentioned that Ibn 'Umar narrated that the
Prophet would not miss them. As to their content, it is preIerred to recite, aIter al-Eatihah: "Say: O
Disbelievers,"and"Say:HeisAllah,theOne,"inthesunnahprayeraItersalatulmaghrib.
Ibn Mas'ud says: "I cannot count how many times I heard the Messenger oI Allah recite, in the two
rak'at aIter maghrib and in the two rak'at beIore Iajr 'Say: O disbelievers,' and 'Say: He is Allah, the
One.'"ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajahandat-Tirmizhi.Thelatergradesithasan.
It is preIerred to pray this sunnah prayer in one's house. Mahmud ibn Labid reports that the Prophet
sallallahualehiwasallamprayedmaghribwiththetribeoI'Abdal-Ashhal.AIterhemadethetaslim,
he told them: "PerIorm these two rak'at in your houses." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-
Tirmizhi,andan-Nasa'i.WehavealreadymentionedthattheProphetprayedtheminhishouse.
Eiqh2.10:ThesunnahoI'Isha
WehavealreadymentionedthehadithwhichrecordthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamprayed
tworak'ataIter'isha.
Eiqh2.10a:NONSTRESSEDSUNNAHPRAYERS(AS-SUNANGHAIRAL-MU'AKKADAH)
We have been discussing the sunnah prayers which were stressed by the Prophet and which he was
careIul not to miss. There are some other sunnah prayers (al-sunan ar-ratibah) which are
commendable,butarenot"stressed."
Eiqh2.10b:TwoorIourrak'atbeIore'asr
Manyahadithhavebeenrelatedaboutthissunnahprayerandtheyallsupporteachother.
SuchhadithincludetheIollowing:
Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet said: "May Allah have mercy on a person who prays Iour rak'at
beIore 'asr prayer." This was related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi (who calls it hasan), Ibn
Hibban, and Ibn Khuzaimah. The latter two hold it as sahih. 'Ali reports that the Prophet sallallahu
alehiwasallamprayedIourrak'atbeIore'asrwhileseparatingeverytwosetsoIrak'atwithsalutations
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to the angels close to Allah, to the prophets, and to those who Iollowed them - the believers and
Muslims.ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajah,andatTirmizhiwhogradesithasan.
As Ior praying only two rak'aI at this time, this would Iall under the generality oI the Prophet's
statement:"Betweeneveryazhanandiqamahthereisaprayer."
Eiqh2.10c:Tworak'atbeIoremaghrib
Al-Bukharirecords,Irom'AbdullahibnMughaIIal,thattheProphetsaid:"PraybeIoremaghrib,pray
beIoremaghrib,"andaItersayingitathirdtime,hesaid:"Eorwhoeverwishestodoso,"notwanting
thepeopletotakeitasasunnah.IbnHibbanrecordsthattheProphetprayedtworak'atbeIoremaghrib
prayer.
Muslim records that Ibn 'Abbas said: "We would pray two rak'at beIore maghrib, and the Prophet
wouldseeusbuthewouldnotorderusto doso,norwouldheprohibitus."
Ibn Hajar says in Eath al-Bari: "All oI the evidence points to the Iact that it is preIerred to saythese
tworak'atquicklylikethetworak'atbeIorethesalatulIajr."
Eiqh2.11:Tworak'atbeIoresalatul'isha
'Abdullah Ibn MughaIIal reports that the Prophet said: "Between every azhan and iqamah there is a
prayer.Betweeneveryazhanandiqamahthereisaprayer."And,aItersayingitathirdtime,hesaid:
"Eorwhoeverwishes|toprayit|."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.IbnHibbanrecordsIromIbnaz-Zubair
that the Prophet said: "There exists no obligatory prayer without there being, immediately preceding
it,tworak'at."
Eiqh2.11a:SeparatingTheObligatoryPrayerEromTheSupererogatory
It is preIerred to make a separation between the Iard and nawaIil prayers aIter one Iinishes the Iard
prayer.
One oI the companions oI the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam reports that the Prophet prayed the
aIternoon prayer and right aIterward a man stood up to pray. 'Umar saw him and told him: "Sit, the
People oI the Book were destroyed because they did not diIIerentiate between their prayers." The
Prophetsaid:"Wellsaid,Ibnal-Khattab|i.e.,'Umar|."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithasahihchain.
Eiqh2.11b:TheWitrPrayer
Its excellence and justiIication: The witr prayer is one that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
practiced and which he encouraged others to practice. As such, praying witr comes under as-sunnah
al-mu'akkadah.
'Alisays:"Thewitrprayerisnotrequiredlikeyourobligatoryprayers,buttheProphetwouldperIorm
thewitrprayerandsay:'Oyoupeople|Iollowers|oItheQur'an,perIormthewitrprayer,IorAllahis
oneandHelovesthewitr.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,AbuDawud,IbnMajah,at-Tirmizhi
whocallsithasan,andal-Hakimwhogradesitsahih.
TheopinionoIAbuHaniIahthatthewitrprayerisobligatoryisaweakopinion.Ibnal-Munzhirsays:
"Idon'tknowanyonewhoagreeswithAbuHaniIahonthispoint."
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah record that Al-Mukhdaji |a person oI the Kinana
tribe|heardIromoneoItheAnsar,nicknamedAbuMuhammad,thatthewitrprayerisobligatory.He
wentto'Ibadahibnas-SamitandmentionedtohimwhatAbuMuhammadhadsaid.'Ibadahobserved:
"Abu Muhammad is mistaken Ior I heard the Messenger oI Allah say: 'Eive prayers are ordained by
AllahIorhisslaves.WhoeverIulIillsthemproperlywithoutanyshortcoming,hewillhaveapactwith
Allah that He will admit him into paradise. Whoever does not do them, he will have no pact with
Allah,andiIHewillsHemaypunishhimandiIHewillsHemayIorgivehim.'"
Alsoal-BukhariandMuslimrecordIromTalhahibn'UbaidullahthattheProphetsaid:"Eiveprayers
during the day and night have been prescribed by Allah." Hearing this a bedouin asked the Prophet:
"Isthereanythingelseuponme|inthewayoIprayer|?"TheProphetsaid:"No,unlessyouwanttodo
morevoluntarily."
Eiqh2.12:TimeIorwitrprayer
All the scholars agree that the time Ior the witr prayer does not begin until aIter salatul 'isha and it
continuesuntilthetimeoIsalatulIajr.
Abu Tamim al-Jishani relates that 'Amr ibn al-'Aas was addressing the people during a Eriday
Khutbahandhesaid:"AbuBasrarelatedtomethattheProphetsaid:'Verily,Allahhasaddedaprayer
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Ioryou,anditisthewitrprayer.Prayitbetweensalatul'ishaandsalatulIajr.'"AbuTamimsaid:"Abu
ZharrtookmebymyhandandwewentinthemosquetoAbuBasraand|AbuZharr|said:'Didyou
hearwhat 'AmrjustsaidIromtheMessengeroIAllah?'Heanswered:'IhearditIromtheMessenger
oIAllah!"'ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithasahihchain.
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari relates: "TheProphetsallellahualehiwasallamwouldmakethewitrprayerin
theIirstpartoIthenightorthemiddleoIitorthelatterpartoIit."Ahmadhasreporteditwithasound
chain.
'Abdullah ibn Abi Qais relates that he asked 'Aishah about the witr prayer oI the Prophet sallallahu
alehiwasallamandshesaid:"Sometimeshewould makethewitrprayerintheIirstpartoIthenight
and sometimes he would make the witr prayer in the latter portion oI the night." Then 'Abdullah
asked:"Howwashisrecitation,audibleorinaudible?"Shereplied:"Hedidboth.Sometimeshewould
be inaudible and sometimes audible. Sometimes he would make ghusl and sleep and sometimes he
would make ablution and sleep|i.e.,whenhewassexuallydeIiled|."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,
Ahmad,Muslim,andat-Tirmizhi.ItispreIerredtoprayitearlyiIonesuspectsthatonewillnotwake
duringthelatterportionoIthenight.Itis,ontheotherhand,advisabletodelayitiIonebelievesthat
onewillbeabletowakeupduringthelatterportionoIthenight.
II one suspects that one will not be able to perIorm the prayer in the latter portion oI the night, it
shouldbeprayedduringtheearlyportionoIthenight(beIoresleeping).
JabirreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"WhoeveroIyouIearsthathewillnotbeabletowake
during the latter portion |oI the night|, he should make the witr prayer during the early part |oI the
night|.AndwhoeveroIyoubelievesthathewillbeabletowakeduringthelatterportionoIthenight,
he should make the witr prayer during that latter portion as it is the blessed time |the angels are
attentive to the prayers in the last portion oI the night|." This is related by Ahmad, Muslim,
atTirmizhi,andIbnMajah.
JabiralsonarratesthattheMessengeroIAllahinquiredoIAbuBakr:"WhendoyouperIormthewitr
prayer?"AbuBakrreplied:"IntheearlyportionoIthenightaIterthenightprayer"ThentheProphet
said: "And you, O 'Umar?" He answered: "During the latter portion oI the night." The Prophet said:
"AsIoryou,OAbuBakr,youhavetakenthecareIulway.AsIoryou,'Umar,youhavetakentheway
oIhardshipandIirmwill."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandal-Hakimwhosaysitissahih
according to Muslim's criterion. However, the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallamwouldpraythewitr
prayerneardawn timeIoritisthemostblessedtime,asmentionedpreviously.
'Aisha reports: "Out oI the entire night, the Messenger oI Allah would sometimes perIorm the witr
prayer during the early portion; sometimes he would perIorm it during the middle portion; and
sometimesinthelatterportionoIthenight,justbeIoredawn."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Nevertheless,consideringthepossibilityoIlosingwitr,theProphetadvisedsomeoIhiscompanions
nottosleepuntiltheyhadperIormedthewitrprayerinordertobeonthesaIeside.
Sa'dibnAbiWaqqaswouldpraysalatul'ishaintheProphet'smosqueandthenwouldprayonerak'ah
oIwitrwithoutmakinganyadditiontoit.Thepeoplesaidtohim:"AbuIshaq,doyoumakethewitr
withjustonerak'ahwithout addingany(otherrak'ah)toit?"Hesaid:"Yes,IorIheardtheMessenger
oIAllahsay:'Theonewhodoesnotsleepuntilhemakesthewitrprayerisprudent.'"Thiswasrelated
byAhmadanditsnarratorsaretrustworthy.
Eiqh2.13:NatureandnumberoIrak'atIorwitr
ItispermissibletoperIormthewitrbyprayingtworak'at|andconcludingthem|andthenprayingone
rak'ahwithatashahudandtaslim.Likewise,itisallowedtoprayalltherak'atwithtwotashahudsand
onetaslim.OnemayprayanumberoIrak'at,oneaIteranother,withoutmakinganytashahud,savein
theonebeIorethelastrak'ahinwhichcaseonemakesthetashahudandthenstandstoperIormthelast
rak'ah wherein one will make another tashahud and end the prayer with the taslim. One may also
makeonlyonetashahudandthetaslim,inthelastrak'ahoIwitr.AlloIthatispermissibleandcanbe
tracedtotheProphet.
Talkingaboutthethirteenrak'atinwitr,at-Tirmizhisays:"IthasbeenrelatedIromtheProphetthathe
wouldperIormthewitrprayerwiththirteen,nine,seven,Iive,threerak'atoronerak'ah."
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On the other hand, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim holds: "The meaning oI the statement that the Prophet prayed
thirteen rak'at oI witr is that during the night he would pray thirteen rak'at including the witr prayer,
andsoalloIthenightprayercametobeknownaswitr."
Ibn al-Qayyim's view is that "the clear, authentic sunnah is to pray the witr with Iive or seven
connected rak'at as reported by Umm Salamah in her hadith. |She says| that the Prophet would
perIorm the witr with Iive or seven rak'at without breaking them apart with taslim or any speech."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,andIbnMajahwithagoodchain.
As previously mentioned, al-Bukhari and Muslim quote 'Aishah saying that the Prophet would
perIorm thirteen rak'at during the night and would make the witr prayer with Iive oI them, and he
wouldnot'sit'|duringthoseIive|exceptinthelastrak'ahoIthem.Inanotherhadith,'Aishahreports
that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would perIorm nine rak'at during the night and that he
would not sit during them until the eighth rak'ah in which he would make remembrance oI Allah,
praisingHim,andwouldmakesupplication.Then,hewouldstandwithoutmakingthetaslimandpray
the ninth rak'ah, aIter which he would sit, make the tashahud and make the taslim in such a manner
thatwecouldhearhim.Then,hewouldpraytworak'ataIterthetaslimwhilesitting,andthatwould
make eleven rak'at. When he became older and heavier, he would make the witr with seven rak'at,
perIorming the (last) two rak'at like the Iirst one. In another version Irom her, itisstated:"Whenhe
becameolderandbulkier,hewouldmakethewitrwithsevenrak'at,andhewouldnotsitduringthem,
saveinthesixthandseventhrak'ahandhewouldnotmakethetaslim,saveintheseventhrak'ah."In
yet another version, it is stated: "He would pray seven rak'at and would not sit, save in the last oI
them."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
All oI the preceding ahadith are authentic and clear and there is no contradiction in them. As to the
Prophet's statement: "The night prayer is in sets oI two |rak'at|," it is not relevant here. This is an
authentichadith,andthestatementthatheobservedwitrwithsevenorIiverak'atisequallytrue.Both
statementsconIirmeachother.Theseven,Iive,nine,andonerak'ahconstitutethewitrprayer,Iorwitr
is the name given to the one rak'ah oIIered in conclusion oI whatever is oIIered prior to it. And the
witr oI the Iive, seven and nine rak'at are all connected like the maghrib which is described as three
connectedrak'at.IIonebreaksaparttheIiveorsevenrak'atwithtwotaslim,likeintheelevenrak'at,it
will all be called witr due to the last odd rak'ah. This is supported by the Prophet's statement: 'The
nightprayerissetsoItworak'at.IIoneIearsthecomingoIthedawn,heshouldperIormonerak'ah,
thereby making all oI them odd |witr|.' ThereIore, the Prophet's actions and statements are in
agreement,eachpartconIirmingtheother."TheIactisthattheProphetwasrespondingtoaquestion
about the night prayer when he said: "it is in pairs oI two." He was not speaking about witr, Ior the
manhadaskedhimaboutnightprayer,andnotaboutthewitr.
Eiqh2.15:Recitationinthewitr
ItispermissibletoreciteaIteral-Eatihahanysurahwhichonewishestorecite.'Alisays:"Thereisnot
apartoItheQur'anthatisobsolete,somakethewitrprayeroIwhateveryouwishIromit."However,
it is preIerred to recite, in the Iirst oI the three rak'at oI witr, al-A'la aIter reciting al-Eatihah. In the
secondrak'ah,itispreIerredtoreciteal-KaIirun.Inthethirdrak'ah,itispropertorecitethelastthree
surahsoItheQur'an.ThisisnarratedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandTirmizhi,whorelateIrom'Aishah,
on sound authority saying: The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would recite Ala'la in the Iirst
rak'ah,Al-KaIiruninthesecondandthelastthreesurahsinthethirdrak'ah.
Eiqh2.15a:Al-QunutintheWitr
It is part oI sunnah to supplicate with qunut in the witr prayer during the entire year. Ahmad, at-
Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and others record that al-Hassan ibn 'Ali said: "The
Messenger oI Allah taught me the |Iollowing| words to say in the witr prayer: 'O Allah, guide me
among those whom You have guided. Grant me saIetyamongthosewhomYouhavegrantedsaIety.
Take me into Your charge among those whom You have taken into Your charge. Bless me in what
You have given me. Protect me Irom the evil that You have decreed, Ior You decree and nothing is
decreedIorYou.AndthereisnohumiliationIorwhomYoutakeasaward.BlessedandExaltedare
You,ourLord.'"
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At-Tirmizhigradesthishadithashasan,andsays:"...nothingisknownIromtheProphetconcerning
qunutmoreauthenticthanthat."Commentingonitsstatus,an-Nawawisaysthatitschainissahih.Ibn
Hazmhassomereservationsaboutitssoundness,butsays:"Thishadith,althoughitisnotonethatcan
beusedasaprooI,isallthatwehaveIromtheProphet,andaweakhadithisdearertomethanmere
opinion."AhmadsaysthisisalsotheviewoIAbuMusa,IbnMas'ud,Ibn'Abbas,al-Bara',Anas,al-
Hassan al-Basri, 'Umar ibn 'Abdul'aziz, al-Thauri, Ibn al-Mubarak, and the HanaIi school. This, an-
Nawawisays,givescredibilitytothereport.
Ash-ShaI'i and others are oI the opinion that the qunut in the witr prayer should be made during the
latter halI oI the month oI Ramadan. This is based on what Abu Dawud records that, 'Umar ibn al-
Khattab convoked the people in prayer, under the leadership oI Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and they prayed
togetherIortwentynights,andhedidnotmakethequnutexceptIorduringthelatterhalIoIthemonth
oIRamadan.ItismoreoverrelatedthatMuhammadibnNasraskedSa'idibnJubairaboutthequnutin
the witr prayer. Sa'id answered: " 'Umar sent an army that suIIered serious setback, which caused
'Umartobealarmed,so,whenitwasthelatterhalIoIRamadan,hemadethequnuttosupplicateIor
them."
Eiqh2.16:HowtoperIormthequnut
It is permissible to make the qunut beIore going into ruku' (bowing), or lt may be recited when one
standsupstraightaItertheruku'.Humaidsays:"IaskedAnas:'IsthequnutbeIoreoraItertheruku'?'
Hesaid:'WewoulddoitbeIoreoraIter.'"ThiswasrelatedbyIbnMajahandMuhammadibnNasr.In
Eathal-Bari,IbnHajarcommentsthatitschainisIaultless.
II one makes the qunut beIore the ruku', one should make the takbir and raise one's hands aIter the
recital, and similarly make another takbir aIter the qunut, and then bow. This has been related Irom
somecompanions.SomescholarsholdthatitispreIerabletoraiseone'shandsinsupplicationduring
thequnut,whileothersdisagree.
As to wiping Iace with hands aIter the qunut, al-Baihaqi writes: "It is preIerred not to do so and to
conIine one's selI to what the early generations did. They raised their hands but did not wipe their
Iacesduringtheprayer."
Eiqh2.17:SupplicationsaIterthewitr
It is preIerred Ior a person to say aIter the taslim: "Glory be to the Master, the Holy," three times
aloud,sayingthethirdtime:"LordoItheangelsandthesouls."AbuDawudandanNasa'irecordthat
UbayyibnKa'bsaid:"TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwouldreciteal-A'laandal-KaIiruninthe
witrprayer.Whenhemadethetaslim,hewouldsay:'GlorybetotheMaster,theHoly,'threetimes,
prolongingthethirdrepetitionandsayingitaloud."Thisisthewordinginwhichan-Nasa'irecordedit.
Ad-Daraqutni has the addition: "And he would say, 'Lord oI the angels and the spirits. "' He would
then make supplications and, according to what Ahmad, anNasa'i, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-
Tirmizhi record Irom 'Ali, he would say at the end oI his witr: "O Allah, I seek reIuge in Your
pleasureIromyouranger.AndIseekreIugeinYourgrantingwellbeingIromYourpunishment.And
IseekreIugeinYouIromYou.IcannotreckonYourpraise:YouareasYouhavepraisedYourselI."
Eiqh2.17a:ProhibitionoItwowitrprayersinonenight
WhoeverhasperIormedthewitrprayerandthenwishestodosomemore,hemaydosobutheisnot
torepeatthewitr.
AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andat-TirmizhihaverecordedIrom'AlithatheheardtheMessengeroIAllah
say:"Therearenotwowitrprayersinonenight."At-Tirmizhigradesithasan.
'AishahrelatesthattheProphetwouldmakethetasliminsuchamannerthatwecouldhearhimand
then,hewouldpraytworak'atwhilesitting.ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
Umm Salamah also narrates that he prayed two rak'at while sitting, aIter the witr prayer. This was
relatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,at-Tirmizhi,andothers.
Eiqh2.18:Makingupamissedwitr
Accordingtoal-Baihaqiandal-Hakim,themajorityoIthescholarsmaintainthatitiscorrecttomake
qada' Ior a missed witr prayer. Al-Hakim grades the Iollowing report by Abu Hurairah as sahih
accordingtothecriterionoIal-BukhariandMuslim.
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AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"IIthemorningapproaches,andyouhaveyettopraywitr,
youshouldpraythewitrprayer."AbuDawudrecordsIromAbuSa'idal-KhudrithattheProphetsaid:
"II one oI you sleeps |past the time oI| the witr prayer or he Iorgets it, he should pray it when he
remembersit."Al-'IraqisaysthatthechainoIthishadithissahih.
Ahmad and at-Tabarani record with a hasan chain that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would
perIormthewitrprayerinthemorning|iI,Iorsomereason,hehadmisseditduringthenight|.
Generally speaking, there is a diIIerence oI opinion over what time it may be made up. The HanaIi
schoolholdsitshouldbeperIormedduringthosetimesinwhichitisnotIorbiddentoobserveprayers.
The Iollowers oI ShaI'i say that it may be made up during any time oI the night or day, while
accordingtoMalikandAhmadamissedwitrprayeristobemadeupIoraIterthedawn.
Eiqh2.18a:Al-QunutintheIiveprayers
ItislegitimatetorecitethequnutaloudinanyoItheIivedailyprayersatthosetimeswhenMuslims
are Iaced with calamities. Ibn 'Abbas relates that the Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam
madequnutconsecutivelyIoronemonthinthezuhr,'asr,maghrib,'isha,andIajrprayers.Attheend
oI every prayer, aIter saying: "Allah hears him who praises Him" in the last rak'ah, he would
supplicateagainstRe'l,Zhakwan,and'Usiyyah'oIBanuSulaim,andthepeoplebehindhimwouldsay
'Ameen'. This is related by Ahmad and by Abu Dawud adding that these three had killed the
emissaries that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam had sent to them. 'Ikrimah says: "That was the
beginingoIthequnut."
Abu Hurairah reports that whenever the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam wanted to supplicate
againstorIorsomeone,hewouldmakequnutaItergoingintoruku'.Sometimes,hewouldsay:"Allah
hearshimwhopraisesHim.OurLord,toyouisthepraise.OAllah!Saveal-Walidibnal-Walidand
SalamahibnHishamand'IyashibnAbiRabi'ahandtheoppressed|andweak|believers.OAllah,put
hardshipandpressureon thetribeoIMuzharandgivethemyearsoIIaminelikethoseduringthetime
oI YusuI." He would say this aloud in some oI the prayers. Also in the dawn prayer, he would say:
"OhAllah,cursesoandso,"cursingtwotribesoIArabsuntilAllahrevealed:"ItisnoconcernatalloI
thee |Muhammad| whether He relent toward them or punish them, Ior they are evildoers ." This is
relatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari.
Eiqh2.19:Al-QunutinsalatulIajr
It is not correct to make qunut in the dawn prayer except during times oI calamity, in which case it
maybemadeinanyoItheIivedailyprayers.AbuMalikal-Ashja'isaid:"MyIatherprayedbehindthe
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam when he was sixteen years old, and he prayed behind Abu Bakr,
'Umar, and 'Uthman. I asked him, 'Did they make the qunut'?' He said, 'No, son, it is somethingthat
has been innovated."' This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmizhi who calls it
sahih.AnassaidthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwouldnotmakethequnutinIajrunlesshe
was supplicating Ior a people or supplicating against a people. This is related by Ibn Hibban, al-
Khatib,andIbnKhuzaimahwhosaiditissahih.
It is also related that az-Zubair, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman did not make the qunut in the dawn
prayer.ThisistheopinionoItheHanaIiyyah,theHanbaliyyah,Ibnal-Mubarak,al-Thauri,andIshaq.
The Iollowers oI ShaI'i are oI the opinion that the qunut is to be made aIter the ruku' oI the second
rak'ah in the obligatory dawn prayer. This opinion is based on the Iollowing two reports. Ibn Sireen
narrates that Anas ibn Malik was asked: "Did the Prophet make the qunut in the dawn prayer?" He
answered:"Yes."Theyaskedhim:"BeIoretheruku'oraIterit?"Hereplied:"AIterit."Thisisrelated
bythegroupsaveat-Tirmizhi.
There is a report Irom Anas which says: "The Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam did not
stop making qunut during the dawn prayer until he leIt this world." This is related by Ahmad, al-
Bazzar,adDaraqutni, al-Baihaqi,andal-Hakimwhosaysitissahih.
However,thereremainssomedoubtconcerningthisevidencesincethequnutwhichtheyaskedAnas
about, as is clear in the narrations oI al Bukhari and Muslim, was the qunut during the time oI
calamities. Concerning the latter hadith (the one mentioned in support oI their stand), in its chain oI
narrators there is Abu Ja'Iar ar-Razi who is not a credible source and, thus, one cannot build a case
upon his hadith. How could it be that the Messenger oI Allah never stopped perIorming this qunut
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until his death, and yet, the rightly guidedcaliphsdidnotperIormit?ItisevenconIirmedthatAnas
himselIdidnotmakethequnutinthedawnprayer!IIwemustacceptthislatterhadithasauthentic,it
would mean that the Prophet always made supplications and remembrance ( zhikr), aIter the ruku',
untilhisdeath.Thiswouldalsocomeunderqunutand,inthissense,itwouldbemorebeIitting.Still,
thisisoneoIthemattersinwhichitisacceptabletohavediIIerencesoIopinion,andonemayeither
doitorleaveit.ThebestguidanceisthatoIMuhammadsallallahualehiwasllam.
Eiqh2.20:TheLateNightPrayer,tahajjud(qiyamal-Layil)
ItsexcellenceandmeritIromtheQur'an:AllahorderedhisMessengertoperIormsalatultahajjud:
"AndsomepartoIthenightawakeIorprayer,alargessIorthee.ItmaybethatthyLordwillraisethee
toapraisedposition."
Thisorder,althoughitwasspeciIicallydirectedtotheProphet,alsoreIerstoalltheMuslimssincethe
Prophetistheirexampleandguideinallsuchmatters.
ThosewhoregularlyperIormthetahajjudprayersaretheRighteousandaremoredeservingoIAllah's
bounty and mercy. Allah says: "Lo! Those who keep Irom evil will dwell amid gardens and
watersprings,takingthatwhichtheirLordgivesthem.Eor,lo,theyweredoersoIgood.Theyusedto
sleepbutlittleoIthenightandbeIorethedawningoIeachdaywouldseekIorgiveness.''
AllahpraisedandcomplementedthedeedsoIthosewhoperIormthelate-nightprayers."TheslavesoI
theBeneIicentaretheywhowalkupontheearthinhumbleness,andwhentheignorantaddressthem,
theysay:'Peace'andtheywhospendthenightprostratingbeIoretheirLordandstanding"|al-Eurqan:
63-64|.
AllahbearswitnesstotheirbelieIinHissigns.Hesays:"OnlythosebelieveinOurrevelationswho,
when they are reminded oI them, Iall down prostrate and hymn the praise oI their Lord and they are
not scomIul: who Iorsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in Iear and hope and spend oI what We
havebestowedonthem.NosoulknowswhatiskepthiddenIorthemoIjoyasarewardIorwhatthey
usedtodo.''
Allahproclaimsthatthosewhodonotpossessthesequalitiescannotbetreatedasequaltothosewho
possessthem: "IshewhopaysadorationinthewatchesoIthenight,prostrateandstanding,awareoI
theHereaIterandhopingIorthemercyoIhisLordequaltoadisbeliever?Say:'Arethosewhoknow
equalwiththosewhoknownot?'ButonlymenoIunderstandingwillpayheed.''
Eiqh2.21:HadithregardingTahajjud
TheprecedingsectionwasprimarilyconcernedwithwhatAllahsaysaboutthosewhoperIormsalatul
tahajjud.TherealsoexistanumberoIahadiththatreinIorcetheimportanceoItahajjud.
'Abdullah ibn as-Salam reports: "When the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam came to Medinah, the
peoplegatheredaroundhimandIwasoneoIthem.IlookedathisIaceandunderstoodthatitwasnot
the Iace oI a liar. The Iirst words I heard him say were: 'O people, spread the salutations, Ieed the
people, keep the ties oI kinship, and pray during the night while the others sleep and you will enter
paradiseinpeace."'Thisisrelatedbyal-Hakim,IbnMajah,andat-Tirmizhiwhocallsithasansahih.
Salman al-Earsi relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Observe the night prayer, it
wasthepracticeoItherightousbeIoreyouanditbringsyouclosertoyourLordanditispenanceIor
evildeedsanderasesthesinsandrepellsdiseaseIromthebody."
SahlibnSa'dreports:"GabrielcametotheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamandsaid:'OMuhammad,
live as long as you like, Ior you are to die. Do whatever deed you wish, Ior you are to be rewarded.
Lovewhomeveryouwish,Ioryouaretobeparted.AndknowthatthehonoroIthebelieverisinthe
nightprayerandhisgloryisbeingIreeIromwantIromthepeople."'
Abuad-Darda'reportsthattheProphetsaid:"ThreepeoplearelovedbyAllah,andHelaughsIorthem
andHegrantsthemgladtidings.|TheIirstis|amanwhoIightsbehindagroupthatIleesanddoesso
withhisownsoulIorAllah'ssake,regardlessoIwhetherheiskilledorheisaidedbyAllahandmade
victorious.Allahsays:'LooktomyslavetherewhoispatientwithhisliIeIorMysake.'|Thesecond
is|theonewhohasabeautiIulwiIeandasoItbedandrisesduringthenight.Allahsays:'Heleaves
his desires and remembers Me and iI he wished he would sleep.' |The third| is a person who is
travelingwithagroupandtheypassthenightawakeandthensleep,buthestillobserveshisprayerin
hardshiporease."
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Eiqh2.22:EtiquettesoILateNightPrayer
The Iollowing acts are sunnah Ior one who wishes to perIorm the tahajjud prayers. Upon going to
sleep, one should make the intention to perIorm the tahajjud prayers. Abu ad-Darda' relates that the
Prophetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"WhoevergoestohisbedwiththeintentionoIgettingupand
prayingduringthenight,andsleepovercomeshimuntilthemomingcomes,hewillhaverecorded Ior
himwhathehadintended,andhissleepwillbeacharityIorhimIromhisLord."Thisisrelatedbyan-
Nasa'iandibnMajahwithasahihchain.Uponwaking,oneshouldwipeone'sIace,useatoothstick,
and look to the sky and make the supplication which has been reported Irom the Prophet sallallahu
alehi wasallam: "There is no God but Thee, Glory be to Thee, I seek Iorgiveness Irom You Ior my
sins,andIaskIoryourmercy.OAllah,increasemyknowledgeandletmyheartnotswerveaIterYou
have guided me, and bestow mercy upon me Irom ThyselI. All praise be to Allah who has given us
backliIeaIterourdeathanduntoHimistheresurrection."
Then,oneshouldrecitethelastten'ayatoIal-'Imran,startingwith,"Lo!InthecreationoItheheavens
and the earth and |in| the diIIerence oI night and day are tokens (oI His sovereignty) Ior men oI
understanding." Then one should say, "O Allah, to You belongs the praise. You are the Light oI the
heavensandtheearthandwhatistherein.AndtoYoubelongsthepraise.YouarethetruthandYour
promiseistrue.AndthemeetingwithYouistrue.Andtheparadiseistrue.AndtheEireistrue.And
theprophetsaretrue.AndMuhammadistrue.AndtheHouristrue.OAllah,toYouhaveIsubmitted.
AndinYouhaveIbelieved.AndinYouhaveIputmytrust.AndtoYouhaveIturned.AndbyYouI
argue.AndtoYoudoIturnIormydecisions.EorgivemeoImyIormerandlattersins,andthosedone
inprivateandthosedoneinpublic.YouareAllah,thereisnoGodbesidesThee."
One should begin Qiyam al-Layil with two quick rak'at and then one may pray whateveronewishes
aIter that. 'Aishah says: "When the Prophet prayed during the late-night, he would begin his prayers
withtwoquickrak'at."BothoIthesereportsarerelatedbyMuslim.
Eiqh2.23:Oneshouldwakeupone'sIamilyIortahajjud
AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"MayAllahblessthemanwhogetsupduringthenightto
pray and wakes up his wiIe and who, iI she reIuses to get up, sprinkles water on her Iace. And may
Allahblessthewomanwhogetsupduringthenighttoprayandwakesupherhusbandandwho,iIhe
reIusessprinkleswateronhisIace."TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamalsosaid:"IIamanwakes
hiswiIeandpraysduring thenightortheypraytworak'attogether,theywillberecordedamongthose
(menandwomen)who(constantly)makeremembranceoIAllah."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudand
otherswithasahihchain.
Umm Salamah narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam got up during the night and said:
"Glory be to Allah. What trials are descended with the night. And what has descended oI treasures.
Who will waken the lady occupants oI the rooms (i.e., his wives) Ior prayers; how many a well
dressedinthisworld willbenakedinthehereaIter."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordthattheMessengeroIAllahasked'AliandEatimah:"Doyounotpray
|duringthenight|?"'Alisaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,weareinAllah'shands.IIHewishestomake
usgetup,wegetup."TheProphetturnedawaywhenhesaidthat.Then,theycouldhearhimstriking
histhighandsaying:"Verily,mandisputesalot."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.24:OneshouldstopprayingtahajjudandsleepiIonebecomesverysleepy
'AishahreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"WhenoneoIyougetsupduringthenightIorprayer
andhisQur'anicrecitalbecomesconIusedtotheextentthathedoesnotknowwhathesays,heshould
liedown."ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
AnasnarratesthattheMessengeroIAllahenteredthemosqueandsawaropestretchingbetweentwo
posts. He asked: "What is this?" The people told him that it was Ior Zainab |bint Jahsh| who, when
she became tired or weary, held it (to keepstanding Ior the prayer). The Prophet said: "Remove the
rope. You should pray as long as you Ieel active, and when you get tired or weary, you should lie
downtorest."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Oneshouldnotoverburdenone'sselIwiththe nightprayerandshouldonlyprayittotheextentthatis
reasonable, and not leave that practice unless there is some great need to do so. 'Aishah reports that
the Messenger oI Allah said: "Do (good) deeds according to your capacity, Ior by Allah, Allah does
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not weary Irom giving rewards unless you get tired oI doing good deeds." This is related by al-
BukhariandMuslim.
Al-BukhariandMuslimalsorelateIrom'AishahthattheMessengeroIAllahwasasked:"Whatisthe
mostloveddeedtoAllah?"Heanswered:"OnethatisperIormedconstantlyeveniIitisasmalldeed."
AndMuslimrecordedthat'Aishahsaid:"TheMessengeroIAllahwasconstantinhisdeeds,andiIhe
didsomething,hewoulddoitconsistently."
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "O 'Abdullah, do not become like so-
and-so who used to make the tahajjud prayers and then he stopped praying it." This is related by al-
BukhariandMuslim.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim alsorecord,ontheauthorityoI'AbdullahibnMas'ud,thatitwasmentioned
to the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam that a man slept until the morning. |ThereuponJ he said:
"Satan has urinated into the ears oI that person." They also record Irom Salim ibn 'Abdullah ibn
'Umar,IromhisIather,thattheMessengeroIAllahsaidtohisIather,"Abdullahwouldbeagoodman
iI he would pray the tahajjud prayers." Salim said: "AIter that, 'Abdullah would not sleep during the
nightsaveIorasmallamountatatime."
Eiqh2.24a:TherecommendedtimeIortahajjud
Salatul LayilmaybeperIormedintheearlypartoIthenight,themiddlepartoIthenight,orthelatter
partoIthenight,butaItertheobligatorysalatul'isha.
WhiledescribingthesalahoItheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam,Anaswouldsay:"IIwewantedto
seehimprayingduringthenight,wecouldseehimpraying.IIwewantedtoseehimsleepingduring
thenight,wecouldseehimsleeping.AndsometimeshewouldIastIorsomanydaysthatwethought
he would not leave Iasting throughout that month. And sometimes he would not Iast (Ior so many
days)thatwethoughthewouldnotIastduringthatmonth."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,and
anNasa'i.
Commenting on this subject, Ibn Hajar says: "There was no speciIic time in which the Prophet
sallallahu alehi wasallamwouldperIormhislatenightprayer;buthewoulddowhateverwaseasiest
Iorhim."
Eiqh2.25:BesttimeIortahajjud
It is best to delay this prayer to the last third portion oI the night. Abu Hurairah reports that the
Messenger oI Allah said: "Our Lord descendstothelowestheavenduringthelastthirdoIthenight,
inquiring: 'Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something oI Me so I
maygiveittohim?WhoisaskingIorMyIorgivenesssoImayIorgivehim?"'Thisisrelatedbythe
group.
'AmribnAbasahreportsthatheheardtheProphetsay:"TheclosestthataslavecomestohisLordis
duringthemiddleoIthelatterportionoIthenight.IIyoucanbeamongthosewhorememberAllah,
theExaltedOne,atthattimethendoso."Thisisrelatedbyal-Hakimwhogradesitsahihaccordingto
Muslim's standards, and at-Tirmizhi calls it hasan sahih. AnNasa'i and Ibn Khuzaimahalsorecorded
it.
AbuMuslimaskedAbuZharr:"Whichlate-nightprayeristhebest?"He said:"IaskedtheMessenger
oI Allah the same that you askedmeandhesaid,'The(onedoneduring)middleoIthelatterhalIoI
thenight,andveryIewdoit.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithagoodchain.
'Abdullahibn'AmrreportsthattheProphetsaid:"ThemostbelovedIasttoAllahistheIastoIDavid.
And the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer oI David. He would sleep halI oI the night and
then pray during the next third oI the night and then sleep during the last sixth oI the night. And he
wouldIastonedayandnotIastthenext."Thisisrelatedbythegroupexceptat-Tirmizhi.
The number oI rak'at to be perIormed during tahajjud: The tahajjud prayer does not entail a speciIic
number oI rak'at which must be perIormed nor is there any maximum limit which has to be
perIormed. It would be IulIilled even iI one just prayed one rak'ah oI witr aIter the obligatory night
prayer.
Samurah ibn Jundub says: "The Messenger oI Allah ordered us to pray during the night, a little or a
lot,andtomakethelastoItheprayerthewitrprayer."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tabaraniandal-Bazzar.
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AnasrelatesthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Prayerinmymosqueisequaltotenthousandprayers
|elsewhere|. And prayer in the inviolable mosque is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers
|elsewhere|. AndprayerinthebattleIieldisequivalenttoonemillionprayers|elsewhere|.Andwhat
is more than all oI that is two rak'at by a slave |oI Allah| during the middle oI the night." This is
reported by Abu ash-Shaikh, Ibn Hibban in his work ath-Thawab, and al-Munzhiri, in his book at-
TarghibwatTarhib,issilentaboutit.
Iyas ibn Mu'awiyyah al-Mazni reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "The night
prayer should certainly be perIormed even iI it is Ior the length oI time that it takes one to milk a
sheep.AndwhateverisaItertheobligatory'ishaisoIthetahajjud."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tabarani,and
alloIitsnarratorsaretrustworthysaveMuhammadibnIshaq.
Ibn 'Abbas relates: "I mentioned the tahajjud prayer and some oI the people said that the Prophet
sallallahualehiwasallamsaid:'ItmaybehalIoIthenight,athirdoIthenight,aIourthoIthenightor
aIractionoIthetimeIormilkingacamelorasheep.""
Ibn 'Abbas also narrates that the Prophet ordered them and encouraged them to make the tahajjud
prayertotheextentthathesaid:"YoushouldperIormsalatullayileveniIitisjustonerak'ah."Thisis
relatedbyatTabaraniinal-Kabirandal-Awsat.
Eiqh2.26:ItispreIerabletoprayelevenorthirteenrak'atIortahajjud
Onemaychoosebetweenprayingthemalltogetherortoseparatethem.'Aishahsays:"TheMessenger
oI Allah never prayed more than eleven rak'at, during Ramadan or otherwise. He would pray Iour
rak'at, and don't ask about how excellent they were or how lengthy they were. Then, he would pray
Iour rak'at, and don't ask about how excellent they were or how lengthy they were. Then, he would
pray three rak'at. I asked: 'O Messenger oI Allah, do you sleep beIore praying witr?' he replied: 'O
'Aishah,myeyessleepbutmyheartdoesnotsleep."'Thisisrecordedbyal-BukhariandMuslimwho
also record that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said that he heard 'Aishah say: "The Messenger oI Allah's
prayerduringthenightwouldbetenrak'atandthenhewouldmakewitrwithonerak'ah."
Eiqh2.26a:Makingqada'Iorthemissedtahajjud
Muslim records that 'Aishah said: "II the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam missed the late-night
prayersduetopainoranythingelse,hewouldpraytwelverak'atduringtheday."
'UmarreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"WhoeversleepspasthisIullportion|oI
the late-night prayers| or part oI them, he should pray between the dawn and noon prayers and it
would be recorded Ior himas iI he hadprayedduringthenight."Thisisrelatedbythegroupexcept
Ioral-Bukhari.
Eiqh2.27:ThelegalityoItheTarawihprayer
ThespeciIicprayersduringthemonthoIRamadan,whichareknownastarawih,aresunnahIorboth
menandwomen,andtheyaretobeperIormedaItertheobligatory'ishaandbeIoretheperIormanceoI
thewitr.TheyshouldbeprayedinsetsoItworak'ateach.ItisallowedtopraythemaIterwitr;though,
thisisnotthebestthingtodo.TheymaybeperIormeduntiltheend oIthenight.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would encourage people to perIorm
the special prayers during Ramadan without commanding them as obligatory and he said: "Whoever
prays during the nights oI Ramadan |tarawih| with a Iirm belieI and hoping Ior reward, all oI his
previoussinswouldbeIorgiven."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
'Aishah says: "The Prophet oIIered salah in the mosqueandmanypeopleprayedwithhim.Thenext
day he did the same and more people prayed with him. Then the people gathered on the third night
but,theProphetdidnotcomeouttothem.Inthemorning,hesaidtothem:'SurelyIsawwhatyoudid,
andnothingpreventedmeIromcomingouttoyou,savethatIIearedthat|thatprayer|wouldbemade
obligatory upon you.' And that was during Ramadan." This is related by the group except Ior at-
Tirmizhi.
Eiqh2.27a:ThenumberoIrak'atoITarawih
'Aishah reported that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would not pray more than eleven rak'at
duringRamadanorotherwise.Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
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IbnKhuzaimahandIbnHibbanhaverecordedintheirsahihsontheauthorityoIJabirthattheProphet
prayedeightrak'atandthewitrprayerwiththecompanions.Then,thenextday,thepeoplewaitedIor
himbuthedidnotcomeouttothem.
Abu Ya'la and at-Tabarani record, with a hasan chain, Irom Jabir that Ubayy ibn Ka'b came to the
Prophetsallallahualehiwasallamandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,Ihavedonesomethinglastnight,"
(i.e.,duringRamadan).TheProphetsaid:'Andwhatwasthat,OUbayy?'Hesaid:Thewomeninmy
house said, 'We don't recite Qur'an |well or much| so can we pray behind you?' I prayed eight rak'at
andthewitrprayerwiththem.
TheMessengeroIAllahsallallahualehiwasallamwaspleasedwiththatanddidnotsayanything."
This is the sunnah that has been related Irom the Messenger oI Allah and nothing besides that is
authentic. It is also true that during the time oI 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali the people prayed twenty
rak'at,andthisistheopinionoIthemajorityoIthejuristsoItheHanaIiandHanbalischoolsaswellas
thatoIDawud.
At-Tirmizhisays:"MostoIthepeopleoIknowledgeIollowwhathasbeenrelatedIrom'Umarand'Ali
andothercompanionsoItheProphet,|i.e.,thattheyprayed|twentyrak'at.AndthisistheopinionoI
al-Thauri, Ibn al-Mubarak, and ash-ShaI'i. And so I Iound the people oI Makkah praying twenty
rak'at."
SomeoIthescholarsareoItheopinionthatthesunnahiselevenrak'at,includingwitr,anditisalso
preIerredtopraytheremainder|oIthetwentyrak'at|.
Al-Kamalibnal-Hamamsays:"TheevidenceindicatesthatthesunnahoIthetwentyrak'atiswhatthe
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam himselI did and then he stopped out oI Iear that it would become
something obligatory (Ior his Iollowers), thereIore, the rest oI the rak'at are only preIerred. It is
however,conIirmedthatheonlyprayedelevenrak'at,includingthewitr,asisstatedinthetwosahihs.
Accordingtothescholars,thesunnahiseightrak'atwhileitispreIerredtopraytwelverak'at."
Eiqh2.28:Prayingtarawihincongregation
ItisallowedtopraytarawihoIthemonthoIRamadaninacongregationjustasitisallowedtopray
them on an individual basis. The majority oI the scholars, however, preIer to pray them in
congregation.TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam,asstatedearlier,prayedtarawihincongregation
withtheMuslimsbuthediscontinuedsinceheIearedthatitwouldbemadeobligatory.
'Umar was the one who convoked the Muslims to pray tarawih behind one imam. Abdurahman ibn
Abdulqarireports:"OnenightduringRamadan,Iwentwith'Umartothemosqueandthepeoplewere
praying in diIIerent groups. Some were praying by themselves and others were praying in small
groups.'Umarsaid:'IthinkitwouldbebetteriIIgatheredthemunderoneimam.'Thenhedidsoand
appointedUbayyibnKa'bastheleaderoItheprayer.ThenIwentoutwithhimonanothernightand
allthepeoplewereprayingbehindoneimamand'Umarsaid:'Whatagoodinnovation(bid'ah)thisis,'
but,itisbettertosleepanddelayituntilthelatterportionoIthenight."Thepeople(however)prayed
itatthebeginningoIthenight.Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,IbnKhuzaimah,alBaihaqi,andothers.
Eiqh2.29:TherecitationoItheQur'anintarawih
There is no particular sunnah regarding the recitation during salat at-tarawih. It is related that some
people oI the early generations would pray with two hundred 'ayyahs or so and thepeople would be
leaning on staIIs due to the protracted standing during the salah. They would not leave their prayers
untilshortlybeIoredawnandsomeoIthemwouldrushtheirservantstoprepareIoodIorthemIearing
thatdawnmaybreaksoon.Theywould reciteal-Baqarahineightrak'atandiItheywouldcompleteit
intwelverak'at,theywouldconsidertheirprayerstohavebeenveryshort.
IbnQudamahsays:"Ahmadsaid:'ReciteoItheQur'anwhatiseasyIorthepeopleanddonotbehard
uponthem,especiallyduringtheshortnights|i.e.,duringthesummer|.'"
|Onthesamesubject|,Al-Qadisays:'ItisnotpreIerredtorecitelessthantheentireQur'anduringthe
month: in this way, the people will be able to hear the whole Qur'an. Do not recite more than one
reading oI the Qur'an as this may beharduponthepeople.|Whilereciting|,considerationshouldbe
given to the condition oI the people. II the people concur that they would preIer a long recital, that
wouldbebest.'
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Likewise,AbuZharrsaid:'WeprayedwiththeProphetsallallahualehiwasallamuntilweIearedthat
wewouldmissthepre-dawnmeal.Andtheimamwouldrecitetwohundred'ayyahs.'"
Eiqh2.29a:TheexcellenceoItheduhaprayer
ManyhadithdescribetheexcellenceoItheduhaprayer.
Abu Zharr reports that the Prophet sallallahu aleihi wasallam said: "Charity is required Irom every
part oI your body daily. Every saying oI 'Glory be to Allah' is charity. Every saying oI 'Praise be to
Allah'ischarity.EverysayingoI'ThereisnoGodbutAllah'ischarity.EverysayingoI'Allahisthe
Greatest'ischarity.Orderingthegoodischarity.Eradicatingtheevilischarity.AndwhatsuIIicesIor
that(asacharity)arethetworak'atoIduha."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andAbuDawud.
Ahmad and Abu Dawud record Irom Buraidah that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "In a
human(body)thereare360jointsandmanmustmakeacharityIoreachone."Thepeoplesaid:"Who
candothat,OMessengeroIAllah?"Heresponded:"OnemaycoverthemucusthatoneIindsinthe
mosqueorremovesomethingharmIulIromtheroad.IIonecouldnotdothat,hecouldpraytworak'at
oIduhaandthatwillbesuIIicientIorhim."
Talking oI the legal import oI these hadith, ash-Shaukani says: "These two hadith point to the
greatness,excellence,andimportanceoItheduhaprayer,stressingitslegalityasitstworak'atsuIIice
Ior360charities.SomethinglikethisshouldbeperIormedregularlyandpersistently.Thehadithalso
establish the importance oI saying 'Glory be to Allah', 'Praise be to Allah', and 'There is no God but
Allah.'And|theimportanceoI|orderingthegood,eradicatingtheevil,removingthespittle,removing
whatisharmIulIromthepath,andsuchotheractsthatwillIulIill whatisrequiredoIapersonoIdaily
charities."
An-Nawas ibn Sam'an relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Allah said: 'Son oI
Adam,donotIailinperIormingIourrak'atintheearlydayasitwillbesuIIicientIorthelatterpartoI
the day."' This is related by al-Hakim and at-Tabarani and its narrators are trustworthy. Ahmad, at-
Tirmizhi,AbuDawud,andan-Nasa'irelateitontheauthorityoINa'imal-GhatIaniwithagoodchain.
At-Tirmizhi's wording is: "Son oI Adam, pray Iour rak'at Ior Me in the early day and it will be
suIIicientIoryouIorthelatterpartoItheday."
'Abdullahibn'Amrsays:"TheMessengeroIAllahsentanexpeditionandtheyobtainedlotsoIbooty
and returned quickly. The people talked about their quick victory, abundant booty, and quick return.
At this the Messenger oI Allah said: 'Shall I not guide you to a closer battle, a greater booty and a
quicker return? Whoever makes wudu' and then goes to the mosque to pray duha, that is the closer
battle, better booty, and quicker return."' This is related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani. Abu Ya'la has
somethingsimilartoit.
AbuHurairahsays:"MyIriend|theMessengeroIAllah|advisedmetodothreethings:Iastingthree
days oI every month, praying the duha prayer, and praying the witr prayer beIore I sleep." This is
relatedbyalBukhariandMuslim.
Anas says: "During a journey, IsawtheMessengeroIAllahprayeightrak'atintheearlyday.When
heIinished,hesaid:'IprayedmyprayerwishingandIearing.IaskedmyLordIorthreethingsandHe
gavemetwoandwithheldone.IaskedHimnottoputmyummahtotrialbyIamineandHegranted
that request. And I asked that they would not be overtaken by their enemies and He granted that
request.AndIaskedthattheynotbesplitintogroupsandpartiesandHereIusedthatrequest."'Thisis
relatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,al-Hakim,andibnKhuzaimahwhoclassiIiesitassahih.
Eiqh2.31:Salatulduhaisaprizedprayer
Salatul duha is a prized prayer and whoever wishes to earn reward should pray it, while there is no
blameupontheonewhodoesnotprayit.
AbuSa'idreports:"TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwouldprayduhauntilwethoughthewould
neverabandonit.AndhewouldabandonittothepointthatwethoughthewouldnolongerperIorm
it."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tirmizhiwhosaysitishasan.
AnasrelatesthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Prayerinmymosqueisequaltotenthousandprayers
|elsewhere|. And prayer in the inviolable mosque is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers
|elsewhere|. AndprayerinthebattleIieldisequivalenttoonemillionprayers|elsewhere|.Andwhat
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is more than all oI that is two rak'at by a slave |oI Allah| during the middle oI the night." This is
reported by Abu ash-Shaikh, Ibn Hibban in his work ath-Thawab, and al-Munzhiri, in his book at-
TarghibwatTarhib,issilentaboutit.
Eiqh2.31a:RecommendedtimeIortheduhaprayer
The time Ior duha begins when the sun is about a spear's length above the horizon and it continues
untilthesunreachesitsmeridian.ItispreIerredtodelayituntilthesunhasrisenhighandthedayhas
becomehot.
Zaid ibn Arqam relates: "The Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam went to the people oI
Quba',andtheywereperIormingduha,andhesaid:'TheprayeroIdevotionshouldbeobservedwhen
the young weaned camels Ieel the heat oI the sun.'" This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, and at-
Tirmizhi.
Eiqh2.31b:NumberoIrak'atIortheduhaprayer
TheminimumnumberoIrak'ahtobeprayedistwo,aswasmentionedinthehadithoIAbuZharr.The
most that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam perIormed was eight rak'at, whereas, the most he
mentionedwastwelverak'at.Somepeople,suchasAbuJa'Iarat-Tabari,al-Mulaimi,andar-Ruwyani,
who subscribes to the ShaIi' school, say there is no maximum limit to the number oI rak'at that one
mayperIormIorduha.
Al-'lraqi says, in the commentary on Sunan at-Tirmizhi: "None oI the companions or Iollowers are
knowntohaverestrictedittotwelverak'at."As-Syutiagreeswithit.
Sa'id ibn Mansur records that al-Hassan was asked: "Did the companionsperIormit?"Heanswered:
"Yes...someoIthemwouldpraytworak'atandsomeoIthemwouldprayIourrak'at.AndsomeoI
themwouldcontinueuntilhalIthe|early|day|hadpassed|."
Ibrahiman-Nakha'ireportsthatal-AswadibnYazidwasasked:"Howmanyrak'ataretobeprayedIor
duha?"Heanswered:"Asmanyasyouwish."
Umm Hani narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prayed eight rak'at oI duha and made
thetaslimaItereverytworak'at.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudwithasahihchain.
'Aishahreports:"TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwouldprayIourrak'atIorduhaandwouldadd
toitwhateverAllahwilled."Thisisrelated byAhmad,Muslim,andibnMajah.
Eiqh2.32:SalatulIstikharah
It is a sunnah that, iI one must choose between permissible alternatives, one may pray two non-
obligatory rak'at, even iI they are oI the regular sunnah prayers or a prayer Ior entering the mosque,
andsoon,duringanytimeoIthedayornight,andtorecitethereinwhateveronewishesoItheQur'an
aIter reciting al-Eatihah. Then one praises Allah and sends salutations to the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam and recites the Iollowing supplication which has been recorded by al-Bukhari in Jabir's
narration: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would teach us al-istikhara Ior all oI our aIIairs as
he would teach us a surah Irom the Qur'an. He said: 'II one oI you is deliberating over an act, he
shouldpraytwonon-obligatoryrak'atandsay:
"O Allah, I consult You as You are All-Knowing and I appeal to You to give me power as You are
Omnipotent, I ask YouIorYourgreatIavor,IorYouhavepowerandIdonot,andYouknowalloI
thehiddenmatters.OAllah!IIyouknowthatthismatter(thenheshouldmentionit)isgoodIorme
inmyreligion,mylivelihood,andIormyliIeintheHereaIter,(orhesaid:'IormypresentandIuture
liIe,')thenmakeit(easy)Iorme.AndiIyouknowthatthismatterisnotgoodIormeinmyreligion,
my livelihood and my liIe in the HereaIter, (or he said: 'Ior my present and Iuture liIe,') then keepit
awayIrommeandtakemeawayIromitandchoosewhatisgoodIormewhereveritisandpleaseme
withit."
ThereisnothingauthenticconcerningsomethingspeciIicthatistoberecitedintheprayernoristhere
anyauthenticreportconcerninghowmanytimesoneshouldrepeatit.
An-Nawawi holds that "aIter perIorming the istikharah, a person must do what he iswholeheartedly
inclined to do and Ieels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do
beIoremakingtheistikharah.AndiIhisIeelingschange,heshouldleavewhathehadintendedtodo,
otherwise he is not completely leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking aid
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Irom Allah's power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice, means that one should
completelyleavewhathehimselIhaddesiredordetermined."
Eiqh2.33:SalatulTasbih
'Ikrimah reports Irom Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger oI Allah said to 'Abbas ibn 'Abdal-Mutalib: "O
'Abbas,OUncle,shallInotgiveyou,shallInotpresenttoyou,shallInotdonatetoyou,shallInot
tell you ten things which, iI you do, Allah will Iorgive your Iirstand last sins,pastandpresentsins,
intentional and unintentional sins, private and public sins? The ten actions are: pray Iour rak'at,
recitingineveryrak'ahal-Eatihahandasurah.AndwhenyouIinishtheQur'anicrecitationoItheIirst
rak'ah,say, whilestanding,'Subhanallah,al-hamdulillah,walailahaillallah,waAllahuAkbar'|'Glory
be to Allah. All praise is due to Allah. There is no God except Allah. Allah is the greatest.'| IiIteen
times. Then make ruku', and while you are in ruku', say the same ten times; then stand, and say the
same ten times. Then go down and make sajdah, and while you're in sajdah,saythesametentimes.
ThensitaIterthesajdah,andsaythesametentimes.Thenmakesajdah,andsaythesametentimes.
ThensitaIterthesecondsajdah,andsaythesameanothertentimes.Thatisseventy-Iive|repetitions
oIthephrases|ineachrak'ah.DothatineachoItheIourrak'at.IIyoucanprayitonceaday,doso.II
youcannot,thenonceeveryEriday.IIyoucannotdothat, thenonceayear.AndiIyoucannotdothat
thenonceinyourliIe."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,IbnMajah,IbnKhuzaimahinhissahih,andat-
Tabarani.Aboutthishadithal-Munzhirisays:"Thishadithhasbeenrelatedthroughmanychainsand
IromanumberoIcompanions.ThebestoIthemisthisoneIrom'Ikrimah.AgroupoIscholarshave
graded it to be sahih, including al-HaIez Abu Bakr al-'Ajari, (al-Munzhiri's teachers), Abu
Muhammad 'Abdurrahim al-Misri, and Abu al-Hassan al-Maqdisi." Ibn alMubarak says: "The tasbih
prayer is a greatly desired act and it is desirable that one should punctually observe it and never
neglectit.
Eiqh2.33a:SalatulHajah,theprayerIorneed
Ahmad has on sound authority reported Irom Abu Darda that the Prophet Sallallahu Alehi wasallam
said:"Hewhomakeswudu,anddoesitproperly,thenpraystworak'at,Allahwillgranthimwhatever
hemayprayIor,soonerorlater."
Eiqh2.34:SalatulTaubah,theprayeroIpenitence
AbuBakrreports:"IheardtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaying:'AllahIorgivesthemanwho
commitsasin(thenIeelsashamed),puriIieshimselI,oIIersaprayerandseeksHisIorgiveness.'Then
he recited the 'ayyah: 'And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember
Allah and implore Iorgiveness Ior their sins- and who can Iorgive sins except Allah?- and will not
knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did. The reward oI such will be Iorgiveness Irom their Lord, and
gardens underneath which rivers Ilow, wherein they will abide Iorever- a bountiIul reward Ior
workers."'|al-'lmran:135-136|.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajah,al-Baihaqi,and
at-Tirmizhiwhocallsithasan.
At-Tabarani records in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, with a hasan chain, Irom Abuad-Darda'thattheProphet
sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Whoever makes wudu' and perIects the wudu' and then stands and
prays two rak'at or Iour rak'at, obligatory or non-obligatory, and perIects therein his ruku' andsujjud
andthenasksIorAllah'sIorgiveness,hewillbeIorgiven."
Eiqh2.34a:SalatulKasuI,prayeroIthesolarandlunareclipse
ThescholarsagreethattheprayeroItheeclipsesisasunnahmu'akkadah,astressedone,whichisto
beperIormedbybothmenandwomen.Itisbesttoprayitincongregationalthoughthecongregation
is not a condition Ior it. The people are called to it by announcing as-salatu jami'ah "prayer in
congregation." The majority oI the scholars hold that it is to consist oI two rak'at and that in every
rak'ahoneistoperIormtwobowings(ruku')insteadoIthecustomaryone.
'Aishah narrates: "There was a solar eclipse during the time oI the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
andtheProphetwenttothemosque,andhestoodandmadethetakbir,andheputthepeopleinrows
behindhim,andhemadealengthyrecitalduringthesalah.Next,hemadethetakbirandmadealong
ruku',butitwasnotaslongastherecital.Eollowingthat,heraisedhishead,saying:'Allahhearshim
who praises Him. And to You, our Lord, belongs the praise.' AIterward, he stood and made another
longrecitalbutitwasshorterthantheIirstone.Again,hemadethetakbirandmadearuku'thatwas
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shorter than the Iirst one. Then, again he said: 'Allah hears him who praises Him. And to You, our
Lord,belongsthepraise.'AIterthis,heprostrated.Hedidthesameinthenextrak'ahandIinishedIour
ruku'andIoursujjud.ThesunappearedagainbeIoreheIinished.Einally,hestoodandaddressedthe
peopleandpraisedAllahasHedeservesitandsaid:'ThesunandthemoonaretwosignsIromamong
Allah'ssignsandthereisnoeclipseduetosomeone'sdeathorliIe.IIyouseethemoccurring,hurryto
pray.'"ThisisrelatedbyalBukhariandMuslim.
BukhariandMuslimalsorecordthatIbn'Abbassaid:"TherewasasolareclipseduringtheliIetime
oItheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamandheprayedwithalongstanding,similartowhatittakesto
recitealBaqarah.Then,hemadealongruku'.AIterwhich,hestoodandmadeanotherlongrecitalbut
shorter than the Iirst one. Again he went into ruku', but Ior a shorter time than in the Iirst one.
Eollowingthis,hemadesajdah|twice|.Nexthemadeanotherlongstanding(qiyam)whichwasalso
notaslongastheIirst.AIterthat,hemadeanotherlengthyruku'butitwasnotaslongastheIirstone.
Again,hemadeanotherlongqiyam|andrecital|butitwasnotaslongastheIirstone.AIterwhich,he
made another lengthy ruku' but it was not as long as the previous one. Eollowing this, he went into
sajdah |and so on|. When he had Iinished, the sun had appeared. He concluded his prayer and said:
'ThesunandthemoonaretwosignsIromthesignsoIAllah,andthereisnoeclipseduetothedeath
or liIe oI anyone.IIyouseeit,makeremembranceoIAllah.'"Gradingthesereports,IbnAbdulBarr
says:"Thesetwohaditharethemostauthenticreportsonthistopic."
Ibn al-Qayyim observes: "The authentic, clear, and prepondering sunnah concerning salatul kasuI is
that the ruku' is to be repeated |twice| in every rak'ah. This is based on the hadith Irom'Aishah,Ibn
'Abbas, Jabir, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas, and Abu Musa alAsh'ari. They all
reportthattheProphetrepeatedtheruku'inonerak'ah.ThosewhomentiontherepeatingoItheruku'
aremoreinnumber,weightier,andclosertotheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamthanthosewhodo
notmentionit."ThisistheopinionoIMalik,ash-ShaI'i,andAhmad.
Abu HaniIah is oI the opinion that salatul KasuI consists oI two rak'at, similar to salatul 'id and
jumu'ah,basedonthehadithoIAn-Nu'manibnBashirwhosays:"TheMessengeroIAllahsallallahu
alehi wasallam prayed the salatul kasuI with us like one oI your prayers. He went into ruku' and
perIormedsajdah,prayingtworak'atbytworak'at,andsupplicatedtoAllahuntilthesunreappeared
clearlyagain."
In the hadith Irom Qabsah al-Hillali, the Prophet said: "II you see that |i.e., an eclipse|, pray as you
praytheobligatoryprayer."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandan-Nasa'i.
The reciting oI al-Eatihah is obligatory in each rak'ah, and one may recite whatever one wishes to,
aIter Al-Eatihah. It is allowed to make the recital audible or silent, but al-Bukhari says: "Audible
recitalismoreproper."
Eiqh2.36:ThetimeIoral-kasuIisIromthebeginningoItheeclipseuntiltheeclipseIinishes
The prayer oI the lunar eclipse is similar to that oI the solar eclipse. Al-Hassan al-Basri reports:
"TherewasasolareclipseandIbn'Abbas,thegovernoroIBasra,wentoutandprayedtworak'atwith
two ruku' in each rak'ah. Then, he mounted his mount and said: 'I prayed as I have seen the Prophet
praying.'"Thisisrelatedbyash-ShaI'iinhisMusnad.
Eiqh 2.36 a: It is preIerred to make the takbir, supplications, to give charity, and ask Allah Ior
Iorgivenessduringtheeclipse
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordIrom'AishahthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Thesunandthemoon
are two signs Irom among Allah's signs and there is no eclipse due to the liIe or death oI anyone. II
you see that |an eclipse| supplicate to Allah, extol His greatness, give charity and pray." They also
record Irom Abu Musa that there was a solar eclipse and the Prophet said: "II you see something oI
thisnature,rushtotheremembranceoIAllah,supplicatingHimandaskingHis Iorgiveness."
Eiqh2.36b:SalatulIstisqa,prayerIorrain
This prayer is taken recourse to when seeking rain Irom Allah during times oI drought. It may be
perIormedinoneoItheIollowingmanners:
-1- The imam prays, with the Iollowers, two rak'at during any time except those times in whichitis
not desirable to pray. In the Iirst rak'ah, the imam recites al-A'la aIter al-Eatihah. And in the second
rak'ah,hereadsal-GhashiyahaIteral-Eatihah,andhedeliversakhutbahbeIoreoraIterthesalah.As
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soon as he Iinishes the khutbah, the people present should turn their outer garments around, each
placingitsleItsideonhisrightsideanditsrightsideonhisleIt,Iacetheqiblah,supplicateAllahand
raisetheirhandswhiledoingso.
Ibn 'Abbas reports: "The Messenger oI Allah went out |to make the salatul istisqa'| wearing old
clothes,inahumbleandlowlymanner,andprayedtworak'atasheprayedthe'id,buthedidnotgive
a similar khutbah." This is related by the Iive. At-Tirmizhi, Abu 'Awanah, and Ibn Hibban grade it
sahih.
'Aishahsays:"ThepeoplecomplainedtotheMessengeroIAllahaboutlackoIrain,sohegaveorders
Iorapulpit,andwhenitwassetupIorhim,heappointedadayIorthepeopletogather.Hecameout
onthatdaywhenthesunhadjustappearedandsatdownonthepulpit.HeextolledAllah'sgreatness
and praised Him. Then he said: 'You have complained oI drought in your areas and oI delay in
receiving rain at the beginning oI its season, but you have been ordered by Allah to supplicate Him
and He has promised that He would answer your prayers.' Then he said: 'All praise is Ior Allah, the
Compassionate,theMerciIul,theKingoItheDayoIJudgment.ThereisnoGodbutAllahWhodoes
what He wishes. O Allah, there is no God except Thee. You are the SelI-suIIicient and we are the
poor.SenddownrainuponusandmakeitasourceoIstrengthIorusandsatisIactionIorus.'Hethen
raisedhishandsandkeptraisingthemtillthewhitenessoIhisarmpitscouldbeseen.
AIter this, he turned hisbacktothepeopleandinvertedhiscloak,keepinghishandsraised.Einally,
heIacedthepeople,descendedIromthepulpit,andprayedtworak'at.AtthattimeAllahproduceda
cloud,thunder,andlightning.And,byAllah'spermission, itrainedandbeIorehereachedthemosque
therewasIlooding.ThenhesawhowquicklythepeoplewererunningIorshelter,helaugheduntilhis
molar teeth could be seen. He said: 'I bear witness that Allah has power over all things and I am
Allah's slave and Messenger.'" This is related by al-Hakim who classiIies it to be sahih and by Abu
Dawudwhosays:"Thishadithisghareebanditschainisgood."
It is Iurthermore related Irom 'Ibad ibn Tamim Irom his uncle 'Abdullah ibn Zaid al-Mazni that the
Prophetsallallahualehiwasallamwentouttopraysalatulistisqa'andprayedtworak'atrecitingthem
aloud.Thisisrelatedbythegroup.AndAbuHurairahsays:"TheProphetoIAllahwentoutoneday
to make salatul ishtisqa' and prayed two rak'at with us without any azhan or iqamah. Then, he
addressedusandsupplicatedAllahandturnedhisIacetowardtheqiblah,withhishandsraised.Next,
hereversedhiscloak,placingitsleItsideonhisrightsideanditsrightsideonhisleItside."Thisis
relatedbyAhmad,IbnMajah,andal-Baihaqi.
-2- The supplication Ior rain can also be made on the occasion oI salatul jumu'ah. In this case, the
imam makes supplications during khutbatul jumu'ah with the people oI the congregation saying
(Ameen).
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordIromShuraikontheauthorityoIAnasthatamanenteredthemosque
on Eriday while the Prophet was addressing the people. The man said: "O Messenger oI Allah, our
wealth has been destroyed and we have no transport to the market place. Supplicate Ior us Iorrain."
TheProphetraisedhishandsandsaid:"OAllah,giveusrain.OAllah,giveusrain.OAllah,giveus
rain." Anas said: "By Allah, at that time there were no clouds in the sky and there was no house or
buildingbetweenusandthemountain.Erombehindthemountaincameacloudlookinglikeashield.
BythetimeitreachedthemiddleoIthesky,itburstandstartedtorain.ByAllah,wedidnotseethe
sunIoroneweek.Then,onthenextEriday,amanenteredthemosqueIromthat(same)doorwhilethe
Prophetwasmakingtheaddress.ThemanIacedtheProphetandsaid:'Ourlivestockisdeadandthe
paths are unpassable. Ask Allah to make it stop.' The Prophet raised his hands and said: 'O Allah,
around us and not upon us. O Allah, make it upon the hills, small mountains, bottom oI the valleys,
andplantations.'Therainstoppedandwewalkedoutinthesunshine."
-3- Onemayalsomakeasupplication(Iorrain)withoutitbeingEridayandregardlessoIwhetheror
nottheprayertakesplaceinsideoroutsidethemosque.IbnMajahandAbu'AwanahrecordthatIbn
'Abbassaid:"ABedouincametotheMessengeroIAllahandsaid:'OMessengeroIAllah,Icometo
youIromapeoplewhoseshepherdsdonothaveanyIodderandwhoseprizestallioncannotmoveits
tail due to the |drought|.' TheProphetmountedthepulpit,praisedAllahandsaid:'OAllah,giveus
savingrainwhichleadstosomethinggoodandwhichisproductive- ageneralheavyrain- nowand
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not later.' Then, he descended Irom the pulpit. People came Irom every direction saying that it was
raining." This is reported by Ibn Majah and Abu 'Awanah and its chain is sound, but Ibn Hajar is
silentaboutitinhisAl-Talkhis.
Shurahbilibnas-SimtsaidtoKa'bibnMurrah:"OKa'b,relatetoussomethingIromtheMessengeroI
Allah." Ka'b said: "When a man came and said to the Prophet oI Allah, 'Seek rain Ior the tribe oI
Muzhar,' I heard the Prophet say: 'You are a bold man. You want me to seek rain Ior the tribe oI
Muzhar?'Themansaid:'OMessengeroIAllah,youhavesoughtvictoryIromAllahandHegaveyou
victory. You supplicated Allah and He answered you.' The Messenger oI Allah raised his hands and
said: 'O Allah, give us a saving rain, good and productive, general and heavy, now and not later,
beneIicial and not harmIul.' Allah responded to his supplication. It was not long beIore the people
camecomplainingabouttheproIusionoIrain,anddamagetotheirdwellings.TheMessengeroIAllah
raisedhishandsandsaid:'OAllah,around usandnotuponus.'ThecloudsbegandispersingleItand
right." This is related byAhmad,IbnMajah,al-Baihaqi,IbnShaibahandal-Hakim.Thelatergrades
thishadithashasansahihandholdsthatitschainmeetstheconditionsoIal-BukhariandMuslim.
Ash-Sha'biy says: "'Umar went out to make ishsqa' and he did no more than seeking Allah's
Iorgiveness. The people said: 'We did not see you making ishsqa'.' He said: 'I sought rain by what
makes it descend (i.e., istighIar or seeking Iorgiveness oI Allah), unlike those (Arabs oI days oI
ignorance) who sought it by the stars oI the sky.' Then, he recited the Iollowing two 'ayat: 'Seek
Iorgiveness oI your Lord. Lo! He is Ever-Eorgiving. He will let loose the sky Ior you in plenteous
rain.'and:'AskIorgivenessoIyourLord,andturntoHim(inrepentance):Hewillsendyoutheskies
pouringabundantrain.'"ThisisrelatedbyAbuSa'idinhisSunan,'Abdurrazzaq,al-Baihaqi,andIbn
abiShaibah.
Eiqh2.39:SomesupplicationsIorrain
TheIollowingaresomeoIthesupplicationsthathavebeentransmitted.
Ash-ShaI'istatesthatithasbeenrelatedIromSalimibn'Abdullah,ontheauthorityoIhisIatherthat
the Prophet would say Ior ishsqa': "O Allah, give us a saving rain, productive, plentiIul, general,
continuous.OAllah,giveusrainanddonotmakeusamongthedespondent.OAllah,(Your)slaves,
land, animals, and (Your) creation all are suIIering and seek protection. And we do not complain
excepttoYou.OAllah,letourcropsgrow,andlettheudders bereIilled.GiveusIromtheblessings
oI the sky and grow Ior us Irom the blessings oI the earth. O Allah, remove Irom us the hardship,
starvation,andbarrennessandremovetheaIIlictionIromusasnooneremovesaIIlictionssaveThee.
OAllah,weseek YourIorgivenessasYouaretheEorgiving,andsenduponusplenteousrains."Ash-
ShaI'isaid:"IpreIerthattheimamwouldsupplicatewiththat(prayer)."
Sa'd reported that Ior ishsqa', the Prophet would supplicate: "O Allah, let us be covered with thick
clouds that have abundant and beneIicial rain, Irequently making a light rain upon us and sprinkling
uponuswithlightning.OAllah,YouareIulloImajesty,bountyandHonour."ThisisrelatedbyAbu
'AwanahinhisSahih.
'Amr ibn Shuaib relates Irom his Iather, on the authority oI his grandIather, that Ior istisqa', the
Prophetwouldsay:"OAllah,providewaterIorYourslavesandYourcattle,displayYourmercyand
giveliIetoYourdeadlands."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.
ItispreIerredIorthe onewhoismakingthissupplicationtoraisehishandswiththebackoIhishands
toward the sky. Muslim records Irom Anas that the Prophet would point with the back oI his hands
duringishsqa'.
It is also preIerred, upon seeing the rain, to say: "O Allah, make it a beneIicial rain" and he should
uncover part oI his body to the rain. On the other hand, iI one Iears that there is too much rain, one
should say: "O Allah give us mercy and do not give us punishment, calamaties, destruction or
Ilooding.OAllah,makeituponthewoods,Iarmsandtrees.Makeitaroundusandnotuponus."
AlloIthisisauthenticandconIirmedIromtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam.
Eiqh2.40:TheProstrationDuringtheQur'anicRecitation
Whoever recites an "'ayyah oI prostration (sajdah)" or hears an "'ayyah oI prostration" should
preIerably pronounce the takbir and prostrate and then make the takbir again and rise Irom the
prostration. This is called"theprostrationoIrecital."Thereisnotashahudortaslimwiththesajdah.
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NaI'irelatesthatIbn'Umarsaid:"TheProphetwouldrecitetheQur'antousandwhenhecametoan
''ayyahoIsajdah,'hewouldmakethetakbirandgointosajdahandwewouldmakethesajdah."This
is related by Abu Dawud, al-Baihaqi, and al-Hakim. The later holds it to be sahih according to al-
Bukhari'sandMuslim'scriteria.AbuDawudsays:"Abdurrazzaqsaid:'At-Thauriwasamazedbythat
hadith.'Hewasamazedbyitbecauseitmentionsthetakbir."'AbdullahibnMas'udsaid:"IIyouread
an 'ayyah oI sajdah', then make the takbir and prostrate. And when you raise your head, make the
takbir."
Eiqh2.41:ExcellenceoIprostrationduringtheQuranicrecitation
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "II a son oI Adam recites an
'ayyahoIprostrationandprostrates,theSatandepartsIromhimandcries:'Owoe,hewasorderedto
prostrateandhedid,soIorhimisparadise.IwasorderedtoprostrateandIdisobeyed,soIormeisthe
Hell.'"
Eiqh2.41a:Rulingconcerning prostrationduringtheQuranicrecitation
ThemajorityoIthescholarssaythatprostrationsIorthe"'ayyatoIsajdah"aresunnahIortheonewho
recitesthe'ayyahandIortheonewhohearsit.Thisisbasedonwhatal-BukharirecordedIrom'Umar
who recited an-Nahl upon the minbar one Eriday, until he came to the "'ayyah oI sajdah," and he
descended Irom the pulpit and prostrated along with the people. On the next Eriday, he recited the
same and when he came to the 'ayyah oI sajdah, he said: "O people, we have not been ordered to
prostrate.Whoeverdoessohasactedcorrectly,while,thereisnosinupononewhodoesnotdoso."In
anothernarrationitisstated:"AllahhasnotIorceduponusthesajdahbutiIonewishestodoso(he
maymakeaprostration.)"
Inaddition,thegroup,exceptIorIbnMajah,recordsthatZaidibnThabitsaid:"Irecitedan-Najmto
theProphetsallallahualehiwasallamandhedidnotprostrateduringit."Ad-Daraqutnirecordsitand
observes:"NoneoIusprostratedduringit."
IbnHajaral-AsqallanisaysthatthestrongestopinionisthatheleItittoshowthatitispermissiblenot
to do it. ShaI'i holds a similar view. This opinion is supported by what is recordedbyal-Bazzarand
adDaraqutni Irom Abu Hurairah who says: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam recited an-Najm
and prostrated and we prostrated with him." (In Eath al-Bari, Ibn Hajar holds that its narrators are
trustworthy.)IbnMas'udmoreoverreportedthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamrecitedanNajm
and prostrated, and all oI the people with him prostrated, save one old man Irom the Quraish who
simply liIted some pebbles or dirt to his Iorehead and said: "That is suIIicient Ior me." Ibn Mas'ud
said:"AIter|sometime|IIoundthathewaskilledwhilestillanunbeliever."Thisisrecordedbyal-
BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.42:The"ayyahoIprostration"
There are IiIteen places in the Qur'an at which one is to prostrate. 'Amr ibn al-'Aas relates that the
ProphetsallallahualehiwasallamrecitedIiIteen'ayyatoIprostrationintheQur'an,threecomingIrom
the MuIassal and two Irom surah al-Hajj. This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, and
ad-Daraqutni.Al-Munzhiriandan-Nawawisayitishasan.TheIiIteen'ayyatare:
-1- "Lo! Those who are with thy Lord are not tooproudtodoHimservice,buttheypraiseHimand
prostratetoHim"(al-A'raI206).
-2- "And unto Allah Iallsprostratewhoeverisintheheavensandtheearth,willinglyorunwillingly,
asdotheirshadowsinthemorningandtheeveninghours"(ar-Ra'd15).
-3- "And unto Allah does whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth oI living creatures
makeprostration,andtheangels(also)andtheyarenotproud"(an-Nahl49).
-4- "Say: Believe therein or believe not, lo! Those who were given knowledge beIore it, when it is
readuntothem,theyIalldownprostrateontheirIaces,adoring"(al-lsra'107).
-5- "When the revelations oI the BeneIicent were recited unto them, they prostrated, adoring and
weeping"(Maryam58).
-6- "Haven'tyouseenthatuntoAllahprostrateswhoeverisintheheavensandwhoeverisintheearth,
and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many oI
mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorns, there is
nonetogivehimhonor.Lo!Allahdoeswhathewills"(al-Hajj18).
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-7- "Oyouwhobelieve,bowdownandprostrateyourselves,andworshipyourLordanddogood,that
youmayprosper"(al-Hajj77).
-8- "And when it is said unto them: 'Prostrate unto the BeneIicent,' they say: 'And what is the
BeneIicent'? Are we to prostrate to whatever you bid us?' And it increases aversion in them" (al-
Eurqan60).
-9- "SotheyprostratenottoAllah!|He|whobringsIorththehiddenintheheavensandtheearth.And
Heknowswhatyouhideandwhatyouproclaim"(an-Naml25).
-10- "Only those who believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded oI them, Iall down
prostrateandhymnthepraiseoItheirLordandwhoarenotscornIul"(as-Sajdah15).
-11- "AndDavidguessedthatwehadtriedhim,andhesoughtIorgivenessoIhisLord,andhebowed
himselIandIelldownprostrateandrepented"(Sad24).
-12- "AndoIHisportentsarethenightandthedayandthesunandthemoon.Prostrate nottothesun
orthemoon,butprostrateuntoAllahwhocreatedthem,iIitisHimyouworship"(Ha-Mim37).
-13- "RatherprostratebeIoreAllahandserveHim"(an-Najm62).
-14- "And,whentheQur'anisreciteduntothem,theydonotprostrate(untoAllah)"(al-Inshiqaq21).
-15- "ButprostrateyourselIanddrawnear(untoAllah)"(al-'Alaq19).
Eiqh2.43:TheconditionsIorProstrationoIRecital
The majority oI the scholars lay down the same conditions and prerequisites Ior the prostration oI
recitalastheydoIorthesalah,withrespecttopurity,Iacingtheqiblah,andcoveringthe'aurah.Ash-
Shaukani says: "There is no hadith concerning prostrations oI recital which proves that to prostrate
one must be in a state oI purity |Iree Irom major or minor deIilements|. The people who were with
him|theProphet|prostratedwithhimandhedidnotorderanyoIthemtoperIormablution,anditis
hardtobelievethattheyallwereinastateoIpurity.Eurthermore,thepolytheistsprostratedwithhim
and they are impure, and their ablution would not be acceptable. Al-Bukhari relates Irom Ibn 'Umar
that he would prostrate even when not Iree oI minor impurities. Ibn Abi Shaibah recorded the same
Iromhim.AsIorthereportIromal-Baihaqi,(withachainthatIbn Hajarcallssahih),whichsays:'A
man is not to prostrate unless he is in a state oI purity.' These reports can be reconciliated by Ibn
Hajar'sstatementthatthis(either)reIerstoamajordeIilementorwhenanoptionisavailable,whereas
in the Iirst case it depends on (presence oI deIilement and) the need to wash. Similarly, there is no
hadith which states that the clothes or place need to be pure. Concerning covering the 'aurah and
IacingtheqiblahiIpossible,thereisnodisagreement.
IbnHajarsaidinEathal-Bari:"NooneagreeswithIbn'Umarthatonemaymakethesajdahwithout
being clean oI minor impurities, save ashSha'biy. Ibn Abi Shaibah related it Irom him with a sahih
chain.HealsorecordedIromAbu'Abdurrahmanas-Salmithathewouldrecitean'ayyahoIsajdahand
then he would prostrate without ablution or Iacing the qiblah and while walking and just motioning
only.SomeamongtheProphet'shouseholdagreewithIbn'Umar.
Eiqh2.44:Supplicationsduringtheprostration
Whoever makesthisprostrationmaysupplicatewhateverhewishes.ThereisnothingauthenticIrom
the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam on this point except Ior the hadith Irom 'Aishah who said:
"WhentheProphetmadethesajdahoItheQur'anicrecital,hewouldsay:'IhaveprostratedmyIaceto
theOneWhocreateditandbroughtIorthitshearingandseeingbyHismightandpower.Blessedbe
Allah,thebestoICreators.'"ThisisrelatedbytheIive,exceptIbnMajah,andal-Hakim.At-Tirmizhi
and Ibn as-Sakan grade itsahih.ThelaterhoweveraddsthatattheendtheProphetwouldsay,three
times, what he always said in his sujjud: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High," that is, iI he was
makingthesujjudoIrecitalduringaprayer.
Eiqh2.44a:ProstrationoIrecitalduringtheprayers
ItisallowedIortheimamortheoneprayingindividuallytorecite"'ayyahoIsajdah"duringthesalah,
even iI the recital is audible (jahriyyah) or inaudible (siriyyah), and he should prostrate, during the
salah, aIter reading such 'ayat. Al-Bukhari and Muslim record Irom Abu RaI'i who said: "I prayed
salatul'ishawithAbuHurairahandherecitedIzhas-sama'uun-shaqqat|al-Inshiqaq|andheprostrated
during the prayer. I asked: 'O Abu Hurairah, what prostration is this?' he said: 'I made a prostration
when reciting (this surah) behind Abu al-Qasim (Prophet), and since then I never stopped making a
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sajdah whenever I recite it."' Al-Hakim relates, Irom Ibn 'Umar, with a sound chain that meets the
criteria oI al-Bukhari and Muslim, saying that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wassalam made a sajdah
duringtheIirstrak'ahoIthenoonprayerandhiscompanionswereoItheopinionthathehadrecited
surahas-Sajdah.
An-Nawawisays:"ItisnotdislikedIortheimamtorecite'ayatoIsajdah,accordingtoourschool,or
Iortheonewhopraysindividually.AnditdoesnotmatteriItherecitalisaudibleorinaudible.Andhe
shouldmakesajdahaIterherecitesthem."
Malikholds:"Ingeneralitisdisliked."AbuHaniIah'sopinionisthat:"Itisdislikedduringthesilent
recitals but not during the audible recitals." The author oI al-Bahr maintains: "According to our
school, it is preIerred to delay the sajdah until aIter he |the imam| makes the taslim in order not to
conIusethepeopleprayingbehindhim."
Eiqh2.45:CombininganumberoIsujjud
One may combine a number oI sujjud and make only one sajdah iI one recites an "'ayyah oI sajdah"
overandover,oronehearsitbeingrecitedoverandover,providedonedelaysthesajdahuntilallthe
recitalsareIinished.SomesaythatiIoneprostratesaItertheIirstrecital,itwillbesuIIicient.Others
holdthatoneshouldprostrateagainsincethecauseIortheprostrationisreintroduced.
Eiqh2.45a:PerIormingsajdahaIterrecital
ThemajorityoIthescholarsareoItheopinionthatthesajdahistobeperIormedrightaItertherecital
or hearing oI the 'ayyah. Delaying such a sajdah does not rescind it. II an extended period oI time
lapsesbetweenrecitationoIan'ayahandtheactualsajdah,oneneednotdoit,Ioritdoesnothaveto
bemadeupIor.
Eiqh2.45b:TheProstrationoIThankIulness(Sajdatush-Shukr)
ThemajorityoIthescholarssaythatitispreIerredtomakeprostrationsoIthankIulness(shukr)when
one receives a bounty or is rescued Irom some trial. Abu Bakr reports that, when the Prophet
sallallahualehiwasallamreceivedsomethingwhichpleasedhimorsomegladtidings,hewouldmake
thesajdahinthankstoAllah.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,IbnMajah,andat-Tirmizhiwhosaysitis
hasan.
And al-Baihaqi records, with a chain that meets al-Bukhari's conditions, that when 'Ali wrote to the
Messenger oI Allah, inIorming him that Hamazhan had embraced Islam, the Prophet prostrated, and
whenheraisedhishead,hesaid:"PeacebeuponHamazhan,peacebeuponHamazhan."
'Abdurrahmanibn'AuIrelatesthattheMessengeroIAllahwentoutonceandheIollowedhimuntilhe
entered a grove oI palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that 'Abdurrahman Ieared
that Allah had taken his soul. 'Abdurrahman came to look at him and he raised his head and said:
"Whatiswrong,Abdurrahman'?"Abdurrahmanmentionedwhathadhappened,andhesaid:"Gabriel
alehi as-salam came to me and said: 'Shall I not give you glad tidings'? Allah says to you, Whoever
praysuponyou,Iprayuponhim.Whoeversalutesyou,Isalutehim.'ThereIore,IprostratedtoAllah
inthanks."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandbyAlHakimwhosays:"Itissahihaccordingtothecriterion
oIal-BukhariandMuslim.AndI donotknowanythingmoreauthenticthanthat."
Al-Bukhari records that Ka'b ibn Malik made a sajdah when he received the news that Allah had
accepted his repentance. Ahmad records that 'Ali perIormed the sajdah when he heard the news that
Zhul-Thudayyah oI the Khawarij was killed. Also, as mentioned beIore, Sa'id ibn Mansur recorded
thatAbuBakrmadesajdahinthankIulnesswhenMusailimahwaskilled.
TheprostrationoIthankIulnessisboundbythesamerequirementsastheprostrationinprayer,while
somedisagreeasitisnotaprayer.TheauthoroIEathal-'Alamremarks:"Thislatteropinioniscloser
tobeingcorrect."Ash-Shaukanisaid:"Thereisnothinginthehadithtoprovethatablutionandpurity
oItheclothesandplacearerequiredIorsajdat-ushshukr.AndthatistheopinionoIImamYahyaand
AbuTalib.Andthesehaditharesilentaboutanytakbirbeingmadewiththeprostration.InalBahritis
stated that there is a takbir. Imam Yahya says: 'One is not to make the prostration oI thankIulness
duringaprayerasitisnotpartoItheprayer.'"
Eiqh2.46:ProstrationsoIIorgetIulnessduringtheprayer
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ItisconIirmedthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsometimesIorgotsomethinginthesalah.It
isalsotruethathesaid:"IamahumanbeingandIorgetlikeyouIorget.IIIIorget,remindme."There
arespeciIicpointsconcerningsuchprostrationsandtheyarepresentedbelow.
Eiqh2.46a:HowtoperIormtheseprostrationsoIIorgetIulness
The"prostrationsoIIorgetIulness"(sujjudus-sahu)aretwoprostrationswhichapersonmakesbeIore
thetaslim.AlloIthishasbeenconIirmedIromtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam.Inthesahih,itis
recorded Irom Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Prophet said: "II one oI you has some doubts during his
salahandhedoesnotrecall(thenumberoIrak'at)hehasprayed,threeorIour,thenhecanputanend
to his doubt by perIorming salah according to what he was certain oI |the lesser amount| and then
makingtwosujjudbeIorethetaslim."InthestoryoIZhul-Yadain,inthetwoSahihs,wearetoldthe
ProphetsallallahualehiwassalammadetheprostrationsaIterthetaslim.
Ash-Shaukani says: "The best that is stated on this subject is that one must Iollow what the Prophet
said or did, respecting the sujjud beIore or aIter the taslim. II one does something that necessitates
sujjudbeIorethetaslim,oneshouldmakethembeIorethetaslim,andiIonedoessomethingrequiring
sujjudaIterthetaslim,thenoneshouldmakethemaIterthetaslim.AsIorthose actsoIIorgetIulness
thatarenotrelatedtoanyspeciIictimeeitherbeIoreoraIterthetaslim,onemaychoosetomakethe
prostrations beIore or aIter the taslim in cases oI addition or reduction in the salah. Thisisbasedon
whatMuslimrecordedinhisSahihIromIbnMas'udthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:'II
oneaddsordecreasessomethingIromhissalah,heshouldmaketwosujjud."'
Eiqh2.47:WhentoperIormtheseprostrationsoIIorgetIulness
The"sujjudus-sahu"aretobeperIormedintheIollowingcircumstances:
-1- IIapersonmakesthetaslimbeIoreheactuallycompletestheprayers.IbnSireenrelatesIromAbu
Hurairahwhosaid:"TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamprayedeitherzuhror'asrsalahwithusand
he prayed only two rak'at and made the taslim. He got up and leaned against a piece oI wood in the
mosque as iI he was angry. He put his right hand on his leIt and interlocked his Iingers. Then, he
placedhischeekonthebackoIhisleIthand.AndsomepeopleleItthemosqueinahurry.Andthey
said: 'The prayer has been shortened?' Among the people were Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and they were
shy to speak to him. One oI the people, who was called Zhul-Yadain, said: 'O Messenger oI Allah
haveyouIorgottenorhastheprayerbeenshortened?'Heanswered:'IhavenotIorgottenandithasnot
been shortened.' Then he asked: 'Is it as Zhul-Yadain has said?' The people answered in the
aIIirmative...Atthat,heledthepeopleinwhathehadommittedandmadethetaslim.AIterwhich he
made the takbir and prostrated the way he usuallyprostratedorperhapsevenlonger.Next,heraised
his head and made the takbir. Then, he made the takbir |again| and prostrated, like one oI his
customarysujjudorperhapsevenlonger,andIinally,he raisedhishead."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari
andMuslim.
'Ata'relatesthatIbnaz-ZubairprayedmaghribandmadethetaslimaItertworak'atandthenhestood
up and wanted to kiss the black stone, when the people tried to correct him he said: "What is the
matter with you?" Then he prayed what he had leIt out and perIormed two sujjud. When this was
mentioned to Ibn 'Abbas, he said that it was not Iar Irom the sunnah oI the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam.ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bazzar,andat-Tabarani.
-2- InthecaseoIanadditiontotheprayer.IbnMas'udnarratesthattheProphetprayedIiverak'atand
thepeopleaskedhim:"Hastherebeenanadditiontotheprayer?"Heasked:"Whydoyousaythat?"
Theyreplied:"YouprayedIiverak'at"ThenhemadetwosujJudaIterhehadmadethetaslim.Thisis
related by the group. This hadith proves that the prayer oI one who prays Iive rak'at out oI
IorgetIulness,withoutsittingduringtheIourthrak'ah,isacceptable.
-3- In the case oI Iorgetting the Iirst tashahud or one oI the other sunnah acts oI the prayer. Ibn
Buhainah narrates that the Prophet stood aIter two rak'at. The people tried to correct him but he
continued.WhenheIinishedhissalah,hemadetwosujjudandmadethetaslim.Thisisrelatedbythe
group.'ThishadithshowsthatonewhoIorgetstheIirstsittingbutisremindedoIitandherecallsit
beIorehecompletelystandsshouldreturnandsit,butiIheisalreadycompletelystanding,heshould
not sit down. This is supported by what Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah recorded Irom al-
MughirahibnShu'bah,thattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"IIoneoIyoustandsaItertwo
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rak'at and he has not completely stood, then he should sit. II he is already completely standing, he
shouldnotsitandheshouldmaketwosujjudoIIorgetIulness."
-4- InthecaseoIdoubtoverwhetherornotoneperIormedsomeactoItheprayer.'Abdurrahmanibn
'AuI reported that he heard the Prophet say: "II one oI you has some doubt during his salah and he
doesnotknowiIheprayedonerak'ahortwo,heshouldtakeittohavebeenjustone.IIhedoesnot
knowiIheprayedtworak'atorthree,heshouldtakeittohavebeenjusttwo.IIhedoesnotknowiIhe
prayedthreerak'atorIour,heshouldtakeittohavebeenjustthree.|Inallsuchcases|attheendoIhis
prayer, while sitting, he should make two sujjud beIore the taslim." This is related by Ahmad, Ibn
Majah,andat-Tirmizhi.Thelattergradesitsahih.
In one narration, it is stated: "Whoever prays and has some doubt that he was short oI the complete
prayer, he should continue praying until he suspects that he has addedsomethingtotheprayer|with
respect to the number oI rak'at that he has prayed|." Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet
sallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"IIoneoIyouhassomedoubtsduringhisprayeranddoesnotknowiI
heprayedthreeorIour|rak'at|,thenheshouldremovehisdoubtbyprayingaccordingtotheamount
thatheiscertainhehadperIormedandthenmaketwosujjudbeIorethetaslim.IIhehadprayedIive
rak'at, the two sujjud would make it even. II he had prayed a complete Iour rak'at |when he had
Iinished|,theywouldbeindeIianceoItheSatan."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.Thesetwo
ahadithprovewhatthemajorityoIthescholarshavesaid,namely,iIonehassomedoubtconcerning
thenumberoIrak'atonehasprayed,oneshouldactaccordingtotheamountthatoneiscertaintohave
prayed(thelesseramount)andthenmaketwosujjudbeIorethetaslim.
Eiqh2.49:CongregationalPrayer
PerIormingtheprayersincongregationisasunnahmu'akkadah.Manyahadithdiscussthesuperiority
andexcellenceoIprayersincongregation.SuchahadithincludetheIollowing:
Ibn'Umarreportsthatthe Prophetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Prayerincongregationissuperior
to a prayer perIormed individually by twenty-seven degrees." This is related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "The prayer oI a man in
congregationistwenty-Iivetimesmoresuperior(inreward)tohisprayerinhishouseormarket- and
this is because he makes the wudu' and perIects it and goes to the mosque with the sole purpose oI
perIormingthesalah.HedoesnottakeastepwithoutbeingraisedadegreeandhavingoneoIhissins
erased.Whenheprays,aslongashedoesnotlosehiswudu,theangelskeeponpraying|Iorhim|'O
Allah,blesshim.OAllah,havemercyonhim.'Andheisconsideredinsalahaslongasheiswaiting
Iorthesalah."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim,anditispresentedinal-Bukhari'swording.
Abu Hurairah also reports that a blind man said to the Prophet: "O Messenger oI Allah, I have no
guide to guide me to the mosque." He asked the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam Ior permission to
prayinhishouseandtheProphetgaveittohim.Then,whenheturnedtogo,theProphetcalledhim
and said: "Do you hear the call to prayer?" The blind man said "yes." The Prophet then said: "Then
respondtoit!"|bycomingtothemosque.|ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
AbuHurairahalsoreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"ByHiminwhosehandis
my soul! I have considered ordering a Iire to be kindled and then ask someone to lead the people in
salah.Andthengotothemen|whodidnotattendtheprayer|andburntheirhousesoverthem."This
isrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud says: "II anyone would like to meet Allah tomorrow as a Muslim, he should
persevereinabservingtheseIiveprayerswheneverthecallIorthemismade,IorAllahhaschosenIor
your Prophet the way oI right guidance. And the |Iive prayers in congregation| are part oI this right
guidance. II you were to pray them in your houses, as thisman who stays behind in his house, you
would be leaving a sunnah oI your Prophet. II you leave the sunnah oI your Prophet, you would go
astray. Verily, I have seen a time when no one stayed away Irom them |the congregational prayers|
except Ior the hypocrites who were well known Ior their hypocrisy. A man would be brought,
supported by two people |due to his weakness| until he was placed in a row." This is related by
Muslim.
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Abu ad-Darda' reports that the Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "II there are three
meninavillageordesertandsalahisnotestablishedamongthem,thentheSatantakesmasteryover
them.SobewiththecongregationsincethewolIdevourstheremote(stray)sheep."Thisisrelatedby
AbuDawudwithahasanchain.
Eiqh2.50:Womenandcongregationalprayers
It is better Ior women to pray in their houses than to attend congregational prayers. However, they
may go to the mosque and attend the congregational prayer iI they avoid wearing or using any
attractiveortemptingadornmentorperIume.
Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Do not prevent the women Irom
going to the mosques, although their houses are better Ior them." Abu Hurairah relates that the
Prophetsaid:"DonotkeeptheslavegirlsoIAllahIromthemosquesoIAllah.Andtheyaretogoout
unperIumed."ThesetwoahadithwererelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.AbuHurairahalsoreports
that the Prophet said: "Any woman who uses some scent should not be present with us during the
nightprayer."ThisisrelatedbyMuslim,AbuDawud,andan-Nasa'iwithahasanchain.
As stated earlier, it is better Ior women to pray in their houses. Ahmad and at-Tabarani record that
UmmHumaidas-Sa'diyahcametotheMessengeroIAllahandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,Iloveto
pray with you." The Prophet said: "I am aware oI that, but your salah in your residence is better Ior
you than your salah in your people's mosque. And your salah in your people's mosque is better than
yoursalahinthe|larger|congregationalMosque."
Eiqh2.51:Prayingatalargerandmoredistantmosque
ItispreIerabletoprayinamosquethatisIartherawayandthathasalargercongregation.
Muslim records Irom Abu Musa that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "The one who gets
thegreatestrewardIoraprayeristheonewhowalkstheIarthestdistance."Muslimalsorecordsthat
Jabir said: "The area around the mosque became vacant and the tribe oI Salamah wanted to move
there. When this news reached the Messenger oI Allah, he said: 'It has reached me that you want to
moveclosertothemosque?'Theysaid:'Yes,OMessengeroIAllah,wedesirethat.'TheProphetsaid:
'O tribe oI Salamah, your dwellings will record your steps.'" Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and others have
recordedthisontheauthorityoIAbuHurairah.
Ubayy ibn Ka'b reported that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "The salah oI a man with
anothermanispurerthanthesalahoIamanbyhimselI.|Inthesameway,|hissalahwithtwomenis
purerthanhissalahwithonlyoneman,andwhatismore,itismostdeartoAllah."Thisisrelatedby
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Hibban. Ibn as-Sakin, al-'Uqaily and al-Hakim
classiIyitassahih.
Eiqh2.51a:Goingtothemosquewithcalmanddignity
ItispreIerredIoronetowalktothemosquewithcalmanddignityandnotinahurryorrushing.This
isbecausethepersonisconsideredtobeinprayerwhenheisgoingtothesalah(andalsowhileheis
waitingIorit).AbuQatadahsays:"Wewere prayingwiththeProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwhen
we heard the clamoring oI some men. When they had prayed, the Prophet inquired: 'What was the
matter with you?' They answered: 'We were hurrying Ior the salah.' He said: 'Do not do that...when
you come to the salah come in peace and calm, and pray what you can with congregation and
completewhatyouhavemissed.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "When you hear the iqamah,
proceed to the prayer with calm and dignity and do not rush. Pray whatyoucan(withcongregation)
andcompletewhatyoumiss."ThisisrelatedbythegroupexceptIorat-Tirmizhi.
Eiqh2.51b:Theimamshouldbe"easy"onhisIollowers
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said: "II one oI you leads the people in prayer, he should be
"easy,"onthemIoramongthepeoplearetheweak,sick,andaged.IIonepraysbyhimselI,onemay
makeitaslongasonewishes."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.ItisnarratedIromAnasthattheProphet
sallallahualehiwassalamsaid:"SometimesIenterprayerandIintendtoprolongit,butthenIheara
childcrying,andIshortenmyprayerthinkingoIthedistressoIthechild'smother."
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordthatAnassaid:"Ihavenotprayedbehindanyonewhoprayedalighter
salah or a more complete prayer than that oI the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam." Abu 'Umar ibn
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Abdul Barr said: The scholars agree that it is preIerable Ior an imam to make the prayer light while
preserving the minimum without which salah is incomplete and without leaving oII any part oI the
salah or shortening part oI it |not perIorming it properly|. The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
prohibited the pecking like a crow. Once he saw a man who did not complete his ruku' and he told
him:'GobackandprayIoryouhavenotprayed.'Andhesaid:'Allahdoesnotlooktoonewhodoes
notstraightenhisbackduringruku'andsujjud.'IdonotknowoIanydiIIerenceoIopinionamongthe
scholarsconcerningtheIactthatitispreIerredIoranimamtobe'easy'onhisIollowerswhilemaking
the prayer properly. It is related that 'Umar said: 'Do not make people dislike Allah, by making the
salahsolongthatitshouldbecomehardonthoseprayingbehindyou."'
Eiqh2.52:TheimammayprolongtheIirstrak'ahtoallowotherstojoin
It is permitted Ior the imam to prolong the Iirst rak'ah while waiting Ior others to join the
congregation. In the same way, it is preIerred Ior him to wait Ior people who are coming during the
bowingsandduringtheIinalsitting.
AbuQatadahreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwouldprolongtheIirstrak'ahandthe
peoplesuspectedthathedidittoallowthelate-comerstojointheIirstrak'ah.AbuSa'id says:"IIthe
(congregational) salah was begun, one could go to al-Baqi', relieve himselI, make wudu', and return
and Iind the Prophet still in the Iirst rak'ah Ior he would prolong it (Iirst rak'ah)." This is related by
Ahmad,Muslim,IbnMajah,andan-Nasa'i.
Eiqh2.52a:ItisobligatorytoIollowtheimamandIorbiddentoprecedehim
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "The imam is selected to be
Iollowed;thereIore,donotdiIIerwithhim.Whenhemakesthetakbir,makethetakbir,whenhegoes
into ruku', make ruku'. When he says 'Allah hears him who praises Him,' say 'O Allah, our Lord, to
YoubelongsthePraise.'Whenhegoesintosajdah,makesajdah.IIheprayssitting,thenallshouldbe
sitting." This is related by the group. In the version by Ahmad and Abu Dawud, the wording is "the
imam is to be Iollowed. II he makes the takbir, make the takbir, anddonotmakethetakbiruntilhe
does so. When he goes into ruku', make ruku', and do not perIorm ruku' until he does so. When he
goesintosajdah,makesajdah,anddonotmakesajdahuntilhedoesso."
AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"DoyounotIearthatiIyouraise
yourheadbeIoretheimamAllahmaychangeyourheadintothat oIadonkey!"Thisisrelatedbythe
group.
AnasreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Opeople,Iamyourimam,
sodonotprecedemeinruku'orinsujjudorinqiyamorinsittingorinIinishing."Thisisrelatedby
Ahmad andMuslim.
Al-Bara'ibn'Azibsays:"WeprayedwiththeMessengeroIAllahandwhenhesaid'Allahhearshim
whopraisesHim,'noneoIuswouldbendhisbackuntiltheMessengeroIAllahhadputhisIorehead
upontheground."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Eiqh2.53:ConsitutionoIacongregation
One person with the imam would constitute a congregation even iI the other person is a child or a
woman.
Ibn'Abbassays:"IstayedwithmyAuntMaimunahandtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamgotup
to pray during the night. I got up to pray with him and stoodonhisleItandtheProphettookmeby
myhandandputmeonhisrightside."
Sa'idandAbuHurairahbothreportthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Whoevergetsup
duringthenightandwakesuphisspouseandtheypraytworak'attogether,theybothwillberecorded
amongthose(menandwomen)whorememberAllahmuch."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.AbuSa'
id narrates that a man entered the Mosque, and the Prophet and his companions had already prayed.
TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Whowillgivecharitytohimbyprayingwithhim?"So,a
man Irom the people stood and prayed with him. This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and at-
Tirmizhiwhocallsithasan.IbnAbiShaibahrelatesthatitwasAbuBakrwhostoodandprayedwith
the man. At-Tirmizhi uses this hadith as prooI that a group can pray in congregation in a mosque in
whichthecongregationalprayerhadalreadybeenmade.HesaysthatthisistheopinionoIAhmadand
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Ishaq. Other scholars say that they should each pray individually and this is the opinion oI SuIyan,
Malik,Ibnal-Mubarakandash-ShaI'i.
Eiqh2.54:AnimammaychangehisplaceandbecomeaIollower
II the regular imam or appointed imam is not present, it is permissible to appoint someone else to
perIorm the duty oI imam. II the regular imam appears during the prayers, the substitute imam may
move back to the rows andallowtheregularimamtotakeover.Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordthat
Sahl ibn Sa'd said: "The Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam went oII to take care oI the
aIIairs oI the tribe oI 'Amr ibn 'AuI. The time Ior salah came and the mu'azhzhin went to Abu Bakr
andsaid:'WillyouleadthepeopleinsalahandIshallmaketheiqamah?'AbuBakragreed.|Whilehe
was| leading the prayer, the Messenger oI Allah appeared and joined the rows. The people clapped
|theirthighswiththeirhands|butAbuBakrwouldnotturnaroundduringtheprayer.WhenmostoI
the people began clapping,heturnedandsawtheProphet...|who|pointedtoAbuBakrtostayinhis
place.AbuBakrraisedhishandsandpraisedAllahbecauseoIwhattheProphethadtoldhim.Then,
AbuBakrmovedbackuntilhejoinedtherowsandtheProphetsteppedIorward|tolead|.AIterhehad
prayed, he went to Abu Bakr and said: O Abu Bakr, what prevented you Irom staying there when I
told you to do so?' Abu Bakr said: 'It is not Iit Ior the son oI Abu QuhaIah to lead the Prophet in
prayer.' Then the Messenger oI Allah said: 'Why did I see most oI you clapping? II you Iind
something in the prayer you should say subhanallah, Ior when you say it, it will attract his (i.e.
imam's)attentionandclapping|thighswithhands|isIorthewomen.'"
Eiqh2.54a:Catchingupwithimamorthecongregation
Whoever joins a congregation, he should perIorm the opening takbir while standing and then move
directly to the act that the congregation may be perIorming, Ior instance, iI the congregation is
prostratingoneshouldperIormtheopeningtakbirandthenjoinitintheprostration.However,sucha
personisnotconsideredashavingperIormedtherak'ahunlessheperIormstheruku'(bowing),eveniI
hejustbowsandputshishandsonhisknees,whentheimamisIinishinghisruku'.
AbuHurairahreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"IIyoucometothe
salah and we are in sajdah, then make sajdah withusbutdonotcountit|asarak'ah|.Andwhoever
'catches'theruku',hecatchesthesalah."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,IbnKhuzaimahinhisSahih,
andbyal-Hakim,whoconsidersitsahih,inhisAl-Mustadrak.
Eiqh2.55:WhenitispermissibletonotattendCongregation
Ibn 'Umar narrated that the Prophet ordered the mu'azhzhin to say: "Pray in your places," on a cold,
stormy nightduringajourney.ThisisrelatedbyalBukhariandMuslim.
Jabirsaid:"WewentonajourneywiththeProphetanditraineduponus,sohesaid:'Whoeverwishes
mayprayinhisstoppingplace.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhi.
Ibn'Abbassaidtothemu'azhzhin,onarainyday:"Whenyousay'IbearwitnessthatMuhammadis
the Messenger oI Allah,' do not say 'Come to the prayer,' but instead say 'Pray in your houses."' The
people didn't seem to like it, so heasked:"Are yousurprisedbythat?Onebetterthanmedidit|the
Prophet|.ThecongregationalprayerisastrictorderbutIhatedthatyoushouldgooutandwalkinthe
mud and on slippery ground." This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. According to Muslim's
version,thisoccurredonaEriday.
What applies in case oI cold would also apply in cases oI extreme heat, darkness, and Iear oI an
oppressor. Ibn Batal writes: "The scholars are agreed on the permissibility oI not attending the
congregationduetoheavyrain,darkness,wind,andsoon."
Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "II the Iood is presented to one oI
you,donotrushbutIulIillyourneedoIiteveniIthesalahhasbegun."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
'Aishahnarrates thatsheheardtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsay:"Thereisnoprayerwhenthe
meal is presented nor when one needs to answer the call oI nature." This is related by Ahmad,
Muslim,andAbuDawud.
Abu ad-Darda' says: "It is a sign oI the understanding oI a person that he IulIills his needs Iirst in
ordertomakehisprayerwithaclearmind."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Eiqh2.56:TheonewhoshouldbeimamistheonewhoisthemostversedintheQur'an
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IItwoormoreareequalinthis,thenitistheonewhohasthemostknowledgeoIthesunnah.IIthey
areequalinthat,thenitistheonewhoperIormedthemigrationIirst.IItheyareequalinthat,thenit
shouldbetheeldest.
Abu Sa'id narrates that the Prophet said: "II you are three in number, then one oI you should be the
imam.AndtheonewhohasthemostrighttoitistheonewhoisthemostversedintheQur'an."This
is related by Ahmad, Muslim, and an-Nasa'i. The meaning oI "most versed in the Qur'an" is the one
who has more oI the Qur'an memorized. This interpretation is based on the hadith Irom Amr ibn
Salamahwhichsays:"YourimamshouldbetheonewhoismostversedintheQur'an."
IbnMas'udreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"TheimamoIapeopleshouldbe
theonewhoisthemostversedintheBookoIAllah.IItheyareequalintheirrecital,thentheonewho
ismostknowledgeableoIthesunnah.IItheyareequalinthesunnah,then|itis|theonewhomigrated
Iirst.IItheyareequalinthat,then|itis|theeldest.AndnomanshouldbeanimamIoranothermaniI
theotherholdsauthority|i.e.,aleaderinanycapacityorruleroItheMuslimpeople|.Andoneshould
not occupy his place oI honor in his house without his permission." In another narration it is stated:
"No man should be the imam Ior another while with the other's Iamily or where the other is in
authority."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
As stated earlier, it is better Ior women to pray in their houses. Ahmad and at-Tabarani record that
UmmHumaidas-Sa'diyahcametotheMessengeroIAllahandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,Iloveto
pray with you." The Prophet said: "I am aware oI that, but your salah in your residence is better Ior
you than your salah in your people's mosque. And your salah in your people's mosque is better than
yoursalahinthe|larger|congregationalMosque."
Sa'id ibn Mansur says: "A person should not be an imam Ior another where the other is in authority
exceptwithhispermission."ThemeaningoIthisisthatthe oneinauthority,owneroIahouse,leader
oIameeting,andsoon,hasmorerightthanotherstobetheimamiIhehasnotgrantedthepermission
to any oI the others. Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "It is not
allowedIoramanwhobelievesinAllahandthelastdaytobeanimamIorapeople,exceptwiththeir
permission,normayhespeciIicallymakesupplicationsIorhimselIwithoutincludingthem.IIhedoes
so,heisdisloyaltothem."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.
Eiqh2.56a:Whoseimamateisacceptable
TheimamateoIalltheIollowingisacceptable:adiscerningboy,ablindperson,astandingpersonIor
thosewhoaresitting,asittingpersonIorthosewhoarestanding,apersonprayingIardIorpeoplewho
are praying naIl, a person praying naIl Ior people who are praying Iard. Likewise, a person who has
perIormedablutioncanbeimamIorpeoplewhohaveperIormedtayammum,ascanbeapersonwho
has perIormed tayammum Ior people who have perIormed ablution, a traveler Ior the resident, a
residentIorthetravelers,andalessqualiIiedpersonIorpeoplewhoaremorequaliIied.
'AmribnSalamahledhispeopleinsalahwhilehewassixorsevenyearsold.TheMessengeroIAllah
sallallahu alehi wasallam twice appointed Ibn Umm Maktum, a blind man, to lead the people oI
Medinah in prayer. The Messenger oI Allah, during his last illness, prayed behind Abu Bakr in a
sittingposition.Andheprayedinhishouseinasittingpositionwhilethosebehindhimwerestanding.
HepointedtothemtositandwhenhehadIinishedtheprayerhesaid:"Theimamhasbeenappointed
tobeIollowed.IIhegoesintoruku',thenmakeruku'.Whenheraiseshishead,raiseyourhead.IIhe
prayssitting,thenpraysittingbehindhim."
Mu'azhwouldpray'ishawiththeProphetsallallahualehiwasallamandthenreturntohispeopleand
leadtheminthesameprayer,itbeingnaIlIorhimandIardIortheothers.
Muhjanibnal-Adra'reports:"IcametotheMessengeroIAllahinthemosqueandtheyprayedandI
didnot.Hesaidtome:'Whydidn'tyoupray?'Isaid:'OMessengeroIAllah,Iprayedinmyplaceand
then came here.' He then said: 'When you come |to the mosque|, pray with them and make it
supererogatory."'
TheMessengeroIAllahsawamanprayingbyhimselIandsaid:"Whowillgivecharitytothisperson
by praying with him?" 'Amr ibn al-'Aas led others in prayer when hehadmadetayammumonlyand
theProphetapprovedoIit.
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The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam, aIter the conquest oI Makkah, led the people in prayer by
praying two rak'at (except Ior maghrib) and said: "O people oI Makkah, stand and pray the last two
rak'ataswearetravelers."
II a traveler prays behind a resident, he must complete the whole Iour rak'at even iI he only prayed
part oI a rak'ah behind the resident imam. Ibn 'Abbas was asked: "Why is the traveler to pray two
rak'atiIhepraysbyhimselIandIourrak'atiIhepraysbehindaresident?"Heanswered:"Thatisthe
sunnah."Inanotherversion,MusaibnSalamahsaidtohim:"IIwepraywithyou,weprayIourrak'at
otherwise we pray two?" He told him: "That is the sunnah oI Abu al-Qasim |the Prophet|." This is
relatedbyAhmad.
Eiqh2.57:Whoseimamateisnotacceptable
It is not allowed Ior one whohasahealthproblemwhichdoesnotallowhimtoremaininastateoI
puritytobeanimamIorotherswhodonothavesuchaproblem.ThisistheopinionoIthemajorityoI
thescholars.AccordingtotheMalikischool,suchaperson'simamatewillbevalid,butitis disliked
tomakesuchapersontheimam.
Eiqh2.58:ItispreIerredtohaveawomanimamIorwomen
'Aishah used to lead the women in salah and stand with the women in the middle oI the Iirst row.
UmmSalamahwouldalsodoso.TheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamappointedWaraqahtogoand
maketheazhanIorherwhileheinstructedhertoleadthewomenoIherhouseholdintheobligatory
prayers.
Eiqh2.58a:AmanleadingagroupoIwomeninprayer
AbuYa'laandat-Tabarani,inal-Ausat,record,withahasanchain,thatUbayyibnKa'bcametothe
MessengeroIAllahandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,Ididsomethinglastnight."TheProphetasked:
"Whatwasthat?"Hesaid:"Thewomeninmyhousesaid,'Youreciteandwedonotrecitesoleadus
in salah. ' So I prayed eight rak'atand witr (with them)." The Prophetremainedsilent,andKa'bsaid:
"WetookhissilenceasasignoIhisapproval."
Eiqh2.58b:EvildoerorinnovatorIorbiddentoleadprayer
Al-BukharirecordsthatIbn'Umarprayedbehindal-Hajjaj.MuslimrecordsthatAbuSa'idal-Khudri
prayedsalatul'idbehindMarwan.
Ibn Mas'ud once prayed Iour rak'at oI Iajr, behind al-Walid ibn 'Uqbah ibn Abu Ma'it who used to
drink wine, and 'Uthman ibn 'AIIan had him Ilogged. The companions and their successors prayed
behindIbn'UbaidwhowasaccusedoIpropagatingheresies.Accordingtothescholars,anyonewhose
prayer is valid on an individual basis, his imamate is also valid Ior others. However, they dislike to
praybehindanevildoerorinnovator.
As-Sa'ibibnKhiladrelatesthatamanwasleadingthepeopleinsalahandhespatinthedirectionoI
theqiblah.TheMessengeroIAllahsawthisandsaid:"Donotlethimleadyouinsalah."AIterthis,
themanwantedtoleadthepeopleinsalahbuttheypreventedhimandtoldhimwhattheProphethad
said. The man went to the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam, to ask him about that, and the Prophet
said:"Yes,|itistrue|IoryouhaveoIIendedAllahandHisMessenger."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud
andIbnHibban.AbuDawudandal-Munzhiriaresilentaboutit.
Eiqh2.58c:Permissiontoleavethecongregationalprayer
IItheimammakesthesalahtoolong,itispermissible,undercertaincircumstances,toleavethesalah
with the intention oI perIorming it individually. The Iollowing are examples oI when this may be
done: becoming ill, Iearing that one's wealth may be lost or destroyed, missing one's companions or
travelinggroup,beingovercomebysleep,andsoon.ThisisbasedontheIollowinghadithrelatedby
Jabir: "Mu'azh would pray 'isha with theProphetsallallahualehiwasallam,andthengoandleadhis
people in salah. One night, the Prophet delayed salatul 'isha and Mu'azh prayed with him and then
wenttohispeopleandledtheminthenightprayer byrecitingalBaqarah.OnemanleItthesalahand
prayed by himselI. The people said to him: 'O so and so, you have become a hypocrite.' He said: 'I
have not become a hypocrite but I shall surely go to the Prophet and inIorm him oI what has
happened.'HetoldtheProphetwhathadhappenedandtheProphetsaidtoMu'azh:'Youputpeopleto
trials, Mu'azh! You put people to trials, Mu'azh. Recite such and such surah.'" This is related by the
group.
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Eiqh2.59:Repeatingasalahwithacongregation
Yazid al-Aswad says: "We prayed dawn prayer (Iajr) with the Messenger oI Allah at Mina and two
men came and stopped at their resting places. The prophet ordered Ior them to be brought and they
cameshakingwithIear.TheProphetsaidtothem:'WhatpreventedyouIrom prayingwiththepeople?
...Are you two not Muslims?' They answered: 'Certainly we are, O Messenger oI Allah, but we had
prayedinourrestingplace.'TheProphettoldthem:'IIyouprayinyourrestingplacesandthencome
uponanimam,praywithhim,anditwillbenaIlIoryou.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.
An-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi record it in these words: "lI you pray in your resting places and then you
cometoamosquewithacongregation,praywiththem,anditwillbenaIlIoryou."At-Tirmizhicalls
ithasansahihandIbnas-Sakinsaysitissahih.
This hadith shows that it is correct Ior one to repeat a salah as a naIlwithacongregationeveniIhe
hasalreadyperIormedit,individuallyorwithacongregation.
ItisrelatedthatHuzhaiIahrepeatedthezuhr,'asr,andmaghrihprayersalthoughhehadprayedthem
incongregation.ItisalsorelatedthatAnasprayedIajrbehindAbuMusaattheplacewhereIruitsare
dried and then he went to the congregational mosque and repeated the salah behind alMughirah ibn
Shu'bah.Nevertheless,thisactioncontradictsauthentichadithoItheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam
inwhichhereportedlysaid:"Donotpraythesamesalahtwiceinoneday."TheapparentconIlicthas
been resolved by Ibn 'Abdul-Barr who writes, "Ahmad and Ishaq agree that this reIers to praying an
obligatorysalahandthen,aIterawhile,repeatingitastheobligatoryprayer.Now,asIortheonewho
repeats the salah with a congregation with the intention that the second prayer is not a repeat oI the
obligatorysalahbutthatitissimplyavoluntaryprayer,heobeystheProphet'sorderoInotmakingthe
same salah twice, as the Iirst salah was obligatory and the second was naIl; hence, there is no
repetition."
Eiqh2.60:Imam'sleavingtheplaceaIterthesalah
ItispreIerredIortheimamtotumtotherightortotheleItaIterthesalahandthentoleavetheplace
oIprayer.
Qabaidah ibn Halb relates that his Iather said: "The Prophet would lead us in salah and then tum to
both oI his sides, to his right and to his leIt." This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-
Tirmizhi.Thelattercallsithasan.PeoplewhoareinIommedonthissubjectactaccordinglybyturning
to any side they wish.BothactshavebeenauthenticatedIromtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam.
'Aishah says: "AIter the Prophet made the taslim, he would not sit except Ior the amount oI time it
takestosay:'OAllah,YouarethePeace,andIromYoucomesthePeace.BlessedareYou,Possessor
oIMajestyandHonor."'ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,at-Tirmizhi,andIbnMajah.
Ahmad and al-Bukhari record that Umm Salamah said: "Whenever the Messenger oI Allah Iinished
hisprayerswiththetaslim,thewomenwouldgetupandhewouldstayinhisplaceIor awhilebeIore
getting up." She said: "I think, and Allah knows best, that he did that to allow the women to leave
beIorethemen|wouldstandtoleave|.
Eiqh2.60a:TheimamorIollowersbeingelevated
ItisdislikedIortheimamtobeatahigherplace thantheIollowers.
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari says: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prohibited that the imam should
stand on something higher than the people behind him." This is related by ad-Daraqutni, while al-
HaIezissilentaboutitinal-Talkhis.
Hamamibnal-HarithrelatesthatHuzhaiIahledthepeopleinprayerinMada'in(Iraq)andhestoodon
abench.AbuMas'udpulledhisshirtwithastronggrip.WhenheIinishedhisprayerAbuMas'udsaid:
"Doyounotknowthatthishasbeenprohibited?"HuzhaiIahsaid:"Certainly,Iknowit.Iremembered
it when you pulled me." This is related by Abu Dawud, ash-ShaI'i, and al-Baihaqi. Al-Hakim, Ibn
Khuzaimah,andIbnHibbangradeitsahih.
On the other hand, iI the imam has some reason Ior being higher than the Iollowers, the act is not
disliked.SahlibnSa'das-Sa'adysays:"IsawtheProphetsittinguponthepulpitontheIirstdaythatit
wassetup.HemadetheopeningtakbirwhilehewasuponitandthenheperIormedruku'.AIterward,
he moved behind the pulpit and made sajdah at the Ioot oI the pulpit. Then, he repeated the same.
WhenhehadIinished,hetumedtothepeopleandsaid:"Opeople,IdidthatIoryoutoIollowmeand
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to teach youmysalah."'ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.:ItispermissibleIorthe
Iollowerstobeatahigherplacethantheimam
SaidibnMansur,ash-ShaI'i,al-Baihaqi,andal-Bukhari,inhiscomments,relateIromAbuHurairah
that heprayedatthetopoIthemosquewhileIollowingtheimam.AnasusedtoprayintheroomoI
AbuNaI'itotherightoIthemosqueandtheroomwashisheight'shighanditsdoorIacedthemosque
oIBasrahandAnaswouldprayinit,Iollowingtheimam.Thecompanionsdidnotsayanythingabout
it.ThisisrelatedbySa'idibnMansurinhisSunan.
Ash-Shaukani observes: "II the Iollower is extremely high above the imam, Ior example, three
hundred lengths, and he could not know what action the imam is doing then it is prohibited by
consensus whether he is in a mosque or somewhere else. II it is less than that, it is permitted on the
principle that unless proved otherwise a thing is permissible. This basis is supported by the above
mentionedactoIAbuHurairahtowhichnooneobjected."
Eiqh2.61:Eollowingtheimamwithabarrierin between
ItisallowedIoraIollowertoIollowtheimam,eveniIthereisabarrierbetweenthem,aslongashe
orshecantelltheimam'smovementseitherbyhissightorhearing.
Al-Bukharirecords:"Al-Hassansaid:'ThereisnoproblemiIyouprayandbetweenyouandhim|the
imam| there is a river.' Abu Majliz said: 'Eollow the imam, even iI between you and him there is a
roadorawall,aslongasyoucanheartheopeningtakbir.'"Wehavealreadymentionedthehadithin
which the people prayed behind the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam while they were behind the
room.
Eiqh2.61a:WhenimamleavesoutanessentialactoIsalah
Aperson'simamateisvalideveniIheleavesoutoneoItheobligatoryactsorprerequisitesprovided
the Iollowers complete them and the imam isnotawareoItheIactthathehadleItoutanobligatory
actorprerequisite.
AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"IItheimamleadstheprayercorrectly,thenbothyouand
hewillgetthereward.IIheismistaken,youwillgettherewardandhetheblame."Thisisrelatedby
Ahmadandal-Bukhari.
SahlreportsthatheheardtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsay:"Theimamisawarrantor.IIhe
has done well, it is Ior him and them. II he has done wrong, it is upon him." This is related by Ibn
Majah.
It has been authentically reported Irom 'Umar that he led the people in salah while he was sexually
deIiled and had Iorgotten that Iact. He repeated his salah but those who had prayed behind him did
not.
Eiqh2.62:AppointinganothertoleadtherestoIthesalah
IItheimammustleaveduringthesalahduetosomereason,Iorinstance,heremembersthatheisin
need oI making ablution or he loses his ablution during the salah, then he should appoint another to
leadtheremainderoItheprayer.
'AmribnMaimunsays:"Iwasstandingandtherewasnoonebetweenmeand'Umar,themorninghe
waskilled,except'Abullahibn'Abbas.Hehadbarelypronouncedthetakbirwhenhewasstabbedand
hesaid:'Thedoghasbittenorkilledme.' 'Umarbade'AbdurRahmanibn'AuItoleadthesalahandhe
ledtheminashortprayer."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Abu Razin reports: "'Ali was praying one day when his nose began to bleed. He took a man by the
handandputhiminIrontoIthecongregation,andheleIt."ThisisrelatedbySa'idibnMansur.
Ahmadobserves:"IItheimamappointsanother|itisacceptable|as'Umarand'Aliappointedanother.
II the people pray individually, |it is acceptable| as in the case oI Mu'awiyyah when he was stabbed
andthepeopleprayedindividuallyandcompletedtheirprayers."
Eiqh2.62a:Whenthepeopledisliketheirimam
Many hadith have been related which warn against leading a congregation while one is disliked by
them.Dislikehererelatestoone'sreligiousconductandisbasedonavalidreason.
Ibn 'Abbas relates that the Prophet said: "Three people's prayers will not rise above their head the
length oI a hand's span. |They are:| a man who leads a people in salah and they do not like him, a
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woman who has disobeyed her husband and he is dipleased with her, and two brothers who are
estranged."ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajah.Al-'lraqisaysitschainishasan.
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Allah does not accept
prayers Irom three |types oI| people: a man who leads a people and they dislike him, a man who
attends the prayers aIter their time is Iinished, and a man who re-enslaves his Ireed slave." This is
relatedbyAbuDawudandIbnMajah.
Elaborating upon it, at-Tirmizhi says: "It is disliked that a man should lead a people in salah while
theydislikehim.IItheimamisnotawrongdoer,thenthesinisuponthosewhodon'tlikehim."
Eiqh2.62b:ThePositioningOITheImamAndTheEollowers
ItispreIerredIoronepersontostandtotherightoItheimamandIora"groupoItwo(ormore)"to
standbehindtheimam.
Jabir reports: "The Prophet stood to pray and I came and stood on his leIt. He took me by my hand
|andledme|aroundhimuntilIstoodonhisright.Then,JabiribnSakhrcameandstoodontheleItoI
theMessengeroIAllahsallallahualehiwasallam.HetookbothoIusbyourhandsandpushedusback
untilwestoodbehindhim."ThisisrelatedbyMuslimandAbuDawud.
IIawomanispresentwiththegroup,thensheistostandinarowbyherselIbehindthemenandshe
is not to join them in their rows. II she did not stand in a separate row, her salah will still be valid
according to the opinion oI majority. Anas said: "An orphan and I prayed behind the Messenger oI
Allahinourhouseandmymotherprayedbehindus."Inanotherversionitisstated:"Heputmeand
theorphaninarowbehindhimandthewomanbehindus."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.63:ThepositionoItheimamwhileleadingtheprayer
ItispreIerredIortheimamtostandinthecenteroItherowsandthepeopleclosesttohimshouldbe
thepeopleoIintellectandunderstanding.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Let the imam stand in the
center, and close the gaps in the rows." This is related by Abu Dawud and both he and al-Munzhiri
makenoIurthercommentonitsauthenticity.
Ibn Mas'ud reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Let those who are prudent and
sedatebenearme,thenthosewhoarenexttothem,thenthosewhoarenexttothem,andbewareoI
thetumultoIthemarketplace."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhi.
Anassaid:"TheProphetlovedthattheemigrants(muhajarin)andhelpers(ansar)standnexttohimso
that they would learn Irom him." This is related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud. The wisdom behind
havingsuchpeopleclosetotheimamisthattheycancorrecthimiIhemakesamistakeanditiseasy
IortheimamtoappointoneoI theminhisplaceiIheneedstoleave.
Eiqh2.63a:ThepositioningoItheyoungandthewomen
TheMessengeroIAllahplacedthemeninIrontoItheyoungboysandthewomenbehindtheyoung
boys.ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"ThebestrowsIorthemenaretheIirstrows
andtheworstrowsIorthemarethelastrows.ThebestrowsIorthewomenarethelastrowsandthe
worstIorthemaretheIrontrows."ThelastrowsarethebestIorthe womenbecausetheyareIarther
awayIromthemenasagainsttheIirstrowsthatarenearesttomen'srows.Thisisrelatedbythegroup
exceptal-Bukhari.
Eiqh2.64:TheprayeroIanindividualbehindarow
IIapersonmakeshisopeningtakbirbehindarowandthenheenterstherowandperIormstheruku'
withtheimam,hissalahwillbevalid.
Abu Bakra reports that he came to the salah while theProphetwasperIormingruku'andAbuBakra
perIormed the ruku beIore he entered the row. He mentioned this tothe Prophet and he said: "May
Allah increase your love Ior goodness, but do not repeat that act." This is related by Ahmad, al-
Bukhari,AbuDawud,andanNasa'i.
According to the majority, II a person prays behind the rows by himselI, his salah will be valid but
diliked. Ahmad, Ishaq, Ahmad, ibn Abu Laila, Waki', al-Hassan ibn Saleh, an-Nakha'i and Ibn al-
MunzhirholdthatiIapersonpraysonecompleterak'ahbehindtherows,hissalahwillbeinvalid.
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Wabsah relates that the Messenger oI Allah saw a man praying behind the rows by himselI and the
Propehtorderedhimtorepeathissalah.ThisisrelatedbytheIivesavean-Nasa'i.InAhmad'sversion,
the Messenger oI Allah was asked about a man who prays by himselI behind the rows and he said:
"Heistorepeathissalah."At-TirmizhicalledthishadithhasanandAhmad'schainisgood.
'AliibnShaibanrelatesthattheMessengeroIAllahsawamanprayingbehindtherowandhewaited
Ior him and (when he Iinished) told him: "Go Iorward (and join the row) Ior the salah oI a person
standing alone behind the rows is not valid." This is related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and al-Baihaqi.
Ahmadsaysitishasan.IbnSayyidan-Nasssaiditsnarratorsarewell-known,trustworthypeople.
The majority stick to the hadith oI Abu Bakra who said that hepreIormedpartoItheprayer,behind
therow,andtheProphetdidnotorderhimtorepeathissalah.RepeatingthesalahsigniIiesoverzealin
practicingwhatisrecommendedandbetter.
Al-Kaman ibn al-Hamam said: "Our scholars are oI the opinion that the hadith oI Wabsah reIers to
whatispreIerredwhilethehadithoI'Aliibnash-ShaibanunderlinesIailuretopracticewhatisthebest
and, as such, they are in harmony with the hadith oI Abu Bakra. It is clear, then, that it is not
necessarytorepeatthesalahbecausesuchanactwasnotalwaysordered.
II someone comes to the row and does not Iind suIIicient space or a gap to stand in the row, then,
accordingtosome,heshouldstandbyhimselIanditisdislikedthatheshouldpullanyonebackIrom
therow.Otherssaythatheshouldpullone,whoisawareoItheruling,backIromtherowaIterthey
haveperIormedtheopeningtakbir,anditispreIerredIortheonewhoispulledtojoinhim."
Eiqh2.64a:StraighteningtherowsandIillingthegaps
ItispreIerredIortheimamtoordertheIollowerstostraightentherowsandIillinanygapsbeIorehe
startsthesalah.
Anasrelates:"TheProphetwouldturnhisIacetousbeIorehebeganthesalahandhewouldsay:'Be
closetogether andstraightenyourrows.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.Healsoreported
that the Prophet would say: "Make your rows straight Ior the straightening oI the rows is part oI the
completionoIthesalah."
An-Nu'man ibn Bashir says: "The Prophet would straighten us in our rows as one straightens an
arrow, until he saw that we had learned Irom him. One day, he saw a person with his chest sticking
out and he said: 'You had better straighten your rows or Allah will cause diIIerences among you."'
This isrelatedbytheIive.At-Tirmizhisaysitissahih.
Abu Umamah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Straighten your rows and put
your shoulders close to each other and be gentle with each other and Iill in the gaps Ior the Satan
passesthroughwhatisbetweenyoulikesmallsheep|areabletopassthroughgaps|."Thisisrelated
byAhmadandat-TabaraniwithachainthathasnoIaultinit.
AnasreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"CompletetheIrontrow,thentheonesaIterit,andiI
thereisanyincompletion,itshouldbeinthelastrow."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,and
al-Baihaqi.
Ibn'Umarsays:"Thereisnostepthatcarriesagreaterrewardthanthestepamantakestoanempty
gapinarowinordertoIillit."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bazarwithahasanchain.
Ibn 'Umar also related that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Whoever connects a row, Allah will join
him.WhoevercutsoIIarow,AllahwillcuthimoII."ThisisrelatedbyAn-Nasa'i,al-Hakim,andIbn
Khuzaimah.
Jabir ibn Samrah says: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam came to us and said: 'Why don't you
maketherowsliketheangelsmaketheirrowsinthepresenceoItheirLord?'Weasked:'OMessenger
oIAllah,howdotheangelsmaketheirrowsinthepresenceoItheirLord?'Hereplied:'Theycomplete
theIirstrowandstandcloselytogether,sidebyside,intherow.'"Thisisrelatedbythegroup,saveal-
Bukhariandat-Tirmizhi.
Eiqh2.65:EncouragementconcerningbeingintheIirstrowandonthe rightside
We have already mentioned the Prophet's words "II the people knew what |great blessings were| in
thecalltosalahandintheIirstrowthepeoplewouldviewithoneanothertocalltheazhanandtobe
intheIirstrow,andiItheyIoundnoway todecide|whowouldbeallowedtomakethecalltosalahor
tobeintheIirstrow|exceptbydrawinglots,thentheywoulddrawlots."
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Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet noticed his companions going to the back rows, and he
said: "Come close and Iollow me and let thosebehindIollowyou.Peoplewillcontinuegoingtothe
backuntilAllahwillputthemintheback."ThisisrelatedbyMuslim,an-Nasa'i,AbuDawud,andIbn
Majah.
'Aishah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Allah and His angels send down
blessingsuponthosewhoprayontherightsideoItherows."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandIbn
Majah.
Ahmad and at-Tabarani record, with a sahih chain, Irom Abu Umamah that the Prophet said:"Allah
andtheangelssenddown blessingsupontheIirstrow."Thepeopleinquired:"OMessengeroIAllah,
anduponthesecondrow?"TheProphetagainsaid:"Allahandtheangelssenddownblessingsupon
theIirstrow."Thepeopleaskedagain:"OMessengeroIAllah,anduponthesecondrow?"Einallyhe
said:"Anduponthesecondrow."
Eiqh2.66:Repeatingimam'swordsIorothersinthebackrows
IIsomepeoplecannotheartheimam,itispreIerredIoronetorepeatinaloudvoicetheimam'swords
Iortheotherstohear.ThereisconsensusamongscholarsthatrepeatingaloudaItertheimamswithout
therebeinganyrealneedIoritisanabhorentinnovation.
Eiqh2.67:Theearthasamosque
AllahtheExaltedhasconIerredaspecialblessinguponthisummah- thatis,thewholeearthhasbeen
declaredamosqueIorit.ThereIore,whenthetimeIorprayercomes,aMuslimmaypraywhereverhe
may be. Abu Zharr asked the Prophet, "What was the Iirst mosque on the earth?" He said: "The
Masjid al-Haram |in Makkah|." Abu Zharr asked: "which is the next oldest mosque?" The Prophet
sallallahualehiwassalamsaid:"Theal-AqsaMosque."AbuZharrasked:"Howmuchtimewasthere
between |the building oI the two|." The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam replied: "Eorty years."
Then, he said: "Wherever you may be, at the time oI salah, you may pray Ior it |the earth| is all a
mosque."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Eiqh2.67a:TheexcellenceoIbuildingmosques
'UthmanreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"WhoeverbuildsIorAllahamosque,
seekingbyitAllah'sgrace,AllahwillbuildIorhimahouseinparadise."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari
andMuslim.
Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Whoever builds Ior Allah a
mosque, even iI it be tiny, like a bird's nest, Allah will build Ior him a house in paradise." This is
relatedbyAhmad,IbnHibban,andal-Bazzarwithasahihchain.
Eiqh2.67b:Supplicationswhilegoingtothemosque
It is sunnah to make supplications while going to the mosque. The Iollowing are examples oI such
supplications:
Umm Salamah reports: "When the Messenger oI Allah leIt the house he would say: 'In the name oI
Allah, I put my trust in Allah. O Allah, I seek reIuge in Thee lest I stray or be led astray or cause
injusticeorsuIIerinjusticeordowrongorhavewrongdonetome!"ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,
an-Nasa'i,IbnMajah,andat-Tirmizhi,whocallsitsahih.
Anas reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Whoever says upon leaving Irom his house: 'In the
nameoIAllah,IputmytrustinAllah.ThereisnopowerormightexceptwithAllah,'itwillbesaidto
him:'ThatissuIIicientIoryou...youareguided,deIended,andprotectedandthedevilwillbedriven
awayIromyou."'ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andat-Tirmizhiwhocallsithasan.
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordIromIbn'AbbasthattheProphetleItIorthemosquesaying:"OAllah,
make light in my heart, and light in my vision, and light in my hearing, and light on my right, and
lightbehindme,andlightin mynerves,andlightinmyIlesh,andlightinmyblood,andlightinmy
hairandlightinmyskin."
In Muslim's version, we Iind "O Allah, make light in my heart and light on my tongue, and make
light in my hearing, and light in my sight, and make light behind me, and light in Iront oI me, and
makelightaboveme,andlightbelowme.OAllah,givemelight."
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet said:"IIamanleaveshishousetogototheprayerand
says,'OAllah,IaskYoubytherightoIthe suppliantuponYouandbytherightoIthiswalking- asI
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havenotcomeoutinanarrogantorunthankIulmannerorIorshoworIorIame;IcameoutinIearoI
YourangeranddesiringYourpleasure- IaskYoutorescuemeIromtheEireandtoIorgivemysins
as no one Iorgives sins, save You," Allah will assign Ior him seventy thousand angels to ask
Iorgiveness Ior him and Allah turns His Iace to him until he Iinishes his prayer." This is related by
Ahmad,IbnKhuzaimah,andIbnMajah.Al-HaIezsaidthatitishasan.
Eiqh2.69:Supplicationsuponenteringandleavingthemosques
It is a sunnah Ior one who wants to enter the mosque to enter with his right Ioot Iirst and to say: "I
seekreIugeinAllah,theExalted,andbyHishonorableIace,andinHiseverlastingauthority,|away|
IromtheoutcastSatan.InthenameoIAllah!OAllah,showerblessingsuponMuhammad.OAllah,
IorgivemysinsIormeandopenIormethedoorsoIYourmercy."
When one wants to leave the mosque he should step with his leIt IootIirst and say: "InthenameoI
Allah!OAllah,showerblessingsuponMuhammad.OAllah,IorgivemysinsIormeandopenIorme
thedoorsoIYourbounty.OAllah,protectmeIromtheaccursedSatan."
Eiqh2.69a:TheexcellenceoIproceedingtothemosquetoattendsalah
Abu Hurairah reports that theProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"IIanyonegoesbackandIorth
tothemosque|toattendtheprayers|,AllahwillprepareIorhimaIeastinparadiseasoItenashegoes
backandIorth."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.
Abu Sa'id reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "II you see a man Irequenting the
mosque,thentestiIythathehasIaith.AsAllahsays,'TheattendantsoIAllah'smosquearethosewho
believe in Allah and the last day |At-Taubah 18|."' This is related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Ibn
Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban, and by at-Tirmizhi, who says it is hasan, and by al-Hakim who says it is
sahih.
Muslim records, on the authority oI Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger oI Allah said: "II anyone
puriIies himselI in his house, and then walks to one oI the houses oI Allah to IulIill one oI the
obligationslaiddownbyAllah,then|eachone|oIhisstepswilleraseoneoIhissinsandthenextwill
raisehisdegrees."
Abu ad-Darda' reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "The mosque is a house Ior every pious
person,andAllahprovideseveryonewhosehouseisthemosquewithcomIort,leisure,andapathto
Allah'spleasure,toparadise."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tabaraniandal-Bazzarwithasahihchain.
Wehavealreadymentionedthehadithwhichbeginswithwords"ShallInotpointouttoyou|anact|
bywhichAllaherasessinsandraisesdegrees...?"
Eiqh2.70:TheprayeroIsalutationstothemosque(tahyyatulmasjid)
Abu Qatadah reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "When one oI you comes to the mosque, he
shouldpraytworak'atbeIorehesits."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Eiqh2.70a:Threemostexcellentmosques
Jabir reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Prayer in theinviolable mosque |in Makkah| is like
100,000 prayers |elsewhere|. And prayers in my mosque |in Medinah| is like one thousand prayers
|elsewhere|. And a prayer in Bait al-Maqdis |in Jerusalem| is like Iive hundred prayers |elsewhere|.
ThisisrelatedbyalBaihaqi,andas-Sayutisaysitishasan.
Ahmad records that the Messenger oI Allah said: "OIIering salah in my mosque is better than one
thousand prayers elsewhere, save Ior those oIIered in the inviolable mosque. And salah in the
inviolablemosqueisbetterthansalahinmymosquebyonehundredprayers."
TheProphetsaid:"Oneshouldnotundertakeajourney,savetothreemosques:theinviolablemosque
|in Makkah|, my mosque here |in Medinah|, and Masjid al-Aqsa |in Jerusalem|." This is related by
thegroup.
Eiqh2.70b:EmbellishingtheMosques
Anas reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "The Hour will notcometopassuntilthepeoplevie
with each other in (building) the mosques." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, anNasa'i, Ibn
Majah,andIbnHibbanwhocallsitsahih.IbnKhuzaimah'swordingis:"Atimewillcomewhenthe
peoplewillviewitheachotherin(building)themosquesbutveryIewwillattend(themosques)."
Ibn'AbbasreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"IhavenotbeenorderedtobuildhighandloIty
mosques." Abu Dawud's version adds: "Ibn 'Abbas said: 'You will certainly embellish them as the
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JewsandChristiansembellished|theirplacesoIworship|."'TheprecedinghadithwasrelatedbyAbu
DawudandbyIbnHibbanwhocallsit sahih.
'Umar ordered mosques to be built and would say: "Protect the people Irom the rain. Beware oI red
andyellowdecorationsIortheydistractpeople."ThisisrelatedbyIbnKhuzaimahinhissahihandby
al-BukhariinmualaqIorm.
Eiqh2.71:Keepingthemosquescleanandscentingthem
'Aishah reports that the Prophet ordered that mosques be built in residential areas and that they be
cleaned and perIumed. This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn
Hibban with a good chain. Abu Dawud's wording is: "He ordered us to build the mosques in the
residential areas, to build them well, and to puriIy them. 'Abdullah would burn incense when 'Umar
wouldsitonthepulpit."
AnasreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"TherewardsoImyummahwereplaced
beIore me, even Ior removing a speck oI dust Irom the mosque." This is related by Abu Dawud, at-
Tirmizhi,andIbnKhuzaimahwhocallsitsahih.
Eiqh2.71a:MaintainingtheMosques
The Mosques are houses oI worship and it is obligatory to keep them clean and Iree oI Iilth and
noxioussmells.
Muslim records that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "These mosques are not meant Ior
urineorIilthbuttheyareIortheremembranceoIAllahandtherecitaloItheQur'an.
Ahmad records, with a sahih chain, that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "II one oI you
expectorates,heshouldcoveritlestitshouldbesmearabeliever'sbodyorclothingandharmhim."
Ahmadandal-BukharirecordIromAbuHurairahthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"WhenoneoIyou
stands to pray, he should not spit in Iront oI him as he is Iacing Allah when he is in prayer. And he
shouldnotspittohisrightasthereisanangelonhisright.So,heshouldspittohisleItorunderhis
Ieetandheshouldburyit."
Jabir reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Whoever eats garlic, onion, or leek
shouldnotcomeclosetoourmosqueIortheangelsareharmedbywhatharmsthechildrenoIAdam."
Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
OnEriday,'Umaraddressedthepeoplesaying:"Oyoupeople,youeatoItwoplantswhichIconsider
bad |onion and garlic| Ior I have seen the Prophet, when he perceived their smell Irom someone, he
would order the man to go to al-Baqi'. Whoever eats them should suppress their odor by cooking
them."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andan-Nasa'i.
Eiqh2.72:ProhibitionoIannouncinglostobjects,tradingorrecitingpoetryinthemosques
AbuHurairahreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"IIyou hearamanannouncinginthemosque
aboutsomeobjectwhichhehaslosttellhim:'MayAllahnotreturnittoyouIorthemosquesarenot
builtIorthat."'ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
AbuHurairahalsorelatesthattheProphetsaid:"IIyouseesomeonebuyingorsellinginthemosque,
say to him: 'May Allah not give you any proIit in your trading."' This is related by an-Nasa'i and at-
Tirmizhi.Thelattercallsithasan.
'Abdullahibn'UmarreportsthatthePeophetIorbadebuyingandsellinginthemosque,recitingpoetry
init,orannouncinglostitems,andheespeciallyprohibitedmakingacircle|i.e.,ameetinginacircle|
beIoretheEridayprayer.ThisisrelatedbytheIive,andat-Tirmizhicallsitsahih.
The poetry which is prohibited is that which ridicules a Muslim, praises a wrongdoer or some
lewdness,andsoon.ConcerningthatwhichcontainswisdomorpraisesoIIslamorencouragementto
piety, there is nothing wrong with it. Abu Hurairah reports that 'Umar passed by Hassan as he was
recitingpoetryinthemosque.'Umarlookedathiminadisapprovingmanner.Hassansaid:"Iusedto
recite when one better than you was present." He turned to Abu Hurairah and said: "I adjure you by
Allah to state that you have heard the Messenger oI Allah say: 'Respond Ior me |Hassan|. O Allah,
support him with the Angel Gabriel.'" Abu Hurairah said: "Yes, |I heard it|." This is related by al-
BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.72a:Begginginthemosque
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Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taimiyah says: "Begging is Iorbidden whether it is in the mosque or outside it,
unlessthereisarealneedIorit.IInecessary,onemaybeginthemosqueaslongasonedoesnotharm
anyone and does not lie in begging, or disturb the people by stepping over them or with one's
loudness,Iorinstance,whenthepeoplearelisteningtotheEridaykhutbah,andonedistractsthemby
one'svoice.
Eiqh2.72b:Raisingone'svoiceinthemosque
ItisIorbiddentoraiseone'svoiceinsuchawaythatitdisturbsothers'prayers,eveniIitisdonewhile
recitingtheQur'an.Teachingorimpartingknowledge(toothers)isexemptIromthisprohibition.
Ibn 'Umar relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam entered upon some people while they
wereprayingandtheywereraisingtheirvoicesintheQur'anicrecital.TheProphetsaid:"Onewhois
prayingisinaprivateconversationwithhisLordsoheshouldbemindIuloIwhomheisconversing
with. And you should not raise your voices against each other in |the recital oI| the Qur'an." This is
relatedbyAhmadwith asahihchain.
Abu Sa' id al-Khurdi reports that the Prophet was making seclusion (i'tikaI) in the mosque and he
heardthepeoplerecitingaloud.Heremovedthecoveringandsaid:"Verily,eachoIyouisinaprivate
conversationwithhisLordsoyoushouldnotdisturbeachother.Andyouarenottoraiseyourvoices
against each other in the recitation." This is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, al-Baihaqi, and al-
HakimwhogradesitsahihaccordingtothecriteriaoIal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.73:Talkinginthemosque
An-Nawawi says: "It is permissible to engage in lawIul conversation in the mosque and one may
discussworldlyaIIairsandotherthingsandevenlaugh,aslongasitisaboutsomethingpermissible.
ThisopinionisbasedonthehadithoIJabiribnSamurahwhosaid:'TheProphetwouldnotriseIrom
hisplaceoIthemorningprayeruntilthesunhadrisen,andwhenthesunrose,hewouldgetup.And
theywouldtalkandlaughabout|pre-Islamic|daysoIignorance,andhewouldsmile.'"Thisisrelated
byMuslim.
When one wants to leave the mosque he should step with his leIt Ioot Iirst and say: "InthenameoI
Allah!OAllah,showerblessingsuponMuhammad.OAllah,IorgivemysinsIormeandopenIorme
thedoorsoIYourbounty.OAllah,protect meIromtheaccursedSatan."
Eiqh2.73a:Permissiontoeat,drink,orsleepinthemosque
Ibn 'Umar says: "During the time oI the Messenger oI Allah, we would sleep and take nap in the
mosque,andatthattime,wewereyoungmen."
An-Nawawi said:"ItisconIirmedthatahlas-suIIah,'Ali,SuIyanibnUmayyah,andanumberoIthe
companionsusedtosleepinthemosque.ThumamahslepttherebeIoreheembracedIslam.AlloIthat
was during the time oI the Messenger oI Allah." Ash-ShaI'i writesinal-Umm:"IIapolythiestcould
sleep in a mosque, then deIinitely a Muslim can." In alMukhtasar it is said: "There is no harm in a
polythieststayinginanymosqueexcepttheinviolablemosque|inMakkah|."'Abdullahibnal-Harith
says:"DuringthetimeoItheMessengeroIAllah,wewouldeatmeatandbreadinthemosque."This
isrelatedbyIbnMajahwithahasanchain.
Eiqh2.73b:ClaspingthehandsorintertwiningtheIingers
It is disliked to clasp one's hands while going to the mosque or while waiting Ior the salah in the
mosque,althoughitisperIectlypermissibletodosoatothertimes,eveninthemosque.Ka'brelates
thattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"WhenoneoIyoumakeswudu',perIectsthewudu',andleaveswith
theintentionoIgoingtothemosque,heshouldnotintertwinehisIingersasheis|consideredtobe|in
salah."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,andatTirmizhi.
AbuSa'idal-Khudrisays:"IenteredthemosquewiththeMessengeroIAllahwhileamanwassitting
inthemiddleoIthemosquewithhisIingersintertwined.TheMessengeroIAllahmotionedtohimbut
themandidnotnoticeorunderstandhim.TheMessengeroIAllahturnedandsaid:'IIoneoIyouisin
themosque,heshouldnotintertwinehisIingersasintertwiningoItheIingersisIromtheSatan,and
youareintheprayerwhileyouareinthemosqueuntilyouleaveit."'ThisisrelatedbyAhmad.
Eiqh2.74:Salahbetweenwallsandenclosures
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It is allowed Ior the imam or one who is oIIering salah by himselI to pray between two walls or
enclosures.Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordIromIbn'UmarthatwhentheProphetenteredtheKa'bah,
heprayedbetweentwowalls.
Sa'id ibn Jubair, Ibrahim at-Taimi, and Suwaid ibn GhuIlah led the people in salah while they were
betweentwocolumns.Itis dislikedIortheIollowerstopraybetweenthemiItheyhaveenoughroom
becauseitcutstherow,buttheymaydosoiItheyareconstrainedtoit.
Anassays:"WewereprohibitedtooIIersalahbetweenwallsandwewouldkeepothersIromit."This
isrelatedbyal-Hakimwhosaysitissahih.
Mu'awiyyahibnQurrahrelatesthathisIathersaid:"Wewereprohibitedtomakerowsbetweenwalls
duringthetimeoItheProphetandwekeptothersIromit."ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajahbutoneoIits
narratorismajhul(unknownasatrustworthyperson).Sa'idibnMansurrecordsinhisSunanthatIbn
Mas'ud, Ibn 'Abbas, and HuzhaiIah prohibited it. Ibn Sayyid an-Nass said: "There is no known
diIIerenceamongthecompanions|onthispoint|."
Eiqh2.74a:Graveyards,do notoIIersalatin
'AishahreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"AllahcursedtheJewsandChristians
|because| they took the graves oI their prophets as mosques." Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,
Ahmad,andan-Nasa'i.
AhmadandMuslimrecordIromAbuMarthadal-GhanawithattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam
said:"DonotprayIacingagraveanddonotsitonone."TheyalsorecordthatJundubibn'Abdullah
al-Bajali heard the Prophet say, Iive days beIore he died: "The people beIore you took graves as
mosques.Iprohibitthistoyou."
'AishahreportsthatUmmSalamahmentionedthechurchesshesawinAbyssiniaandthepicturesthey
contained to the Messenger oI Allah. The Prophet said to her: "These are the people who, whena
piousservantorpiousmanamongthemdies,buildamosque|placeoIworship|upontheirgravesand
putthosepicturesinit.TheyaretheworstoIthewholecreationinthesightoIAllah."Thisisrelated
byal-Bukhari,Muslim,andan-Nasa'i.
The Prophet is also reported to have said: "Allah curses those who visitthegravesandtakethemas
mosques and light lamps over them." Many scholars take this prohibition to be one oI dislike,
regardlessoIwhetherthegraveisinIrontoItheimamorbehindhim.Accordingtothezahirischool,
this prohibition is one oI complete Iorbiddance and as such, prayer at a grave site is not valid.
According to the Hanbali school, this applies only iI there are three graves or more. II there is only
oneortwograves,thentheprayerisvalidalthoughdislikediIonepraysIacingagrave,otherwiseitis
notdisliked.
Eiqh2.75:Churchesandsynagogues
AbuMusaal-Ash'ariand'Umaribn'Abdulazizprayedinachurch.Ash-Sh'abiy,'Ata,andIbnSireen
didnotseeanythingwrongwithprayinginachurch|iIonehappenedtobeinachurchatthetimeoI
salah|.Al-Bukharisays:"Ibn'Abbaswouldprayinchurches|underunusualcircumstances|exceptIor
those with statues or sculptures." The Muslims oI Najran wrote to 'Umar saying that they Iound no
place cleaner or better to pray in than a church. 'Umar wrote to them: "Sprinkle it with water and
leaves and pray therein." According to the HanaIi and ShaI'i schools, it is disliked to pray in such
placesingeneral.
Eiqh 2.75 a: Dunghills, slaughterhouses, middle oI the roads, resting places oI the camels near
wateringholes,bathroomsandontherooIoIthe"houseoIAllah"
Ibn 'Umar relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prohibited salah in seven places:
"dunghills, slaughterhouses, graveyards, middle oI the road, bathhouses, watering places where the
camelsdrinkandrest,andontherooIoIthehouseoIAllah|theKa'bahinMakkah|."Thisisrelated
byIbnMajah,'AbdibnHumaid,andat-Tirmizhiwhosaiditschainisnotstrong.Thereasonwhyitis
prohibited to pray on dunghills and in slaughterhouses is the presence oI impurities there. It is
Iorbiddentoprayatsuchplaceswithoutanybarrier,andiIthereissuchabarrieronemaypray,butit
isdislikedbythemajorityoIthescholars,whileAhmadandotherscholarsoIzahiripersuasionsayit
isprohibited.ThereasonwhyitisprohibitedtoprayintherestingplacesoIthecamelsisthesameas
in the Iirst two cases (i.e., the presence oI impurities). Thereason why it is prohibited to pray at the
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middleoItheroadsisbecausethereisusuallyalotoIcommotion,whichcouldtakeone'sheartaway
Iromthesalah.AsIorprayingontherooIoItheKa'bah,thiscontradictstheordertooIIersalahIacing
it.Eorthisreason,manyareoItheopinionthatasalahperIormedontopoItheKa'bahisinvalid.The
HanaIi school holds that it is allowed, but disliked as it does not honor the Ka'bah. The reason it is
disliked to pray in bath-houses is the presence oI impurities there, according to the majority oI the
scholars. Ahmad, Abu Thaur, and the Zahiriyyah hold that a salah oIIered in the bath-house is not
valid.
Eiqh2.76:PrayerintheKa'bah
OIIering salah in the Ka'bah is valid regardless oI whether it is an obligatory prayer or a
supererogatory prayer. Ibn 'Umar reports: "The Messenger oI Allah entered the house |the Ka'bah|
with 'Usamah ibn Zaid, Bilal, and 'Uthman ibn Talhah and they closed the door behind themselves.
Whentheyopenedthedoor,IwastheIirsttocomeuponthemandIaskedBilal:'DidtheMessenger
oIAllahpray|whilehewasinside|?'Hesaid:'Yes,betweenthetwoYemenipillars.'"Thisisrelated
byAhmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.
Eiqh2.76a:Praytowardyoursutrah,partition
ItispreIerredIortheonewhoisprayingtoplaceasutrah(orsomesortoIpartition)inIrontoIhimin
order to keep others Irom passing in Iront oI him and to keep his eyesight Irom going behind this
partition.
AbuSa'idreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"WhenoneoIyouprays,heshould
praytowardhissutrahandheshouldbeclosetoit."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandIbnMajah.
Ibn 'Umar relates that "when the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam went out to pray salatul 'id, he
askedIoraspearandplaceditinIrontoIhimselIandheoIIeredsalahtowarditandthepeopleprayed
behindhim.Andhewoulddothatwhilehewastravelingsothatthoseinauthority|IortheaIIairsoI
theMuslims|wouldalsodothis."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,andAbuDawud.
TheHanaIiandMalikischolarsareoItheopinionthatoneshouldplaceasutrahinIrontoIhimonlyiI
heIearsthatsomeonemaypassinIrontoIhim;iIhedoesnotIearthatsomeonewillpassinIrontoI
him,itisnotdesirableIorhimtoplaceasutrahinIrontoIhimselI.Thisopinionisbasedonthehadith
oI Ibn 'Abbas who said that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prayed in an open area and there
wasnothinginIrontoIhim.ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.Al-Baihaqirelateditandsaid:
"ItissupportedbyareportIromal-EazhlIbn'AbbaswithareliablechainoItransmitters."
Eiqh2.77:RequirementsIorasutrahorpartition
AnythingwhichthepersonsetsupinIrontoIhimwillqualiIyasasutrah, eveniIitisonlytheendoI
his bed. Sabrah ibn Mu'abid reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "When one oI you prays, he
should make a partition Ior his salah, even iI it is an arrow." This is related by Ahmad and by al-
Hakim who said it is sahih according to the criteria oI Muslim. Al-Haithami observes: "Ahmad's
narratorsaresound."
Abu Hurairah relates that the Prophet said: "When one oI you prays, he should place something in
Iront oI him. II he cannot Iind anything, he should prop up his staII|inIrontoIhim|.IIhedoesnot
haveastaII,heshoulddrawaline|onthegroundinIrontoIhim|thennothingthatpassesintrontoI
himwillharmhim."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawudandIbnHibban.ThelaterclassiIiesit
sahih as did Ahmad and Ibn al-Madini. Al-Baihaqi says: "There is no problem with that hadith
regardingthatruling,Allahwilling."
ItisrelatedthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamprayedtowardacolumninhismosque,towarda
tree,towardabeduponwhich'Aishahwaslying,andtowardhisridinganimal,andtowardhissaddle,
andsoon.
Talhah says: "We used to pray and the animals would pass in Iront oI us. We mentioned that to the
Prophetandhesaid:"IIanythingthesizeoIasaddleisinIrontoIyou,nothingthatpassesbeyondit
would harm you." This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmizhi who
callsithasansahih.
Eiqh2.77a:ThesutrahoItheimamissutrahoItheIollowers
ThesutrahoItheimamisthesutrahoIeveryonebehindhim.
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'Amr ibn Shu'aib relates Irom his Iather on the authority oI his grandIather who said: "We were
descending on a path near Makkah with the Messenger oI Allah and the time Ior prayer came. The
Prophet prayed toward a wall and we were behind him. A lamb tried to pass in Iront oI him and he
kept preventing the lamb Irom doing so until its stomach was up against the wall. Einally, it passed
behindhim."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.
Ibn 'Abbas says: "I was riding a donkey and was at the time on the threshold oI maturity, and the
ProphetwasleadingthepeopleinsalahatMina.IpassedinIrontoItherowandlettheanimalgraze,
andthenIjoinedtherowsandnooneobjectedtothis."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
ThesehadithprovethatitisallowedtopassinIrontoIpeopleIollowingtheimam,andthatthesutrah
isrequiredIortheimamandthepeopleprayingindividually.
Eiqh2.78:ProximityoIthesutrah
Al-Baghawi says: "The people oI knowledge preIer that the sutrah be so close that there is only
enoughspacetomakethesajdah,andthesameappliestothedistancebetweentherowsintheprayer.
"
InthehadithmentionedinthebeginningoIthissectionitisstated:"Andheshouldbeclosetoit."
Bilal reports that between the ProphetandthewallinIrontoIhimtherewasadistanceoIthreearm
spans.ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandanNasa'i,andal-Bukharihasrecordedsomethingsimilar.
SahlibnSa'dsays:"BetweentheMessengeroIAllah|andhissutrah|wasenoughspaceIorasheepto
pass."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.78a:ProhibitionoIpassinginIrontoIaprayingperson
ItisIorbiddentopassinIrontoIapersonwhoispraying(i.e.,betweenhimandhissutrah).
TherearemanyhadithwhichIorbidpassingbetweenapersonandhissutrah,anddescribesuchanact
asamajorsin.
BusribnSa'idsaysthatZaidibnKhalidsenthimtoAbuJuhaimtoaskhimwhathehadheardIrom
theProphetsallallahualehiwasallamconcerningpassinginIrontoIsomeonewhoispraying.Hesaid
thattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"IIoneknew|thesin|oIpassinginIrontoIonewhoispraying,he
wouldratherwaitIorty|...|thantopassinIrontoIhim."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
ZaidibnKhalidrelatesthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"IItheonewhopassesinIrontoIonewhois
praying knew what was upon him |oI sin|, it would be better Ior him to stand |and wait| Ior Iorty
autumnsthantopassinIrontoIhim."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bazzarwithasahihchain.
Ibnal-Qayyimwrites:"IbnHibbanandotherssaythattheprohibitionmentionedinthishadithapplies
when one is praying with a sutrah. II one is praying without a sutrah, it is not Iorbidden to pass in
Iront oI him. As a prooI, Abu Hatim |i.e., ibn Hibban| argues by the hadith, in his sahih, Irom al-
MutalibibnAbiWid'ahwhosaid:'IsawtheProphet,whenheIinishedthecircumambulation|oIthe
Ka'bah|,hewenttotheendoIthecircuitandheprayedtworak'atandtherewasnothingbetweenhim
and the people who were circumambulating." Abu Hatim says: "This report proves that it is
permissibletopassinIrontoIapersonwhoisprayingbutwithoutasutrah.InthisliesaclearprooI
thatthewarningconcerningpassinginIrontoIonewhoisprayingreIersonlytoonewhoispraying
towardhissutrahanddoesnotreIertoonewhodoesnothaveasutrah."AbuHatimexplainsthatthe
Prophet's prayer was without anything between him and the people circumambulating the ka'bah. At
the end oI the hadith oI al-Mutalib, he records: "IsawtheProphetoIAllahoIIeringsalahIacingthe
black stone and the men and women were passing in Iront oI him and there was no sutrah between
him and them. In ar-Raudah anNadiyah, it is stated that iI one has no sutrah or is Iar away Irom the
sutrah, then he is not to keep anyone Irom passing in Iront oI him and it is not Iorbidden to pass in
IrontoIhimalthoughitispreIerrednottodoso.
Eiqh2.79:PreventingsomeoneIrompassinginIrontoIaprayingperson
ItispermissibletokeepsomeoneIrompassinginIrontoIapersonwhoispraying.
II a praying person has a sutrah in Iront oI him, then it is allowed Ior him to prevent any human or
animal Irom passing in Iront oI him. II a person passes in Iront oIhimIrombeyondthesutrah,then
thepersoninsalahisneithertopreventthepasser-bynorwillhebeharmedbyhim.
AbuSalehas-Samansaid:"IwillnarratetoyouwhatIheardandsawIromAbuSa'idal-Khudri.One
dayIwaswithAbuSa'idandhewasoIIeringsalahonEridayIacingsomethingwhichconcealedhim
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Irom the people when a young man Irom the tribe oI Mu'ait came and tried to pass in Iront oI Abu
Sa'id. He pushed him back. He tried again and Abu Sa'id struck him harder. The two scuIIled. The
man went to Marwan to complain. Abu Sa'id also went to Marwan. Marwan asked: 'What has
happened between you and the son oI your brother that caused him to complain?' Abu Sa'id said: 'I
heard the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam say: 'II any oI you prays toward a sutrah and someone
tries to pass in Iront oI you, then turn him away. II he reIuses, use Iorce Ior he is a devil."' This is
relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.79a:PassingoIanythingdoesnotinvalidatetheprayer
Thesalahisnotinvalidatedbyanything(passinginIrontoItheprayingperson).
'Ali, 'Uthman, ibn al-Musayyab, ash-Sh'abiy, Malik, ash-ShaI'i, SuIyan al-Thauri and the HanaIi
scholars are oI the opinion that the salah is not invalidated by anything which passes in Iront oI a
person. This is based on the hadith recorded by Abu Dawud Irom Abu al-Waddak who says: "A
youngpersontriedtopassinIrontoIAbuSa'idwhilehewaspraying.AbuSa'idheldhimoIIandthen
the young man tried again. Abu Sa'id pushed him oII. This happened three times and when |Abu
Sa'id| Iinished |the prayer|, he said: 'The salah is not invalidated by anything but the Messenger oI
Allahsaid:'Repulse|thepersonwhoistryingtopassinIrontoIyou|tothebestoIyourabilityIorhe
isadevil.'"
Eiqh2.81:TheIollowingactsarepermissibleduringtheprayer
Crying,moaning,orgroaning,regardlessoIwhetheritisduetoaIearoIAllahortoanyotherreason
(e.g.,amoanduetosomepainorinjurythatonecannotcontain),ispermissible.Thisisbasedonthe
Qur'anicverse:"WhentherevelationsoItheMerciIulwerereciteduntothem,theyIellprostratingand
adoring."Thisverseisgeneralandincludesonewhoispraying.
'Abdullahibnash-Schikhirrelates:"IsawtheMessengeroIAllahprayingandhischestwas'buzzing',
like the buzzing oI a cooking pot, due to crying." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i,
andat-Tirmizhi.ThelatterclassiIiesitassahih.
'Alireports:"TherewasnohorsemanamongusatthebattleoIBadrsaveal-Miqdadibnal-Aswad.I
saw that not one oI us was standing save the Messenger oI Allah who was praying under a tree and
cryinguntilthedawn."ThisisrelatedbyIbnHibban.
'Aishah relates the incident that occurred during the Iatal illness oI the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam. The Messenger oI Allah said: "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." 'Aishah
responded: "O Messenger oI Allah, Abu Bakr is a very soIt-hearted man and he cannot control his
tears, and iI he recites the Qur'an, he cries." 'Aishah later admitted: "I said that only because I hated
thatthepeopleshouldblameAbuBakrIorbeingtheIirsttotaketheplaceoItheMessengeroIAllah."
The Messenger oI Allah said: "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in salah. You women are like the
companionsoIYusuI."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,IbnHibban,andat-Tirmizhiwhocalls
itsahih.TheIactthattheProphetinsistedthatAbuBakrleadthesalahaIterhewasinIorrnedthathe
wouldbeovercomebyweepingprovesthatitispermissibletocrywhilepraying.
'UmarprayedIajrandrecitedSurahYusuI,andwhenhereachedtheverse"Iexposemydistressand
anguish only unto Allah," he raised his voice in crying. This is related by al-Bukhari, Sa'id ibn
Mansur,andibnal-Munzhir.In'Umar'sraisinghisvoiceincryingisareIutationoIthosewhosaythat
cryinginvalidatesthesalahiIitcausesasoundIromthemouth,regardlessoIwhetheritisduetothe
IearoIAllahornot.TheyarguethatsoundIromthemouthduetocryingislikespeaking,butthisis
notacceptableascryingandspeakingaretwodiIIerentthings.
Eiqh2.82:Turningtoasideduetosomeneed
IbnAbbasrelates:"TheMessengeroIAllahwouldturntohisrightandleIthewouldnotturnhishead
toseebehindhim."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad.
Abu Dawud records that when the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prayed, "he looked toward a
valleybecausehehadsentsomehorsementoguardthevalley."
AnasibnSireensays:"IsawAnasibnMalikliIthiseyestosomethingwhilehewaspraying."Thisis
relatedbyAhmad.
Eiqh2.82a:Unneccessaryturningduringprayer
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Turning to look at something without any genuine need is disliked, Ior it is against the etiqettes oI
humilitywhileIacingAllahinPrayer.
'Aishahsays:"IaskedtheMessengeroIAllahaboutturninginsalahandhesaid:'Itistheportionthat
the Satan steals Irom the slave's prayer.'" This is related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i, and Abu
Dawud.
Abuad-Darda'narratesIromtheProphet:"Opeople,becareIulaboutturningIorthereisnosalahIor
theonewhoturns.IIyoumustdoit,doitinthevoluntaryprayersandnotintheobligatoryprayers."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad.
Anas relates that the Messenger oI Allah said to him: "Be careIul about turning during the salah as
turning in the salah is disastrous. II you must do it, then doitinthevoluntaryprayersbutnotinthe
obligatoryprayers."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tirmizhiwhocallsitsahih.
In the hadith oI al-Harith al-Ash'ari, the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Allah gave Yahya,
sonoIZakariyah,IivecommandsthathewastoabidebyandwastoorderthetribeoIIsra'eltoabide
by..." One oI them was, "Verily, Allah orders you to pray, and when you pray, do not tum Ior Allah
lookstotheIaceoIHisslaveinsalahaslongashedoesnotturn."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandan-
Nasa'i.
Abu Zharr reported that the Prophet said: "Allah Iaces the slave while he is in the salah and keeps
Iacing him as long as he does not turn. II |the slave| turns, |Allah| turns away Irom him." This is
relatedbyAhmadandbyAbuDawudwhosaiditschainoInarrators(isnad)issahih.Thepreceding
hadith is concerned with turningtheIaceduringthesalah.IIoneturnsthewhole(upper)bodyaway
Iromtheqiblah,thenthesalahisinvalidated,IornotIulIillingtherequirmentoIIacingtheqiblah.On
thispoint,thereisnodiIIerenceoIopinion.
Eiqh2.83:Killingasnake,scorpionorotherharmIulanimals
II killing these would only require a small action on the part oI the person in salah, then there is no
harm in doing it. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Kill the
snake and the scorpion during the salah." This is related by Ahmad, at-Tirmizhi, Abu Dawud, an-
Nasa'i,andIbnMajah.Thehadithishasansahih.
Eiqh2.83a:TakingaIewstepsduetosomenecessity
'Aishah said: "The Messenger oI Allah was oIIering salah in the house and the door was locked. I
cameandknockedonthedoorandhewalkedovertoopenitIormeandthenhereturnedtohisplace
oI prayer. The door was in the direction oI the qiblah." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-
Nasa'i,andatTirmizhi.Thelattercallsithasan.Itmaybeobservedthatinthishadith,hedidnotturn
awayIromtheqiblaheitherinopeningthedoor,orinreturningtohisplace.Thisissupportedbywhat
has been related that the Prophet would pray and iI anyone knocked on the door, he would openthe
doorprovidedthedoorwasinthedirectionoItheqiblahoronhisrightoronhisleIt,buthewouldnot
turnhisbacktotheqiblah.Thisisrelatedbyad-Daraqutni.
Al-Azraq ibn Qais relates: "Abu Barzah Al-Aslami was at al-Ahwas, at the bank oI a river, and he
prayed while holding the reins oI his horse. The horse started going back, and he (i.e.Abu Barzah)
Iollowed the horse. A man Irom the Khawarij said: 'O Allah, be rough on this man, see how he is
doinghisprayer.'WhenAbuBarzahIinishedhisprayer,hesaid:'Iheardyourstatement.Certainly,I
participatedinsixorsevenoreightbattles withtheProphet,andIamcertainlyawareoIhisleniency.
Certainly,IwouldratherrestrainmyanimalthanlethimrunoIIlooseasthatwouldhavecausedmea
great deal oI trouble.' It was 'Asr prayer that Abu Barzah oIIered, and he prayed two rak'at." This is
relatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andal-Baihaqi.
Concerning taking a lot oI steps, Ibn Hajr says in Eath al-Bari: "The jurists are agreed that taking
many steps invalidates an obligatory prayer. They interpret the hadith oI Abu Barzah as reIerringto
takingjustaIewsteps."
Eiqh2.84:Carryingandholdingachildduringthesalah
AbuQatadahreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwasoIIeringsalahandUmamahbint
Zainab was on his neck |shoulder|. When he perIormed ruku', he putherdown,andwhenhegotup
Irom his sajdah, he would place her back on his neck. 'Amr inquired during which salah this
happened. Ibn Juraij said that it is related Irom Zaid ibn Abu 'Atab Irom 'Amr ibn Salim that this
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happened in the morning prayer. This is related by Ahmad, anNasa'i, and others. Al-Eakihani
comments:"ThepurposebehindtheactionoItheProphetoIcarryingUmamahinthesalahwastoset
an example beIore the Arabs who considered having daughters and carrying them around as
something bad or shameIul. The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam acted diIIerently Irom them, and
carried a girl on his neck in the prayer, and making something clear by example is much more
eIIectivethanamereprecept."
'AbdullahibnShidadrelatesthathisIathersaid:"TheMessengeroIAllahcametouseitherduringthe
noonoraIternoonprayersandhewascarryingHassanorHussain.TheProphetproceededtotheIront
andputhimdownandmadethetakbirIorthesalah.Duringthesalah,hemadealongsajdah.Iraised
myheadandsawthechildonthebackoItheMessengeroIAllahwhilehewasinsajdah.Ireturnedto
mysajdah.WhentheMessengeroIAllahIinishedthesalah,thepeoplesaidtohim:'OMessengeroI
Allah, you prostrated during your salah so long that we suspected you were thinking about some
matter or you were receiving some revelation.' He said: 'None oI that happened but my son was
restingandIhatedtorushhimuntilhehadIinishedwhathedesired."'ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-
Nasa'i,andal-Hakim.
An-Nawawiobservesthatthis,accordingtotheopinionoIash-ShaI'iandthosewhoagreewithhim,
points to the permissibility oI carrying or holding a young child, male or Iemale,oranypureanimal
during an obligatory prayer, and that it is permissible Ior both the imam and the Iollowers. The
companions oI Malik say that the permissibility is only Ior voluntary prayers and not Ior obligatory
prayers.ThisinterpretationisincorrectasitisclearthattheProphetwasleadingoneoItheobligatory
prayers, and as stated earlier it was the Iajr prayer. Some Iollowers oI Malik claim that its
permissibility has been abograted, while others say it was only permissible Ior the Prophet, and yet
others hold that it was due to some necessity. All oI this is wrong and to be rejected as there is no
prooIIoranyoIitoranynecessity.Theauthentichadithclearlystatesthatitispermissibleandthere
isnothinginthatrulingwhichcontradictsanybasicprincipleoItheshari'ahasahumanbeingispure
and what is in his/her abdomen is not relevant in this regard, as it remains within the stomach, its
naturalreceptacle.Also,theclothingoIachildisconsideredpureandtheshari'ahisquiteexpliciton
thispoint.ActionsduringthesalahdonotinvalidateitiItheyareminororIewordispersed.TheIact
that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam did this is an exposition oI its permissibility, and this
argument is built upon the principle which we have mentioned beIore. This reIutes what Abu
Sulaimanal-Khattabisays,namely,thattheProphetdidnotcarrythechildintentionallybutthechild
washoldingontotheProphet,andwhenhestoodthechildremainedwithhim.Hesaid:"Donotthink
thatheheldhimagainintentionallyasthatwouldbetoomuchactionandwoulddistracttheheart.IIa
curtain distracted him, how could |the child| not distract him?" This statement by al-Khattabi, may
Allah have mercy on him, is incorrect and to be rejected. Among the things that reIute it are the
statementsinSahihMuslim,"whenhestood,hecarriedhim."And,"whenhegotupIromhissajdah,
he would return |the child to his place|." Eurther reIutations are derived Irom a version other than
SahihMuslim,"HecametouswhilecarryingUmamahandprayed..."Concerningtherulingaboutthe
curtain, it distracts the heart without there being any beneIit to it. Concerning carrying Umamah, we
arenotconvincedthatitdistractstheheart,andeveniIitdoes,itisallowedduetoitsbeneIitandthe
principlesthatwehavementioned.ThesourceoIthatpreoccupationisthatbeneIit,whichdiIIersIrom
the incident concerning the curtain. Thus, the correct position is that the hadith is a clear exposition
thatitispermissibletocarryachildinsalahandthiswillcontinuetobepartoItheIslamiclawuntil
theDayoIJudgment.AndAllahknowsbest.
Eiqh2.85:ReturningaGreetingbyamotion
The one in salah who is greeted or spoken to may reply to the one who greets or speaks to him by
makingsomemotion.
Jabirsaid:"TheMessengeroIAllahsentmesomewherewhilehewasgoingtothetribeoIMustaliq.I
cametohimandhewasprayingwhileonthebackoIhiscamel.|When|Ispoketohim,heandZubair
motioned with their hands. I heard him reciting and saw him gesturing with his head. When he
Iinished,hesaid:'WhathaveyoudoneaboutthethingIsentyouIor?NothingkeptmeIromtalkingto
yousavethatIwasinsalah.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
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'Abdullah ibn 'Umar narrates that Suhaib said: "I passed by the Messenger oI Allah while he was
oIIering salah. I greeted him and he responded to me by only signaling." 'Abdullah said: "The only
thingthatIknowisthathesaidhesignaledtohimwithhisIinger."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandby
at-Tirmizhi.The lattercallsitsahih.
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar says: "I asked Suhaib: 'How did the Messenger oI Allah respond to the people
whentheygreetedhimwhilehewaspraying?'Hesaid:'Hewouldsignaltothemwithhishand.'"This
isrelatedbyAhmad,at-Tirmizhi,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andIbnMajah.
AnassaysthattheProphetwouldsignalwhileoIIeringsalah.ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,
andIbnKhuzaimahanditsisnadissahih.
The same applies to signaling with one's Iinger or hand or by nodding the head. AlloItheseactions
havebeenrelatedIromtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallam.
Eiqh2.86:SayingSubhanallahandclapping
ItisallowedIormentosaysubhanallahandIorwomentoclapiIthereissomeneedtodoso(suchas
alertingtheimamtoamistakeorinIormingsomeonethatheorshemayentertheroomortowarna
blindperson,andsoon).SahlibnSa'dasSa'direlatesthattheProphetsaid:"IIsomeoneisIacedwith
something during the salah, he should say 'subhanallah.' Clapping is Ior the women and saying
subhanallahisIorthemen."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,andan-Nasa'i.
Eiqh2.86a:Correctingtheimam'smistake
IItheimamIorgetsaverse,itispermissibleIoraIollowertoremindhimoIit,regardlessoIwhether
the recitation is a part oI the obligatory recitation or not. Ibn 'Umar reports that the Messenger oI
AllahprayedandhadsomeconIusioninhisrecitation.WhenheIinished,hesaidto'Umar:"Wereyou
present with us |during the prayer|?" He replied: "Yes." So, the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
askedhim:"WhatpreventedyouIromcorrectingme?"ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandothersand
itsnarratorsaretrustworthy.
Eiqh2.86b:PraisingAllahwhenonesneezesorrecallstomindablessing
RiIa'ahibnRaIi'relates:"IprayedbehindtheMessengeroIAllah,andIsneezedandsaid,'Praisebeto
Allah,agreatdealoIpraise,beautiIulandblessed,asourLordlovesandispleasedwith.'|AIterward,|
the Messenger oI Allah asked: 'Who spoke during the salah?'Noonesaidanything.Heaskedagain,
andnoonesaidanything.Heaskedagain,andIsaid:'ItwasI,OMessengeroIAllah!'Hethensaid:
'By the One in whose hand is Muhammad's soul, thirty some odd angels raced to get that phrase to
raiseit|totheLord|.'"Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'iandat-Tirmizhi,andbyal-BukhariwithadiIIerent
wording.
Eiqh2.86c:Prostratinguponone'sclothingorheaddressduetosomeexcuse
Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Messenger oI Allah prayed in one garment and covered his Iace with a
portionoIittoavoidtheheatorcoldnessoItheground.ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithasahihisnad
(chain).ItisdislikediIitisdonewithoutanygenuinereason.
Eiqh2.87:AsummaryoIotheractswhicharepermissibleduringtheprayer
Ibnal-QayyimhassummarizedsomeoItheactswhicharepermissibleduringthesalahandwhichthe
ProphetsallallahualehiwasallamusedtoperIormattimes.Hewrites:
TheProphetwouldprayand'Aishahwouldbelyingbetweenhimandtheqiblah.WhenheperIormed
sajdah,hewouldsignaltoherwithhishandandshewouldpullbackherlegandwhenhewouldstand
shewouldstretchoutherlegagain.TheProphetwasprayingandtheSatancametohimtodisturbhis
salahandtheProphetchokeduntilhissalivacameuponhishand.AndtheProphetwouldprayupon
thepulpit,makingruku'there,butwhenthetimecametoperIormsajdah,hewoulddescend,moving
backward,andprostrateupontheground,andthenreturntothepulpit.Heonceprayedtowardawall
andananimaltriedtopassbetweenhimandthewall.TheProphetpreventedtheanimalIrompassing
totheextentthatitsstomachwasagainstthewall.Oncewhilehewaspraying,twogirlsIromthetribe
oI 'Abd al-Muttalib were Iighting behind him and he separated them with his arms while he was
praying.Ahmad'sversionsaysthattheygrabbeduntohiskneesandheseparatedthemwithoutleaving
the salah.Onanotheroccasion,whenhewaspraying,aboycametohimandhemotionedtohimto
move back, and he moved back. Then a girl tried to pass in Iront oI him, he beckoned her to move
back, but the girl passed, and when he Iinished, he said: "They are more determined." Ahmad
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recorded it and it is also in the Sunan. He would also puII out air while praying. The hadith which
states:"PuIIingoutisspeech"cannotbetracedtotheMessengeroIAllah,butSa'idrelateditinhis
Sunan Irom Ibn 'Abbas as one oI Ibn 'Abbas' statements - iI it is authentic. The Prophet would cry
duringhissalahandwouldalsoclearhisthroatwhilepraying.'AliibnAbiTalibsaid:"Ihadacertain
timeatwhichIwouldvisittheMessengeroIAllah.WhenIcametohim,hewouldpermitmetoenter.
IIIIoundhimpraying,hewouldclearhisthroatandIwouldenter.IIhewasIree,hewouldgiveme
permissiontoenter."Thisisrecordedbyan-Nasa'iandAhmad.Ahmad'sversionsays:"Icouldenter
upon the Prophet during the day or night. II I came tohimwhilehewaspraying,hewouldclearhis
throat|asasignthatImayenter|. ThiswasrelatedbyAhmadwhousedtoactbyitandhewasnotoI
the opinion that clearing one's throat invalidated the salah. Sometimes the Prophet would pray
bareIoot and sometimes while wearing shoes. This is what 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said and he ordered
people to pray with shoes on in order to diIIer Irom the Jews. Sometimes he would pray in one
garmentandsometimesintwogarmentsand|thislatter|wasthemajorityoIthecases.
Eiqh2.88:RecitingIromacopyoItheQur'an
Zhakwan,theprotegeoI'Aishah,wouldleadherinprayerduringRamadanwhilerecitingIromacopy
oItheQur'an.ThisisrelatedbyMalik.Ash-ShaI'i'sopinionisthatitisallowable.An-Nawawiholds:
"IIonesometimesturnspagesduringasalah,itdoesnotinvalidateit.IIhe looksatsomethingthatis
writtenwhichisnottheQur'anandhereadsittohimselI,itdoesnotinvalidatethesalah,eveniIitis
doneIoralongperiodoItime,nevertheless,itisahatedact."Ash-ShaI'ihasmadeastatementabout
itinal-Imla'.
Eiqh2.89:OccupyingtheheartwithsomethingotherthantheaIIairsoItheprayer
AbuHurairahreponsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Whenthecalltoprayerismade,
the Satan takes to his heels... and when it is Iinished, he returns. He Ilees again when the iqamah is
made and when it is Iinished, he returns until he comes between the man and his thoughts, saying:
'Remember this and remember that,' which he had not recalled, until the person does not know how
muchhehasprayed,|i.e.,|threeorIourrak'at.Then,hemakestwoprostrationswhilesitting."Thisis
reportedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Al-Bukhari also records that 'Umar said: "I arrange the troops |in my mind| during the salah."
AlthoughitistruethatsuchasalahisvalidandsuIIicient,itisamustIorthepersoninprayertokeep
his mind and heart attuned to the salah and his Lord andtokeephisthoughtsonthemeaningoIthe
Qur'anicversesandthesigniIicanceoIthediIIerentactsoIthesalahsinceapersonhasIorhimonly
thatportionoIthesalahwhichheisIullyawareoI|whileperIormingit|.
AuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andIbnHibbanrecordIrom'AmmaribnYasirthatheheardtheMessengeroI
Allahsay:"AmanmaycompletethesalahandonlyhaverecordedIorhimselI one-tenthorone-ninth
orone-eighthorone-seventhorone-IiIthorone-Iourthoronethirdorone-halI."
Al-Bazzar records Irom Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Allah, the Glorious, said: 'I
acceptthesalahoIonewhohumbleshimselIduring ittoMyGreatness;andwhodoesnotperIormthe
salahjustIorshow;andwhodoesnotspendthenightindisobediencetoMe;andwhospendstheday
rememberingMe;andwhoismerciIultothepoor,thewayIarerandthewidows;andwhoismerciIul
toonewhoissuIIeringIromaninIliction.HehasalightlikethelightoIthesun.IprotecthimbyMy
Glory and the angels guard over him. I give him light in darkness and sobriety in the presence oI
ignorance.AndhissimilitudeinMycreationislikeal-EirdausinParadise."'
AbuDawudrecordsIromZaidibnKhalidthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Whoevermakesablution
andperIectsitandthenpraystworak'at,withoutbeingunheedIulduringthem,IorgivenIorhimwill
behisprevioussins."Muslimrecordsthat'UthmanibnAbial-'Aassaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,the
Satancomesbetweenmeandmyprayersandmyrecitation,conIusingmetherein!"TheProphetsaid:
"ThatSataniscalledKhanzab.IIheaIIectsyouseekreIugeinAllahIromhimand'spitout'on your
leItsidethreetimes."
Muslim records Irom Abu Hurairah that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Allah, the Glorious, said: 'I
havedividedthesalah|i.e.,al-Eatihah|intotwohalves,betweenMeandMyslave,andmyslaveshall
receive what he asks Ior.' When the slave says 'All praise is due to Allah, the Lord oI the Worlds,'
Allah,theExalted,says'MyslavehaspraisedMe.'Whenhesays'TheCompassionate,theMerciIul,'
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Allah, the Exalted, says 'My slave has lauded Me.' When he says 'Master oI the Day oI Judgment.'
Allah, the Exalted says 'My servant has gloriIied Me and entrusted his aIIairs to Me.' And when he
says'ItisTheeweworshipandIromTheethatweseekaid,'Allah,theExalted,says'Thisisbetween
MeandMyslave.AndIorMyslaveiswhatheasks.'Andwhenhesays'Guideustothestraightpath,
thepathoIthosewhomyouhaveblessedandnotoIthosewithwhomyouareangrynoroIthosewho
havegoneastray.'Allahsays'ThatisIorMyslaveandMyslaveshallgetwhatheasksIor.'"
ItisdislikedIoranyonetoleaveanyoIthesunnahactsdescribedearlier
Eiqh2.91:Eidgetingwithone'sclothingorone'sbodyisdislikedunlessthereissomeneedtodoso
Ma'yaqib says: "I asked the Prophet about dusting |away| the pebbles during the salah, and the
Prophetsaid:'Donotdust|away|thepebbleswhileyouarepraying,butiIyoumustdoit,thendoit
onlyonceinordertolevelthepebbles.'"Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
AbuZharrreportsthattheProphetsaid:"WhenoneoIyoustandsIorthesalah,mercyisIacinghim.
ThereIore,heshouldnotwipeawaythepebbles."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,at-Tirmizhi,AbuDawud,
an-Nasa'i,andIbnMajah.
Umm Salamah reports that there was a boy called Yassar who would puII out some air during the
salah. The Messenger oI Allah said to him: "May Allah Iill your Iace with dust!" This is related by
Ahmadwithagoodchain.
Eiqh2.91a:Placingone'shandsonhipsduringtheprayer
AbuHurairahrelates:"TheMessengeroIAllahprohibitedputtingone's handsonone'shipsduringthe
salah."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.
Eiqh2.91b:Raisingone'ssighttotheskyorupwards
AbuHurairahreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Thosewhoraisetheirsighttotheskyduring
theprayershouldstopdoingsoortheirsightmaybetakenaway."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,
andan-Nasa'i.
Eiqh2.92:Lookingatsomethingwhichdistractsattention
'AishahreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahprayedinacloakwhichhadsomedesignsonit.Hesaid:
"Thesedesignshavedistractedme.Take|thiscloak|toAbuJahm|i.e.,thepersonwhogaveittothe
Prophet|andbringmeaplaincloak."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Al-Bukhari records that Anas said: "'Aishah had a curtain to cover |the doorway oI|her house. The
Prophetsaidtoher:'RemoveyourcurtainIoritspicturcsalwaysdistractmeduringmyprayers.'"This
hadithprovesthatlookingatsomewritingordesigndoesnotinvalidatethesalah.
Eiqh2.92a:Closingone'seyes
Some say that this act is disliked while others hold that it is allowed, though disliked. Those hadith
whichstateitisdislikedarenotauthentic.
Ibnal-Qayyimsaid:"Thecorrectpositionis:iIkeepingone'seyesopendoesnotaIIectone'sattention,
then it is preIerred to keep them open; however, iI thereissomethinginIrontoItheperson,suchas
someornamentordecoration,whichcouldaIIecthisattention,thenitis,innoway,dislikedtoclose
hiseyes.InIact,undersuchcircumstances,tosayitispreIerredtocloseone'seyesismoreconsistent
withtheprinciplesandgoalsoItheshar'iahthantosaythatitisdisliked."
Eiqh2.92b:Motioningwithbothhandswhilemakingthesalutations|i.e.,thetaslim|
Jabir ibn Samurah said: "We prayed behind the Prophet and he said: 'What is wrong with them that
theymakesalutationwiththeirhandsasiItheywerethetailsoIhorses?ItisenoughIoryoutoplace
yourhandonyourthighandsay,assalam'alaikum,assalam'alaikum!'"Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i
andothers.
Eiqh2.92c:Coveringthemouthandlettingone'sgarmentdownuntilittouchestheground
Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger oI Allah prohibited assadl in the salah and prohibited a man to
cover his mouth." This is related by the Iive and by al-Hakim who says that it is sahih according to
Muslim's conditions. Al-Khattabi explains: "As-sadl is to lower one's garment until it reaches the
ground." Al-Kamal ibn al-Hamam adds: "This also applies to wearing a cloak without putting one's
armsthroughitssleeves."
Eiqh2.92d:PerIormingthesalahwhiletheIoodhasbeenserved
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'AishahreportsthattheProphetsaid:"IIdinnerisservedandtheprayerisready,startwiththedinner
|Iirst|."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
NaI'i reports that the Iood would be served Ior Ibn 'Umar while the iqamah was being made, but he
wouldnotcometothesalahuntilheIinishedhismealalthoughhecouldheartherecitingoItheimam.
Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Al-Khattabi says: "The Prophet ordered that one should begin with one's meal in order to satisIy his
need. In this way, he will come to the salah in calm and his desire or hunger will not disturb the
completionorperIectionoIhisruku'andsajjudandtherestoItheactsoIthesalah."
Eiqh 2.93: Praying when one needs to anwer the call oI nature and other things that may distract a
person
ThaubanreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Therearethreeactswhicharenotallowed:Eora
persontoleadapeopleinprayerandthenmakesupplicationsIorhimselIwithoutincludingthem,Ior
then he would be dishonest to them; to look inside a house without obtaining permission, Ior iI he
doesso(itisasiI)hehasalreadyenteredit(withoutpermission);andtooIIerprayerwhileheneedsto
answer the call oI nature until he relieves himselI." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and at-
Tirmizhiwhocallsithasan.
'Aishah reported that she heard the Messenger oI Allah say: "No one should pray when the Iood is
servednorwhenoneneedstoanswerthecalloI nature."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andAbu
Dawud.
Eiqh2.93a:Prayingwhenoneisovercomebysleep
'Aishah reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "When one oI you becomes drowsy in salah, he
should lie down until he is Iresh again; otherwise, he will not know iI he is asking Iorgiveness or
viliIyinghimselI."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "When one oI you gets up at night Ior salah
andhistongueIaltersinrecitingtheQur'anandheisnotcertainaboutwhatheisreciting,heshould
sleep."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
Eiqh2.93b:PrayingataIixedplaceinthemosque|exceptinthecaseoItheimam|
'Abdurrahman ibn Shabl said: "The Prophet prohibited pecking like a crow |i.e., while prostrating|,
imitating a lion's manner oI sitting, and a man to pick a special place in the mosque |to pray| like a
camel has his own place |to sit|." This is related by Ahmad, ibn Khuzaimah, ibn Hibban, and by al-
Hakaimwhocallsitsahih.
Eiqh2.95:Intentionallyeatingordrinkinginvalidatesthesalah
Ibnal-Munzhirsays:"ThepeopleoIknowledgeagreethatiIoneintentionallyeatsordrinksduringa
Iard salah, he is to repeat the salah. The same is the case with nawaIil according to the majority oI
scholarsaswhatinvalidatesanobligatory(Iard)prayeralsoinvalidatesavoluntary(naIl)prayer."
Eiqh2.95a:Speakingintentionallyaboutsomethingunrelatedtothesalahinvalidatesthesalah
Intentionallyspeakingduringthesalah,iIitisnotbeneIicialtothesalah,invalidatesthesalah.
Zaid ibn Arqam relates: "We used to talk while we were in salah and a person would speak to the
personnexttohimuntiltheversewasrevealed:'AndstandbeIoreAllahindevoutobedience'andwe
werethencommandedtoobservesilenceduringthesalah."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Ibn Mas'ud reports: "We used to greet the Messenger oI Allah while he was in salah and he would
respondtoourgreeting.WhenwereturnedIromAbyssinia,wegreetedhim|duringprayer|buthedid
notrespondtooursalutation.Wesaidtohim:'OMessengeroIAllah,weusedtogreetyouwhileyou
wereinsalahandyouusedtorespondtous!'Hethensaid:'Prayerdemandsone'scompleteattention.'"
Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
IIoneisignorantoIthisrulingorspeaksduetotheIactthathehasIorgottenthisruling,hissalahwill
stillbevalid
Mu'awiyyah ibn alHakam said: "I was praying behind the Messenger oI Allah and someone in the
congregation sneezed. I said |to him|: 'May Allah have mercy upon you.' The people then stared at
me,showingtheirdisapprovaloImyact.Isaid:'Woetome,whydoyoustareatmeso?'Theystarted
to strike their hands on their thighs and when I saw that they wanted me to become silent, I was
angeredbutsaidnothing.WhentheMessengeroIAllahIinishedtheprayer- andmaymyIatherand
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motherberansomedIorhim,IIoundnoteacherbetterthanhimeitherbeIoreoraIterhim- hedidnot
scold,beat,orrevilemebuthesimplysaid:'Talkingtoothersisnotseemlyduringthesalah,Iorthe
salah is Ior gloriIying Allah, extolling His Greatness, and reciting the Qur'an.'" This is related by
Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and an-Nasa'i. Mu'awiyyah ibn al-Hakam spoke out oI ignorance oI
thisrulingandtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamdidnotorderhimtorepeathissalah.
Talking|iIitisareminderastotheincompletenessoIthesalah|,doesnotnulliIythesalahascanbe
seenintheIollowinghadith.AbuHurairahsays:"TheMessengeroIAllahledusineitherthenoonor
aIter-noon prayers and he made the taslim aIter praying just two rak'at. Zhul Yadain said to the
Prophet:'OMessengeroIAllah,hasthesalahbeenshortenedorhaveyouIorgotten|partoIit|?'The
Prophetsallallahualehiwassalamsaid:'Ithasnotbeenshortened,nordidIIorgetanypartoIit."He
said:'Yes,OMessengeroIAllah,youdidIorget.'ThereupontheProphetasked(thepeople):'IsZhul
Yadain correct in what he says?' The people said: 'He is correct, you oIIered only two rak'at.' Then,
the Prophet prayed the two remaining rak'at and made the taslim, said the takbir and perIormed the
sajdah, sat and made the takbir and perIormed the sajdah again, and Iinally said the takbir and sat
again."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
TheMalikischoolallowstalkingduringtheprayeriIitisdoneIoranygoodoIthesalahaslongasit
does not become a common practice and (is done) only when saying subhanallah Iails to alert the
imam to correct his mistake. Al-Auza'i's comments are: "Whoever intentionally speaks during the
salah,seekingsomebeneIittothesalah,doesnotinvalidatehissalah."HesaidthatiIapersonrecites
aloudinthe'asrandsomeonebehindhimsays:"Itisthe'asr,"(i.e.,therecitalisnottobealoud)then
thelatterpersonwouldnotinvalidatehissalah.
Eiqh2.96:Intentionallymakingmanymotions
The scholars diIIer over what exactly constitutes a Iew motions and what constitutes many motions.
Somesaythatonemakesmanymotionswhen,iIseenIrombehind,onewouldbecertainthathewas
notperIormingsalah,andanythinglessthanthatamountisconsideredonlyaIewmotions.Somesay
thatitisanyactorstringoIactionswhichwouldmakeothersbelievethatthepersonisnotpraying.
An-Nawawisays:"IIapersonperIormsalotoIactionsthatarenotpartoIthesalah,heinvalidateshis
salah, and, on this point, there is no diIIerence oI opinion. II the acts are Iew, then they do not
invalidatethesalahand,onthispoint,therealsoisnodiIIerenceoIopinion.Thisistheexactposition.
However, there does exist a diIIerence oI opinion over what exactly constitutes a Iew actions and
many actions, |and there exist Iour opinions on this point..." He says that the Iourth opinion is the
correctandmostpopularopinion.TheIourthopinionisthattheexactdeIinitionsoItoomuchandtoo
littlearedeterminedbygenerallyacceptedstandards.Oneisnotharmedinhissalahbycommonacts
such as nodding in reply to a salutation, taking oII one's shoes, raising the headdress and putting it
back in place, putting on or taking oII a light garment, carrying or holding a small child, preventing
someone Irom passing in Iront oI the person in prayer, covering one's spittle in one's clothing and
similar other actions. As Ior the other acts, those which are considered to constitute many actions
(e.g., taking many consecutive steps, perIorming actions repeatedly) they invalidate the prayer. An-
Nawawi also says: "Thescholarsare inagreementthatmanyactionsinvalidatetheprayeriItheyare
perIormed consecutively |i.e., one aIter another|. II one separates the actions, Ior instance, taking a
stepandthenstoppingIorawhile,thentakinganothersteportwo,andthenanothertwosteps,aItera
pause(thoughashortone)betweenthem,thenthesalahwillnotbeharmed,eveniIhe(inthismanner
should take a hundred or more steps. There is no diIIerence oI opinion on this point. As Ior light
actions," he continues, "such as, moving one's Iinger in gloriIying Allah or in itching, and so Iorth.,
thesedonotinvalidatetheprayeraccordingtothewell-known,authenticopinion,evenwhentheyare
done repeatedly and consecutively, but they are disliked." AshShaI'i, in a statement concerning it,
says:"EveniIonecountstheversesonone'sIingers,itwouldnotinvalidateone'ssalah,butitisbest
toavoid|suchanact|."
Eiqh 2.97: Intentionally leaving out an essential act or condition oI the prayer without any valid
excuseIor doingso
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Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamtoldabedouinwhohadnot
perIormed his salah well: "Return and pray Ior you have not prayed." (This hadith was mentioned
earlier.)
Ibn Rushd writes: "There is an agreement that iI one prays and he is not in a state oI purity, it is
obligatory Ior him to repeat the prayer, |that is true iI the act was done| intentionally or out oI
IorgetIulness. Similarly, one who prays without Iacing the qiblah, intentionally or due to
IorgetIulness, |must repeat the salah|. In general, iI any oI the conditions Ior the correctness oI the
salahareabsent,itbecomesobligatorytorepeatthesalah."
Eiqh2.98:Smilingorlaughingduringthesalah
Ibnal-MunzhirrecordsthatthereisaconsensusoIopinionthatlaughing(duringthesalah)invalidates
the prayer. An-Nawawi says: "This is the case iI one laughs aloud, and produces sound. MostoIthe
scholarssaythatthereisnoproblemwithsmiling.IIoneisovercomebylaughterandcannotcontrol
it,hissalahwillnotbecomeinvalidiIitisoIminornature.IIitisaheartylaughter,itwillinvalidate
thesalah.Customwoulddeterminewhetheritisamajororaminorlaughter."
Eiqh2.99:Making(Qada')Iormissedsalah
ThescholarsagreethatitisobligatoryIoronewhohasIorgottenthesalahorsleptthroughitstimeto
make up the missed |qada') prayer. This opinion is based on the hadith oI the Prophet mentioned
earlier:"ThereisnonegligencewhileoneisasleepbutIorgetIulnessoccurswhenoneisawake.IIone
oIyouIorgetstheprayerorsleepsthroughitstime,thenheshouldperIormthesalahwhenherecalls
it." II one Ialls unconscious, then he need not repeat the salah, unless he regains his consciousness
withenoughtimetopuriIyhimselIandperIormthesalahwithinitspropertime.
'Abdurrazaq relatesIromNaI'ithatIbn'UmaronceIellsickandbecameunconsciousandmissedthe
prayer.Whenheregainedhisconsciousness,hedidnotmakeupthemissedprayer.
Ibn Juraij reports Irom Ibn Tawus on the authority oI his Iather that iI a sick person becomes
unconscious,heisnottomakeuptheprayershemissed.
Mu'ammarrelates:"Iaskedaz-Zuhriaboutonewhobecomesunconscious,andhesaidthatheisnot
tomakeupthesalah hemissed."
Hamad ibn Salamah relates Irom Yunus ibn 'Ubaidthatbothal-Hassanal-BasriandMuhammadibn
SireensaidthatapersonwhoIallsunconsciousisnottomakeuptheprayershemaymiss.
Concerning missing a salah intentionally, the majority oI the scholars say that it is a sin and the
missedsalahmustbemadeupIor.IbnTaimaiyyahsays:
Eiqh2.99a:Inlaw,thereisnowayIoronewholeavesasalahintentionallytomakeitsqada'
Hemayhowever,resorttoincreasinghisvoluntaryandsupererogatoryacts.IbnHazmhasthoroughly
discussedthisquestion.TheIollowingisasummaryoIwhathesaysonthissubject:
Concerningonewholeavesasalahintentionallyuntilitstimeexpires,hewillneverbeabletomake
up Ior that salah. Such a person should turn to Allah and ask His Iorgivness and increase his good
deedsandnawaIilinordertoincreasehisweight|oIgood|ontheDayoIResurrection.AbuHaniIah,
Malik,andash-ShaI'isaythathecanmakeuptheprayeraIteritstimehasexpired,and MalikandAbu
HaniIaevensaythatiIapersonintentionallymissesaprayeroraIewprayers,thenheistomakeup
those prayers beIore he prays the present salah, even iI he has missed all Iive prayers and should,
whilemakingthemup,missthepresent salah.TheysaythatiIhemissedmorethanIiveprayers,heis
tobeginbyprayingthesalahwhosetimeispresent|andthenheistomakeuptheprayershemissed|.
TheprooIIorourposition|i.e,thepositionoIIbnHazm|isIoundinthewordsoIAllah,theExalted:
"WoeuntotheworshipperswhoareheedlessoItheirprayers,''and:"Andthentheresucceededthema
later generation who wasted the prayers and Iollowed their own lusts, but they will meet with
destruction."IIonewhointentionallymisses asalahcouldmakeituplater,thenwhyisitmentioned
with aIIliction or transgression? OI course, there is no aIIliction or transgression on one who delays
thesalah.ButthecaseoIonewhoprocrastinatesuntilthelastportionoIitspermissibletimeexpiresis
quite diIIerent. Allah, the Exalted, has appointed certain times Ior the Iard salah; both the beginning
time and the ending time Ior the salah have been established, and there is no diIIerence between
praying a salah beIore its time and praying it aIter its proper time elapses because, in both cases the
salahisnotperIormedwithinitsprescribedtime.Thisisnottodrawananalogybetweenoneandthe
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otherbutitisapplyingthesameruletothemastheybothmustbeperIormedwithinthelimitssetby
Allah.Allah,theExalted,says:"WhoevertransgressesthelimitssetbyAllahhasverilywrongedhis
ownsoul!":TheprincipleoImakingqada'mustbeestablishedbythepropersourcesoIIslamiclaw.
Legislating|inshari'ah|isnotpermissible,savebyAllah'sauthorityasevidencedbyHisProphet.
Weaskthosepeoplewhosaythatonemaymakeqada'Iorasalahwhichhemissesintentionally:"Tell
usaboutthissalahthatyouwanthimtoperIom,isitthesamesalahthatAllahorderedhimto perIorm
or is it a diIIerent one?" II they say it is the same one, then we may say to them: "Then one who
misses it intentionally is not guilty oIbeingdisobedient|toAllah,theExalted|,ashehasdonewhat
Allah had ordered him to do, and there is nosin upon himaccordingtoyourstatementandlikewise
thereshouldbenoblameupononewhointentionallydelaysasalahuntilitstimeexpires,butthatis
notanacceptablepositionIoranyMuslim."IItheysaythatitisnotthesalahwhichAllahordered,we
may say: "You have toldthetruth,"andthisisasuIIicientconIessionIromthem.Then,wemayask
them:"Isonewhointentionallyleavesthesalahuntilitstimeexpiresbeingobedientordisobedientto
Allah?"IItheysayobedient,theywillbediIIeringIromtheconsensusoItheMuslimsandtheQur'an
andtheconIirmedsunnah.IItheysayheisbeingdisobedient,theyarespeakingthetruthanditisnot
validthatanactoIdisobedienceshouldreplaceanactoIobedience.Also,Allah,theExalted,hasset
speciIic limits, through the tongue oI His Messenger, Ior the times oI the salah. Each salah has a
speciIic beginning time, and no one may perIorm the salah beIore that time, and each prayer has a
speciIic ending time, and no one may perIorm thesalah aIter that time. No one oI this ummah will
dispute that point. However, iI one is allowed to pray aIter the time set by the Messenger oI Allah,
thensettinganendingtimeIorthesalahhasnomeaningtoit.Suchanopinionisnonsenseandmay
Allah, the Exalted, keep us Irom it. Every action is connected with a certain time and it is not valid
outsideoIthattime;iIitwasvalidoutsideoIthattime,whatwouldbethepurposeoIthattimebeing
speciIicallysingledoutIorthatact?|ThelogicoIthisargument|isclearandAllah,theAlmighty,is
ourSupporter.
Ibn Hazm discusses this point at great length, and adds: "II making up a salah is obligatory Ior one
who has leIt a salah, even aIter its time has expired, why is it that Allah and His Messenger have
chosen not to mention that Iact as (surely) they did not Iorget it: "And your Lord is not IorgetIul!"
AnylawthatisnotbasedontheQur'anorthesunnahisnotvalid.Ithasbeenauthenticallyreported
that the Prophet said: "Whoever misses the 'asr salah, it is as iI he has lost his Iamily and his
property."ItiscorrecttosaythatiIone"misses"something,hecannotmakeitup,IoriIhemakesit
uporcouldmakeitup,theactwouldnotbe"missed."TheentireMuslimummahisinagreement with
thestatementandrulingthatiIthetimeoIthesalahhaselapsed,thenthesalahis"over"|i.e.,"qada"
inArabic|,butiIonecanmakeitup,thestatementthatthesalahis"over"becomesIalseanduntrue;
thereIore,thereisnowaythatitcouldeverbemadeup.Thepeoplewhoagreewithusonthisinclude
'Umaribnal-Khattab,hisson'Abdullah,Sa'dibnAbiWaqas,Salmanal-Earsi,ibnMas'ud,al-Qasim
ibnMuhammadibnAbuBakr,Budailal-'Uqaili,MuhammadibnSireen,MutraIibn'Abdullah,'Umar
ibn'Abdulaziz,andothers.AllahhasleItnoexcuse,IoranyonerequiredtoperIormthesalah,todelay
the salah Irom its proper time Ior any reason whatsoever, not even during times oI Iighting, Iear,
extremeillness,ortravelling.Allahsays:"AndwhenyouareamongthemandarrangethemIorsalah,
let only one party be with you" And: "But iI you are in danger, then walking or riding." Allah, the
Exalted,doesnotpermiteventheextremelysickpersontodelaythesalah.InIact,suchapersonhas
beenorderedtopraysitting,iIhecannotpraystanding,andiIhecannotpraysitting,thenhemaypray
onhisside.Also,iIonecannotmakeablutionwithwater,hemaymaketayammum;andiIhecannot
Iind soil to make tayammum, he may still pray. Whence has the permission been obtained that one
may intentionally leave the salah until its time is Iinished and who has ordered that it be perIormed
aIteritstimeandhowisitthatthebelatedsalahwouldbesuIIicient?NoneoIthisisderivedIromthe
Qur'an,Sunnah,Qiyas(analogicalreasoning),andsoIorth.
IbnHazmIurthersays:"Concerningourstatementthattheonewhointentionallyleavesasalahuntil
itstimeexpiresistorepenttoAllah,theExalted,askIorHisIorgiveness,prayanincreasednumberoI
nawaIil,anddogooddeeds.ThisstatementisbasedonAllah'swords:"Thentheresucceededthema
generationwhomissedprayersandIollowedaIterlusts.Buttheywillmeetdestructionsavehimwho
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repents and believes and does right. Such will enter the garden and will not be wronged," and:
"...those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore
Iorgiveness Ior their sins- who Iorgives sins, save Allah - and will not knowingly repeat the wrong
they did," and: "Whoever does an atom's weight oI good shall see it and whoever does an atom's
weightoIevilshallseeit,"and:"...WesetajustbalanceIorthedayoIresurrectionsonosoulshallbe
wronged."
This |Muslim| ummah isinagreement,andtherearetextsthatstatethatvoluntaryactsareatypeoI
gooddeedsandAllahknowshowmuchtheyarereallyworth.ItnecessarilyIollowsthatanumberoI
voluntary works may be equivalent in merit to an obligatorydeedandmayevenamounttoagreater
merit.Eurthermore,AllahhasinIormedusthatHedoesnotwastetheactionoIanypersonandthatthe
gooddeedserasetheevilones.
Eiqh2.103:TheprayeroIapersonwhoisill(SalatulMarid)
Whoever has some excuse due to illness and cannot stand during the Iard salah is allowed to pray
sitting. II he cannot pray in a sitting posture, he may pray while on his side by making gestures. In
suchacase,hisgesturesIorsajdahshouldbelowerthanthoseIorhisruku'.Thisprincipleisbasedon
Allah'swords:"...AndcelebrateAllah'spraises,standing,sitting,andlyingonyoursides."
'Imran ibn Hussain says: "I had piles |hemorrhoids|, so I asked the Prophet about the prayer and he
said: 'OIIer the salah while standing and iI you cannot do so, pray while sitting, and iI you can't do
that,thenmakesalahwhileIyingonyourside."'Thisisrelatedbythegroup,exceptIorMuslim.An-
Nasa'i adds: "And iI you cannot oIIer salah while lying on your side, then do it while lying on your
back.Allahdoesnotburdenasoul,savewithwhatitcanbear."
Jabirreports:"TheMessengeroIAllahvisitedasickpersonandIoundhimprayingonacushion.The
Prophet pushed it aside and said: "Pray on the ground iI you can, and iI you cannot, then pray by
makinggestures,andmakeyoursajdahlowerthanyourruku'.'"ThisisrelatedbyalBaihaqi.
WhatismeantbyinabilityisthatthepersoniIheprays|intheregularway|,willsuIIerhardship,or
his disease will aggravate, or his recovery would be hampered, or he will swoon iI he prays in the
customarymanner.Oneshouldsitcross-leggedwhileprayinginasittingposition.
'AishahnarratesthatshesawtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsittingcross-leggedwhilepraying.
This is related by an-Nasa'i and al-Hakim says it is sahih.: It is also permissible to sit in the manner
thatonesitswhileperIormingthetashahud
OnewhocanoIIerthesalahneithersittingnorstandingistoliedownonhisside,andiIhecannotdo
that,heistoliedownonhisbackwithhislegstowardtheqiblahaccordingtohisstateoIhealth.Ibn
al-MunzhirpreIersthisopinion.Onthispoint,thereisaweakhadithreportedby'Aliwhichstatesthat
theProphetsaid:"ThesickpersonistopraystandingiIheisable.IIhecannotdoso,heshouldpray
sitting.IIheisnotabletomakethesajdah,heshouldnodwithhisheadandmakethenodoIhissajjud
lowerthanthatoIhisruku'.IIhecannotprayinasittingposture,heshouldpraywhilelyingdownon
hisrightsideIacingtheqiblah.IIonecannot prayonhisrightside,heshouldpraywhilelyingonhis
back with his legs stretched out toward the qiblah." This is related by ad-Daraqutni. Some scholars
maintain that one can pray in whatever manner is easy Ior him. It is apparent Irom the hadith that iI
onecanonlynodwhilelyingonhisback,thennothingelseisobligatoryuponhim.
Eiqh2.104a:TheprayerduringtimesoIIearordanger(SalatulKhauI)
ThescholarsareallinagreementaboutthelegalityoI"Iearprayer"(salatulKhauI).TheQur'ansays:
"WhenYou(OProphet)arewiththem,andstandtoleadtheminprayer,letonepartyoIthemstand
up(inprayer)withyou,takingtheirarmswiththem.WhentheyIinishprostrations,letthemtaketheir
positionintherear.Andlettheotherpartycomeupwhichhasnotyetprayed- andletthempraywith
you,takingallprecautions,andbearingarms:theunbelieverswishiIyouwerenegligentoIyourarms
andyourbaggage,toassaultyouinasinglerush.ButthereisnoblameonyouiIyouputawayyour
arms because oI the inconvenience oI rain or because you are ill; but take (every) precaution Ior
yourselves.EortheunbelieversAllahhaspreparedhumiliatingpunishment."
OnthissubjectImamAhmadsays:"TherearesixorsevenconIirmedhadith about'salatulkhauI,'and
whicheverwayoneperIormsit,itwillbevalid."
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Ibn al-Qayyim says: "Basically, there are six waystopraysalatalkhauI,althoughsomesaythereare
more than (six ways oI praying it). Whenever they notice any diIIerence in the narration oI an
incident, they describe it as a diIIerence |in the manner oI prayer| thus coming to seventeen ways.
ThismightbeduetodiIIerentactsoItheProphetorsimplytodiIIerencesinthenarrations."Al-HaIiz
says:"Thisisthetrueposition anditsexplanationisgivenbelow.
Eiqh2.105:DiIIerentwaysoIoIIeringsalatulKhauI:
-1- II the enemy is not in the direction oI the qiblah, then the imam should lead a group in the
perIormance oI one rak'ah aIter which he should wait until they complete the second rak'ah by
themselves,andthen,theyshouldgoandIacetheenemy.Andthesecondgroupshouldcomeandthe
imam would lead them in salah while he is perIorming his second rak'ah. He should again wait Ior
themtocompleteanotherrak'ahbythemselvesbeIoreleadingtheminthesalutations.
Saleh ibn Khawat relates Irom Saleh ibn Abu Khaithimah that a group lined up with the Prophet
sallallahualehiwasallamwhileanothergroupIacedtheenemy.Heprayedonerak'ahwiththegroup
thatwaswithhimandremainedstandingwhiletheyIinishedthesalahandleItandIacedtheenemy.
The second group came and prayed the remaining rak'ah with him, then he stayed sitting until they
hadcompletedtheirprayersindividually,aIterwhichheledtheminmakingthetaslim.Thisisrelated
bythegroup,exceptIorIbnMajah.
-2- IItheenemyisnotinthedirectionoItheqiblah,then,theimampraysonerak'ahwithonegroup
oI thearmywhiletheothergroupIacestheenemy,aIterwhichthetwogroupsexchangeplaces,and
the imam prays one rak'ah with the second group. The members oI each group will complete one
rak'ahoItheirprayersontheirown.
Ibn 'Umar says: "The Messenger oI Allah prayed one rak'ah with one group while the other group
Iacedtheenemy,|Atthatpoint,thosewhohadprayed|tooktheplaceoItheircompanionsIacingthe
enemy and the second group came and prayed one rak'ah with the Prophet and then he made the
taslim.Theneachgroupmade(theremaining)onerak'ah."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,and
Ahmad. It is apparent that the second group completed their salah aIter the imam made the taslim
withoutdiscontinuingtheirsalah(i.e.,Iorthem,itwastwocontinuousrak'at),andtheIirstgroupdid
not complete their salah until the second group had completed their salah and went back to Iace the
enemy. Ibn Mas'ud says: "Then, he made the taslim and they stood up to Iinish the second rak'ah
individuallyand,thentheymadetheirtaslim."
-3- Theimampraystworak'atwitheachgroup,theIirsttworak'atbeinghisIardsalahandthelatter
twobeingnaIl.ItisallowedIoronewhoismakinganaIltoleadothersinsalahwhoareprayingIard.
Jabir reports that the Prophet prayed two rak'at with one group oI his companions and then another
tworak'atwithanothergroupandthenhemadethetaslim.Thisisrelatedbyash-ShaI'iandan-Nasa'i.
Abu Dawud, Ahmad, and an-Nasa'i record that he said: "The Prophet prayed the salatul KhauI with
us, and he prayed two rak'at with some oI his companions, and then the others came and took their
placesandheprayedtworak'atwiththem,andhemadethetaslim.So,theProphetprayedIourrak'at
andthepeopleprayedtworak'ateach."
Ahmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslimrecordthathesaid:"WewerewiththeProphetduringthecampaign
oI Zhat al-Riqa and the salah was made, and he prayed two rak'at with one group and then they
withdrew, and he led the other group in two rak'at. The Prophet prayed Iour rak'at and the people
prayedtworak'at."
-4- IItheenemyisinthedirectionoItheqiblah,thentheimamleadsbothoIthegroupsinsalahatthe
sametimeandtheyshareinguardingagainsttheenemy,andtheyIollowtheimamineveryoneoIhis
actionsuntilheperIormssajdah,inwhichcaseonegroupwillmakethesajdahwithhimandtheother
will wait until they are Iinished and then perIorm their own sujjud. AIter the Iirst rak'ah is Iinished,
thepeopleinIrontwillmovetothebackandthoseinthebackwillmovetotheIront.
Jabir said: "IprayedsalatulkhauI(Iearprayer)withtheProphet.Hearrangedusintworowsbehind
him. The enemy was between us and the qiblah. The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam made the
takbirandweallmadethetakbir.HeperIormedtheruku'andweallmadetheruku'.Then,heraised
hisheadIromtheruku'andweallraisedourheadsIromtheruku'.NexthewentdownIorsajdahas
well as the row closest to him, while the back row stood Iacing the enemy until the Prophet and the
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Iirstrowhadcompletedtheirprostrations,aIterwhichthebackrowmadesajdahandthenstood|aIter
completing their sajjud|. Eollowingthis,thoseinthebackrowmovedtotheIrontwhilethoseinthe
Irontrowmovedtotheback.TheProphetperIormedtheruku'andweallmaderuku'.Then,heraised
his head and we raised our heads Irom ruku. AIterward, he made the sajdah and the row that was
previously in the back during the Iirst rak'ah prostrated with him while the |new| back row stood
Iacing the enemy. When the Prophet and the |new| Iront row had completed their sujjud, the |new|
back row made the sujjud. Einally, the Prophet made the taslim and we all made the taslim. This is
relatedbyAhmad,Muslim,an-Nasa'i,IbnMajah,andal-Baihaqi.
-5- Both oI the groups begin the prayer with the imam, and then one group would guard against the
enemy while the other group would pray one rak'ah with the imam, aIter which they would Iace the
enemywhiletheothergroupwouldcomeandprayonerak'ahbythemselves(individually)whilethe
imam is standing. Then, they would join him in what is the imam's and their second rak'ah. At that
point, the group which had gone to Iace the enemy would come and pray one rak'ah (their second)
individuallywhiletheotherswouldbesitting(insalahwaitingIorthemtositintheirsecondrak'ah),
aIterwhichtheimamwouldmakethetaslimandbothgroupswouldmakethetaslimtogether|behind
theimam|.
AbuHurairareports:"IprayedsalatulkhauIwiththeMessengeroIAllahduringtheyearoItheBattle
oI Najd. He stood to pray 'asr and one group stood with him while the other group was Iaced the
enemy with their backs toward the qiblah. When he made the takbir, all the people made the takbir-
thatis,thosewithhimandthoseIacingtheenemy.Then,heperIormedonerak'ahandthegroupwith
himalsoperIormedtheirruku'andsujjudwithhimwhiletheotherswerestillIacingtheenemy.Next,
thegroupwhichwaswiththeProphetwenttoIacetheenemywhiletheothergroupcameandprayed
onerak'ahandtheProphetkeptstanding|inprayer|ashewas.Then,heperIormedtheruku'andthe
newgroupperIormedtheruku'withhimandheperIormedthesajdahandtheyperIormedthesajdah
with him. AIter this, the group whichhadgonetoIacetheenemycameandprayedonerak'ahwhile
the Prophet and those with him were sitting |in prayer|. Einally, the Prophet made taslim and both
groupsmadethetaslimwithhim.TheProphetprayedtworak'atandbothgroupsprayedtworak'at."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,andan-Nasa'i.
-6- Eachgrouppraysonlyonerak'ahwiththeimamandtheimampraysatotaloItworak'atwhereas
each group prays one. Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet prayed at Zhi-qard, and he arranged the
peopleintotworows,onerowbehindhimandonerowguardingagainsttheenemy.Thegroupbehind
him prayed one rak'ah (with him) and then leIt the place to the other group. The other group then
cameandprayedonerak'ah(withtheProphet),and|neithergroup|madeuparak'ah.Thisisrelated
byanNasa'iandIbnHibban.Ibn'Abbasalsosays:"AllahmadetheprayerobligatoryonyourProphet
|in the Iollowing manner|: Iour rak'at while resident, two while traveling, andonlyoneduringtimes
oIIear."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,andan-Nasa'i.
Eiqh2.108:HowtopraymaghribduringtimesoIIear
The sunset prayer is not to be shortened and there is no hadith which states how it is to be prayed
during times oI Iear. ThereIore, the scholars diIIer over how it is to be perIormed. The HanaIi and
Malikischoolssaythattheimamistopraytworak'atwiththeIirstgroupandthenonerak'ahwiththe
second group. Ash-ShaI'i and Ahmad say it is permissible Ior the imam to pray one rak'ah with the
Iirst group and then two rak'at with thesecond group as it has been related that 'Ali perIormed it in
thatmanner.
Eiqh2.108a:PrayerduringtimesoIextremeIear
IItheIear|oItheenemy|isgreatorIightingistakingplace,eachpersonistoprayindividuallytothe
best oI his ability - that is, standing or riding, Iacing the qiblah or not Iacing the qiblah, making
gesturesIortheruku'andsajjud- whateverhecando.HeshouldmakethegestureIorhissajjudlower
thanthatIorhisruku'.HeisexcusedIromanyoItheactsoIsalahwhich heisunabletoperIorm.
Ibn 'Umar relates: "The Prophet described salatul khauI and said: 'II the danger is greater than that,
then|pray|standingorriding."'
In Sahih al-Bukhari, the wording is: "II the danger is greater than that, then pray while standing on
your Ieet or riding, Iacing the qiblah or not Iacing the qiblah." In Muslim's version, Ibn 'Umar is
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reported to have said: "II the danger is greater than that, then pray standing or riding and bymaking
gestures."
Eiqh2.108b:TheprayeroIattackerortheattacked
II one is attacking the enemy and Iears that he will miss the time oI salah, he may pray by making
gestureseveniIheismovinginadirectionotherthanthatoItheqiblah.ThecaseoItheonewhois
beingattackedisthesameastheonewhoisattacking.ThesameisthecaseIoranyonewhoseenemy
prevents him Irom making the ruku' or the sajdah or a person who Iears Ior himselI or his Iamilyor
hiswealthIromanenemyorathieIorawildanimal;inallsuchcases,thepersonmay|iInecessary|
praybymakinggesturesandIacinganydirection.Al-'Iraqiwrites:"Thesameappliestoanyonewho
isIleeingIromaIloodorIireandhasnootheroptionopentohim.ThesameistrueIoronewhoisin
straitenedconditionsandisindebtandcannotpayitandheIearsthathisdebtormightcatchhimand
imprisonhimwhilenotbelievinghisclaim.ThisappliesalsotoonewhoIearsapunishmentoIqisas
andhopesthatbyhisabsencetheprosecutingparty'sangerwillabateandtheywillIorgivehim."
'Abdullah ibn Unais reports: "The Messenger oIAllahsentmetoKhalidibnSuIyanal-Hazhili,who
wascloseto'AraIat,andsaid:'Goandkillhim.'IsawhimandthetimeoItheaIternoonprayercame
andIsaid|tomyselI|:'IIearthatsomething betweenhimandmewillcausemetodelaythesalah,soI
leItwalkingandoIIeredthesalahbymakinggestures.WhenIcameclosetohim,hesaidtome:'Who
are you?' I said: 'A man Irom among the Arabs. It has reached me that you are gathering the people
againstthisman|i.e,theProphet|soIcametoyouIorthatreason.'Hesaid:'Iamdoingthat.'Iwalked
withhimIorawhileuntilIcouldstrikehimdeadwithmysword."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbu
Dawud.AlHaIizsaysitschainishasan.
Eiqh2.109:TheprayeroIatraveler,shorteningtheprayersthatconsistoIIourrak'at
AllahsaysintheQur'an:"AndwhenyougoIorthinthelandthereisnosinuponyou,iIyoushorten
your prayer when you Iear the disbelievers may attack you." This concession is not limited to
situationsoIdanger.
Ya'la ibnUmaiyyahsaid:"Isaidto'Umaribnal-Khattab:'Explaintomewhythepeopleshortenthe
salahwhenAllahsays,'AndwhenyougoIorth...|theprecedingverse|andthosedaysaregonenow!'
'Umar said: 'I wondered about that too and I mentioned that to the Prophet and he said: "This is a
charitythatAllah,theExalted,hasbestoweduponyou,soacceptHischarity.'"Thisisrelatedbythe
group.
At-TabarirecordsthatAbuMunibal-JarshimentionedthisversetoIbn'Umarandsaid:"WearesaIe
nowandarenotinIear,shouldwe,then,shortenthesalah'?"Heansweredhim:"Youhaveindeedin
theMessengeroIAllahabeautiIulpattern(oIconduct)."
The issue was also reIerred to 'Aishah and she said: "The salah was made Iard in Makkah in sets oI
two rak'at. When the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam came to Medinah, two rak'at were added to
eachsalahexceptthemaghribsalahbecauseitisthewitroIthedaytime,andthedawnprayerdueto
itslengthyQur'anicrecital.ButiIonetravels,heperIormstheoriginalprayer|i.e.,onlytworak'at|."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,alBaihaqi,IbnHibban,andIbnKhuzaimah.Itsnarratorsaretrustworthy.
Ibn al-Qayyim says: "The Prophet would pray only two rak'at Ior those prayers which consisted oI
Iour,wheneverhetraveleduntilhereturnedtoMedinah.AnditisnotconIirmedthatheeverprayed
Iourrak'at|whiletraveling|,andnoneoItheimamsdiIIeronthispoint,althoughtheydodiIIerabout
therulingoIshorteningthesalah."
'Umar, 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, ibn 'Abbas, ibn 'Umar, Jabir and the HanaIi scholars say that it is Iard. The
Maliki school holds that it is sunnah mu'akadah (the stressed one); it is even more emphasized than
the congregational salah. II the traveler cannot Iind another traveler toleadhiminthesalah,hemay
praybyhimselIasitisdislikedthatheshouldIollowonewhoisaresident|i.e.,andprayIourrak'at|
accordingtotheMalikischool.TheHanbalischoolholdsthatitispreIerredIorthepersontoshorten
theprayerratherthantopraythecompletesalah.TheShaI'ischoolhasasimilaropinion,iItheperson
hastraveledasuIIicientdistance.
Eiqh2.110:ThedistanceonemusttravelbeIoreshorteningone'sprayer
TheconclusionIromtheQur'anicverseisthatanytraveling,beitlongorshort,whichIallswithinthe
linguisticdeIinitionoItheword"travel"wouldsuIIicetoshortenone'ssalah,tocombinethemandto
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break the Iast. There is nothing in the sunnah which conIines this general term to any particular
meaning.Ibnal-Munzhirandothershavementionedmorethantwentyreportsonthispoint.Herewe
shallmentionsomeoIthemoreimportantreports.
Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and al-Baihaqi record that Yahya ibn Yazid said: "I asked Anas ibn
Malik about shortening the prayer, and hesaid:'TheMessengeroIAllahwouldpraytworak'atiIhe
hadtraveledadistanceoIthreemilesorIarsakh."'IbnHajarwritesinEathal-Bari:"Thisisthemost
authentic hadith which states and clariIies |that question|." The conIlict between mile and Iarsakh is
made clear in Abu Sa'id al-Khudri's statement: "II the Prophet traveled a distance oI one Iarsakh, he
would shorten his prayer." This was related by Sa'id ibn Mansur in his Sunan and by al-HaIiz ibn
Hajar in at-Talkhis, and he implicitly accepted it by not making any Iurther comments about it. It is
well-knownthataIarsakhequalsthreemilesand,thereIore,AbuSa'id'shadithremovestheconIusion
which arises Irom Anas' hadith when he says that the shortest distance, due to which the Prophet
shortenedhisprayer,wasthreemiles.OneIarsakhisequivalentto5,541meterswhileonemileequals
1,748meters.TheshortestdistancewhichhasbeenmentionedwithrespecttotheshorteningoIsalah
isonemile.ThiswasrecordedbyIbnabiShaibah,withasahihchain,ontheauthorityoIIbn'Umar.
IbnHazmIollowsthisreport,andarguesthatiIthedistanceislessthanonemile,oneisnottoshorten
thesalah,theMessengeroIAllahwenttothegraveyardoIal-Baqi'toburythedeadand(similarly)he
wentoIItoanswerthecalloInatureanddidnotshortenhissalah.
Concerningwhatsomejuristssay,namely,thatthejourneymustbeatleasttwodayslongorassome
say three days, Imam Abu al-Qasim alKharqi's reIutation oI their opinion is suIIicient Ior us. In al-
Mughnihesays:'IdonotIindanyprooIIorwhatthosescholarssay.ThestatementsoIthe(sahabah)
companionsarecontradictory,andtheyarenota(conclusive)prooIiItheydiIIer.Somethinghasbeen
related Irom Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas which diIIers Irom what these scholars use as prooI. Even iI
that were not the case, their statements do not constitute a prooI when a statement or action oI the
Prophet himselI exists. Even iI their statements were accepted, we would not be able to Iollow the
distance they mentioned due to the Iollowing two reasons. One, they diIIerIromthesunnahthathas
been related Irom the Prophet and Irom the clear meaning oItheQur'an,astheclearmeaningoIthe
verse allows one to shorten one's salah iI one makes any journey upon the earth. Allah says: "II you
journey on the earth, there is no blame upon you iI you shorten your prayer." The conditionoIthere
being Iear has been deleted as can be seen in the hadith we recorded Irom Ya'la ibn Umayyah, and
whatremainsistheclearmeaningoItheversewhichcoverseverytypeoIjourney.TheProphetsaid:
"ThetravelermaywipeoverhissocksIoraperiodoIthreedays."ThisshowsthelengthoI timethat
onemaywipeoverthesocksanditcannotbeusedasaprooIIorthequestionwearediscussinghere.
One could argue that traveling is less than a three-day journey on the basis oI the hadith: "It is not
allowedIoranywomanwhobelievesinAllahandthelastdaytotravelajourneyoIoneday,savein
thepresenceoIamalerelative."Two,thequestionoIthedistancetobetraveledisonethatmayonly
beansweredbysomesortoIrevelationIromAllah,theExalted|theQur'anorSunnah|;itisnotthe
typeoIissuewhichonemayaddressonthebasisoIpersonalreasoning,noristhereanywaytoderive
an analogy. The prooIs which exist support the opinion that shortening the salah is permissible Ior
everytraveler,unlessthereissomeconsensustothecontrary."
Similartothatisthetravelingbyplanes,trains,andsoIorth,oratripthatisinobediencetoAllah,the
Exalted, or otherwise. II there is someone whoseoccupationrequireshimtoalwaysbetraveling,Ior
instance, a pilot, a ship captain, truck driver, and so on, then he is permitted to shorten his salah or
breakhisIastasheistrulytraveling.
Eiqh2.111:Whenceonemayshortenone'ssalah
The majority oI the scholars are oI the opinionthatitispermissibletoshortenone'ssalahwhenone
leavesone'sresidenceandisoutsideoIone'scity,andthatisacondition,andheisnottoresumehis
regularsalahuntilhereachestheIirsthousesoIhiscity.
Ibnal-Munzhirsays:"IdonotknowoItheProphetshorteninghissalahduringanyoIhistravelsuntil
aIterhehadleItMedinah."
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Anas relates: "I prayed Iour rak'at at Zhul-HaliIah." This is related by the group. Some oI the early
scholars say that iI one makes the intention to travel, he may shorten his salah even iI heis in his
house.
Eiqh2.112:Whenthetraveleristopraythecompletesalah
Atravelermayshortenhissalahaslongasheisonajourney.LikewiseiIhestaysinsomeplaceIor
business or some other aIIair, then he may shorten his salah as long asheisthere,evenIoryears.II
thepersonintendstostayinaplaceIoracertainamountoItimethen,accordingtoIbnal-Qayyim,he
remainsatraveler,regardlessoIwhetherheplanstostaythereIoralongorshorttime,aslongashe
doesnotplantostay|i.e.,resideandnotreturn|intheplacethathehastraveledto.ThescholarsdiIIer
onthispoint.Summingupandgivinghisownopinion,Ibnal-Qayyimsays:"TheMessengeroIAllah
stayed in Tabuk Ior twenty days and during that time he shortened his salah and he did not say that
onemaynotshortenhissalahiIhestayslongerthanthat,althoughthereisagreementthathedidstay
thereIorthatperiodoItime."
In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Prophet stayed, during some oI his
journeys,Iornineteendayandheprayedonlytworak'at.IIwestayedinaplaceIornineteendays,we
would not pray the complete salah. However, iI we stayed longer than that, we would perIorm the
wholesalah."Ahmadstatesthatibn'AbbaswasreIerringtotheProphet'sstayinMakkahatthetime
oIitsconquestwhenhesaid:"TheMessengeroIAllahstayedinMakkahIoreighteendaysduringthe
time oI the conquest as he had to go to Hunain and was not planning to stay there." This is his
interpretation oI Ibn 'Abbas' statement. OtherssaythatIbn'AbbaswasreIerringtotheProphet'sstay
in Tabuk as Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger oI Allah stayed in Tabuk Ior twenty days and
perIormed qasr salah." Imam Ahmad related this inhisMusnad.Al-MiswaribnMakhramahreports:
"WestayedwithSa'dinsomeoIthecitiesoIash-Sham|Syria|IorIortydays,andSa'dwouldperIorm
qasr while we would oIIer the whole salah." NaI'i relates: "Ibn 'Umar was in Azerbaijan Ior six
months, as there was snow blocking the pass, and he would pray two rak'at." HaIs ibn 'Ubaidullah
says:"AnasibnMalikstayedinash-ShamIortwoyearsandheprayedthesalahoIatraveler."Anas
relates:"ThecompanionsoItheProphetstayedinRamHurmuzIorsevenmonthsandtheyshortened
theirsalah."Al-Hassanreports:"Istayedwith'AbdurrahmanibnSamurahIortwoyearsinKabul,and
heshortenedhissalahbuthedidnotcombinethesalah."Ibrahimsays:"WeresidedinRaiIorayear
ormoreandinSijistanIortwoyears...|andweprayedqasr|.ThisistheguidanceoItheProphetand
hiscompanions,andthisisthecorrectposition.
ConcerningotheropinionswhichpeopleIollowImamAhmadsay:"IIapersonintendstostayIorIour
days,hehastooIIerthewholesalahandhemayoIIerqasriIhisintentionisIorlessthanthat.Thisis
based on an interpretation oI the reports Irom the Prophet and his companions |i.e., they never
intendedtostayIorlongerthanthatandwouldalwayssay:'Wewillleavetomorrow,'andsoon|.This
interpretation is obviously suspect. The Prophet conquered Makkah and stayed there to establish
Islam, eradicate polytheism, and to guide the Arabs. It deIinitely goes, without saying, that such an
objective does take more than a day or two to complete. Similarly, his stay in Tabuk was in
preparationIortheimpendingwarandheknewthatthismighttakelongerthanjustIourdays.Inthe
sameway,Ibn'Umar'sstayinAzerbaijanIorsixmonths,andhisprayingqasrduringtheentiretime
was withtheknowledgethatittakesmorethantwoorthreedaysIorsuchsnowtomeltandthepassto
become traversable. The same is the case with Anas' stay oI two years in ash-Sham and his praying
qasr and the companions' stay in Ram Hurmuz Iorsevenmonthswhileshorteningtheirprayers.Itis
well known that activities like theirs, such as jihad and guarding, took more than Iour days." The
Iollowers oI Ahmad maintain: "II one is staying in a place Ior the purpose oI jihad or due to
imprisonment or sickness, then one may shorten one's salah regardless oI whether the person thinks
thatsuchasituationmaylastIorashorttimeoralongtime."ThisiscorrectbutthereisnoprooIthat
such conditions have been stipulated in the Qur'an, Sunnah, ijma' (consensus), or practice oI the
Prophet'scompanions.TheyarguedthatsuchconditionsarebasedonwhatisneededIorthepersonto
IulIillhisneedwhileremainingatraveler,andthatiswhatislessthanIourdays.Hisresponsetothem
was:'Eromwheredoyouderivethoseconditions,whiletheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamstayed
IormorethanIourdays,shorteninghissalah,inMakkahandTabuk,andhedidnotmentiontoanyone
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anythingaboutitandhenevertoldthemthatheneverintendedtostayIormorethanIourdays,even
though he knew that the people would |strictly| Iollow his actions concerning the salah. Theysurely
IollowedhiminhisshorteningoIthesalah,andhedidnotobjecttotheirprayingqasriItheywereto
stay Ior more than Iour nights. This should be made clear as it is very important. Similarly, the
companions(as-sahabah)Iollowedhiminthatandhedidnotsayanything|inobjection|tothosewho
prayedwithhim."
Malikandash-ShaI'isay:"IIoneintendstostayIormorethan Iourdays,heshouldperIormthewhole
salah,andiIheintendstostayIorlessthanthat,heistooIIerqasr."
AbuHaniIahholds:"IIoneintendstostayIorIiIteendays,heshoulddotheqasr.IIheintendstostay
Iorlessthanthat,heshouldnotshortenthesalah."ThisisalsotheopinionoIal-LaithibnSa'd,andit
hasalsobeenrelatedIromthreecompanions:'Umar,ibn'Umar,andIbn'Abbas.
Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab is oI the opinion that: "II you stay Ior Iour days, you pray Iour rak'at." A
statementsimilartothatoIAbuHaniIah'shasalsobeenrelatedIromhim.'AliibnAbiTalibsaysthat
iI one stays Ior ten days, he is to perIorm the whole salah, and the same has been related Irom Ibn '
Abbas.
Al-Hassansays:"Onewhodoesnotgettohisdestinationor(cityoIresidence)mayshortensalah."
'Aishahsays:"Onewhodoesnotputdownhisprovisionistoshortenthesalah."
TheIourimamsagreethatiIonehassomeneedtotakecareoIandalwayshastheintentionoIleaving
thenextday,thenhemayshortenhissalahIoraslongasheisinthatstate.However,accordingtoone
statementoIash-ShaI'i,hemaydosoonlyIorseventeenoreighteendaysandheisnottoshortenhis
salah aIter that time. Ibn al-Munzhir states in hisIshraI:"ThepeopleoIknowledgeareinagreement
thatatravelermayperIormqasraslongashedoesnotintendtostayinaplace,eventhoughhestays
thereIoryears."
Eiqh2.114:NawaIliduringtravel
The majority oI the scholars are oI the opinion that it is not disliked to perIorm nawaIil during the
stateinwhichoneisshorteninghissalah.Onthispoint,thereisnodiIIerencebetweenregularsunnah
prayersandothernawaIl.
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordthattheProphetmadetheghuslinthehouseoIUmmHaniontheday
oItheconquestoIMakkahandthenheprayedeightrak'at.
Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet prayed while riding in whatever direction he was Iacing and
noddinghishead|i.e.,IorthemovementsoIthesalah|.
Al-Hassan relates: "The companions oI the Prophet while on a journey perIormed supererogatory
prayersbeIoreandaItertheIardsalah."
Ibn'UmarandothersareoItheopinionthattherearenonawaIl,beIoreoraItertheIardsalah,except
IorduringthemiddleoIthenight.HesawsomepeopleprayingaIterthesalahandsaid:"IIIwereto
pray, I would have perIormed the whole salah |as obviously that would have taken preIerence|. O
nephew, I accompanied the Messenger oI Allah |on joumeys| and he never prayed more than two
rak'at until Allah took his soul. And I accompanied Abu Bakr and he did not pray more than two
rak'at."HealsomentionedthenameoI'Umarand'Uthman,thenherecitedtheverse:"Yehaveindeed
inthemessengeroIAllahabeautiIulpattern(oIconduct)."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
IbnQudamahcombineswhatal-HassanandwhatIbn'Umarsaybyconcludingthatal-Hassan'sreport
pointstotheIactthatthereisnoharminprayingnawaIilwhiletraveling,whereasIbn'Umar'sreport
pointstotheIactthatthereisnoharminnotprayingsuchnawaIil.
Eiqh2.115:TravelingonaEriday
ThereisnoharmintravelingonaEridayiIitisnotduringthetimeoIthesalah.
'Umarheardamansay:"IItodaywasnotEriday,IwouldhaveleIt."'Umarsaid:"Leave.Eridaydoes
notkeeponeIromtraveling."
Abu'UbaidahtraveledonEridayandhedidnotwaitIorthesalah.
Az-ZuhriwantedtotravelbeIorenoononEridayandthepeoplementionedsomethingtohim,andhe
said:"TheProphettraveledonEriday."
Eiqh2.115a:Combiningtwoprayers
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ItisallowedIorapersontocombinethezuhrand'asrsalah,eitherduringthetimeoItheearlierorthe
latersalah,orthemaghriband'ishaprayersiIheisinoneoItheIollowingcircumstances:
Eiqh2.115b:Combiningthesalahat'AraIa andal-MuzdaliIah
The scholars are in agreement that one is to combine the zuhr and 'asr prayer during the time oI the
zuhr prayer, at 'AraIa |during the perIormance oI the pilgrimage|, and the maghrib and 'isha prayers
duringthetimeoIthe'ishaatmuzdaliIah,IollowingtheexampleoItheProphet.
Eiqh2.115c:Combiningthesalahduringtraveling
Most oI the people oI knowledge are oI the opinion that it is permissible to combine two prayers
duringthetimeoIeitheroneoIthemwhiletraveling,regardlessoIwhetherthepersonisactuallyon
theroadorhasstoppedataplaceIorsometime.
Mu'azhreportsthatwhiletheProphetwasatTabukandthesunhadpassedthemeridian,theProphet
sallallahu alehi wasallam combined the zuhr and 'asr prayers beIore he started his journey. II he
started his journey beIore the sun passed its meridian, he would delay the zuhr prayer until the time
when he stoppped Ior the 'asr prayer. He would do likewise Ior the maghrib prayer. II the sun set
beIore he began his journey, he would combine the maghrib and 'isha prayers |at that time|. II he
began a journey beIore the sun had set, he would then combine them at the time oI 'isha. This is
relatedbyAbuDawudandat-Tirmizhiwhocallithasan.
Kuraib reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: "Shall I not inIorm you oI the salah oI the Prophet sallallahu
alehiwasallamduringajourney?"Wesaid:"Certainly."Hesaid:"IIthesunpasseditsmeridianwhile
hestopped,hewouldcombinethezuhrand'asrprayersbeIoreremounting|i.e., movingon|.IIthesun
had not passed its meridian while he had stopped |i.e., beIore breaking camp|, he would travel until
thetimeoIthe'asrprayerandthenhewouldcombinethezuhrand'asrprayers.IIthesunsetwhilehe
had stopped, he would combine the magrib and 'isha prayers. II that did not occur while he had
stopped,hewouldrideuntilthe'ishatimeandthencombinethem."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad.
Ash-ShaI'i has something similar in his Musnad, namely that when he |theProphet|setouttotravel
beIorethesunpasseditsmeridian,hedelayedthezuhrprayerandcombineitwiththe'asrduringthe
time oI the 'asr salah. Al-Baihaqi recorded it with a good chain and he says: "To combine the two
prayersduetotravelingissomethingthatiswell-knownandwaspracticedbythecompanionsoIthe
ProphetsallallahualehiwasallamandthosewhoIollowedthem."
Imam Malik records in al-Muwatta' Irom Mu'azh that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam delayed
his salah one day during the battle oI Tabuk and then went and prayed the zuhr and 'asr prayers
together.Thenhereturnedandwentbackagainandsaidthemaghriband'ishaprayerstogether.
Commenting on this report, ash-ShaI'i says: "His statement, 'then he returned and leIt again,' only
reIersto a situation where the Prophet was staying in a certain place |i.e., he was nottravelingIrom
onesitetoanother|."
Ibn Qudamah mentions the preceding hadith and writes in al-Mughni: "Ibn 'Abdul-Barr said: 'That
hadith is sahih and its chain is conIirmed. The people who are Iamiliar with the liIe history oI the
Prophet say that the battle oI Tabuk took place in the ninth year oI the hijrah. This hadith is a clear
prooIandthestrongestevidenceagainstthosewhoclaimthatonecanonlycombinetheprayerswhile
oneisactuallymovingIromonesitetoanotherastheProphetwassettledandwasnottravelingsince
the Prophet was staying in his tent and would come out and combine two prayers and then return to
histent.MuslimrecordedthishadithinhisSahihandstated:'Hewouldpraythezuhrand'asrtogether
andthemaghriband'ishatogether.OnemustIollowthishadithasitisconIirmed|tobeauthentic|and
itisaclearstatementonthisruleandthereisnothingwhichcontradictsit.Thepermissiontocombine
thesalahisaconcessionIoranyonewhoistravelingbutitisbynomeansconIinedtojustthosetimes
whenthepersonisactuallyontheroad|i.e.,travelingIromoneplacetoanother|.Thesameisthecase
Iorshorteningthesalahand Iorwipingoverthesocks,butitisbesttodelayit.'":Havingtheintention
tocombineisnotaconditionIorcombiningorshorteningthesalah.IbnTaimiyyahholds:"Thatisthe
positionoIthemajorityoIthescholars.WhentheProphetcombinedthesalahwithhiscompanionsor
shortened the salah with them, he never orderedanyoIthemtomaketheintentionIorcombiningor
shortening the salah. In Iact, when he leIt Medinah Ior Makkah, he prayed two rak'at without
combining the salah, and then he prayed the zuhr prayer at 'AraIa without telling the people that he
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intended to pray the 'asr right aIterward, next he prayed the'asrwiththemandtheydidnothavethe
intention to combinetheirprayers,andinthatcombinationheprayedthelattersalahearly.Whenhe
went Irom Medinah, he led the people in the 'asr salah at Zhul-HaliIah and he did not order themto
make the intention to shorten the salah.": Concerning oIIering the two combined prayers right aIter
eachother,IbnTaimiyyahwrites:"Thecorrectopinionisthatitisnotanecessaryconditiontodoso
under any circumstances, neither during the time oI the Iirst salah nor during the time oI the latter
salah.Thereisnosuchlimitintheshari'ahanddoingsowoulddeIeatthepurposeoItheconcession
|i.e., permission to combine the two salah|." Ash-ShaI'i says: "It is quite permissible Ior a person to
praythemaghribinhishousewiththeintentionoIcombiningtheprayersandthengotothemosque
topraythe'isha."AsimilarstatementhasbeenrelatedIromAhmad.
Eiqh2.117:Combiningtwoprayersduringrain
Al-AthramrecordsinhisSunnanthatAbuSalamahibn'Abdurrahmansaid:"Itisasunnahtocombine
themaghriband'ishaprayerswhenitisraining."Al-BukharirecordsthattheProphetsallallahualehi
wasallamcombinedthemaghriband'ishaprayersonarainynight.
AsummaryoItheopinionsoIthediIIerentschoolsoIIiqhonthispointIollows:
The ShaI'i school says that it is allowed Ior the residenttocombinethezuhrand'asrorthemaghrib
and 'isha, praying each pair in the time oI the earlier salah only, given that it is raining when one
beginstheearlierprayeranditisstillrainingbythetimeonebeginsthesecondprayer.
According to the Maliki school, it is allowed to combine the maghrib and 'isha in the mosque at the
time oI the maghrib due to rain or expected rain, iI there is mud and darkness along the way, or iI
thereisalotoImudanditpreventsthepeopleIromwearingtheirshoes.Nevertheless,hedislikesthat
thezuhrand'asrshouldbecombinedduetorain.
AccordingtotheHanbalischool,itisonlyallowedtocombinethemaghriband'ishainthetimeoIthe
Iormer or the latter due to snow, ice, mud, severe cold, or rain which soaks the clothes. This
concessionisallowedonlyIoronewhoprayswithacongregationinthemosqueandwhocomesIrom
adistanceoverwhichhecouldbeharmedbytherain.However,Ioronewhopraysinacongregation
inhishouseorwhosepathtothemosqueiscoveredorprotected,orIoronewhosehouseisrightnext
tothemosque,itisnotallowedtocombinethesalah.
Eiqh2.118:Combiningthetwoprayersduetosomeillnessorotherexcuse
Ahmad, Qadi Hussain, al-Khattabi, and al-Mutawali oI the ShaI'i school are oI the opinion that it is
allowedtocombinetwoprayers,eitherduringthetimeoItheearlierorlatersalah,duetoillnessasit
is a greater hardship than rain. An-Nawawi says: "This is a strong opinion based on |sound|
evidence."Inal-Mughniitisstated:"Theillnesswhichpermitsonetocombinetheprayersistheone
whichwouldotherwisecausehardshipandmoreweakness|iIheprayedeachsalahseparately|."
TheHanbalischoolisthemostaccommodatingasitallowsonetocombinetheprayers,atthetimeoI
theearlyorlatersalah,IoronewhoisillaswellasIorthewomanwhoisbreast-IeedingandwillIace
hardshipincleaningherdressIoreverysalah,IorthewomanwhoisplaguedbyaprolongedIlowoI
blood,Iorthepersonwhocannotcontrolhisurine, andIoronewhocannotpuriIyhimselIorherselI,
andIortheonewhoIearsIorhisliIe,property,orIamily.
Ibn Taimiyyah says: "Among the opinions the most accommodating on this question is that oI the
Hanbali school which allows one to combine the prayers iI he is busy (since an-Nasa'i has related
something to that eIIect Irom the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam) and they also say that the cook
andbaker,andsoIorth.,mayalsocombinetheirprayersiItheyIeartheirwealth(i.e.,theirinvestment
orwhattheyareworkingon)willotherwiseberuined."
Eiqh2.118a:Combiningtwoprayersduetosomepressingneed
Imaman-NawawiwritesinhiscommentaryonSahihMuslim:"ThemajorityoIthescholarsareoIthe
opinionthatitisallowedIortheresidenttocombinetheprayersduetosomepressingneed.Thisisthe
statementoIIbnSireenandAshhabIromthecompanionsoIMalik,andal-KhattabirecordsitIromal-
QiIalandash-ShaI'iandIromAbuIshaqal-Maruzi,andIromanumberoIas-habal-ahadith,anditis
the conclusion oI Ibn al-Munzhir. This is supported by the statement oI ibn 'Abbas: 'The Prophet
combinedhissalahbecausehedidnotwanttoputhisummahtohardship,andnotbecauseoIillness
oranyotherreason."'ThehadithIromIbn'Abbas,mentionedpreviously,hasbeenrecordedbyImam
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Muslim who states: "The Messenger oI Allah combined the zuhr and 'asr and then the maghrib and
'ishainMedinahwithouttherebeinganydangerorrain."Ibn'Abbaswasasked:"Whatdidhedesire
by thataction?"Hereplied:"HedidnotwantanyhardshipIorhisummah."Al-BukhariandMuslim
record Irom him that the Prophet prayed seven rak'at and eight rak'at, i.e., the zuhr and 'asr together
andthemaghriband'ishatogether,inMedinah.MuslimalsorecordsIrom'AbdullahibnShaqiqthat
'Abdullahibn'AbbasaddressedthepeopleonedayaIterthe'asrsalahuntilwellaIterthesunhadset
andthestarsbegantoappear.Thepeoplesaidtohim:"Theprayer,theprayer."AmanIromthetribe
oI Taim continuously repeated: "The prayer, the prayer." Ibn 'Abbas said: "Are you teaching me the
sunnah? May you have no mother." Then he said: "I saw the Messenger oI Allah combine the zuhr
and 'asr andthemaghriband'isha."'AbdullahibnShaqiqcommented:"IIeltsomeuneasinessinmy
heartaboutwhathehadsaid,soIwenttoAbuHurairahtoaskhimaboutthat,andheconIirmedwhat
Ibn'Abbashadsaid."
Eiqh2.119:ValidityoIcombinedprayersaItertheirlegalexcuseceasestoexist
In al-Mughni it is stated: "II someone perIorms both prayersatthetimeoItheearliersalahandthen
hisreasonIordoingsoceasestoexistaIterhehascompletedthesalahandbeIorethetimeoIthenext
salahbegins|i.e.,thenextsalahbeingtheonewhichhehadjustprayedduringtheearliertime|,then
whathehasdoneissuIIicientIorhimandheneednotrepeatthesecondsalahatitspropertime.Since
heperIormedthesalahinapropermanner,heisIreeIromanyextraobligationduetothataction.He
IulIilledhisobligationduringacircumstanceinwhichhehadsomelegalexcuse,andhisactionisnot
invalidated by the Iact that this excuse no longer exists. This is similar to the case oI a person who
perIormetayammum,andaIterheIinisheshissalah,heIindswater."
Eiqh2.119a:Prayeronaship,trainorplane
Asalahonaship,train,plane,andsoon,isvalidandthereisnodislikeIorsuchanactasitmakesliIe
easierIortheoneperIormingit.Ibn'Umarsays:"IaskedtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamabout
salahonashipandhesaid:'PraystandinguponthemunlessyouIearthatyouwillbedrowned|i.e.,
the boat might capsize|."' This is related by ad-Daraqutni and by al-Hakim. The later grades it sahih
accordingtothecriteriaoIal-BukhariandMuslim.
'Abdullah ibn Abi 'Utbah reports: "I accompanied Jabir ibn 'Abdullah and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and
AbuHurairahonaboat,andtheyprayedstandinginacongregation,withoneoIthemastheirimam,
althoughtheycouldhavegoneashore|iItheyhadsodesired|."ThisisrelatedbySa'idibnMansur.
Eiqh2.119b:SomesupplicationsIorthetraveler
ItispreIerredIorthetravelertosay,uponleavinghishouse:"InthenameoIAllah,theExalted!We
have trusted in Allah. There is no power or might, save with Allah. O Allah, I seek reIuge in Thee
Irom being misguided and Irom misguiding others, or that I stray Irom Your path or cause others to
strayIromYourpath,orthatIamwrongedorthatIdowrongtoothers,orthatIactIoolishlyorhave
someoneactIoolishlywithme."
Then,thepersonmaysaywhateverhewishesoIthesupplicationswhichhavebeenrecordedIromthe
Prophet,sallallahualehiwasallam.HerearesomeoIthem:
'Ali ibn Rabi'ah narrates: "'Ali was brought a riding animal. When he put his Ioot in the stirrup, he
said:'InthenameoIAllah.'Then,whenhesatonit,hesaid:'PraisebetoAllah.GlorybetotheOne
Who made this subservient to us Ior we were not able to make |it subservient| and it is to our Lord
thatwewillreturn.'HethenpraisedAllahthreetimesandextolledHisgreatnessthreetimesandthen
said: 'Glory be to You; there is no God but Thee. I have wronged my soul, so Iorgive me. No one
Iorgives sins, except You.' Then, he laughed. I said to him: 'Why do you laugh, commander oI the
IaithIul?' He replied: 'I saw the Messenger oI Allah doing the same and then laughing. I asked him:
"What makes you laugh, O Messenger oI Allah?" He said: "The Lord is pleased with Hisslavewho
says: 'O Lord, Iorgive me,' and He says: 'My slave knows that no one Iorgives sins, save I.'" This is
related by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban, and by al-Hakim who says it is sahih according to the criteria oI
ImamMuslim.
Al-'AzdireportsthatIbn'UmartaughthimthattheMessengeroIAllahwouldextolAllah'sgreatness
threetimeswhileseatinghimselIonhiscamelIorajourney.Thenhewouldsay:"GlorybetotheOne
whomadethissubservienttousIorwewerenotable|tomakeitsubservient|.ItistoourLordthatwe
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shallreturn.OAllah,weaskoIThee,inthisjourneyoIours,righteousnessandpietyandto(beable
to) perIorm such deeds that are pleasing to You. O Allah, make this journey oI ours easy Ior us and
make its length short Ior us. O Allah, companion on this journey and the One who looksaIter our
Iamilyandpropertyinourabsence.OAllah,IseekreIugeinTheeIromthediIIicultyoItravelingand
theunhappinessinwhatIseeandinIindingthatsomethingharmIulhashappenedwhenIreturntomy
propertyandIamily."
When he would return Irom his journey he would add: "Returning |are we| repentant, serving and
praisingourLord."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
Ibn 'Abbas reports that when the Prophet desired to travel, he would say: "O Allah, You are my
companioninmytravelsand theOneWholooksaItermyIamily|whileIamgone|.OAllah,Iseek
reIugeinYouIromunworthytravelcompanionsandanunpleasantsituationuponmyreturn.OAllah,
make the distance short Ior us and the travel easy Ior us." When he desired to return,he would say:
"We are returning, |while| repenting to Allah, worshipping our Lord and praising Him." When he
wouldenteruponhisIamily,hewouldsay:"WearerepentingtoourLord.WehopethatnoneoIour
sinswouldremain."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,at-Tabarani,andal-Bazzarwithasahihchain.
'Abdullah ibn Sarjas reports that, when the Prophet had to travel, he would say: "O Allah, I seek
reIugeinYouIromthediIIicultyoIthejourney,andsorrowonreturn,anddisorderaIterthingsareset
right,IromthecryoItheoppressed,andIromseeingharmhavingcometoourpropertyandIamily."
Andwhenhereturnedhewouldmakeasimilarsupplication,butinsteadoIsaying:"Iromseeingharm
having come to our property and Iamily," he would mention Iamily Iirst and then property. This is
relatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
Ibn'UmarreportsthatwhentheProphetwentoutIorabattleorajourney,andnightcameuponhim,
hewouldsay:"OEarth,myLordandyourLordisAllah.IseekreIugeinAllahIromyourevilandthe
eviloIwhatisonyouandtheeviloIwhathasbeencreateduponyouandtheeviloIwhatwalksupon
you. I seek reIuge in Allah Irom lions and large black snakes, and Irom snakes and scorpions, and
Irom the evil or all that inhabit the land, and the evil oI a Iather and what he has Iathered." This is
relatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.
Khaulah bint Hakim as-Sulimiyah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Whoever
stopsatastoppingplaceshouldsay:'IseekreIugebytheperIectedwordoIAllah.theExalted,Irom
the evil oI what has been created,' then nothing will harm him until he leaves that stopping place."
Thisisrelatedbythegroup,saveal-BukhariandAbuDawud.
'AtaibnabiMarwanstatesIromhisIatherthatKa'btookanoathbytheOnewhoopenedupthesea
IorMosesthatSuhaibrelatedtohimthatwhenevertheMessengeroIAllahsallallahualehiwasallam
sawacitywhichhewishedtoenter,hewouldsay:"OAllah,LordoIthesevenheavensandwhatthey
shade,LordoI thesevenearthsandwhattheycarry,LordoIthesatansandthosethattheymisguide,
LordoIthewindsandwhattheyblowaway,IaskoIYouIorthegoodoIthiscityandthegoodoIits
inhabitants and the good oI what is in it. I seek reIuge in You Irom its evil and the evil oI its
inhabitantsandtheeviloIwhatisinit."Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i,ibnHibban,andal-Hakimwho
callsitsahih.
Ibn'Umarsays:"WewouldtravelwiththeMessengeroIAllah,andwhenhewouldseethecitythat
he wished to enter, he would say: 'O Allah, give us blessings Irom what is in it,' three times. And,
'Allah,giveusprovisionsIromitsharvestandmakeusbelovedtoitsinhabitantsandmakethepious
peopleoIitsinhabitantsbelovedtous."Thisisrelatedby at-Tabaraniinal-Ausatwithagoodchain.
'Aishah says: "Whenever the Messenger oI Allah came to a place that he wished to enter he would
say:'OAllah,IaskoIyouoIthegoodoIthisplaceandthegoodoIwhatyouhavecollectedtherein.
OAllah,grantusprovisionsIromitsharvestandprotectusIromitsdiseases.Makeusbelovedtoits
inhabitantsandmakethepiouspeopleoIitsinhabitantsbelovedtous.'Thisisrelatedbyibnas-Sani.
AbuHurairahreportsthatwhentheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwasonajourneyanddaybreak
approachedhewouldsay:"LetonelistenandwitnessthepraiseoIAllahandHisgoodIavortoward
us.OurLord,accompanyusandshowusIavour|aswe|seekreIugeinAllahIromthehell-Iire."This
isrelatedbyMuslim.
Eiqh2.125:ThevirtuesoIJumu'ah,Eridayprayer
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Eriday(Jumu'ah)isthebestdayoItheweek.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "The best day on
whichthesunrisesisEriday.|OnEriday|Adamwascreatedandonthatdayheenteredparadiseand
onthatdayhewasexpelledIromparadise.AndtheHourwillcometopassonEriday."Thisisrelated
byMuslim,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andat-Tirmizhiwhocallsitsahih.
AbuLubanahal-BadrirelatesthattheProphetsaid:"ThemostprominentoIthedays|lit.theleaderoI
thedays|isthedayoIJumu'ahandthemosthonoredinAllah'ssight,anditismorehonoredinAllah's
sight than the day oI breaking the Iast or the day oI sacriIice. It has Iive signiIicant merits: Allah
createdAdamonthisday;onthisdayAllahsentAdamdowntotheearth;onthisday,Allahcaused
Adam to die; on this day, there is a time during which iI anyone asks anything oI Allah it will be
granted to him unless he asks Ior something which is Iorbidden; and on this day, the Hour will be
established.TherearenoangelsclosetoAllahorskyorearthorwindormountainorseawhoarenot
worried concerning the day oI Jumu'ah." This is related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah. Al-Iraqi says its
chainishasan.
Eiqh2.125a:SupplicationsduringEriday
Oneshoulddoone'sbesttomakesupplicationsduringthelastmoments(orhours)oIJumu'ah.
'AbdullahibnSalamrelates:"Isaid,andtheMessengeroIAllahwassitting:'WeIindintheBookoI
AllahthatonEridaythereisan'hour'inwhich,iIabelievingslavepraystoAllahIorsomething,his
prayeris(indeed)acceptedandheisgrantedwhateverhepraysIor.'TheMessengeroIAllahpointed
toward me and said: 'Or part oI an hour.' I said: 'You have spoken the truth: or part oI an hour.' I
asked:'Whathourisit?'Hereplied:'ThelasthouroItheday.'Iremarked:'ThatisnotatimeoIsalah?'
He responded: 'Certainly |it is|; iI a believing slave oIIers salah and then sits, he will not be sitting,
saveduetothesalah,andhewillbeinsalah."'ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajah.
AbuSa'idandAbuHurairahreportthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"OnJumu'ahthereisatimethat
iIabelievingslaveasksAllahduringitIorsomegood,|AllahwilldeIinitely|giveittohim,andthat
timeisaIterthe'asrsalah."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad.Al-'Iraqicallsitsahih.
JabirreportsthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"ThedayoIJumu'ahhastwelvehours,andduringone
oIthehours,youwillnotIinda Muslimslave|oIAllah|askingAllahIorsomething,butthatHewill
give it to him. Seek it in the last hour aIter the 'Asr salah." This is relatedbyanNasa'i,AbuDawud,
andbyal-Hakiminal-Mustadrak,andhecallsitsahihaccordingtoMuslim'scriteria.IbnHajarsays
thatitschainishasan.
AbuSalamahibn'AbdurrahmanreportsthatsomecompanionsoItheProphetgatheredandmentioned
the"houronJumu'ah."TheyleItanddidnotdiIIerontheIactthatitisthelasthouroIJumu'ah.This
isrelatedbySa'idibnMansurinhisSunanandal-HaIizIbnHajarcallsitsahih.
AhmadibnHanbalsays:"MostoIthehadithconcerningthehourinwhichthesupplicationisalways
respondedtostatethehourtobeaIterthe'asrprayer,andsomestateittobeaIterthesunpassesthe
meridian."
There is a hadith recorded by Muslim and Abu Dawud which states that Abu Musa heard the
MessengeroIAllahsayconcerningthespecialhouronJumu'ah:"Itisbetweenthetimethattheimam
sits|i.e.,uponthepulpit|andthetimethatthesalahiscompleted."Allthesame,thisparticularhadith
isdeIectivebecauseitschainisbrokenanditismudtarib.
Eiqh 2.126: Making many prayers and salutations upon the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam during
thenightandtheday oIJumu'ah
Aus ibn Aus reports that the Prophet said: "The most virtuous oI your days is Jumu'ah.Onthatday,
Adamwascreatedandonthatdayhedied,(onthatday)thehornwillbeblownandthepeoplewillbe
dumbIounded!Increaseyourprayersuponme asyourprayersuponmewillbepresentedtome."The
peoplesaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,howwillourprayersbepresentedtoyouwhenyouhavepassed
away?" He said: "Allah has prohibited the earth Irom eating the bodies oI the Prophets." This is
relatedbytheIive,exceptIorat-Tirmizhi.
Ibn al-Qayyim says: "It is preIerred to pray Ior (Allah's blessings on the Prophet during the day and
night oI Jumu'ah as the Prophet said: 'Make manyprayersuponmeduringthedayoIEridayandthe
nightoIEriday.' TheMessengeroIAllahistheleaderoImankind,andJumu'ahisthebestoIthedays
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oItheweek.Prayersuponhimduringthatdayareaprivilege|hedeserves|whichbelongstonoother.
This act also has another wisdom to it and that is that all oI the good that has passed onto this
|Muslim|ummah,inthisliIeandthehereaIter,haspassedthroughhim.Allahhasgatheredthegood
oIthisliIeandthenextliIeIorthisummah,andthegreatesthonorandsuccesswillbegrantedtothem
on Eriday. On that day, they will be granted their houses and palaces in paradise and that is the day
theywillbegivenmorewhentheyenterparadise.ItisadayoIcelebrationIortheminthisliIe.Itis
also a day in which Allah IulIills their needs and answers their prayers and requests in this world.
TheyareawareoIalloIthatandareabletoattainitbecauseoItheProphetanditisthroughhim|that
they received these teachings|; thereIore, in gratitude and appreciation Ior the great blessings we
receivedthroughhim,weshouldmakemanyprayersuponhimduringthedayandnightoIJumu'ah."
Eiqh2.127:RecitationoISurahal-KahI
ItispreIerredtorecitesurahal-KahIduringthedayandnightoIJumu'ah.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet said: "Whoever recites Surah al-KahI on Jumu'ah will
have illumination Irom the light Irom one Jumu'ah to the next." This is related by an-Nasa'i, al-
Baihaqi,andalHakim.
Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet said: "Whoever recites Surah al-KahI on Jumu'ah will be blessed
withalightthatwillriseIromunderneathhisIeettothepeakoIthesky.ThiswillbealightIorhim
on the Day oI Resurrection, and he will be Iorgiven Ior what is between the Jumu'ah |and the next|
Jumu'ah."ThisisrelatedbyIbnMardwwiyahwithaIaultlesschain.
Eiqh2.127a:Itisdislikedtoraiseone'svoicewhilerecitingal-KahIinthemosqueonEriday
Shaikh Muhammad 'Abdu issued a verdict that mentioned reciting Surah al-KahI aloud among the
many disliked matters on Eriday. He also mentioned the Iollowing: singling out Eriday as a day oI
Iasting, singling out its night as a night to perIorm salatul tahajjud, reciting Surah al-KahI during it
withaspeciIicmanneroImelodywhichdisturbsthosewhoareoIIeringsalah,whilethepeopleinthe
mosque are not listening because oI their being engaged in conversation with others. ThereIore, one
shouldbecareIulaboutsucharecital.
Eiqh 2.128: PerIorming ghusl, beautiIying one's selI, using the miswak, and using perIume Ior any
gatheringandespeciallyIorSalatulJumu'ah
ItispreIerredIoranyone- manorwoman,anelderlyoryoungperson,atraveleroraresident- who
desirestoattendthesalatulJumu'ahoranygatheringoIthepeople,tocleanseandtowearbestattire.
One should perIorm ghusl, put on one's Iinestclothing,applyperIume,andtobrushone'steeth.The
Iollowinghaditharerecordedonthismatter:
Abu Sa'id reports that the Prophet said: "Every Muslim should have a ghusl on Eriday and wear his
best clothing, and iI he has perIume, he should use it." This is related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and
Muslim.
IbnSalamreportsthatheheardtheProphetsay,whilehewasuponthepulpitonEriday:"Itwoulddo
no |harm| to anyone iI he were to buy two gowns Ior Eriday other than his work clothes." This is
relatedbyAbuDawudandIbnMajah.
Salman al-Earsi reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "A man who perIorms ghusl
onEriday,puriIies|himselI|whathecanandusesdye|Iorhishair|orperIumeshimselIinhishouse,
goestothemosque,anddoesnotcauseseparationbetweentwopeople|whoarealreadyseated|,prays
whatAllahhasprescribedIorhim,andthenlistensquietlywhiletheimamspeaks,allhissinsbetween
thatEridayandthenextEridaywillbeIorgiven."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari,whileAbu
Hurairahusedtosay:"AndIorthreemoredaysasIoreverygooddeedAllahgrantstenIoldreward."
The sins mentioned in this hadith are the minor sins as Ibn Majah recorded,ontheauthorityoIAbu
Hurairahinthewords:"Eoronewhohasnotcommittedmajorsins."
Ahmad records, with a sahih chain, that the Prophet said: "It is obligatory upon every Muslim to
perIormghusl,applypurIumeandusethemiswakonJumu'ah.
AbuHurairahreportsthatoneEridaytheProphetsaid:"OgatheringoIMuslims,Allahhasmadethis
dayan'idIoryou,somakeghuslandusethemiswak."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tabaraniinal-Ausatand
al-Kabirwithachainwhosenarratorsaretrustworthy.
Eiqh2.129:GoingearlytoSalatulJumu'ah
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ItispreIerredIoronetogoearlytothesalatulJumu'ah,unlessheistheimam.'Alqamahsays:"Iwent
with'AbdullahibnMas'udtothemosqueandweIoundthatthreepeoplehadarrivedtherebeIoreus.
|IbnMas'ud|said:'TheIourthoIIour,andtheIourthoIIourisnotIarIromAllah,IorIhaveheardthe
MessengeroIAllahsay:"ThepeoplewillbeseatedonthedayoIresurrectionaccordingtohowthey
cametothesalatulJumu'ah:theIirst,thenthesecond,thenthethird,thentheIourthandtheIourthoI
IourisnotIarIromAllah."'ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajahandal-Munzhiri.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said: "Whoever makes ghusl on Jumu'ah like the ghusl one
makesduetosexualdeIilement,andthengoestothemosque,itwillbeasiIhehadsacriIicedacamel.
IIhegoesduringthesecondhour,itwillbeasiIhehadsacriIicedacow.IIhegoesduringthethird
hour,itwillbeasiIhehadsacriIicedahornedlamb.IIhegoesduringtheIourthhour,itwillbeasiI
he had sacriIiced a hen. And iI he goes during the IiIth hour, it will be as iI he had sacriIiced
(something like) an egg. When the imam comes, the angels will be present to listen to the
rememberance."Thisisrelatedbythegroup,saveIbnMajah.
Ash-ShaI'i andanumberoIscholarsareoItheopinionthatthe"hours"reIertothehoursoItheday;
thereIore,itispreIerredIorthepeopletostartattendingthemosquerightaIterdawn.MalikisoIthe
opinion that it reIers to portions oI the hour beIore the sun passes its meridian and aIterward. Some
holdthatitreIerstoportionsoIthehourbeIorethesunpassesitsmeridian.IbnRushdsays:"Thatis
themostapparentmeaningasgoing|tothemosque|aIterthesunpassesthemeridianisobligatory."
Eiqh2.129a:Steppingoverothers'necksinthemosque
At-Tirmizhi reports that the people oI knowledge dislike that one should "step over the necks oI the
people" on Jumu'ah and they were very strict in this regard. 'Abdullah ibn Busr says: "A man came
and he was stepping over the necks oI the people while the Prophet was delivering khutbah oI
Jumu'ah.Hesaidtohim:'Sitdown.Youhaveharmedthepeopleandhavecomelate."'Thisisrelated
byAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,Ahmad,andIbnKhuzaimah,andotherscallitsahih.
ThisrulingdoesnotapplytotheimamoronewhoIindsanopeningandcannotreachit,savebygoing
overthepeople.IIonewantstoreturntohisplaceaIterleavingitduetosomenecessity,hemaydoso
on the condition that he does not harmthe people. 'Uqbah ibn al-Harith relates: "I prayed the 'asr in
MedinahbehindtheProphetandthenhestoodandhurriedoII,steppingoverthepeople,togotosome
oI the apartments oI his wives. The people were aIraid because oI his rushing away in this manner.
When he came out and Iound them amazed at leaving them in such a hurry, he said: 'I remembered
somegoldthatwasinmypossessionandIhatedthatitshouldremainwithme,soIorderedittobe
distributed."'Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhariandan-Nasa'i.
Andwhenhereturnedhewouldmakeasimilarsupplication,butinsteadoIsaying:"Iromseeingharm
having come to our property and Iamily," he would mention Iamily Iirst and then property. This is
relatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
Eiqh2.130:NawaIlbeIoresalatulJumu'ah
It is a sunnah to oIIer supererogatory prayers beIore al-Jumu'ah until the imam arrives. AIter the
imam's arrival, one should no longer oIIer any salah, save Ior the prayer oI greeting the mosque
(tahayyatulmasjid)whichmaybeperIormedquicklyduringthekhutbahunlessonecomesattheend
oIthekhutbahandwouldnothavethetime|i.e.,beIoretheactualsalahbegins|toperIormtahayyatul
masjid.
Ibn'UmarusedtoperIormalongprayerbeIoreal-Jumu'ahandthentworak'ataIter it,andhesaidthat
theProphetusedtodoso.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Whoever makes ghusl on the
dayoIJumu'ahandthengoestothemosqueandprayswhathasbeenprescribedIorhim,andremains
quiet while the imam delivers the khutbah, and then prays with the imam, he will have Iorgiven Ior
him what is between that Jumu'ah and the next and an additional three days." This is related by
Muslim.
JabirreportsthatamancametothemosqueonJumu'ahwhiletheProphetwasdeliveringthekhutbah.
The Prophet inquired oI him: "Did you oIIer the salah?" The man replied: "No!" Hetoldhim:"Pray
tworak'at."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.Inonenarrationitstates:"IIoneoIyoucomestothemosque
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on the day oI Jumu'ah and the imam is delivering the khutbah, he should pray two rak'at and make
themquick."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andAbuDawud.Inanothernarration,itisstated:"II
one oI youcomestothemosqueontheday oIJumu'ahandtheimamhasalreadyarrived,heshould
oIIertworak'at."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh2.130a:Eeelingdrowsywhileinthemosque
It is preIerred Ior one who is in the mosque to change place iI he Ieels sleepy. The movement may
removesomeoIhisdrowsinessandhelpwakehimup.ThisruleistrueIorEridaysandanyotherday.
Ibn'UmarreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"IIoneoIyoubecomessleepywhile
heisinthemosque,heshouldmoveIromhis placetoanotherplace."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Abu
Dawud,al-Baihaqi,andat-Tirmizhiwhocallsithasansahih.
Eiqh2.131:TheEridayprayerasanobligation
The scholars are in agreement that salatul Jumu'ah is an individual obligation and it is two rak'at.
Allah says in the Qur'an: "O you who believe, when the call Ior the salah oI Jumu'ah is proclaimed,
hastenuntotheremembranceoIAllah,andleaveoIIbusiness(andtrading).ThatisbestIoryouiIyou
butknew."
The obligatory nature oI salatul Jumu'ah is also obvious Irom the hadith recorded by al-Bukhari and
MuslimIromAbuHurairahthattheProphetsaid:"Wearethelast|oIthepeopletocome|buttheIirst
onthedayoIresurrection.TheyreceivedtheirbooksbeIoreusandwegotoursaIter them.Thisday
wasobligatoryuponthem,buttheydiIIeredconcerningit,andAllahguidedus.Thepeople,thereIore,
Iollowus:theJewstomorrowandtheChristiansthedayaItertomorrow."
Ibn Mas'ud reports that the Prophet noticed some people stayingaway Irom al-Jumu'ah and said: "I
had the notion to order someone to lead the people in prayer, and then to go and burn the houses oI
thosewhostayedawayIromal-Jumu'ah."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
AbuHurairahandIbn'UmarreportthattheyheardtheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsay:"Those
who are not attending the Eriday salah should change their ways; otherwise, Allah, the Exalted, will
seal their hearts and they will be reckoned the heedless." This is related by Muslim, and by Ahmad
andan-Nasa'iIromibn'Umarandibn'Abbas.
Abu al-Ja'd ad-Damari reports that the Prophet said: "Whoever misses three Eriday prayers in a row
outoInegligencewillhaveasealputoverhisheartbyAllah."ThisisrelatedbytheIive,andAhmad
andIbnMajahhavesomethingsimilarIromJabir,whileIbnas-Sakinhasgradedittobesahih.
Eiqh2.131a:UponwhomsalatulJumu'ahisobligatory
Salatul Jumu'ah is an obligation upon every Iree, adult, sane, resident Muslim who has the abilityto
attend the salah and does not have a valid excuse to miss it. Salatul Jumu'ah, however, is not
obligatoryontheIollowing:
-1- Womenandchildren.ConcerningthiscategorythereisnodiIIerenceoIopinion.
-2- ThepersonwhoisillandIaceshardshipiIhegoestothe mosque,orwhoIearsthathisillnesswill
beincreasedbygoingtothemosque,orwhoserecoverywillbedelayed.Thisalsoincludestheperson
who is nursing a very ill person iI, especiallay, the ill person cannot manage in the absence oI the
nursingperson.
Tariq ibn Shihab reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Al-Jumu'ah is a duty upon
every Muslim in the community, save Iour: a slave, or a woman, or a child, or a person who is ill."
An-Nawawisaysthatitschainissahihaccording totheconditionssetbyal-BukhariandMuslim.Ibn
Hajrsaysthatmorethanonepersonhasgradeditsahih.
-3- Eorthetraveler,eveniIheisstayingatacertainplaceduringthetimeoIthebeginningoIsalatul
Jumu'ah, it is not obligatory. This is based on the Iact that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
traveledanddidnotperIormthesalatulJumu'ahbutonlyprayedthezuhrand'asrtogetherduringthe
timeoIthezuhrprayers.ThecaliphsaIterhimandothersalsoactedinasimilarmanner.
-4- One who is in debtandcannotrepayhisdebtandthereIoreIearsthathewillbeimprisoned,and
one who Iears that he will be harmed by an oppressive ruler: Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet
sallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Whoeverhearsthecalltothesalahanddoesnotrespondtoit|i.e.,by
coming to the salah|, there will be no prayer Iorhimunlesshehasanexcuse."Thepeopleinquired:
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"O Messenger oI Allah, what is a |valid| excuse?" Heanswered:"Eearorillness."Thisisrelatedby
AbuDawudwithasahihchain.
-5- Environmental restraints like rain, mud, extreme cold, and so on. Ibn 'Abbas said to the
mu'azhzhin on a rainy day: "When you say 'I testiIy that Muhammad is the Messenger oI Allah,' do
not say 'Come to the prayer,' but say 'Pray in your houses."' The people objected to that and he told
them:"Onebetterthanmedidso|theProphetsallallahualehiwasallam|.Al-Jumu'ahisanobligation
but I dislike that you should gooutwalkinginthemudandslush."AbiMalihreportsthathisIather
hadwitnessedthedayoIJumu'ahwiththeProphetanditwasrainingandthepeopleweretroubledby
theirshoessoheorderedthemtoprayintheirstoppingplaces.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandIbn
Majah.
AlloIthesepeoplearenotobligedtopraytheEridaysalahalthoughtheyareobligedtopraythezuhr.
ShouldoneoIthempraysalatulJumu'ah,itwillstillbevalidIorhimorherandhewillnolongerbe
obliged to pray the zuhr. And the women during the time oI the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam,
attendedthemosqueandusedtoprayal-Jumu'ahwithhim.
Eiqh2.132:TheTimeoItheSalatulJumu'ah
ThemajorityoIthecompanionsandsuccessorswereoItheopinionthatthetimeoIal-Jumu'ahisthe
same as that oI the zuhr. Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, and alBaihaqi record Irom
Anas that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would pray al-Jumu'ah when the sun had passed its
meridian.AhmadandMuslimrecordthatSalamahibnal-Akua'said:"WewouldpraysalatulJumu'ah
with the Prophet when the sun had passed the meridian, and when we returned |Irom the salah|, we
wouldbeIollowingourshadow."Al-Bukharisays:"ThetimeoIal-Jumu'ahiswhenthesunpassesits
meridian."SimilarnarrationshavebeenrecordedIrom'Umar,'Ali, an-Nu'manibnBashir,and'Umar
ibn Harith. Ash-ShaI'i says: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and
theimamsaIterthemallprayedtheJumu'ahwhenthesunhadpasseditszenith."
The scholars oI the Hanbali school and Ishaq are oI the opinion that the time Ior al-Jumu'ah is Irom
thebeginningoIthetimeIorsalatul'idtotheendoIthetimeIorthezuhr.Theybasetheiropinionon
Ahmad, Muslim,andan-Nasa'iwhorecordIromJabir:"TheProphetwouldprayalJumu'ahandthen
we would take our camels to rest until the sun passed its zenith." This hadith clearly states thatthey
prayedal-Jumu'ahbeIorethesunpassedthemeridian.TheyalsocitedasprooIthehadithoI'Abdullah
ibnSaidanas-Salmiwhosaid:"Weprayedal-Jumu'ahwithAbuBakr,andhiskhutbahandsalahwere
beIore noon. Then we prayed with 'Uthman and his khutbah and salah lasted until aIter the sun had
passed the meridian, and no one scolded either Ior it." This is related by Ahmad, who cites it as a
prooI, andbyad-Daraqutni.Ahmadadds:"And|something|similartothathasbeenrelatedIromibn
Mas'ud,Jabir,Sa'id,andMu'awiyyah.TheyallprayedbeIorethesunpassedthemeridianandnoone
objectedtowhattheydid,andthatwastheconsensus.ThemajorityoIthescholars,however,interpret
the hadith oI Jabir as implying that one should pray the salah early in its time, when the sun has
passedthemeridian,andnotwaituntiltheweathergetscool.TheprayerandtherestingoIthecamels
wasrightaIterthesunpassedthemeridian.AstothereportIrom'AbdullahibnSaidan,thesescholars
consdier it weak. Ibn Hajar writes about him: 'He is one oI the major tabi'in |i.e., oI the generation
aIter the companions|, and his integrity is not well-established. 'Adi says: "He is somewhat majhul,
i.e. unknown as a trustworthy person." Bukhari observes. "His report is not to be trusted, especially
when he is contradicted by people who are morecredible(qawi)thanhimasIbnabiShaibahrelates
IromSuwaidibn GhaIlahthatthelaterprayedwithAbuBakrand'UmaraIterthesunhadpassedthe
meridiananditschainisstrong."'
Eiqh2.133:ThenumberoIpeoplerequiredIoral-Jumu'ah
ThereisnodisputeamongthescholarsthatacongregationisanecessaryconditionIorthevalidityoI
al-Jumu'ah. This is based on the hadith oI Tariq ibn Shihab who reports that the Prophet said: "Al-
Jumu 'ah is an obligation ( wajib) upon every Muslim in the community." However, the scholars do
diIIer on how many people are required Ior al-Jumu'ah. There are IiIteen diIIerent opinions on this
question and they are mentioned by Ibn Hajar in Eath al-Bari. The strongest opinion is that salatul
Jumu'ah is valid iI there are two or more people present since the Prophet is reported tohave said:
"Twoormoreconstituteacongregation."
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Ash-Shaukani says: 'The other prayers are considered to be made in congregation iI there are two
peoplepresent.ThesameappliestoJumu'ahsalah,unlessthereisareasonIorittobediIIerent.There
isnoevidencetoshowthat|IorthepurposeoIthecongregation|itsnumbershouldbelargerthanthat
Ior the other prayers. 'Abdul Haqq says: 'There is no conIirmed hadith on the number oI people
needed Ior al-Jumu'ah.' Similarly, as-Sayuti holds: 'There is no conIirmed hadith which states a
particularnumber|IortheJumu'ahsalah|.'"ThisisalsotheopinionoIat-Tabari,Dawud,an-Nakha'i,
andIbnHazm.
Eiqh2.134:TheplaceIoral-Jumu'ah
ItisvalidtoperIormtheJumu'ahsalahinanycountry,city,mosque,anybuildinginacity,orinany
space in a city as it also is valid to have it perIormed in more than one place. 'Umar wrote the
IollowingtothepeopleoIBahrain:"OIIertheJumu'ahsalahwhereveryoumaybe."Thisisrelatedby
IbnabiShaibah.Ahmadholdsitschaintobegood.Thisincludesboththecitiesandcountryside.
Ibn 'Abbas says: "The Iirst Eriday salah that was perIormed in Islam, aIter the Eriday salah in the
mosque oI the Messenger oI Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam in Medinah, was in Jawa'i, a village in
Bahrain."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandAbuDawud.
Al-LaithibnSa'dreportsthatthepeopleoIEgyptandoIthesurroundingsea-shorewouldperIormthe
Jumu'ah salah during the time oI 'Umar and 'Uthman according to their orders. Some oI the
companionsoItheProphetattendedjumu'ahprayerwiththem.Ibn'Umarsawthepeopleintheareas
betweenMakkahandMedinahperIormingtheJumu'ahprayers,andhedidnotobjecttotheiraction.
Thisisrelatedby'Abdurrazzaqwithasahihchain.
Eiqh2.134a:ConditionsStipulatedByTheJuristsIortheEridayPrayer
Some oI the conditions under which the jumu'ah salah becomes obligatory have already been
mentioned(i.e.,itisobligatoryIoraIree,sane,adultmaleresidentwhodoesnothaveavalidexcuse
which would excuse him Irom attending the prayer). It was also mentioned that a congregation is a
conditionIortheEridaysalah.ThisiswhatthesunnahoItheProphetteachesusandwhatAllahholds
us responsible Ior. Concerning the other stipulations which some oI the jurists stipulate Ior the
Jumu'ahsalah,noneoIthemhasanybasistowhichwemayreIer,oranyevidencetosupportit.Itwill
besuIIicientheretosimplyquotetheauthoroIar-RaudahanNadiyahwhowrites:
|TheEridaysalah|isliketherestoItheprayersandthereisnothinginitthatdiIIersIromthem,unless
there is some evidence to the contrary. This statement reIutes those who stipulate, as a necessary
conditionsIorEridayprayer,thepresenceoIawell-establishedimamandacongregationalmosquein
the area as well as a certain number oI people attending the congregational prayer. There is no
evidence whatever that those conditions are even preIerred- not to speak oI being obligatory, or Ior
thatmatter,beinganecessaryconditionIortheEridaysalah.IItwopeoplepraytheJumu'ahinaplace
wherethereisnooneelsebutthem,theywouldhaveperIormedtheirprescribedduty.IIoneoIthem
deliversthekhutbah,theywouldbeIollowingwhatissunnah; andiItheyleavethekhutbah,thenitis
onlythesunnahwhichtheyhaveneglected,(notsomethingwhichwasobligatory).ButIorthehadith
oI Tariq ibn Shihab which clearly requires every Muslim tooIIeritincongregationandtheIactthat
the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam always perIormed it in a congregation, oIIering it individually,
like the rest oI the prayers, would have been quite acceptable. Concerning the statement "Irom Iour
people to the ruler oI the area," that is certainly not the Prophet's statement nor oI any oI his
companions... In Iact, |this is| a statement oI al-Hassan al-Basri. As to various statements and
psuedojuristicopinionsconcerningthisnobleworship,theEridayprayer,whichAllahhasprescribed
onceaweekasoneoIthesignsoIIslam,alittleconsiderationshouldsuIIicetoshowtheirsuperIluity
anderror.OneoItheseistheamazingstatementthatkhutbahisequivalenttotworak'atoIsalah,and
iIonemissesit,thenhisjumu'ahisnotvalid.Theyseemtobequite ignorantoIwhathasbeenrelated
Irom the Prophet through a number oI chains which support each other that "iI a person misses one
rak'ah,thenheistoperIormanotherrak'ahandhissalahwouldbecompleted."Havenototherahadith
reached them that are valid in such matters? Some say that one cannot perIorm the Jumu'ah unless
there are three people with the imam and others hold that Iour people are needed, while yet others
stipulatesevenpeople!Stillotherssaynine,andsomethinktwelve,twenty,thirty,andthereareeven
somewhothinkIorty,IiIty,seventy,andeverynumberthatisbetweenthosenumbers!
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Some holdthatmanypeoplehavetobepresentwithoutspeciIyingaparticularnumber,whileothers
state that al-Jumu'ah may only be perIormed in a city in which there is a "congregational mosque."
Someareconvincedthattherehavetobesomanythousandpeoplelivinginthearea.Someholdthat
there has to be a congregationalmosqueandapublicrestroom.Yetothersproposethattheprayeris
notobligatoryunlessthereisawell-knownandestablishedimam;iIsuchanimamcannotbeIoundor
iI his credibility is doubtIul, then the Eriday salah is neither obligatory nor legitimate....No such
statement can be Iound |in the book oI Allah or in the sunnah| to support what they claim to be the
conditions or prerequisites oItheJumu'ah...WhoevercomeswithsuchgibberishmustbereIutedIor
theonlycriterionistheBookoIAllahandtheSunnahoIHisMessenger.AsAllahsaysintheQur'an:
"II you dispute concerning any matter, reIer it to Allah and the Messenger"; "The answer oI the
believers,whensummonedtoAllahandHisMessenger,inorderthathemayjudgebetweenthemis
no other than this: they say: "We hear and we obey"; "But no, by thy Lord, they can have no (real)
Iaith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and Iind in their souls no resistance
againstthydecisions,butacceptthemwiththeIullestconviction."Thoseversesandotherssimilarto
themaretheclearestevidencethatonemustreturntotheruleoIAllahandHisMessengeriIthereis
anydispute.TheruleoIAllahistheBookoIAllah.TheruleoItheMessenger,aIterhispassingaway,
is his sunnah and nothing other than that. Also, Allah did not endow any oI his slaves - even iI he
reachesthehighestdegreeoIknowledgeandhasaccumulatedwhatnooneelsehas- withtherightto
make any statement concerning this religion without any authority Irom the Book or the Sunnah.
Likewise, iI a mujtahid (jurisconsult) should take liberty oI proposing an opinion without
substantiatingit,thenitisnotpermissibleIoranyonetoIollowhiminthat,regardlessoIwhohemay
be. I, as Allah knows, am always greatly astonished by this type oI writers and their writings which
supposedly provide guidance in one's creed and practice but which are Iilled with gibberish. This is
notlimitedtoonlysomeoItheschoolsamongthediIIerentschoolsoIlaw,oronlycertainareasIrom
among the diIIerent areas, or only certaineras Irom among all oI the eras |it is Iound in all oI these
schoolsoIlaw,areas,anderas|!InIact,thelaterpeopleIollowtheearlierpeople|insuchthings|asiI
they were Iollowing the umm al-kitab |mother oI the Book|, although, |they Iollow| distorted
teachings.
Eiqh2.137:Rulingconcerningkhutbah
ThemajorityoIthepeopleoIknowledgeareoItheopinionthatkhutbahtulJumu'ahisobligatoryand
theysupportthisbytheconIirmedhadithwhichstatethattheProphetalwaysmadethekhutbahwith
theJumu'ah.IntheirsupporttheyalsoquotethesayingoItheProphet:"Prayasyouseemepray,"and
the Qur'anic verse: "O you who believe,whenthecallisproclaimedIorsalatuljumu'ah,hastenunto
the remembrance oI Allah." This verse contains an order to hasten unto the remembrance, which
impliesitisobligatory,and(thescholars)interprettheremembranceoIAllahtoincludethekhutbatul
Jumu'ah.AshShaukanireIutestheIirstargumentbysayingthathadithsimplystatestheactionoIthe
Prophetsallallahualehiwasallamanddoesnotnecessarilyprovethatsuchanactionisobligatory.As
to the verse, he regards it as simply a command to be present at the salah which is obligatory and
excludes khutbah... Regarding their argument relating to the commandment to "hasten unto the
rememberance oI Allah," he says it reIers to salah only, which is the real cause Ior making haste.
There is, however, an agreement that the Eriday salah is obligatory while there is a dispute over
whether or not the khutbah is obligatory. Ash-Shaukani concludes by saying that apparently the
correctviewistheoneheldbyal-Hassanal-Basri,Dawudaz-Zahiriandal-Juwaini,thatthekhutbah
isonlyahighlyrecommendedact.
Eiqh2.137a:ThegreetingoItheimam
Theimamshouldgreetthepeoplewhenhecomesuponthepulpit,Iollowedbytheazhanwhichisto
bemadewhenhesits.TheimamshouldIacethepeopleduringtheazhan.
JabirreportsthatwhentheProphetmountedthepulpit,hewouldgreetthepeople.Thisisrelated by
Ibn Majah and in its chain is Ibn Lahiya, and al-Athram has recorded it in his Sunnan Irom ash-
Sha'biy,ontheauthorityoItheProphtet,inmursalIorm.Ata'andothersalsoreportedinmursalIorm
thatwhentheProphetwalkedtothetopoIthepulpit,hewouldturntothepeopleandsay:"Peacebe
uponyou."AccordingtoashSha'biy:"AbuBakrand'Umarusedtodothat|also|."
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As-Sa'ibibnYazidinIorms:"TheIirstazhantosalahmadeonthedayoIJumu'ahwasmadewhenthe
imamsatuponthepulpitduringthetimeoItheProphet,AbuBakr,and'Umar.Then,duringthetime
oI'Uthman,sincethereweremanypeople,heinstitutedathirdazhanoutsidethemosque.TheProphet
only had one mu'azhzhin." This is related by alBukhari, an-Nasa'i, and Abu Dawud. In another
narration, it is stated: "DuringthetimeoI'Uthman,thereweremanypeople,so'Uthmanorderedthe
peopletomakeathirdcalltosalahonthedayoIJumu'ah,outsideoIthemosque,andthatpracticehas
continued."
Ahmadandan-Nasa'irecord:"BilalwouldmaketheazhantosalahwhentheProphetsallallahualehi
wasallamsatuponthepulpit,andhewouldmaketheiqamahwhentheProphetcamedownIromthe
pulpit."
'Adi ibn-Thabit relates Irom his Iather on the authority oI his grandIather who said: "When the
Prophetascendedthepulpit,hewouldIacehiscompanions."ThisisrelatedbyIbnMajah.Concerning
this latter hadilh, although there is some doubt about it, at-Tirmizhi says: "The people oIknowledge
Irom among the companions and others Iollow that and they preIer that the imam Iace the people
whendeliveringthekhutbah."
Eiqh2.138:ContentsoIthekhutbah
ItispreIerredthattheEridaykhutbahincludepraisesoIAllah,theExalted,prayersupontheProphet,
admonitions,andQur'anic recitations.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wassallam said: "Every speech that does not
begin with the praises oI Allah is deIective." This is related by Abu Dawud. Ahmad has something
similartoit.
Inanotherversion,itisstated:"TheEridaykhutbahthatdoesnotcontainthetestimony|"Thereisno
God except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger| is like the deIective hand." This is related by
Ahmad,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhi.
Ibn Mas'ud reports that the Prophet would say in his opening testimony: "All praise be to Allah, we
seek His aid and we seek His Iorgiveness and we seek reIuge in Allah Irom the evil oI our souls.
WhomeverAllahguides,noonewillbeabletomisleadhim.WhoeverHeleavesastraywillhaveno
guidanceIorhim.AndItestiIythatthereisnoGodexceptAllahandthatMuhammadisHisslaveand
His Messenger whom He sent with the truth and asawarnerbeIoretheHour.WhoeverobeysAllah
andHisMessengerwillbeguidedaright,andwhoeverdisobeysthemwillonlyharmhisownselIand
hewillnotharmAllah,theExalted,atall."
Ibn Shihab was asked about the Prophet's opening testimony during his khutbah on the day oI
Jumu'ah, and he said something similar to that except that he stated: "Whoever disobeys them has
goneastray."AbuDawudrelatedbothoIthesereports.
Jabir ibn Samurah says: "The Messenger oI Allah would deliver his khutbah standing, would sit in
between the two khutbahs, would recite some verses, and would remind the people |about Allah|."
Thisisrelatedbythegroup,saveal-Bukhariandat-Tirmizhi.
The obligatory nature oI salatul Jumu'ah is also obvious Irom the hadith recorded by al-Bukhari and
MuslimIromAbuHurairahthattheProphetsaid:"Wearethelast|oIthepeopletocome|buttheIirst
onthedayoIresurrection.TheyreceivedtheirbooksbeIoreusandwegotoursaIterthem.Thisday
wasobligatoryuponthem,buttheydiIIeredconcerningit,andAllahguidedus.Thepeople,thereIore,
Iollowus:theJewstomorrowandtheChristiansthedayaItertomorrow."
JabiralsorelatedthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwouldnotmakehisadmonitionsonEriday
toolong,butgiveaveryshortkhutbah.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.
UmmHishambintHarithahibnan-Nu'mansays:"Ilearnt|Surah|QaIoItheGloriousQur'anIromthe
Prophet Ior he recited it upon the pulpit every Eriday when he addressed the people." Thisisrelated
byAhmad,Muslim,an-Nasa'i,andAbuDawud.
Ya'la ibn Umayyah reports that he heard the Prophet recite, while on the pulpit: "And they cry: O
Malik!..."(az-ZukhruI77).Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
IbnMajahrecordsIromUbayythattheMessengeroIAllahrecited:"BlessedisHe..."|Surahal-Mulk|
onEridaywhilehewasstanding.Inar-Raudahan-Nadiyah,itisstated:"Thustherequiredkhutbah,in
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termsoIIslamiclaw,shouldbemodeledaItertheProphet'skhutbahexhortingpeopletodogoodand
warningthemagainstdireconsequencesoItheevil.ThisisthespiritoItheaddresswhichtheIslamic
law has instituted. As to the other contents oI the khutbah, like praising Allah, saying prayers upon
His Messengers or reciting a portion oI the Qur'an, none oI these is its main purpose, which is to
admonish people... It has been customaryamongtheMuslims|inthelightoIthesunnah|thatiIone
wantedtomakesomesortoIproclamation,hewouldbeginwithpraisesoIAllahandprayersuponHis
Prophet,orsomethingoIthatnature.Still,thatisnotthepurposeoIthekhutbah;indeed,thepurpose
isthatwhichissaidaIterpraisesoIAllahandprayersIortheprophet.IIapersondeliversakhutbah
andconIinesittoonlypraisingAllahandsayingprayersupontheProphet,hiskhutbahwouldhardly
beacceptable.Anypersonwithcommonsensecouldunderstandthat.
ItistheadmonitaryaspectoItheEridaykhutbahwhichthehadithemphasise,andiIakhatibmakesan
admonition, he IulIills the purpose oI shari'ah; iI he precedes his khutbah with praises oI Allah and
prayers upon the Prophet and during his admonitions he uses Qur'anic verses, then he does it in a
completeandsatisIactorymanner."
Eiqh2.139:Postureduringandbetweenthekhutbahs
ItisproperIortheimamtostandIorthetwokhutbasandtositIorashortwhileinbetweenthem.
Ibn'Umarsaid:"WhentheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamwoulddelivertheKhutbatulJumu'ah,he
didsostanding,andthenhewouldsit,andthenhewouldstand|again,Iorthesecondkhutbah|asthe
peopledotoday."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Jabiribn-Samurasaid:"TheProphetwoulddeliverthekhutbahwhilestanding,andthenhewouldsit,
and then he would stand and speak again. Whoever says that he gave the khutbah while sitting has
lied. Verily, I prayed with him more than two thousand prayers |including the Iive daily prayers|."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andAbuDawud.
Ibn abi-Shaibah records that Tawus said: "The Prophet gave the khutbah while standing and so did
Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman. The Iirst one to give khutbah while sitting upon the pulpit was
Mu'awiyyah," Ibn abiShaibah also records Irom ash-Sha'biy that Mu'awiyyah used to deliver the
khutbah while sitting, when he became overweight. Some oI the scholars say that it is obligatory to
deliver the khutbah while standing and it isalso obligatorytositinbetweenthetwokhutbahs.They
cite the example oI the Prophet and his companions who always did so; however, the Iact that they
consistentlyperIormedanactisnotsuIIicienttoprovethatitisIard(obligatory).
Eiqh2.140:Itis preIerredtoraiseone'svoice,tokeepthekhutbahshort,andtothepoint
AmmaribnYasirreportsthatheheardtheMessengeroIAllahsay:"Prolongingsalahandshortening
one's khutbah is a sign oIone'sunderstandingoIthereligion.So,prolongtheprayerandshortenthe
khutbah." This is related by Ahmad and Muslim. Shortening the khutbah and prolonging one's salah
showsone'sunderstandingoIreligion,Iorsuchapersonisabletocomprehendandexpressmuchina
Iewwords.
JabiribnSamurahsays:"TheProphet'ssalahwasoIamoderatelengthandsowashiskhutbah."This
isrelatedbythegroup,saveal-BukhariandAbuDawud.
'Abdullah ibn abi AuIa reports: "The salah oI the MessengeroIAllahwaslongandhiskhutba.iwas
short."Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'iwithasahihchain.
JabirinIorms:"WhentheProphetdeliveredthekhutbah,hiseyesbecamered,hisvoicerose,andhis
angerincreasedasiIgivingawarningtotheenemy."ThisisrelatedbyMuslimandIbnMajah.
An-Nawawisays:"ItispreIerredIorthekhutbahtobeinaneloquentandproperArabic,anditshould
be an organized speech that the people can understand. It should not be a speech, which is over the
headsoIthepeople,norshoulditbeshalloworcontainIoullanguageasthatwoulddeIeatitspurpose.
ItswordsshouldbechosencareIullytomakethemattractiveandmeaningIul."
Giving his views on the subject, Ibn al-Qayyim says: "The khutbah oI the Prophet reinIorced the
IundamentalarticlesoIIaith,likebelieIinAllah,theExalted,Hisangels,Hisbooks,Hismessengers,
and the meeting with Him. He would mention the paradise and the hellIire and what Allah, the
Exalted, has promised to His devoted servants and the people who obey Him and what Allah has
promisedtoHisenemies andthemiscreant.Whilelisteningtohiskhutbah,theheartswouldbeIilled
withbelieIinAllah,Hisoneness,andHismajesty.HiskhutbahswerenotlikespeechesoIthosewho
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speakonlyoImattersoIconcernoIcommonIolk,lamentingearthlyliIeandIrighteningpeopleoIthe
approachingdeath.SuchspeechescannotinspireIaithinAllahorstrengthenbelieIinHisonenessor
movepeoplebyallusiontoHismightyworksinhistory,norcantheykindleinheartsintenseloveIor
Allah,makingthelistenerslookIorwardeagerlytothetimetheywillmeetHim!Thepeoplewhohear
suchspeechesgainnobeneIitatall,exceptthattheywilldieandthattheirwealthwillbedistributed
and their bodies will be turned to dust. Woe to such poets, what sort oI Iaith is Iostered by such
sermons, and what sortoItawhiddotheyteachorknowledgedisseminate?IIwestudythekhutbahs
oItheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamandhiscompanions,weIindthemembuedwithperspicuous
guidance, tawhid, attributes oI Allah, explaining the basic articles oI the Iaith, inviting people to
Allah, and drawing their attention to His providential care thatmakesHimsobelovedtoHisslaves.
HiskhutbahsreIerredtoAllah'sdealingswithothersinthepastsoastowamhislistenersagainstHis
wrathandexhortthemtorememberHim,thankHimandwinHispleasureandlove.Thosewhoheard
thesekhutbahswereinspiredwiththeloveoIAllahandtheylookedIorwardeagerlytomeetingtheir
Lord.Astimewentby,theexampleoIthe ProphetwasIorgottenandotherthingsprevailed.Themain
purposeoIthekhutbahwasIorgotten.Theeloquentandnicewordsthatmovedtheheartsbecamerare
inspeeches.ThemainthrustoIthekhutbahwasneglected.Theheartswerenolongertouchedand the
basicpurposeoIthekhutbahwaslost."
Eiqh2.141:TheimaminterruptinghiskhutbahIorsomereason
Abu Hurairah reports: "The Prophet was delivering a khutbah and al-Hassan and al-Hussain |his
grandsons| came and they were wearing two red shirts and they were tripping while walking. The
ProphetcamedownIromthepulpitandpickedthemupandplacedtheminIrontoIhimselI,andthen
he said: 'Allah and His Messenger have told the truth. Verily, your wealth and children are a trial. I
lookedtothesetwochildrenwalkingandtripping,andIcouldnotbepatient,soIcutoIImykhutbah
andwenttopickthemup."'ThisisrelatedbytheIive.
Abu RiIah al-'Adwi says: "I went to the Prophet while he was delivering a khutbah, and I said: 'O
MessengeroI Allah,thisstrangemanhascometoaskabouthisreligionashedoesnotknowwhathis
religionis.'TheProphetturnedtomeandleIthisspeech,hecametomeandhewasgivenawooden
chairwithIourironlegs,andhestartedtoteachmewhatAllahhadtaughthimandthenhewentback
tocompletehiskhutbah."ThisisrelatedbyMuslimandan-Nasa'i.
Ibnal-Qayyimwrites:"TheProphetwouldinterrupthiskhutbahduetosomereason,ortorespondto
aquestionIromsomeoIhiscompanions.
Sometimes he would descend Irom the pulpit due to some need and then return and complete his
khutbah,ashedidwhenhepickedupal-Hassanandal-Hussain.Hetookthemandthenreturnedwith
them to the pulpit. Sometimes he would interrupt his khutbah to say things tocertain people, |e.g.,|
'Sit,soandso,''Pray,soandso.'|Sometimes|heorderedthemtotakecareoIcertainthingsduringhis
khutbah."
Eiqh2.142:ItisIorbiddentospeakduringthekhutbah
ThemajorityoIthescholarsareoItheopinionthatitisobligatorytobesilentduringthekhutbah,and
oneisnottoindulgeinconversationduringthekhutbah,noteveniIitistoorderonetodosomegood
ortostopsomeevil,andthisruleapplieswhetherornotthepersonsittinginthemosquecanactually
hearthekhutbah.
Ibn'AbbasreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"WhoeverspeaksinJumu'ahwhile
theimamisdeliveringthekhutbahislikeadonkeywhoiscarryingbooks,andIorthosewhotellhim
to be quiet, there is no |reward| Ior the Jumu'ah." This is related by Ahmad, ibn abi-Shaibah, al-
Bazzar,andat-Tabarani.IbnHajarsaidinBulughalMaram:"ThereisnoIaultinitschain."
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reports that the Messenger oI Allah said: "There are three types oI people who
attendtheJumu'ah:one,amanwhoispresentbutspeaks|duringthespeech|,andthatishisportionoI
theprayer;two,amanwhoispresentandmakessupplications- inhiscase,Allahmaygivehimwhat
he asks, iI He wishes, or He may not give him what he asks, three, a person who is present and
observessilenceanddoesnotstepoverthenecksoItheMuslimsnorharmanyone- Iorhim,thereis
expiationIromthatJumu'ahuntilthenextJumu'ahplusanadditionalthreedaysasAllahhassaid:'He
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thatdoesgoodshallhavetentimesasmuchtohiscredit.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud
withagoodchain.
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said: "II, during the Jumu'ah while the imam is delivering
khutbah,youtellyourcompaniontobequiet,thenyouhavespokenneedlessly."Thisisrelatedbythe
group,saveIbnMajah.
Abuad-Darda'says:"TheProphetwasuponthepulpitandwasaddressingthepeopleandhereciteda
verse, and next to me was Ubayy ibn-Ka'b and I asked him: When was that verse revealed?' He
reIusedtotalktomeuntiltheMessengeroIAllahcamedownIromthepulpitandthenhesaidtome:
'You have nothing Irom your Jumu'ah, except your useless talk.' When the Prophet had Iinished, I
went to him and inIormed him oI what had happened, and he said: 'Ubayy has told the truth. II you
hearyourimamspeaking,bequietuntilheisIinished.'''ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandat-Tabarani.
Ahmad and ash-ShaI'i are reported to have made a distinction, concerning this ruling, between one
whocanhearthespeechandtheonewhocannothearthespeech,sayingthatspeakingisIorbiddenIor
theIormerandnotIorthelatter,althoughitispreIerredIorthelatteralsotobesilent.
At-Tirmizhi records that Ahmad and Ishaq made an exception Ior replying to a salutation and
respondingtoasneezewhiletheimamisdeliveringtheEridaykhutbah.Accordingtoash-ShaI'i:"IIa
person sneezes |during the khutbah| and someone says: 'May Allah bless you,' I wish I could have
accomadated it since such a reply is a sunnah. In my view it is makruh that a person should greet
someonewithsalam|whiletheyarelisteningtothekhutbah|.|Whatmakesitworseis|thathissalam
isnotreturned,eventhoughsayingsalamisasunnahwhilerespondingtoitisa Iard.
Eiqh2.143:Indulginginconversationwhenthekhutbahisnotbeingdelivered,ispermissible
Tha'labahibnabi-Maliksays:"WewouldbetalkingonJumu'ahwhile'Umarwassittingonthepulpit
andwhenthecalltosalahwasIinished'Umarwouldstandandnoonewouldutteraworduntilhehad
completelyIinishedbothoIhiskhutbahs.Whentheiqamahwasmadeand'UmarcamedownIromthe
pulpit,thepeoplewouldthenspeak."Thisisrelatedbyash-ShaI'iinhisMusnad.
Ahmad records,withasahihchain,thatwhiletheazhanwasbeingmade,'Uthmanibn-'AIIanwould
besittingonthepulpit,apprisingthepeopleoItheirsituationandthepricesoIsomecommodities.
Eiqh2.143a:CatchingOneRak'ahorLessoItheJumu'ah
Most oI the people oI knowledge are oI the opinion that iI a person catches only one rak'ah oI al-
Jumu'ah,thenthatrak'ahwillbevalidandthepersonneedonlymakeuptheonerak'ahthathemisses.
Ibn'UmarreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Whoevercatchesonlyonerak'ahoI
thesalahandthenaddstoittheotherone,hisprayerwillbecomplete."Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i,
IbnMajah,andad-Daraqutni.InBulughal-Maram,IbnHajarsaysthatitschainissahihalthoughAbu
Hatimsaysthatthestrongestopinionisthatitismursal.
AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Whoevercatchesonerak'ahoI
theprayerhasindeedcaughtthewholeprayer."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Whoever catches less than one rak'ah oI the salah has not caught the Jumu'ah and he is to pray Iour
rak'atoIthezuhrsalahaccordingtothemajorityoIthescholars.
Ibn Mas'ud says: "Whoever catches one rak'ah Irom al-Jumu'ah is only to add another one to it.
Whoevermissesbothrak'atistoprayIour rak'at."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tabaraniwithagoodchain.
Ibn'Umarsays:"IIonecatchesIromtheEridaysalahonerak'ah,thenheistoaddanotheronetoit.II
he catches only the sitting |at the end oI the prayer, Iollowing the bowing|, then he is to pray Iour
|rak'at|."Thisisrelatedbyal-Baihaqi.SuchistheopinionoItheShaI'i,Maliki,andHanbalischools,
andMuhammadibnal-Hassan.AbuHaniIahandAbuYusuIsaythatiIonecatchesthetashahudwith
theimam,thenhehascaughtal-Jumu'ah.Heshouldpraytworak'ataItertheimammakesthetaslim,
andhisEridaysalahwouldbecomplete.
Eiqh2.144:OIIeringthesalahinacrowdedarea
Ahmadandal-BaihaqirelateIromSayyarthat'Umarwasgivinganaddressandsaid:"TheMessenger
oI Allah built this mosque and we were with him |i.e., the emigrants and the helpers|, and iI it
becomes very crowded, a person among you is to make the prostration on the back oI his brother."
When,hesawsomepeopleprayinginthestreet,hesaidtothem:"Prayin themosque."
Eiqh2.144a:NawaI'lbeIoreandaIteral-Jumu'ah
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ItisasunnahtoprayIourrak'atortworak'ataIteral-Jumu'ah:AbuHurairahreportsthattheProphet
sallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"WhoeveristoprayaItertheJumu'ahshouldprayIourrak'at."Thisis
relatedbyMuslim,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhi.
Ya'la ibn Umayyah reports that he heard the Prophet recite, while on the pulpit: "And they cry: O
Malik!..."(az-ZukhruI77).Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Ibn 'Umar says: "The Prophet would pray two rak'at in his house on the day oI Jumu'ah." This is
relatedbythegroup.
Ibn al-Qayyim says: "AIter the Prophet Iinished theJumu'ah,hewouldenterhishouseandpraytwo
rak'at,andheorderedthosewhoprayedtheJumu'ahtoprayIourrak'ataIterit.
Our sheikh Ibn Taimiyyah says: 'When he prayed in the mosque, he would pray Iour |rak'at|, and
when he prayed in his house, he would pray two rak'at.' I say: this is what the hadith is pointing to.
Abu Dawud records Irom ibn 'Umar that when he prayed in the mosque, he would pray Iour rak'at,
andwhenheprayedinhishouse,hewouldpraytworak'at.Also,inthetwoSahihsitisreportedIrom
ibn'UmarthattheProphetwouldpraytworak'atinhishouseaItertheEridaysalah."
II one prays Iour rak'at, then, according to some, he is to pray them all connected, while othershold
that he is to pray two rak'at, make the taslim, Iollowed by another two rak'at. It is preIerred to pray
them in one'shouse.IIonepraystheminthemosque,heshouldchangehisplaceoIprayeraIterthe
Eridaysalah.
ConcerninganysunnahprayerbeIoretheEridaysalah,IbnTaimiyyahwrites:"TheProphetsallallahu
alehi wasallam never oIIered any salah aIter the azhan and beIore the Eriday salah, and no one has
everrelatedsuchanactIromhim.DuringtheProphet'stime,therewasonlyoneazhanandthatwas
madewhentheProphetsatuponthepulpit.BilalwouldmaketheazhanandthentheProphetwould
givethetwokhutbahs.Next,Bilalwouldmaketheiqamahand theProphetwouldleadthepeoplein
salah. It is not possible that the Prophet would have made a salah aIter the azhan nor anyone else
among the Muslims who prayed with the Prophet could have done so. And we have no evidence to
showthattheProphet,sallallahualehiwasallam,prayedinhishousebeIoregoingouttothemosque
onEriday.HedidnotspeciIyanytimeIoranysalahbeIoretheEridaysalah.Whathesaidwasmeant
to exhort those going early to the mosque on Eriday to engage themselves in prayer. He said:
'Whoever goes out early and walks and does not ride to the mosque and prays what has been
prescribed |by Allah| Ior him...' That has been related Irom the Prophet's companions. When they
would reach the mosque on Eriday, they would pray whatever amount was easy Ior them. Some oI
themprayedtenrak'atandsomeprayedtwelveandsomeonlyeightandotherslessthanthat.Eorthis
reasonmostoIthescholarsareoItheopinionthatthereisnosunnahprayerwithaspeciIiednumber
oI rak'ah or time, beIore aljumu'ah, Ior there is nothing either in the actions or statements oI the
ProphettosupportorconIirmit.
Eiqh2.145:SalatulJumu'ahandSalatul'Idoccurringonthesameday
II the day oI 'Id occurs on Jumu'ah, then salatul Jumu'ah is no longer an obligation upon those who
perIormedthesalatul'Id.
Zaid ibn Arqam says: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam prayed the salatul'idandthenhegave
anexemptionconcerningtheJumu'ah,saying:'Whoeverwishestoprayitmayprayit.'"Thisisrelated
bytheIiveandal-Hakim.IbnKhuzaimahcallsitsahih.
Abu Hurairah reports that the prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Two Iestivals have occurred
togetheronthisdayoIyours.Eorwhosoeverdesires,thiswillsuIIiceIorhissalatulJumu'ah,butwe
aregoingtoperIormsalatulJumu'ah."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud.
ItispreIerredIortheimamtoperIormtheJumu'ahsoanyonewhowishestoperIormitmaydosoas
well as those who were not able to attend the 'id prayer. The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said:
"WearegoingtoperIormthesalatulJumu'ah."
According to the Hanbali school, the zuhr isobligatoryuponanyonewhodoesnotattendthesalatul
Jumu'ahbecausehehasperIormedthe'idprayer.Nevertheless,itapparentlyisnot obligatoryasthere
isahadithinSunanAbuDawudinwhichIbnaz-Zubairsays:"'IdandJumu'ahoccurredonthesame
daysohejoinedthemandprayedtworak'atatanearlytime,anddidnotaddanythingtoituntil'asr.
Eiqh2.147:Idprayers(Salatul'Idain)
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The prayers oI the two 'ids was prescribed in the Iirst year aIter the migration. It is a sunnah
mu'kkadah as the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam always perIormed these prayers and he ordered
themenandwomentogoouttoattendthem.
Eiqh2.147 a:GroomingIorthetwo'ids
It is preIerred to maketheghusl,perIumeone'sselIanddonone'sbestattireontheoccasionsoIthe
two'ids.
Ja'Iaribn-MuhammadrelatesIromhisIatherontheauthorityoIhisgrandIatherwhoreportedthatthe
ProphetwouldwearaYemenicloakonevery'id.Thisisrelatedbyash-ShaI'iandal-Baghawi.
Al-Hassanas-Sibtsays:"TheMessengeroIAllahorderedustowearthebestclotheswecouldIindIor
the two 'ids and to apply the best perIume we could Iind and to sacriIice the best animal we could
Iind."Thisisrelatedbyal-HakimandinitschainisIshaqibnBarzakhwhomal-'Azdideclarestobe
weakwhileIbnHibbansaysheistrustworthy.
Ibn al-Qayyim writes: "The Prophet used to wear his most beautiIul clothes Iorthem and he had a
specialcloakthathewouldwearonthetwo'idsandJumu'ah.
Eiqh2.147b:Eatingonthetwo'ids
One is to eat beIore going to the salah Ior 'idul Iitr, (the end oI Ramadan) but not do so on the
occasionoIthe'idulazha(commemmoratingProphetIbrahim'ssacriIice).Eor'idulIitr,itisasunnah
toeatanoddnumberoIdatesbeIoregoingtopraysalatul'idwhileIor'idulazhatheeatingshouldbe
delayeduntilonereturnsIromthe'idprayersandthenhemayeatoIhissacriIiceiIhehassacriIiced
ananimal.
Anasreports:"TheProphetwouldnotgooutontheIestivaloIbreakingtheIastuntilhehadeatenan
oddnumberoIdates."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari.
Buraidah reports: "The Prophet would not go out on the day oI breaking the Iast ('idul Iitr) until he
hadeatenandonthedayoIsacriIice('idulazha)hewouldnoteatuntilhehadreturned|Iromsalah|."
Thisisrelatedbyat-TirmizhiandIbnMajah,andalsobyAhmadwhoadded:"AndhewouldeatIrom
hissacriIice."
In al-Muwatta' it is recorded Irom Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab that the people were ordered to eat beIore
theygooutonthedayoIbreakingtheIast.
Ibn-Qudamahsaid:"IdonotknowoIanydiIIerenceoIopinionovertheIactthatoneshouldhastenin
eating|eatearly|onthedayoIbreakingoItheIast."
Eiqh2.148:Goingouttothemusalla(placeoIprayer)
Salatul'idcanbeperIormedinthemosquebutitispreIerredtoperIorminaplaceoutsidethecityas
long asthereisnoexcuseorreasontodootherwise(e.g.,rainandsoon)astheProphetwouldpray
thetwo'idsintheoutskirtsoIMedinahandheneverprayeditinhismosque,exceptonceandbecause
itwasraining.
AbuHurairahreportsthatitwasrainingonthedayoI'id,sotheProphetledtheminsalatul'idinthe
mosque.ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,IbnMajah,andal-Hakim,anditschaincontainsanunknown
narrator. Al-HaIiz says in at-Talkhis: "Its chain is weak," and azh-Zhahabi asserts: "This hadith is
rejected."
Eiqh2.148a:Womenandchildrengoingouttoattend'idprayer
Shari'ah requires women and children to go out and attend the salatul 'idain. This includes married,
single,young,old,ormenstruatingwomen.
Umm'Atiyahreports:"Wewereorderedtogooutwiththesingleandmenstruatingwomentothetwo
'ids in order to witness the good and the supplications oI the Muslims. The menstruating women
wouldbeseparateIromtheothers."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Ibn'AbbassaysthattheProphetwouldtakehiswivesanddaughterstothetwo'ids.Thisisrelatedby
Ibn-Majahandal-Baihaqi.
Ibn 'Abbas Iurther reports: "I went out with the Prophet on the day oI breaking the Iast or oI the
sacriIice, and he prayed and gave a khutbah, and then he went to the women and admonished them,
remindedthemoIAllah,andorderedthemtogivecharity."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Eiqh2.148b:TakingdiIIerentroutestoandIrommusalla
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MostoIthepeopleoIknowledgeareoItheopinionthatitispreIerredIorapersontogoto thesalah
byonerouteandthentoreturnhomethroughanotherroute,regardlessoIwhetherhebetheimamora
memberoIthecongregation.
Jabir reports: "On the days oI 'id, the Prophet would take diIIerent routes." This is related by al-
Bukhari.
AbuHurairahsays:"WhentheProphetwenttosalatul'id,hewouldreturnthroughadiIIerentroute."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andat-Tirmizhi.
It is permissible to return through the same route by which one goes to the musalla. Bakr ibn
Mubashirsays: "IusedtogowiththecompanionsoItheProphettothemusallaon'idulazhaandon
'idulIitr,andwepassedthroughaspeciIicvalleyinMedinahuntilwecametotheplaceoIsalahand
prayed with the Messenger oI Allah, and then we would return to our houses through the same
valley."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,al-Hakim,andbyal-BukhariinhisTarikh.Ibnas-Sakinsays
thatitschainisacceptable.
Eiqh2.149:ThetimeoI'Idprayers
The time Ior salatul 'id begins Irom the time the sun is three meters above the horizon until the sun
reachesitsmeridian.
Ahmad ibn Hassan al-Bana' records that Jundub said: "TheProphetprayedthe'idulIitrprayerwhile
thesunwas|approximately|sixmetersabovethehorizonandthe'idoIthesacriIicewhilethesunwas
threemetersabovethehorizon."
Ash-Shaukanisays:"ThatisthebestoIwhathasbeenrelatedconcerningthespeciIictimeoIsalatul
'idainandthehadithshowsthatitispreIerredtohasteninprayingsalatulazhaandtodelaythesalatul
Iitr."
IbnQudamahsays:"ItisasunnahtopraysalatulazhaearlyinordertoallowmoretimeIorthepeople
toperIormthesacriIice,andthesalatulIitristobedelayedinordertogivepeopletimetopayzakat
al-Eitr.IknowoInodiIIerenceoIopiniononthispoint."
Eiqh2.149a:TheazhanandiqamahIorsalatul'idain
Ibnal-Qayyimwrites:"WhentheMessengeroIAllahwenttothemusalla(placeoIprayer),hewould
perIorm the salah without any azhan or iqamah and without saying 'as-salatu jami'ah' (prayer in
congregation).ThesunnahisnottodoanyoIthat."
Ibn'AbbasandJabirbothreportthattherewasnoazhanonthedayoIthebreakingoItheIastoron
the day oI sacriIice. This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Muslim records that 'Ata said: "Jabir
inIormedmethatthereisnoazhanIorthe'idoIbreakingtheIast,neitherwhentheimamarrivesnor
aIterward.AndthereisnoiqamahorcalloIanykind."
Sa'dibnabi-Waqqasreports:"TheProphetprayedsalatul'idwithoutanyazhanoriqamah.Hewould
delivertwokhutbahsstandingandwouldseperatethembysittingbetweenthem.'Thisisrelatedbyal-
Bazzar.
Eiqh2.150:Thetakbirduringsalatul'idain
The 'id prayer consists oI two rak'at during which it is sunnah to pronounce the takbir seven times,
aIter the opening takbir and beIore the Qur'anic recital in the Iirst rak'ah. During the second rak'ah,
one makes takbir Iive times aIter the takbir which is customarily made Ior standing aIter the
prostration. One is to raise one's hands during each pronouncement oI the takbir. This is based on a
reporttransmittedIrom'UmarandhissonAbdullah.
'Amr ibn Shu'aib reports Irom his Iather on the authority oI his grandIather that the Prophet would
maketwelvetakbiratduringthe'idprayer,sevenintheIirstrak'ahandIiveinthesecond.Hedidnot
praybeIoreoraIterthe'id.ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandIbnMajah.Ahmadsays:"IIollowthat."
Abu Dawud and ad-Daraqutni report that the Prophet said: "The takbirat during the |'id oI breaking
theIastaresevenintheIirstrak'ahandIiveinthesecond,andtheQur'anicrecitalcomesaIterthemin
both the rak'at." This is the strongest opinion and it is the opinion oI the majority oI the people oI
knowledgeIromamongthecompanions,thesuccessors,andtheimams.IbnAbdul-Barrcommenting
onthenumberoItakbirat,says:"IthasbeenrelatedthroughmanygoodchainsthattheProphetmade
seven takbirat in the Iirst rak'ah and Iive in the second. Such has been related Irom 'Abdullah ibn
'Amr, Ibn 'Umar, Jabir, 'Aishah. Abu Waqid, and 'Amer ibn 'AuI al-Mazni. Nothing that has been
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relatedIromhim,eitherthroughastongerorweakerchain,diIIersIromthat,anditwastheIirsttobe
practiced."
Astothepausebetweentakbirat,itissaidthattheProphetwouldbesilentIorashortperiodoItime
between the takbirat, and nothing has been related Irom him concerning exactly what he said during
that pause; however, at-Tabarani and al-Baihai relate, with a strong chain, that Ibn Mas'ud would
praise and extol Allah, the Exalted, and make prayers upon the Prophet during such intervals. The
samehasbeenrecordedIromHuzhaiIahandAbuMusa.Pronouncingthetakbiratareasunnaheven
thoughthesalahisnotinvalidatediIoneneglectsthem,eitherintentionallyoroutoIIorgetIulness.
Ibn Qudamah says: "I know oI no diIIerence oI opinion on that point." Ash-Shaukani states that the
strongestopinionisthatiIonedoesnotperIormthetakbiratoutoIIorgetIulness,heisnottoperIorm
theprostrationsoIIorgetIulness.
Eiqh2.151:PrayerbeIoreoraItersalatul'id
It is not established that there is any sunnah prayer beIore or aIter the 'id prayer. The Prophet never
perIormedanysuchprayer,neitherdidhiscompanionsuponarrivalatthemusalla(prayerplace).
Ibn 'Abbas reports: "The Messenger oI Allah went out to the site oI the 'id prayer and prayed two
rak'at|i.e.,the'idprayer|withoutprayinganythingbeIoreoraIterit."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
ItisreportedthatIbn'Umardidthe sameandhestatedthatthiswasthepracticeoItheProphet.
Al-Bukhari records that Ibn 'Abbas disliked that one should perIorm a prayer beIore salatul 'id.
Concerning voluntary prayers at such a time, Ibn Hajar has stated in Eath al-Bari that there is no
evidencetoshowthatitisnotallowed,unlessitisatthetimesinwhichitisdislikedtoprayonany
day.
Eiqh2.151a:EorwhomtheperIormanceoIsalatul'idisvalid
The 'id prayer is valid Ior men, women, children, travellers, residents, people in congregation, and
people praying individually. It is also valid iI perIormed in a house, mosque, or a distant place
designatedIorthesalah,andsoon.
Eiqh2.151b:Whoevermissessalatul'idwiththecongregationmaypraytworak'at
In Sahih al-Bukhari we Iind in the chapter entitled: "II one misses salatul 'id he may pray two rak'at
andthesameisthecaseIorthewomenorpeopleintheirhousesorinthecountryside.Thisisbased
ontheProphet'swords:'OMuslims,thisisourIestival."'AnasibnMalikorderedhisprotegeIbnabi-
'Utbah,|wholived|inaremotearea,togatherhisIamilyandchildrenandtopray|the'idprayer|like
the people in the city and with takbirat similar to theirs. 'Ikrimah said: "The people oI the country
shouldgatherIorthe'idandpraytworak'atastheimamdoes."'Atasays:"IIyoumissthe'id|salah|,
praytworak'at."
Eiqh2.151c:ThekhutbahoIsalatul'id
ThekhutbahaItersalatulidisasunnahandsoislisteningtoit.AbuSa'idsays:"OntheidoIbreaking
the Iast and oI the sacriIice, the Prophet would go to the musalla (prayer place) and begin with the
salah and when he Iinished, he would Iace the people while the people were sitting in rows, and he
wouldadmonishthem,advisethem,andexhortthem|todogooddeeds|.AndiIhewishedtosendoII
an army or order something, he would do so and then leave." Abu Sa'id then says: "The people
continuedtoactlikewiseuntilIwentoutwithMarwan,whilehewasthegovenoroIMedinah,Iorone
oIthetwo'ids.WhenIarrivedattheplaceoIprayer,IIoundaminbarthatwasbuiltbyKathiribnas-
Salt. When Marwan went to mount it beIore the prayer, I pulled him by his clothes. He pushed me
away and gave the khutbah beIore the salah. I said to him: 'By Allah you have changed |the order|.'
He said: 'O Abu Sa'id...what you know is gone.' I said: 'By Allah, what I know is better than what I
don't know.' He said: 'The people would not stay with us aIter the salah so we made the khutbah
beIorethesalah.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
'Abdullahibnas-Sa'ibsaid:"Iprayedthe'idsalahwiththeMessengeroIAllahandwhenheIinished
thesalahhesaid:'Wewillbedeliveringakhutbah.WhoeverwishestostayIorthekhutbahmaystay.
Whoeverwouldliketoleave,mayleave.'"Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i,AbuDawud,andIbnMajah.
WhateverhasbeenrecordedsuggeststhattherearetwokhutbahsIorthe'idandtheimamsitsbetween
them|i.e.,likethekhutbatulJumu'ah|.Suchreportsareconsideredweak.An-Nawawisays:"Thereis
nothingatallsubstantiatedabouttherebeingmorethanonekhutbah."
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Ibnal-Qayyimwrites:"TheProphetwouldbeginalloIhiskhutbahswiththepraiseoIAllahandthere
isnohadithIromhimthatstatesthathebeganhis'idkhutbahswithtakbir.
IbnMajahrecordedinhisSunanIromSa'id,themu'azhzhinoItheProphet,thattheProphetwouldsay
thetakbirduringhiskhutbahsandevenmoresoduringthe'idkhutbahs.Still,thisdoesnotprovethat
he began his khutbah with it! The people diIIer over the beginning oI the 'id and the khutbah Ior
salatulistisqa'(prayerIorrain).Somesaythattheyaretobeginwithtakbir.Somesaythatthekhutbah
Ior salatul istisqa' begins with praying Ior Iorgiveness while others say it begins with praises oI
Allah." Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah says: "That is correct as the Prophet said: 'Every aIIair that
doesnotbeginwiththepraiseoIAllahisdeIicient.'TheProphetbeganalloIhisspeecheswithpraises
oI Allah. Concerning the statement oI many jurists, i.e.. he began the 'prayer Ior rain' by asking
Iorgiveness Irom Allah and the id speech with takbir, there is absolutely no prooI Ior it in the
Prophet'ssunnah.InIactthesunnahcontradictsthatstatementashebeganalloIhisspeecheswiththe
praisesoIAllah."
Eiqh2.152:Makingupamissed'idprayer
Abu 'Umair ibn Anas reports: "My Ansari uncles Irom among the companions oI the Messenger oI
Allah said to me: 'The moon Ior the month oI Shawwal was hidden Irom us and, thereIore, our
companions Iasted. Then at the end oI the day, riders came and they bore witness to the Prophet
sallallahu alehi wasallam that they had seen the moon the previous night. The Prophet ordered the
peopletobreaktheirIastsandtogoouttothesiteoIthesalatul'idonthenextday.'"Thisisrelatedby
Ahmad,an-Nasa'i,andIbnMajahwithasahihchain.InthishadiththereliesevidenceIorthosewho
say that iI the people miss salatul 'id due to some excuse, then they may go out and pray it the next
day.
Eiqh2.153:Playing,amusements,singing,andeatingonthedaysoI'id
Recreation, amusements, and singing, iI they stay within the moral bounds, are permissible on the
daysoI'id.
Anas reports: "When the Prophet came to Medinah they had twodays oI sport and amusement. The
Prophetsaid:"Allah,theExalted,hasexchangedthesedaysIortwodaysbetterthanthem:thedayoI
breaking the Iast and the day oI sacriIice." This is related by an-Nasa'i and Ibn Hibban with a sahih
chain.
'Aishah says: "The Abyssinians were preIorming in the mosque on the day oI 'id. I looked over the
Prophet's shoulders and he lowered them a little so I could see them until I was satisIied and leIt."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.
Ahmad,al-Bukhari, andMuslimalsorecordthatshesaid:"AbuBakrentereduponusonthedayoI'id
andthereweresomeslavegirlswhowererecounting|insongthebattleoI|Bu'athinwhichmanyoI
thebraveoIthetribesoIAusandKhazrajwerekilled.AbuBakrsaid:'SlavesoIAllah,youplaythe
pipesoItheSatan!'Hesaiditthreetimes.TheProphetsaidtohim:'OAbuBakr,everypeoplehavea
Iestival and this is our Iestival."' In al-Bukhari's version, 'Aishah said: "The Messenger oI Allah,
entered the house and I had two girls who were singing about the battle oI Bu'ath. The Prophet lied
downonthebedandturnedhisIacetotheotherdirection.AbuBakrenteredandspokeharshlytome,
'MusicalinstrumentsoItheSataninthepresenceoItheMessengeroIAllah!' TheMessengeroIAllah
turned his Iace to him and said: 'Leave them.' When Abu Bakr became inattentive I signaled to the
girls to leave. It was the day oI 'id and the AIricans were perIorming with their shields and spears.
EitherIaskedhimortheProphetaskediIIwouldliketowatchthem|Idon'trecallnow|.Irepliedin
theaIIirmative.AtthistheProphetmademestandbehindhimandmycheekwasagainsthis.Hewas
saying: 'Carry on, O tribe oI ArIadah,' until I tired. The Prophet asked: 'Is that enough Ior you?' I
replied:"yes,"sohesaid:'Leave|then|.'"
Ibn Hajar writes in Eath al-Bari, "Ibn as-Siraj related Irom Abu az-Zinad on the authority oI 'Urwah
Irom 'Aishah that the Prophet said that day: 'Let the Jews oI Medinah know that our religion is
spacious|andhasroomIorrelaxation|andIhavebeensentwithaneasyandstraightIorwardreligion.
"'
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AhmadandMuslimrecordIromNubaishahthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"Thedays
oItashriq(i.e.,thedaysinwhichthe'idiscelebrated)aredaysoIeatinganddrinking|nonalcoholic
drinks|andoIrememberingAllah,theExalted."
Eiqh2.154:TheexcellenceoIgooddeedsintheIirsttendaysoIZhul-Hijjah
Ibn'AbbasreportsthattheProphetsallallahualehiwasallamsaid:"No gooddeedsdoneonotherdays
are superior to those done on these days |meaning the ten days oI Zhul-Hijjah|." The companions
asked:"OMessengeroIAllah,notevenjihadinthewayoIAllah?"Hesaid:"Notevenjihad,saveIor
the man who puts his liIe and wealth in danger |Ior Allah's sake| and returns with neither oI them."
ThisisrelatedbythegroupsaveMuslimandan-Nasa'i.
Ahmad and at-Tabarani record Irom Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger oI Allah said: "There is no day
morehonorableinAllah'ssight andnoactsmorebelovedthereintoAllahthanthoseinthesetendays.
Sosaytahlil|"ThereisnoGodbutAllah"|,takbir|Allahisthegreatest|andtahmid|"Allpraiseisdue
toAllah"|alot|onthosedays|."
Ibn 'Abbas says about the 'ayah, "Remember Allah during the well known days," that it reIers to the
Iirst ten days oI Zhul-Hijjah. This is related by al-Bukhari. Sa'id ibnJubairwouldpushhimselIvery
hard|todogooddeeds|duringthesetendays.
Al-Auza'isays:"IthasreachedmethatadeedononeoIthetendaysissimilartoIightingintheway
oI Allah, Iasting during its days and guarding during its nights, except Ior him who becomes a
martyr."Astoitssource,headds:"AmanIromthetribeoIBaniMakhzumrelatedthattomeIromthe
Prophet."
AbuHurairahrelatesthattheProphetsaid:"TherearenodaysmorelovedtoAllahIoryoutoworship
HimthereinthanthetendaysoIZhulHijja.EastinganydayduringitisequivalenttoIastingoneyear
andtooIIersalatultahajjud(late-nightprayer)duringoneoIitsnightsislikeperIormingthelatenight
prayeronthenightoIpower.|i.e.,LailatulQadr|."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tirmizhi,IbnMajah,andal-
Baihaqi.
Eiqh2.154a:CongratulatingoneanotheronthedaysoI'id
ItiscommendabletocongratulateoneanotheronthedaysoI'id.
Jabir ibn NaIir reports: "When the companions oI the Prophet met each other on the day oI 'id, they
wouldsaytoeachother,'taqabbalminnawaminka|MayAllah|acceptitIromusandyou.'"IbnHajar
saidthatitschainishasan.
Eiqh2.154b:TakbiratduringthedaysoI'id
Itisasunnahtopronouncethetakbiraton'iddays.Concerningthe'idoIbreakingtheIast,Allahsays
"you should complete the prescribed period and that you should gloriIy Allah |i.e., say takbirat| Ior
havingguidedyouandthatyoumaygivethanks."Concerningthe'idoIthesacriIice,Allahsays:"that
youmayrememberAllahduringthewellknowndays;"and:"Hehasmadethemsubjecttoyou,that
youmaygloriIyAllahIorHisguidancetoyou.ThemajorityoIthescholarssaythatthetimeIorthe
takbiratduringthe'idoIbreakingtheIastisIromthetimeonegoestothe'idprayeruntilthekhutbah
begins. Weak hadith have been recorded stating this, but there are also authentic reports Irom Ibn
'Umarandothercompanionsthattheydidso.Al-Hakimsays:"Thissunnahhasbeenpracticedbyahl-
ilhadith.Malik,Ahmad,Ishaq,andAbuThaur|havemadestatementsconcurringthatpractice|."
Some say that the takbirat are Irom thenight beIore the 'id, when the moon is seen, until the person
goes to the musalla and the imam arrives. The time Ior the takbirat during the 'id oI the sacriIice is
IromthedayoI'AraIahuntilthetimeoIthe'asronthethirteenthoIZhul-Hijjah.
Ibn Hajar writes in Eath al-Bari: "None oI that has been conIirmed Irom the Prophet. The most
authentic report Irom the companions is that 'Ali and Ibn Mas'ud would make the takbirat Irom the
day oI 'AraIah to the 'asr oI the last day oI Mina. Ibn al-Munzhir and others reported it. AshShaI'i,
Ahamd, Abu YusuI, and Muhammad Iollow that report and it is also the view oI 'Umar and Ibn
'Abbas."
ThereisnospeciIictimeIorthetakbiratduringthedaysoItashriq(threedaysaIter'idulazha).InIact,
itispreIerredtopronouncetakbiratduringeverymomentoIthosedays.
Al-Bukharirecorded:"During'Umar'sstayatMina,hewouldsaytakbiratinhistent|soloud|thatthe
people in the mosque would hear it and then they would start doing it also and the people in the
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marketplacewoulddothesameandalloIMinawouldresoundwiththetakbirat.Ibn'Umarusedto
say the takbirat, during those days oI Mina, aIter the prayers and whileonhisbed,inhistent,while
sitting and while walking during all oI those days. Maimuna would say the takbirat on the day oI
sacriIice.ThewomenusedtosaytakbiratbehindAbbanibn'Uthmanand'Umaribn'Abdulazizalong
withthemeninthemosqueduringthedaysoItashriq."Al-HaIizibnHajarsaid:"Thesereportsshow
thatthetakbirataremadeduringallthetimesoIthesedays,aItersalahandallothertimes.Somesay
thetakbirataremadeonlyaIterthesalah,andsomesaytheyaretobemadeonlyaItertheIardprayers
andnotaIternawaIl,othersdeclarethemtobeIormenandnotIorwomen,whilesomesaythatthey
areonlytobesaidincongregationsandnotindividually,whileothersreservethemonlyIorthosewho
perIormthesalahontimeandnotIorthosewhoaremakingupamissedprayer,andsomesayonlyIor
residents and not travellers, whereas others think they are only Ior the people oI the city and not Ior
thepeopleoIthecountryside.Apparentlyal-BukhariisoItheopinionthatitisIorallpeopleandthe
reportsthathehastransmittedsupporthisopinion."
ThesetakbiratcanbemadeinmanydiIIerentIorms.ThemostauthenticIormisthatwhichhasbeen
recordedwithasahihchainby'AbdurrazaqIromSalman,whosaid:"Theymadetakbiratwith:'Allahu
akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar kabeera."' Erom 'Umar and ibn Mas'ud the Iollowing is related:
"Allahu akbar. Allahu akbar. La ilaha illallah. Allahu akbar. Allahu akbar wa lillahil-hamd."
Translation: Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no God but Allah. Allah is the
greatest,Allahisthegreatest.AllpraisebelongstoAllah.
Eiqh3.1:Zakah,deIinition
Zakah or almstaxcanbedeIinedasthatportionoIaman'swealthwhichisdesignatedIorthepoor.
The term is derivedIromtheArabicverbalrootmeaning"toincrease.""topuriIy,"and"tobless."It
Iind its origin in Allah's command to: "Take sadaqah (charity) Irom their property in order to puriIy
andsanctiIythem"|at-Taubah103|.ThatiswhythiskindoIsadaqahiscalledzakah,Iorbypayingit,
oneisaspiringtoattainblessing, puriIication,andthecultivationoIgooddeeds.
Taking into account its very nature, it is no wonder that zakah constitutes one oI the Iive pillars oI
Islam. It is associated with prayer (salah) in eighty-two Qur'anic verses. Allah, the Exalted One,
prescribed it in His Book (The Qur'an), His Messenger corroborated it by his (sunnah), and the
community(ummah)byconsensusupheldit.Ibn'AbbasreportedthatwhentheProphet,uponwhom
bepeace,sentMu'azhibnJabaltoYemen(asitsgovernor),hesaidtohim:"Youaregoingtoapeople
whoarePeopleoItheScripture.Invitethemtoaccepttheshahadah:thatthereisnogodbutAllahand
I am His Messenger. II they accept and aIIirm this, tell them that Allah, the Glorious One, has
enjoined Iive prayers upon them during the day and night. II they accept that, tell them also that He
hasenjoinedsadaqahupontheirassetswhichwillbetakenIromtherichoIthe(Muslim)community
anddistributedtothepoor.IItheyacceptthat,reIrainIromlayinghandsuponthebestoItheirgoods
andIearthecryoItheoppressed,IorthereisnobarrierbetweenAllahandit."
At-Tabarani relates in al-'Awsat and as-Saghir, on the authority oI 'Ali, that the Prophet said: "Allah
hasenjoineduponrichMuslimsaduetobe takenIromtheirpropertiescorrespondingtotheneedsoI
the poor among them. The poor will never suIIer Irom starvation or lack oI clothes unless the rich
neglect their due. II they do, Allah will surely hold them accountable and punish them severely."
According to at-Tabarani: "It was reported only by Thabit ibn Muhammad az-Zahid." OI Thabit's
credibility,al-HaIizinturnsays:"Thabitwasanhonestandtrustworthyperson.AlBukhariandothers
relatedIromhim,andtherestoIthenarratorsinthechainareconsideredasacceptedauthorities."
IntheearlydaysoIIslamatMakkah,nolimitorrestrictionwasplacedontheamounttobedonated,
IorthatdecisionwasleIttotheindividualMuslim'sconscienceandgenerosity.InthesecondyearoI
hijrah, according to the widely known authorities, both the type and the quantity oI zakah revenues
weredetermined,anddetailedillustrationswereprovided.
Eiqh3.2:ExhortationtoGiveZakahintheQur'an
At-Taubah 103 authorizes the Prophet, upon whom be peace, to take either a stipulated amount oI
alms Irom the believers' holdings in the Iorm oI the obligatory zakah, or a voluntary, unstipulated
amount (zakah oI tatawwul). In this 'ayah, "puriIy"meanstopuriIythemIromstinginess,greed,and
meanness,andalackoIremorsetowardthepoorandthewretched.TosanctiIythemistoraisethem
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inesteemthroughgooddeedsandblessingssothattheywillbeworthyoIhappinessbothnowandin
theaIterliIe.
Eiqh2.151b:
In reIerence to the liIe hereaIter, Allah reveals: "Lo! Those who keep Irom evil will dwell amid
gardens and watersprings, taking that which their Lord gives them. Eor they were beIore doers oI
good. They used to sleep but little oI the night, and in the hours oI the early dawn they prayed Ior
Iorgiveness.... In their wealth, the beggar and the outcast had due share" |azh-Zhariyat 15-19|. Allah
views beneIicence and righteousness as exclusive qualities oI the pious. It is because oI their
beneIicence that they prayatnightandaskAllah'sIorgivenessatdawnasawayoIworshippingand
approachingHim.TheirbeneIicenceislikewiseintheirgivingtotheneedytheirshareoImercyand
sympathy.
Allah Iurther conIirms: "And the believers, men and women, are protecting Iriends oI one another;
they enjoin the right and Iorbid the wrong, they perIorm prayer and pay the zakah, and they obey
AllahandHisMessenger.Uponthem,Allahwillhavemercy"|at-Taubah71|.
SucharethepeopleblessedbyAllahandgivenHismercy-- thosewhobelieveinHim,whotakecare
oI each other through support and love, who exhort Iairness and restrain lewd behavior, who have
strongtieswithAllahthroughprayer,andwhostrengthentheirmutualrelationsthroughzakah.
Einally,thesepeople,asreIlectedinal-Hajj41,are:"Thosewho,iIwegivethempowerintheland,
perIormprayersandpayzakah,andenjoinkindnessandIorbidinequity."Givingzakahis,thereIore,
oneoIthereasonsIorwhichtherighteousaregivenauthorityonearth.
Eiqh3.3:ExhortationtoGiveZakahintheHadith
At-Tirmizhi relates Irom Abu Kabshah alAnmari that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "I
swear upon three (things) and ask you to memorize my words:SadaqahtakenIromapropertynever
decreases it; a man who suIIers injustice and ispatient with it, Allah will grant him strength; a man
whostartsbegging,Allahwillcausehimtobepoor."
Ahmadandat-Tirmizhirelate(andthelattergradeditsahih)IromAbuHurairahthattheMessengeroI
Allah,uponwhombepeace,said:"AllahreceivescharitybyHisrighthand,andthenHecausesitto
grow Ior each oI you. Just as you raise a horse, colt, Ioal, or young weaned camel, so that morsel
becomesaslargeastheMountoI'Uhud."
OI this hadith's content, Waki' says: "This is sanctioned by the Qur'an: 'Do they not know that it is
Allah alone who can accept the repentance oI His servants and is the (true) recipient oI whatever is
oIIered Ior His sake - and that Allah alone is an acceptor oI repentance, a dispenser oI grace?' |at-
Taubah104|.'AllahdeprivesusuriousgainsoIallblessing,whereasHeblessescharitabledeedswith
maniIoldincrease.'|alBaqarah276|."
Again, Ahmad relates, with a sound chain oI narrators, that Anas said: "A man Irom the tribe oI
Tameem came to the Messenger oIAllah, upon whom be peace, and said: 'O Messenger oI Allah! I
haveplentyoIproperty,alargeIamily,agreatdealoImoney,andIamagracioushosttomyguests.
Tell me how to conduct my liIe and how to spend.' The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace,
replied: 'Pay zakah out oI your property, Ior truly it is a puriIier which puriIies you, and be kind to
yourrelatives,andacknowledgetherightsoIthepoor,neighbors,andbeggars'."
It was reported Irom 'Aishah that theMessengeroIAllah,uponwhom bepeace,said:"Iswearupon
three things: Allah does not equate one who has a portion in Islam with one who does not. The
portionsoIIslamarethree:prayer,Iasting,andzakah.IIAllahtakescareoIamaninthisworld,He
will take care oI him on the Day oI Judgment. II a man likes a group oI people, Allah willcertainly
include him among them. As Ior the Iourth, iI I swear on it, I hope I will not commit a sin: that iI
Allahconcealsaman'ssininthisworld,Hewillcertainlynotexposehimonthe DayoIJudgment."
At-Tabaranirelatesinal-'Awsat,thatJabirreported:"Amansaid:'OMessengeroIAllah!Whatwill
bethegainsIoramanwhopayszakahonhisassets?'TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
said:'Eoronewhopayszakahonhisasssets,hewillberemovedIromtheevilinthem'."
On the same subject, al-Bukhari and Muslim relate that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported: "I gave my
allegience to the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, that I will establish salah (prayers) and
zakah,andIwillgiveadvicetoeveryMuslim."
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Eiqh3.4:PunishmentintheQur'anIortheDelinquentsoIZakah
Allahsays:"Oyouwhobelieve!MostsurelymanyoIthedoctorsoIlawandthemonkseatawaythe
propertyoImenIalselyandturnthemIromAllah'sway;andasIorthosewhohoardtreasuresoIgold
andsilveranddonotspendthemIorthesakeoIAllah--warnthemoIgrievoussuIIerings|intheliIeto
come|.OntheDaywhenthat|hoardedwealth|shallbeheatedintheEiresoIHellandtheirIoreheads
andtheirsidesandtheirbacksbrandedwithit,|itwillbesaidtothem:|'Thesearethetreasureswhich
youhavehoardedIoryourselves.NowtasteoIwhatyouusedtoaccumulate!'|at-Taubah34-35|."He
alsosays:"Andtheyshouldnotthink--theywhoavariouslyclingtoallthatAllahhasgrantedthemout
oI His bounty--that this is good Ior them. No, it is bad Ior them, Ior that which they hoard will be
hungabouttheirnecksontheDayoIJudgment"|al-'Imran180|.
Eiqh3.4a:PunishmentintheHadithIortheDelinquentsoIZakah
Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and Muslim relate Irom Abu Hurairah that the Messenger oI Allah,uponwhom
bepeace,said:"NoowneroIatreasurewhodoesnotpayzakahwillbespared,Iorhistreasurewillbe
heatedintheEiresoIHellandthenmadeintoplates.HisIlanksandhisIoreheadwillbebrandedwith
themuntilAllahpronouncesjudgmentonHisservantsduringadaylastingIiItythousandyears.
|Theindividual|willbeshownhispath,leadinghimeithertoParadiseortoHell.Acamelownerwho
doesnotpayzakahwillnotbespared(either).HewilllayIlatonasandy,soItplainandtheywillrun
over him heavily one aIter another until Allah pronounces judgment on His servants during a day
lasting IiIty thousands years. |The individual in question| will then be shown his path, leading him
eithertoParadiseortoHell.Equally,noowneroIgoatswhodoesnotpayzakah(willbespared).He
willlayIlatIorthemonasandyplain,andthegoatswillrunoverhimasheavyastheywillcomeand
they will trample him with their hooIs and gore him with their horns--with twisted horns or with no
horns--one aIter another until Allah pronounces judgment on His servants, during a day lasting IiIty
thousandyears,and|theindividualinquestion|willbeshownthepath,leadinghimeithertoParadise
or to Hell. They |the Companions| asked: 'O Messenger oI Allah, what about the horses?' He said:
'Horses have goodness in their Ioreheads (or he said 'Goodness lies in the Ioreheads oI the horses')
untiltheDayoIJudgment.HorsesareoIthreekinds:theyareasourceoIrewardIortheowner,they
areacover,ortheyareaburdentoaperson.Astothose|horses|thatbringrewards,onewhoraises
andtrainsthemIorthesakeoIAllahwillgetarewardIromHimaswellasallthattheyconsumewill
beconsideredarewardIorhimIromAllah.EoreverystalkoIgrassinthemeadowthatoneletsthem
graze,thereisarewardIorhim.EoreverydropoIwaterthatoneletsthemdrinkIromthecreek,there
isareward.'HewentondescribinguntilarewardwasmentionedevenIortheirurineandtheirIeces.
'And Ior every step that they prance on elevated ground, there is a reward. As Ior the one to whom
theywillprovidecover|intheliIehereaIter|, heistheonewhoraisesthemIorhonoranddignityand
rememberstherightoItheirbacksandstomachsinplentyandadversity.AsIortheonetowhomthey
are a burden, he is the one who raises them Ior glory and showing oII to people.' They asked: 'O
MessengeroIAllah,whataboutdonkeys?'Hesaid:'Allahhasnotrevealedtomeanythinginregardto
themexceptthisonecomprehensiveverse:'Hewhodoesanatom'sweightoIgoodwillseeit,andhe
whodoesanatom'sweightoIevilwillseeit'|az-Zalzalah7|."
Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate Irom Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"WhoeverismadewealthybyAllahanddoesnotpayzakahonhiswealth,ontheDayoIJudgmentit
willbecomeabald-headed,poisonous,malesnakewithtwo blackspotsoverhiseyes.Thesnake,on
the Day oI Judgment, will encircle his neck, and bite his cheeks and say: 'I am your treasure, I am
yourwealth.'"Thenhe|theProphet|recitedthis'ayah:"'Andletnotthosewhohoardupthatwhich
AllahhasbestoweduponthemoIhisbounty...'|al'Imran180|."
IbnMajah,al-Bazzar,andal-BaihaqirelateIromIbn'UmarthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhom
be peace, said: "O Muhajirun, beware oI Iive traits: iI ever immorality spreads in a community and
there is no sense oI shame on its occurrence or mentioning it |and people talk about it as iI nothing
bad has taken place|, diseases which were not present in the time oI their predecessors will spread
amongthem.IItheydecreasethemeasureandweight(oIsold grainsorIood),theywillbeovercome
bypoverty,theirprovisionswilldecreaseandtheirrulerwillbeunjust.IItheyreIrainIrompayingthe
zakahdueontheirproperties,theywillbedeprivedoIrain,unlesstheygetitonlyIorthesakeoItheir
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cattle. II they renounce their commitment to Allah and His Messenger, they will be governed by an
enemywhoisastrangertothemandwhowilltakeawaysomeoIwhattheypossess.IItheirrulersdo
not rule according to Allah's Book, theywillbeaIIlicted bycivilwar.AllahIorbidthattheseshould
happentoyou."
Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate Irom al-AhnaI ibn Qays that he said: "I was in the company oI some
men oI Quraish, when a man (Abu Zharr al-GhaIari, a companion oI the Prophet) came with coarse
hair, clothes, and appearance. He stood up,greetedthemandsaid:'InIormthosewhohoardproperty
thatastonewillbeheatedintheEiresoIHellandthenplacedonthenipplesoItheirbreastsuntilit
comesoutIromthetopoItheirshoulders.ItwillthenbeplacedonthetopoItheirshouldersuntilit
comesoutagainIromthenippleoItheirbreasts,andtheywillbeshaken.'ThenheleIt.IIollowedhim
andsatnearhim,notknowingwhohewas.Isaid:'Thesepeopledislikedwhatyousaidtothem.'He
observed:'TheydonotunderstandanythingthatmyIriendsaidtome.'Iasked:'WhoisyourIriend?'
He replied: 'The Prophet, upon whom be peace. |One day he asked me|: 'Do you see the Mount oI
Uhud?' I looked at the sun to see how much oI the day was leIt, as I thought that the Messenger oI
Allah,uponwhombepeace,wantedtosendmeonanerrandIorhim.Isaid:'Yes.'Uponthishesaid:
'NothingwoulddelightmemorethanhavinggoldequaltothebulkoIUhudandspendingalloIit(in
Allah'sway)exceptthreedinars.'
'Indeed,thesepeopledonotunderstandandgoonaccumulatingriches.ByAllah!Ineitheraskthem
Iorthisworld,nordoIaskthemanythingaboutreligionuntilImeetAllah,TheExaltedOne.'"
Eiqh3.7:JudgmentontheZakahReIrainer
As an obligation upon Muslims, zakah is one oI the essential requirements oI Islam. II somebody
disputed its obligation, he would be outside oI Islam, and could legally be killed Ior his unbelieI
unlesshewasanewMuslimandcouldbeexcusedIorhis ignorance.
As Ior the one who reIrains Irom paying it without denying its obligation, he would be guilty oI
committingasin.Yet,thisactdoesnotplacehimoutsideoIIslam.Itistheruler'sdutytotakezakah
Irom the deIaulter by Iorce and rebuke him, provided he does not collect more than the stipulated
amount. However, in the views oI Ahmad and ash-ShaI'i (in his earlier opinion) the ruler could take
halI oI the deIaulter's money, in addition to the calculated amount oI zakah, as a punishment. This
view is based on what Ahmad, anNasa'i, Abu Dawud, al-Hakim, and al-Baihaqi have recorded Irom
BahzibnHakimallthewaybacktohisgrandIatherwhosaid:"IheardtheMessengeroIAllah,upon
whom be peace, say:'WhetherthecamelsoIthezakahpayerare grownorbabycamels,itmakesno
diIIerence in his reward iI he gave them willingly. (However,) iI someone reIrains Irom paying it, it
willbetakenIromhimalongwithhalIhisproperty,IoritisarightoIourLord,theBlessedandthe
Exalted,notarightoIthehouseoIMuhammad.'"
Asked about its chain, Ahmad ruled it good (hassan). OI Bahz, al-Hakim says: "His traditions are
authentic." Ash-ShaI'i, as alBaihaqi says, did not include it Ior Iiqhi consideration because . . . "this
hadithisnotconIirmedbythescholarsoIhadith."
IIsomepeoplereIrainIrompayingzakahknowingthatitisdueandthattheycanaIIordtopay,they
should be Iought until they yield and pay. Al-Bukhari and Muslim report that Ibn 'Umar heard the
Prophet say: "I have been ordered to Iight people until they say that none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger, and they uphold the prayers, and pay
thezakah.IItheydothis,theirlivesandpropertieswillbesaIe,exceptIorwhatisduetoIslam,and
theiraccountsarewithAllah."
AbuHurairahisreportedtohavesaid:"WhenAllah'sMessenger,uponwhombepeace,diedandAbu
Bakrsucceededhimascaliph,someArabsapostasized,causingAbuBakrtodeclarewaruponthem.
'Umarsaidtohim:'WhymustyouIightthesemen?',especiallywhenthereisarulingoItheProphet,
upon whom be peace: 'I have been called to Iight men until they say that none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah, and whoever said it has saved his liIe and property Irom me except when a
right is due in them, and his account will be with Allah.' Abu Bakr replied: 'By Allah! I will Iight
those who diIIerentiate between salah and zakah because zakah is the due on property. By Allah! II
they withheld even a young she-goat ( 'anaq) that they used to pay at the time oI Allah's Messenger,
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uponwhombepeace,IwouldIightthem.'Then'Umarsaid:'ByAllah!ItwasHewhogaveAbuBakr
thetrueknowledgetoIight,andlaterIcametoknowthathewasright.'"
ThesamehadithnarratedbyMuslim,AbuDawud,andatTirmizhihastheIollowingvariant:"IIthey
witheldthe'iqal,theropeoIthecamel,"insteadoI"'anaq,youngshe-goat."
Eiqh3.8:WhoisObligedtoPayZakah
ZakahmustbepaidbyeveryMuslimwhohasanisab,whichistheminimumoIone'sholdingsliable
tozakah.ThenisabisconditionedbytheIollowing:
-1- Zakah should be paid on any amount oI money remaining aIter meeting the expenses Ior such
necessitiesasIood,clothes,housing,vehiclesandcraItmachines.
-2- A complete year oI Islamic calendar should pass, starting Irom the very day oI the nisab's
possession, without any decrease during the year. In case oI its decrease (being less than nisab), the
yearcount(hawl;)startsIromthedayoIthenisabcompletion.
Commenting on the issue, an-Nawawi said: "In our view and the views oI Malik, Ahmad, and the
majorityoIscholars,theamountoIpropertyliableIorpaymentoIzakah,suchasgold,silver,orcattle,
istiedtothecompletionoInisabthroughthe turnoIawholeyear.IIthenisabdecreasesinanytime
oItheyear,|thecountingoI|theyeardiscontinues.Later,iIthenisabiscompleted,theyearcountis
resumedIromthetimeoIitscompletion."
On the same subject, Abu HaniIah holds: "What matters isthe availability oI nisab at the beginning
andendoItheyear.Itsdecreaseatanytimeinbetweendoesnotmatter,eventhoughthezakahpayer
hadtwohundreddirhamsandhelostallbutonedirhamduringtheyear,oriIhehadIortysheep,alloI
whichdiedexceptIoroneduringtheyear.II,attheendoItheyear,hehadtwohundreddirhams,or
Iorty sheep, then he must pay zakah on all oI that. This condition is not applicable to the zakah oI
plantationsandIruits,Iortheirzakahshouldbepaidontheharvestday.Allah,theExaltedOne,says:
'AndpaytheduethereoIupontheharvestday'|alA'raI142|."
Al-'Abdari elaborated that: "The holdings subject to zakah are oI two kinds. The Iirst kind growsby
itselI:cropsandIruits.ThesecondkindisusedIorgrowingandproduction:money,merchandise,and
cattle. In the Iormer case,zakahshouldbepaidatthetimeoIharvest.Inthelattercase,itshouldbe
paidattheendoIthehaul.ThiswastheopinionoIalljuristsasreportedinanNawawi'sal-Majrnu'."
Eiqh3.9:ZakahontheHoldingsoIInIantsandMentallyRetardedPeople
The guardian oI a child or oI a mentally retarded person must pay zakah on his behalI Irom his
propertyiIitconstitutesanisab.
'AmribnShu'aibreportedIromhisIatherbackedupbyachainoIsourcesgoingbackto'Abdullahibn
'AmrthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"OnewhobecomestheguardianoIan
orphan with property must trade on his behalI and notleaveitpassiveinordertoavoiddepletionoI
thepropertybysadaqah."
However, this hadith has a weak link. Still, al-HaIiz aIIirms that: "There is a similar hadith oI the
mursaltypeinthecompilationoIash-ShaI'i,whoconIirmedthatitisconsideredasoundone.'Aishah
usedtosetasidezakahIortheorphanswhowereunderherprotection."
At-Tirmizhi concludes that: "Jurists diIIer on this issue. More than one companion oI the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, said that zakah may be taken Irom an orphan's property. Among these are:
'Umar, 'Ali, 'Aishah, and Ibn 'Umar. This view is also supported by Malik, ash-ShaI'i, Ahmad, and
Ishaq.Anothergroup,includingSuIyanandIbnal-Mubarak,holdthat:'Zakahshouldnotbetakenout
oIanorphan'sproperty.'"
Eiqh3.9a:TheInsolventDebtor
Whoeverhaspropertymustpayitsproperzakah.IIthepropertyisindebted,hemayIirstpayoIIhis
debt,thenincasetheremainderisenoughtoconstituteanisab,hemustpayzakah.IIhedoesnothold
thenisab,hedoesnothavetopayitsinceheispoor. TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
said:"Onlythewealthyarerequiredtogivecharity."ThishadithisrelatedbyAhmadandal-Bukhari.
Thelatterrecordsitinmu'allaqIorm.TheProphetalsosaid:"Zakahisleviedontherichandpaidto
the poor." It is all the same, whether he is indebted to Allah or to man, because one hadith states:
"Allah'sdebtismoredeservingoIIulIillment."
Eiqh3.10:ZakahOwedbyaDeceasedPerson
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IIapersondiesbeIorehepayszakah,thenitmustbetakenIromhisestate.
According to ash-ShaI'i, Ahmad, Ishaq, and Abu Thaur, it is obligatory that zakah be paid Irom the
property oI the deceased, and thispaymentreceivespreIerenceoverdebt,legacy,andinheritanceIor
Allahsays:"...aIterpaymentoIlegaciesanddebtsiswhatyouleave..."|an-Nisa'12|.Zakahisadebt
payabletoAllah.
A man came to the MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,andsaid:"Mymotherdiedwhileshe
stillhadtomakeuponemonthoIIasting.ShallImakeitupIorher?"TheProphetreplied:"IIthere
was any debt upon your mother, would you pay it oII Ior her?" The man answered: "Yes." The
Prophetthenobserved:"AdebttoAllahismoredeservingtobepaidoII."ThisisrelatedbyalBukhari
andMuslim.
Eiqh3.10a:TheNiyyah(Intention)
Since the payment oI zakah is an act oI worship, its validity depends upon the expression oI one's
intention. That is, the zakah payer should pay it Ior the sake oI Allah; he should make up his mind,
with all oI his heart, that zakah is an obligation to be discharged. Allah says: "And they are
commandednomorethanthis:toworshipAllah,sincereintheirIaithinHimalone"|al-Bayyinah5|.
It is related in al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "The value oI
|one's| deeds is determined by |one's| intentions; and thus Ior each shall be according to his
intentions." Malik and ash-ShaI'i say that the intention is to be made at the time oI rendering zakah.
Abu HaniIah holds thattheintentionmustbepresentatthetimeoIpaymentorwhenzakahisbeing
setasideIromone'sassets.Ahmad'sviewisthatitispermissibletoexpresstheniyyahalittleearlier
beIorepayment.
Eiqh3.11:PaymentoIZakahinDueTime
Zakahmustbepaidimmediatelyatitsduetime.DeIerringpaymentoIzakahisprohibited,unlessthe
payerIorsomevalidreasoncannotpayitontime.Insuchacase,hemaywaituntilheisabletopay
it. It is related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari that 'Uqbah ibn al-Harith said: "Once I perIormed the 'asr
prayerwiththeProphet,uponwhombepeace.Whenheconcludedtheprayer,hehurriedlywenttohis
house and retumed immediately. Noticing the amazed Iaces, he said: 'I leIt at home a piece oI gold
whichwasmeantIorsadaqah,andIdidnotwanttoletitremainanightinmyhouse,soIordereditto
bedistributed.'"
Ash-ShaI'i and al-Bukhari (the latter in his Tarikh) relate Irom 'Aishah thattheProphet,uponwhom
be peace, said: "Whenever sadaqah which is payable is mixed with a property, it will destroy that
property." The same hadith is related by al-Humaydi with this addition: "II you have to pay sadaqah
whichispayable,thenitmustbesetaside,ortheunlawIul|property|willdestroythelawIulone."
Eiqh3.11a:PayingZakahinAdvance
ItispermissibleIor zakahtobepaidIoreventwoyearsinadvance.Al-Zuhrididnotseeanyproblem
in paying his zakah beIore the hawl. Al-Hasan was once asked iI a man who had paid his zakah Ior
three years in advance IulIilled his obligation. Al-Hasan answered in the aIIirmative. OI this view,
ash-Shaukani said: "This was the view oI ash-ShaI'i, Ahmad, and Abu HaniIah. It was supported by
al-Hadiandal-Qasim."Al-Mu'ayyad-billahalsosubscribestothisopinionasbeingbetter,buthesays
that Malik, Rabi'ah, SuIyan ath-Thauri,Dawud,Abu'Ubaydibnal-Harith,andan-Nasir(whocomes
Irom the Prophet's Iamily) held that one's obligation isnotdischargediIthezakahispaidbeIorethe
expirationoItheyear.TheyIormulatedtheirstanceontheProphet'shadith,alreadymentioned,which
makesthezakahmandatoryIorthepayeronlywhenhehashispossessionsIorayear.However,this
does not invalidate the view oI those who maintain that paying zakah in advance is lawIul, Ior
undeniably the obligation oI zakah is associated with the expiry oI one Iull year. The diIIerence is
only on the point oI whether one's obligation is discharged iI the zakah is paid beIore the year has
expired." Ibn Rushd sums up the subject: "The controversy arises Irom the question whether it is an
actoIworshiporanobligationowedtothepoor.ThegroupwhichconsidersitanactoIworship,like
salah (prayers), does not agree that it should be paid beIore its time. On the other hand, the group
which views it as similar to the case oI deIerred obligatory dues approves its voluntary payment in
advance."InsupportoIhisview,ashShaI'irelatesahadithIrom'AlithattheProphet,uponwhombe
peace,askedIoral-'Abbas'sadaqahbeIoreitsduedate.
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Eiqh3.12:InvokingBlessingIortheZakahPayer
It is desirable that the recipient invoke blessing Ior the zakah payer at the time oI its payment, Ior
Allah says: "Take alms oI their property that you may puriIy and sanctiIy them and pray Ior them.
Verily, your prayers are a comIort Ior them" |at-Taubah 103|. It is related Irom 'Abdullah ibn Abu
AwIathattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,onreceivingsadaqahwouldsay:"OAllah,
blesstheIamilyoIAbuAuIa."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandothers.
Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prayed Ior a man who had oIIered a
Iineshe-camelinhiszakahpayment:"MayAllahblesshimandmakehiscamelsbeneIicialtohim."
Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i.
Ash-ShaI'i says: "According to this hadith, the leader may pray Ior the almsgiver upon receiving his
payment by saying: 'May Allah reward you in turn oI what you have oIIered, and may Allah bless
whatyoustillpossess.'"
Eiqh3.13:Holdingssubjecttozakah
Islamenjoinedzakahoncrops,Iruit,livestock,merchandise,minerals,gold,silver,andtreasures.
Eiqh3.13a:ZakahonGoldandSilver
Says Allah concerning zakah on gold and silver: "... As Ior those who hoard treasures oI gold and
silver and do not spend them Ior the sake oI Allah--warn them oI grievous suIIering |in the liIe to
come|"|at-Taubah34|.Thus,zakahisprescribedIorgoldandsilver--whethertheyareintheIormoI
coins,ingots,ordust--aslongastheamountownedconstitutesanisab,aperiodoIayearhaspassed,
debtsaresettled,and/orbasicneedssatisIiedIromit.
Eiqh3.13b:TheNisaboIGoldandItsDue
TheminimumoInisabIorgoldistwentydinarsownedIoroneyear.ItsdueisaquarteroIatenth,that
is,halIadinar.Eoranyamountovertwentydinars,aquarteroIatenthislevieduponit.'Alireported
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "There is nothing upon you in gold, until it reaches
twentydinars.Thus,iIyouhavetwentydinarsattheendoItheyear,thenthereishalIadinarlevied
on it |as zakah|. Any additional amount will be calculated in this manner. There is no zakah on
propertyuntilithasbeenownedIoroneyear."ThishadithisrelatedbyAhamd,AbuDawud,andal-
Baihaqi.Al-BukharigradesitauthenticandalHaIizhveriIiedit.
Zuraiq, the Eazarah clan's protege, reported that 'Umar ibn 'Abdulaziz wrote to him aIter he became
caliph: "Take what passes by you oI the commerce oI the Muslims--those who trade with their
properties--a dinar Ior each Iorty dinars. Erom that which is less than Iorty, calculate on the lesser
amountuntilitreachestwentydinars.IIyouhavetotakeone-thirdoIadinar,disregarditanddonot
takeanythingonit.AIterwards,givethemawrittenreleaseoIwhatyouhaveleviedIromthemuntil
theyearexpires."ThisisrelatedbyIbnAbuShaibah.
Malik says in his al-Muwatta': "The uncontroversial tradition that we have is that the zakah due on
twentydinarsislikethezakahdueontwohundreddirhams."Twentydinarsareequaltotwenty-eight
Egyptiandirhamsinweight.
Eiqh3.14:TheNisab oISilveranditsDue
Thereisnozakahonsilveruntiltheamountexceedstwohundreddirhams.Theamountpayableisa
quarteroIatenthIoranyamount.Thereisnozakahexemptionon(silver)coinsiItheyattainanisab.
'AlireportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"IexemptyouIrompayingzakahonhorses
andslaves.Pay,then,zakahonsilver,onedirhamIoreachIortydirhams.Zakahisnotdueonninety
oronehundreddirhamsoIsilver.IIitreachestwohundreddirhams,Iivedirhamsaretobepaid."This
was related by the authors oI as-Sunnan (The Traditions). At-Tirmizhi relates:"Iaskedal-BukhariiI
he conIirms this hadith. He said: 'It is authentic.' " At-Tirmizhi also says: "Jurists recognize that
sadaqahshouldbetakenoutoIanyamountlessthanIiveounces(awaq).Oneounce(uqiyyah)equals
Iorty dirhams. Eive awaq equal 200 dirhams. Two hundred dirhams equal twenty-seven riyals equal
5551/2Egyptianpiasters."
Eiqh3.14a:CombiningGoldandSilver
II a person owns gold and silver, but neither oI them on its own constitutes a nisab, he should not
combine the two in order to obtain anisab.ThisisbecausetheyarenotoIthesamekind.Thebasic
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ruleisthatnocategorycanbecombinedwithanother.ItisthesameIorcowsandsheep.Eorexample,
iIsomeonehas199dirhamsandnineteendinars,heisnotsupposedtopayzakahonthem.
Eiqh3.15:ZakahonDebt
DebtsareoItwokinds:
-1- AdebtwhichisacknowledgedbythedebtorwiththewillingnesstopayitoII,and
-2- A debt which is not acknowledged either because the borrower is insolvent or its payment is
deIerred.
IntheIirstcase,scholarshaveIormedtheIollowingviews::TheIirstview:
'Ali, ath-Thauri, Abu Thaur, the HanaIiyyah, and the Hanbaliyyah hold that the creditor should pay
zakah on the debt, provided he has received it Irom the debtor, in that zakah will be payable
retroactively.:TheSecondview:
'Uthman, Ibn 'Umar, Jabir, Tawus, anNakha'i, al-Hasan, az-Zuhri, Qatadah, and ash-ShaI'i hold that
thecreditorshouldpayzakahonthevalueoIadebtowedontime,eventhoughhedidnotreceiveit
yet, since he is eventually going to receive it and use it. It is similar to the zakah oI any deposited
amount.:Thethirdview:
'Ikrimah,'Aishah,andIbn'Umarholdthatnozakahisdueondebtsinceitdoesnotgrow.Itissimilar
tothecaseoIacquiredassets.:TheIourthview:
Sa'idibnal-Musayyaband'AtaibnAbuRabahholdthatzakahshouldbepaidIoroneyeariIthedebt
isreturnedtothecreditors.
-2- Eorthesecondcase,Qatadah,IshaqibnAbuThaur,andtheHaniIiyyahholdthatitszakahisnot
compulsoryonthistypeoIdebt,sincethecreditorcannotbeneIitIromit.Ath-ThauriandAbu'Ubayd
holdthatonreceipt(oIit)thecreditorshouldpayitszakahretroactivelysinceithisandhemayuseit
at his own Iree will, like the zakah on the debt oIarichperson.Thelasttwoviewsareattributedto
ash-ShaI'i. 'Umar ibn 'Abdulaziz, alHasan, al-Layth, al-Auza'i and Malik agree that he should pay
zakahonitIoronlyoneyearwhenhereceivesit.
Eiqh3.16:ZakahonBanknotesandbonds
Sincetheyaredocumentswithguaranteedcredits,banknotesandbondsaresubjecttozakahoncethey
attain the minimum oI nisab--that is, a person may change them into currency immediately. The
minimumoInisabistwenty-sevenEgyptianriyals.
Eiqh3.16a:ZakahonJewelry
Scholarsagreethatnozakahhastobepaidondiamonds,pearls,sapphires,rubies,corals,chrysolite,
or any kind oI precious stones unless they are used Ior trade. There is, however, disagreement over
whether women's gold or silver jewelry is exempt. Abu HaniIah and Ibn Hazm hold that zakah is
compulsory on gold and silver jewelry provided they constitute a nisab. Their view is based on the
report oI'AmribnShu'aibIromhisIatherIromhisgrandIather:"Twowomenwithgoldbraceletson
theirwristscametotheProphet,uponwhombepeace.TheProphetsaid:'DoyouwantAllahtomake
you wear bracelets oI Iire on the Day oI Judgment?' They answered: 'No.' He said: 'Then pay the
zakahwhichisdueonwhatyouwearonyourwrists.'"
Inthesameway,Asma'bintYazidreported:"MyauntandI,whilewearinggoldbracelets,wenttothe
Prophet,uponwhombepeace.Heasked:'Didyoupaytheirzakah?'Sherelatedthattheyhadnot.The
Prophet said: 'DoyounotIearthatAllahwillmakeyouwearabraceletoIIire?Payitszakah.'"Al-
HaythamiconIirmsthatitwasnarratedbyAhmad,anditschainisgood.
'Aishah narrated: "The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, came to me and saw me wearing
silverrings.Thereupon,heasked:'Whatisthis,'Aishah?'Ireplied:'ImadethemtoadornmyselIIor
you, O Messenger oI Allah.' He said: 'Did you pay their zakah?' I said: 'No, or what Allah wishes.'
Then he said: 'Their punishment in Hell is enough Ior you.' " This is related by Abu Dawud, ad-
Daraqutni,andal-Baihaqi.
Malik,ash-ShaI'i,andAhmadibnHanbalholdthatthereisnozakahonwomen'sjewelryregardlessoI
itsvalue.Al-BaihaqirelatesthatJabir ibn'AbdullahwasonceaskediIjewelrywassubjecttozakah.
Herepliedthatitwasnot,eveniIitsvalueexceededonethousanddinars.
Al-Baihaqi also narrates the case oI Asma': "Asma' bint Abu Bakr used to adorn her daughters with
gold.AlthoughitsvaluewasaroundIiItythousanddinars,shedidnotpayzakahonit."
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Itisrelatedinal-Muwatta'Irom'Abdurrahmanibnal-QasimIromhisIatherthat'Aishahusedtotake
care oI her nieces, who were orphans under her protection, and adorned them with jewelry without
payingitszakah.Alsoinal-Muwatta'itisrelatedthat'Abdullahibn'Umarusedtoadornhisdaughters
andslavegirlswithgoldwithoutpayingzakah.
Summing up the subject, al-Khattabi concludes: "What appears in the Qur'an supports the view oI
thosewhoholdthatzakahisobligatoryongoldandsilver,andthetraditionsalsosupportthis.Those
who did not consider it obligatory based their view on speculation and some oI the traditions.
However,tobeonthesaIeside,itisbettertopay."ThesediIIerentviewsdealwithallowablegoldor
silver adornment. As Ior other adornments which are prohibited-- that is, a woman wearing a man's
adornment--theirzakahshouldbepaid.Thesameruleisappliedtogoldorsilverutensils.
Eiqh3.17:ZakahonaWoman'sDowry
Abu HaniIah is oI the opinion that there is no zakah on the dowry oI a woman until she comes to
possessit.Atthesametime,thedowrymustconstitutethenisabattheendoItheyear.Theposition,
however,willbediIIerentiIthewomanhasaccumulatedanisabotherthanthedowry.Insuchacase,
anyamountshereceivesshouldbeaddedtothenisab,andzakahshouldbepaidattheendoIayearoI
possession.Ash-ShaI'iholdsthatawomanmustpayzakahonherdowryattheendoI oneyear,even
iIitisbeIorethewedding.TheprobabilityoIitsrestitutionbecauseoInulliIication,oritsIiItypercent
reIund because oI divorce, does not exempt her Irom paying it. The Hanbaliyyah are oI the opinion
thatdowryisacreditIorwomenandthatitissimilartodebts.IItherecipientoIadowryisrich,the
payment oI its zakah is obligatory. II the recipient is insolvent, or does not acknowledge it, then,
according to al-Khiraqiyy, the zakah is obligatory regardless oI the consumation oI marriage. II a
woman receives halI oI her dowry (in the case oI her divorce beIore consumation), she should pay
zakahonlyonthereceivedhalI.However,iIalloIthedowryiscancelledbeIoreshereceivesit(inthe
caseoInulliIyingthemarriageonherbehalI),sheisundernoobligationtopayitszakah.
Eiqh3.17a:ZakahonHouseRent
AbuHaniIahandMalikmaintainthattherentisnotpayabletothelandlordatthetimeoIthecontract
butattheexpiryoItherentingperiod.Thus,thelandlord whorentsoutahouseshouldpaythezakah
onhishouserent,providedtheIixedamountmeetstheIollowingconditions:receivingoIthemoney
and completion oI nisab at the end oI the year. The Hanbaliyyah think that once the contract is
concluded, the landlord is entitled to have rent. Thus, iI someone leases his house, the zakah is due
uponitsIixedratereachinganisabattheendoItheyear.Thisissobecausethelandlordhastheright
to spend the rent the way he wants to. The possibility oI cancelling the lease does not invalidate the
obligation to pay zakah. This case is similar to the case oI dowry beIore the consumation oI a
marriage.IItherentisanarrearrent,thenitshouldbetreatedasadebteitheraspaidorpostponed.In
al-Majmu',an-Nawawisays:"IIsomebodyleasedahouseandwaspaidinadvance,heshouldpayits
zakahonreceivingit.Thisisuncontroversial."
Eiqh3.18:ZakahonTrade
The majority oI scholars among the companions, the Iollowers, the generation aIter them, and the
jurists who came subsequently held that zakah on merchandise is compulsory. Abu Dawud and
alBaihaqi relate that Samurah ibn Jundub reported: "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to
command us to pay sadaqah Irom |the goods| we had Ior sale." Ad-Daraqutni and al-Baihaqi relate
that Abu Zharr reported the Prophet, upon whom be peace, saying: "There is sadaqah on camels,
sheep, cows, and house Iurniture." Ash-ShaI'i, Ahmad, Abu 'Ubaid, ad-Daraqutni, al-Baihaqi, and
'Abdur-RazzaqrelatethatAbu'AmribnHammasreportedIromhisIatherthathesaid:"Iusedtosell
leather and containers. Once, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab passed by me and said: 'Pay the sadaqah due on
your property.' I said: 'O Commander oI the EaithIul, it is just leather.' He replied: 'Evaluateit and
thenpayitsduesadaqah.'"
Commenting on its credentials, Ibn Quadmah says in alMughni that this is a kind oI story which is
well-knownandindisputable.ThismightbeaconsensusoIopinion.
Ontheotherhand,theZahiriyyahmaintainthatmerchandiseisnotsubjecttozakah.TheydiIIer,says
IbnRushd,becauseoItheiruseoIanalogicalreasoningtotheobligationoIzakahandbecauseoItheir
disagreementontheauthenticityoISamurah'sandAbuZharr'sreports.
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However,themajorityoIjuristsviewmerchandiseasapropertywhichincreasesinvalue.Hence,by
analogy, it is similar to the three categories upon which zakah must be paid: plantations, cattle, and
goldandsilver.
It is stated in al-Mandr: "Most scholars agree that zakah is obligatory on merchandise even though
thereisnoclear-cutrulingintheQur'anorthesunnahonthisissue.However,thereareanumberoI
reports that corroborate each other with regard to the evidence provided by |their| texts. Their
rationale is that since merchandise is a Iorm oI cash, there is no diIIerence between it and dinars or
dirhams in terms oI which it is valued. This means that the Iorm oI the nisab can alternate between
valueintheIormoIcashandthatwhichisvaluedintheIormoImerchandise.IIzakahhadnotbeen
obligatory on merchandise, the rich--or most oI them --would have converted their cash into
merchandiseIortradingpurposes,makingsurethatthenisaboIgoldandsilverisneverpossessedby
themIorayear."
Themainconsideration hereisthatbylevyingzakahontherich,AllahtheExaltedwantstohelpthe
poorandtopromotethewelIareoIthepeopleingeneral.Eortherich,itsbeneIitliesincleansingtheir
persons oI stinginess--both in money and Ieelings. Eor the poor, its beneIit lies in easing their
circumstances. Zakah thus eliminates the causes oI corruption which results Irom the increase oI
moneyinaIewhands.ItisthiswisdomwhichtheQur'anreIerstowhenitdealswiththedistribution
oIbooty:"...thatitbecomesnotacommoditybetweentherichamongyou"(alHashr7).ThereIore,it
isnotreasonabletoexemptbusinessmenIromtheirsocietalobligationswhentheypossessmostoIthe
nation'swealth.
Eiqh3.19:WhenGoodscanbeJudgedasTradingGoods
The author oI al-Mughm states that: "Merchandise can only be considered as trading goods Ior two
reasons:
-1- The actual possession oI merchandise is acquired by an act such as a commercial transaction,
marriage,divorcedemandedbythewiIe(khul'),acceptanceoIagiIt,bequest,booty,andotherlawIul
acquisition.Thisisbecausethatwhichisnotsubjecttozakahcannotbeconsideredassosubsequent
toitspossessiononthebasisoIniyyah(intention)only,as,Iorexample,inthecaseoIIasting.Itdoes
notmakeanydiIIerencewhetherapersoncametopossesssuchitemsbybuyingthemornotbecause
hispossessionisbyanactsimilartoinheritance.
-2- The goods are intended, at the time oI possession, Ior trade. These are considered as non-trade
goodseventhoughthepersonintendstousethemlaterIortrade.
However, iI he possesses these goods through inheritance and intends them Ior trade, they are not
consideredastradegoodsbecausethedeterminingIactorinsuchcasesisthestatusoIacquisition,not
the temporary state oI trade. Mere intention will not provide a valid reason to change its status. Eor
example, iI a person intends to travel without embarking upon it, then the mere expression oI his
intention will not constitute the act oI traveling. Likewise, iI a person bought merchandise Ior trade
andthenintendeditIorpossession,itwouldbeconsideredassuchandzakahwillnotbepaidonit.
Eiqh3.20:HowisZakahonTradeMoneytobePaid
OnewhopossessesmerchandisewithanisabIorayearshouldpayzakahonit,theamountoIwhichis
a quarter oI a tenth oI its value. This should be done by a businessman every year. However, the
periodoIayeardoesnotcomeintoeIIectunlesshisinventoryconstitutesanisab.
Assuming a businessman possesses merchandise short oI a nisab and part oI a year has passed, his
inventory subsequently increases through an unusual rise invalue(becauseoIsupplyanddemandor
throughpriceIluctuation)sothatitconstitutesanisab;orhesoldmerchandiseIorthepriceoIanisab;
or during the course oI the year he comes to possess other merchandise which, together with his
previousamount,completesanisab;then,thehawl(IorthepurposeoIzakah)startsatthattime,and
the time elapsed is not taken into consideration. This is the view oI the HanaIiyyah, ath-Thauri,
ashShaI'i,Ishaq,Abu'Ubaid,AbuThaur,andIbnal-Munzhir.
AccordingtoAbuHaniIah,iIthemerchandiseinpossessionconstitutesanisabatthebeginningoIthe
year and also at the end, zakah will still be applicable even though the nisab might have decreased
within that time. The reason is that it is diIIicult to ascertain its completeness in the intervening
period.
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The Hanbaliyyah hold that iI the merchandise decreases during the course oI the year and increases
again until it constitutes a nisab, the (requisite) period oI a year starts all over again because it has
beeninterruptedinitscoursebythedecrease.
Eiqh3.21:ZakahonplantsandIruit
Allah has made zakah obligatory on plants andIruit,IorHesays:"Oyouwhobelieve!SpendoIthe
good things which you have earned, and oI that which We bring Iorth Irom the earth" |alBaqarah
267|. Zakah is called expenditure (naIaqah). Giving the justiIication Ior paying zakah on produce,
Allahsays:"Heitiswhoproducesgardenstrellisedanduntrellised,andthedatepalmandthecropsoI
diverse Ilavors, and the olive, and the pomegranate, like and unlike. Eat oI the Iruit thereoI when it
produces Iruit, and pay its due upon the harvest day" |alAn'am 141|. In his explanation oI the word
haqq(due)inthepreceding'ayah,Ibn'Abbassaysthatbyhaqqismeantboththeobligatoryzakahand
the'ushr(tithe)andthehalI-tithe.
Eiqh3.21a:ZakahonPlantsandEruitsattheTimeoItheProphet
During the time oI the Prophet, upon whom bepeace,zakahwasleviedonwheat,barley,dates,and
raisins.
Abu Burdah related Irom Abu Musa and Mu'azh that when the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be
peace, sent the (latter two) to Yemen to teach its inhabitants Islam, he commanded them to levy
sadaqahonlyonwheat,barley,dates,andraisins.Thishadithisrelatedbyad-Daraqutni,al-Hakim,at-
Tabarani,andal-Baihaqi.
Commenting on the status oI the report, al-Baihaqisaysthatitschainismuttasil(uninterrupted)and
itsnarratorsarecredible.
Whether sadaqah on such items should be considered zakah or not, Ibn al-Munzhir and ibn 'Abd al-
Barr say: "The scholars are oI the opinion that sadaqah is obligatory on wheat, barley, dates, and
raisins."ThisopinionhasitsrootsinasayingbyIbnMajahthattheMessenger,uponwhombepeace,
regulatedthepaymentoIzakahonwheat,barley,dates,raisinsandcorn.Muhammadibn'Ubaidullah
al-'Arzumi,anarratorinitschain,however,isoIquestionablestatusintheeyesoIthescholars,andas
such,hisreportisnotcredible.
Eiqh3.22:PlantsandEruitsWhichWereNotSubjecttoZakah
ZakahwasnotleviedonvegetablesorIruit,withtheexceptionoIgrapesandIreshdates(rutab).'Ata
ibn as-Sa'ib reported that 'Abdullah ibn al-Mughirah wanted to levy sadaqah on Musa ibn Talha's
vegetables.Thelatterobjected,saying:"Youhavenorighttodothat.TheMessengeroIAllahusedto
say: 'There is no sadaqah on this |vegetables|.' " This is related by ad-Daraqutni, alHakim, and al-
AthraminhisSunan.Thishadithismursal.
MusaibnTalhahsays:"Eivethings|whichweresubjecttozakah|werementionedbytheMessenger
oI Allah, upon whom be peace: barley, wheat, sult |a kind oI barley having no husk|, raisins, and
dates. Whatever else the land produces is not subject to the 'ushr. It is also reported that Mu'azh did
notlevysadaqahonvegetables."
CommentingonthestatusoIthesereports,al-Baihaqisays:"AlloIthesehadithareoIthemursalkind
but were reported Irom diIIerent authorities. Nevertheless, they conIirm each other." The hadith on
thissubjectincludethesayingsoI'Umar,'Ali,and'Aishah.
Al-Athram narrated that one oI Caliph 'Umar'sgovernorswrotetohimconceminggrapeplantations,
including peaches and pomegranates which produced twice as much harvest as the grapes. He wrote
back: "There is no 'ushr (tithe) on them. They pertain to 'udah--items that cannot be distributed in
inheritance."
At-Tirmizhiagreeswiththeprecedingandsays:"Thepractice|baseduponthis|amongmostjuristsis
nottolevysadaqahonvegetables."Al-Qurtubialsosupportsthis:"Zakahistobeleviedonthemuqtat
|land products used as stable Iood| and not on vegetables." In at-Ta'iI, they used to grow
pomegranates, peaches, and citrus, but there is no conIirmation that the Prophet and his successors
leviedzakahonthem.
Ibn al-Qayyim contends: "It was not his |the Prophet's| practice to levy zakah on horses, slaves,
mules, donkeys, and vegetables, melons, cucumbers, and Iruits, which cannot be stored or measured
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by capacity. The only exceptions were grapes and Iresh dates. On the latter two kinds, zakah was
leviedasawhole,withoutdiIIerentiationwhetherornottheyweredry."
Eiqh3.23:TheOpinionoIJurists
There is no diIIerence oI opinion among jurists concerning the obligatory nature oI zakah on plants
andIruits.Theydo,however,diIIeronthekindsoIplantsandIruitswhichshouldbesubjecttozakah.
HereisthebroadspectrumoIopinionsonthesubject:
Al-Hasan al-Basri and ash-Shu'abi hold that zakah is only on the speciIied items (in the Qur'an and
sunnah)--that is corn, dates, and raisins--since other kinds are not mentioned. Ash-Shaukani upholds
thisview.
Abu HaniIah maintains that zakah is due on every type oI produce oI the land including vegetables,
but excluding what is not intentionally planted and cultivated such as Iirewood, bamboo, grass, and
thosetreeswhichbearnoIruit.HisopinionisbaseduponthegeneralmeaningoItheProphet'ssaying:
"Eromwhattheheavensirrigate,atithe|isdue|."Themeaningisgeneralandencompassesalltypes
oI arable products, which are planted to make the land grow, and thereIore reIers to any agricultural
practicessimilartothegrowingoIgrains(habb).
AbuYusuIandMuhammadholdthatzakahispayableoneveryproductoItheland,provideditlasts
thewholeyearwithouttoomuchcareortreatment.Thisincludesproducemeasuredbycapacity,such
asgrains,orbymass,suchascottonandsugar.IItheproducedoesnotlastawholeyear,suchasthe
twokindsoIcucumber(quththa'andkhiyar),watermelonsandothersoItheirkind,thereisnozakah
onthem.
Malik holds that zakah is payable on that which is produced on the land and which stays, becomes
dry,andisplantedbyhumanbeings.ThisincludeslandproduceusedasnonperishableIood(muqtat),
suchassaIIlowerandsesameseeds.Accordingtohim,thereisnozakahonvegetablesandIruitssuch
asIigs,pomegranatesandapples.Ash-ShaI'imaintainsthatzakahispayableonanyproduce,provided
the resulting crop is used as regular Iood which can be storedandplantedbyhumanbeings,suchas
grainsandbarley.
An-Nawawisays:"Ouropinionisthatthereisnozakahonanytreesotherthanpalm andgrapevines.
There is also no zakah on grains other than the one which is or can be stored, and no zakah on
vegetables." Ahmad is oI the opinion that there is zakah on everything that Allah causes the land to
produce, such as grains and Iruits, that can be dried, preserved, measured and planted by human
beings,whethertheybeconsiderednonperishableIoods,suchaswheatandqutniyyat(includingpeas,
beans,lentilsandsuchothergrains),orspicesandherbs(ahariz),suchascoriander,carawayseeds, or
seedssuchaslinseedoItheIluzplant(kittanseeds),theseedsoIthetwokindsoIcucumber(quththa'
andkhiyar),orsaIIlowerandsesameseeds.
AccordingtoAhmad,zakahisalsopayableondryIruitssuchasdates,raisins,apricots,Iigs,almonds,
hazelnuts,andpistachionutsiItheprecedingspeciIicationsapplytothem.ThereisnozakahonIresh
Iruit such as peaches, pears, apples, apricots, and Iigs. In the same way, it is not due on vegetables
suchasthetwokindsoIcucumber,watermelons,eggplants,turnips,andcarrots.
Eiqh3.24:ZakahonOlives
An-Nawawisays:"AsIorolives,our|ShaI'iyyah|viewisthatthereisnozakahonthem."Thisisalso
theopinionoIHasanibnSalih,IbnAbuLayla,andAbu'Ubaid.
Scholars such as as-Zuhri, al-Auza'i, al-Layth, Malik, athThauri, Abu HaniIah, and Abu Thaur
maintainthatthereiszakahonolives.Az-Zuhri,al-Layth,andal-Auza'ihold:"Determineitsquantity
byconjecture(yukharras),andthentakeitszakahintheIormoIoliveoil,"whileMaliksays:"There
is no need to compute its quantity by conjecture (yukharras). Take a tithe subsequent to the olives
beingpressedandattaintheweightoIIiveawsuq."
Eiqh3.24a:TheOriginoItheDiIIerentOpinionsConcerningZakahonPlantsandEruits
OI their diIIerences on the payment oI zakah pertaining to plants and Iruits, Ibn Rushd inIorms us:
"ThediIIerenceoIopinionliesintheIactthatsomejuristsconIinepayingoIzakahtoonlythoseitems
oI consumption which are generally agreed upon, while others go beyond those items and include
driedIruitsinthemtoo.|ThecruxoItheissueis|:WhatqualiIiestheIouredibleitems|wheat,barley,
dates,anddriedgrapes|Iorzakah?AretheysubjecttozakahbecauseoItheirbeingdelineatedassuch
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or because oI their special import to the subsistence oI liIe? Those who subscribe to the Iirst view
restrictpaymentoIzakahtotheIouredibles,andthosewhosubscribetothesecondviewextendthe
obligation to all land produce except Ior grass, Iirewood, and bamboo. There is a consensus on the
latter being excluded Irom zakah. However, when it comes to the use oI analogy based on a general
statement,bothgroupsrestonshakyground."
ThesayingoItheProphet,whichusestheexpressionallazhiyaqtazhi,reads:"Eromwhattheheavens
water, a tithe |is due|, and Irom what is watered by irrigation |nazh| a halI a tithe." The relative
pronounmaisusedtomeanal-lazhi,whichisageneralexpression.Allah,theExalted,alsosays:"Itis
Hewhohasbroughtintobeinggardens--boththecultivatedonesandthosegrowingwild--andthedate
palm,andIieldsbearingmultiIormproduce,andtheolivetrees,andthepomegranate:allresembling
one another and yet so diIIerent. Eat oI their Iruit when it comes to Iruition, and give unto the poor
theirdueontheharvestday..."|al-An'am141|.
Analogicallyspeaking,zakahaimsatcounteractingpovertyandthiscannotbedonethroughzakahon
landproducewhichisedibleandsustainsliIe.
Restricting a general statement with this kind oI analogical reasoning vitiates zakah on all land
produceexceptoneswhichsustainliIe.ThosewhoIollowthegeneralimportoItheProphet'ssaying
addsomemoretothegenerallyacknowledgedIouritems.ExcludedoIcoursearethe onesonwhich
thereisconsensus.
Again, those who agree upon land produce oI a subsistance kind oIten diIIer over whether it can be
consideredasbeingsubsistent.CananalogicalreasoningbethebasisoIwhattheyagreeuponornot?
AnexampleoIsucha disagreementisthatoIMalikandash-ShaI'iregardingolives.Malikholdsthat
zakah on olives is obligatory, while ash-ShaI'i is against it, according to a latter view expressed in
Egypt.ThereasonIorhisdisagreementiswhetherolivescouldbeconsideredasIoodvitalIorliIeor
not.
Eiqh3.26:NisaboIPlantsandEruits
MostscholarssaythatthereisnozakahonplantsorIruitsuntiltheyattaintheamountoIIiveawsuq.
Eurthermore, this becomes applicable only aIter the chaII, straw, and husk are removed. II it is not
cleansedoIhusk,thentheamountoIzakahwouldbetenawsuq.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Thereisnosadaqah(zakah)on
thatwhichislessthanIiveawsuq."ItisalsonarratedbyAhmadandal-Baihaqiwithagoodchain.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "There is no sadaqah on
anyamountoIdatesorgrainslessthanIiveawsuq."AwusuqbyconsensusoIopinionissixtysa'as(a
cubic measure oI varying magnitude). This hadith is said to be munqati that is--a hadith with an
interruptedchain.
BothAbuHaniIahandMujahidholdthatzakahisdueonanyamount,littleorbig,inaccordancewith
the generic nature oI the Prophet's saying: "Erom what the heavens water, a tithe |isdue|..."Thisis
because land produce is perishable and cannot be preserved Ior a whole year. In that case, such
producedoesnotattainanisabwithinaone-yearperiod.
Ibnal-Qayyim'sdiscussionoIthesubjectisthattheauthenticandexplicitsunnahIoratithe'snisabis
the hadith: "Erom what the heavens water, a tithe |is due|, and Irom what is watered by irrigation
(gharb-vessel) a halI a tithe." This is applicable to both small and large quantities as opposed to the
speciIicamountmentionedinotherhadith.Initsapplication,agenericstatementisasimportantasa
speciIic one. Should there be a conIlict between the two, then the most comprehensive will be
applicable.Thisistherule.
It has been said that both oI the preceding hadith ought to be Iollowed. In their essence, theydonot
contradict each other, nor does one oI them have to cancel the other. The Messenger oI Allah, upon
whombepeace,hastobeobeyedinthismatter,Iorhesaid:"Eromwhattheheavenswater,a tithe|is
due|..."Thissayingseekstodistinguishbetweenthetwo(categories):oneonwhichatitheisdue,
and the other on which only halI oI the tithe is due. He thereIore distinguished between the two
categories only in respect to the amount due. There is no mention oI any amount oI nisab in this
hadith. However, he mentioned it explicitly in another hadith which cannot be ignored as something
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that is general or is intended to be so and not otherwise. It is similar to other statements oI general
importwhichhavebeenexplainedinthetexts.
Ibn Qudamah concludes: "The saying oI the Prophet, upon whom bepeace,that'thereisnosadaqah
|zakah| on anything less than Iive awsuq' is agreed upon. This hadith is speciIic, and Ior this reason
takes precedence and clariIies his previous statement oI general import. This is similar to his saying
that 'zakah is due on all Ireely grazing camels,' which becomes explicit by his other saying on the
samesubject:'ThereisnosadaqahonlessthanIivecamels.'Likewisehissaying:'Sadaqahonsilveris
aIourthoIthetithe,'becomesspeciIicbyalatterutterance:'Thereisnosadaqahonanyamountless
thanIiveounces.'Thus,itispossibletohaveholdingswhichqualiIyIorsadaqahperse,butonwhich
itis notlevied."
When it comes to land produce, possession oI a property Ior a year cannot be used as criterion,
because their maturity or growth is completed by the time oI harvest, and not by their continuity
extendedbeyondayear.However,possessionisconsideredIorgoodsotherthanlandproducesinceit
isgenerallyassumedthatbytheendoItheyeartheymusthavecompletedtheirgrowth.Theprinciple
oI attaining a nisab on any property is based on the understanding that a nisab is an amount large
enoughtobesubjectedtozakah.ThismaybeexplainedbyrecallingthatsadaqahisobligatoryIorthe
rich,whichpresupposestheexistenceoInisabgeneratedbytheirholdings.Eorproducewhichcannot
bemeasuredbutqualiIiesIorzakah,asa'aisused.Onesa'aisameasureequaltooneandone-third
cups (gadah). Thus,anisabisIiItykaylah(kaylahisadrymeasureoIweight,inEgyptitisequalto
16.72 L). As to the produce which cannot be measured, Ibn Quadamah says: "The nisab oI saIIron,
cottonandsuchitemsistobeweighedat1,600Iraqipounds(ratl,anIraqiratlequalsapproximately
130dirhams).Thus,itsweightisestimated."
AbuYusuIsaysthatiItheproducecannotbemeasured,thenzakahcanonlybeleviedonitwhenits
valueattainsthenisaboIarticlessubjecttotheloweststandardoImeasurement.Thus,zakahwillnot
be levied on cotton until its value reaches Iive awsuq oI an article to the lowest value so measured,
such as barley and the like. This is because it is impossible to measure the articleinitselIexceptby
the lower price oI two nisabs. According to Muhammad ibn al-Hasan: "Eor zakah, a product has to
reach Iive times the greatest value oI its kind. Thus, zakah is not payable on cotton when it reaches
Iive qintars, because evaluation by means oI wusuq is based on the consideration that its value is
higherthanwhatisvaluedinkind."
Eiqh3.28:TheRateoIZakah
The rate oI zakah diIIers according to the method oI irrigation. II it is watered naturally without the
use oI artiIicial means, then the zakah payable is atithe(one-tenth)oItheproduce.However,iIitis
irrigatedbyamechanicaldeviceorwithpurchasedwater,thenthezakahpayableishalIatithe.
Mu'azhreportsthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Onthatwhichiswateredbytheheavens,
orbyanadjacentwaterchannel,atitheisdue.AsIorwhatisirrigatedthroughawellorastream,its
zakahishalIatithe."ThishadithisnarratedbyalBaihaqiandal-Hakim,andisgradedsahih.
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "On that which is watered by the
heavens or springs or its own roots, a tithe is due, and on that watered by a well or a stream, halI a
tithe."Thishadithisnarratedbyal-Bukhariandothers.
In case the land is watered equally by artiIicial as well as natural means, then zakah payable will be
three-IourthsoIatithe.
IbnQudamahstatedthathedidnotknowoIanydiIIerenceoIopinionontheprecedinghadith.IIone
method oI watering is used more than the other, then Ior calculating zakah, this would be the
determiningIactor.ThisistheviewoIAbuHaniIah,Ahmad,athThauri,andash-ShaI'i(oneoIhistwo
opinions).
AlloIthecostsinvolvedinharvesting,transportation,threshing,cleaning,storing,andothersaretobe
bornebytheownerIromhispropertyandshouldnotbeaccountedIoragainstthezakahtobepaid.
Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn 'Umar hold that whatever is borrowed Ior the purpose oI tilling, planting, and
harvestingshouldIirstbetakenout.
This is evident Irom their Iollowing statements reported by Jabir ibn Zaid that Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn
'Umar said that a man who borrows in order to spend it either on cultivation (oI his land) or on his
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IamilymustIirstpayoIIhisdebt,thenpayzakahon therest.Ibn'Abbassaid:"EirsthemustpayoII
what he spent on cultivation, and then pay zakah on the rest." Yahya ibn Adam related this in al-
Kharaj.
Ibn Hazm relates Irom 'Ata that all expenses are to be deducted Iirst. II zakah is applicable to the
remainingamount,onlythenwillitbepaid.
Eiqh3.29:ZakahonKharajiyyahLand
Landsubjecttotaxisdividedintotwocategores:
-1- 'ushriyyah land (tithe land): land owned by people who accepted Islam willingly or who were
conquered by Iorce and had their land divided among the conquerors, or land revived and cultivated
byMuslims;and
-2- kharajiyyah land (taxable land), land conquered by Iorce and leIt to its original owners on the
conditionthattheypaytherequiredlandtax.
Just as zakah is payable on 'ushriyyah, so it is paid on kharajiyyah when the inhabitants oI the latter
accept Islam or when a Muslim buys it. In that case, both the tithe and the kharaj become due, and
neitheroIthemwillnegatetheapplicationoItheother.
Ibnal-Munzhirwitnesses:"ThisistheviewoImostoIthescholars,including'Umaribn'Abdulaziz,
Rabi'ah, az-Zuhri, Yahya al-Ansari, Malik, al-Awzai, ath-Thauri, al-Hasan ibn Salih, Ibn Abu Layla,
al-Layth,Ibnal-Mubarak,Ahmad,Ishaq,Abu'Ubaid,andDawud."TheiropinionisderivedIromthe
Qur'an, the sunnah, and the exercise oI their intellect--that is, by means oI analogical reasoning or
qiyas.
The Qur'anic verse reIerred to is: "O you who believe! Spend oI the good things which you have
earned and oIthatwhichWeproduceIromtheearthIoryou"|al-Baqarah267|.Sharingtheproduce
oI ones land with the poor is obligatory, whether the land is kharajiyyah or 'ushriyyah. The sunnah
reIerredtois:"Eromwhattheheavenswater,atithe|isdue|."Thishadithencompassesinitsgeneral
meaningboththekharajandthe'ushriyyahland.
As to the analogical reasoning (qiyas), both zakah and kharaj are a kind oI obligations (hagq), each
basedonadiIIerentreason,andonedoesnotnulliIytheother.Itissimilartothecasewhenaperson
whoisinthestateoIihramkillsprivatelyownedgame(Ioreating).Sincethetitheispayablebythe
IorceoIthetext,itcannotbenegatedbykharaj,whichbecomespayablebytheIorceoIijtihad.Abu
HaniIah holds that there is no tithe on kharaj land. Kharaj, he says, is due only when the land is
conquered,(whereas)oneoItheconditionsgoverningtheobligatorynatureoIthetitheisthattheland
shouldnotbekharajiyyah.:TheValidityoIAbuHaniIah'sView
Imam Abu HaniIah provides the Iollowing evidence Ior his view: According to Ibn Mas'ud, the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "Neither kharaj nor tithe |'ushr| are payable simultaneously on
thelandoIaMuslim."
The preceding hadith is by consensus held to be weak (da'iI). Yahya ibn 'Anbasah reported it on the
authority oI Abu HaniIah Irom Hammad Irom Ibrahim an-Nakha'i Irom 'Alqamah, Irom Ibn Mas'ud
IromtheProphet,uponwhombepeace.
Al-Baihaqi probes its chain and says in al-Ma'riIah as-Sunan wa al-Athar: "The preceding hadith is
narratedbyAbuHaniIahIromHammadIromIbrahimonhisownauthority.Thus,Yahyareportedin
suspended (marIu') Iorm." Yahya ibn 'Anbasah is well-known Ior interpolating unauthentic sayings
andattributingthemtoestablishedauthorities. ThiswasrelatedbyAbuAhmadibn'Adiyyal-HaIizas
wewereinIormedbyAbuSa'idal-Maliniabouthim."
Likewise,al-KamalIbnal-Humam,aleadingHanaIiyyah,considersthehadithweak.
Ahmad, Muslirn, and Abu Dawud relate Irom Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said: "Iraq would reIrain Irom paying its qaIiz' and dirham, Syria its mudd and dinar, and Egypt its
ardab and dinar. Thus, you would come back Irom where you had started." He said this three times.
AbuHurairahheardthisinperson.
This hadith does not provide evidence to the eIIect that zakah should not be takenIromkharajland.
ThescholarsinterpretittomeanthattheconversionoIthesecountriestoIslamwouldeliminateland
tax. ItmayalsohavealludedtodissensionswhichcouldprevailattheendoItimeandwhichwould
leadtoneglectingorIulIillingtheobligationoIzakah,jizyahandothersuchduesbythem.
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An-Nawawi says: "II this hadith means what they |the HanaIiyyah| claim, then it means that zakah
couldnotbeenjoinedondirhams,dinars,andmerchandise.IIthisisso,thennobodysubscribestoit."
It was reported that when the dahqan (grandee) oI Bahr al-Mulk embraced Islam, 'Umar ibn al-
Khattabsaid:"GivehimthelandandcollectthelandtaxIromhim."This isaclearstatementonthe
matteroItakingkharajwithoutdemandingpaymentoIthetithe.
ThisincidentindicatesthatkharajisnotcancelledIoranypersonaIterheembracesIslam,nordoesit
lead to the cancellation oI tithe. He mentioned kharaj here as a way oI stating that it will not be
cancelledbyembracingIslam,likejizyah.AsIorthetithe,itiswellknownthatitisbindingonaIree
Muslim, so there is no need to mention it. He also did not mention the levy oIzakahoncattle.This
holdsIorthepaymentoIzakahonsilverandgoldandothervaluables.Perhapsthedahqan(grandee)
didnotpossessanythingwhichrequiredthelevyoIatitheonit.
It is said that the practice oI the rulers and imams was not to combine the 'ushr and kharaj. Ibn al-
MunzhirdisapprovesoIsuchapracticebecause'Umaribn'Abdulazizdidcombinethetwo.
ItisalsosaidthatkharajistheoppositeoI'ushr.ThismeansthatkharajisaconsequenceoIconquest,
whereas'ushrisanactoIworship.ThereIore,thetwo cannotbecombined(atonetime)andobtained
simultaneously Irom the same person. This held true in the beginning (when lands were conquered),
but it is not tenable in the long run. Nevertheless, not all Iorms oI kharaj are based on Iorce and
conquest since some oI its Iorms are instituted without Iorce as, Ior example, in the case oI lands
adjoiningakharajlandorinthecaseoIacquiredandrevivedlandwateredwithstreams.
It is also said that the reason behind the imposition oI kharaj and 'ushr isone--that is, an actually or
potentially yielding land. This can be explained by recalling that iI it is marsh land oI no beneIit
(sabkhah), there is no kharaj or 'ushr on it. That is, one cause cannot demand two dues oI the same
kind. This is similar to the case oI an individual who Ior a year possesses Iree-grazing camels
(sa'imah)intendedIorsale,IorsuchapersonisnotrequiredtopaytwokindsoIzakah--thatis,oneIor
possessionandoneIortrade.
Thisisnotthecasebecausethe'ushr(tithe)is payableontheland'sproduceandthekharajontheland
itselI,regardlessoIwhetheritisplantedornot.AstotheadmissibilityoItheunityoIcause,alKamal
ibnal-HumamexplainsthereisnothingtopreventtwoobligationsIrombeingconnectedtoonecause,
suchasland.
MostscholarsareoItheopinionthatanyonewhorentsapieceoIlandandcultivatesitmustpaythe
zakah,notthetrueowneroIthatland.TothisAbuHaniIahreplies:"Zakahisdueonthelandowner."
Ibn Rushd holds: "Their diIIerence lies in whether the 'ushr is payable on the land itselI or its
produce." Obviously, zakah, as their views suggest, is payable on either oI them. The diIIerence is
only oI priority, considering that both the produce and the land belong to the same owner. Most
scholarssaythatzakahisdueonseeds(habb).AbuHaniIahholdsthattheessenceoIobligationrests
withtheland.IbnQudamahinclinestowardthemajority'sviewandsays:"Theobligationliesonthe
produceandispayablebyitsowner,asinthecaseoIzakahonthevalue|oIaproperty|intendedIor
trade.Also,itissimilartothetithepayableontheproduceoIthelandowned."Their(theHanaIiyyah)
viewisnotauthentic,IoriIzakahweretobeleviedonthevalueoItheland,thenitwouldhavebeen
obligatoryeveniIthelandwasnotcultivated,asisthecasewiththelandtax,andevennonMuslirns
wouldnotbeexcludedIromitsapplication.Bethatthecase,kharajwouldhavetobeestimatedonthe
landitselI,notonthevalueoIproduce--thatis,itwouldbeconsideredpartoItheexpenditureoIIay',
nottheexpenditureoIzakah.
Eiqh 3.32: The Estimation oI Nisab on Palm Trees and Grapevines Through Khars, Not by Measure
(Kayl)
Assoonaspalmtreesandgrapevinesripenandtheir produceisreadytobepicked,anestimationoI
theirnisabismadewithouttheiractualweighing.Theprocessiscarriedoutbyaknowledgeableand
trustworthypersonwhoestimatestheamountoIIreshgrapesanddatesstillonthetreesIorzakahasiI
they were dry dates and raisins. The arnount oI zakah is, however, payable when the Iruit becomes
dry.
AbuHumaydas-Sa'idirelated:"WewentontheexpeditionoITabukwiththeProphet,uponwhombe
peace.WhenwearrivedatWadial-Qura,wesawawomanin herorchard.TheProphetsaid:'Letus
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estimate |her zakah|.' Then the Messenger, upon whom be peace, estimated ten awsuq and told her:
'|The amount oI zakah| has been calculated on your |orchard's| produce.' " This is narrated by
alBukhari.
This is the practice oI the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, and his companions and the
scholarsobservedit.
TheHanaIiyyahhavediIIerentviewsbecausetheyconsiderconjecturetobeuncertain,andthereIore,
oI no use in determining the amount owed. Still, the tradition oI the Messenger oI Allah is a better
guide('azha)becauseconjectureisnotguessing;itisadiligentattempttoestimatetheamountoIthe
produce. It is the same as estimating the amount oI the produce lost (because oI its being rotten or
moth-ridden). The basis Ior conjecture rests on the custom that people eat Iresh Iruits, and as such,
there is no need Ior calculating the amount oI zakah beIore it is eaten or plucked. In this way, the
ownersareallowedtodowhattheywantand,atthesametime,todeterminetheamountoIzakah.The
appraisershouldignoreathirdoraIourthoItheproduceasareprieveIorthepropertyownerssince
they, their guests, and their neighbors need to eat some oI it. Also, the produce is exposed to such
perilsasbirdsIeeding,passers-byplucking,andwindblowing.AnyappraisaloItheamountoIzakah
onalloItheproducewithoutexcludingathirdoraIourthoIit(Iortheprecedingreasons)wouldhave
militatedagainstthegenuineinterestsoItheowners.
Sahl ibn Abu Hathamah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "Whenever you
conjecture,estimatethe|zakah|andignoreone-third.IIyoudonot,thenleave|atleast|one-Iourth."
ThisisnarratedbyAhmadandtheauthorsoISunan,exceptIor IbnMajah.Itwasalsoreportedbyal-
Hakim and Ibn Hibban, and they both authenticated it. Commenting on the status oI the report,
atTirmizhisays:"ThehadithreportedbySahlistheoneenactedorIollowedbymostscholars."Bashir
ibn Yassar said: "When 'Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed Abu Hathamah al-Ansari to estimate the
propertyoIMuslims,hetoldhim:'WheneveryouseethatthepeoplehaveleItsomedatesunplucked
Iorautumn,leavethemIorthepeopletoeat,anddonotestimatethezakahonthem.'"
Makhul said: "Whenever the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, assigned someone to
estimate, he would say: 'Be easy on the people, Ior some oI their property |trees| could be barren,
some low, and some Ior |their| eating.' " It was narrated by Abu'Ubaid, who added: "The low palm
treeiscalledas-sabilahandallowsitsIruittobepluckedbypassers-by.Theeatingtree(al-akilah)isa
palm tree especially designated as an eatingtreeIortheowner'sIamilyorIorwhoeverisattachedto
them."
Eiqh 3.34:EatingoItheGrains
ItispermissibleIortheownertoeatIromthegrain,andwhateverheconsumeswillnotbeincludedin
the quantity subject to zakah, Ior this is a long-standing custom. In any case,onlyasmallamountis
actuallyeaten.Itis thesameasanowneroIaIruitbearingtreeeatingsomeoIitsproduce.ThereIore,
the zakah will be estimated on the actual amount aIter he harvests the crop and husks the seeds.
AhmadwasaskedabouttheeatingoIIarik(rubbedgreenwheat)bytheowner,andheansweredthat
thereisnoharmiItheownereatswhatheneeds.ThisisalsotheopinionoIash-ShaI'i,al-Laythand
Ibn Hazm. However, Malik and Abu HaniIah hold that the owner will have to account Ior what he
eats.
Eiqh3.34a:CombiningGrainsandEruit
Scholars agree that various kinds oI Iruit can be combined even iI their quality is diIIerent--that is,
excellent or bad in quality. DiIIerent kinds oI raisins may also be combinedtogether,andsocanthe
variouskindsoIwheatandcereals.
They also agree that merchandise and its cash value received can be combined. Ash-ShaI'i allows
combining goods and cash only when purchased because the nisab is calculated upon that. Scholars
alsodonotallowthecombinationoIcertaincategorieswithothers inordertoattainanisab,withthe
exceptionoIgrainsandIruits.ThatiswhyonecategoryoIanimalscannotbecombinedwithanother.
Eor example, camels cannot be added to cattle to complete a nisab, nor can Iruit be combined with
raisins.
Scholars have diIIerent points oI view in regard to combining various types oI grains with one
another. The best and the most correct opinion is that no two things can be combined to calculate a
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nisab. The nisab must be considered on every category by itselI. This is because there are various
categoriesandmanykinds.ThereIore,barleycannotbeaddedtowheat,norcanthelatterbeaddedto
the Iormer, which is also true oI dates and raisins, and chickpeas and lentils. This is the opinion oI
AbuHaniIah,ash-ShaI'i,andAhmad,accordingtooneoIthereports.MostoItheearlyscholarshold
thisopinion.
Ibnal-Munzhirsaysthatmostscholarsconcurthatcamelscannotbecombinedwithcattleorsheep,or
cattlewithsheep,nordateswithraisins.Thus,therecanbenocombiningoIdiIIerentkindsoIproduce
oranimals.ThosewhoallowsuchapracticedoitwithoutanyauthenticprooI.
Eiqh3.35:WhenZakahisDueonPlantsandEruits
ZakahisdueonplantswhenthegrainsmatureandarereadytoberubbedoIIandontheIruitwhenit
is ripened. In the case oI dates, Ior example, the indication will be their brightness or red color, and
with grapes their sweetness. Zakah becomes due only aIter grains are husked or the Iruit becomes
dried.IItheIarmersoldhisgrainaIterithadmatured,andtheIruitaIterithadripened,thenitszakah
willbepaidbyhimandnotthebuyer.Thisisbecausetheobligationtopayzakahbecameduewhen
theproducewasstillintheowner'spossession.
Eiqh3.35a:PaymentoIGood(Things)IorZakah
Allah,theExaltedOne,commandedthosepayingzakahtosetitasideIromthegoodportionoItheir
propertyandIorbadepayingitIromthebadportion.Hesays:"Oyouwhobelieve!SpendoIthegood
things you have earned and Irom that whichWe bringIorthIromtheearthIoryou,andseeknotthe
bad |with intent| to spend thereoI |in charity| when you would not take it Ior yourselves save with
disdain.AndknowthatAllahisIreeoIallwantsandworthyoIallpraise"|alBaqarah267|.
AbuDawud,an-Nasa'iandothersreportedIromSahlibnHaniIIromhisIatherthat:"TheMessenger
oIAllah,uponwhombepeace,IorbadepayingzakahwithtwokindsoIdatescalledju'rurandhabiq.
PeopleusedtosetasidetheworstoItheirIruitIorsadaqahbut werelateronIorbiddentodothisby
Allah:'Andseeknotthebad|withintent|tospendthereoI|incharity|'|al-Baqarah267|."
While mentioning this verse, al-Bara' said: "This was revealed in relation to us |al-Ansar--the
Helpers|, because we were owners oI palm trees. A man may bring Irom his palm trees |dates|
depending on how much he had, a cluster or two, and hang it at the mosque, and the people oI the
SaIIah who had no Iood would come to the cluster and beat it with their rod. The green and unripe
dates would Iall oII and they would eat them. There were people who did not seek good. Someone
would bring a cluster oI bad or inIerior quality dates |shis and hashaI| or an already-broken cluster
|beIoreithadripened|andhangitatthemosque.Atthistime,Allahrevealedthe'ayah:'Andseeknot
thebad|withintent|tospendthereoI|incharity|whenyouwouldnottakeitIoryourselvessavewith
disdain' |al-Baqarah 267|." Al-Bara' continued: "IIoneoIyoureceivesasagiItsomethingsimilarto
whathegivesaway,hewouldnotacceptitexceptoutoIIeignedpleasure."Saidal-Bara':"Asaresult
oIthat,eachoneoIususedtooIIerthegoodpartoIwhathehad."Itwasnarratedbyat-Tirmizhiwho
said:"Itisgoodandsound."
InhissummationoIthesubject,ash-Shaukanisays:"This|theprecedinghadith|meansthattheowner
isnotallowedtosetasidethebadIromthegoodonwhichzakahisdue,especiallyinregardtodates
aswellas,byanalogy,thevariousothercategoriesonwhichzakahisdue.Eurthermore,thecollector
oIzakahisnotallowedtotakeit.
Eiqh3.36:ZakahonHoney
Most scholars saythatthereisnozakahonhoney.AlBukhari,Iorone,states:"Thereisnoauthentic
tradition concerning zakah on honey." Ash-ShaI'i explains: "In my view, no zakah is levied on it
becausethereisnoevidenceinthetraditions(sunanand'athar)Iordoingso.Thus,itwasexempted."
Ibnal-MunzhiraIIirms:"Thereisnotradition(khabar)whichstatesthatzakahmustbepaidonhoney,
noristhereaconsensus.ThereIore,thereisnozakahonhoney.ThisistheopinionoImostscholars."
TheHanaIiyyahandAhmadareoItheopinionthathoneyissubjecttozakah,eventhoughthereisno
evidence Ior this view in any tradition, except Ior some traditions ('athar) which support each other.
TheirreasonisthatsinceitisproducedIromblossoms,trees,andIlowersandweighedandstoredlike
other types oI produce, zakah is due on it. They also say it is subject to zakah because the cost oI
producing it is less than the cost oI growing Iruits and plants. Abu HaniIah made it a condition that
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when zakah is due on honey, it should only be collected onhoneyproducedontitheland.However,
he did not stipulate any nisab Ior it. IIthisisso,thenreasondictatesthatitshouldbeatithedueon
anyamount.ImamAhmad,onthecontrary,stipulatedthatitshouldattainanisabequaltoten'aIraq.
OneIaraqequalssixteenIraqipounds.ItmakesnodiIIerencewhetheritisproducedonkharajor'ushr
land.AbuYusuIcontends:"ItsnisabistenpoundsbutMuhammadmaintains:"ItisIive'aIraq."One
Iaraqequalsthirty-sixpounds.
Eiqh3.39:ZakahonAnimals
There are authentic ahadith explicitly indicating that camels, cattle, and sheep are subject to zakah.
Thisenjoystheconsensus.Thereare,however,someconditionstobemet:
-1- Theanimalsconcernedmustattainanisab.
-2- TheyhavetobeinpossessionIoroneyear.
-3- They should have pastured by themselves -- that is, grazing most oI the year in the available
pasture.
Mostscholarsagreewiththeseconditions.Malikandal-Layth,however,saythatlivestockissubject
tozakahwhetheritbegrazingorIodder-Ied,usedIorcarryingloadsornot.Nevertheless,theahadiths
mentionedareunequivocalinrestrictingzakahtoIreelygrazinglivestock.Thissuggeststhatthereis
no zakah on Iodder-Ied livestock. It is always saIe to base an opinion on evidence rather than on
generalimplicationstoavoidpossiblemisunderstandingoItheProphet'sintent.
Ibn 'Abdul-Barr protests: "I do not know oI any jurist in the provinces who Iollowed Malik or al-
Laythinthisregard."
Eiqh3.39a:ZakahonCamels
ThereisnozakahoncamelsunlessthereareIiveoIthem,theyhavebeengrazingIreelyandtheyhave
been inone'spossessionIorayear.WhenthecamelsareIive,theirzakahisonesheep(shah).
Whentheyareten,theirzakahistwosheep.Thus,everytimetheyincreasebyIive,thezakahdueon
them is one more sheep. However, when they reach twenty-Iive, the due zakah is a she-camel (bint
makhadorbintlabun)whichisayearoldandstartingthesecond,orayoungmalecamelwhichistwo
yearsandalreadystartingthethirdyear.Whentheyreachthirty-six,thezakahdueonthemisayoung
she-camel (bint labun). When they reach Iorty-six, the due zakah is a she-camel (huqqah) which is
alreadythreeyearsoldandstartingtheIourth.Whentheyreachsixty-one,theduezakahisaIouryear
oldcamelalreadystartingitsIiIthyear(jazh'ah).Whentheyreach seventy-six,twoyoungshe-camels
(bintlabun)aredue.WhentheyareintherangeoIninety-oneto120,thezakahistwoyoungcamels
(huqqatan). When the number oI camels is above 120, on every Iorty young she-camels, one bint
labunisdue.Andonevery IiItyabove120,ayoungshe-camel(huqqah)isdue.
WhentheagesoIcamelsoIIeredIorzakahdiIIer,theownershouldpayjazh'ah.IIhedoesnothaveit,
hemaypayhuqqahandmayaddtwosheeportwentydirhamsprovidedhecanaIIordto.Theperson
who has to pay huqqah as zakah but does not have it only has to pay jazh'ah. The zakah collector,
then,willpayhimthediIIerence,whichistwentydirhamsortwoIemalesheep.Theonewhohasto
payhuqqahanddoesnotpossessitcanpayjustthebintlabun iIhehasit,alongwithtwosheepiIthey
areavailable.IInot,hemaypaytwentydirhams.IIhehastopaythezakahoIbintlabunanddoesnot
haveit,hecanpayahuqqahandwillreceiveIromthezakahcollectortwentydirhamsortwosheep.II
he has to pay the zakah oI bint labun but has only bint makhad, it will be accepted Irom him along
with two sheep iI they are available, or twenty dirhams. II he is liable Ior the zakah oI bint makhad
anddoesnotpossessit,aibnlabunwillbeacceptedIromhimwithoutanyadditionalthings.IIhehas
onlyIourcamels,heisnotsupposedtopayanythingunlesshewantsto.
These are the rules concerning zakah on camels which were applied by Caliph Abu Bakr as-Siddiq,
andnoneoIthecompanionsdiIIeredwithhiminthismatter.
Az-Zuhrireported,ontheauthorityoISalimIromhisIather:"TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace,hadtherulesoIsadaqahwrittendownbutcouldnotsendthemtohisgovemors.Then,aIterhis
death,AbuBakrdispatchedthemandappliedthem,apracticewhichCaliph'UmaralsoIollowedand
wantedotherstoIollow,asindicatedinhiswill."
Eiqh3.41:ZakahonCattle
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CattlearesubjecttozakahprovidedtheyareaIreelygrazingherdandnumberthirtyatthecompletion
oIthehawl.Atthatpoint,thezakahdueisayoungbullorayoungcow(tabi'ortabi'ah).Whenthey
reachIorty,thezakahisayoungcowtwoyearsold(musinnah);whensixty,twoyoungcowsortwo
one-year-olds(tabi'ahs);whenseventy,thezakahdueisonemusinnahandonetabi';wheneighty,two
musinnahs;whenninety,threetabi's;whenonehundred,onemusinnahandtwotabi's;when110,two
musinnahsandtwotabi's;andwhen120,threemusinnahsorIourtabi's.ThissystemisIollowedonall
additionalcattle--onetabi',andoneveryIorty,onemusinnah.
Eiqh3.41a:ZakahonSheep(IncludingGoats)
Sheep are subject to zakah when their number reaches Iorty. When the herd counts Iorty Ireely
grazingheadsattheendoItheyear,itszakahisonesheep.Thisisapplicableuntilthenumberreaches
120,atwhichpoint,upuntil200,thezakahistwosheep.Erom201to300,theirzakahisthreesheep.
When the number is above 300, one additional sheep is added Ior each increment oI one hundred.
Youngsheep(jazh')areleviedinthecaseoIsheepandyounggoats(thany)inthecaseoIgoats.Itis
permissible, say scholars without exception, to levy rams as a Iorm oI zakah iI all oI the nisab oI
sheeparemale.IIthesheepareewes,oragroupingoImalesandIemales,theHanaIiyyahholdsitis
optionaltolevyazakahrams,whereasothersspeciIyewes.
Eiqh3.41b:RegulationoIAwqas
DeIinition oI Awqas: Awqas is a plural Iorm oI waqs. A waqs is any amount or number that lies
between the regulation oI the lower ordinance and that oI a higher one. Scholars agree that such a
waqsisexemptIromzakah.IthasbeenconIirmedinthesayingsoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,
concerning the sadaqah oI camels that he said: "When the number oI camels reaches twenty-Iive, a
young she-camel one year old and already starting the second (ibn makhad); when they reach thirty-
sixtoIorty-Iive,thenthezakahdueonthemisayoungshe-cameltwoyearsoldandalreadystarting
thethird(bintlabun)."ConcerningthesadaqahoIcattle,hesaid:"Whencattlenumberbetweenthirty
and Iorty, the zakah is a young calI oI one year old (tabi') or a bull or cow oI one year and already
startingthesecond(jazh'orjazh'ah);whentheyreachIorty,ayoungcowoItwoyearsoldandalready
starting the third (rnusinnah)." Concerning sadaqah on sheep, he said: "When the number oI Ireely
grazingsheepisbetweenIorty-twoand120,theirzakahisoneewe."Thus,whatliesbetweentwenty-
Iiveandthirty-sixcamelsisconsideredwaqs--thatis,there isnozakahonthem.Likewise,whatlies
betweenthirtyandIortycattleisconsideredwaqs.Thisisalsoappliestosheep.
Eiqh3.42:WhatShouldNotBeIncludedinZakah
The rights oI property owners must be considered when their properties are subjected to zakah. The
bestitemsarenottobetakenaszakahunlesstheownersIreelypermitit.Likewise,therightsoIthe
poor should be considered. A deIective animal should not be taken as zakah unless all oI the other
animals are deIective. In such a case, zakah is due on the average oI that property. Some prooIs Ior
thisvieware:
-1- In the letter oI Abu Bakr: "Neither an old or a deIective animal nor a billy goat may be taken as
zakah."
-2- SuIyanibn'Abdullahath-ThaqaIireported:"UmarIorbadethezakahcollectortolevyzakahonthe
Iollowing: barren ewes (al-'akulah), a sheep kept at home Ior milk (ar-rahy), a pregnant ewe (al-
rnakhid),oraramusedIorbreeding(Iahlal-ghanam)."
-3- 'Abdullah ibn Mu'awiyyah al-Ghadiri reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"WhoeverperIormsthesethreeactswillhavehad(savored)atasteoIbelieI('irnan):Hewhoworships
Allah alone, and |believes| that there is no god but Him; he whogood-heartedlyoIIersthezakahon
his property which will repay him every year; and he who does not oIIer a very old sheep, a mangy
sheep, a sick sheep, a mean and low sheep, or a ewe which produces only a small amount oI milk.
YoushouldoIIeroneIromtheaverage.Verily,AllahasksyoutooIIerneitherthebest northeworst."
ItwasrelatedbyAbuDawudandat-Tabaraniwithagoodtransmission.
Eiqh3.42a:ZakahonAnimalsOtherThanCattle(al-An'am)
Zakah is not applicable to animals other than cattle. Thus, there is no zakah on horses, mules, or
donkeys unless they are used Ior the purpose oI trade. On the authority oI 'Ali, it is related that the
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Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "I have exempted you Irom paying sadaqah on horses." It was
narratedbyAhmadandAbuDawudwithagoodchain.OntheauthorityoIAbuHurairah,itisrelated
that the Messenger, upon whom be peace, was asked iI there is zakah on donkeys. He replied:
"Nothing was ever mentioned |in revelation| except in the Iollowing excellent Qur'anic verse: 'And
whosoeverdoesevilequaltoanatom'sweightwillseeit'|azZalzalah7-8|."ItwasnarratedbyAhmad
anditsdetailshavealreadybeenmentioned.
HarithahibnMadrabreportedthatheperIormedpilgrimage(hajj)withCaliph'Umar,andthenotables
oI Syria came to him and said: "O Commander oI the EaithIul, we have acquired some animals, so
take Irom our property a sadaqah that puriIies us." He answered them: "My two predecessors |the
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,andCaliphAbuBakr|didnotdothisbeIore.Butwaitandletmeask
the Muslims about this." This was narrated by alHaythami, who said that it was narrated by Ahmad
andatTabaraniinthebookentitledal-Kabir.ThenarratorsoIthishadithareconsideredtrustworthy.
Az-ZuhrireportedIromSalmanibnYassarthatthepeopleoISyriasaidtoAbu'Ubaidahibnal-Jarrah:
"Take Irom our horses . . . a sadaqah." He reIused. Then he wrote to 'Umar, whoalsoreIused.They
spoketohimagain,andhewroteto'Umaronceagain.'Umarwroteback:"IItheydesirethat,takeit
Iromthemandgiveitbacktothem|theirpoor|andtotheirslaves."ThiswasnarratedbyMalikand
al-Baihaqi.
Eiqh3.43:YoungCamels,Calves,andLambs
When a person has a nisab oI camels, cattle, and lambs, and they give birth during the same year,
zakah is due on both the original number and their oIIsprings at the end oI the year. Their zakah is
considered a lump-sum zakah according to the majority oI scholars. On the authority oI Malik and
ash-ShaI'i, Irom SuIyan ibn 'Abdullah ath-ThaqaIi, it is related that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "The
new-bornsheep(as-sakhlah)carriedbytheshepherdarenottobetakenaszakah.Likewise,abarren
sheep (al-'akulah), a ewe kept Ior milk (ar-raby), a pregnant ewe (al-makhid) and a ram used Ior
breeding (Iahl al-ghanam) are not tobetakenaszakah.Takeaszakahthejazh'ahandthethaniyyah.
ZakahisleviedontheaveragequalityoItheproperty."
Abu HaniIah, ash-ShaI'i, and Abu Thaur are oI the opinion that the young oIIspring are not to be
calculated in the zakah payment unless the mature animals make a nisab. Also, Abu HaniIah stated
thattheyoungsheepcanbeaddedtoIulIillanisabwhethertheyarebornIromthesamelivestockor
not. They will be subject to zakah at the end oI the year. Ash-ShaI'i lays down the condition that
young animals have to be born prior to the completion oI the nisab. There is no zakah on young
animalsaccordingtoAbuHaniIah,Muhammad,Dawud,ash-Shu'abi,andAhmad.
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, ad-Daraqutni and al-Baihaqi, relate that Suwaid ibn GhaIlah said:
"The zakah collector oI the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, came to us and I heard him
say:'InmytermoIoIIice,asucklinganimalwasnotsubjecttozakah...'"InitschainoInarratorsis
Hilal ibn Hubab, whom several have declared trustworthy, butsomedidnot.Itwasauthenticatedby
morethanonepersonbutwasapointoIcontentiontoothers.
According to the opinion oI Malik and a report Irom Ahmad, young animals as well as mature ones
are subject to zakah, because iI the Iormer could be considered with others (Ior purposes oI zakah),
then they could also be considered on their own. Ash-ShaI'i and Abu YusuI hold that at least one
young(animal)isobligatory(aszakah)Iromtheyounganimals.
Eiqh3.44:OnCombiningYoungandOld(Animals)orSeparatingThem
-1- Suwaid ibn GhaIlah said: "The zakahcollectoroItheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,
came to us and I heard him say: 'We do not collect zakah on suckling animals, nor do we separate
betweenthem|youngand old|,norcombinethemtogether.'Amancamewithagreathumpedcamel
(kawma),buthedidnotacceptitaszakah."ItwasreportedbyAhmad,AbuDawudandanNasa'i.
-2- Anas reported that Abu Bakr wrote to him: "These are the sadaqah stipulations which the
Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, made obligatory to the Muslims. |And oI it| do not
combine.Thereisnoneedtogather|youngandold|animalsnortoseparatethemtoobtainthecorrect
sadaqah amount. What happens to a mixture oI young and old? When zakah is assessed on two
associates,thentheyhavetoIigureitoutequallyamongthem."AlBukharirelatesthis.
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Malik,inalMuwatta',says:"Thereare,Iorexample,threepartners,eachhavingIortysheeponwhich
zakah is payable. II they add their sheep together, their zakah will be only one sheep. Or, another
example:twopartnershave201sheep.Theirzakahwillbethreesheep.IItheydividetheIlockamong
them,theirzakahwillbeonesheepeach."
Ash-ShaI'i holds that this statement is addressed to both the owner and the zakah collector. Each is
ordered not to add or separate his possessions to obtain a lower or higher sadaqah. Since the owner
would naturally preIer a low sadaqah on his property, he would combine or separate his possessions
accordingly. The same would also be true oI the zakah collector, who might like to collect as much
sadaqahaspossible.Byusingthephrasekhashyatassadaqah(IorIearoIsadagah),theProphetmeant
that it may become more or less since both altematives were possible. This shows that he did not
preIer one choice over the other. ThereIore, he made both altematives possible. According to the
HanaIiyyah: "This is, in a sense, a prohibition on the zakah collector's separating the property oI a
person so that his sadaqah is not increased. Eor example: a man possesses 120 sheep. II they are
dividedintothreelotsoIIortyeach,thezakahwouldamounttothreesheep.Anotherexample:iIthey
combinethepropertyoIonemanwiththepropertyoIanother,thesadaqah wouldincrease.Thus,iIa
person owns 101 sheep and another owns an equal number, then thezakahcollector,iIhecombines
thetwolots,wouldsecurethreesheepaspaymenttowardzakah,whiletheactualamountdueisonly
twosheep."
Eiqh3.45:DoesCombining(Animals)HaveanyEIIect?
TheHanaIiyyahholdthatasIarasthedeterminationoIzakahisconcemed,combining(animals)has
no eIIect. Whether such a combination is between partners or has ensued becauseoIcontiguitydoes
not matter. There will be no zakah on the joint ownership oI partners unless each oI them attains a
nisab.TheconsensusisthatzakahhastobedetemlinedonthebasisoIsoleownership.
TheMalikiyyahmaintainthatownershipoIcattleisconsideredasoneIorthepurposeoIzakah.The
combinationbecomesvalidonlyIorzakahwhentheco-ownersintheirownrightpossessanisab.In
addition to this, they should have a common herdsman, a common breed, a common pen, and the
expressed intention oI having joint ownership. II the herd oI one oI them is distinguished Irom the
other, they will be considered two separate entities. In that case, each individual becomes liable Ior
zakah. The combination aIIects livestock. What is taken as zakah Irom the herd will be distributed
among the partners in accordance with each one's share. II the property oI one oI the associates is
separate,thenalloIitisconsideredcombined.
AccordingtotheShaI'iyyah,everyshareoIthecombinationaIIectsthezakahandthezakahontwoor
more associates' separate properties becomes due. This may aIIect the amount oI zakah due; Ior
example,iItwomen,eachpossessingtwentysheep,combinetheirsheep,thezakahdueisone,butiI
theydonotcombinethem,thenthereisnozakahoneitherone.Ontheother hand,acombinationoI
101sheepwiththesamenumberresultsinazakahoIoneandone-halIsheep.However,iItheIlocks
oIsheepareconsideredseparately,thenthezakahdueoneachlotisonlyonesheep.AsIorthecaseoI
threeassociates,eachoIthemhavingIortysheep,iItheycombinethem,thezakahdueisonesheep--
that is, the zakah due Ior each partner is one-third oI a sheep. However, iI treated separately, each
shouldpayonesheep.Inadditiontothis,theShaI'iyyahmoreoverstipulatethe Iollowing:
-1- ThepartnersshouldqualiIyIinanciallytopayzakah.
-2- Thecombinedpropertymustattainanisab.
-3- ItszakahisdueattheendoItheyear.
-4- NoneoIthepropertiesissingledoutIromtheothersasregardsrestingpen,grazingarea,watering,
herdsmen,andmilkingsheds.
-5- ElocksoIthesamekindarebredbythesameram.
AhmadagreeswiththeShaI'iyyah,exceptthathelimitedtheeIIectoIcombinationtocattleanddoes
nottakeintoconsiderationanyotherproperties.
Eiqh3.47:ZakahonBuriedTreasureandPreciousMinerals
The term rikaz is etymologically derived Irom rakaza, the perIect tense oI the verb yarkuzu (the
imperIectroot).Itmeans'tobehidden.'Allah,theExaltedOne,says:"OrhearIromthemtheslightest
sound"|Maryam98|--thatis,rikzmeansaslightsound.
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Inthepresentcontext,thisreIerstowhatwasburiedatthetimeoIjahiliyyah(thepre-Islamicperiod).
Malik and many other scholars are oI the opinion that rikaz means objects buried beIore the Arabs
embraced Islam and which were dug up without any expensive eIIort or money. II these conditions
cannotbemet,thenitisnotconsideredrikaz.AbuHaniIahholdsthatitisanameoIanentityhidden
eitherbytheCreatororbythecreatedone(man).
Eiqh3.47a:TheMeaningoIMineralsandTheirConditionsIorZakah
The term ma'din (minerals) is derived Irom the verb 'adana (to reside), as in the phrase "'adana Ii
almakan," which means 'someone resided in some place.' Allah, the Exalted One, says: "Allah has
promised to the believing men and believing women gardens oI Eden" |at-Taubah 72| since it is an
abodeIoreternity.
ScholarsdiIIeraboutminerals(ma'din)whicharesubjecttozakah.Ahmadholdsthateverythingdug
Iromtheground,whethercreated initorburiedbyman,andwhichhasavalue(suchasgold,silver,
iron, copper, lead, sapphires, chrysolite, emeralds, turquoise, crystal, agate, kohl (antimony sulIide),
arsenic, tar, petroleum, sulphur, zaj) are subject to zakah. He, however, made it a condition that the
extracted mineral should attain a nisab either by itselIorbyitsvalue.AbuHaniIahisoItheopinion
thatzakahispayableonanymineralthatcanreceiveanimprintormeltbyIire,suchasgold,silver,
iron, or copper. As Ior liquidssuchastar,orasolidmineralwhichcannotbemeltedbyIiresuchas
rubies, there is no zakah on them. In the Iormer case, the admissibility oI nisab is not a prior
condition.Whetherlargeorsmallinamount,aIiIthwillbetakenaszakah.
Malik andash-ShaI'iholdthatbothgoldandsilverqualiIyIorzakah.LikeAhmad,theyinsistthatthe
gold should weigh at least twenty mithqal (a weight equal to 4.68 g.) and the silver at least 200
dirhams.Theyagree(withtheHanaIiyyah)thatthesemetals donotrequirecompletionoIayeartobe
subjected to zakah, which becomes due anytime it is available. According to the preceding scholars,
the amount should be one-Iortieth, and its distribution should be like that oI the regular zakah. Eor
AbuHaniIah,itsdistributionissimilartobooty(Iay').
Eiqh3.48:TheLegitimacyoIZakahonRikazandMa'din
ThatzakahoIrikazandma'dinisobligatoryisshownbyastatementattributedtoAbuHurairah:"The
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: 'There is no compensation Ior one killed or wounded by an
animal, Ialling in a well, or because oI working in mines; but, one-IiIth (khums) is compulsory on
rikaz.' " Ibnal-MunzhirconIessesthathedoesnotknowanyonewhocontradictedthishadithexcept
al-Hasan, who diIIerentiates between what exists in the land oI war and the Islamic land. The latter
holdsthatiIrikazisIoundinthelandoIwar,one-IiIth(khums)isdue,butiIitisIoundintheIslamic
land,itwillbesubjecttotheregularzakah.
Explainingit,Ibnal-QayyimsaysthattherearetwointerpretationsoIthisstatement:
TheIirstinterpretationisthatwheneversomeonehiressomeoneelsetodigamineIorhimandthenhe
Ialls into it and is killed, there is no compensation Ior him. This view is supported by the Prophet's
saying:"ThereisnocompensationIoronewhoIallsintoawellorwhoiskilledbyananimal--(al-bi'r
jubar,waal-'ajma'jubar)."
Thesecondinterpretationisthatthereisnozakahonminerals.ThisviewissupportedbytheProphet's
saying: "... but one-IiIth is compuslory on treasure--(wa Ii az-zakah al-khums)." Thus, he
diIIerentiated between mineral (ma'din) and treasure (rikaz). He made zakah on rikaz compulsory
becauseitisawealthobtainedwithoutanycostoreIIort.Heexemptedminerals(ma'din)Iromzakah
becausetheyrequirebothcostandeIIortIortheirmining.
Eiqh3.49:RikazUponWhichZakahisPaid
Therikazareallthosesubstancesuponwhichone-IiIth(khums)ispayable,suchasgold,silver,iron,
lead, brass, and the like. This is the opinion oI the HanaIiyyah, the Hanbaliyyah, Ishaq, and Ibn al-
Munzhir.AreportIromMalikandoneoIthetwoopinionsoIash-ShaI'ialsocorroborateit.Ash-ShaI'i
alsoholdsthatonlygoldandsilveraresubjecttokhums.
Eiqh3.49a:TheLocationoIRikaz
RikazmightbeIoundintheIollowingplaces:
-1- Inabarrenland,alandoIunknownownership,orinanintractibleroad,orruinedvillage.Inthat
case,khumshastobepaid,andtheonewhoIounditmaykeeptheotherIour-IiIthsIorhimselI.This
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isbasedonareportIroman-Nasa'iontheauthorityoI'AmribnShu'aibIromhisIatherandIromhis
grandIather, who said that when the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, was asked about a
luckyIind(al-luqatah),heresponded:"Eoranythingalongatractableroadorinaninhabitedvillage,
itsownershipisdeterminedbyestablishedcustom.IItheownerclaimsit,itishis.However,whenan
itemisIoundinanintractableroadorinanuninhabitedvillage,thenonitandtherestoItheIind,one-
IiIth(khums)ispayable."
-2- II the rikaz is Iound by someone in a land transIerred to him, then it is his, as it is lodged inthe
land. Nevertheless, his ownership does not come Irom his possession oI the land--it comes Irom the
Iact that it became known to him. Analogically, this kind oI Iind Ialls into the category oI grass,
Iirewood, and game which are Iound on land which is not his. He can claim it iI the one who
transIerredthelanddoesnotaskIorit.Inthatcase,itwillbehisbecausethelandoriginallybelonged
to him. This is the view oI Abu YusuI, and the Hanbaliyyah uphold it as sound. Ash-ShaI'i says it
belongstotheownerwhotransIerredtheland(iIheclaimsit)beIorehim,andsoonuntilitisclaimed
bythe Iirstoriginalowner.
WheneverlandistransIerredthroughinheritance,itisconsideredaninheritancebyitselI.II,however,
theinhabitantsagreethatitdidnotbelongtotheoneIromwhomtheyinheritedit,thenitbelongsto
the original owner. II he is unknown, then it is considered the lost property oI an unknown owner.
AbuHaniIahandMuhammadsaythatitbelongstotheoriginalowneroIthelandortohisinheritorsiI
theyareknown;iItheyarenot,itistobeplacedinthepublictreasury.
-3- IIitisIoundinthelandoIaMuslimoraIreenon-Muslimsubject(zhimmi),thenitbelongstothe
owner oI the land, according to Abu HaniIah, Muhammad, and Ahmad. It is also reported Irom
AhmadthatitbelongstotheonewhoIoundit(rikaz).Al-HasanibnSalih,AbuThaur,andAbuYusuI
alsopreIerredthisopinion.ThisviewisbasedonthebelieIthatrikazisnotnecessarilyownedbythe
owneroItheland,exceptwhenitisclaimedbytheowner.Insuchacase,hiswordwillbetheIinal
onebecausehehastherightovertheland.IIhedoesnotclaimit,itbelongstotheonewhoIindsit.
AshShaI'iholdsthatitbelongstotheonewhoclaimsit.Otherwise,itbelongstotheoriginalowner.
Eiqh3.50:TheAmountPayableonRikaz
The amount payable on rikdz is one-IiIth, regardless oI a nisab, according to Abu HaniIah, Ahmad,
andoneoIthetwocorrectreportsoIMalikandash-ShaI'i.AsIorthecompletionoIayear(haws),all
scholarsagreethatithasnotbeenstipulatedasaconditon.
Eiqh3.50a:WhoMustPaytheKhums(One-EiIth)
Most scholars are oI the opinion that khums is due on anyone who Iinds a treasure, whether he
happenstobeaMuslim,aIreenon-Muslimsubject(zhimmi),old,young,sane,orinsane.However,
the guardians oI the youngand insane must pay it on their behalI. Ibn al-Munzhir comments thatall
learnedpersonsagreethatazhimmiwhoIindsrikazhastopayitskhums.ThisisalsotheopinionoI
Malik, the scholars oI Madinah, ath-Thauri, al-Auza'i, the scholars oI Iraq, those who use analogy
(ashabar-ra'y),andothers.Ash-ShaI'istatedthatkhumsisonlydueuponthosewhomustpayzakah.
Eiqh3.51:DistributionoIKhums
Accordingtoash-ShaI'i,thedistributionoIkhumsissimilartothedistributionoIzakah.Ahmadand
al-Baihaqi narrate Irom Bishr al-Khath'ami that a man Irom his tribe said: "While I was in KuIah, I
received a jar Irom an old monastery at the zakah district (jibayah) oI Bishr. There were 4,000
dirhamsinit.Itookitto'Ali,whotoldmetodivideitintoIiveparts,whichIdid.Then,'Alitookone-
IiIth and gave me Iour-IiIths. When I departed, he called me and asked iI there were some needy
peoplelivingnearme.Irepliedthattherewere,andheaskedmetodividetheone-IiIthamongthem."
AbuHaniIah,Malik,andAhmadareoItheopinionthatitsdistributionissimilartothedistributionoI
booty(Iay').
Ash-Shu'bi narrates that a man, while he was out oI Madinah, Iound 1,000 dinars in the ground. He
brought them to 'Umar ibn alKhattab, who took the khums oI 200 dinars and gave the man the rest.
'Umarstartedtodistributethe200dinarsamongtheMuslimswhowerepresent.Sincealittlebitwas
leItover,hethenasked:"WhereistheowneroIthedinars?"Whenthemanresponded,'Umarsaidto
him:"Takethesedinars,Iortheyareyours."InalMughni,itsaysthatiIitwerelikezakah,hewould
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haveallotedittothosewhodeserveditandwouldnothavereturnedittoitsIinder.Eurthermore,rikaz
canbegiventothezhimmi,whereaszakahisnot.
Eiqh3.53:ZakahonWealthExtractedIromtheSea
Most scholars stipulate that zakah is not payable on anything extracted Irom the sea, such as pearls,
corals,chrysalite,cachalot'sambergris,Iish,andsoon.Thereis,however,areportIromAhmadthatiI
theamountextractedreachesanisab,thenzakahisdueonit.AbuYusuIagreeswithhiminthecase
oIpearlsandcachalot'sambergris.Ibn'AbbasholdsthatthereisnozakahoIcachalot,beacauseitis
anobjectthrownoutbythesea.Jabirsaidthatthereisnozakahoncachalot,butthatitisaIreespoil
IoranyonewhoIindsit.
Eiqh3.53a:AcquiringPropertyThroughProIitorIncrease
WhenapersonacquirespropertyanditstaysinhispossessionIorayearandconstitutesanisab,and
he has no other property or he has similar property which has not reached a nisab except when the
acquiredpropertyhasbeenaddedtoit,thentheyearhawloIzakahbecomesapplicabletoitIromthe
time oI its acquisition. The zakah will be payable at the completion oI the hawl. In such a case, the
acquiredpropertymaybeclassiIiedinanyoItheIollowingcategories:
-1- The acquired holdings increase in value either by proIits Irom trade or by an increase in animal
production.ThesekindsoIholdingsqualiIythemselvesIortheapplicationoIthehawlandzakah.Eor
the individual whose merchandise or animals constitute a nisab and whose business also makes a
proIit or whose animals reproduce during the course oI the hawl, he should count the original and
additional propertyasoneIorthepurposeoIzakah.Thereisnodisputeaboutthisamongscholars.
-2- As Ior the acquired property which Ialls under the same category as the attained nisab but is not
derived or generated Irom it--that is, it was acquired through purchase, giIt, or inheritance-- Abu
HaniIahholdsthatthismaybecombinedwiththenisabinordertobecomeapartoIitwithregardto
thehawlandpaymentoIzakah.Thus,theprincipalpropertyandtheproIitsarecollectivelytaxable.
Ash-ShaI'iandAhmadsuggestthatnewlyacquiredpropertybecombinedwiththeoriginaloneIorthe
purpose oI attaining a nisab and that a new hawl has to be assumed Ior it--whether the original
consistsoIcashoranimals.Eorexample,iIsomeonehas200dirhamsandmanagestoacquireanother
200 dirhams during the year, he should pay zakah on both at the completion oI the hawl which will
begin to roll at the acquisition oI new property. Malik's opinion is like that oI Abu HaniIah's
concerninganimalsbutlikeAhmad'sin regardtogoldandsilver.
-3- TheacquiredholdingsarenotoIthesamekindthatonealreadypossesses.Assuch,theycannotbe
combinedwiththeoriginaleitherIorthenisaborIortheyearcount(hawl).II,however,theacquired
holdingsbythemselvesreachanisab,theiryearcountwillbecalculatedindependently,andtheowner
will pay their zakah at the completion oI the hawl. In the absence oI these conditions, nothing is
applicabletotheseholdings.ThisistheopinionoIthemajorityoIscholars.
Eiqh3.54:ZakahietheResponsibilityoItheOwner,NottheHoldingsThemselves
The HanaIiyyah, the Malikiyyah, and a report Irom ash-ShaI'i and Ahmad propose that it is the
property which owes zakah. The second opinion attributed to ash-ShaI'i and Ahmad is that zakah is
theresponsibilityoItheowner,nottheproperty.ThediIIerencebetweenthetwoopinionsisobvious:
Eorexample,someonehad200dirhamsanddidnotpayzakahonthesumIortwoyears.Theopinion
which says that zakah is due on the property itselI means that the amount due is Ior one year only
since it decreased by Iive dirhams, which was the amount due Ior zakah at the end oI the Iirst year.
The second opinion, that zakah is the responsibility oI the owner, means that he should pay zakah
twice,oneIoreachyear,aszakahistheresponsibilityoItheownerandisnotaIIectedbythedecrease
oIthenisab.
IbnHazmIavorstheviewthatitistheowner'sresponsibility.TherehasbeennodiIIerenceoIopinion,
hesays,amongtheMuslimssincethetimeoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,downtohistimeas
to the applicability oI zakah on wheat, barley, dates, silver, gold, camels, cattle, and sheep.
ConcerningpaymentoIzakahIromadiIIerentlotoIwheat,barley,dates,gold,silver,camels,cattle,
and sheep, he says it does not matter whether one pays it Irom the same lot, Irom a diIIerent one in
one'spossession,orIromalotthatmaybebought,grantedasagiIt,orborrowed.
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The conviction that the payment oI zakah is the owner's responsibility and is not necessarily that oI
thepropertyitselIisasoundprinciple,IoriIitbecomesdueonthepropertyitselI,theownerwillnot
be permitted to make payment Irom a diIIerent lot. It is similar to the case oI one partner being
prevented Irom giving his money to his copartner Irom a source other than the one involved intheir
partnership--unlessthepartnersapproveoIitanditdoesnotviolatetheconditionsoIthetransaction
between them. Eurthermore, iI zakah has to be applied to the property itselI, only two situations can
arise.Eirst,zakahispayableonallpartsoIthatpropertyandisapplicabletoanyindividualamountoI
it,withoutindividualspeciIication.Second,iIitisapplicabletoeverypartoIit,itisimpermissibleto
sell Irom any herd or grain since zakah collectors in this case would become partners. Thus, the
proprietor is not allowed to take anything Irom it. This is void without any dispute. Eurthermore, it
wouldbecomeobligatoryuponhimtospeciIyexactlythepriceoIthesheepwhichhedesirestotake
out, just as is done in partnerships. II zakah is due on any part oI it other than the property itselI, it
becomesvoid.Thisholdstrueinsuchacasesincehedoesnotknowwhathemightsellorwhetherhe
istakingwhatisdueIorthesadaqahcollectors.This,inturn,backsuptheabove.
Eiqh3.55:LossoItheHoldingsaIterZakahisDue
Once zakah becomes payable on the holdings either because oI the completion oI a year or harvest
time,andtheholdingsorpartoIthemarelost,theownerstillhastopayit.Whetherthelossoccured
owingtonegligenceornotdoesnotmatter.
ThisistheopinionoIIbnHazmandthebetteropinionoItheHanbaliyyah.AbuHaniIahholdsthatit
vitiates the payment oI zakah iI all the property perishes without the owner's role in its destruction.
When part oI it perishes, the perished portion is not subject to zakah. This is in accordancewiththe
rule that zakah is associated with the property itselI. However, when the property is deliberately
destroyed bytheowner,zakahhastobepaid.Ash-ShaI'i,alHassanibnSalih,Ishaq,AbuThaur,and
Ibn al-Munzhir hold that iI the nisab perishes beIore zakah is paid, then the owner owes nothing.
However, iI it perishes subsequent to the accumulation oI the nisab, the owner has to pay it. Ibn
QudamahsupportsthisviewandsaysitvitiatesthepaymentoIzakahiIthepropertyperisheswithout
any negligence on the part oI the owner. This is because it is obligatory Ior the sake oI beneIicence,
which presupposes the existence oI the property--and not with the purpose oI impoverishing the
payersoIzakah.
Negligenceinthiscontextimpliesthattheownerhadaccumulatedthenisabandthusitwaspossible
Iorhimtopayzakah,buthe didnotandthepropertyperished.Onthecontrary,iIhedidnothavethe
nisab,ortheholdingswerenotinhispossession,ortheyweretobepurchasedandhecouldnot,then
thisdoesnotconstituteanactoInegligence.
Likewise, iI it is presumed that the obligation to pay zakah remains even aIter the holdings are lost,
andtheownerhasthemeanstopayit,thenhemustdoso.Otherwise,heshouldbegrantedarespitein
order to IulIill his obligation to pay zakah. This is akin to a debt one owes to someone but the debt
owedtoAllahshouldbeconsideredmoreimportant.
Eiqh3.56:TheLossoIZakahAIteritisSetAside
WhenapersonsetsasidezakahIordistributionamongthepoorandalloIitorsomeoIitislost,he
mustrepayitbecauseitisstillhisresponsibility.
IbnHazmsays:"WereceivedanarrationIromIbnAbiShaibahontheauthorityoIHaIsibnGhayath,
Jarir, al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulaiman at-Taymi, Zaid ibn al-Hubab, and 'Abdulwahhab ibn 'Ata; also Irom
HaIs, who narrated on the authority oI Hisham ibn Hassan Irom al-Hassan al-Basri; Jarir who
reported, on the authority oI alMughirah Irom his companions; and al-Mu'tamir who reported Irom
Mu'amar Irom Hammad; and Zaid who reported Irom Shu'bah Irom al-Hakam; and 'Abdulwahhab
who reported on the authority oI Ibn Abi 'Urubah Irom Hammad Irom Ibrahim an-Nakha'i that
whoeversetsasidezakahIromhispropertyandthenitislost,hisobligationtopayzakahstillremains
tobedischarged,andhemustsetitasideagain."
There exists, however, another opinion on it: "We received a narration on the authority oI 'Ata' that
theobligationwillbedischarged|iIsetasideandlost|,"saysIbnHazm.
Eiqh3.57:DelayingoIZakah(Payment)DoesNotVoidit
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Ash-ShaI'i holds that anyone who doesnotpay zakahIoranumberoIyearsmustpayitalltogether.
Whether or not he is aware oI its obligation or he happens to be in a Muslim or non-Muslim land,
makesnodiIIerence.BasedontheopinionoIMalik,ash-ShaI'iandAbuThaur,Ibnal-Munzhirsays:
"When unjustpeopleruleacountryandthepeopleoIthatcountrydonotpaytheirzakahIoranumber
oIyears,thentheirnewleadershouldtakeitIromthem."
Eiqh3.57a:ThePaymentoItheValueInsteadoIPayingtheItemItselI
Itisnotpermissibletopay thevalueinsteadoItheitemitselI,exceptinthecaseoInon-existence,Ior
zakahisanactoIworshipwhichcanonlybeIulIilledaccordingtothespeciIiedmanner,withtherich
sharingtheirwealthwiththepoor
Mu'azhreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,senthimtoYemenandtoldhim:"Takegrain
Iromgrain,sheepIromsheep,camelsIromcamels,andcowsIromcows."Thishadithisnarratedby
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi, and al-Hakim. It should be noted that there is aninterruptionin
thechainoIthishadith,since'Ata'didnothearitIromMu'azh.
DisapprovingoIsubstitution,ash-Shaukanisays:"ThetruthoIthematteristhatzakahisobligatoryon
theitemitselIandshouldnotbesubstitutedIoritsvalueexceptwherethereis avalidexcuse."
Abu HaniIah permits the acceptance oI the value whether the individual owing could pay it in the
items itselI or not because zakah is the right oI the poor, and he believed that it made no diIIerence
whether it was paid in the item or in something else oI equal value. AlBukhari reports, with a Iirm
statement, that Mu'azh asked the people oI Yemen to give him either goods or clothes oI silk or
garments as zakah instead oI barley and corn because it was more convenient Ior them. The
companionsoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,werealsogiventhechoiceinMadinah.
Eiqh3.58:ZakahonSharedProperty
Whenholdingsaresharedbetweentwoormorepartners,zakahisnotobligatoryoneitheroneuntilall
oI them attain a nisab individually. This is the opinion oI most scholars. This does not include the
combinationoIanimals,whichhasbeendiscussedearlier.
Eiqh3.58a:EvadingthePaymentoIZakah
TheopinionoIMalik,al-Auza'i,Ishaq,Ahmad,andAbu'UbaidisthatwhoeverpossessesanisaboI
anykindoIpropertyandthensellsitbeIorethecompletionoItheyearhawl,orgivesitawayasagiIt,
ordamagespartoIitwiththeintentionoIavoidingitszakah,hestillmustpayitszakah.IIheengages
himselIinanyoItheprecedingactsatatimewhenhisobligationtopayzakahisabouttomature,he
will be Iorced to pay it. II, however, any oI the preceding acts happen at the beginning oI the hawl,
thiswillnotconstituteanevasion,andhewillbe(legally)IreeIromhisobligationtopayzakah.
Abu HaniIah and ash-ShaI'i hold that since the amount decreased beIore the end oI the hawl, zakah
will not be paid on it. He would still be considered a wrongdoer and disobedient to Allah Ior
attempting to escape it. The early Muslims based their rationale on the 'ayahs in which Allah, the
Exalted One, says: "Lo! We have tried themasWetriedtheownersoIthegardenwhentheyvowed
they would pluck its Iruit the next morning, and made no reservation |Ior the will oI Allah|. Then a
visitation Irom your Lord came upon it while they were asleep. So the garden became a dark and
desolate spotinthemorning,asiIitwereplucked"|alMulk17-20|.AllahpunishedthosepeopleIor
avoidingtheirobligationtothepoor.
Zakah,assuch,willstillbedueandthepersonhastopayitbecausehisintentionwastodeprivethe
poor oI their share in his wealth. This would be similar to the case oI a man who divorces his wiIe
duringhisterminalillness.HisevilintentioncallsIorpunishmentasaredemptive act.AnothercaseoI
a similar nature would be that oI a person who kills his beneIactor so that he could have his
inheritance.Inthatcase,AllahpunisheshimbydeprivinghimoIhisinheritance.
Eiqh3.59:TheRecipientsoIZakah
ThereareeightcategoriesoIthebeneIiciariesoIzakahwhichAllahspeciIiesintheQur'an:"Thealms
are only Ior the poor and the needy, Ior those who collect them, Ior those whose hearts are to be
reconciled,IortheIreedomoIthosewhoarecaptivesandindebt,IorthecauseoIAllah,andIorthe
wayIarers;|itis|adutyimposedbyAllah.AllahistheKnower,theWise"|at-Taubah60|.Ziyadibn
alHarith as-Suda'i reported: "I came to the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, and pledged
allegience to him. Then a man came and said to the Messenger: 'Give me some oI the collected
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sadaqah.'TheMessengerreplied:'AllahdidnotleavethematteroIsadaqattobedecidedbyaprophet
nortoothers...HeHimselIclassiIieditintoeightcategories.IIyouIitintoanyoIthesecategories,I
willgiveyouyourdue.'"ItwasnarratedbyAbuDawudalthoughinitschainoItransmissionthereis
'Abdurrahmanal-'AIriqi,whoisoIquestionablemerits.
TheIollowingisanelaborationupontheprecedingeightcategories:
-1- ThePoor(al-Euqara').
-2- TheNeedy(al-Masakin):Theneedy,alongwiththepoormentionedabove,arethosewhodonot
even have basic needs IulIilled. This categroy parallels the category oI the rich who have all they
need. As mentioned elsewhere, a person is considered rich iI he possesses the nisab--that is, an
arnount in excess oI his essential needs or those oI his children with regard to Iood, drink, clothing,
housing, animals, tools oI his trade, and similar other necessities. Thus, one who lacks all these is
consideredpoor(Iuqura')andqualiIiesIorzakah.
AhadithattributedtoMu'azhinstructs:"TakeIromtherich|thatisthosewhoareselI-suIIicient|and
give to their poor." Thus, zakah should be taken Irom the rich who own a nisab and given to those
whoarenotsoIortunate.
No diIIerence has been made here between the poor (Iuqura') and the needy (nasakin) as Iar as their
needs, their poverty, and their qualiIication Ior receiving zakah are concerned. The two are brought
together in the preceding Qur'anic 'ayah with the necessary conjunction so that they could be
diIIerentiatedIromeachother.ThisdoesnotcontradictourcategorizingthemasakinasasubgroupoI
theIuqura'.IntheIollowinghadith,thetextindicatesthattheneedyarethepoorwhoarenotnoticed
by the people because they abstain Irom begging. The Qur'an takes note oI them because they,
perhapsduetotheirmodesty,gounnoticed.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "The needy person
(miskin)isnotonewhogoesaroundaskingthepeopleIoradateortwo,orIoramouthIulortwo,but
the one who is too embarrassed toask.ReadiIyouwish:'TheydonotbegIrommenimportunately'
|alBaqarah 273|." In a variant oI this report, it is related: "The needy person is not one who goes
aroundaskingpeopleIoramouthIulortwooradateortwo,buttheonewhohasnotenough|money|
tosatisIyhisneedsandwhoseconditionisnotknowntoothers.Thus,sadaqahisgiventohimandhe
doesnotbegIromthepeople."Thisisnarratedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh3.60:TheamountoIzakahgiventoapoorperson
ZakahaimsatsupportingthepoorbysatisIyingtheirneeds.AspeciIiedamountisthereIoregivento
them on a continuous basis to alleviate their state oI poverty. This amount diIIers depending on
circumstances and individuals. 'Umar reported: "II you happen to give |alms|, you should give to
satisIy one's needs." Qadi 'Abdulwahhab says that Malik never stipulated a limit to the amount that
can be given. To him, zakah may even be given to one who has a house, a servant, and a mount to
ride, provided he is in need. The import oI the preceding hadith is clear-- that is, asking Ior help is
permissibleIorapersonwhoispooruntilhegetswhathe needsIorhislivelihoodandisIreedIrom
hisneeds.
QabisahibnMukhariqal-Hilalireported:"Ihadadebt.IwenttotheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhom
be peace, and asked Ior his help. He answered: 'Wait until we have Iunds Ior sadaqah, then we will
giveyousome.'Healsosaid:'OQabisah,sadaqahisjustiIiedonlyIortheIollowingthree:Iirst,aman
who is in debt, Ior his case makes it permissible to receive |alms| until his diIIiculty is resolved;
second,amanwhoisstruckbycalamitywhichdestroyshisholdings,whichalsomakesitpermissible
Iorhimtoreceive|alms|untilheisinapositiontoearnasustenance|orhesaid,'...whatsatisIieshis
needs and makes him selI-suIIicient'|; and third, a man who has been reduced to poverty and three
persons oI caliber Irom among his people testiIytohisdesperatesituationwillreceiveuntilheIinds
IorhimselIameansoIsupport|orhesaid,'...whatsatisIieshisneedsandmakeshimselIsuIIicient'|.
Otherthanthesecases,OQabisah,itisnotpermissible(sahat).Apersonreceivingit(sadaqah)willbe
consumingIorbiddenholdings.'"ThisisnarratedbyAhmad,Muslim,AbuDawud,andanNasa'i.
Eiqh3.61:Iszahahgiventoapersonwhocanwork?:
Individualsstronginbodyandearningtheirlivingarenotentitledtozakah.Theirpositionissimilarto
thatoItherich.
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-1- 'Ubaidullahibn'Adiyyal-Khiyarreported:"TwomentoldmethattheywenttotheProphet,upon
whombepeace,duringtheEarewellPilgrimagewhilehewasdistributingcharity.TheyaskedhimIor
help.HegavethemalookIromtheheaddownandthenIoundthemtobesturdyandstrong.Thenhe
said:'IIyoudesire,Ishallgiveittoyou.But,thereisnozakahIoronewhoisrich,neitherIortheone
whoisstrongandearning.'"ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandanNasa'i.
Concerning the merits oI this hadith, al-Khattabi says that it providesthecriterionthatiIapersonis
notknowntohavemeans,itwillbepresumedthathehasnone.Thehadithalsoprovidestherulethat
one who appears to be sturdy is not excluded Irom receiving the zakah unless his income is
determined,IortherearesomepeoplewhoarestronginbodybutIoronereasonoranotherareunable
towork.Suchpeoplemayreceivecharityaccordingtothishadith.
-2- It is related Irom Rayhan ibn Yazid Irom 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, said: "Sadaqah is neither permissible Ior the rich nor Ior the one who is oI energetic
disposition,soundbody,andhealthylimbs."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandatTirmizhi.Thelatter
gradesitassound(sahih).Ash-ShaI'i,Ishaq,Abu'Ubaid,andAhmadupholdit.TheHanaIiyyahsaya
strong and healthy person is allowed to take sadaqah, provided he does not possess 200 dirhams or
more.An-Nawawisays:"Iaskedal-GhazzaliiIanable-bodiedpersonwhocomesIromarichIamily
and is not used to physical labor in earning his living can be entitled to zakah. He answered that he
could."Thisisasoundrulewhichtakesintoconsiderationaperson'svocation.
Eorexample,someonehad200dirhamsanddidnotpayzakahonthesumIortwoyears.Theopinion
which says that zakah is due on the property itselI means that the amount due is Ior one year only
since it decreased by Iive dirhams, which was the amount due Ior zakah at the end oI the Iirst year.
The second opinion, that zakah is the responsibility oI the owner, means that he should pay zakah
twice,oneIoreachyear,aszakahistheresponsibilityoItheownerandisnotaIIectedbythedecrease
oIthenisab.
Eiqh3.62:TheownerwholacksselI-suIIiciency
One whose possessions reach a nisab but are still insuIIicient Ior his needs, due to the size oI his
Iamily or the high cost oI living, will be considered well-oII and subject to zakah. He is also
considered poor because his possessions are not enough Ior his needs. As such, he should also be
givenzakah.AnNawawisaysthatonewhopossessesapieceoIrealestatebutdoesnothaveenough
income to meet his needs should be considered poor and eligible Ior that amount oI zakah which
would satisIy his needs. In this way, he would not have to sell his real estate. Al-Mughni mentions
that al-Maymum said: "I had a talk with Abu 'Abdullah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and I said: 'A man may
possesscamelsandsheeponwhichzakahisdueandbeconsideredpoor.HemaypossessIortysheep
orevenalandedestate(day'ah),notenoughIorhisneeds.Wouldhebeallowedtoreceivealms?'He
answered:'Yes,becausehedoesnotpossesswhatissuIIicientIorhimandheisnotabletoearnwhat
he needs. In that case, he is permitted to receive zakah, iI what he possesses does not qualiIy Ior
zakah.'"
Eiqh3.62a:CollectorsoIZakah:
ZakahcollectorsareoIIicialsappointedbytheleaderorhisdeputytocollectitIromtherich.Among
themarethecustodiansoIzakah,shepherdsandclerksIoritsadministration.TheymustbeMuslims
andshouldconsistoIthosewhoarepotentiallynoteligibleIorzakah.ThisincludestheIamilyoIthe
Prophet--that is, Banu 'Abdul Mutallib. It is related by al-Muttalib ibn Rabi'ah ibn Harith ibn'Abdul
Muttalib that he and al-Eadl ibn al-'Abbas went to the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace:
"One oI us said: 'O Messenger oI Allah! We have come to you so that you may invest us with
authority toadministerzakah,thatweshallgather(collect)thebeneIitsthepeoplearetoreceive,and
renderservicetoyouthatothersgive.'TheMessengeroIAllahanswered:'Indeed,zakahoughtnotto
begiventoMuhammadortotheIamilyoIMuhammad.ZakahisnothingbutIilththatcomesoutIrom
people's properties.'" This is reported by Ahmad and Muslim. Another version states: "It is not
permittedtoMuhammadortotheIamilyoIMuhammad."
Eiqh3.62b:Certainpeople,thoughwell-oII,canstillreceivezakah:
AbuSa'idreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"SadaqahisnotallowedIorthewell-
oIIexceptIortheIollowingIive:anadministratoroIzakah,apurchaseroIzakahholdings,adebtor,a
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warriorinthecauseoIAllah,orapersonwhoisgivenapresentbytheneedy(miskeen)Iromwhatthe
latter had been granted as zakah." This is relatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,IbnMajah,andal-Hakim.
ThelattergradestheprecedinghadithassoundaccordingtothecriteriaoIMuslimandal-Bukhari.
Eiqh3.63:WhatzakahcollectorstakeIromzakahistheirwagesIorworkdone:
Abdullahibnas-Sa'direlatedthathecameIromSyriatosee'Umaribnal-Khattab,whoaskedhim:"Is
ittruethatyouperIormacertainjobIortheMuslimsandyouaregivenwagesIorthat,butyoudonot
acceptthem?"Heanswered:"Yes,indeed.Ipossesshorsesandslaves.Iamwell-oII.Iwantmywork
tobeacharityIortheMuslims."Then'Umarsaid:"Ialsowantedwhatyoudesired,buttheProphet,
upon whom be peace, used to pay compensation to me. I would say to him: 'Give it to one who is
poorerthanI.'OncehegavememoneyandIsaidtohim:'GiveittoapersonmoreneedythanI.'Then
theProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:'TakewhatAllah,toWhombelongsmightandmajesty,gives
youoIHisbountieswithoutyourhavingaskedIoritorbeingeager.'Sotakeitandkeepit,orgiveit
awayascharity--andwhatisnotgivenshouldnotbeaskedIor."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhariandan-
Nasa'i.
Eiqh3.63a:ThewagesoughttobesuIIicienttocoverlegitimateneeds:
AlMustawridibnShaddadrelatesthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"IIsomeoneperIormed
ajobIorusandhasnohouse,lethimhaveahouse;iIhehasnowiIe,lethimhaveawiIe;iIhehasno
servant, let him haveaservant;oriIhehasnomounttoride,lethimhaveone.HewhoclamorsIor
anythingotherthantheseisbeingexcessive."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawudanditschain
is sound. Commenting on the subject, al-Khattabi says: "This may be interpreted in two diIIerent
ways.TheIirstmeansthattheindividualispermittedtohaveaservantorahousedeductedIromhis
wages, which are similar to any other wages. He is not permitted to take anything else. The second
meansthatthezakahworkerhastherighttohavelodgingandaservant.Thus,iIhedoesnothavea
houseoraservant,onemaybehiredtoservehimandahousemayberentedIorhimduringthetenure
oIhisjob."
Eiqh3.63b:ReconcilationoIhearts:
This applies primarily to that group oI people whose hearts, due to their weak Islam, need to be
reconciledorstrengthenedIorIslam.Inthiscase,zakahisdistributedtoridMuslimsoItheirevil,or
toprocuretheirassistanceinthedeIenseoIMuslims.ThejuristsdividesuchpeopleintoMuslimsand
unbelievers.TheMuslimsaredividedintoIourgroups:
Eiqh3.64:Leaders
People who are leaders and notables among the Muslims and inIluential among their nonbelieving
kinsmen deserve and iI given sadaqah, there is hope that their kinsmen will become Muslims. Such
wasthecaseoIAbuBakrgiving'AdiyyibnHatimandaz-ZibarqanibnBadrsadaqahbecauseoItheir
highstatusamongtheirpeople.
Eiqh3.64a:Recentlyconvertedprominentpeople
ProminentpeopleamongMuslims,thoughrecentlyconvertedtoIslamandassuchoIweakIaithbut
stillobeyedbytheirpeople,iIgivensadaqahandtheircounselsoughtinjihadandothermatterscould
lead them to become strong in their Islam. A case in point is that oI the Makkans who became
Muslims aIter the conquest oI Makkah. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, gave themalargebooty
aIterhisvictoryovertheHuwazin.MostoIthembecameverygoodandconscientiousMuslimslater
on.
Eiqh3.64b:Muslimresidentsattheborders
Muslims who live at the Irontiers,closetoenemyland,canalsobegivensadaqahasanincentiveto
deIend the Islamic territory. The author oI al-Manar claims that thisIallsunderthenationaldeIense.
JuristsplaceitundertheshareallocatedIorthecauseoIAllah.Itissimilartoamilitaryexpedition.In
ourtimes,peoplewhomostdeserveourhelparethoseMuslimswhomtheunbelievershavebrought
overtotheirsidebyplacingthemundertheirprotectionorconvertingsuchMuslimstotheirreligion.
WenoticethatcolonialpowersareworkingIorthesubjugationoIallMuslimsandaretryingtodivert
them away Irom their religion. Such states are allocating a certain portion oI their resources to win
over the Muslim hearts. Some they have succeeded converting to Christianity, and others have been
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inIluenced by or attracted to their tutelage. This is creating problems Ior Muslim states and Islamic
unity.ArenotsuchMuslimsmoredeservingoIzakahthanthosealongtheIrontiers?
Eiqh3.64c:Thezakahemployees
Muslims who are employed to collect zakah, either through persuasion or Iorce, Irom those who are
not willing to give it can also qualiIy as its recipients Ior it is better to use such people to maintain
Muslim unity. Their support and their undertaking to help the government is the lesser oI two evils
andapreIerablearrangement.
Eiqh3.65:Theunbelievers,recipientsoIzakah
AsIortheunbelievers,theyareoItwocategories:
-1- Those who may come to Islam through the reconciliation oI their hearts: Such was the case oI
SaIwan ibn 'Umayyah whom the Prophet, upon whom be peace, granted saIety on the day oI
Makkah's conquest. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, allowed him to think about his situation Ior
IourmonthsandthenchooseIorhimselI.HewasabsentatthetimebutcameIorwardlaterandwent
with the Muslims to Iight inthebattleoIHunaynbeIorehisacceptanceoIIslam.TheProphet,upon
whom be peace, borrowed his armory Ior the expedition oI Hunayn, and in return gave him a large
numberoIcamels,loadedwithgoods,thatwereatacertainvalley.ThereuponSaIwwansaid:"Thisis
agiItIromsomeonewhodoesnotIearpoverty.ByAllah,"hecontinued,"theProphet,uponwhombe
peace,hasgivenalloIthistomeandverilyheisthepersonwhom Idislikethemost,buthecontinued
togivemethingsuntilhebecametheoneIlovedthemost."
-2- People whose evil is Ieared, and it is hoped that money, iI given to them, will neutralize their
hostility:Ibn'Abbasreported:"AgroupoIpeopleusedtocometotheProphet,uponwhombepeace.
IIhegavethemmoney,theywouldpraiseIslamandsay:'Thisisagoodreligion.'However,iIhedid
notgivethemanymoney,theycriticizedandIoundIaultwithIslam."AmongsuchpeoplewereAbu
SuIyanibnHarb,al-Aqra'ibnHabis,and'UyainahibnHisn.TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,gave
everyoneoIthemonehundredcamels.
The HanaIiyyah say that the share oI such people are cancelled when Islam is strong. Eor instance,
'UyainahibnHisn,al-Aqra'ibnHabis,andal-'AbbasibnMirdascametoAbuBakrandrequestedtheir
share.Hewrotethemaletter,whichtheytookto'Umar.Hetoretheletterandsaid:"Thisissomething
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to give you to reconcile you to Islam. Now, Allah has
IortiIied Islam and it is no longer in need oI you. Unless you stay with Islam, the sword will be
between you and us. Say: 'It is the truth Irom the Lord oI you |all|. Then whoever will, let him
believe,andwhoeverwill,lethimdisbelieve'|alKahI29|."TheyreturnedtoAbuBakrandsaid:"Are
youtheCaliphoris'Umar?YouwrotealetterIorusand'Umartoreitup."Heanswered:"Thisisthe
wayitis."
The HanaIiyyah continue: "Indeed, Abu Bakr agreed with 'Umar, and none oI the companions
disapproved oI it. Likewise, it was never reported Irom 'Uthman or 'Ali that they gave anything to
anyoneinthiscategory."
ItcanbeansweredthatthecaseunderreIerencewas'Umar'sownjudgment.Hesawthattherewould
benobeneIitinmolliIyingthesepeopleaIterIslamhadbecomewell-establishedamongtheirpeople,
and no harm would Iollow iI they abandoned Islam. Also, iI 'Uthman and'Alistoppedspendingthis
kindoIendowment,thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanthattheprovisionIoritwasrepealed.Itispossible
that the change oI circumstances did not call Ior the continuation oI such an endowment to the
nonbelievers. However, this does not amount to the invalidation oI the provision Ior such
endowments. Should the contingency call Ior its revival, the endowments in this category can be
given.ThisisbecausetheirsanctionliesintheQur'anandsunnah.
AhmadandMuslimreportedIromAnasthatwhenevertheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wasasked
Ior anything Ior the sake oI Islam, he would giveit away. A man came and asked Ior sadaqah. The
Prophet ordered that the man be given the entire lot oI sheep between two mountains. These sheep
werepartoIthesadaqah.Themanreturnedtohispeopleandsaid:"Ohmypeople!AcceptIslam,Ior
indeed, Muhammad gives in such a way as iI he does not Iear poverty." Ash-Shaukani says that al-
'Itrah, al-Jobbani, al-Balkhi, and Ibn Mubashshir held that sadaqah may be given to those whose
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hearts are to be reconciled to Islam. On the contrary, ash-ShaI'i maintains that such endowments are
notIorunbelievers.AsIorthesinner(Iaszq),hemaybegivenIromsuchallocations.
Abu HaniIah and his Iollowers hold that this kind oI endowment was cancelled with the spread and
domination oI Islam and, as evidence, they cite Abu Bakr's reIusal to restore endowments to Abu
SuIyan,'Uyainah,al-Aqra',andal-'AbbasibnMirdas.Itappearsthatreconciliationispermittedwhen
the need Ior it arises. In other words, it is permitted to give them sadaqah Ior reconciliation when a
people obey a leader only Ior worldly aIIairs, and they cannot be controlled except by Iorce and
domination.ThespreadoIIslamhasnoramiIicationontheissueoIreconciliationbecauseitmakesno
diIIerence in this case. The author oI al-Manar testiIies: "This is the whole truth. Only independent
judgment can be exercised to elaborate on the eligibility and the amount oI sadaqah or booty to be
givenawaywhentheyareavailable,alongwithotherkindsoIproperty|immovableandmovable|.It
isnecessarytoseekconsultationoIcapablepeople(ahlashShura)asthecaliphsdidinthosematters
that required ijtihad. Whether a leader can Iorce them into obedience by coercive action beIore
resortingtotheuseoItheendowmentisanunsettledissue.Nevertheless,thiscannotbeIollowedasa
rule but rather as the principle oI inclining to the lesser oI two evils and to the best beneIit oI the
society."
Eiqh3.67:EreeingCaptives
This category includes two kinds oI slaves: contracted slaves (rnukazabun) and regular slaves. Both
categories were aided with sadaqah to obtain their Ireedom. Al-Bara' reported: "A man came to the
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,andsaidtohim:'GuidemetoadeedthatmakesmeclosetoHeaven
andIarIromHell.'TheProphet,uponwhom bepeace,said:'Ereeapersonandredeemaslave.'"Then
al-Bara' asked: "O Messenger oI Allah. Are not the two the same?" He answered: "No. Ereeing a
personistogranthimIreedom|byredeeminghimIromhisbondage|,buttheredeemingoItheneck
means buying him his Ireedom." This is related by Ahmad and ad-Daraqutni and their report is
trustworthy.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Threepersonshavetherightto
behelpedbyAllah:thewarrior(ghazi)whoIightsIorAllah,thecontractedslavewholongstobuyhis
Ireedom, and one who wishes to get married Ior the sake oI chastity." This isrelatedbyAhmadand
theashabas-Sunan.At-Tirmizhigradesthisreportasgoodandsound.
AstothemeaningoIIreecaptives(wa Iiar-riqab),ash-ShaukanisaysthatscholarsdiIIeroverit.'Ali
ibnAbuTalib,Sa'idibnJubair,al-Layth,ath-Thauri,al-'Itrah,theHanaIiyyah,theShaI'iyyah,andthe
majority oI scholars are reported to believe that it reIers to contracted slaves (rnukatabdn) whose
Ireedom is secured through paymentIromzakah.AccordingtoIbn'Abbas,al-Hasanal-Basri,Malik,
Ahrnad ibn Hanbal, Abu Thaur, and Abu 'Ubaid, it means using zakah in the release oI any kind oI
slave. Al-Bukhari and Ibn al-Munzhir are also supportive oI this view. Their rationale is that the
expressionwaIiar-riqabcannotbeconIinedtothekindoIslaveryarisingIromacontractbecause,iI
that had been the case, then it would have Iallen under the category oI those in debt (gharimln), Ior
theirs is an obvious case oI debt. As such, Ireeing a slave Irom bondage is better than helping a
contractedslave.Hecouldbeaidedorhelped,butnotIreed,Iorthecontractedslaveisaslaveaslong
as he owes even one dirham.Atthesametime,Ireeingaslaveispossibleatanytime,incontrastto
thesituationoIacontractedslave.
Commenting on the subject, az-Zuhri says that the preceding position entails two possibilities. The
Qur'anic 'ayah on the subject alludes to these two possibilities, which have been pointed out by
ashShaukani in his Muntaqa al-Akhbar. In the hadith narrated by alBara', evidence suggests that
redeemingnecksisnotthesameasIreeingthem.NoristhedeedoIIreeingslavesthesameashelping
contracted ones with money to pay oII the contract. Both oI these bring the individual closer to
HeavenanddistancehimIromHell.
Eiqh3.68:Debtors
People burdened by debts and unable to pay them are oI several kinds: those who took upon
themselves responsibility to discharge a debt; those who guaranteed debts oI others and thereIore,
upon deIault, the debts have become their obligation; those who mismanaged their Iinances, those
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who borrowed money because they had to; or those who were involved in sinIul acts and then
repented,andwhohadtopayaIineIorrepentance.AlloIthemmaytakesadaqahtomeettheirdebts.
Anas reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "Asking Ior sadaqah is permissible only
IortheIollowingthreeclasses|oIpeople|:
-1- thosewhoare inabjectpoverty,
-2- thosewhohaveseveredebts,or
-3- those who incurred it in the payment oI blood money |on behalI oI a relative or Iriend|." This is
relatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,IbnMajah,andat-Tirmizhi.Thelattergradesithasn.
MuslimrelatesIromAbuSa'idal-KhudrithatamanmadeabaddealonIruitandthenranintoheavy
debt. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, recommended: "Give him sadaqah." Then the people gave
him sadaqah. However, he still had some debt leIt over. Thereupon, the Prophet, upon whom be
peace,saidtocreditors:"Takewhatyouget..."
AstothepreviouslystatedhadithoIQabisahibnMukhariq,inwhichhesays:"Ihadadebt.Iwentto
the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, and asked him Ior help. He answered: 'Wait untilwe
have received Iunds Ior sadaqah, then we will give some to you.' " The expression hamalah in this
hadith, as deIined by the scholars, is to assume someone's responsibility as one's own in order to
restitute a discord. In pre-Islamictimes,wheneverstriIetookplaceamongtheArabtribesandblood
was spilled, compensation was called Ior. In such a case, one oI them would volunteer to meet the
obligation until the striIe had ended. Undoubtedly, this was a noble act Ior these people. When the
Arabs would come to know that oneoIthemhadtakenuponhimselItheresponsibility(hamalah)oI
someone's debt, they would hasten to his help in the discharge oI hisresponsibility.IIsuchaperson
askedIorhelp,itwasconsideredanhonorableactandnot derogatorytohischaracter.Noconditions
werestipulated.AsIorbeingqualiIiedtoobtainzakahinthedischargeoIsuchdebts,itisnotapre-
conditionthatthepersonwhohasassumedthedebtonanother'sbehalIshouldbeunabletopayit.In
Iact,hecanstillaskIorzakaheventhoughheisamanoImeans.
Eiqh3.69:SadaqahIortheCauseoIAllah
Eee sabil lillah means Ior the sake oI Allah--that is, making use oI knowledge and deeds to attain
Allah'spleasure.Mostscholarsunderstoodthisphrase asIightingIorthecauseoIAllah.PartoIzakah
designated Ior the cause oI Allah is given to volunteer Iighters, especially those who are not on the
payrolloIthestate,regardlessoItheirIinancialstatus.
ThehadithoItheMessengeroIAllah,statedelsewhere,alsoconIirmsit:"Sadaqahisnotpermittedto
therichexcepttotheIollowingIive:thewarrior(ghuzi)IorthecauseoIAllah...andsoon."
Astothepilgrimage(hajj,itdoesnotIallunderthezakahdesignatedIorthecauseoIAllahbecauseit
is an obligation Ior one who can aIIord it. Commenting on the issue, the authors oI al-Manar say:
"SpendingoIthisportiononsecuringtheroutesoIthepilgrimageandIorprovidingwater,Iood,and
healthservicesIorthepilgrimsispermissibleiIIundsIromothersourcesarenotavailable."
Included in the share designated "Ior the cause oI Allah" are those spendings in the interest oI the
commongoodthatpertaintobothreligiousandsecularmatters.TheIoremostisthepreparationsIor
war, including buying arms, Iood supplies Ior soldiers, means oI transportation, and equipment Ior
warriors. However, the supplies Ior warriors are to be returned to the treasury aIter the war. This
applies especially to unconsumable items such as weapons, horses, and so on. A warrior does not
alwayspossesssuchitems,IorheusestheminthecauseoIAllahonlywhennecessary.Thisisnotthe
case,however,withotherrecipientsoIzakah,suchaszakahcollectors,debtors,peoplewhoreceived
money under the expense account "reconciliation oI hearts," and the wayIarers. They do not have to
returnthezakah,eveniItheyarenolongerentitledtoit.
Also included in the expense account "Ior the cause oI Allah" are projects such as establishing
militaryhospitals,pavedandunpavedroads,theextensionoImilitary(notcommercial)railwaylines,
and the building oI cruisers, warplanes, Iortresses, and trenches. An important item in this category
couldbethepreparationoIMuslimmissionariesandsendingthemto non-Muslimcountriestospread
Islam, just as non-Muslim missionaries are now spreading their religions in Islamic countries. Also
Iallingunderthisheadingwouldbeschoolexpensestoprepareadequatecoursesinreligioussciences
andinotherareasoIpublicinterest.Teachersinvolvedinsuchprogramsshouldbegivensadaqahas
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long as they continue to perIorm their assigned jobs without resorting to other means oI income.
ScholarswhoarerichshouldnotbepaidIortheirwork,despitetheirobviousbeneIitstothepeople.
Eiqh3.70:SadaqahIortheWayIarer
ScholarsagreethatatravelerstrandedinaIoreignlandshouldbegivenzakahiIhelacksthemeansto
achievehisobjectives.TheextensionoIzakahis,however,tiedtotheconditionthatthejourneymust
have been undertaken Ior Islamically acceptable reasons. Just what such a trip involves is open to
question.ThepreIerableopinionamongtheShaI'iyyahisthatsadaqahisgivenevenwhenthetraveler
istakingthetripIorsightseeingandpleasure.ThewayIarer(ibnas-sabil),accordingtotheShaI'iyyah,
isoItwokinds:
-1- apersontravelingwithinhisowncountry,and
-2- onetravelinginaIoreigncountry.BothoIthemareentitledtozakah,eventhoughtheycouldIind
someonetolendthemtheneededamountandtheyhaveenoughresourcesintheirowncountrytopay
their debts. According to Malik and Ahmad, only the passer-by is eligible Ior zakah and not one
travelingwithinhisowncountry.ZakahisnottobegiventothepersoniIhecanIindsomeonetolend
himthemoneyheneedsandiIhehasenoughoIhisownmoneyinhiscountrytopayhisdebt.
Eiqh3.70a:WhoHasPriorityinthedistributionoIzakah
The distribution oI zakah to those who are eligible, as mentioned in the 'ayah Irom at-Taubah, can
nowbeclassiIiedasunder:
The poor (Iuqdra'); the needy (rnasakm); the administrators oI zakah ('amildna 'alaiha); those whose
hearts are to be won over (mu'allaIatu qulubuhum), slaves (ar-riqab); those in debt (gharimun) the
wayIarers (abna'as-Sabil);thewarriors(rnujahidln).
ThejuristsdiIIeroverthedistributionoIzakahamongtheprecedingeightgroupsoIpeople.
Ash-ShaI'iandhisIollowersholdthatiIadistributoroIzakahhappenstobetheowneroItheproperty
(or the agent), then there is no share oI the collectors in it. In that case, it becomes obligatory to
distribute the sum collected among the remaining seven categories. II other categories are Ior some
reasonineligibleIortheirshare,itwillbedistributedamongthosestilleligible.Itisnotpermissibleto
disregard any category iI it meets the conditions Ior eligibility. Ibrahim anNakha'i says that iI the
amount oI zakah received is large, then it is possible to divide it among the diIIerent categories.
However,iIitissmall,itispermissibletoplaceitintoonecategory.AhmadibnHanbalholdsthatthe
divisionoIzakahhasaprioritybutthatitispermissibletogiveitalltoonecategory.Malikmaintains
that the distributor oI zakah should make an eIIort to investigate those who are in need. He should
distribute it according to the immediate condition oI the needy and poor people. Thus, iI he sees in
certainyearsthatthepoorneedmore,theyshouldbegivenpriority.IIheseesinanotheryearthatthe
wayIarers are more needy, he should distribute it among the travelers. The HanaIiyyah and SuIyan
athThaurithoughtthatthezakahpayercanchoosethecategorieshewishedtodistributethezakahto.
This is related by HuzhaiIah and Ibn 'Abbas. Al-Hasan alBasri and 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah base their
opinionsonit.AbuHaniIahholdsthatthedistributorsoIzakahmaygiveittoonepersonunderanyoI
theeightcategories.
Eiqh3.71:WhytheScholarsDiIIer
According to Ibn Rushd: "The cause oI their diIIerences lies between the literal and the intended
meaning. The literal meaning determines the classiIications, but the intended meaning shows that
priorityshouldbegiventotheneedyaccordingtotheimmediacyoItheirneedssincetheaim|oIthe
institution oI zakah| is to eliminate poverty. The enumeration |oI the categories| in the Qur'an is
meanttodistinguishthediIIerentkinds--thatis,thepeopleeligibleIorzakah,andnotnecessarilytheir
grouping. The Iirst interpretation is the literal one while the second is the intended interpretation."
Ash-ShaI'ibuildshiscaseonthehadithoIas-Suda'iwhichisrelatedbyAbuDawud.Amancameto
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and asked Ior zakah. The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be
peace,said:"AllahhasnotleItthemattertothejudgmentoIaprophetnortoothers.Hehaslaidthe
rules Ior it--that is, He has classiIied |the beneIiciaries| into eight categories. II you Iit into any oI
these,Iwillgiveyouyourdue."
Eiqh3.71a:ThePreIerenceoItheMajorityOpinionOverThatoIash-ShaI'i
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The author oI ar-Rawdah an-Nadiyyah says: "Distributing all oI the zakah to one group is more
beneIiting to the realization oI the word oI Allah." In brieI, one may say that Allah made zakah
applicable only to the eight speciIically mentioned categories. Spelling out these categories does not
meanthatthezakahhastobedistributedamongthemequallyoreventhatithastobedividedamong
them.Theintendedmeaning,however,isthatthecategoriesoIsadaqaharesimilartovariousgroups
oI people who are eligible Ior it. Thus, one who is obligated to pay anything to any category oI
sadaqah and gives it to a person in a parallel group is considered to be IulIilling what Allah
commanded him to do. Contrary to this, iI one divides his zakah due into the acknowledged eight
categories, iI all eight exist, then that would not only be contrary to the practice oI the Muslims
throughout history, but it would cause hardship to the payer oI zakah. Eor example, iI the collected
zakahweremeager,itwouldbeoInobeneIittoanydesignatedcategory--eveniIitwasoIonekind,
tosaynothingiIitwasoInumerouskinds.Toendorsesuchapracticewouldbetantamounttocounter
what the Prophet, upon whom be peace, did when he permitted the payment oI a penance (kaIIarah)
IromthecharitycollectedIorSalmahibnSakhr.Obviously,thehadithoIas-Suda'icannotbeusedas
evidence.
There is not a single case in the entire corpus oI hadith literature which could be used to make the
distribution oI zakah to all groups oI people obligatory. Using the hadith oI Mu'azh as evidencethat
theProphet,uponwhombepeace,instructedhimtotakezakahIromtherichYemenitesandgiveitto
theirpoorwillnotbeoImuchhelpbecauseitdoesnotestablishthatthezakahwasdistributedtoall
thegroups.NoristhehadithoIZiyadibnal-Harithas-Suda'ivalidinthisregardbecauseinitschain
oI narrators is 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Ziyad al-'AIriqi, whose credibility has been questioned by many
scholars.AssumingthatthishadithisvalidIorthepointunderdiscussion,themeaningoIthedivision
oIzakahintopartsisitsdistributionaccordingtotheapparentmeaningoItheQur'anic'ayahandwhat
theProphet,uponwhombepeace,hadinmind.AssumingthatthedivisionoIzakahitselIisintended,
the distribution has to be done according to the speciIied categories. In this case, any transIer oI the
shareoIonegrouptoanother,eveniIthegroupconcernedwasIorsomereasonnon-existent, willnot
bepermissible.SuchanapproachwillbecontrarytotheconsensusoIMuslimscholars.IIweaccept
that,thenthedecidingIactorIorthesadaqah'sdistributionistheleader'swishratherthan,andnotthe
speciIiccategoriesoIeligiblepeople.Thus,thereisnoevidencethatmakesdivisionobligatory,andit
is consequently permissible to give some sadaqah to those eligiblepeopleandsometoothergroups.
Indeed,whentheleadercollectsallthesadaqatIromhispeopleandalleightcategoriesareeligibleto
receive them, each group has the right to claim its share. However, he does not have to divide the
collected sadaqat among them equally or distribute it without any distinction, Ior he can give any
amount to any group or groups that he wants to, or he can give some without giving the rest iI he
thinksitisintheinterestoIIslamanditspeople.Eorexample,iIthesadaqahwascollectedandthena
jihadwasannounced,meaningthatitwouldbecomenecessarytodeIendtheterritoryoIIslamagainst
the unbelievers, the leader can give some or all oI it to the deserving warriors. This also applies to
otherconcernsiItheinterestoIIslamnecessitatesit.
Eiqh3.73:PeopleEorbiddenIorZakah
WehavediscussedsoIarthedistributionoIzakahandthecategoriesoIpeopleeligibletoreceiveit.
NowwewilltalkaboutthosewhoareIorbiddentoreceiveit.Theyare:
Eiqh3.73a:UnbelieversandAtheists
The jurists agree that unbelievers and atheists are not to be given zakah. In the hadith which says:
"ZakahistakenIromtherichandgivenbacktothepoor,""therich"reIerstorichMuslimswhile"the
poor" indicates poor Muslims. Ibn al-Munzhir said that all scholars agree that the Iree nonMuslim
subject (zhimmi) is not entitled to zakah. Exceptions to the rule are those people whose hearts are
leaning toward Islam. However, it is permissible to give a zhimmi Irom the nonobligatory charity
(tatawwu'). Alluding to the characteristics oI the belivers, the Qur'an says: "And Ior His love, they
Ieed the indigent, orphan, and captive" (ad-Dahr: 8.. This is also supported by the Iollowing hadith:
"Bekindtoyourmother."Thewomaninthiscasewasanunbeliever.
Eiqh3.73b:BanuHashim
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ThisincludestheIamiliesoI'Ali,Ja'Iar,al'Abbas,andal-Harith.IbnQudamahsaystherearenotwo
opinions on the ineligibility oI Banu Hashim to receive zakah. The Prophet, upon whom be peace,
declared: "Indeed, sadaqah ought not to be given to the Iamily oI Muhammad ..." Muslim related it.
Abu Hurairah reported that when al-Hasan took one date Irom the sadaqah dates, the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, said to him: "Nay, spit it out! Don't you know that we cannot eat Irom charity?"
Scholars agree on the authenticity oI this hadith. As to the eligibility oI Banu al-Muttalib Ior zakah,
thescholarsdiIIer.
Ash-ShaI'iholdsthatlikeBanuHashimtheyaredisallowedtotakezakah.Ash-ShaI'i,Ahmad,andal-
BukharirelateIromJubairibnMut'imwhosaid:"AtthebattleoIKhaibar,theProphet,uponwhombe
peace, set aside the share oI the relatives oI the Iamilies oI Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib and
leIt out the shares oI Banu NawIal and Banu 'Abd Shams. I and 'Uthman ibn 'AIIan came to the
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,andsaidtohim:'OMessengeroIAllah!DonotdenyBanu
Hashim the grace oI their position because Allah placed you among them. How about our brothers
Banu al-Muttalib? You gave them and leIt us out? Isn't our relationship one and the same?' The
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,answered:'IandBanual-Muttalibarenottobeseparatedeitherduring
jahiliyyah or Islam. We and they are one.' Then he joined his Iingers |in demonstrating the close
relationship|." Reason dictates that one should not diIIerentiate between them (the two Iamilies) in
any matteroIlawbecausetheyareoneaccordingtothesayingoItheProphet.Itisevidentthatthey
are the Iamily oI Muhammad, and thereIore, sadaqat are Iorbidden to them. Abu HaniIah holds that
theIamilyoIBanual-MuttalibmaytakeIromzakah.Both thesereportsarerelatedbyAhmad.Justas
theMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,madecharityunlawIulIortheIamilyoIBanuHashim,
healsomadeitunlawIulIortheirproteges(mawla).AbuRaIi',aprotegeoItheProphet,saidthatthe
latter appointed a man Irom the Iamily oI Banu Makhzum to collect sadaqat. This man said to Abu
RaIi': "Accompany me so that you may get some oI it." He said: "No, until I meettheMessengeroI
Allah,uponwhombepeace,andaskhim."HeleItandaskedhim.TheProphetanswered:"Sadaqahis
not lawIul Ior us--and theprotegesoIacertaintribearelike|themembersoIthetribe|themselves."
Ahmad,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhirelatedit.Thelattergradesitgood(hassan)andsound(sahih).
Whether nonobligatory charity (tatawwu') is lawIul Ior the Iamily oI the Prophet or not, scholars
diIIer.Ash-Shaukani,havingsummarizedtheviewsontheissue,says:"TheapparentmeaningoIthe
Prophet's hadith, 'Sadaqah is unlawIul Ior us,' is the unlawIulness oI the obligatory as well as
nonobligatory sadaqat." A group oI scholars, including al-Khattabi, says that its prohibition Ior the
Prophet,uponwhombepeace,carriesconsensus.BasedonashShaI'i'sreport,manyothershaveruled
thattheprohibitionoIzakahtotheProphetdoesnotincludethenonobligatorycharity.AreportIrom
AhmadequallysayssobutIbnQudamahrejectsallthesereportsIorlackoIclearevidence.
As Ior the Iamily oI the Prophet, upon whom be peace, the vast majority oI the HanaIiyyah, the
ShaI'iyyah, the Hanbaliyyah, and the majority oI the Zaidiyyah hold that nonobligatory sadaqah is
permissibleIorthembutnottheobligatoryone,sincetothemthelatterisnothingbutIilththatcomes
out Irom people's holdings. This is understood to mean that the (prescribed) zakah and not the
nonobligatory sadaqat, are Iorbidden to them. It is said in alBahr that nonobligatory sadaqah is
restricted by being conIined to a donation, giIt, or endowment. Abu YusuI and Abu al-'Abbas
maintainthatitisunlawIulIor them,asistheprescribedcharity,becausethereisnoevidenceoIthe
contrary.
Eiqh3.75:EathersandSons
The jurists agree that it is not permissible to give zakah to one's Iather, grandIather, mother,
grandmother, son, grandson, daughter, and her children because the zakah payer is obligated to take
careoIallsuchpeopleanyway.IncaseoItheirpoverty,theyshoulddrawuponhislargessebecauseit
istheirright.Thus,iIhepaysthemzakah,hebeneIitshimselIandavoidstheobligationoIsupporting
them.MalikexemptsthegrandIather,grandmother,grandsons,andgranddaughtersbecauseonedoes
not have an obligation to support them iI they are poor. However, iI they are well-oII and Iought
voluntarily Ior the cause oI Allah, the zakah payer maygive them some oI the zakah designated Ior
those Iighting in the cause oI Allah. He may also give them some oI the share meant Ior debtors,
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though he is not obligated to pay oII their debts. He may also givethemaportionoItheamountset
asideIorzakah collectors,providedtheyareinthiscategory.
Eiqh3.75a:TheWiIe
Ibn al-Munzhir says that all scholars agree that a man is not obligated to give his wiIe zakah, the
reasonbeingthatadequatesupportIorherisalreadyenjoineduponhim,unlesssheisindebt.Inthat
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Wa'ilibnHajarreported:"IheardtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,sayaIteramanhad
asked him his opinion oI our leaders who deny their right |oI collecting and distributing the zakah|:
'Listen and obey, Ior indeed, they have their responsibility and you have yours.' " This is related by
Muslim.
Commentingonthesubject,ash-Shaukkanisaysthatthehadithcitedinthissectionareusedbymany
scholarstojustiIythepermissibilityoItransIerringbothkindsoIzakahtounjustrulers.Thisappliesto
rulersoIMuslimsintheworldoIIslam(DaralIslam).
As to contemporary Muslim governments, Sheikh Rashid Rida says: "At present, the majority oI
MuslimsdonothaveanIslamicgovemmentwhichestablishesIslam,propagatesanddeIendsit,calls
Ior jihad individually or collectively, implements its divine injunctions, and collects and distributes
zakahaccordingtotheruleslaiddownbyAllah,theExaltedOne.
Some oI the Muslim rulers are under the inIluence oI Western powers, while others are under the
tutelageoIpolytheists.TheseIoreignpowersemployMuslimleadersastoolstosubjugatethepeople
in the name oI Islam, thus destroying Islam itselI. They use the inIluence oI the Muslim leaders and
Muslimresources,includingzakahandendowments,toIurthertheirinterests.Tosuchrulers,itisnot
permissibletopayanypartoIzakah,regardlessoItheirtitleorproIessionoIIaith.AsIortherestoI
the Islamic governments whose rulers and heads oI state proIess Islam and whose Iinances are not
controlled by Ioreigners, the payment oI unhidden zakah should be made to their leaders. This also
applies to hidden properties, such as gold and silver, when the leaders request it, even iI they are
unjustinsomeoItheirjudgments,asissaidbythejurists."
Eiqh3.78:ThePreIerabilityoIGivingZakahtoGoodPeople
ZakahisgiventoaMuslimprovidedheiseligibletoreceiveit.WhetherheisgoodorsinIuldoesnot
matter.II,however,itisknownthathewilluseittoperpetuatewhatAllahhasIorbidden,itshouldbe
deniedtohim.ItispreIerablethatonewhopayszakahshouldgiveittothepious,theknowledgeable,
andthoseoIkinddisposition.ItisrelatedIromAbuSa'idal-KhudrithattheProphet,uponwhombe
peace,said:"ThelikenessoIabelieverandthelikenessoIbelieIaresimilartothehorsethat,tiedto
itspost,walksaroundandthencomesbacktoitspost.ThebelievermayIorget,buthereturnstohis
belieI. Thus, give yourIoodtotherighteouspeopleandentrustyourIavorstothebelievers."Thisis
relatedbyAhmadwithagoodchainandas-Suyutiauthenticatedit.
IbnTaimiyyahsaysthattheneedywhodiscardshissalahwillnotbegivenanythinguntilherepents
andoIIerssalahagainbecauseneglectingsalahisagravesin.Itisnotrightthatonewhocommitsthis
sinshouldbeIinanciallyhelpeduntilherepentstoAllah.Includedalongwiththosewhoneglectsalah
are oIIenders who are not ashamed to commit sinIul acts and remain unrepentant. Also, one whose
conscience is corrupted has an innate character which is distorted and a sense oI good which is
virtually dead. Such a person is not given zakah unless doing so will turn him in the right direction
andhelphimreIorm.
Eiqh3.78a:TheZakahGiverisEorbiddentoBuyBackWhatHeGaveinCharity
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,prohibitedtheonewhogiveszakahtobuybackwhat
he gave up Ior Allah, the Exalted One. This is similar to the case oI those immigrants who were
prohibited(bytheMessenger)toreturntoMakkahaItertheyhadleItitasimmigrants.Itisrelatedby
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that:"Once'Umargaveawayahorse,IorthecauseoIAllah,assadaqah.Later,
hesawitIorsaleandwantedtobuyit.HeaskedtheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,iIhe
could do so. The Messenger answered: 'Do not buy back what you gave insadaqah.'"Thisisrelated
byal-Bukhari,Muslim,AbuDawud,andan-Nasa'i.AnNawawisaysitisapuriIyingprohibition,not
oneoIunlawIulness.Itisunsuitable(makruh)Iorapersontobuybackwhathehasgiveninsadaqah,
or zakah, or penance Ior a promise, or anything oI the nature which brings one closer to Allah, the
ExaltedOne.ThisisalsoapplicabletoagiItoIIeredtosomeonewhichthedonorcannotowneveniI
it is allowed by the recipient. However, it can be owned by him again iI he inherits it. According to
Ibn Battal, most scholars disliked someone to buy his sadaqah back. This is in accordance with
'Umar's hadith. Ibn al-Munzhir says that al-Hasan, 'Ikrimah, Rabi'ah, and al-Auza'i allowed buying
one's charity back. Ibn Hazm is also inclined to this view because oI a hadith Irom Abu Sa'id
alKhudri.TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Sadaqahisnotallowedtothe well-to-
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doexceptIorIiveamongthem:onewhoIightsinthecauseoIAllah;onewhoadministerszakah;one
whoisindebt;onewhobought|thearticleoIzakah|withhismoney;oronewhohasapoorneighbor
towhomhegavesadaqah,andthelattergaveitasagiIttohim."
Eiqh3.79:PreIerenceinGivingZakahtoHusbandorRelativee
ApoorhusbandisentitledtoreceivezakahIromhiswell-to-dowiIe,eventhoughsheisnotsupposed
to support him. Her reward Ior giving it to him is more than iI she were to give it to strangers. Abu
Sa'id al-Khudri reported that Zainab, the wiIe oI Ibn Mas'ud, said: "O Prophet oI Allah! Indeed you
haveorderedustodaytogiveawaysadaqah,andIhavesomejewelrywhichIwantedtogiveawayas
sadaqah. But Ibn Mas'ud claims that he and his children deserve it more than someone else." The
Prophet, upon whom be peace, responded: "Ibn Mas'ud is right. Your husbandandyourchildrenare
more deserving." This is related by al-Bukhari. AshShaIi, Ibn al-Munzhir, Abu YusuI, Muhammad,
theZahiriyyah,andoneoIthereportsbyAhmadholdthesameview.AbuHaniIahandotherscholars
diIIer, saying that the wiIe is not allowed to give any sadaqah to her husband. They maintain that
Zainab'shadithisconcernedwithvoluntarysadaqahandnotwiththeobligatoryone.Malikholdsthat
itisnotpermissibleIorahusbandtospendthesadaqahhereceivesIromhiswiIeonher.Spendingit
on others is all right. Most scholars say that one's brothers, sisters, paternal uncles and aunts, and
maternalunclesandauntsmayreceivezakahiItheyareeligible.Theiropinionisbasedonthehadith
which says: "Sadaqah Ior the poor is rewarded as one sadaqah, but in the case oI a relative it is
consideredastwo:|onerewardIor|bloodtieand|theotherrewardIor|thesadaqah|itselI|."Thisis
relatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,andat-Tirmizhi.Thelattergradesithassan.
Eiqh3.80:GivingCharitytoSeekersoIReligiousKnowledge
An-Nawawi holds that iI someone is able to earn a suitable living and wants to occupy himselI by
studying some oI the religious sciences but Iinds that his work will not allow him to do so, then he
maybegivenzakahsinceseekingknowledgeisconsideredacollectiveduty(IardkiIayah).AsIorthe
individual who is not seeking knowledge, zakah is not permissible Ior him iI he is able to earn his
living even though he resides at a school. An-Nawawi says: "As Ior one who is engaged in
supererogatory worship (nawaIil) or Ior one who occupies himselIinnawaIilwithnotimetopursue
his own livelihood, he may not receive zakah. This is because the beneIit oIhisworshipisconIined
onlytohim,contrarytotheonewhoseeksknowledge."
Eiqh3.80a:SettingDebtEreethroughZakah
Eormulating the issue, an-Nawawi says in al-Majmu': "Suppose a person owes a debt to another
personandatthesametimehequaliIiesIorzakah.|WhenzakahisdueIorthelendertopay,|hetells
|theborrower|:'ConsiderthedebtIor|my|zakah.'Woulditbevalid?"An-Nawawisaystherearetwo
opinions on it. According to Ahmad and Abu HaniIah, who held the better opinion, it does not
constitute zakah because it cannot be discharged unless actually paid, while Hasan al-Basri and 'Ata
maintain that the responsibility to pay zakah will be discharged even though there is no payment oI
zakah(atthatpointintime)byitspayer.
Likewise,iIanindividualtrustinglyassignssomemoneytoapersontokeepandatthetimeoIzakah
heaskstheassigneetokeeptheamountinlieuoIhiszakah,itwillbevalid.
The jurists, however, agree that iI a person pays zakah to another who owes him money and then
receivesitbacktoredeemhisloantohim,theobligationtopayzakahwillnotbedischarged.Itisalso
invalidIorapersontoacceptzakahontheconditionthathewillpayitbacktothelender(thezakah
payer)Iortheamountheoweshim.Nevertheless,iIatthetimeoIlendingandacceptanceoItheloan
bothagreetodoso,eventhoughitwasnotmentionedinthedeal,itwillbevalidaszakah.
Eiqh3.81:TransIeroIZakah
ThejuristsagreethatzakahcanbetransIerredIromonecitytoanotherprovidedtheneedsoIthecity
residents whom the zakah was originally derived Irom have Iirst been satisIied. A large number oI
hadith on the subject stress the need Ior depleting zakah among the poor and the needy oI the city
Iromwhichitiscollected.ThisisbecausezakahaimsatIreeingthepoorinhabitantsoIanareaIrom
want,andthusitstransIerwouldcontributetotheirdeprivation.ThisissubstantiatedbythehadithoI
Mu'azh: "Tell them that there is a charity due upon them tobetakenIromtheirrichandtobegiven
back to their poor." Abu JuhaiIah reported: "The charity collector oI the Messenger oI Allah, upon
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whom be peace, came to us and took zakah Irom our rich and gave it to our poor. I was an orphan
then,andhegavemeayoungshe-camel."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tirmizhi,whogradedithassan.
'Imran ibn Husain reports that he was employed as a charity collector. When he returned Irom this
assignment, he was asked: "Where is the collection?" He responded: "Did you send me Ior the
collection?WetookitanddistributeditthewaywedidatthetimeoItheMessengeroIAllah,upon
whom be peace." This is related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah. On the same subject, Tawus says:
"Mu'azh wrote in his letter: 'Anyone who moves Irom one location to another, his charity and tithe
remaininthelocationoIhistribe.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-AthraminhisSunan.
Basedonsuchhadith,thejuristssaythatthepooroIacityhaveapriorclaimoverthelocalzakahthan
the poor elsewhere. Still, they diIIer over which conditions must prevail beIore zakah can be
transIerredIromonecitytoanother.
The HanaIiyyah hold that transIerring zakah is disliked (makruh) unless it is Ior needy relatives and
servesthetiesoIblood,orwhentheneedsoIagroupoIMuslimsaremorepressingthanthoseoIthe
locals,whenitistiedtothegeneralinterestsoItheMuslims,whenitissoughtIromacountryatwar
against the Muslims to the land oI Islam, when it is intended Ior a scholar, or when zakah is paid
beIorethecompletionoIthehawl.Inthosecases,transIerringzakahisnotdisliked(makruh).
TheShaI'iyyahmaintainthattransIerringzakahisnotallowedandthatitmustbespentintheareaoI
itsorigin,unlessithasnopoororothercategoriesoIzakahrecipients.'AmribnShu'aibreportedthat
theMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,appointedMu'azhibnJabaltoapositioninJundwhere
the latter remained until the death oI the Prophet. At the time oI this event, he came to 'Umar who
reappointedhim.Hesentto'Umarone-thirdoIthesadaqatcollectedIromthelocalpeople,but'Umar
turned it down and said: "I did not appoint you to go there as a tax collector or as a tribute (jizyah)
taker.IappointedyoutocollectsadaqatIromtherichandthentoreturnthemtotheirpoor."Mu'azh
replied: "I would not have sent you anything |Irom the collection| iI I hadIoundsomeonedeserving
|overhere|."
Inthesecond year,hesenthimhalIoIthecollectedsadaqat,andtheyranintothesameissueagain.In
thethirdyear,hesenthimalloIit,and'Umaragainarguedwithhim.Mu'azhresponded:"Icouldnot
IindanyonewhodeservedtoreceiveanythingIromme."ThisisrelatedbyAbu'Ubaid.
MalikholdsthattransIerringzakahisallowedonlywhenthereisadesperateneed.Theadministration
thencansendittotheotherplaceaIterdueconsiderationoIalltheIacts.TheHanbaliyyahsaythatit
isnotpermissibleto transIerzakahIromitsplaceoIorigintothatoItheplacebeyondwhichsalatul-
qasr is applicable. It must be spent in the place which generated it or near to it but not beyond the
pointoIqasr.
AbuDawudsays:"IheardAhmadsaying'no'whenaskediIzakahcouldbetransIerredIromonecity
to another. Asked Iurther, 'What iI his |the zakah payer's| relatives are in the other city?' he replied:
'No. It can be transIerred only when the needs oI the poor residents oI a city have been satisIied.' "
This isbasedontheprecedinghadithoIAbu'Ubaid.IbnQudamahholdsthateveniIthezakahpayer
violated the above stipulations by transIerring it, he would still have met his obligation. Most oI the
scholars also support this view. When a man resides in one city and his holdings happen to be in
another, consideration will be given to the city where his holdings are located because the holdings
generated zakah and the eligible people will be eyeing it. II part oI the holdings are with the owner
andsomeare inanothercity,zakahwillbepaidontheportionineachcity.Thisappliestozakahon
one'sholdings.AsIorthezakahattheendoIRamadan(zakatul-Iitr),itisdistributedinthecitywhere
itisdue,whetherthepayer'sholdingsarethereornot. ThisisbecausethistypeoIzakahisassociated
withthepersonratherthanwiththeholdings.
Eiqh3.83:ErrorsintheDistributionoIZakah
The topic oI recipients versus non-recipients oI zakah has already been covered. It does happen,
however,thata zakahpayerinadvertantlygivesittoanineligiblepersonattheexpenseoIaneligible
one.UpontherealizationoIsuchamistake,wouldhebeconsideredtohaveIulIilledhisobligationoI
zakahorwoulditstillbeadebtuponhimuntilhepaysitto therightpeople?ThejuristsdiIIerover
this point. Abu HaniIah, Muhammad, al-Hasan, and Abu 'Ubaidah maintain that in such a case he
wouldnotberequiredtopayanotherzakah.
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Ma'anibnYazidreports:"MyIathersetasideaIewdinarsIorsadaqahandgavethemtoamaninthe
mosque. I went and took them and brought them back to my Iather. He said: 'By Allah! What have
you done?' I consulted the Prophet, upon whom be peace, about it. The Prophet observed: 'O Yazid,
Ior you is what you intended and O Ma'an, Ior you is what you have taken.' " This is related by
Ahmadandal-Bukhari.ThemeaningoIthishadithisthatsadaqahissupererogatory(naIl);however,
the word ma (meaning what) in laka rna nawayta (Ior you is what you intended) denotes
generalization. Abu HaniIah and Muhammad are supported in their stand by a hadith Irom Abu
HurairahwhichreportstheProphet,uponwhombepeace,saying:"Aman|IromBanuIsra'il|said|to
himselI|: 'Tonight I will give away something in sadaqah.' So he went out with his sadaqah and
|unknowlingly| gave it to a thieI. The next moming he was told by the people that he had given
sadaqahtoathieI.|Onhearingthis,|hesaid:'OAllah!PraisedbeYou.CertainlyIwillgivesadaqah
again.'So,hewentoutwithhissadaqahand|unknowingly|gaveittoanadulteress.Thenextmoming
he was told that he had given sadaqah to an adulteress. The man said: 'O Allah! Praised be You. |I
gave my sadaqah| to an adulteress. Certainly I will give sadaqah again.' Thus he went out with his
sadaqah againand|unknowingly|gaveittoarichperson.Thenextmomingthepeoplesaidthatthe
nightbeIorehehadgivenhissadaqahtoawealthyperson.Hesaid:'OAllah!PraisedbeYou.|Ihave
givenmysadaqah|toanadulteress,athieI,anda richperson.'|Inhisdreams|hesawsomeonesaying
tohim:'ThesadaqahyougavetothethieImightmakehimabstainIromstealing,andthatgiventothe
adulteress might make her abstain Irom illegal sex |adultery|, and that given to the wealthy person
mightmakehimlearnalessonIromitandspendhiswealth,whichAllah,theExaltedOne,hasgiven
himinAllah'scause.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.
TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,saidtoamanwhoaskedhimIorsadaqah:"IIyou wereeligibleIor
zakah, I would have given you your due." He (the Prophet) gave (zakah) to two well built persons
saying:"IIyouwish,IwillgiveIromit|sadaqah|.ThereisnoportioninitIorawealthypersonora
healthyindividualwhoiseaming."IbnQudamahsays:"IIhewouldhaveconsideredtherealityoIthe
richperson,hewouldnothavebeencontentedwithwhattheysaid|concemingthismatter|."
The opinion oI Malik, ash-ShaI'i, Abu YusuI, ath-Thauri, and Ibn al-Munzhir is that it will not be
suIIicientIorazakahpayertogiveittotheundeserving,especiallywhenhismistakebecomesclear.
Inthatcase,heshouldpayzakahonceagaintothosewhodeserveit.HiscaseissimilartothecaseoI
unpaid debts (owed) to other people. Ahmad says that there are two opinions conceming onepaying
zakahtoapersonwhomhethoughtwaspoorandlaterleamedwasrich.TheIirstcontendsitwouldbe
considered paid, while the second says that it would not be. When it becomes known that one who
received zakah is a slave, an unbeliever, a Hashimite (a person Irom the Prophet's Iamily), or an
ineligible relative oI the zakah payer, then one has not discharged one's obligation, the reason being
thatitisdiIIiculttoknowwhoisrichandwhoispoor:"Theignorantmanthinksthatsincethey|who
donotaskIor|aremodesttheyareIreeIromwant"|al-Baqarah273|.
Eiqh3.84:DisclosureoISadaqah
ItispemmissibleIorthepersongivingsadaqahtodisclosehissadaqah,whetheritisoIanobligatory
orsupererogatorytype(naIilah),solongashedoesnotdoitostentatiously.However,itispreIerable
nottodiscloseit.Allah,theExaltedOne,says:"IIyoupublicizeyouralmsgiving,itisalright,butiI
youhideitandgiveittothepoor,itwillbebetterIoryou"|al-Baqarah271|.Ahmad,alBukhari,and
MuslimrelateIromAbuHurairahthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Sevenpeoplewillbe
shadedbyAllahonthedaywhentherewillbenoshadeexceptHis.Thesepeopleare:ajustruler,a
young man who has been brought up in the worship oI Allah, a man whose heart is attached to the
mosque, two persons who love each other only Ior Allah's sake and they meet and depart in Allah's
cause only, a person who gives sadaqah so secretly that his leIt hand does not know what his right
handhasgiven,apersonwhoremembersAllahinhisseclusionandhiseyesgetIilledwithtears,and
amanwhoreIusesthecalloIachamlingwomanoInoblebirthIorillicitsexandsays:'IamaIraidoI
Allah,theExaltedOne.'"
Eiqh3.87:Zakatul-Eitr
Zakat ul-Iitr is a type oI sadaqah which must be paid by every Muslim, young and old, male and
Iemale,Ireeandslave,attheendoIthemonthoIIasting(Ramadan).
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Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate Irom Ibn 'Umar that he said: "The Prophet, upon whom be peace,
enjoinedthepaymentoIonesa'oIdatesoronesa'oIbarleyaszakatul-IitroneveryMuslim,young
andold,maleandIemale,Ireeandslave."
Eiqh3.87a:ThePurposeoIZakatul-Eitr
Zakatul-IitrwasmadeobligatoryinthemonthoISha'baninthesecondyearoIthehijrah.Itspurpose
istopuriIyonewhoIastsIromanyindecentactorspeechandtohelpthepoorandneedy.Thisviewis
based upon the hadith reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and ad-Daraqutni Irom Ibn 'Abbas. The
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,enjoinedzakatul-IitrontheonewhoIaststoshieldone's
selIIromanyindecentactorspeechandIorthepurposeoIprovidingIoodIortheneedy.Itisaccepted
aszakahIorthepersonwhopaysitbeIorethe'idsalah,anditissadaqahIortheonewhopaysitaIter
thesalah.
Eiqh3.88:WhoMustPayZakatul-Eitr
Zakatul-IitrisincumbentoneveryIreeMuslimwhopossessesonesa'oIdatesorbarleywhichisnot
needed as a basic Iood Ior himselI or his Iamily Ior the duration oI one day and night. Every Iree
Muslimmustpayzakatul-IitrIorhimselI,hiswiIe,children,andservants.
Eiqh3.88a:TheAmountoIZakatul-Eitr
TherequiredamountoIzakatul-Iitrisonesa'oIwheat,barley,raisins,dry cottagecheese(aqit),rice,
corn,orsimilaritemsconsideredasbasicIoods(qut).AbuHaniIahmadeitpermissibletosetaside,as
azakatul-Iitr,anequivalentvalueandalsosaidthatiIthepayerpaysinwheat,one-halIoIasa'would
be suIIicient. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported: "We used to give on behalI oI every child, old person,
Ireeman, and slave during the liIetime oI the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, one sa' oI
Iood,oronesa'oIdriedcottagecheese,oronesa'oIbarley,oronesa'oIdates,oronesa'oIraisinsas
zakat ul-Iitr. We continued to do so until Mu'awiyyah came to us to perIorm pilgrimage (hajj) or a
minorpilgrimage('umrah).HethenaddressedthepeopleIromthepulpitandsaidtothem:'Iseethat
twomuddsoIwheatoISyriaequalsonesa'oIdates.'Thepeopleacceptedthat."However,AbuSa'id
contended: "I would continue to give as I used to give, namely, one sa' as long as I live." This is
relatedbymosthadithnarrators.At-Tirmizhiremarks:"SomeoIthescholarsgaveonesa'Iromevery
charitable item |which is accepted as a sound practice|." Ash-ShaI'i and Ishaq sustain this view but
some other scholars gave one sa' Irom every charitable item except wheat, oI which only halI a sa'
wouldbesuIIicient.ThisisthesayingoISuIyan,Ibnal-Mubarak,andthescholarsoIKuIah.
Eiqh3.88b:WhenZakatul-EitrisDue
Thejuristsagreethatzakatul-IitrisdueattheendoIRamadan.TheydiIIer,however,abouttheexact
time.
Ath-Thauri,Ahmad,Ishaq,andash-ShaI'i(inhislateropinion),andMalik(inoneoIhisreports)are
oItheopinionthatitisdueatthesunsetoIthenightoIbreakingtheIast,IorthisiswhentheIastoI
Ramadan ends. Abu HaniIah, al-Layth, ash-ShaI'i (in his original opinion), and the second report oI
MaliksaythatzakatulIitrisdueatthestartoIIajronthedayoI'id.
ThesetwodiIIerentviewsacquirerelevanceiIababyisbornaItersunsetbutbeIoredawnontheday
oI 'id; the question then is whether zakat ul-Iitr is obligatory Ior the baby or not. In accordance with
the Iirst view, it is not since the birth took place aIter the prescribed time, while according to the
secondview,itisduebecausethebirthtookplacewithintheprescribedspaceoItime.
Eiqh3.89:PayingZakatul-EitrinAdvance
Most scholars believe that it is permissible to pay zakat ul-Iitr a day or two beIore 'id. Ibn 'Umar
reportsthattheMessenger,uponwhombepeace,orderedthemtopayzakatul-IitrbeIorethepeople
wentouttoperIormthe'idprayers.NaIi'reportsthat'UmarusedtopayitadayortwobeIoretheend
oI Ramadan. However, scholars hold diIIerent opinions when a longer time period is involved.
AccordingtoAbuHaniIah,itispermissibletopayitevenbeIoreRamadan.Ash-ShaI'iholdsthatitis
permissible to do so at the beginning oI Ramadan. Malik and Ahmad (in his well-known view)
maintainthatitispermissibletopayitonlyoneortwodaysinadvance.
TheIoundersoItheIouracceptedIslamiclegalschoolsagreethatzakatul-IitrisnotnulliIiedsimply
bynotpayingitonitsduedate.IIsuchisthecase,itbecomesadebtontheoneresponsibleIorituntil
itispaid.TheyalsoagreethatitisnotpermissibletodelayituntilthedayoI'id,butIbnSirinandan-
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Nakha'i say that this can be done. Ahmad says: "I hope that there is no harm |in the delay oI its
payment|."IbnRaslansaysthatthereisaconsensusthatitspaymentcannotbedelayedjustbecauseit
is a type oI zakah. Thus, any delay is a sin and is analogous to delaying one's prayers without an
acceptableexcuse.ThisisprovedbytheIollowinghadith:"IIonepayszakatul-IitrbeIorethesalah,it
isconsideredanacceptedzakah.IIhepaysitaIterthesalah,itisconsideredanordinarysadaqah."
Eiqh3.90:DistributionoIZakatul-Eitr
ThedistributionoIzakatul-IitristhesameasthatoIzakah-- thatis,ithastobedistributedtotheeight
groupsoIbeneIiciariesmentionedinthe'ayah:"ThealmsareonlyIorthepoor..."|atTaubah60|.The
category comprising the poor is considered the most deserving. This is also supportedbythehadith:
"The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, enjoined zakat ul-Iitr as a puriIication Ior the one
whoIastsIromanyindecentactorspeech,andasIoodIortheneedy."
Al-Baihaqiandad-DaraqutnirelateIromIbn'Umarwhosaid:"TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhom
bepeace,enjoinedthezakatul-Iitr,andalsosaid:'EreethemIromwantonthisday.'"
Eiqh3.90a:GivingZakatul-EitrtoaZhimmi
Az-Zuhri,AbuHaniIah,Muhammad,andIbnShubrumahmakeitpermissibletogivezakatul-Iitrtoa
zhimmi.Allah,theExaltedOne,says:"Allahallowsyoutoshowkindnessanddealjustlywiththose
who did not war against you on account oI religion and didnotdriveyououtIrom yourhomes.Lo!
Allahlovesthosewhoarejust"|al-Mumtahanah8|.
Eiqh3.90b:AreThereOtherClaimsonWealthBesidesZakah?
Islam views wealth realistically--as an essential aspect oI liIe and the main means oI subsistence oI
individuals and groups. Allah, the Exalted One, instructs: "Give not to those who are weak oI
understanding |what is in| your wealth which Allah has made a means oI support Ior you" |an-Nisa'
5|. This amounts to saying that wealth is to be distributed to meet the basic needs oI Iood, clothing,
lodging,andotherindispensables,andthatnooneistobelost,Iorgotten,orleItwithoutsupport.The
bestwaytodistributewealthsothateveryone'sbasicneedsaremetisthroughzakah.Itdoesnotplace
anyburdenonthewealthyyetatthesametimeitmeetsthebasicneedsoIthepoorandrelievesthem
oI the hardships oI liIe and the pain oI deprivation. Zakah is not a Iavor (minnah) that the wealthy
bestowuponthepoor;rather,itisadue(haqq)thatAllahentrustedinthehandsoItherichtodeliver
tothepooranddistributeamongthedeserving.Thus,theeminenttruthaboutwealthandpropertyis
established--that is, wealth is not exclusively Ior the rich but Ior both the rich and the poor. This
becomes obvious because oI Allah's judgment concerning the distribution oI booty (Iay'). Allah
warns:"...thatitdoesnotbecomeacommoditytakenbyturnsamongtherichoIyou"|al-Hashr7|.
ThismeansitisanapportionmentoIwealthbetweentherichandthepoor,notsomethingrestrictedto
thewealthy.ZakahisanobligationdueonthepropertyoIthoseabletopayandistobeusedtomeet
thebasicneedsoIthepoorandtheneedysothattheycouldbekeptawayIromhungerandtheycould
begivenasenseoIsecurityandgeneralwell-being.IItheamountoIzakahisnotenoughtoalleviate
theconditionsoIthepoorandtheneedy,thentherichcanbesubjectedtoIurthertaxation.Howmuch
shouldbetakenisnotspeciIied.ItsquantitywillbedeterminedbytheneedsoIthepoor.
InhisinterpretationoIalBaqarah177,al-Qurtubisays:"ThesayingoIAllah,theExaltedOne:'And
tospendoIyourwealthoutoIloveIorHim'givescredencetothosewhomaintainthatthereisadue
on wealth other than zakah known as mal addir." Others hold that the preceding 'ayah alludes to the
obligatory zakah. According to ad-Daraqutni's report Irom Eatimah bint Qais, the Iirst view is more
convincing. She relates: "Indeed, there is a due on one's holdings other than the prescribed zakah."
Then he recited the Iollowing Qur'anic verse: "It is not righteousness that you turn your Iaces to the
EastortotheWest,butitistobelieveinAllah,theLastDay,theAngels,theBook,theMessengers,
and to spend oI your wealth out oI love Ior Him on your kin, orphans, the needy, the wayIarer, or
thosewhoask,andontheransomoIslaves..."|al-Baqarah177|.IbnMajahmentioneditinhisSunan
andat-TirmizhiinhisJami'.ThelattersaysthatIbnMajah'shasadiIIerentchainoInarratorsthanhis.
Besides, Abu Hamzah and Maymun al-'A'war consider Ibn Majah's chain oI narrator not credible.
ThishadithisrelatedbyBayanandIsma'ilibnSalimIromash-Shu'bi,whosaidthatitissound.
Thelattersays:"IIthereisaquestionaboutitsauthenticity,itisrenderedclearbythecontextoIthe
'ayah |al-Baqarah 177|. In this statement: '... to be steadIast in prayer, and to give zakah,' Allah
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mentionszakahwithsalah,whichsubstantiatestheIactthat'tospendoIyourpropertyoutoIloveIor
Him' does not reIer to obligatory zakah, Ior that would be redundant in the 'ayah--and Allah knows
best."
Thescholarsagreethatshouldaneedarise,evenwhenzakahhasbeenpaid,theMuslimcommunityis
boundtocontributetowardthealleviationoItheproblem.
Maliksays:"ItisobligatoryIorthepeopletoransomthosetakenasprisonersoIwar,eveniIdoingso
consumesalltheirproperty.Theconsensusonthissubjectstrengthensourview,andweseeksuccess
onlythroughAllah."Accordingtoal-Manar,the'ayah"...andtospendyourpropertyoutoIloveIor
Him..."|alBaqarah177|meansthatoneshouldgivethepropertyIorthesakeoIAllahorIorthelove
oIgivingit.
Imam Muhammad 'Abduh's comments are: "The giving oI property in excess oI the due zakah is
consideredoneoIthebasicelementsoIpiety(birr)andisenjoinedliketheprescribedzakah."
Whenever the exigency calls Ior it, sadaqah other than zakah is given. That could be beIore the
completion oI the year (hawl) or aIter the payment oI zakah. The contribution is not based on a
speciIic amount oI nisab but on the ability to give. Thus, iI someone possesses only a loaI oI bread
andseesapersonwhoismorehard-pressedthanhimselI,heshouldgiveittothatperson.Thehard-
pressed person is not the only one who has a right to be satisIied, but Allah has also ordered the
believerstogivenon-prescribedsadaqattotheIollowing:kin,orphans,needy,wayIarers,beggars,and
slaves.
Eiqh3.92:Kin(zhawial-Qurba),recipientsoIsadaqah
ThekinareconsideredthemostdeservingpeopleIorthesadaqahgiItbecauseoIthecommonblood
relationship.WhenamanisinneedandsomeoIhisrelativesarerich,naturallyhelookstothemIor
helpbecausetheyareoIoneIamily.Also,itisnaturalIoramantoIeelmoresympathyandpainwith
his hard-pressed and needy relatives than with strangers. He is humiliated by their degradation and
elevated by their honor. ThereIore, any well-to-do person who cuts oII his kin Irom assistance and
lives in luxury while his relatives are in a state oI misery is devoid oI natural Ieeling or lacks belieI
andisIarawayIromgoodnessorpiety.Ontheotherhand,Ioronewhomaintainscloselinkswithhis
kin,hissustenanceisassuredandhisrelationshipisoIbeneIicencetohiskin.
Eiqh3.92a:Orphans(wal-yatama),recipientsoIsadaqah
In the case oI orphans whose guardians have died, their support and upbringing depends on wealthy
andwellto-doMuslimssothattheywillnotbecomeaproblemtothemselvesorotherpeople.
Eiqh3.92b:TheNeedy(wal-masakin),recipientsoIsadaqah
Becausetheyareunabletoearnenoughtomaintainthemselvesandhavebecomecontentedwiththe
littletheyhaveandabstainIrombegging,itisnecessaryIorthewell-to-dotohelpthem.
Eiqh3.93:WayIarere(wabnisabil),recipientsoIsadaqah
In the case oI the wayIarer cut oII Irom Iamily and relatives, as iI traveling were his household,
consideration requires kindness Ior him as well. Thus, to sympathize with him and help him in his
travels is, within the meaning oI Islamic law, an encouragement which invites one to journey
throughouttheearth.
Eiqh3.93a:Beggars(was-sa'ilin),recipientsoIsadaqah
InthecaseoIbeggarsIorcedtoaskpeopleIortheirneeds,theyshouldbehelped.Apersonmayalso
ask Ior help in order to redress another's need. However, the shari'ah does not approve oI begging,
exceptunderdirecircumstances.Eventhen,oneshouldnottrespasslimits.
Eiqh3.93b:Slaves(waIiar-riqab),recipientsoIsadaqah
The liberation oI slaves includes buying and setting them Iree, helping contracted slaves (al-
mukatabun) pay oII their debts, and helping captives buy their way out oI captivity. By encouraging
people to spend out oI their wealth on slaves, the shari 'ah wants to emancipate the latter. Still, as
important as the emancipation oI slaves is, in terms oI priorities, it is placed at the end, aIter the
orphans,theneedy,thewayIarer,andthebeggar,thereasonbeingthattheIormerIallundertheneed
IorpreservingliIe(whichhasahighervalue),whilethelatterIallsundertherighttoIreedom(alesser
valuethanliIe).
Eiqh3.93c:SadaqahotherthenZakat
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ThelegitimacyoIgivingsadaqahotherthanthatoIzakahisnotrestrictedbyatimelimitordeIinite
nisab.TheamountdesignatedIorexpenditureneednotbeacertainpercentage(Iorexample,atithe,a
one-quarter tithe, or a one-tenth tithe). It is an open-ended matter that is leIt to the beneIicence,
generosity, and condition oI the one who gives. The protection oI a revered (muhtaram) man Irom
destruction and harm is an obligation upon whoever can help him, but more than that, it is leIt
unquantiIied.
PeopleoverlookmostoIthepublicrightswhichtheQur'ansupports,Iortheserightsseektoestablish
an honorable and just social liIe. People spend only a smalI amount on the needy and even less Ior
beggarsbecausetheyareconsideredtheleastdeservingnowadays.ThisisduetotheIactthatbeggars
havemadebeggingaproIession(hirIah),even thoughmostoIthemarewell-to-do.
IbnHazmsays:"ItisenjoinedupontherichoIeverycountrytosupporttheirpoor,andtherulerhas
theauthoritytoIorcethemtodoso.ThisiscalledIorwhenthepre~,cribedzakahortheholdingsoI
otherMuslims arenotenoughtomeettheneedsoIthepoor.Inthatcase,theirIoodandtheirclothing
toprotectthemIromtheelementsandtheeyesoIthepasser-bywouldbeprovidedbytherich."The
prooI Ior this is in the saying oI Allah, the Exalted One: "Givethe kinsman his due, and the needy,
andthewayIarer"|al-Isra'26|.Allahalsosays:"|Show|kindnesstoparents,tonearkinandorphans,
to the needy, to relatives, to neighbors who are not related to you, to Iellow travelers and wayIarers,
and |to the slaves| whom your right hand possesses" |an-Nisa' 36|. Generosity urges support Ior the
above-mentioned people and Iorbids harming them. ReIerring to the guilty in the liIe to come, the
Qur'an says that they would ask each other: "What brought you to thishellIire?" They will answer:
"We were not oI those who prayed, nor did we Ieed the needy" |al-Muddaththir 42-44|. Thus, Allah
links Ieeding the needy with perIorming prayers. According to the Iollowing hadith, related by
authenticsources,theMessengeroI Allah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Hewhodoesnothavemercy
upon people, Allah's mercy will be kept Irom him." Anyone upon whom Allah bestowed His grace
and who sees his Muslim brother hungry, in need oI clothes, and miserable, and still does not help
him,hewill,indeed,deprivehimselIoIAllah'smercy.
'Uthman an-Nahdi reported that 'Abdurrahman ibn Abi Bakr as-Siddiq inIormed him that the
companionsoIas-SaIIahwerepoorandthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"He
whohasenoughIoodIortwo,lethiminviteathird,andhewhohasIoodIorIour,lethiminviteaIiIth
orasixth."
ItisrelatedIromIbn'UmarthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"AMuslimisa
brotheroIanother,andheshouldneitherdoinjustice tohimnorbetrayhim."Thus,anyonewholetsa
needyMuslimgowithoutIoodorclotheswhile,inIact,heisabletoIeedandclothehimwouldhave
betrayed him. It is related Irom Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be
peace,said:"Hewhoseholdingsexceedhisneeds,lethimsupporttheonewhoseholdingsdonot,and
he whose Iood exceeds his needs, let him share it with him who does not have Iood." Abu Sa'id al-
Khudri says: "Then he mentioned so many kinds oI property that we thought no one oI us had the
righttohaveanythingsurpluswithus."ThisistheconsensusoIthecompanions,asitwasreportedby
Abu Sa'id alKhudri. Concerning this tradition, it is reported ontheauthorityoIAbuMusaal-Ash'ari
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "Eeed the hungry, visit the sick, and ransom the
prisoner."
Therearemany'ayahsintheQur'anandnumeroussoundhadithonthissubject.'Umarsays:"IIIwere
toliveagainthepastwhichIhavealreadylived,IwouldtakethesurplusIromtherichanddistribute
itamongthepoorimmigrants(mujhajirun)."Thisisconsideredtobethemostauthenticreport.
'Alisaid:"Allah,theExaltedOne,hasplacedadueuponthepropertiesoItherichtomeettheneeds
oIthepoor.Thus,iIthepoorgohungryornakedorstrugglebecauseoItheneglectoItherich,then
Allahwillholdthem|therich|accountableontheDayoIJudgmentandwillpunishthem."
Ibn 'Umar is reported to have said: "There is a due on your property other than zakah." It is related
Irom 'Aishah (the mother oI the believers), al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, Ibn 'Umar that all oI them replied to
those who had asked them: "II you are asked Ior help in cases oI blood money, heavy debt, or
desperatepoverty,thenitisamustIoryoutogivethemIromyourholdings."
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ItwasaccuratelyreportedbyAbu'Ubaidahibnal-Jarrahand300companionsthat(once)whentheir
provisionshadrunverylow,Abu'UbaidahorderedthemtocollectwhatwasleItandplaceitintotwo
bags and then allot it to each one equally. Then he said: "It is not permissible Ior a hard-pressed
MuslimtoeatthemeatoIadeadanimalorapigwhenhecanIindsurplusIoodIromeitheraMuslim
orazhimmi.ItisanobligationoItheonewhohasIoodtoIeedthehungry."Thishastheconsensus
amongthecompanions,andtherearenocontraryviewsconcerningit.ItwasaccuratelyreportedIrom
ashShu'bi,Mujahid,Tawus,andothersthat:"Thereisadueonpropertyotherthanzakah."IIsuchis
thecase,thenahard-pressedpersonisnotIorcedtoeatthemeatoIdeadanimalsorpigs.Hehasthe
right to Iight Ior it and, iI he is killed, then retaliation by killing (qawad) will be imposed upon the
killer.IIthepropertyholderwhopreventshimIromreceivinghisdueiskilled, thenmayhehavethe
curseoIAllahuponhimbecausehewithheldaright(haqq),andhewillberegardedasbeingamong
theunjust.
Allah,theExaltedOne,says:"AndiIonepartyoIthemdoeswrongtotheother,Iightthosewhodo
wronguntiltheyreturn totheordinanceoIAllah."Thus,onewhowithholdsarightisanoppressoroI
his brother. The latter is the possessor oI that right. On this basis, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq waged war
againstthosewhoreIusedtopaytheirzakah.
Erom the preceding, one can see the degree oI compassion and commiseration that Islam hasIorthe
deprived. Islam, in Iact, excels over all other Iaiths and systems. They are like weak, sputtering
candleswhenplacednexttothebrightandsteadylightoIthesunoIIslam.
Eiqh3.97:Zakatut-TatawwuorVoluntarySadaqah
Islam calls upon the individual to spend Ireely in ways that please the heart oI the donor, and evoke
generosity,goodness,reverence,andobediencetoAllah:
Eiqh3.97a:Zakatut-TatawwuorVoluntarySadaqahintheQur'an
Allah,theExaltedOne,says:"TheparableoIthosewhospendtheirwealthinthewayoIAllahisthat
oI a grain oI corn: it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives maniIold
increasetowhomHepleases;AllahcaresIorallandknowsallthings"|al-Baqarah261|.
"By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give Ireely oI that which you love, and
whateveryougive,Allahknowsitwell"|al'Imran92|.
"AndspendIromwhatWehavemadeyouheir.EorthoseoIyouwhobelieveandspend,Iorthemisa
greatreward"|alHadid7|.
Eiqh3.97b:Zakatut-TatawwuorVoluntarySadaqahintheHadith
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Sadaqah appeases the anger oI the Lord and
wardsoIItheagonyoIdeath."
It is similarly related that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "The sadaqah oI the
Muslim increases during his liIetime. It also soItens the agony oI death, and through it, Allah takes
awayarroganceandvanity."
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "There is not a day in which the obedient
servantsriseinthemorningortwoangelsdescend,andoneoIthemsays:'OAllah!Compensatethe
onewhospendsIreely.'Theotherangelsays:'OAllah!Letanannihilationcomeupontheonewhois
niggardly.'"ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"ActsoIkindnessprotectoneIromruinwrought
by evil. Sadaqah given secretly appeases the anger oI the Lord, and a giIt to strengthen the ties oI
relationshipincreasesone'sliIespan.Allgooddeedsaresadaqah,andthosewhodoactsoIkindness
inthisworldarealsothesamepeopleintheotherworld.Thosewhodomisdeedsinthisworldarethe
samepeopleintheotherworld.TheIirstoIthosewhoshallenterParadisearethepeoplewhodoacts
oIkindness."Thisisrelatedbyat-Tabaraniinal'Awsat.Manzhiridoesnotmentionit.
Eiqh3.98:TypesoISadaqah
SadaqahisnotrestrictedtoanyspecialdeedoIrighteousness.Thegeneralruleisthatallgooddeeds
aresadaqah.SomeoIthemareasIollows:
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"EveryMuslimhastogivesadaqah."Thepeople
asked:"OProphetoIAllah,whatabouttheonewhohasnothing?"Hesaid:"Heshouldworkwithhis
hands to give sadaqah." They asked: "II he cannot Iind |work|?" He replied: "He should help the
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needy who asks Ior help." They asked: "II he cannot do that?" He replied: "He should then do good
deedsandshunevil,Iorthiswillbetakenassadaqah."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhariandothers.
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Sadaqah is prescribed Ior every person every
day the sun rises. To administer justice between two people is sadaqah. To assist a man upon his
mount so that he may ride it is sadaqah. To place his luggage on the animal is sadaqah. To remove
harm Irom the road is sadaqah. A good word issadaqah.Eachsteptakentowardprayerissadaqah."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandothers.
AbuZharal-GhaIarisaid:"TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:'SadaqahisIorevery
personeverydaythesunrises.'Isaid:'OMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,Iromwhatdowe
give sadaqah iI we do not possess property?' He said: 'The doors oI sadaqah are takbir |i.e., to say:
Allahu-akbar, Allah is Great|; Subhan-Allah |Allah is Iree Irom imperIection|; Alhamdulillah |all
praise is Ior Allah|; La -ilaha-illallah |there is no god other than Allah|; AstaghIirul-lah |I seek
IorgivenessIromAllah|;enjoininggood;Iorbiddingevil;removingthorns,bones,andstonesIromthe
pathsoIpeople;guidingtheblind;listeningtothedeaIanddumbuntilyouunderstandthem;guiding
apersontohisobjectoIneediIyouknowwhereitis;hurryingwiththestrengthoIyourlegstoonein
sorrowwhoisappealingIorhelp;andsupportingtheweakwiththestrengthoIyourarms.Theseare
allthedoorsoIsadaqah.|Thesadaqah|IromyouisprescribedIoryou,andthereisarewardIoryou
|even| in sex with your wiIe.' " This is related by Ahmad, and the wording is his. According to
Muslim,theysaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,istherearewardiIonesatisIieshis
passion?" He said: "Do you know that iI he satisIies it unlawIully he has taken a sin upon himselI?
Likewise,iIhesatisIiesitlawIully, heisrewarded."
ItisrelatedIollowingAbuZharthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Sadaqahis
prescribed Ior each descendant oI Adam every day the sun rises." It was asked: "O Messenger oI
Allah, upon whom be peace, Irom what do we give sadaqah every day?" He said: "The doors oI
goodnessaremany--thetasbih|tosay'Subhaan-Allah'|,thetamhid|tosay'Alhamdulillah'|,thetahlil
|to say 'La-ilaha-illallah|, enjoining good, Iorbidding evil, removing harm Irom the road,listeningto
the deaI, leading the blind, guiding one to the object oI his need, hurrying with the strength oI one's
legstooneinsorrowwhoisaskingIorhelp,andsupportingtheIeeblewiththestrengthoIone'sarms-
-all oI these are sadaqah prescribed Ior you."This is related by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih. Al-Bukhari
relateditinashortenedIormandaddedinhisreport:"YoursmileIoryourbrotherissadaqah.Your
removal oI stones, thorns, or bones Irom the paths oI people is sadaqah. Your guidance oI a person
whoislostissadaqah."
TheMessengeroIAllahalsosaid:"HeIromamongyouwhoisabletoprotecthimselIIromtheEire
shouldgivesadaqah,eveniIbutwithhalIadate.IIhedoesnotIindit,thenwithagoodword."
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Allah,theMajesticandMighty,shallsayonthe
DayoIJudgment:'OsonoIman!Iwasillandyoudidnotvisitme.'Hewillreply:'OmyLord!How
could I visit You and You are the Lord oI the Worlds?' Allah shall say: 'Did you not knowthat My
slave,so-and-so,wasillandyoudidnotvisithim?IIyouhadvisitedhim,youwouldhaveIoundMe
with him. O son oI man! I asked you Ior Iood and you did not give it to me.' He will reply: 'O my
Lord! How could I give You Iood--You are the Lord oI the Worlds?' Allah shall say: 'Did you not
knowthatMyslave,so-and-so,askedyouIorIoodandyoudidnotgiveittohim?Didyounotknow
that iI you had given the Iood, you would have Iound that with Me? O son oI man! I asked you to
quenchMythirstandyoudidnot.'Hewillsay:'OmyLord!HowcouldIquenchYourthirst--Youare
theLordoItheWorlds?'Allahshallsay:'Myslave,so-and-so,askedyoutoquenchhisthirstandyou
did not. II you had given him to drink, you would have Iound that with Me.' " This is related by
Muslim.
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"AMuslimdoesnotplantorsowanythingIrom
whichaperson,ananimal,oranythingeatsbutitisconsideredassadaqahIromhim."Thisisrelated
byal-Bukhari.
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Every good deed is sadaqah. To meet your
brotherwithasmilingIaceandtopouroutIromyourbucketintohiscontaineraresadaqah."
Eiqh3.100:ThoseWhoHavePrecedenceIorReceivingSadaqah
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One'schildren,Iamily,andrelativeshaveprecedenceoverothers.Itisnotpermissibletogivesadaqah
toastrangerwhenyouandyourdependentsareinneedoIit.
ItisrelatedIromJabirthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"WhenoneoIyouis
poor,hestartswithhimselI.IIanythingisleIt,hespendsitonhisdependents.IIanythingis(stillleIt)
thenonhisrelatives,andthen,iImoreisleIt,hespendsithereandthere."
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Givesadaqah."Amansaid:"Ihaveadinar."He
replied:"GiveittoyourselIassadaqah."Hesaid:"Ihaveanotherdinar."Hereplied:"Giveittoyour
wiIe assadaqah."Hesaid:"Ihaveanotherdinar."Hereplied:"Giveittoyourchildassadaqah."He
said:"Ihaveanotherdinar."Hereplied:"Giveittoyourservantassadaqah."Hesaid:"Ihaveanother
dinar."Hereplied:"Youwouldbeabletoassessbetter|towhomtogiveit|."ThisisrelatedbyAbu
Dawud,an-Nasa'i,andHakim.Hakimgradesitasauthentic.
TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"AmanhassinnedenoughiIheneglectstoIeed
thoseinneed."ThisisrelatedbyMuslimandAbuDawud.
Also:"Themostexcellentsadaqahisthatgiventoarelativewhodoesnotlikeyou."Thisisrelatedby
at-TabaraniandHakim.Thelattergradesitauthentic.
Eiqh3.101:TheInvalidationoISadaqah
ItisunlawIulIortheonegivingsadaqahtoremindtherecipientoIhisgenerosity,toreproachbim,or
tomakeashowwithhissadaqah.Allahwarns:"Oyouwhobelieve!Donotinvalidateyoursadaqah
byremindersoIyourgenerosityorbyinjury,likethosewhospendtheirpropertytobeseenbymen"
|al-Baqarah264|.
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "There are three |types oI people|. Allah shall
not speak to them, notice them, or sanctiIy them; and Ior them is a grievous penalty." Abu Zhar
inquired:"OMessengeroIAllah,whoaretheonesgonewrongandastray?"Hereplied:"Thosewho
throughconceitlengthentheirgarmentstomakethemhangontheground,whogivenothingwithout
reproach,andwhoselltheirmerchandiseswearinguntruthIully|toitsquality|."
Eiqh3.101a:GivingWhatisUnlawIulasSadaqah
AllahdoesnotacceptsadaqahiIitisIromwhatisunlawIul:TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace, said: "O people! Allah is good and accepts only good, and He has instructed the believers
through the Messengers. Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, says: 'O Messengers! Consumewhatis
goodandworkrighteously.Iamwell-acquaintedwithwhatyoudo'|al-Mu'minum51|."Healsocalls
upon |you|: 'O you who believe! Consume oI the good that We have provided Ior you' |al-Baqarah
172|.Then|theMessenger|mentionedamanwhohadtraveledIoralongtime.Unkemptandcovered
in dust, he raised his hands to the heavens (and cried): 'O my Lord! O my Lord!' His Iood was
unlawIul, his drink was unlawIul, his clothing was unlawIul, and what he had provided to sustain
himselIwithwasalsounlawIul.Howcouldhisinvocationbeaccepted?"ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
Also: "II one gives a date bought Irom honestly earned money (and Allah accepts only good), Allah
accepts it in His right hand and enlarges |its rewards| Ior its owner (as one rears his Ioal) until it
becomesasbigasamountain."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Eiqh3.102:SadaqahoIthewiIeIromthepropertyoIherhusband
ItispermissibleIorthewiIetogivesadaqahIromherhusband'sholdingsiIsheknowsthathewould
not mind. However, it is unlawIul iI she is not sure oI this: It is related Irom 'Aishah that the
Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said:"WhenawiIegivessomethingassadaqahIromthe
Iood oI her home without causing any waste, she will get the reward Ior what she has given. Her
husbandwillberewardedIorwhathe hasearned,andthekeeper(iIany)willbesimilarlyrewarded.
TheonedoesnotreducetherewardoItheotherinanyway."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari.
Abu Umamah reports that he had heard the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, saying in a
sermon during the year oI the Earewell Pilgrimage: "The wiIe should not spend anything Irom the
householdoIherhusbandwithouthispermission."Heasked:"OMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombe
peace! Not Iood either?" He said: "That is the most excellent oI our holdings."Thisisrelatedbyat-
Tirmizhiwhogradedithassan.
OIsmallthingswhichsheisinthehabitoIgiving,nopermissionIromherhusbandiscalledIor:Itis
related Irom Asma, daughter oI Abu Bakr, that she said to the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be
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peace: "Zubair is a well-oII man. A man in need approached me and I gave him sadaqah Irom my
husband's household without his permission." The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said:
"GivewhatyouareinthehabitoIgivingoIwhatissmall,anddonotstorepropertyaway,IorAllah
shallwithholdhisblessingsIromyou."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.
Eiqh3.102b:PermissibilityoIGivingSadaqahoIAllOne'sProperty
EoronewhoisIitandcapableoIearninghisliving,givingsadaqahoIallhispropertyispermissible.
'Umar reports: "The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, instructed us to give sadaqah, and it
applied to my property. I said: 'Today I shall better Abu Bakr. I have never bettered him.' Then I
brought halI my property. The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: 'What did you leave
IoryourIamily?'Isaid:'Anamountlikethis.'AbuBakrcamewithallhisproperty,andtheMessenger
oIAllah,uponwhombepeace,asked:'WhatdidyouleaveIoryourIamily?'Hesaid:'IhaveleItAllah
and His Messenger, upon whom be peace, Ior them.' Then I said: 'I shall never better you in
anything.'"ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandatTirmizhi.Thelattergradesitauthentic.
Eiqh3.103:GivingalloIone'spropertyinsadaqah
The jurists say that giving all oI one's property in sadaqah is permissible provided the donor is Iit,
earning, and steadIast, not in debt, nor has dependents Ior whom adequate support Irom him is
obligatory.IIhedoesnotIulIiltheseconditions,thenhisactionismakruh.
Jabirnarrated:"WhilewewerewiththeMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,amancamewith
whatwaslikeaneggoIgold.Hesaid:'OMessengeroIAllah!IobtainedthisIromburiedtreasure,so
takeit.Itissadaqah, andIdonotpossessanythingotherthanit.'TheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhom
bepeace,turnedawayIromhimandhe|theman|thenapproachedhimIromthedirectionoIhisleIt
side. The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, then turned away Irom him again and he
approachedhimIrombehind.ThentheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,tookitandthrewit
at him. II it had hit him, it would have injured him. Then he said: 'One oI you comes with all his
propertytomakesadaqah,thenaIter|givingallhehad|hesits|bytheroad|beggingIromthepeople.
Sadaqahisgivenbytheonewhoisrich.'"ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandHakim.Thelattersaid:
"ItisauthenticaccordingtothestipulationoIMuslim.InitstranscriptionisMuhammadibnIshaq."
Eiqh3.103a:GivingSadaqahtotheZhimmiandtheSoldier
One can give sadaqah to the zhimmi and the soldier, and one is rewarded Ior that. Allah praised a
group oI people (Ior this) when He said: "And they Ieed, Ior His love, the indigent, orphan, and
captive"|ad-Dahr6|.Thecaptiveisasoldier.Allahsays:"AllahhasnotIorbiddenyouwithregardto
those who have not made war against you on account oI |your| IaithandhavenotdrivenyououtoI
yourhomestodealkindlyandjustlywiththem;Allahlovesthosewhoarejust"|al-Mumtahanah8|.
Asma, the daughter oI Abu Bakr, reports: "My mother came to me and sheisapolytheist.Isaid:'O
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace!IImymothercametomeandsheiswilling,doIestablish
alinkwithher?'Hesaid:'Yes,establishalinkwithyourmother.'"
Eiqh3.104:SadaqahonAnimals
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, is reported to have said: "While a man was walking
along a road, he became very thirsty and Iound a well. He lowered himselI into the well,drank,and
came out. Then |he saw| a dog protruding its tongue out with thirst. The man said: 'This dog has
becomeexhaustedIromthirstinthesamewayasI.'HeloweredhimselIintothewellagainandIilled
hisshoewithwater.ThenhetookthedogbythemouthuntilhehadraisedhimselI.Hegavethedog
some water to drink. He thanked Allah, and |his sins were|Iorgiven."Theyasked:"OMessengeroI
Allah,uponwhombepeace!IstherearewardIorusinouranimals?"Hesaid:"There isarewardin
everylivingthing."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
The two also related that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "While a dog was
walkingaroundawell,histhirstwasneartokillinghim.OneoItheprostitutesoI theBanuIsra'ilsaw
him.ShetookoIIhershoeanddrewwaterIorhimwithitinordertoquenchhisthirst.|Eorthat|she
wasIorgiven|byAllah|."
Eiqh3.104a:Perpetualsadaqah
The perpetual sadaqah (sadaqat ul-jariyah): Ahmad and Muslim relate that the Messenger oI Allah,
upon whom be peace, said: "When a person dies |the beneIit| oI his deeds ends, except three: a
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continuous sadaqah, knowledge Irom which beneIit is derived, or a pious child invoking Allah Ior
him."
Eiqh3.104b:ThankingIoraGood Deed
'Abdullahibn'UmarreportsthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Whoeverseeks
the protection oI Allah, give him protection. Whoever asks you in the name oI Allah, grant him
reIuge.Whoeverdoesagooddeedtoyou,rewardhimandiIyoudonotIindanything,invokeAllah
onhisbehalIuntilyouknowthathehasbeenrewarded."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawudandan-Nasa'i
withanauthenticchain.
AshabibnQaisreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,isreportedtohavesaid:
"Whoeverdoesnotthankpeople,doesnotthankAllah."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadwithatrustworthy
chain.
Usamah ibn Zaid adds that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "To whom a good
deedisdoneandwhosaystoitsdoer:'MayAllah rewardyouwithgoodness,'alsoreapsthereward."
Thisisrelatedbyat-Tirmizhi.
AllahistheMostKnowing,andallpraiseisduetotheLordoItheWorlds.
Eiqh3.107:Easting(As-siyam)
As-Siyam generally means "to abstain Irom something." Eor example, a verse in the Qur'an says: "I
havevowedtotheMerciIultoabstain--thatis,Iromspeaking.
WhatismeanthereisabstainingIromIood,drink,andsexualintercourseIromdawnuntilsunsetwith
theexplicitintentionoIdoingso(IorthesakeoIAllah).
Eiqh3.107a:TheVirtuesoIEasting
Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, saying: "Allah said: 'Every
actionoIthesonoIAdamisIorhimexceptIasting,IorthatissolelyIorMe.IgivetherewardIorit.'
The Iast is a shield. II one is Iasting, he should not use Ioul language, raise his voice, or behave
Ioolishly.IIsomeonerevileshimorIightswithhimheshouldsay,'IamIasting,'twice.BytheOnein
whosehandisthesouloIMuhammad,the|bad|breathoItheonewhoisIastingisbetterinthesight
oI Allah on the Day oI Resurrection than the smell oI musk. TheonewhoisIastingishappyattwo
times:whenhebreakshisIastheishappywithit,andwhenhemeetshisLordhewillbehappythat
he has Iasted." This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, and an-Nasa'i. A similar version was recordedby
al-Bukhari and Abu Dawud, but with the Iollowing addition: "He leaves his Iood, drink, and desires
Ior My sake. His Iasting is Ior Me... I will give the reward Ior it, and Iorevery good deed, he will
receivetensimilartoit."
'Abdullahibn'AmrreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"TheIastandthe
Qur'anaretwointercessorsIortheservantoIAllahontheDayoIResurrection.TheIastwillsay:'O
Lord,IpreventedhimIromhisIoodanddesiresduringtheday.LetmeintercedeIorhim.'TheQur'an
willsay:'IpreventedhimIromsleepingatnight.LetmeintercedeIorhim.'Andtheirintercessionwill
beaccepted."Ahmadrelatedthishadithwithasahihchain.
AbuUmamahreported:"IcametotheMessengeroIAllahandsaid:'Ordermetodoadeedthatwill
allow me toenterParadise.'Hesaid:'SticktoIasting,asthereisnoequivalenttoit.'ThenIcameto
him again and he said: 'Stick to Iasting."' This hadith is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and al-Hakim
whoclassiIieditassahih.
AbuSa'idal-KhudrireportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"NoservantIastsonadayinthepath
oI Allah except that Allah removes the hellIire seventy years Iurther away Irom his Iace." This is
relatedby"thegroup,"exceptIorAbuDawud.
SahlibnSa'dreportedthattheProphetsaid:"ThereisagatetoParadisethatiscalledar-Rayyan.On
the Day oI Resurrection it will say: 'Where are those who Iasted?' When the last |one| has passed
throughthegate,itwillbelocked."ThisisrelatedbyalBukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh3.108:TypesoIEasting
TherearetwotypesoIIasting:obligatoryandvoluntary.ObligatorycanbeIurthersubdividedintothe
Iast oI Ramadan, the Iast oI expiation and the Iast oI IulIilling a vow. Here we shall discuss the
RamadanandvoluntaryIasts.
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Eiqh3.108a:TheEastoIRamadan
TheIastoIRamadan,accordingtotheQur'an,sunnahandconsensus,isobligatory.
The evidence Irom the Qur'an consists oI the Iollowing two verses: "O you who believe, Iasting is
prescribed Ior you as it was prescribed Ior the people beIore you in order Ior you to gain God
consciousness,and,"...ThemonthoIRamadan,duringwhichtheQur'anwasrevealed,aguidanceIor
mankind, and clear prooIs oI the guidance and the criterion; and whoever oI you is resident, let him
Iastthemonth"|al-Baqarah185|.
EromthesunnahwehavetheIollowingstatementsoItheProphet:"Islamisbuiltupon|theIollowing|
Iive pillars: testiIying that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, the
establishmentoItheprayer,thegivingoIzakah,theIastoIRamadanandthepilgrimagetoMakkah."
Talhahibn'UbaidullahreportedthatamancametotheProphetandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,tell
me what Allah requiresoImeasregardsIasting."Heanswered,"ThemonthoIRamadan."Theman
asked:"Isthereanyother|Iast|?"TheProphetanswered:"No,unlessyoudosovoluntarily."
The whole Muslim nation agrees that the Iast oI Ramadan is obligatory. It is one oI the pillars oI
Islam,andiIonedisputesthis,hecannotbecalledaMuslim.l
Eiqh3.109:TheVirtuesoIRamadanandtheDeedsDoneDuringIt
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Theblessedmonthhascometo
you.AllahhasmadeIastingduringitobligatoryuponyou.Duringit,thegatestoParadiseareopened
and the gates to hellIire are locked, and the devils are chained. There is a night |during this month|
which is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived oI its good is really deprived |oI
somethinggreat|."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,andal-Baihaqi.
'ArIajah testiIies to this: "We were with 'Utbah ibn Earqad while he was discussing Ramadan. A
companion oItheProphetentereduponthescene.When'Utbahsawhim,hebecameshyandstopped
talking.Theman|thecompanion|spokeaboutRamadan,saying:'IheardtheMessengeroIAllahsay
duringRamadan:"ThegatesoIHellareclosed,thegatesoIParadiseareopened,andthedevilsarein
chains.Anangelcallsout:'Oyouwhointendtodogooddeeds,havegladtidings.Oyouwhointend
todoevil,reIrain,untilRamadaniscompleted.'"
Muslim relates that Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet saying: "The time between the Iive prayers,
two consecutive Eriday prayers, and two consecutive Ramadans are expiations Ior all that has
happenedduringthatperiod,providedthatonehasavoidedthegravesins."
AbuSa'idal-KhudrireportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"WhoeverIaststhemonth
oIRamadan,obeyingalloIitslimitationsandguardinghimselIagainstwhatisIorbidden,hasinIact
atoned Ior any sins he committed beIore it." Ahmad and alBaihaqi related this hadith with a good
chain.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "Whoever Iasts the month oI
RamadanwithIaithandseeksAllah'spleasureandrewardwillhavehisprevioussinsIorgiven."This
hadithisrelatedbyAhmadandthecompilersoIthesunan.
Eiqh3.110:The ConsequenceoIBreakingtheEastoIRamadan
Ibn'AbbasreportedthattheProphetsaid:"ThebareessenceoIIslamandthebasicsoIthereligionare
three |acts|, upon which Islam has been established. Whoever leaves one oI them becomes an
unbelieverandhisbloodmaylegallybespilled.|Theactsare:|TestiIyingthatthereisnoGodexcept
Allah, the obligatory prayers, and the Iast oI Ramadan." This hadith is related by Abu Ya'la and ad-
Dailimi.Azh-Zhahabicalleditsahih.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"Whoeverbreakshis
IastduringRamadanwithouthavingoneoItheexcusesthatAllahwouldexcusehimIor,thenevena
perpetual Iast, iI he were to Iast it, would not make up Ior that day." ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,
IbnMajah,andatTirmizhi.
Al-BukharirecordsIromAbuHurairahinmarIu'Iorm:"WhoeverbreakstheIastoIRamadanwithout
havingalegitimateexcuseorbeingill,hecannotmakeupIorthatday,eveniIheweretoundertakea
perpetualIast."IbnMas'udhasalsoreportedthis.
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Azh-Zhahabi says: "According to the established believers, anyone who leaves the Iast oI Ramadan
without being sick is worse than a Iomicator or an alcoholic. In Iact, they doubt his Islam and they
suspectthathemight beazandiqahandoneoIthosewhodestroy|Islam|.
Eiqh3.111:TheArrivaloIRamadan
ThiseventisconIirmedbysightingthenewmoon,eveniIitisseenbyonlyonejustperson,orbythe
passageoIthirtydaysintheimmediatelyprecedingmonthoISha'ban.
Ibn'Umarsaid:"ThepeoplewerelookingIorthenewmoonandwhenIreportedtotheMessengeroI
Allah that I had seen it, he IastedandorderedthepeopletoIast."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,al-
Hakim,andIbnHibban,whodeclaredittobesahih.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetinstructed:"EastaIteryouhaveseenit|thenewcrescent|and
end the Iast |at the end oI the month| when you see it. II it is hidden Irom you, then wait until the
thirtydaysoISha'banhavepassed."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Commentingonthesereports,at-Tirmizhistates:"Mostknowledgeablepeopleactinaccordancewith
these reports. They say that it is correct to accept the evidence oI one person to determine the
beginningoItheIast.Thisis theopinionoIIbnalMubarak,ash-ShaI'i,andAhmad.An-Nawawisays
thatitisthesoundestopinion.ConcemingthenewmoonoIShawwal|whichsigniIiestheendoIthe
Iast|,itisconIimmedbycompletingthirtydaysoIRamadan,andmostjuristsstatethat thenewmoon
must have been reported by at least two just witnesses. However, Abu Thaur does not distinguish
between the new moon oI Shawwal and the new moon oI Ramadan. In both cases, he accepts the
evidenceoIonlyonejustwitness."
Ibn-Rushdcommentsthat:"TheopionionoIAbuBakribnalMunzhir,whichisalsothatoIAbuThaur
and,Isuspect,thatoItheZhahirischooloIthought,issupportedbytheIollowingargumentgivenby
AbuBakral-Munzhiri:thereiscompleteagreementthatbreakingtheIastisobligatory,thatabstaining
Iromeatingisbasedononeperson'sreport,andthatthesituationmustbelikethatIorthebeginning
oI the month andIortheendingoIthemonth,asbothoIthemaresimplythesignsthatdiIIerentiate
thetimeoIIastingIromthetimeoInotIasting."
Ash-Shaukani observes: "II there is nothing authentic recorded that states that one may only accept
twowitnessesIortheendoIthemonth,thenitisapparent,byanalogy,thatonewitnessissuIIicient,
as it is suIIicient Ior the beginning oI the month. Eurthemmore, worship based on the acceptance oI
one report points to the Iact that such singular reports are accepted in every matter unless there is
some evidence that speciIies the peculiarity oI speciIic cases, such as the number oI witnesses
concemingmattersoIwealth,andsoon.ApparentlythisistheopinionoIAbuThaur."
Eiqh3.112:DiIIerentLocations
According to the majority oI scholars, it does not matter iI the new moon has been sighted in a
diIIerent location. In other words, aIter the new moon is seen anywhere in the world, it becomes
obligatoryIorallMuslimstobeginIasting,astheProphetsaid:"Eastduetoitssightingandbreakthe
Iastduetoitssighting."ThishadithisageneraladdressdirectedtothewholeMuslimworld- thatis,
"iIanyoneoIyouseesthemooninanyplace,thenthatwillbeasightingIoralloIthepeople."
According to 'Ikrimah, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, Salim, Ishaq, the correct opinion among the
HanaIiyyah, and the chosen opinion among the ShaI'iyyah, every "country" (or territory) is to take
intoconsiderationitsownsightingandnotnecessarilytoIollowthesightingoIothers.Thisisbased
on what Kuraib said: "While I was in ash-Sham, the new moon oI Ramadan appeared on Thursday
night. I retumed to Madinah at the end oI the month. There, Ibn 'Abbas asked me: 'When did you
peopleseethenewmoon?'Isaid:'WesawitonThursdaynight.'Hesaid:'DidyouseeityourselI?'I
said: 'Yes, the people saw it, and they and Mu'awiyyyah Iasted.' He said: 'But we saw it on Eriday
night. We will not stop Iasting until we complete thirty days or until we see the new moon.' I said:
'Isn't Mu'awiyyah's sighting and Iasting suIIicient Ior you?' He said: 'No . . . This is the order oI the
MessengeroIAllah.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andat-Tirmizhi.
Aboutthehadith,at-Timmizhisays:"Itishassansahihghareeb.Scholarsactinaccordancewiththis
hadith. Every land has its sighting." In Eath al-'Alam Sharh Bulugh al-Maram, it is stated: The
|opinion| closest |to the truth| is that each land Iollows its sighting, as well as the areas that are
connectedtoit."
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Eiqh3.113:SightingoItheCrescentbyonePerson
The scholars oI Iiqh agree that iI only one person sees the new moon,he is to Iast. 'Ata diIIers and
saysthatheisnottoIastuntilsomeoneelsealsosightsthenewmoonwithhim.Thecorrectposition
isthatheistobreaktheIast,asash-ShaI'iandAbuThaurhaveruled.TheProphethasbasedtheIast
anditsbreakingonthesightingoIthemoon.One'sownsightisenoughIorhimandthereisnoneed
Ioranotherperson'ssighting.
Eiqh3.113a:TheEssentialElementsoItheEast
The Iast has two essential elements (literally, "pillars") that must be IulIilled Ior it to be valid and
acceptable.Theyare:
Eiqh3.113b:EssentialelementsoIIasting,abstainingIromactsthatbreaktheIast
ThispointisbasedontheQur'anicverse:"Eatanddrinkuntilthewhitethreadbecomesdistincttoyou
IromtheblackthreadoIthedawn.ThenstrictlyobservetheIastuntilnightIall."
This is also based on the Iollowing hadith: "When the verse 'Eat and drink until the white thread
becomes distinct to you...' was revealed, I took a black thread and a white thread and placed them
underneathmypillow.DuringthenightIlookedatthemtoseeiIIcoulddistinguishbetweenthem.In
themorningIwenttotheMessengeroIAllahandmentionedthattohimandhesaid:'ItistheblackoI
thenightandthewhiteoItheday.'"
Eiqh3.113c:EssentialelementsoIIasting,theintention
Allah instructs in the Qur'an: "And they are ordained nothing else than to serve Allah, keeping
religionpureIorHim."TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Actionsarejudgedaccordingtothe
intentionbehindthem,andIoreveryoneiswhatheintended."
TheintentionmustbemadebeIoreIajrandduringeverynightoIRamadan.Thispointisbasedonthe
hadithoIHaIsahwhichreportedthattheProphetsaid:"WhoeverdoesnotdeterminetoIastbeIoreIajr
willhavenoIast"(thatis,itwon'tbeaccepted).ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,an-Nasa'i,at-Tirmizhi,Abu
Dawud,andIbnMajah.IbnKhuzaimahandIbnHibbanhaveclassiIieditassahih.
TheintentionisvalidduringanypartoIthenight.Itneednotbespoken,asitisinrealityanactoIthe
heartwhichdoesnotinvolvethetongue.ItwillbeIulIilledbyone'sintentiontoIastoutoIobedience
toAllahandIorseekingHispleasure.
II one eats one's pre-dawn meal (sahoor) with the intention oI Iasting and toget closer to Allah by
suchabstinence,thenonehasperIormedtheintention.IIonedeterminesthatonewillIastonthenext
daysolelyIorthesakeoIAllah,thenonehasperIormedtheintentioneveniIapre-dawnmealwasnot
consumed.
According to many oI the jurists, the intention Ior a voluntary Iast may be made at any time beIore
anyIoodisconsumed.Thisopinionisbasedon'Aishah'shadith:"TheProphetcametousonedayand
said: 'Do you have any |Iood|?' We said, 'No.' He said: 'ThereIore, I am Iasting." This is related by
MuslimandAbuDawud.
The HanaIiyyah and ShaI'iyyah stipulate that the intention must be made beIore noon (Ior voluntary
Iasts). The apparent opinion oI Ibn Mas'ud and Ahmad is that the intention may be made beIore or
aIternoon.
Eiqh3.114:EssentialelementsoIIasting,whomustIast
All scholars agree that Iasting is obligatory upon every sane, adult, healthy Muslim male who is not
traveling at that time. As Ior a woman, she must not be menstruating or having post-childbirth
bleeding.Peoplewhoareinsane,minors,andthosewhoaretraveling,menstruating,orgoingthrough
post-childbirthbleeding,andtheelderlyandbreast-Ieedingorpregnantwomendonotneedtoobserve
theIast.
Eor some, the Iast isnotobligatoryatall,Iorexample,theinsane.InthecaseoIyoungpeople,their
parents or guardians should order them to Iast. Some are to break the Iast and make up the missed
days oI Iasting at a later date, while others are to break the Iast and pay a "ransom" (in which case,
theyarenotobligedtomakeupthedaystheymissed).Weshalldiscusseachgroupinmoredetail.
Eiqh3.114a:EssentialelementsoIIasting,theIastoItheinsane
Easting is not obligatory Ior the insane because oI their inability to understand what they are doing.
'Ali reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "The pen is raised Ior three groups |oI
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people|--thatis,theywillnotberesponsibleIortheiractions:theinsaneuntiltheybecomesane,those
who are sleeping until they awaken, and the young until they reach puberty." This is related by
Ahmad,AbuDawud,andat-Tirmizhi.
Eiqh3.114b:EssentialelementsoIIasting,theIastoItheyoung|non-adults|
ThoughtheyoungarenotrequiredtoIast,itisproperIortheirguardianstoencouragethemtoIastso
theywillbecomeaccustomedtoitatanearlyage.TheymayIastaslongastheyareabletoandthen
may break it. ArRabi'a bint Mu'awiyyah reported: "The Messenger oI Allah sent a man, on the
morning oI the day oI 'Ashurah, to the residences oI the Ansar, saying: 'Whoever has spent the
morningIastingistocompletehisIast.WhoeverhasnotspentthismorningIastingshouldIastIorthe
remainderoItheday.'WeIastedaIterthatannouncement,asdidouryoungchildren.We wouldgoto
themosqueandmaketoysstuIIedwithcottonIorthemtoplaywith.IIoneoIthemstartedcryingdue
to hunger, we would give them a toy to play with until it was time to eat." This is related by al-
BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh3.115:EssentialelementsoIIasting,thosewhoarepermittedtobreaktheIast,butwhomustpay
a"ransom"IornotIasting
Elderly men and women are permitted to break their Iasts, as are the chronically ill, and those who
have to perIorm diIIicult jobs under harsh circumstances and who could not Iind any other way to
supportthemselves.AlloIthesepeopleareallowedtobreaktheirIast,becausesuchapracticewould
place too much hardship on them during any part oI the year. They are obliged to Ieed one poor
person|miskin|aday(IoreverydayoIIastingthattheydonotperIorm).ThescholarsdiIIeroverhow
muchIoodistobesupplied,Iorexample,asa',halIasa',oramadd.Thereisnothinginthesunnah
thatmentionsexactlyhowmuchistobegiven.
Ibn'Abbassaid:"AnelderlymanispermittedtobreakhisIast,buthemustIeedapoorpersondaily.
II he does this, he does not have to make up the days that he did not Iast. This is related by ad-
Daraqutniandbyal-Hakim,whosaiditissahih.Al-Bukharirecordedthat'AtaheardIbn'Abbasrecite
the 'ayah: "And Ior those who can Iast |but do not|, there is a "ransom': the Ieeding oI a person in
need"|al-Baqarah185|.ThenIbn'Abbascontinued:"Ithasnotbeenabrogated.|Itsrulingapplies|to
elderly men and women whoarenotabletoIast.Instead,theymustIeedonepoorpersononadaily
basis."
The same is true Ior one who ischronicallyillandassuchcannotIast,andIoronewhoisIorcedto
work under harsh circumstances and as such cannot endure the additional burden oI Iasting. Both
groupsmustalsoIeedonepoorpersondaily.
Commenting on al-Baqarah's 'ayah, Sheikh Muhammad 'Abduh says: "What is meant by those who
canIast'|(butdonot)intheQur'anicverse|istheweakelderlypeople,thechronicallyill,andsoon,
andsimilarly,thoseworkerswhoareworkingundersevereconditions,suchascoalminers.Thesame
applies to criminals who are sentenced to liIe imprisonment with hard labor. They have to pay the
'ransom'iItheyhavethemeanstodoso."
Pregnantandbreast-Ieedingwomen,iItheyIearIorthemselvesorIorthebaby,canbreaktheIastand
pay the "ransom." They do not have to make up the days missed. Abu Dawud related Irom 'Ikrimah
that Ibn 'Abbas said concerning the 'ayah "And Ior those who can Iast |but do not|,": "This is a
concessionIortheelderly,astheycanIast.TheyaretobreaktheIastandIeedonepoorpersonaday.
Pregnant or breast-Ieeding women, iI they Iear Ior the child, can do likewise." This is related by al-
Bazzar.AttheendoIthereport,thereistheaddition:"Ibn'Abbasusedtosaytohiswiveswhowere
pregnant: 'You are in the same situation as those who can Iast |but do not|. You are to pay the
"ransom"anddonothavetomakeupthedayslater.'"OIitschain,ad-Daraqutnisaysitissahih.
NaIi'reportedthatIbn'UmarwasaskedaboutapregnantwomanwhoIearedIorherunbornbaby.He
replied:"SheistobreaktheIastandtoIeedonepoorpersonadayonemaddoIbarley."
Thereisalsoahadiththatstates:"AllahhasrelievedthetravelersoIIastingandhalIoItheprayer,and
thepregnantandthebreast-IeedingwomenoItheIast."AccordingtotheHanaIiyyah,AbuUbaid,and
AbuThaur,suchwomenareonlytomakeupthemisseddaysoIIasting,andthey arenotsupposedto
Ieed one poor person a day. According to Ahmad and ash-ShaI'i, iI such women Iear only Ior the
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baby,theymustpaythe"ransom"andmakeupthedayslater.IItheyIearonlyIorthemselvesorIor
themselvesandthebaby,thentheyareonlytomakeupthemisseddaysatalaterdate.
Eiqh3.116:MakinguptheMissedDaysoIEasting
It is allowed Ior those who are (not chronically) ill and Ior travelers to break their Iasts during
Ramadan,buttheymustmakeupthedaystheymissed.Allah saysintheQur'an:"And|Ior|himwho
issickamongyouoronajourney,|thesame|numberoIotherdays."
Mu'azh said: "Verily, Allah made the Iast obligatory upon the Prophet by revealing: 'O you who
believe,IastingisprescribedIoryouasitwasprescribedIorthosebeIoreyou...'untilthewords,'And
Ior those who can Iast |but do not| there is a "ransom" payment...' Then, whoever wished to do so
wouldIastandwhoeverwishedtodosowouldIeedapoorperson,andthatwassuIIicientIorthem.
Then Allahrevealedanotherverse:'ThemonthoIRamadaninwhichtheQur'anwasrevealed...'tothe
words: 'Whoever is resident among you during this month is to Iast.' |By this verse,| the Iast was
established Ior those who were resident and healthy. A concession was made Ior the sick and
travelers,andtheIeedingoIthepoorbytheelderlywhocouldnotIastwas|leIt|conIirmed."Thisis
relatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,andalBaihaqiwithasahihchain.
A sick person may break his Iast which, iI continued, would only aggravate the illness or delay its
cure.In al-Mughni it is stated: "It is related Irom some oI the early scholars that any type oI illness
allowsonetobreaktheIast,evenaninjurytotheIingeroratoothache.Theybasedtheiropinionon
theIollowing:
-1- thewordingoItheverseisgeneralandappliestoalltypesoIillness,and
-2- atravelerisallowedtobreakhisIasteveniIhedoesnotneedtoand,thereIore,thesamemustbe
thecaseIoronewhoissick."ThiswasalsotheopinionoI al-Bukhari,'Ata,andtheZhahirischooloI
thought.
One who is healthy but Iears that he will become ill iI he Iasts can break the Iast, as can the person
whoisovercomebyhungerand/orthirstandIearsthathemaydiebecauseoIit,eveniIheisresident
and healthy. He must makeupthedaysoIIastingthathemissed.TheIollowingtwoQur'anic'ayahs
support this point: "And do not kill yourselves, Lo! Allah is ever MerciIul to you," and "He has not
laiduponyouinyourreligionanyhardship."
IIasickpersonIastsandwithstandsthehardshipsoItheIast,hisIastwillbevalidbutdisliked,Iorhe
did not accept the concession Allah gave him, thereby causing himselI much hardship. Some oI the
companionswouldIastduringtheProphet'sliIetimewhileotherswouldnot(thatis,iItheywereill),
thereby Iollowing the verdict oI the Prophet. Hamzah al-Aslami said: "O Messenger oI Allah, I Iind
withinmethestrengthtoIastwhiletraveling.WouldtherebeanyblameuponmeiIIweretodoso?"
The Prophet, upon whom be peace, answered: "It is a concession Irom Allah. Whoever takes it has
donewell.WhoeverlikestoIast,thereisnoblameuponhim."ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported: "We traveled with the Messenger oI Allah to Makkah while we were
Iasting. We stopped at a place and the Messenger oI Allah said: 'You are coming close to your
enemies.YouwillbestrongeriIyoubreaktheIast.'ThatwasaconcessionandsomeoIusIastedand
someoIusbrokeourIasts.ThenwecametoanotherplaceandtheProphetsaid:'Inthemorningyou
willIaceyourenemy.BreakingtheIastwillgiveyoumorestrength.'SowebrokeourIast,takingthat
as the best course oI action. AIter that, you could see some oI us Iasting with the Prophet while
traveling."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Muslim,andAbuDawud.
In another report, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: "We Iought under the leadership oI the Messenger oI
Allah during Ramadan. Some oI us Iasted andsomeoIusdidnot.TheoneswhoIasteddidnotIind
anyIaultwiththosewhodidnotIast,andthosewhodidnotIastIoundnoIaultwiththosewhoIasted.
They knew that iI one had the strength to Iast he could do so and it was good, and that iI one was
weak,hewasallowedtobreakhisIast,andthatwasgood."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandMuslim.
The jurists diIIer over what is preIerred (that is, to Iast or not to Iast while traveling). Abu HaniIah,
ash-ShaI'i,andMalikareoItheopinionthatiIonehastheabilitytoIast,itisbetterIorhimtodoso,
andiIonedoesnothavetheabilitytoIast,itisbetterIorhimtobreaktheIast.Ahmadsaidthatitis
besttobreaktheIast.'Umaribn'Abdulazizsays:"ThebestoIthetwoactsistheeasieroIthetwo.IIit
iseasierIoronetoIastthantomakeupthedaylateron,then,inhiscase,toIastisbetter."
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Ash-ShaukanihasconcludedthatiIitisdiIIicultIoranindividualtoIastortorejecttheconcession,
then it is best Ior him not to Iast (while traveling). Similarly, iI one Iears that one's Iasting during
travelwilllooklikeshowingoII,theninthiscase,breakingtheIastwouldbepreIerred.IIoneisnot
Iacedwithsuchconditions,thenIastingwouldbepreIerred.
II a traveler makes the intention (to Iast) during the night, he can still break his Iast during the day.
Jabiribn'Abdullahreported:
"TheMessengeroIAllahleItIorMakkahduringtheyearoItheconquest|oIMakkah|andheandthe
peoplewithhimIasteduntilhereachedacertainvalley.HethencalledIoracupoIwater,whichhe
elevatedsothatthepeoplecouldseeit,andthenhedrank.AIterwards,hewastoldthatsomepeople
hadcontinuedtoIast,andhesaid:'Thosearedisobedientones,thosearedisobedientones.'"Thisis
relatedbyMuslim,at-Tirmizhi,andan-Nasa'i.At-Tirmizhicalleditsahih.
IIonehasalreadymadetheintentiontoIastwhileresidentbutthendecidedtotravelduringtheday,
the majorityoIscholarsmaintainthathemustIast.AhmadandIshaqsaythathemaybreaktheIast.
This opinion is based on the report oI Muhammad ibn Ka'b who said: "I came to Anas ibn Malik
during Ramadan while he was planning on traveling. His mount was prepared Ior him, and he was
wearinghisclothesIortraveling.HeaskedIorsomeIoodandate.Isaidtohim:'Isthisasunnah?'He
said, 'Yes.' Then he mounted his animal and leIt." This is related by at-Tirmizhi, who called it
hassan.'UbaidibnJubairsaid:"DuringRamadan,IrodeonashipwithAbuBasraal-GhaIariIromal-
Eustat.HepreparedhisIoodandsaid,"Come|andeat|."Isaid:"Arewenotstillamongthehouses|oI
thecity- thatis,theyhadnotleItyet|?"AbuBasraasked:"AreyouturningawayIromthesunnahoI
theMessengeroIAllah?"ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandAbuDawud.Itsnarratorsaretrustworthy.
Ash-Shaukani contends: "These two hadith prove that a traveler may break his Iast beIore he begins
his joumey. OI its credentials, Ibn al-'Arabi says: 'Concerning the hadith oI Anas, it is sahih and
provesthatonecanbreaktheIastwhenheis preparedtotravel.'"Thisisthecorrectposition.
The type oI travel that allows one to break his Iast is the same as the traveling which allows one to
shortentheprayers.WehavediscussedalloItheopinionsonthispointunderthesectionShortening
thePrayers,andwehavealsorecordedIbnal-Qayyim'sconclusionsonthisquestion.
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Baihaqi, and at-Tahawi recorded Irom Mansur al-Kalbi that Dihya ibn
KhaliIah traveled a distance oI one Iarsakh during Ramadan. When he broke his Iast, some oI the
peopleaccompanyinghimdidlikewise.SomeoIthemdidnotagreewiththisaction.Onhisreturnto
hiscity,Dihyasaid:"IsawsomehingtodaythatIdidnotsuspectIwouldeversee.Thepeopletumed
away the Messenger oI Allah's guidance and that oI his companions." He said that about the people
who had Iasted. Then he said: "O Allah, take |my soul| to you." All oI its narrators are trustworthy,
exceptIorMansural-Kalbi...althoughal-'IjliaIIirmshiscredibility.
Eiqh3.120:Thosewho mustmakeupthemisseddays
The scholars agree that it is obligatory Ior menstruating women and women with postchildbirth
bleedingtobreaktheIastandtomakeupthemisseddayslateron.Al-BukhariandMuslimrecorded
that 'Aishah said: "When we would have our menses during the liIetime oI the Prophet, we were
ordered to make up the days oI Iasting that we had missed but were not ordered to make up the
prayersthatwehadmissed.
Eiqh3.120a:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,thedaysoI'id
AllscholarsagreethatsuchaIastisprohibited.ItdoesnotmatteriItheIastisobligatoryorvoluntary.
'UmartestiIies:"TheMessengeroIAllahhasIorbiddenIastingonthesetwodays.Concerningthe'id
oIbreakingtheIast,itisIoryoutobreakyourIast|oIRamadan|.Onthe'idoIsacriIice,youshould
eat Irom what you sacriIice." This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, atTirmizhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn
Majah.
Eiqh3.120b:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,thedaysoItashreeq(threedaysIollowingthe'Idal-Azha)
ItisnotpermissibletoIastduringthethreedaysIollowingthe'Idal-Azha.AbuHurairahreportedthat
the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, sent 'Abdullah ibn Huzhaqah to announce at Mina:
"YouarenottoIastthesedays.TheyaredaysoIeatinganddrinkingandrememberingAllah."Thisis
relatedbyAhmadwithagoodchain.
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Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, sent a person to announce:
"Do not Iast on these days, as they are days oI eating, drinking and rejoicing with one'sIamily."At-
Tabaranirelateditinal-'Awsat.
TheShaI'iyyahallowIastingonthedaysoItashreeqiIthereissomereasonIortheIasting- thatis,iI
itisduetoanoath,Iorexpiation,orIormakingupamisseddayoIRamadan.ThoseIaststhathaveno
specialreasonbehindthemarenotallowed,andthereisnodisagreementonthispoint.TheShaI'iyyah
applied the same reasoning that they used in saying that prayers that are perIormed Ior a speciIic
reasonareallowedtobeperIormedduringtheprohibitedtimesoIprayer|Iorexample,theprayeroI
salutationtothemosque,andsoon|.
Eiqh3.121:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,prohibitedtosingleoutEridayasadayoIIasting
The day oI Eriday is a kind oI weekly 'id Ior Muslims and, thereIore, it is prohibited to Iast on that
day.MostscholarssaythatthisprohibitionisoneoIdislike,9notoneoIcompleteIorbiddance.
IIoneIastsonthedaybeIoreoraIterit,oriIitisadaythatonecustomarilyIastson(Iorexample,the
13th,14th,or15thoIthemonth),oriIitisthedayoI'AraIahor'Ashurah,thenitisnotdislikedtoIast
onsuchaEriday.
'Abdullahibn'AmrreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahenteredtheroomoIJuwairiyahbintal-Harith
while she was Iasting on a Eriday. He asked her: "Did you Iast yesterday?" She answered, "No." He
said:"DoyouplantoIasttomorrow?"Sheanswered,"No."ThereIorehesaid:"ThenbreakyourIast."
ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandan-Nasa'iwithagoodchain.
'Amral-'AsharireportedthatheheardtheMessengeroIAllahsay:"Verily,Eridayisan'idIoryou,so
do not Iast on it unless you Iast the day beIore or aIter it." This is related by al-Bazzar with a good
chain.
'Ali counseled: "He who wants to |Iast| voluntarily should Iast on Thursday instead oI Eriday, Ior
EridayisadayoIeating,drinking,andremembrance."ThisisrelatedbyIbnAbuShaibahwithagood
chain.
InthetwoSahih(thoseoIal-BukhariandMuslim),JabirreportedthattheProphetsaid:"DonotIast
onEridayunlessyouIastonittogetherwiththedaybeIoreorthedayaIter."Muslim'sversionstates:
"Do not exclusively choose the night oI Eriday |Thursday night in English| as a special night Ior
perIorming the night prayers. Also, do not exclusively choose Eriday as a day oI Iasting unless it
occursonadaythatyouregularlyIast."
Eiqh3.122:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,prohibitedtosingleoutSaturdayasadayoIIasting
Busr as-Salmi related Irom his sister as-Sama' that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace,
said:"DonotIastonSaturdaysunlessitisanobligatoryIast.|YoushouldnotIast|eveniIyoudonot
Iindanything|toeat|savesomegrapepeelingsorabranchoIatreetochewon."
This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmizhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim. Al-Hakim
said that it is sahih according to the conditions oI Muslim, while at-Tirmizhi called it hassan.
AtTirmizhi said that what is disliked here is Ior a person to exclusively choose Saturday as a day oI
Iasting,asitisthedaythattheJewshonor.
In contradiction with the preceding report, Umm Salamah claims: "The Prophet used to Iast more
oIten on Saturdays and Sundays than on the other days. He would say: 'They are the 'ids oI the
polytheists,andIlovetodiIIerIromthem.'"This isrelatedbyAhmad,al-Baihaqi,al-Hakim,andIbn
Khuzaimahwhocalleditsahih.
TheHanaIiyyah,ShaI'iyyah,andHanbaliyyahsayitisdislikedtoIastonSaturdaybyitselIduetothe
precedingevidence.MalikdiIIersIromthem,butthehadithisprooIagainsthim.
Eiqh3.122a:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,onthe"dayoIdoubt"
'AmmaribnYasirsaid:"WhoeverIaststhe'dayoIdoubthasdisobeyedAbualQasim|theProphet|."
Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i,at-Tirmizhi,AbuDawud,andIbnMajah.
OI its status, at-Tirmizhi says: "It is a hassan sahih hadith. Most oI the knowledgeable people act in
accordancewithit.ItistheopinionoISuIyanath-Thauri,MalikibnAnas,'AbdullahibnalMubarak,
ash-ShaI'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. They all hate that one Iasts on a 'day oI doubt.' Most oI them believe
that iI one Iasts on such a day and it turns out to be Ramadan, then that day still has to be made up
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later. II such a day occurs during one's regular Iasting period, thenitispermissibletoIastonsucha
day."
As related by "the group," Abu HurairahreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"Donotprecede
RamadanbyIastingthedayortwobeIoreitunlessitisadayonwhichthepersonusuallyIasts."
About this hadith, at-Tirmizhi says: "The hadith is hassan sahih and the scholars act in accordance
withit.TheydislikethatapersonshouldhastenRamadanbyIastingonthedaybeIoreit.IIaperson
usually Iasts on a day and 'the day oI doubt' occurs on that day, then there is no problem with his
Iastingonthatday,intheiropinion."
Eiqh3.123:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,everydayoItheyear
ItisIorbiddentodosobecausetherearecertaindaysoItheyearonwhichoneisnotallowedtoIast.
The Messenger oI Allah said: "There is no |reward Ior| Iasting Ior the one who perpetually Iasts."
ThisisrelatedbyAhrnad,al-Bukhari,andMuslim.
IIonebreakshisIastduringthedaysoI'idandthedaysoItashreeq,thenhisperpetualIastingwould
no longer be considered disliked. In his comments on this issue, at-Tirmizhi says: "A group oI
scholars dislike Iasting every day iI it includes the 'ids |'id al-Eitr, 'id al-Azha| and the days oI
tashreeq.IIonebreakshisIastonthosedays,hisactionisnolongerdisliked,asheisnolongerIasting
thewholeyear."ThescholarsareMalik,ash-ShaI'i,Ahrnad,andIshaq.
TheProphetapprovedoIHamzahal-Aslami'snurnerousIastswhenhetoldhim:"EastiIyouwishand
breakyourIastiIyouwish."Thishadithwasmentionedearlier.
Eiqh3.123a:TheEorbiddenDaysto East,womantoIastwhileherhusbandispresentexceptwithhis
permission
The Messenger oI Allah Iorbade a woman to Iast iI her husband was present until he gave her his
perrnissiontodoso.AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetsaid:"AwomanisnottoIast|even|Ior
onedaywhileherhusbandispresentexceptwithhispermission,unlessitisduringRamadan."Thisis
related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and Muslim. The scholars have interpreted this prohibition as one oI
Iorbiddance,andtheyallowthehusbandtoendhiswiIe'sIastingiIsheIastedwithouthisperrnission
and he seeks his right |to sex| Irom her. This is also true, obviously, Ior days other than those oI
Ramadan in which case she does not need her husband's permission. Similarly, iI she Iasted without
hispermissionbecausehewasnotpresent,hehastherighttoendherIastwhenheretums.
II the husband is sick or incapable oI intercourse, it ispermissibleIorthewomantoIastwithouthis
perrnission--thatis,itissimilartothecase oIwherethehusbandisnotpresent.
Eiqh3.124:TheEorbiddenDaystoEast,consecutivedayswithouteatingatall|al-wisal|
Abu Hurairah reportedthattheMessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"DonotperIorrnal-
wisal."Hesaidthatthreetimesandthepeoplesaidtohim:"ButyouperIormal-wisal,OMessenger
oI Allah!" He said: "You are not like me in that matter. I spend the night in such a state that Allah
Ieeds me and gives me to drink.. Devote yourselves to the deeds which you can perIorm." This is
relatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
The scholars say this prohibition implies that the act is disliked. Ahmad and Ishaq say that it is
allowedtoIastuntilthetimeoIthepre-dawnmealaslongasitisnotahardshipontheoneIasting.
This opinion is based on what al-Bukhari recorded on the authority oI Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: "The
Messenger oI Allah said: 'Do not make al-wisal. II one oI you insists on making al-wisal, he may
continuehisIast|aItersunset|untilthetimeoIthepre-dawn
Eiqh3.124a:VoluntaryEasts
TheProphethasexhortedustoIastduringtheIollowingdays:sixdaysoIthemonthoIShawwal,Iirst
tendaysoIZhul-HijjahIorthosenotperIormingthepilgrimage,monthoIMuharram.
Eiqh3.124b:VoluntaryEasts,sixdaysoIthe monthoIShawwal
AbuAyyubal-AnsarireportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"WhoeverIastsduringthe
monthoIRamadanandthenIollowsitwithsixdaysoIShawwalwillbe|rewarded|asiIhehadIasted
theentireyear."Thisisrelatedby"thegroup,"exceptIoral-BukhariandanNasa'i.
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According to Ahmad, one may Iast on these days consecutively or nonconsecutively, as neither
practiceispreIerredovertheother.HanaIiyyahandShaI'iyyahmaintainthatitispreIerabletoIaston
consecutivedaysaIterthe'id.
Eiqh3.124c:VoluntaryEastsTheIirsttendaysoIZhul-Hijjah,especiallythedayoIAraIah,Iorthose
whoarenotperIormingthepilgrimage
-1- Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Easting on the day oI 'AraIah is an
expiationIortwoyears,theyearprecedingitandtheyearIollowingit.EastingthedayoI'Ashurahis
an expiation Ior the year preceding it." This is related by "the group," except Ior al-Bukhari and at-
Tirmizhi.
-2- HaIsah reported: "There are Iive things that the Prophet never abandoned: Iasting the day oI
'Ashurah, Iasting the |Iirst| ten |days oI Zhul-Hijjah|, Iasting three days oI every month and praying
tworak'ahbeIorethedawnprayer."ThisisrelatedbyAhmadandan-Nasa'i.
-3- 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr reported that the Messenger oI Allah said: "The day oI 'AraIah, the day oI
sacriIice,andthedaysoItashreeqare'idsIorus--thepeopleoIIslam--andtheyaredaysoIeatingand
drinking."Thisisrelatedby"theIive,"exceptIorIbnMajah.At-Tirmizhigradesitsahih.
-4- AbuHurairahstated:"TheMessengeroIAllahIorbadeIastingonthedayoI'AraIahIoronewho
isactuallyat'AraIah."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andIbnMajah.
At-Tirmizhicomments:"ThescholarspreIerthatthedayoI'AraIahbeIastedunlessoneisactuallyat
'AraIah."
-5- Ummal-Eadlsaid:"ThepeoplewereindoubtoverwhetherornottheProphetwasIastingonthe
dayoI'AraIah.Isenthimsomemilk,andhedrankitwhilehewasdeliveringanaddresstothepeople
at'AraIah."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, sent a person to announce:
"Do not Iast on these days, as they are days oI eating, drinking and rejoicing with one'sIamily."At-
Tabaranirelateditinal-'Awsat.
Eiqh 3.125: Voluntary Easts, Easting during the month oI Muharram, especially the day oI 'Ashurah
andthedaysimmediatelyprecedingandIollowingit
Abu Hurairah reported: "I asked the Prophet: 'Which prayer is the best aIter the obligatory prayers?'
He said: 'Prayer during the middle oI the night.' I asked: 'Which Iast is the best aIter the Iast oI
Rarnadan?' He said, 'The month oI Allah that you call Muharram.' " This is related by Ahmad,
Muslim,andAbuDawud.
Mu'awiyyahibnAbuSuIyanreportedthatheheardtheMessengeroIAllahsay:"Concerningtheday
oI'Ashurah,itisnotobligatoryuponyoutoIastonitasIdo.WhoeverwishesmayIastandwhoever
doesnotwishtoisnotobligedtodoso."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
'Aishahstated:"ThetribeoIQuraishusedtoIastonthedayoI'AshurahinthedaysbeIoreIslam,as
didtheProphet.WhenhecametoMadinah,hestillIastedonitandorderedthepeopletodolikewise.
Then, when Iasting during the month oI Ramadan becam obligatory, he said: 'Whoever wishes may
Iast|'Ashurah|andwhoeverwishesmayleaveit."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
Ibn 'Abbas reported: "The Prophet came to Madinah and Iound the Jews Iasting on the day oI
'Ashurah. He said to them: 'What is this Iast?' They said: 'A great day. Allah saved Moses and the
tribes oI Israel Irom their enemies on this day and thereIore, Moses Iasted on this day.' The Prophet
said:'WehavemoreoIarighttoMosesthanyou,'soheIastedonthatdayalsoandorderedthepeople
toIastonthatday."Thisisrecordedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
According to al-Bukhari and Muslim, Musa al-Ash'ari reported: "The Jews would honor the day oI
'Ashurahasan'id.TheProphetsaid:'You|Muslims|aretoIastonit.'"
Ibn'Abbasreported:"TheMessengeroIAllahIastedonthedayoI'Ashurahandorderedthepeopleto
Iastonit.Thepeoplesaid:'OMessengeroIAllah,itisadaythattheJewsandChristianshonor.'The
Prophetsaid,'WhentheIollowingyearcomes--Allahwilling--weshallIastontheninth.'ThedeathoI
the Prophet came beIore the Iollowing year." This is recorded by Muslim and Abu Dawud. In one
versionthewordingis:"IIIremainuntilnextyear,weshallIasttheninth,"meaning,thetenth.Thisis
relatedbyMuslimandAbuDawud.
ThescholarshavementionedthattheIastoI'AshurahisoIthreelevels:
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-1- Iastingthreedays--thatis,onthe9th,10th,and11thoIMuharram;
-2- Iastingonthe9thand10th;and
-3- Iastingonlyonthe10th.
Eiqh3.126:BeinggenerousinprovidinghouseholdprovisionsonthedayoI'AraIah
JabirreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"WhoeverisgeneroustohimselIandtohisIamilyon
the day oI 'Ashurah will have Allah's generosity bestowed on him Ior the rest oI the year." This is
relatedbyal-Baihaqiinash-Shu'abandbyIbn'Abdul-Barr.Thehadithhasotherchains,buttheyare
allweak;however,strungtogetherthesechainsstrengthentherankoIthehadith,asas-Sakhawisaid.
Eiqh3.127:EastingmostoIthemonthoISha'ban(themonthprecedingRamadan)
The Prophet would Iast most oI the month oI Sha'ban. 'Aishah said: "I never saw the Messenger oI
AllahIastacompletemonthsaveIorRamadan,andIhaveneverseenhimIastmore inamonththan
hedidinSha'ban."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
UsamahibnZaidinquired:"OMessengeroIAllah,IneverIindyouIastinginanymonthlikeyoudo
duringthemonthoISha'ban."TheProphetresponded:"Thatisamonththepeopleneglect.Itcomes
betweenRajabandRamadan.ItisamonthinwhichthedeedsareraisedtotheLordoItheWorlds.I
lovethatmydeedsberaisedwhileIamIasting."ThisisrelatedbyAbuDawud,an-Nasa'i,andbyIbn
KhuzaimahinhisSahih.
SomepeopleIastonthe15thoISha'baninparticular,thinkingthatthatdaycontainsmorevirtuesthan
theotherdays.Thisisanunsubstantiatedclaim.
Eiqh3.127a:Eastingduringthe"Iorbidden"months
The "Iorbidden" months (during which killing is Iorbidden) are Zhul-Qidah, ZhulHijjah, Muharram,
andRajab.ItispreIerredtoIastalotduringthesemonths.
AmanIromBahilacametotheProphetandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,Iamthemanwhocameto
youduringtheIirstyear."TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Whathaschangedyou?Youused
tobemuchmorehandsome!"Heanswered:"IdidnoteatsaveduringthenightsinceIleItyou."The
MessengeroIAllahasked:"WhydidyoupunishyourselI?EastduringthemonthoIpatience|thatis,
Ramadan|andthenonedayoIeverymonth."Themansaid:"AddsomethingtothatIorme,IorIhave
more strength than that." The Prophet responded: "East two days |a month|." The man said: "Add
moreIorme."TheProphetsaidthreetimes:"EastIromtheIorbiddenmonths,thenleaveIasting."He
pointedwiththreeoIhisIingersbyclenchingthemandreleasingthem.ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Abu
Dawud,IbnMajah,andal-Baihaqiwithagoodchain.
Easting during Rajab contains no more virtuethanduringanyothermonth.There isnosoundreport
Irom the sunnah that states that it hasaspecialreward.Allthathasbeenrelatedconcerningitisnot
strongenoughtobeusedasaprooI.IbnHajrsays:"Thereisnoauthentichadithrelatedtoitsvirtues,
not Iasting during itoroncertaindaysoIit,norconcerningexclusivelymakingnightprayersduring
thatmonth."
Eiqh3.128:EastingMondaysandThursdays
AbuHurairahreportedthatthemosttheProphetwouldIastwouldbeMondayandThursday.Hewas
asked about that and he said: "The actions are presented on every Monday and Thursday. Allah
Iorgives every Muslim or every believer, except Ior those who are boycotting each other. He says
|about them|: 'Leave them.' " This is related by Ahmad with a sahih chain. It is recorded in Sahih
MuslimthattheProphet,whenaskedaboutIastingonMonday,said:"ThatisthedayonwhichIwas
bornandthedayonwhichIreceivedrevelations."
Eiqh3.128a:EastingthreedaysoIeverymonth
Abu Zharr al-GhaIari reported: "The Messenger oI Allah ordered us to Iast Ior three days oI every
month--thatis,onthedaysoItheIullmoon(the13th,14th,and15thoIthelunarmonth).Andhesaid:
'ItislikeIastingthewholeyear.'"Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'iandbyIbnHibban,whocalleditsahih.
It is related that the Prophet would Iast on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday oI one month and on
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday oI the next month. He would also Iast Ior three days at the
beginningoIthemonth,orontheIirstThursdayandthenexttwoMondaysoIthemonth.
Eiqh3.128b:EastingonedayandnotIastingthenext
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Abu Salama ibn 'Abdurrahman reported Irom 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, said to him: 'I have been inIormed that you stay up in prayer during the night and Iast during
the day. 'Abdullah answered: "Yes, O Messenger oI Allah." The Prophet said: "East and do not Iast,
prayandsleep,Ioryourbody,yourwiIe,andyourguestshavearightuponyou.ItissuIIicientIoryou
to Iast three days a month." 'Abdullah said: "I wanted to be stricter on myselI and I said: "O
MessengeroIAllah,Ihavethestrengthtodomore."TheProphetsaid:"ThenIastthreedaysaweek."
'Abdullahsaid:"Ihavethestrengthtodomore!"TheProphetsaid:"EasttheIastoItheProphetDavid
and do not do more than that!" 'Abdullah inquired: "And what was the Iast oI David?" The Prophet
replied:"HewouldIastonedayandthennotIastthenext."ThisisrecordedbyAhmadandothers.
Ahmad also related Irom 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that the Prophet said: "The Iast most loved byAllahis
the Iast oI David, and the most loved prayer is the prayer oI David. He would sleep halI the night,
prayIorathirdoIthenight,andthensleepduringthelastsixthoIthenight.HewouldalsoIastone
day andtheneatonthenext."
Eiqh3.129:ItispermissibleIoronewhoisperIormingavoluntaryIasttobreakhisIast
Umm Hani reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, entered her room during the day oI the
conquest oI Makkah. He was oIIered something to drink and he drank Irom it. Then he oIIered it to
Umm Hani and she said: "I am Iasting." The Prophet said: "The one who is Iasting voluntarily is in
charge oI himselI. II you wish you may Iast and iI you wish you may break your Iast." This is
recountedbyAhmad,ad-Daraqutni,andalBaihaqi.Al-Hakimalsorelateditandsaidthatitschainis
sahih.Theversionherecordedstates:"AndiIonewisheshemayIastandiIhewisheshemaybreak
hisIast."
Abu JuhaiIah said: "The Prophet established the bond oI brotherhood between Salman and Abu ad-
Darda. Once, Salman visited Abu ad-Darda and saw Umm ad-Darda wearing very plain clothes. He
said to her: 'What's happening to you?' She said: 'Your brother Abu ad-Darda has no need in this
world.'WhenAbuadDardacame,hepreparedsomeIoodIorSalmanandsaid:'Eat,IorIamIasting.'
Salmansaid:'Ishallnoteatuntilyoueat.'Soheate.Whenitwasnight,Abuad-Dardagotuptopray
andSalmansaid,'Sleep,'andhedidso.TowardtheendoIthenightSalmanwokeAbuad-Dardaand
said,Praynow.'Andtheyprayed.Salmantoldhim:'YourLordhasarightuponyou,youhavearight
uponyourselI,andsodoesyourwiIe.Giveeachoneitsdueright.'AbuadDardawenttotheProphet
andtoldhimwhatSalmanhadsaid.TheProphetsaid:'Salmanhassaidthetruth.'"Thisisrelatedby
al-Bukhariandat-Tirmizhi.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: "I prepared Iood Ior the Prophet. He came to me with some oI his
companions.WhentheIoodwaslaidout,oneoIthemensaid:'IamIasting.'TheMessengeroIAllah
said:'YourbrotherhasinvitedyouandincurredexpensesinyourbehalI.'Thenheasked|him|,Break
yourIastandIastanotherdayinitsplaceiIyouwish.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-Baihaqi.Al-HaIizhsays
ithasahassan chain.
Most scholars maintain that one who is perIorming a voluntary Iast can break it. It is, however,
preIerred to make up that day later on. The preceding view is clear and authentic hadith are support
Iorthatposition.
Eiqh3.130:Easting,eatingapre-dawnmeal
All Muslims agree that it is preIerred to eat a pre-dawn meal and that there is no sin upon one who
does not do so. Anas reported that the Messenger oI Allah said: "Eat a pre-dawn meal, Ior there are
blessingsinit."ThisisrelatedbyalBukhariandMuslim.
Al-MiqdamibnMadyakribreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Youshouldeatthis
pre-dawn meal Ior it is a blessed nourishment." This is related by an-Nasa'i with a good chain. The
reason why it is a blessing is that it strengthens the Iasting person, makes him more energetic, and
makestheIasteasierIorhim.
Eiqh3.130a:Easting,whatwouldIulIillthesunnahoIeatingapre-dawnmeal
The sunnah would be IulIilled byeatingasmallorlargequantityoIIood,orevenjust bydrinkinga
sip oI water. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger oI Allah said: "The pre-dawn meal is
blessed,sodonotneglectiteveniIyouonlytakeasipoIwater.Verily,AllahandtheangelsprayIor
thosewhohavepre-dawnmeals."This isrelatedbyAhmad.
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Eiqh3.130b:Easting,thetimeIorthepre-dawnmeal
ThetimeIorthepre-dawnmealisbetweenthemiddleoIthenightanddawn.Itisconsideredbestto
delay it (that is, as close to dawn a possible). Zaid ibn Thabit reported: "We ate the pre-dawn meal
withtheMessengeroIAllahandthenwegotupIortheprayer.Hewasasked:'Whatwastheamount
oI time between the two?' He responded: '|The time it would take to recite| IiIty verses.' " This is
recountedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
'AmribnMaimunadds:"ThecompanionsoIMuhammad,uponwhombepeace,wouldbetheIirstto
break the Iast and the last to eat their pre-dawn meals." This is recorded by al-Baihaqi with a sahih
chain.
Abu Zharr al-GhaIari related that the Prophet said: "My nation will always retain some goodness as
longastheyhastenbreakingtheIastanddelayeatingthepre-dawnmeal."Thishadithhasinitschain
oneSulaimibnAbuUthmanwhoisunknown.
Eiqh3.131:Easting,doubtconcerningthetimeoIIajr
II one is in doubtwhetherornotthetimeoIIajrhasbegunornot,hemaycontinuetoeatanddrink
untilheiscertainthatitisIajr.Heshouldnotbasehisactionondoubtorsuspicion.Allahhasmade
thesignsIorbeginningthedailyIastveryclearandunambiguous.Allahenjoins(uponthebelievers)
intheQur'an:"EatanddrinkuntilthewhitethreadoIthedawnbecomesdistinctIromtheblackthread
|oIthenight|."
AmansaidtoIbn'Abbas:"IeatuntilIsuspectthatitstimehasendedsoIstop.Ibn'Abbasobserved:
"Continue to eat until you are certain about the time." Abu Dawud reported that Ahmad ibn Hanbal
said:"IIyouhavesomedoubtaboutIajr,eatuntilyouaresuredawnhascome."ThisistheopinionoI
Ibn'Abbas,'Ata,al'Auza'i,andAhmad.
An-Nawawi inIorms that: "The Iollowers oI ash-ShaIai agree that one may eat iI he is uncertain
whetherdawnhascomeornot."
Eiqh3.131a:HasteninginbreakingtheIast
ItispreIerredIortheIastingpersontohasteninbreakingtheIastwhenthesunhas set.SahlibnSad
reported that the Prophet said: "The people will always be with the good as long as they hasten in
breakingtheIast."Thisisrelatedbyal-BukhariandMuslim.
The Iast should be broken with an odd number oI dates or, iI that is not available,withsomewater.
Anasreported:"TheMessengeroIAllahwouldbreakhisIastwithripedatesbeIorehewouldpray.II
those were not available, he would eat drieddates.IIthosewerenotavailable,hewoulddrinksome
water." This hadith is related by Abu Dawud and by al-Hakim, who called it sahih, and by at-
Tirmizhi,whocalledithassan.
Sulaiman ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet said: "II one oI you is Iasting, he should break his Iast
with dates. II dates are not available, then with water, Ior water is puriIying." This is related by
Ahmadandbyat-Tirmizhi,whocalledithassansahih.
The preceding hadith also shows that it is preIerred to break the Iast in the above manner beIore
praying. AIter the prayer, the person may continue to eat, but iI the evening meal is ready, one may
beginwiththat.AnasreportedthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"IItheIoodisalreadypresented,eat
beIore the sunset prayer and do not eat your meals in haste." This is related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.
Eiqh3.132:SupplicationswhilebreakingtheIastandwhileIasting
Ibn Majah related Irom 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"AIastingperson,uponbreakinghisIast,hasasupplicationthatwillnotberejected.When'Abdullah
brokehisIasthewouldsay:"OAllah,IaskoIYou,byYourmercythatencompasseseverything,to
Iorgiveme."
ItisconIirmedthattheProphetwouldsay:Thethirsthasgone,theglandsarewetand,Allahwilling,
the reward is conIirmed. In mursal Iorm, it is reported that he would say: "O Allah, Ior You I have
IastedandwithYourprovisionsdoIbreakmyIast."
At-Tirmizhi recorded, with a good chain, that the Prophet said: "Three people will not have their
supplicationsrejected:aIastingperson untilhebreakshisIast,ajustruler,andanoppressedperson."
Eiqh3.132a:ReIrainingIromperIorminganyactionsthatdonotbeIittheIasting
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EastingisatypeoIworshipthatdrawsoneclosertoAllah.AllahhasprescribedittopuriIythesoul
andtotrainitingooddeeds.TheIastingpersonmustbeonguardagainstanyactthatmaycausehim
to lose the beneIits oI his Iast. Thus, his Iast will increase his God-consciousness, and Allah says in
theQur'an:"Oyouwhobelieve,IastingisprescribedIoryouasitwasprescribedIorthosebeIoreyou
soperchanceyoumayattainGodconsciousness."
Easting is not just reIraining Irom eating and drinking, but it is also reIraining Irom everything else
that Allah has Iorbidden. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said: "Easting is not |abstaining|
Irom eating and drinking only, but also Irom vain speech and Ioul language. II one oI you is being
cursedorannoyed,heshouldsay:"IamIasting,IamIasting."ThisisrelatedbyIbnKhuzaimah,Ibn
Hibban, andal-Hakim.ThelattersaidthatitissahihaccordingtoMuslim'scriterion.
AbuHurairahalsoreportedthattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"AllahdoesnotneedtheIast
oIonewhodoesnotabandonIalsespeechoractingaccordingtohisIalsespeech."Thisisrelatedby
thegroup,exceptIorMuslim.
AbuHurairahnarratedthattheProphetsaid:"PerhapsaIastingpersonwillgetnothingIromhisIast
savehunger,andperhapstheonewhostandstoprayatnightwillgetnothingIromhisstandingexcept
sleeplessness." This is related by an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim. The latter said that it is sahih
accordingtoalBukhari'scriterion.
Eiqh3.133:Easting,usingthetoothstick|brush|
ItispreIerredIortheIastingpersontouseatoothstickorabrush.ThereisnodiIIerenceiIheusesit
atthebeginningortheendingoItheday.At-TirmizhiaIIirmsthat:"Ash-ShaIhididnotseeanything
wrong with using a tooth stick |brush| during the beginning or the ending oI the day." The Prophet
wouldusehistoothstick|brush|whileIasting.
Eiqh3.133a:Easting,beinggenerousandstudyingtheQur'an
BeinggenerousandstudyingtheQur'anisrecommendedduringanytime,butitisespeciallystressed
duringthemonthoIRamadan.Al-Bukharirecorded thatIbn'Abbassaid:"TheProphetwasthemost
generous oI people, but he would be his most generous during Ramadan when he would meet with
|the angel| Gabriel. He would meet with him every night and recite the Qur'an. When Gabriel met
him,heusedtobe moregenerousthanaIastwind."
Eiqh3.133b:Easting,strivingtoperIormasmanyactsoIworshipaspossibleduringthelasttendays
oIRamadan
Al-BukhariandMuslimrecordIrom'AishahthatduringthelasttendaysoIRamadan,theMessenger
oI Allah would wake his wives up during the night and then remain apart Irom them (that is, being
busyinactsoIworship).AversioninMuslimstates:"Hewouldstrive|todoactsoIworship|during
the last ten days oI Ramadan more than he would at any other time." At-Tirmizhi also recorded this
Irom'Ali.
Eiqh3.133c:Easting,ActsThatarePermissibleDuringtheEast
TheIollowingactsarepermissibleIortheIastingperson:
-1- Pouring water over one's selI and submersing one's selI in water: Abu Bakr ibn 'Abdurrahman
reportedIromanumberoIcompanionsthattheyhadseenAllah'sMessengerpourwateroverhishead
whilehewasIastingduetothirstorextremeheat.ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,Malik,andAbuDawud
withasahihchain.
In the two Sahih oI al-Bukhari and Muslim, it is related Irom 'Aishah that the Prophet would rise in
themorningonaIastingdayandthenwouldperIormghusl(acompletebath).IIduringthebathsome
waterisswallowedunintentionally,theIastisstillvalid.
Eiqh3.134:Easting,applyingkohloreyedropsoranythingelsetotheeyes
Theseactsareallpermissible,eveniIsometasteIromitIindsitswaytothethroat,astheeyesarenot
apassagewaytothestomach.AnasreportedthathewouldapplykohlwhilehewasIasting.Thisisthe
opinionoItheShaI'iyyah.Ibnal-MunzhirrecordsthesameopinionIrom'Ata,al-Hassan,an-Nakha'i,
al-Au~a'i, Abu HaniIah, Abu Thaur, and Dawud. It is related Irom the Iollowing companions: Ibn
'Umar,Anas,andIbnAbu'AuIa.AccordingtoatTirmizhi,nothingauthentichasbeenrelatedIromthe
Prophetconcerningthisquestion.
Eiqh3.134a:Easting,kissingIoronewhohastheabilitytocontrolhimselI
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It is conIirmed that 'Aishah said: "The Prophet would kiss and embrace while he was Iasting, Ior he
hadthemostcontroloIalloIyouoverhisdesires."'Umarsaid:"IwasexcitedonetimeandIkissed
|mywiIe|whileIwasIasting.IwenttotheProphetandsaid:'TodayIcommittedahorrendousact--I
kissed while I was Iasting.' The Prophet asked: 'What do you think oI rinsing with water while
Iasting?' I said: 'There is nothing wrong with that.' The Prophet said: 'Then what is the question
about?'"
Ibnal-Munzhirsays:"'Umar,Ibn'Abbas,AbuHurairah,'Aishah,'Ata,ash-Sha'bi,al-Hassan,Ahmad,
and Ishaq permit kissing. The HanaIiyyah and ShaI'iyyah say that it is disliked iI it incites one's
desires. IIitdoesnotdoso,itisnotdislikedalthoughitisbettertoavoidit."ThereisnodiIIerence
between an old man or a young man in this matter. The question is whether or not the kiss excites
one'sdesires.IIitdoes,itisdisliked.IIitdoesnot,itisnotdislikedalthoughitisbesttoavoidit.It
does not matter iI the kiss was on the cheek or on the lips, and so on. Touching with the hand or
embracingIollowthesamerulingaskissing.
Eiqh3.134b:Easting,anytypeoIinjection
Injections do not break the Iast whether they are Ior Ieeding the person or just medicine. It does not
matter iI the injection was intraveinous or underneath the skin. It also does not matter iI what was
injected reaches the stomach, as it does not reach the stomach through the customary manner (that
Iooddoes).
Eiqh3.135:Easting,cuppingtodrainblood
TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,wascuppedwhilehewasIasting.However,iIdoingthisweakens
theIastingperson,itisdisliked.Thabital-BunaniaskedAnas:"DidyoudislikecuppingIoraIasting
person during the time oI the Prophet?" He answered: "No |we did not|, unless it made someone
weak."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhariandothers.VivisectionIollowsthesamerulingascupping.
Eiqh3.135a:Easting,rinsingthemouthandnose
Theseactsareallowedingeneral,butitisdislikedtoexaggerate(thatis,usealotoIwaterandputthe
water deep into the mouth or nose while Iasting). Laqit ibn Sabra reported that the Prophet said:
"ExaggeratewhenrinsingyournoseunlessyouareIasting."Thisisrelatedbyan-Nasa'i,AbuDawud,
at-Tirmizhi,andIbnMajah.At-Tirmizhicalledithassansahih.
Scholars dislike using nose drops (that is, applying medicine through the nose) while one is Iasting,
IortheyareoItheopinionthatitbreakstheIast.Thereisahadiththatsupportstheiropinion.
Ibn Qudamah sums up the various opinions on the subject: "IIwhilegarglingorrinsingthenoseIor
thesakeoIpuriIyingone'sselI|Iorexample,Iorprayer|waterreachesthethroatunintentionallyand
notduetoexaggeration,thereisnoproblem.Thisisaccordingtoal-Auza'i,Ishaq,andonestatement
Iromash-ShaI'i,whichisrelatedIromIbn'Abbas.MalikandAbuHaniIahholdthatitbreakstheIast
becausethatwaterreachesthestomach.IIhewasawarethathewasIasting,itbreakshisIast,asiIhe
would have drunk intentionally. The Iirst opinion is stronger, since |the water| reached the throat
without intention or exaggeration. It is similar to having a Ily enter the mouth and proceed to the
throat.ThatdiIIerentiatesitIromanintentionalact."
Eiqh 3.135 b: Those things which one could not protect one's selI Irorn, such as swallowing one's
saliva,thedustoItheroad,siItingIlourandsoonarealloverlooked
Ibn 'Abbas ruling is that: "There is no problem with tasting liquid Iood or something you wish to
purchase." Al-Hassan used to chew the walnuts Ior his grandson while he was Iasting. Ibrahim also
permittedthat.
Chewinggum(unliketheoneinvogueintheWest,ithasnosweetnessorIragrance)isdisliked.The
gum must not break into pieces. Those who say that it is disliked include ash-Sha'bi, anNakha'i, the
HanaIiyyah, the ShaI'iyyah, and the Hanbaliyyah. 'Aishah and 'Ata permit chewing, as nothing
reachesthestomachanditisjustlikeputtingpebblesintoone'smouthprovideditdoesnotbreakinto
parts.IIapartoIitbreaksoIIandentersthestomach,itwillbreaktheIast.
IbnTaimiyyahsays:"SmellingperIumesdoesnotharmtheIast."Enlarginguponthesubject,hesays:
"AsIorkohl,injections,dropsdroppedintotheurethra|thatis,enemasIormedicinalpurposes|,and
treatment Ior brain and stomach injuries, there is some dispute among the scholars. Some say that
none oI these break the Iast, some say that all except kohl would break the Iast, while others say all
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exceptthedropsbreaktheIast,orthatthekohlordropsdonotbreaktheIastbutthattherestdo."Ibn
Taimiyyahcontinues:"TheIirstopiniononthisquestionispreIerred.Themostapparentconclusionis
that none oI them break the Iast. The Iast is part oI the religion oI Islam. Both the layman and
specialist must be knowledgeable about it. II the preceding actions were Iorbidden by Allah and His
MessengertotheIastingpersonbecausetheywouldruintheIast,thenitwouldhavebeenobligatory
upontheMessengertoclariIythatIact.IIhehaddoneso,hiscompanionswouldhaveknownaboutit
and would have passed it on to the rest oI the Muslims. Since no one has related that not Irom the
Prophet,notwithanauthenticoraweakhadith,norinmursalormusnadIormthenitmustbethecase
thatsuchactsdonotvoid|theIast|."Healsosays:"IItherulingisonethatwouldaIIecteveryoneor
everydaymatters,thentheProphetwouldhaveclariIiedittoageneralaudience.Itiswell-knownthat
kohl was in common use as were oils, washing, incense, and perIume. II they broke the Iast, the
Prophetwouldhavementionedthem,ashementionedotherthings|thatbreaktheIast|.Sincehedid
notdoso,theybelongtotheclassoIperIumes,incense,anddyes.Incensegoesthroughthenoseand
enters the head and lands on the body. Dyes or oils are absorbed by the skin and the body is
reIreshenedbyit.ThecaseoIperIumesissimilar.Sincethesehavenotbeen|explicitly|prohibitedto
theIastingperson,itpointstotheIactthatusingthemispermissibleIortheIastingpersonandsois
kohl. The Muslims during the time oI the Prophet would injure themselves, either Irom jihad or
otherwise, and would injure their stomachs or skulls. II that would have ended their Iasts, it would
havebeenmadecleartothem|bytheProphet|.
Since that was not prohibited Ior the Iasting person, it must not break the Iast." Ibn Taimiyyah
continues:"Nooneeatskohlandnoonecausesittoenterhisstomach--neitherthroughhisnosenor
through his mouth. Anal enemas are also not taken as Iood. Indeed, it helps the body to release
whatever is in the intestines and it does not reach the stomach. Any medicine that is used to treat
stomachwoundsorheadinjuries|thatistakenorally|isnotconsideredsimilartoIood.Allahsaysin
theQur'an:'EastingisprescribedIoryouasitwasprescribedIorthosebeIoreyou.'TheProphet,upon
whombepeace,said:'Eastingisashield,'and,Verily,SatanrushesthroughthebodyliketheIlowing
oI the blood |in the body|. You should constrict his rushing by hunger and Iasting.' To increase his
Allah-consciousnessaIastingpersonmustnoteatordrinkbecauseIoodanddrinkcausetheveinsto
Iill up with blood in which Satan circulates |in one's body|. They become easier Ior Satan through
eating and drinking, not Irom enemas, kohl, or medicines applied through the penis or used to treat
stomachandbraininjuries."
Eiqh3.137:Easting,theIastingpersoncaneat,drink,andperIormsexualintercourseuntilIajr
II someone has Iood in his mouth when Iajr is beginning, he should spit it out. II he is having
intercourse(withhiswiIe)atthattime,heshouldimmediatelystop.IIhedoesso,hisIastwillstillbe
valid. II he continues in these actions at that time, he will have broken his Iast. Al-Bukhari and
MuslimrecordIromAishahthattheProphetsaid:"Bilalmakesthecalltoprayerwhileitisstillnight;
thereIore,eatanddrinkuntilIbnUmmMaktummakesthecalltoprayer."
Eiqh 3.137 a: It is permissible Ior the Iasting person to be sexually deIiled in the morning (that is, a
personisnotrequiredtoperIormghuslbeIoreIajr)
ThehadithIrom'Aishahonthispointhasalreadybeenmentioned.
Eiqh3.137b:Menstruatingorpost-childbirthbleedingwomen
II the blood oI a menstruating woman or oI a woman with post-childbirth bleeding stops during the
night, she can delay ghusl until the morning and still Iast but, she must perIorm ghusl beIore the
morningprayer.
Eiqh3.138:ActionsthatVoidtheEast
TheactionsthatvoidtheIastmaybedividedintotwotypes:
-1- thosewhichvoidtheIastandrequirethatthedaybemadeuplater,and
-2- thosewhichvoidtheIastand,inadditiontobeingmadeup,alsorequireanactoIexpiation.
Eiqh3.138a:Intentionaleatingordrinking
IIoneeatsduetoIorgetIulness,amistake,orcoercion,thenhedoesnothavetomakeupthedaylater
orperIormanyexpiation.AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetsaid:"WhoeverIorgetsheisIasting,
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and eats or drinks is to complete his Iast, as it was Allah who Ied him and gave him something to
drink."Thisisrelatedbythegroup.
Commenting on it, at-Tirmizhi says: "Most oI the scholars act according to this hadith. It is the
opinionoISuIyanath-Thauri,ash-ShaI'i,Ahrnad,andIshaq."
Abu HaniIah reported that the Prophet said: "Whoever breaks his Iast during Ramadan due to
IorgetIulness is not to make up the day later or to perIorm any expiation." This is related by ad-
Daraqutni, al-Baihaqi, and al-Hakim, who says that it is sahih according to Muslim's criterion. Ibn
Hajrsaysthatitschainissahih.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet said: "Allah will not hold anyone oI this nation responsible Ior
what is done in error, IorgetIulness or under coercion." This is recountedbyIbnMajah,at-Tabarani,
andal-Hakim.
Eiqh3.138b:Easting,intentionalvomiting
II one is overcome and vomits unintentionally, he does not have to make up the day later on or
perIorm the acts oI expiation. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"Whoever is overcome and vomits is not to make up the day." Whoever vomits intentionally must
make up the day." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, ad-
Daraqutni,andal-Hakim.Thelattercalleditsahih.
OI the report's credibility, al-Khattabi says: "I do not know oI any diIIerence oI opinion among the
scholarsonthispoint.IIonevomitsunintentionallyheisnotinneedoImakinguptheday,whileone
whovomitsintentionallymustmakeupthedaylater."
Eiqh3.139:Easting,the mensesandpost-childbirthbleeding
Even iI such bleeding begins just beIore the sunset, the Iast oI that day isrenderedvoidandtheday
mustbemadeup.ThereisaconsensusoIscholarsonthispoint.
Eiqh3.139a:Easting,ejaculationoIsperm
Ejaculation voids the Iast even iI it was just due to kissing, hugging, or masturbation, and the day
mustbemadeup.IItheejaculationwasduetolookingatorthinkingaboutsomething,thenitislike
havingawetdreamduringthedayandit,thereIore,doesnotvoidtheIastnoristhereanyrequirement
ontheperson.Similarly,ejaculationoIseminalIluiddoesnotharmtheIastinanyway.
Eiqh3.139b:Eatingsomethingthatisnotnourishing,suchassalt
SomeonewhousesalotoIsaltIorareasonotherthaneating,inwhichitgoesdowntothestomach,
breakstheIastaccordingtomostscholars.
Eiqh3.139c:IIonehastheintention,whileheisIasting,tobreaktheIast,heineIIectvoidstheIast
eveniIhedoesnotactuallyeatanything
ThisisbecausetheintentionisoneoIthepillarsoItheIastand,iIonechangeshisintention,hehas
nulliIiedhisIast.
Eiqh 3.139 d: II one eats, drinks, or has intercourse, thinking that the sun has set or thatIajrhasnot
occurred
In such cases, according to most scholars and the Iour imams, that person is to make up that day.
However, there is a diIIerence oI opinion on this point. Ishaq, Dawud, Ibn Hazm, 'Ata, 'Urwah, al-
Hassanal-Basri,andMujahidmaintainthatsuchaIastissoundandthatthepersonneed notmakeup
thedaylater.TheybasetheiropinionontheIactthatAllahsaysintheQur'an:"AndthereisnosinIor
you in the mistakes you make unintentionally, but what your hearts purpose |that will be a sin Ior
you|."
Eiqh3.139e:Unintentionalmistakes
The Messenger oI Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Allah will not hold anyone oI this nation
responsibleIorwhatisdonebymistake..."
'AbdurrazaqrelatedthatMamarreportedIromal-AmashthatZaidibnWahbsaid:"Thepeoplebroke
theirIastduringthetimeoI'Umaribnal-Khattab.IsawabigpotbeingbroughtIromHaIsah'shouse
and the people drank. Then the sun appeared Irom behind the clouds and this distressed the people.
They said: 'We have to make up this day.' 'Umar asked: 'Why? By Allah, we have not involved
ourselvesinanysin.'"
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Al-Bukhari records that Asma' bint Abu Bakr said: "We broke the Iast oI Ramadan when it was
cloudyduringthetimeoItheProphet,andthenthesunappearedagain."
Commentingonthesubject,IbnTaimiyyahsays:"Thispointstotwothings:
-1- thatitisnotpreIerredIoronetodelaybreakingtheIastuntiloneisabsolutelycertainthatthesun
hasset...and
-2- thatitisnotnecessarytomakeupsuchaday.IItheProphetwouldhaveorderedthemto makeup
that day, it would have become public knowledge. The Iact that it has been related that they broke
theirIast|andthatithasnotbeenrelatedthattheywereorderedtomakeupthatday|pointstotheIact
thattheywerenotorderedtomakeupthatday."
Theonlyaction,accordingtomostscholars,whichrequiresthatboththedaybemadeupandtheact
oIexpiationbeperIormedishavingsexualintercourseduringadayoIRamadan.
Abu Hurairah reported that a man came to the Messenger oI Allah and said: "I am destroyed, O
MessengeroIAllah!"TheProphetasked:"Whathasdestroyedyou?"Hesaid,"Ihadintercoursewith
mywiIeduringadayoIRamadan."TheProphetasked:"AreyouabletoIreeaslave?"Hesaid,"No".
The Prophet asked: "Is it possible Ior you to Iast Ior two consecutive months?" He said, "No." The
Prophet asked: "Is it possible Ior you to Ieed sixty poor people?" He said, "No." The Prophet said:
"Thensit."AbasketoIdateswasbroughttotheProphetandhesaidtotheman:Givethisincharity.
Themansaid:"Tosomeonepoorerthanus?Thereisnooneinthiscitywhoispoorerthanus!"The
Prophetlaugheduntilhismolarteethcouldbeseenandsaid:"GoandIeedyourIamilywithit."This
isrelatedbythegroup.
MostscholarssaythatbothmenandwomenhavetoperIormtheactsoIexpiationiItheyintentionally
haveintercourseduringadayoIRamadanonwhichtheyhadintendedtoIast.IItheyhadintercourse
outoIIorgetIulnessornotduetochoice--thatis,duetocoercion,ortheydidnothavetheintentionto
Iast, then the expiation is not obligatory on either one oI them. II the woman was Iorced to have
intercoursebytheman,theexpiationwillbeobligatoryonlyupontheman.
According to ash-ShaI'i, the expiation is not obligatory upon the woman in any case--that is,
regardless iI it was due to choiceorcoercion,andsheneedonlymakeupthedayoIIastingthatshe
voided. An-Nawawi says: "The most authentic opinion, in general, is that the expiation isobligatory
upon the man only and that there is nothing upon the woman. There is nothing obligatory on her in
relation to this matter, as it is a matter oI |paying| money |due to something related to| sexual
intercourseandthisreIerstothedutyoIthemanandnotthewoman.|Inthisway,|itissimilartothe
caseoIdowry."
Abu Dawud says: "Ahmad was asked about someone who had sex during Ramadan: 'Is there any
expiationuponthewoman?'Hesaid:'IhavenotheardoIany.'"Inal-Mughniitisstated:"ThisreIers
totheIactthattheProphetorderedthemanwhohadhadsexualintercoursetoIreeaslave.Hedidnot
orderthewomantodoanything,althoughheobviouslyknewthatshewasapartnerintheact."
According to most scholars, acts oI expiation must be perIormed in the order that was mentioned in
the hadith. The Iirst command is to Iree a slave. II this is not possible, the person is to Iast Ior two
consecutivemonths.IIthatisnotpossible,thepersonistoIeedsixtypoorpeoplewithmealsthatare
similartoanaveragemealinhishousehold.ThepersoncannotjumpIromoneacttoanotherunlesshe
isnotabletoperIormthepriorordercommanded.AccordingtotheMalikiyyahandanarrationIrom
Ahmad,thepersonisIreetochooseanyoItheabovethreeactsandthatwillbesuIIicientIorhim.
This latter opinion is based on the report Irom Malik and Ibn Juraij on the authority oI Humaid ibn
'AbdurrahmanwhoreportedthatAbuHurairahnarratedthatamanbrokehisIastduringRamadanand
the Prophet ordered him, as an expiation, to Iree a slaveorIasttwomonthsconsecutivelyortoIeed
sixtypoorpeople.ThisisrelatedbyMuslim.
In the preceding hadith, the word "or" implies choice, but according to some, the reason Ior the
expiation to be perIormed was diIIerent and thereIore the person could choose, as in the case oI the
expiationIorbreakinganoath.Ash-Shaukanisays:"InthediIIerentnarrations,thereisevidencethat
the expiation is to be perIormed in order or according to one's choice. Those who relate it to be in
orderaremoreinnumber.Al-Muhallabandal-Qurtubicombinedthenarrationsandsaidthattheevent
|oIsomeonebreakingtheIast|occurredmorethanonce."
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Al-HaIizhdiIIers:"Thisisnotcorrect.Itwasjustoneeventandtheparts areallunited.SothecruxoI
thematteristhattherewasnotmorethanoneevent.SomecombinethereportsandsaythatIollowing
theorderispreIerred,butthatonemaychoose.Otherssaytheopposite."
Whoeverhassexualintercourse(withhiswiIe)onadayoIRamadanand,beIoreheperIormstheact
oI expiation, has intercourse on another day oI Ramadan, need only perIorm one act oI expiation
according to a narration Irom Ahmad and the HanaIiyyah. This is because there is a punishment Ior
acts that are repeated, and iI the expiation or punishment is not carried out, all the acts are taken
together as one. According to Malik, ash-ShaI'i, and Ahmad, the person must perIorm the expiation
twice,aseachdayoIRamadanisaseparateactoIworship.IIthe expiationisobligatorybecausethe
personvoidedtheIast,theseparateactsarenotcombinedtogether.
All scholars agree that iI the person intentionally had intercourse during a day oI Ramadan and has
perIormedtheexpiationandthenhasintercourseonanotherdayoIRamadan,thenanotherexpiation
becomes obligatory upon him. Similarly, they are in agreement that iI one has intercourse twice
during a day, beIore perIorming the expiation Ior the Iirst act, then he need only perIorm one act oI
expiation. II he has perIormed the expiation Ior the Iirst one, then he need not perIorm an act oI
expiationIorthesecond,accordingtomostscholars.Ahmadsaysthatinsuchacase,hemustperIorm
atotaloItwoactsoIexpiation.
Eiqh3.142:MakingUpMissedDaysoIRamadan
Making up missed days oI Ramadan is an obligation that need not be IulIilled immediately because
thetimeIorIulIillingisverywideandonemayperIormitatanytime.Thisisalsothecasewiththe
Iast oI expiation. It has been authentically reported that 'Aishah would make up her missed days
during the month oI Sha'ban (the month preceding Ramadan), and that she did not perIorm them
immediatelyeveniIshehadtheabilitytodoso.
ObservingtheIastoIRamadanandmakingupthedaysare thesamewithrespecttotheIactthatiIone
day oI Ramadan is missed, then only one day needs to be made up. There is no additional penalty.
They diIIer about the Iact that when a person makes up the missed days he need not do so on
consecutivedays.ThisisbecauseAllahsays:"Eorhimwhoissickoronajourney,|thesame|number
oIotherdays"--thatis,whoeverissickortravelingandbreakstheIastmustIastthesamenumberoI
daysthathemissed,consecutivelyorunconsecutively.
AllahhasorderedtheIastinageneralmannerwithoutanyrestrictingclauses.
As Ior making up the missed days oI Ramadan, ad-Daraqutni recorded Irom Ibn 'Umar that the
Prophetsaid:"IIyouwish,makethemonnonconsecutivedaysandiIyouwishonconsecutivedays."
II one delays perIorming the missed days oI Iasting until the next Ramadan comes, he is to Iast the
presentRamadanandthenmakeupthedaysIromthepreviousRamadan.Thereisnoransompayment
tobemade,regardlessoIwhetherthepersondelayedtheIastingduetosomeacceptableexcuseornot.
This is the opinion oI the HanaIiyyah and al-Hassan al-Basri. Malik, ash-ShaI'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq
agree that there is no ransompaymentiItheIastingwasdelayedduetosomeexcuse,buttheydiIIer
when the Iasting was delayed without any acceptable excuse. In such a case, according to them, the
person should Iast the present Ramadan and then make up the days he missed Irom the previous
Ramadan along with a ransom payment oI a mudd oI Iood given in charity each day. It should be
notedthattheyhavenoacceptableevidenceIorthatopinion.Apparently,thecorrectopinionisthatoI
the HanaIiyyah, as there is no lawmaking without an authentic legal text to support it (that is, a
Qur'anicverseorhadith).
Eiqh3.143: WhoeverdiesandstillhadsomedaysoIRamadantomakeup
ThescholarsagreethatiIanindividualdiesandhasmissedsomeprayersduringhisliIe,hisguardian
orheirisnottoperIormthoseprayersonhisbehalI.Similarly,iIonedoesnothavetheabilitytoIast,
nooneistoIastIorhimwhileheisalive.ThereisadiIIerenceoIopinionoverthecaseoIonewho
diesandhasnotmadeupsomedaysoIIastingalthoughhehadtheabilitytodoso.
Mostscholars,includingAbuHaniIah,Malik,andtheShaI'iyyah,saythattheguardianorheirisnot
to Iast on such a person's behalI, but is to Ieed one person a day Ior the missed days. The chosen
opinion,however,amongtheShaI'iyyahisthatitispreIerredIortheguardiantoIastonthedeceased's
behalI,thusIulIillinghisduty.ThereisthereIorenoneedIorhimtoIeedanyone.
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ThemeaningoIguardianisnearrelative,whetheritbeanagnateoranheirorsomeoneelse.IIanon-
relativeIastsIorthedeceased,itwillonlybevalidiIhegotthepermissionoItheguardian.
The prooI Ior the preceding is what Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and Muslim recorded Irom 'Aishah. The
MessengeroIAllah,uponwhombepeace,said:"IIonediesandhassomeIaststomakeup,thenhis
guardian' should Iast on his behalI." Al-Bazzar added the words: "II he wishes to do so, while Ibn
'AbbasrelatedthatamancametotheProphetandsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,mymotherdiedanda
month's Iasting was due Irom her. Should I Iast on her behalI?" The Prophet asked: "II your mother
hadadebtwouldyouIulIillitIorher?"Hesaid,"Yes."TheProphetobserved:"AdebttoAllahhas
moreoIarighttobeIulIilled."ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,atTirmizhi,an-Nasa'i,AbuDawud,andIbn
Majah.
An-Nawawi |one oI the most knowledgeable oI the ShaI'iyyah| says: "That statement is the most
authenticone,andweIollowit.Thisistheopinionthathasbeendeterminedtobecorrectaccordingto
ourcompanionsinbothhadithandIiqh."
Eiqh3.144:Placeswherethedayisextremelylongandthenightisshort
ScholarsdiIIeraboutwhattheMuslimswhoareinareaswherethedayisextremelylongandthenight
is short should do. What timings should they Iollow? Some say they should Iollow the normsoIthe
areas where the Islamic legislation took place--that is, Makkah or Madinah. Others say they should
IollowthetimingsoItheareathatisclosesttothemwhichhasnormaldaysandnights.
Eiqh3.144a:NightoIQadr,itsvirtue
ThenightoIqadristhemostvirtuousnightoItheyear.AllahsaysintheQur'an:"Werevealediton
the night oI power |that is, qadr|. What will tell you what the night oI power is? It is better than a
thousand months." Any action therein, Ior example, reciting the Qur'an, making remembrance oI
Allah,andsoon,isbetterthanactingIoronethousandmonthswhichdonotcontainthenightoIqadr.
Eiqh3.145:NightoIQadr,itispreIerredtoseekthisnight
ItispreIerredtoseekthisnightduringthelasttennightsoIRamadan,astheProphet,uponwhombe
peace, strove his best in seeking it during that time. We have already mentioned that the Prophet
would stay up during the last ten nights, would wake his wives, and then would remain apart Irom
themtoworship.
Eiqh3.145a:NightoIQadr,whichnightisit?
ScholarsholddiIIerentopinionsastothenightwhichisthenightoIqadr.SomeareoItheopinionthat
itisthe21st,somesaythe23rd,otherssaythe25thandstillotherssayitisthe29th.Somesaythatit
variesIromyeartoyearbutitisalwaysamong thelasttennightsoIRamadan.Mostscholars,though,
vouchIorthe27th.
Ahmadrecorded,withasahihchain,IromIbn'UmarthattheProphetsaid:"Hewholikestoseekthat
night should do so on the 27th. Ubayy ibn K'ab said: By Allah, and there is no God but Him, it is
during Ramadan--and He swore to that--and by Allah, I know what night it is. It is the night during
whichtheProphetorderedustomakeprayers,thenightoIthe27th.Itssignisthatthesunrisesinthe
morning white and without any rays." This is related by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, and by at-
Tirmizhiwhocalleditsahih.
Eiqh3.145b:NightoIQadr,prayingandmakingsupplicationsduringthenightoIqadr
Al-Bukhari and Muslim record Irom Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"Whoever prays during the night oI qadr with Iaith and hoping Ior its reward will have all oI his
previoussinsIorgiven."
As to the supplication during the night oI qadr, 'Aishah said: "I asked the Messenger oI Allah: 'O
Messenger oI Allah,iI I know what night is the night oIqadr,whatshouldIsayduringit?'Hesaid:
'Say:OAllah,YouarepardoningandYoulovetopardon,sopardonme.'"ThisisrelatedbyAhmad,
IbnMajah,andbyatTirmizhi,whocalleditsahih.
Eiqh3.147:I'tikaI,itsmeaning
I'tikaImeanstosticktosomething,whethergoodorbad,andtoblockouteverythingelse.Allahsays
intheQur'an:"Whatthenareimagesthatyoupaydevotion|akiIun|tothem?"|alAnbia'52|--thatis,
what they devoted themselves to in worship. What is meant here is the seclusion and staying in the
mosquewiththeintentionoIbecomingclosertoAllah.
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Eiqh3.147a:I'tikaI,itslegitimacy
All scholars agree on its legitimacy. The Prophet would perIorm i'tikaI Ior ten days every Ramadan.
In the year that he died, he perIormed it Ior twenty days. This is related by alBukhari, Abu Dawud,
and ibn-Majah. TheProphet'scompanionsandwivesperIormedi'tikaIwithhimandcontinuedtodo
so aIter his death. Even though it is an act which is done to get closer to Allah, there is no sound
hadith concerning its merits. Abu Dawud states: "I said to Ahmad, 'Are you aware oI anything
concerningthevirtuesoIi'tikaI?'Heanswered:'No,exceptIorsomeweak|reports|.'"
Eiqh3.147b:I'tikaI,thediIIerenttypesoIi'tikaI
I'tikaIisoItwotypes:sunnahandobligatory.Thesunnahi'tikaIisthatwhichtheMuslimperIormsto
getclosertoAllahbyIollowingtheactionsoItheProphet,uponwhombepeace,especiallyduringthe
last ten days oI Ramadan. The obligatory i'tikaI is that which the person makes obligatory upon
himselI. This may be done, Ior example, by an oath: "Eor Allah I must make i'tikaI," or by a
conditionaloath:"IIAllahcuresme,Ishallmakei'tikaI..."InSahihal-Bukhariitisreportedthatthe
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: "Whoever makes an oath to obey Allah should be obedient to
Him."'Umarsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,ImadeanoathtoperIormi'tikaIonenightinthemosqueat
Makkah."TheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"EulIillyouroath."
Eiqh3.148:I'tikaI,thelengthoIi'tikaI
Theobligatoryi'tikaIistobeaslongastheoathstatesittobe.IIonemakesanoathtomakei'tikaIIor
onedayormore,heistoIulIillthatlengthoItime.
Eiqh3.149:I'tikaI,thesunnahorpreIerredi'tikaIhasnospeciIictimelimit
ItcanbeIulIilledbystayinginthemosquewiththeintentionoImakingi'tikaIIoralongorshorttime.
Therewardwillbeaccordingtohowlongonestaysinthemosque.IIoneleavesthemosqueandthen
returns, he should renew his intention toperIormi'tikaI.Ya'laibnUmayyahsaid:"IsecludedmyselI
in the mosque Ior some time Ior i'tikaI." 'Ata told him: "That is i'tikaI, as long as you secluded
yourselIthere.IIyousitinthemosquehopingIorgood,itisi'tikaI.Otherwise,itisnot."Onewhois
perIorming the nonobligatory i'tikaI may end his i'tikaI atanytime,eveniIitisbeIoretheperiodhe
intended to stay. 'Aishah related that iI the Prophet intended to make i'tikaI, he would pray the
morning prayer and begin it. One time he wanted to make i'tikaI during the last ten nights oI
Ramadan,andheorderedhistenttobesetup.Aishahreported:"WhenIsawthat,Iorderedmytentto
be set up, and some oI theProphetswivesIollowedsuit.Whenhe|theProphet|prayedthemorning
prayer, he saw all oI the tents, and said: "What is this?" They said: "We are seeking obedience |to
AllahandHisMessenger|."ThenheorderedhistentandthoseoIhiswivestobetakendown,andhe
delayedhisi'tikaItotheIirsttendays|oIShawwal|."TheIactthatthemessengeroIAllahorderedhis
wives' tents to be struck down and asked them to leave the i'tikaI aIter they havemadetheintention
Ior it shows that they discarded the i'tikaI aIter they had begun it. The hadith also shows that a man
maypreventhiswiIeIrompreIormingi'tikaIiIshedidnotgethispermissiontoperIormit.Thereisa
diIIerenceoIopinionoverthecaseoIthemangrantingpermissiontohiswiIeandthenrescindingit.
According to ashShaI'i, Ahmad, and Dawud, this is permissible Ior the husband, and the wiIe must
leaveheri'tikaIinsuchcase.
Eiqh3.149a:I'tikaI,theconditionIori'tikaI
The one who preIorms i'tikaI must be a Muslim adult, a discerning child who is Iree oI sexual
deIilement, or an adolescent who is Iree oI menstrual or childbirth bleeding. I'tikaI is not acceptable
Irom an unbeliever, a non-discerning child, a sexually deIiled person, a menstruating woman with
post-childbirthbleeding.
Eiqh3.149b:I'tikaI, theprinciplesoIi'tikaI
I'tikaIwillbeIulIillediIapersonstaysinthemosquewiththeintentionoIbecomingclosertoAllah.
II the person is not in the mosque or did not do it with the intention to please Allah, itisnoti'tikaI.
The Iact that the intention is obligatory is proven by Allah words: "They are ordained nothing else
than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure Ior Him." The Prophet said: "Every action is according to
theintention|behindit|andIoreveryoneiswhatheintended."
Certainly, i'tikaI must be done in the mosque, as Allah says: "And do not touch and be at your
devotions in the mosque |alBaqarah 178|." This 'ayah proves that iI it were proper Ior i'tikaI to be
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perIormed elsewhere,whywouldAllahexclusivelydisallowcomingtoone'swiIeduringi'tikaI.The
answer is that sincesuchanactwouldnulliIyi'tikaI(nomatterwhereitispeIormed),itisclearthat
i'tikaIitselImustbeinthemosque.
Eiqh3.149c:TheopinionoIthejuristsconcerningthemosquesinwhichthei'tikaIistobeperIormed
ThereisadiIIerenceoIopinionamongthejuristsconcerningwhatmosquesareacceptableIori'tikaI.
AccordingtoAbuHaniIah,Ahmad,Ishaq,andAbuThaur,i'tikaIisvalidinanymosqueinwhichthe
Iiveprayersareheldandwhichhasacongregation.ThisisbasedonthehadithoItheProphet:"Every
mosque that has a caller to prayer and an imam is acceptable Ior i'tikaI." This is related by ad-
Daraqutni,butthehadithismursalandweakandcannotbeusedasaprooI.
Malik,ash-ShaIi,andDawudsaythatitisacceptableinanymosque,asthereisnoprooIthatrestricts
it to any particular mosques. The ShaI'iyyah say it is better to perIorm i'tikaI in a congregational
mosque, as the Prophet, upon whom be peace, perIormed i'tikaI in such a mosque, and because the
nwnberoIthosewhoattendtheprayersinsuchamosqueisgreater.IItheperiodoIi'tikaIincludesthe
timeIortheEridayprayer,thenonemustperIormitinthecongregationalmosqueinordernottomiss
theEriday prayer.
The person making i'tikaI may make the call to prayer iI the place Irom whence the call is made is
eitherthedooroIthemosqueoritsinteriorcourtyard.HemayalsogototherooIoIthemosque,asall
oI that is considered part oI the mosque.II the place Ior the call to prayer is outside oI the mosque,
andthemu'takiImakesthecall,hewillvoidhisi'tikaI.TheexteriorcourtyardisconsideredpartoIthe
mosque according to the HanaIiyyah and ShaI'iyyah and one narration Irom Ahmad. According to
Malikandanothernarration,itisnotpartoIthemosqueandthepersonmakingi'tikaIshouldnotgo
there.
MostscholarssaythatitisnotcorrectIorawomantomakei'tikaIinthemosqueinherhouse(thatis,
the special place oI her house where she perIorms her prayers) because the mosque in her house
usuallydoesnotIallinthecategoryoImosquesandcanbesold.ThereisnodiIIerenceoIopinionon
thispoint.ThewivesoItheProphetalwaysperIormedtheiri'tikaIintheProphet'smosque.
Eiqh3.150:I'tikaI,theBeginningandEndingoIi'tikaI
We have already mentioned that the voluntary i'tikaI does not have any speciIic time period.
WheneverapersonentersthemosqueandmakestheintentionoIbecomingclosertoAllahbystaying
there, hewillbepeIormingi'tikaIuntilheleaves.IIhehastheintentiontoperIormi'tikaIduringthe
last ten days oI Ramadan,heshouldbeginitbeIorethesunsets.Al-BukharirecordsIromAbuSa'id
thattheProphet,uponwhombepeace,said:"Whoevermakesi'tikaIwithmeistomakei'tikaIduring
thelastten|nights|."ThetenreIerstothelasttennightswhichbeginonthenightoIthe20thorthe
21st.
Concerning the statement that when the Prophet desired to make i'tikaI he would pray the morning
andthengototheplaceoIhisi'tikaI,itmeansthatheusedtoentertheplacewhichhehadprepared
Ior his seclusion, but the actual time that he entered the mosque Ior his seclusion was during the
beginningoIthenight.
According to Abu HaniIah and ash-ShaIi, whoever perIorms i'tikaI during the last ten days oI
RamadanmustleavethemosqueaItersunsetonthelastdayoIthemonth.MalikandAhmadsaythat
it is acceptable to leaveaItersunset,buttheypreIerIorthepersontoremaininthemosqueuntilthe
timeIorthe'idprayer.
Al-'AthramrecordsIromAbuAyyubthatAbuQulabahwouldstayinthemosqueonthenightbeIore
the'idprayerandwouldthengotothe'idprayer.Duringhisi'tikaI,hehadnomatorprayercarpetto
siton.Heusedtositlikeanyoneelse.AbuAyyubsaid:"IcametohimonthedayoI'idandonhislap
was Juwairiyah Muzinah. I thought it was one oI his daughters, but it was a slave that he had Ireed,
andhecamethatwaytothe'idprayer."Ibrahimsaid:"ThepeoplepreIerredthatonewhoperIormed
i'tikaIduringthelasttendaysoIRamadanstayinthemosqueonthenightoI'idandthenproceedto
the'idprayerIromthemosque.
II an individual makes a vow to perIorm i'tikaI Ior a speciIic period oI days, or he wants to do so
voluntarily, then he should begin his i'tikaI beIore dawn and leave when all the sun's lighthasgone,
regardlessoIwhetherthatbeduringRamadanoratanothertime.IIhevowedtoperIormi'tikaIIora
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night or a speciIied number oI nights, or iI he wants to do so voluntarily, then he should begin his
i'tikaI beIore the sun has completely set and may leave when it is clear that dawn has begun. Ibn
Hazmsays:"Thenightbeginswhenthesunsetsandendswithdawn.Thedaybeginswithdawnand
is completedbysunset.ThisisnotaconditionuponanyoneunlesshedesiresorintendstoIulIillit.II
onevowsorwantstomakei'tikaIvoluntarilyIoramonth,heshouldbeginduringtheIirstnightoIthe
month.HeshouldenterthemosquebeIorethesunhascompletelysetandmayleaveaIterthesunhas
completelysetattheendoIthemonth--regardlessoIwhetheritisRamadanorotherwise."
Eiqh3.151:WhatispreIerredIorthepersonwhoisIastingandwhatisdislikedIorhim?
ItispreIerredIortheonewhoismakingi'tikaItoperIormmanysupererogatoryactsoIworshipandto
occupyhimselIwithprayers,recitingtheQur'an,gloriIyingandpraisingAllah,extollingHisoneness
and His greatness, asking His Iorgiveness, sending salutations on theProphet,uponwhombepeace,
andsupplicatingAllah--thatis,allactionsthatbringoneclosertoAllah.Includedamongtheseactions
isstudyingandreadingbooksoItaIsirandhadith,booksonthelivesoItheProphets,uponwhombe
peace, books oI Iiqh, and so on. It is also preIerred to set up a small tent in the courtyard oI the
mosqueastheProphetdid.
ItisdislikedIoronetoengagehimselIinaIIairsthatdonotconcernhim.At-TirmizhiandIbnMajah
recordontheauthorityoIAbuBasrahthattheProphetsaid:"PartoIaman'sgoodobservanceoIIslam
isthatheleavealonethatwhichdoesnotconcernhim."Itis,however,dislikedIorapersontothink
thathecandrawclosertoAllahbynotspeaking.Al-Bukhari,AbuDawud,andIbnMajahrecordIrom
Ibn 'Abbas that while the Prophet was delivering a speech, he saw a man standing and asked about
him.Thepeoplesaid:"HeisAbuIsrael.Hehasvowedtostandandnottosit,andnottospeak,andto
Iast." The Prophet said: "Order him to speak, go to the shade, to sit, and to complete his Iast." Abu
DawudrelatedIrom'AlithattheProphetsaid:"ThereisnoorphanhoodaIteronehaspassedtheage
oImaturity,andthereisnonon-speakingIoradayuntilthenightIall."
Eiqh3.152:EastingwhileperIormingi'tikaI
It is good Ior the person perIorming i'tikaI to Iast, but he is not under any obligation to do so. Al-
BukharirecordsIromIbn'Umarthat'Umarsaid:"OMessengeroIAllah,duringthedaysoIignorance
IvowedtoperIormi'tikaIonenightin themosqueatMakkah.TheProphetsaid:'EulIillyourvow.'"
This statement oI the Prophet, upon whom be peace, showsthatIastingisnotaconditionIori'tikaI;
otherwise,perIormingi'tikaIatnightwouldnotbevalid.Sa'idibnMansurrecordsthatAbuSahlsaid:
"OneoImywiveswastoperIormi'tikaI,soIasked'Umaribn'Abdulazizaboutit.Hesaid:'Sheneed
not Iast, unless she imposes it upon herselI.' Az-Zuhri said: 'There is no i'tikaI save while Iasting.'
'Umarasked:'IsthisIromtheProphet?'Az-Zuhrianswered,'No.''Umarasked,'EromAbuBakr?'Az-
Zuhrisaid,'No.''Umarasked|again|,'Erom'Umar|ibnal-Khattab|?'Az-Zuhrisaid,'No.''Umarsaid:'I
suspecthesaiditIrom'Uthman?'Az-Zuhrisaid,'No.'I|AbuSahl|leItthemandmet'AtaandTawus
and asked them about it. Tawus said: 'A person would see that he did not have to Iast unless he
imposeditonhimselI.'"
Al-Khattabiacknowledges|thediIIerencesontheissue|:"ThereisadiIIerenceoIopinionamongthe
peopleonthispoint."
Al-Hassanal-Basriholds:"PerIormingi'tikaIwithoutIastingsuIIices.ThatisalsotheopinionoIash-
ShaI'i."
'AliandIbnMas'udmaintain:"IIonewishes,onemayIastandiIonedoesnotwishto,onedoesnot
haveto."
Al-Auza'iandMalikhold:"Thereisnoi'tikaIwithoutIasting,andthatistheconclusionoIthepeople
oI opinion. That has been related Irom Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, and 'Aishah, and it is the opinion oI
Sa'eedibnal-Musayyeb,'Urwahibnaz-Zubair,andaz-Zuhri."
Eiqh3.152a:PermisibleActsIortheMu'takiI
TheIollowingactsareperrnissibleIoronewhoismakingi'tikaI:
-1- The person may leave his place oI i'tikaI to bid Iarewell to his wiIe. SaIiyyah reported: "The
ProphetwasperIormingi'tikaIandIwenttovisithimduringthenight.ItalkedtohimandthenIgot
up to go. He got up with me and accompanied me to my house. (Her residence was in the house oI
Usamah ibn Zaid. Two men oI the Ansar passed by them and when they saw the Prophet they
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quickenedtheirpace.)TheProphetsaid:'Holdon,sheisSaIiyyahbintHaya.'Theysaid:'Glorybeto
Allah, O Messenger oI Allah twe did not have any doubt about you|.' The Prophet, upon whom be
peace, said: 'Satan Ilows in the person like blood. I Ieared that he might have whispered some
|slander|intoyourheart.'"Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,andAbuDawud.
-2- Combingandcuttingone'shair,clippingone'snails,cleaningone'sbody,wearingniceclothesor
wearing perIume are all permissible. 'Aishah reported: "The Prophet was perIorming i'tikaI and he
wouldputhisheadoutthroughtheopeningtomyroomandIwouldclean|orcombinonenarration|
hishair.Iwasmenstruatingatthetime."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,andAbuDawud.
-3- ThepersonmaygooutIor someneedthathemustperIorm.'Aishahreported:"WhentheProphet
perIormedi'tikaI,hebroughthisheadclosetomesoIcouldcombhishair,andhewouldnotenterthe
houseexcepttoIulIilltheneedsapersonhas."Thisisrelatedbyal-Bukhari,Muslim,andothers.
Ibn al-Munzhir says: "The scholars agree that the one who perIorms i'tikaI may leave the mosque in
ordertoanswerthecalloInature,IorthisissomethingthathepersonallymustperIorm,andhecannot
doitinthemosque.Also,iIheneedstoeatordrinkandthereisnoonetobringhimhisIood,hemay
leavetogetit.IIoneneedstovomit,hemayleavethemosquetodoso.Eoranythingthathemustdo
butcannotdointhemosque,hecanleaveit,andsuchactswillnotvoidhisi'tikaI,eveniItheytakea
long time. Examples oI these types oI acts would include washing one's selI Irom sexual deIilement
andcleaninghisbodyorclothesIromimpurities."
Sa'id ibn Mansur records that 'Ali said: "II a person is perIorming i'tikaI, he is to attend the Eriday
congregational prayer, be present at Iunerals, visit the ill and go to see his Iamily about matters that
are necesssary, but heistoremainstanding|whilevisitingthem|."'Alihelpedhisnephewbygiving
him 700 dirhams to buy a servant and the nephew said: "I am perIorming i'tikaI ". 'Ali said: "What
blame would there be upon you iI you go to the market to buy one?" Qatadah used to permit the
personwhowasperIormingi'tikaItoIollowtheIuneralprocessionandtovisitthesick,butnottosit
whiledoingso.Ibrahiman-Nakha'isaysthattheypreIerredthatthepersonwhowasperIormingi'tikaI
dotheIollowingdeedsandhewasallowedtodothemeveniIhedidnotdothemtovisitthesick,to
attendtheEridayprayers,towitnesstheIunerals,togoouttomeethisneeds,andnottoenteraplace
thathasaceiling.Hesaid:"TheonewhoisperIormingi'tikaIshouldnotenterarooIedplaceunless
thereisaneedtodoso."Al-Khattabisays:"AgroupoIpeoplesaythattheperson perIormingi'tikaI
mayattendtheEridayprayer,visittheill,andwitnessIunerals.ThishasbeenrelatedIrom'Ali,andit
is the opinion oI Sa'id ibn Jubair, al-Hassan al-Basri, and an-Nakha'i." Abu Dawud records Irom
'Aishah that the Prophet would visit the sick while perIorming i'tikaI. He would visit them without
steering away Irom his path. It has also been related Irom her that it is sunnah Ior the person not to
leavehisplaceoIi'tikaIandvisitthesick.ThismeansthatthepersonisnottoleavehisplaceoIi'tikaI
withthesoleintentionoIvisitingthesick,butiIhepassesbyhim,hemayaskabouthimprovideditis
notoutoIhisway.
-4- The person may eat, drink, and sleep in the mosque, and he should also keep it clean. He may
makecontractsIormarriage,buying,selling,andsoon.
Eiqh3.154:ActionsthatNulliIytheI'tikaI
IIapersonperIormsoneoItheIollowingacts,hisi'tikaIwillbenulliIied:
-1- Intentionally leaving the mosque without any need to do so, even iI it is Ior just a short time. In
suchacase,onewouldnotbestayinginthemosque,whichisoneoItheprinciplesoIi'tikaI.
-2- Abandoning belieI in Islam, as this would nulliIy all acts oI worship. II you ascribe a partner to
Allah,yourworkwillIailandyou willbeamongthelosers.
-3- Losingone'sreasonduetoinsanityordrunkenness,ortheonsetoImenstruationorpost-childbirth
bleeding,alloIwhichdisqualiIiesapersonIori'tikaI.
-4- Sexualintercourse.Allahsays:"Buttouchthemnot|thatis,yourwives|andbeatyourdevotions
inthemosque."
However,onemaytouchhiswiIewithouttherebeinganydesires.OneoItheProphet'swiveswould
combhishairwhilehewasperIormingi'tikaI.AsIorkissingortouchingduetodesire,AbuHaniIah
and Ahmad say that it is not desirable, Ior it leads to something that is Iorbidden Ior the one
perIormingi'tikaI.However,itdoesnotnulliIyitunlessoneejaculates.MaliksaysthatitnulliIiesthe
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i'tikaI,IoritisanillegaltouchregardlessoIwhether thepersoninvolvedejaculatesornot.Eromash-
ShaI~itherearetworeportsthatcorrespondtothetwoprecedingopinions.
IbnRushdexplainsthat:"ThereasonIortheirdiIIerencesoIopinionis|the(Iact)that|iIawordhas
morethanonemeaning,one beingliteralandtheotherIigurative,doesthewordapplyatonetimeto
alloIthemornot?ThisisoneoIthetypesoIwordsthathavemorethanonemeaning.Thosewhosay
that it carries both meanings interpret 'touch' in the 'ayah . . . 'and touch them not and be at your
devotionsinthemosque'intheunrestrictivesense--thatis,coveringbothsexualintercourseandalso
actions|oItouching|thatarelessthanthat.Thosewhodon'tsayitcarriesalloIitsmeaningsandthey
are the majority say that the 'ayah points to sexual intercourse or to touching that is less than
intercourse.IIwesaythatitreIerstosexualintercoursebyconsensus,thenthisnulliIiesthepossibility
oIitreIerringtoactionslessthanintercourse,asone|single|word couldnotbetakeninitsliteraland
Iigurative meaning |at the same time|. Those who say that what is less than sexual intercourse is
includedsaysobecauseitIallsundertheliteralmeaningoItheverse.ThosewhodiIIerdonottakethe
wordinitsliteralandIigurativemeaningatthesametime.
Eiqh3.155:MakingUpI'tikaI
II an individual intends to perIorm a voluntary i'tikaI and then ends it beIore he completes it, he
shouldmakeupthati'tikaIlater.Somesaythatitisobligatorytodoso.
Writingonthesubject,at-Tirmizhisays:"ThereisadiIIerenceoIopinionaboutapersonwhoendshis
i'tikaIbeIorehisintendedtimehasexpired."Malikholds:"IIheendshisi'tikaI|early|,itisobligatory
uponhimtomakeitup.HeusesasprooIthe hadithwhichstatesthatwhentheProphetabandonedhis
i'tikaI,hemadeitupduringtheIollowingmonthoIShawwal."Ash-ShaI'istates:"IIhedidnotvowto
perIorm i'tikaI or he did not make it obligatory upon himselI, and then he leIt it early, he does not
have to make it up unless he chooses to do so." He continues: "One does not have to undertake this
act. II he did and then leIt it, he need not make it up |since it was voluntary|, except Ior the case oI
hajjand'umrah."Notwithstandingthis,theimamsagreethatiIonemakesavowtoperIormi'tikaIIor
adayoranumberoIdaysandthenvoidshisi'tikaI,itisobligatoryuponhimtomakeitupwhenever
he can. II he dies beIore he makes it up, then no one is obliged to make it up on his behalI. On the
otherhand,Ahmadargues:"ItisobligatoryonhisinheritorstomakeituponhisbehalI.'Abdurrazzaq
related Irom 'Abdulkarim ibn Umayyah who said he heard 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Utbah say:
"Ourmotherdiedwhileshestillhadsomei'tikaItoperIorm.IaskedIbn'Abbasandhesaid:'PerIorm
i'tikaI on her behalI and Iast.'" Sa'id ibn Mansur recorded that 'Aishah perIormed i'tikaI on behalI oI
herbrotheraIterhisdeath.
Eiqh3.156:RetiringoItheMu'takiItotheMosqueandSettingUpoIaTent
IbnMajahrecordedIromIbn'UmarthattheProphetmadei'tikaIduringthelasttendaysoIRamadan.
NaIi'reported:"Ibn'UmarshowedmetheplacewheretheProphetwouldperIormhisi'tikaI."
He also reported that when the Prophet perIormed i'tikaI, he would spread out his bed behind the
repentance pole (that is, the pole that a companion had tied himselI to until Allah accepted his
repentance).
AbuSa'idreportedthattheProphetperIormedi'tikaIunderaTurkishtentwhichhadsomethingover
itsopenings.
Eiqh3.156a:MakingaVowtoPerIormI'tikaIinaSpeciIicMosque
IIsomeonemakesavowtoperIormi'tikaIintheMasjidalHaram(inMakkah),theProphet'sMosque
(inMadinah),orintheAqsaMosque(inJerusalem),heistoIulIillhisvow,astheProphetsaid:"One
should not undertake journeys except to three mosques: the Masjid al-Haram, the Aqsa mosque, or
thismosque."
II someone vows to perIorm i'tikaI in another mosque, it is not obligatory on him to IulIill it andhe
mayperIormthati'tikaIinanymosque,IorAllahdidnotspeciIyanyparticularplaceIorHisworship,
and there is no superiority oI one mosque over another (with the exception oI the three mosques
mentionedearlier).IthasbeenconIirmedthattheProphetsaid:"Aprayerinmymosqueissuperiorto
one thousand prayers in any other mosque but the Masjid alHaram, and a prayer in that mosque is
superiortoaprayerinmymosquebyonehundredprayers."
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Thus, iI someone makes a vow to perIorm i 'tikaI in the Prophet's mosque, he may IulIill it in the
Masjidal-HaramsincethatoneissuperiortotheProphet'smosque.
Eunerals
Eiqh4.1:Sickness,ExpiationoISins
There are many hadith which explain that sickness expiates evil deeds and wipes out sins. OI these,
somearegivenbelow:
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When Allah wants to be good to
someone,Hetrieshimwithsomehardship."
Abu Hurairah also reports that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Eor every misIortune,
illness,anxiety,grieI,orhurtthataIIlictsaMuslim-eventhehurtcausedbytheprickingoIathorn-
AllahremovessomeoIhissins."IbnMas'udsaid:"IvisitedtheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeupon
him,whilehehadaIever.Iexclaimed:'OMessengeroIAllah!YouhaveahighIever!'Hesaid:'My
Ieverisasmuchastwoamongyou|mighthave|.'Iasked:'Isitbecauseyouhaveadoublereward?'
He replied: 'Yes, that is right. No Muslim is aIIlicted with any hurt, even iI it is no more than the
prickingoIathorn,but AllahwipesoIIhissinsbecauseoIitandhissinsIallawayIromhimasleaves
IallIromatree'."
AbuHurairahsaid:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,remarked:'TheexampleoIabelieverislikea
Iresh tender plant; Irom whichever direction the wind blows, it bends the plant. But when the wind
diesdown,itstraightensupagain.(SimilarlyabelieveristestedbyaIIlictionstostrengthenhisIaith
andheart,andheremainspatientandIirm).Andanevilpersonislikeapinetreewhichremainshard
andstiIIuntilAllahbreaksitwheneverHewills."
Eiqh4.1a:PatienceDuringIllness
Anyone suIIering Irom an illness should remain patient, Ior there is no reward better or more
enrichingthanthatreservedIorthosewhoendureinpatience.
SuhaibibnSinannarratedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"HowremarkableisthecaseoI
the believer! There is good Ior him in everything, but this is not the case Ior anyone except Ior the
believer.Whenthebelieverreceivesanygood,heisthankIultoAllah,andgetsareward.Andwhen
somemisIortunebeIallshim,heenduresitpatiently,Iorwhichheis(also)rewarded."
Anasnarrates:"IheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saying:'Allahsays:"WhenIaIIlictaservant
oIminewithrespecttohistwomostbelovedthings(meaninghiseyes),andheenduresitpatiently,I
granthimparadiseinreturn'."
'AtaibnRabahrelatedthatheheardIbn'Abbassay:"ShallIshowyouawomanoIParadise?"Isaid:
"Yes,indeed."Hesaid:"AblackwomancametotheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andsaid:'IsuIIer
Irom epileptic Iits, and because oI these, (at times) mybodybecomesuncovered.Wouldyouinvoke
Allah, the Exalted One, to cure me oI this disease? ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'II you
wish,youcanbepatientandyouwillattainParadise(IorthissuIIering).ButiIyoupreIer,Iwillpray
to Allah, the Exalted, to cure you oI it?' The woman said: 'I will be patient,' then added: 'I become
uncovered (when I have Iits), so invoke Allah Ior me that I do not become uncovered. ' So the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,prayedIorher."
Eiqh4.2:ToComplainoIOne'sIllness
ItispermittedIorapatienttocomplainoIhispainandillnesstoaphysicianoraIriend,providedhe
does not do so to express his or her anger or impatience. It was mentioned earlier that the Prophet,
peacebeuponhim,said:"MyIeverisassevereasthatoIanytwooIyou."Once'Aishacomplainedto
the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, about her headache, lamenting: "O my head." He
retorted:"Nay,rather(Ishouldsay)Omyhead!"Likewiseitisreportedthat'AbdullahibnAl-Zubair
askedhisailingmother,AsmabintAbiBakr,"HowareyouIeelingnow?"Shereplied:"Iaminpain."
ApatientshouldthankandpraiseAllah,beIoretalkingabouthisdistressandcomplaint
Ibn Mas'ud said: "II one thanks Allah beIore complaining about his pain or disease, then it is not
consideredimpatience.Indeed,toreIerone'scomplainttoAllah,isquitelawIul."Jacob(theprophet),
said: "I complain oI my distraction and anguish only to Allah." The Prophet Muhammad, peace be
uponhim,himselIprayed:"OAllah!toYouIcomplainoImyweakness."
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Eiqh4.2a:ASickPersonisRewardedIorAlltheGoodDeedsthatHeWould(usually)PerIormina
StateoIHealth
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "II a servant (oI Allah) Ialls
sickorgoesonajourney,he(continuestobe)rewardedIorthegooddeedsthatheusedtodowhenhe
washealthyorathome."
Eiqh4.3:VisitingtheSick
ItisIslamicetiquettetovisitasickMuslim,toprovidehimmoralsupport,andtomakesurethatheor
sheiswelltakencareoI.
Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Iirst visit to a sick person is sunnah, while any subsequent visit is a voluntary
act (a good deed)." Abu MusareportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Eeedthehungry,
visitthesick,andIreethecaptives."
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"AMuslimhassixobligationstoanotherMuslim.""Whatare
these?" they asked. He replied: "To greet another Muslim when you meet him; to respond when he
invitesyou;togivehimyour(sincerest)advicewhenheseeksit;tosay'mayAllahhavemercyupon
you' when he sneezes and says ' may Allah be praised '; to visit him when he Ialls ill; and when he
dies,toattendhisIuneral."
Eiqh4.3a:RewardIorVisitingtheSick
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said: "A callerIromheaven
callsouttothepersonwhovisitsasickperson,'Youaregoodandyourpathisgood.Mayyouenter
yourresidenceinParadise'."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, Allah, the
Exalted and Glorious, will say on the Day oI Judgement: 'O Son oI Adam! I Iell ill, but you did not
visitMe.'Thehumanwillask,'OmySustainer!HowcouldIvisitYouwhenYouaretheSustaineroI
theWorlds?AndhowcanYouIallsick?'He,theAlmighty,willsay,'Didyounotknowthatsuchand
such a servant oI Mine was sick. But you did not visit him. Did you not know that, had you visited
him, you would have Iound Me by his side? O Son oI Adam! I asked you Ior Iood, but you Ied Me
not?' The man will say, 'O my Sustainer! How could I Ieed You when You are the Sustainer oI the
Worlds?AndYouareIreeIromhunger?'He,theAlmighty,willsay:'SuchandsuchaservantoIMine
asked you Ior Iood, but you reIused to give him any. Did you not know that, had you Ied him, you
wouldhaveIounditrecordedherewithMe?OSonoIAdam!IaskedyouIoradrink,butyoudidnot
give Me any.' The man will say, 'O my Sustainer! How could I give You a drink while You are the
SustaineroItheWorldsandareIreeIromthirst?'He,theAlmightywillsay,'Suchandsuchaservant
oIMineaskedyouIoradrink,butyoudidnotgivehimany.Hadyougivenhimadrink,youwould
havesurelyIoundthatrecordedwithMe."'
Thawban reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, when a Muslim visits his sick
Muslim brother, he is, as it were, in one oI the gardens oI Paradise (enjoying its ripe Iruits) until he
returnstohishome."
Ali said: "I heard the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, saying: 'When a Muslim visits a sick
Musliminthemorning,seventythousandangelsprayIorhim,andtheycontinueprayingIorhimuntil
thatevening.Whenonevisitsthesickintheevening,theangelsprayIorhimandcontinueprayingIor
himuntilthenextmorning.Moreover,hewillberewardedwiththechoicestIruitsoIParadise."
Eiqh4.4:EtiquetteoIVisitingthe Sick
It is recommended that the visitor pray Ior the recovery and health oI the patient and that he should
urgehimtoendurehistroublepatiently.Heshouldsaynicewordstocheerhimupandkeephisspirits
high.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Whenyouvisitasickperson,givehimhopeIoralong
liIe.Thiswillnotavertanything,butwillpleasethepatientandgivehimcomIort."WhentheProphet,
peace be upon him, visited a sick person he used to say to him: "Do not worry! It is a means oI
cleansing(you)oIsins,Allahwilling."
ItispreIerredtoshortenthevisitsandtomakethemlessIrequentasIaraspossible,lesttheyshould
becomeburdensomeIorthepatient,exceptwhenthepatienthimselIdesireslongerandmoreIrequent
visits.
Eiqh4.4a:WomenVisiting(Sick)Men
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Bukharireports:"Ummad-DardawenttovisitoneoItheAnsarwhousedtocometothemosque.''It
isnarratedIrom'Aishahthatshesaid:"WhentheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,migratedto
Madinah,bothAbuBakrandBilalIellsick.SoIwenttoseethem,andIsaid:'OdearIather!Howare
you(now)?'And,'OBilal!Howareyounow?'She(Iurther)said:'WhenAbuBakrhadhighIeverhe
wouldrecite:
EverymanisamongsthisIamily,yetdeathisnearertohim thanhisshoelaces.
AndwhenBilalrecoveredIromIever,hewouldrecite:WouldthatIcouldstayovernightinavalley
wherein I should be surrounded by izhkhir and jalil (kinds oI Iragrant grass). Would that one day I
could drink oI the water oI Majinna, and would that (the two mountains) Shama and TaIil would
appeartome.
'Aishah added: "Then I went to Allah's Messenger and told him about it, whereupon the Prophet,
peace be upon him, said: 'O Allah! Bestow on us the love oI Madinah as we love Makkah,or even
more than that. O Allah ! Make it healthy and bless its sa' and mudd (measures oI Iood) Ior us, and
divertitsIeverto(theplacecalled)al-JuhIah."
Eiqh4.5:MuslimVisitingaNon-MuslimPatient
It is permissible Ior a Muslim to visit a sick non-Muslim person. In the chapter, "Visiting a Sick
Polytheist,"Bukharisays:ItisnarratedontheauthorityoIAnasthat"aJewishboy,whousedtoserve
theProphet,peacebeuponhim,onceIellill.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,visitedhimandinvited
himtoIslam,saying:'SubmittoAllah'swill.'SoheacceptedIslam."SimilarlyBukharinarratesIrom
Sa'idibnal-MusayyabthathereportedIromhisIatherthat"whenAbuTalib(theProphet'suncleand
anidolater)wasonhisdeathbed,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,visitedhim."
Eiqh4.5a:VisitinganEyePatient
AbuDaw'udnarratesthatZaidbinal-Arqamsaid:"IsuIIeredIromaneyediseaseandtheMessenger
oIAllah,peacebeuponhim,cametovisitme."
Eiqh4.5b:AskingtheSickIoraPrayer
Ibn Majah narrates on the authority oI Umar that the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Whenyouvisitasickperson,askhimtoprayIoryou.Indeed,theprayeroIasickpersonislikethe
prayer oI angels." According to the author oI Az-Zawa' id, the chain oI narrators oI this hadith is
broken,yetitissoundandtrustworthy,becauseotherwiseitisauthenticandnarratorsaretrustworthy.
Eiqh4.5c:SeekingMedicalTreatment
TherearemanyhadithwhichencouragetheMuslimstoseekmedicaltreatment.
Usamah ibn Shuraik narrated: "I came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and Iound him with his
companions.TheywerecalmandsereneasiItherewerebirdsovertheirheads.Igreetedthemandsat
down.ThensomebedouinscameIromvariousplaces.Theyaskezhim:'OAllah'sMessenger!Should
we seek medical treatment Ior our illnesses?' He replied: 'Yes, you should seek medical treatment,
because Allah, the Exalted, has let no disease exist without providing Ior its cure, except Ior one
ailment, namely, old age'." (Reported by Ahmad and the six sunnan. Tirmizhi considers it a sound
hadith.)
Anas ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Verily, Allah has not let any
maladyoccurwithoutprovidingitsremedy.
ThereIoreseekmedicaltreatmentIoryourillnesses.''(Nasa'i,IbnMajah,andal-Hakim.)
JabirnarratedthattheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,said:"ThereisacureIoreverydisease.
Whenever an illness is treated with its right remedy, it will, by Allah's permission, be cured."
(Muslim)
Eiqh4.6:UsingProhibitedThingsAsMedicine
The majority oI scholars hold that the use oI wine and other prohibited things as medicine, is
unlawIul.TheybasetheirargumentsontheIollowinghadith:
Wa'ilibnHujral-Hadramireportedthat,"TariqibnSuwaidaskedtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,iI
he could use liquor as medicine. The Prophet replied: 'It is not acure,butadisease'.''(Muslim,Abu
Daw'ud,andTirmizhi.)
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UmmSalamah,thewiIeoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,reportsthatheoncesaid:"Allahhasnot
placed a cure Ior your diseases in things that He has Iorbidden Ior you.'' (Reported by Baihaqi; Ibn
Hibbanconsidersthishadithtobesound.BukharihasalsorelateditontheauthorityoIIbnMas'ud.)
Abu ad-Darda reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Allah has sent down both the
maladyanditsremedy.EoreverydiseaseHehascreatedacure.Soseekmedicaltreatment,butnever
with something the use oI which Allah has prohibited.'' (Reported by Abu Daw'ud. Among the
natratorsoIthishadithweIindIsma'ilibn'Aiyash,whoisconsideredtrustworthybytheSyrians,but
regardedasaweaknarratorbythescholarsoIHijaz.)
AbuHurairahnarrated:"TheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,prohibitedtheuseoIaharmIul
medicine,namely,poison."(Ahmad,Muslim,Tirmizhi,andIbnMajah.)
UsingaIew,unnoticeabledropsthatcannotinduceintoxication,isnotprohibited,providedtheyarea
partoIacompoundmedicine.Eorexample,theuseoIasmallamountoIpurenaturalsilkinawoven
Iabric,asexplainedinal-Manar.
Eiqh4.6a:Treatmentbyanon-MuslimPhysician
In his book, Al-Adab ash-Shar'iah, Ibn MuIlih writes that Shaikh Taqiyyuddin Ibn Taymiyyah said:
"AcredibleJeworChristianwhohasmedicalexpertisemaytreatasickMuslim.Suchapersonmay,
likewise,beentrustedwithIundsorotherIinancialtransactions,IorAllah,theExalted,says:'Among
the People oI the Book are some who, iI entrusted with a hoard oI gold, will (readily) pay it back;
others, who, iI entrusted with a single silver coin, will not repay it unless you constantly stand over
themdemandingit'.''(Qur'an3.75)
We Iind in a sound hadith that the Prophet, peace be upon him, hired a polytheist as a guide at the
timeoIhismigrationtoMadinah,soheentrustedhimwithhisliIeandmoney.ThepeopleoIthetribe
oI Khuza'ah, who were both Muslims and non-Muslims, acted as scouts IortheMessengeroIAllah,
peacebeuponhim.ItisalsoreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,orderedMuslimstoseek
treatmentIromAl-HarithibnKaldah,whowasadisbeliever.ButwhenaMuslimphysicianwiththe
expertise is available, one should seek his or her treatment and not turn to anyone else. The same
applieswhenonehastoentrustapersonwithIundsordealwithhiminbusiness.IIaMuslimhasto
conIideinorturntosomeoneIromthepeopleoItheBookIormedicaltreatment,hemaydoso.Itis
not prohibited to beIriend Jews and Christians. And when the Muslim has an opportunity to talk to
them, he should address them in ways that are polite and sincere. Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, says:
"AnddonotarguewiththepeopleoItheBook,exceptinwaysthatarebest."Qur'an29.46
In a hadith on the Treaty oI Hudaibiyah, Abu Al-Khattab tells us that "the Prophet, peace be upon
him, sent a man oI the Khuza'ah tribe to gather intelligence, and the Prophet, peace be upon him,
accepted his report despite the Iact that he was a disbeliever." This proves, according to Abu Al-
Khattab,thatitisquitepermissibletotaketheadviceoIanon-believingphysicianIordiagnosisand
treatment,providedheisnotsuspectandhisIidelityisnotdoubtIul."
Eiqh4.7:PermissionIoraWomantoSeekMedicalTreatmentIromMen
In cases oI necessity, it is permissible Ior a man to treat a woman, and Ior a woman to treat a man.
Bukhari reports Irom Rubayyie' bint Mu'awwizh ibn 'AIra that she said: "We participated in battles
with the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, and we (women) provided thepeople with water,
looked aIter them, and brought the wounded and the dead back to Madinah." (Bukhari, Chapter on
"CanaManTreataWoman,oraWomanaMan?")
Inhisbook,Al-Eath,Al-HaIizwrites:"Whennecessary,itispermissibletotreatstrangerswithwhom
oneisnotrelatedornotconsanguine.ThereIore,lookingat,probing,andtouching,etc.,insuchcases
arealsoallowed."
In Al-Adab al-Shar'iah Ibn MuIlih writes: "II a woman is sick and no Iemale doctor is available, a
male doctor may treat her. In such a case the doctor is permitted to examine her, including her
genitals. The same applies to a male doctor treating a sick man. Ibn Hamdan says: "II a man is sick
and there is no male doctor availabletotreathim,thenhemaybetreatedbyaIemale doctor.Sheis
permittedtoexaminehim,includinghisgenitals."AlQadiwrites:"Aphysicianispermittedtolookat
a woman and her private parts in case oI necessity. Likewise, iI need be, a woman or a man is
permittedtolookattheprivatepartsoIa man."
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Eiqh4.8:UseoIIncantationandSupplicationsintheTreatment
The use oI incantation and supplications is allowed Ior treatment, provided their content is the
remembrance oI Allah and they are written in a comprehensible language. Otherwise their content
might well contain something polytheistic without one being aware oI it. 'AwI ibn Malik reported:
"Wepracticedincantationinthepre-lslamicdayssoweaskedtheMessengeroIAllah,'Whatisyour
opinionaboutit?'Hesaid:'Letmeseeyourincantations.
There is nothing wrong with the incantation that does not contain any polytheistic statements'."
(MuslimandAbuDaw-ud)
Ar-Rabi'says:"IaskedAsh-ShaIi'iaboutincantation.Hereplied:'Thereisnothingwronginusing
theQur'anIorincantationoranyotherwordsthatcontainAllah'sremembrance.'ThenIaskedhim:'Is
it permissible Ior Muslims to approach the Christians and the Jews Ior incantation? ' Ash-ShaIi'i
replied:'Yes,providedtheyusetherevelationIromAllahandwordsthatcontainHisremembrance'."
Eiqh4.8a:SomeSupplicationsEoundinHadith
'Aishah reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to seek reIuge in Allah Ior some oI his
Iamilymembers.Heusedtotouchthemwithhisrighthand,saying:AllahahumaRabbinnas azhhabal
ba'sa, ashIi waantashaIi,lashiIa'illashiIa'ukashiIa'layughadirusaqma"OAllah!TheSustaineroI
mankind!Removetheillness,curethedisease.YouaretheOneWhocures.Thereisnocureexcept
Yourcure.Grant(us)acurethatleavesno illness."(BukhariandMuslim)
'Uthman ibn Abu Al-'As relates that "once he complained oI pain in his body to Allah's Messenger,
peacebeuponhim.TheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,said:'PutyourhandwhereyouIeel
pain in your body and say, "Bismillah (in the name oI Allah)," and say, "A 'uzhu bi 'izzatillah wa
qudratihiminsharrimaajiduwauhazhiru(IseekreIugeinthemightoIAllahandinHisPowerIrom
the evil that I Iind and that I Iear)," seven times'." 'Uthman continued: "I did that a Iew times and
Allahremovedmypain.IalwaysadvisedmyIamilyandotherstodothesame."(Muslim)
MuhammadibnSalimreported:"ThabitAl-Bananisaidtome:'OMuhammad!Whenyouhaveany
pain,putyourhandwhereyouIeelpain,thensay:Bismallaha'uzhubi'izatillahminsharimaajidumin
waj'ihazha
"IntheNameoIAllah!IseekreIugeinAllah'smightIromtheeviloIthispain."Thenremoveyour
hand, and repeat the same Ior an odd number oI times. Then he said to me that Anas ibn Malik had
toldhimthatAllah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim,hadtaughtthistohim."(Tirmizhi)
'Abdullahibn'AbbasreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Whensomeonevisitsasick
person whose time oI death has not come, and says seven times: As'alu Allah al 'azim Rabbil 'arshil
azimanyshIiaka'IaskAllah,theMighty,theLordoIthemightythrone,tocureyou,'Allahwillcure
himoIthatillness."(ReportedbyAbuDaw'udandTirmizhi,whosaysitisahasan(good)hadith.Al-
Hakimsaysthatitis soundaccordingtoBukhari'scriteria)
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas also narrates that "the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to seek protection Ior
Al-Hasan and Al-Hussain (his grandsons) with the words: A'uzhukuma bi kalamatillahi tamah min
kulli shaitanin wa hamatin wa min kulli 'ainin lamatin 'I seek protection Ior you with Allah's perIect
words Irom every satan and crawling creature and every evil eye.' He also added: 'Your Iather
(Ibrahim)soughtprotectionIorIsmai'landIshaqwiththesesamewords'."(Bukhari)
Sa'dibnAbiWaqqasreportsthat"theProphet,peacebeuponhim,visitedhimwhilehewassickand
said:'OAllah,makeSa'dwell!OAllah,makeSa'dwell!MakeSa'dwell!"'(Muslim)
Eiqh4.9:ProhibitionoIUsingAmulets
TheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,prohibitedtheuseoIamulets.'Uqbahibn'Amirnarrates
thattheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,said:"IIanyonewearsanamulet,mayAllahnothelp
himinIulIillinghiswish.IIanyonewearsasea-shellaroundhisneck,mayAllahgivehimnopeace."
(NarratedbyAhmadandAl-Hakimwhoconsideritasoundhadith)
Anamulet(tamimah)isastringoIshellsorbeadsthattheArabsusedtoputaroundtheirchildren's
necks, believing that it would protect them Irom the evil eye. Islam abolished this superstitious
practice.TheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,prayedagainstthosewhoworeanamuletoutoI
superstitiousbelieI.
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It is reported Irom Ibn Mas'ud that "once, when he entered his home, he noticed his wiIe wearing a
knotted object round her neck. He took it away and broke it. Then he remarked: 'The Iamily oI
'Abdullah has become so arrogant that they now associate with Allah those Ior whom He has sent
downnoauthority.'Then,headded:'IhaveheardtheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,saying:
'Verily, incantations, amulets, and love charms are acts oI shirk (associating Ialse gods with Allah).'
Thepeoplesaid:'OAbuAbdullah!WeareIamiliarwithincantationsandamulets,butwhatisalove
charm (altawlah)'?'He replied: 'It is a sort oI magical Iormula by which women sought to gain their
husbands' love'." (Related by Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban, and both consider it a sahih hadith) 'Imran
ibnHasinreportsthat"theMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,sawamanwearingabraceletoI
copperonhisarm.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,exclaimedtohim:'Woebetoyou'Whatisthis?'
The man replied: 'I am suIIering Irom weakness (al-wahinah).' (Al-wahinah is a disease that causes
painintheshouldersandhands.Themanwaswearingacopperbraceletbelievingitwouldrelievehis
pain and suIIering. The Prophet, peace be upon him, prohibited him Irom wearing it because he
regarded it as an amulet) The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'It will give you nothing but pain.
Throwitaway.Hadyoudiedwhilewearingit,youwouldneverhaveachievedsalvation'."(Narrated
byAhmad)'IsaibnHamzasaid:"Iwenttosee'AbdullahibnHakimandhisIacewasredduetohigh
Iever.Isaidtohim:'Whydon'tyouuseanamulet?'He said:'WeseekreIugewithAllahIromit.The
Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever wears anything as an amulet will be
entrustedtoit"."'(AbuDaw'ud)
Eiqh4.10:PendantswithWordsIromtheQur'anorHadith
'AmribnShu'aibrelatesIrom hisIatherandIromhisgrandIather,'Abdullahibn'AmribnAl-'Aas,that
the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "II one oI you is Irightened while sleeping, one should say:
A'uzhu billah min hamazatish shayatin wa an yahdrun ' I seek reIuge in Allah's perIect words Irom
Hisanger,Hischastisement,IromtheeviloIHiscreatures,andIromthesuggestionsandapproachoI
devils.' Then one will never be harmed." 'Amr ibn Shu'aib related Iurther that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr
"usedtoteachthisprayertohisoldersonswhocouldcomprehendandmemorize.Eorthosewhowere
notabletodoso,hewrotethesewordsdown,wrappedthemaspendants,andmadethemwearthese
around their necks." (Narrated by Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i, and Tirmihi, who says it is an acceptable but
unknownhadith.Al-Hakimsaysitissound)
'Aishah, Malik, and most oI the scholars oI the schools oI Ash-ShaIi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal also
subscribetothisview.NeverthelessIbn'Abbas,IbnMas'ud,scholarsoItheHanaIischool,andsome
scholars oI the Ash-ShaIi'i and Hanbali schools, according to one study, are oI the opinion that it is
notpermissibleIorapersontowearanythingasanamuletinthelightoItheabovementionedgeneral
prohibitionregardingamulets.
Eiqh4.11:ProhibitionoISomeonewithaContagiousDiseaseLivingAmongtheHealthy
AnyonewithacontagiousdiseasemaybeprohibitedIromlivingamonghealthypeople.TheProphet,
peacebeuponhim,said:"Asickpersonmustnotbebroughtamongthehealthy."TheProphet,peace
beuponhim,prohibitedtheowneroIsickcamelsIrommixingthemwiththehealthyonesoIanother
owner,eventhoughhealsostated:"NocontagiousdiseaseistransmittedwithoutAllah'spermission,
noristhereanybadomen."ItisalsoreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,acceptedtheoath
oIallegianceIromaleperIromoutsideMadinahanddidnotpermithimtoenterthecity.
Eiqh4.11a:ProhibitionoIEnteringOrLeavingaPlague-StrickenArea
TheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,Iorbadepeopletoleaveorenteralandwherethereisa
plague, in order to check the spread oI the contagious disease and conIine it to a limited area. In
medical terminology this is known as "quarantine." Usamah ibn Zaid said: "The Prophet, peace be
uponhim,remarkedinreIerencetotheplague,'ItisaremnantoIthechastisementinIlicteduponthe
Israelites.IIaplaguebreaksoutinaplacewhereyouare,donotleavethatplace,andwhenyouhear
oI its spread in another place, do not go there." (Narrated by Tirmizhi, who considers it a sound
hadith)
Ibn'Abbasreports:"'Umaribnal-KhattabwenttoAl-Sham(Syria).WhenhereachedSargh,thearmy
commanders, Abu Obaidah ibn al-Jarrah, and others received him. They inIormed him that a plague
had broken out in Al-Sham."Ibn Abbas continued, "'Umar assembled the leaders Irom among the
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Muhajirinandsoughttheiropinions.TheyoIIeredconIlictingopinions.Somesaid:'WehavecomeIor
a certain objective, and so we should not turn back Irom it.' Others said: 'With you are others,
including some companions oI the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him. We do not believe that
you should expose them to this plague.' 'Umar said: 'You may leave.'Then he gathered together the
Ansar and asked their opinion. They were unanimous in their advice to him. They said: 'We believe
that you should return with the people and you should not expose them to the plague.' Then 'Umar
addressed the people, announced that he was going back the next morning, and asked them to be
preparedtoleaveinthemorning.'AtthisAbuUbaidahibnal-Jarrahsaid:'O'Umar!Areyourunning
away Irom the decree oI Allah!' 'Umar replied: 'O Abu Ubaidah! I wish someone else had said this.
Yes,wedorunIromthedecreeoIAllahtothedecreeoIAllah.WhatiIyouhadaherdoIcamelsand
you took them to a valley that had two slopes, one green pasturage and the other dry and barren.
WouldyounotbeIulIillingthedecreeoIAllahiIyouletyourherdgrazeonthegreenpasturerather
thankeepingthemonthedrybarrenland?'JustthencameAbdurrahmanibn'AwI.Hehadbeenaway
on some errand. He said: 'I have some knowledge concerning this issue. I heard the Messenger oI
Allah,peacebeuponhim,say:"IIyouhearthatanepidemichasbrokenoutinaland,donotapproach
it.IIitattacksalandwhereyoulive,thendonotleavethatlandinabidtoescapeIromit".'Hearing
this'UmarpraisedAllahandthenhedeparted.ThisisreportedbyBukhari.
Eiqh4.13:CONTEMPLATIONOEDEATHANDPREPARATIONEORITBYGOODDEEDS
AllahandHisMessenger,peacebeuponhim,encourageustocontemplatedeathandbereadyIorit
with good deeds. This is regarded as a sign oI goodness. Ibn 'Umarreports:"IcametotheProphet,
peace be upon him, and I was the tenth oI the Iirst ten people (who embraced Islam). A man Irom
among the Ansar got up and said: "O Prophet oI Allah, who is the most sagacious and the most
prudentamongthepeople?"Hereplied:"ThosewhoaremostawareoIdeathandpreparethemselves
Ior it. They are the wisest oI people and will have honor in this world and a generous reward in the
HereaIter'." Ibn 'Umar also said that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "You should
remembertherealitythatbringsanendtoallworldlyjoysandpleasures,namely,death."(Bothhadith
arenarratedbyAt-TabaraniwithasoundchainoInarrators)
Ibn Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger oI Allah,peacebeuponhim,explainedtheIollowingwords
oI Allah, the Exalted: "The hearts oI those whom Allah wills to guide, He opens to Islam." (Qur'an
6.125) This means, the Messenger explained, that, "When the light (oI truth) enters the heart it
expands and opens up." The Companions asked: "Is there any evidence oI this (in the liIe oI a
Muslim)?"Hereplied:"BeingevermindIuloItheeternalliIeoItheHereaIter,andremainingatguard
inthisliIeoIdelusion,andpreparingoneselIIordeathbeIoreitcomes."ThisisreportedbyIbnJarir
throughdiIIerentchainseachoIwhichstrengthenstheother.
Eiqh4.13a:ItisnotproperIoraPersontoWishIorDeath
It is makruh or "disliked" to wish Ior one's death, or pray to Allah Ior it, due to poverty, distress,
illness, or the like. The six canonical compilers oI hadith narrate on the authority oI Anas that the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,said:"LetnooneamongyouwishIordeathduetoanyhardshipthatmay
beIall him. But iI one has no other choice, but to do so, one should say: "O Allah! Grant me liIe as
longasliIeisgoodIorme,andcausemetodiewhendeathisbetterIorme."
The wisdom in the prohibition against wishingIordeathbecomesobviousIromahadithnarratedby
Umm al-Eadl: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, went to see Al-'Abbas. He Iound him wishing Ior
death.ThereupontheProphetsaid:'OAbbas!OUncleoIAllah'sMessenger!DonotwishIordeath.II
you do good and live long, your gooddeedswillmultiply.ThenthatisbetterIoryou.IIyouarenot
good and your death is delayed, you may seek Allah's Iorgiveness. That is better Ior you. So do not
wish Ior death'." (Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Hakim, who says it is sound according to Muslim's
criteria)
It is permissible, however, to wish Ior death, and there is no harm in doing so, when one Iears
persecutionthatputsone'sIaithatrisk,asisindicatedbytheIollowingsupplicationoItheMessenger
oI Allah, peace be upon him: Allahumma inni as'aluka Ii'lal khairat wa tarkal munkarat wa hubbal
masakin wa an taghIarali wa tarhamani wa izha aradataIitnatanIiqaumiIatawaIanighairamaItunin
wa as'aluka hubbaka wa hubba man yuhibbuka wa hubba 'amalin yuqaribu ila hubbika "O Allah! I
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askYouIorthemeanstodogood,toavoidevil,andtolovethepoor,andIbeseechYoutoIorgiveme
andhavemercyonme.WhenYousubjectmypeopletoatrial,causemetodiewithoutbeingaIIected
byit.OAllah!IaskYourlove,theloveoIthosewholoveYou,andtheloveoIallsuchactionsthat
bringoneclosertoYourLove."(NarratedbyTirmizhiwhosaiditisagoodandsoundhadith)
'Umar used to pray in these words: Allahumma kabirat sinni wa da'uIat quwwati wa anshrat ra'i-
atiIaqbidni ilaika ghaira mudayi' wa la muIaratti "O Allah! I have grown old, I have become weak,
andmyIlockhasspreadIarandwide.ThereIore,OAllah,takemetoYoubeIoreIIallshortoIdoing
mydutiesortransgressmylimits."ThisisreportedbyMalik.
Eiqh4.14:ExcellenceoIaLongLiIeEnrichedwithGoodDeeds
It is reported by Abdurrahman ibn Abu Bakrah on the authority oI his Iather that a man asked: "O
Messenger oI Allah ! Who is the best oI all people?" He replied, "He who liveslonganddoesgood
deeds." The man asked, "And who is the worst oI men?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied:
"He who lives long but commits evil." (Narrated by Ahmad and at-Tirrnizhi, who says it is a sound
hadith)AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ShallItellyouwhoisthe
best among you?" The Companions said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger." Thereupon he said, "The best
among you are those who live long and are best in deeds." (Narrated by Ahmad and others with a
soundchain)
Eiqh4.15:GoodDeedsPriortoDeath:AnIndicationoIaGoodEnd
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When AllahintendsgoodIoraservantoI
His, He uses him Ior good." They asked: "How does Allah use him?" The Prophet, peace be upon
him,replied:"HeenableshimtodogooddeedsandmakesiteasyIorhimbeIorehisdeathandthen
causes him to die while he is in that state oI goodness." (Ahmad, Tirrnizhi, Al-Hakim, and Ibn
Hibban)
Eiqh4.15a:DesirabilityoIHavingaGoodOpinionaboutAllah
The patient should remember the boundless mercy oI Allah and have a good opinion about his
Sustainer. Jabir reported: "I heard the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, saying, three nights
beIore his death, 'Let none oI you die unless hehasagoodopinionoIAllah'."(Muslim)Thishadith
encourages the triumph oI hope and expectation oI Iorgiveness when one meets Allah, the Exalted.
OneshouldbeinthestatemostlovedbyAllah,sinceHeisthemostGracious,themostMerciIul,the
most BeneIicent, and the most Generous. He loves to Iorgive those with hope. In the words oI a
hadith:"EveryonewillberaisedontheResurrectionDayintheconditioninwhichhedied."
ItisreportedbyAnasthat"theProphet,peacebeuponhim,wenttoseeayoungmanwhowasonhis
deathbed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him: 'How are you?' The young man said: 'I hope
IorAllah'spardon,butIamIearIulbecauseoImysins.'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:'These
two things never gather in the heart oI a person at such a time without Allah granting him what he
hopesIorandshelteringhimIromwhathedreads'."(IbnMajahandTirmizhi)
Eiqh4.15b:DesirabilityoISupplicationsandRemembranceoIAllahIorThoseVisitingSomeoneon
hisDeathbed
ItisdesirablethatrighteouspeoplevisitpatientsontheirdeathbedsandrememberAllah.
UmmSalamahreported:"Allah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim,said,'Whenyouvisitsomeonewho
isillorisdying,saygoodthingsabouthim.Indeed,theangels(presentthere)say"amen"towhatever
you utter'." She added:"When Abu Salamah passed away, I went to the Prophet, peace be uponhim,
andsaid,'OhMessengeroIAllah!Indeed,AbuSalamahhasdied.'TheProphetsaid:'Say:"OAllah!
Eorgive me and him. Give me in his place a better substitute".' So, I did so and Allah gave me
someonebetterthanhe.HegavemeMuhammad,peacebeuponhim."(RecordedbyAhmad,Muslim,
andtheIivecompilersoIthesunan)
In another report she said: "The Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, came to see Abu Salamah
whenhissighthadbecomeIixed(hehadpassedaway).SotheProphet,peacebeuponhim,closedhis
eyes and said: 'When the soul is seized and it leaves the body, the sight Iollows it.' Some oI Abu
Salamah's Iamily wept and wailed, whereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ' Supplicate to
AllahonlytoseekgoodIoryourselves,becausetheangels(whoarepresent)say"amen"towhatever
you utter.' Then he said: 'O Allah! Eorgive Abu Salamah; raise his station among (Your) rightly
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guided servants; and take good care oI his Iamily that he has leIt behind. O Lord oI the Worlds !
Eorgivehimandus,makehisgravespacious,andputlightthereinIorhim."(Muslim)
Eiqh4.16:WhatShouldbeDoneWhenSomeoneDies
ItissunnahtodotheIollowingwhenapersondies:
-1- Advisethedyingpersontosay:"Lailahailla-Allah"(thereisnogodbutAllah).Itisnarratedon
the authority oI Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Prompt your dying
peopletosay:'Lailahailla-Allah'."(Muslim,AbuDaw'ud,Tirmizhi)Anotherreportontheauthority
oIMu'azhibnJabalstatesthattheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,said:"Hewhoselastwords
are 'La ilaha illa- Allah' shall enter Paradise." (Narrated by Abu Daw'ud; Al-Hakim considers it a
soundhadith)
This prompting (talqin) is necessary only when the dying person is unable to utter the shahadah (La
ilahailla- Allah...).IIsuchapersonisabletoutterthesewordsthenthereisnoneedIorprompting,
but he should rather be advised to do so. Such advice is useIul in cases oI persons who are in
possession oI their Iaculties oI reason and speech. II one is already mentally impaired such advice
cannotbeoIbeneIit.Butonewhoisunabletospeakmightsaythesewordsinhisheart.Thescholars
areoItheopinionthatnopressureshouldbeputonthedyingperson.Sooneshouldnotsaytohim,
"Say,'Lailahaill-Allah',"lestheshouldbecomeannoyedanduttersomethingimproper.Onemaysay
theshahadah,however,insuchawaythatthedyingpersonmightbeabletohearitandrepeatit.IIhe
uttersitonce,heshouldnotbeaskedtorepeatitunlesshesayssomewordsaIterit.Insuchacasehe
shouldbeaskedtorepeatshahadahtoensurethatitbehislastutterance.
Most scholars are oI the opinion that one attending a dying person may repeat only the words: "La
ilaha ill-Allah," according to the apparent meaning oI the hadith. Othersare oI the opinion that the
dyingpersonshouldbepromptedtoutterthetwotestimonies(thatis,"Ibearwitnessthatthereisno
godbutAllah,andIbearwitnessthatMuhammadisHisservantandMessenger").Thepurposeisto
remindhimoItheOnenessoIAllah,whichincludesbothoIthetwotestimonies.
-2- Lay the dying person so that the qibla is on his right side. To this eIIect it is recorded that Abu
Qatadah said: "Upon arrival in Madinah, the Prophet, peace be upon him, enquired about a person
calledal-BaraibnMa'rur.ThepeopletoldtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,thathehaddied,andhad
willedone-thirdoIhispropertytotheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andthathisIacebeturnedtoward
theKa'bahatthetimeoIhisdeath.Hearingthis,the Prophet,peacebeuponhim,said:'Hehasbeen
truetohisinnatenature.Ireturntheone-thirdoIhispropertytohischildren.'ThentheProphet,peace
beuponhim,leItandoIIeredaprayerIorhimandprayed,saying:'OAllah!Eorgivehim,havemercy
onhim,andcausehimtoenterYourParadise.Indeed,Youhaveacceptedthisprayer'."(Narratedby
Al-Baihaqi and Al-Hakim, who observes: "I know oI no hadith, other than this one, with regard to
turningtheIaceoIadyingpersontowardKa'bah.")
Ahmad reported that Eatimah, the daughter oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, at the time oI her
death,turnedtowardtheKa'bahandplacedherrighthandunderherhead.Thisisthesleepingposition
recommendedbytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andinagrave,adeadbodyshouldalsobeplacedin
thesameposition.AreportrecordedIromAsh-ShaIi'isays:ThebodyoIthedeceasedshouldbelaid
IlatonhisbackwithhisIeettowardtheKa'bah,andhisIaceraisedalittle,Iacingit.ThemajorityoI
scholars,howeverIavortheIirstpositionandholdittobepreIerable.
-3- Recite Surah Ya Sin Irom the Qur'an. (Surah 36 oI the Qur'an) This is reported by Ahmad, Abu
Daw'ud,Nasa'i,Al-Hakim,andIbnHibban,andthelasttwooIthemgradeitasasoundhadith.They
reportalsoontheauthorityoIM'aqilibnYasar,thattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"YaSinis
theheartoItheQur'an.WhoeverrecitesitseekingthepleasureoIAllahandthehereaIterwillreceive
Allah'sIorgiveness.Soreciteittoyourdead."(Ibnal-QattanconsidersthishadithweakandmaniIests
someconIusion,doubt,andevenignoranceaboutsomeoIitsnarrators.Ad-Daral-Qutniisreportedto
have said: "In the chain oI narrators oI this hadith there is conIusion. Its text is obscure and is not
correct.")
Ibn Hibban observes: This hadith reIers totherecitationoIYaSinIorthoseontheeveoIdeathand
notIorthosealreadydead.ThisinterpretationissupportedbyAhmad,whorecordedinhisAl-Musnad
that SaIwan states: "The mosteminent scholars say: 'The recitation oI Surah Ya Sin at the time oI a
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person'sdeathmakesdeatheasyIorhim'."ThecompileroIMusnadal-Eirdausattributesthishadithto
Abu ad-Darda and Abu Zharr. They both narrated: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'II any
personisonhisdeathbedandYaSinisrecitedtohim,AllahmakeshissuIIeringeasier'."
-4- ClosetheeyesoIthedeceased.ItisnarratedbyMuslimthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,went
to visit Abu Salmah. He saw that his eyes were wide open and blank with the stare oI death. So the
Prophet, peace be upon him, closed his eyes and said: "Verily, when a soul is seized, the eyesight
Iollowsit."
-5- Cover the deceased: 'Aishah said: "When the Messenger oI Allah died, he was covered with a
piece oI cloth that had some designs on it." This is reported by Bukhari and Muslim. The objective
here is clearly to saIeguard the respect and dignity oI the deceased in death against prying eyes and
againsttheexposureoIhisorherbodytotheidlecuriosityoIthoselookingIorchangesinitsphysical
conditionandIeatures.
There is a consensus among scholars regarding the permissibility oI kissing a dead person. The
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,kissed'UthmanibnMaz'unaIterhisdeath.Similarly,whentheProphet
died,AbuBakrleanedoverhimandkissedhimbetweenhiseyessaying:"OmyProphet!Omybest
Iriend!!"
-6- Prepare the body Ior burial without delay, as soon as death is conIirmed (by specialists i. e., a
qualiIiedphysicianorthelike).
TheguardianoIthedeceasedshouldwash,wrap,andarrangeIortheburialoIthebodysoonaIterthe
IuneralprayerIorthedeceased,becausethebodymightdeteriorateiIburialisdelayed.Thisisbased
onareport,recordedbyAbuDaw'udIromal-HusaynibnWujuhthatwhenTalhahibnal-BaraIellill,
the Prophet, peace upon him, said: "I see that Talhah is on the verge oI death.InIormmeabouthim
(whenhepassesaway)andmakeimmediatepreparationsIorhisburial,IoraMuslim'sremainsshould
not beleItlongwithhisIamilyaIterhisdeath."
The burial may be delayed only Ior the guardian, provided no physical deterioration inthecondition
oI the body is Ieared Irom such delay. Ahmad and Tirmizhi report on the authority oI Ali ibn Abu
Talibthat theProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"OAli,neverdelaythreethings:prayerwhenitstime
approaches,theIuneralwhendeathisconIirmed,andmarryingawidoworadivorceewhenasuitable
matchisIoundIorher."
-7- Settle the debt oI the deceased. Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmizhi have recorded a hadith on the
authority oI Abu Hurairah that the Messenger oI Allah said: "A believer's soul remains in suspense
untilallhisdebtsarepaidoII."Tirmizhiconsidersthisasoundhadith.
This means that the judgement regarding a soul's salvation or perdition or its entry into Paradise is
heldinabeyanceuntilitsdebtsareIullypaidoIIandsettled.Thisappliestoapersonwholeavessome
propertyuponhisdeath.HisdebtshouldbepaidoutoIthepropertythatheleavesbehind.Inthecase
oIapersonwhodiesindebtwhichhesincerelyintendedtopay,buthasnoproperty(norleavesany
behindtopayhisdebt),accordingtoaconIirmedreport,hisdebtwillbesettledbyAllah,theExalted.
ConcerningapersonwhodiesindebtwithsuIIicientmeanstopayitandwaswillingtodoso,buthis
heirsdonotpayit,BukharirecordsontheauthorityoIAbuHurayrahthattheProphet,peacebeupon
him, said: "II anyone takes other people's money with the intention to repay it and then he or she
shoulddiewithoutsettlingthedebt,AllahwillpaythedebtonhisbehalI.AndiIanyonetakesmoney
orproperty(oIothers)withtheintentionoIdestroyingit,Allahwilldestroyhim."
A hadith recorded by Ahmad, Abu Nu'aym, Al-Bazzar, and At-Tabarani Irom the Prophet, peace be
upon him, says: "The debtor will be summoned beIore Allah on the Day oI Judgement. Then Allah
will ask him: 'O Son oI Adam ! Why did you incur debt and inIringe on others ' rights? ' The man
wouldreply:'MyLord!YouknowItookit,butIneitherabusednorlostit.Itwasstolenorbumedin
a Iire or lost its value.' Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, willsay:'Myslavehastoldthetruth,andI
am more entitled (than anyone else) to settle his debt. Then Allah will issue a command and
something will be placed on hisscalescausinghisgooddeedstooutweighhisbadones.Andso,by
Allah'sGrace,hewillenterParadise'."
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The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not perIorm Iuneral prayers Ior those who had died in debt.
When, however, Allah the Almighty, granted him certain lands as a result oI conquests, and the
community'swealthincreased,heoIIeredIuneralprayerIorthemandsettledtheirdebts.
Bukhari reports that the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I am nearer to the believers
thantheirownselves.SoiIsomeonediesleavingbehinddebt,butnowherewithaltosettleit,weshall
pay his debt, and iI someone dies and leaves some estate behind him, it is Ior his heirs (to pay his
debt)."
ThishadithshowsthatthedebtoIadeceasedMuslimmaybepaidIromthepublicexchequeroutoI
thezakahIundsspeciIiedastheportionIorthepeopleindebt.ThisisoneoItheprescribedcategories
oIzakahrecipients.DeathbyitselIdoesnotannulone'sdebtorotherresponsibilitiestotheliving.
Eiqh4.19:OninvokingAllahuponwitnessingDeath
Saying:"Innalillahiwainnailayhiraji'un"(WebelongtoAllahandtrulytoHimweshallReturn)
A believer should, at the death oI a relative or a Iriend, invoke Allah and say: "Verily we belong to
Allah,andtrulytoHimshallwereturn."TheIollowingreportsshowthattodosoiscommendable.
Ahmad and Muslim reported Irom Umm Salmah that she said: "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon
him, saying: "II a servant oI Allah is aIIlicted with amisIortuneandsays:Innalillahiwainnailayhi
raji'un,AllahummaajirniIimusibatiwaakhliIlikhairanminha'VerilywebelongtoAllahandtruly
toHimshallwereturn.OAllah!ProtectmeinthiscalamitythathasbeIallenmeandreplaceitwith
somethingbetter,'
Allahwillaccepthisprayer,granthimrewardIorhisaIIliction,andreplaceitwithsomethingbetter."
Sheadded:"WhenAbuSalmah(herhusband)died,IinvokedAllahinthewordstaught tomebythe
Prophet, peace be upon him, and Allah did grant me someone better than he, i.e., (He gave me) the
MessengeroIAllah(asahusband)."
TirmizhireportsIromAbuMusaal-Ash'arithattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Whenachild
oI a servant oI Allah passes away, Allah says to the angels: 'Did you take the soul oI My servant's
child?' They say: 'Yes.' He, the Almighty, says: 'Did you take away the apple oI my servant's eye?'
Theysay:'Yes.'He,theAlmightysays:'WhatdidMyservantsayatthis?'Theysay:'HepraisedYou
andsaid:"Innalillahiwainnailayhiraji'aun(VerilywebelongtoAllahandtoHimshallwereturn)."
AtthisAllahsays:'BuildIorMyservantamansioninParadiseandcallittheHouseoIPraise(bayt
al-hamd)'." Tirmizhisaysthisisasoundhadith.
Bukhari has reported Irom Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Allah, the
ExaltedandGlorioussays:'IhavenobetterrewardthanParadiseIorabelievingservantoIMinewho
ispatientandresignedwhenItakeawayoneoIhisbeloved,oneamongthosehemostcherishesinthe
world."
"Those who say, when aIIlicted with calamity, 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return,' are
those on whom descend blessings Irom Allah, and mercy, and they are the ones who receive
guidance." 55 Commenting on these verses oI the Qur'an, Ibn Abbas said: "Allah, the Almighty and
theExalted,inIormsusthatwhenabelieverispatientandresignedaIteramisIortunevisitshimand
invokes Allah, Allah will grant him three (good) merits: blessings, mercy, and guidance to the right
path."
Eiqh4.20:InIormingtheDeceased'sEamilyandEriends
The scholars consider it desirable that the deceased's Iamily, Iriends, and other good people be
inIormed about his death, so that they may share in the reward oI participating in his Iuneral. It is
reported in Sihah Sittah on the authority oI Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
inIormed his companions about the death oINegus(Najashi),theKingoIAbyssinia,thedaythathe
passedaway.AndthentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,ledthemtotheprayergroundwherehelined
themupandoIIeredIuneralprayer(Iorhim)withIourtakbirs.
Ahmad and Bukhari narrate Irom Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, inIormed the people
aboutthedeathoIhiscompanions,Zaid,J'aIar,andIbnRawahah,commandersoItheMuslimarmyin
theBattleoIMu'tah,beIoretheyreceivedanynewsIromthebattleIield.Tirmizhiobservesthatthere
is no harm in inIorming the Iamily and close relations oI the deceased person about his death. Al-
BaihaqisayshewastoldthatMalikibnAnasdislikedannouncingsomeone'sdeathatthegatesoIthe
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mosque, but Iound nothing wrong with going around inside the mosque to the various groups oI
studentsthereandinIormingthemoIsomeone'sdeath.
A report, recorded by Ahmad and Tirmizhi on the authority oI HuzhaiIah, says that HuzhaiIah said:
"When I pass away, let no one vex me, Ior I am aIraid (my death will be announced) and it may be
regarded (as an invitation to) mourning. And I heard that the Prophet, peace be upon him, Iorbade
announcing the death oI a person as an invitation to mourning. This reIers to a practice oI the pre-
Islamic period. In those days when a noble died they would send a horseman to various tribes to
inIormthemabouthisdeathsaying:'ThepeoplearedevastatedonaccountoIthedeathoIsoandso.'
Suchanannouncementwas(always)accompaniedbycryingandweeping."
Eiqh4.21:WeepingOvertheDead
MuslimscholarsareagreedthatweepingIorthedeadispermissible,whereascryingandwailingare
not.ItisreportedinasoundhadiththattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Allahdoesnotpunisha
personIorsheddingtearsorIeelingpaininhisheart.ButHedoespunish,thoughhemayshowmercy,
becauseoI(whatheutterswith)this,"andthenhepointedtohistongue.
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,weptonthedeathoIhisson,Ibrahim,andsaid:"Theeyesshedtears
andtheheartIeelspain,butweutteronlywhatpleases ourLord.OIbrahim!Weareaggrievedatyour
demise." He also wept when his grand daughter, Umaymah, daughter oI Zainab, died. At this Sa'ad
ibn 'Ubadah said: "O Messenger oI Allah! Are you weeping? Did you not Iorbid Zainab Irom
weeping?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: "This (weeping) is the mercy that Allah has
placed in the hearts oI His servants. And surely Allah bestows mercy upon those who are merciIul
amongHisservants."AreportistransmittedbyAt-TabaraniontheauthorityoIAbdullah ibnZaidto
theeIIectthatweepingwithoutwailingispermitted.
WeepingaloudandwailingcausepainandsuIIeringtothedeadperson.ItisreportedIromIbn'Umar
thatwhen'Umarwasstabbedandhebecameunconsciousthepeoplearoundhimbegancrying loudly.
Whenheregainedconsciousnesshesaidtothem:"Don'tyouknowthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:
'AdeadpersonistormentedbythewailingoItheliving'."
Abu Musa reports that when 'Umar was wounded Suhaib cried: "O my dear brother!" At this 'Umar
said:"OSuhaib!Don'tyouknowthattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:'Adeadpersonistormentedbythe
wailingoIthelivingpeople'."
Al-MughirahibnSh'ubahreportsthatheheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saying:"Theonewho
iswailedIoristorturedonaccountoIit."TheabovehaditharereportedbyBukhariandMuslim.
ThesehadithmeanthatadeadpersonIeelspainanddispleasurewhenhisIamilywailsoverhim,Ior
hehearstheirwailingandtheirdeedsareshowntohim.Thisdoesnotmeanthatthedeadareactually
punishedandtormentedbecauseoIthewailingoItheirIamiliesIorthem,becausetheQur'ansaysthat
apersonisnotaccountableIortheactionsoIothers.
IbnJarirreportedIromAbuHurairahthathesaid:"Yourdeedsareshown toyourdeadrelatives.SoiI
thesearegood,theyarepleased,andiIthesearebad,theydespisethem."
Ahmad and Tirmizhi reported on the authority oI Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"YourdeedsareshowntoyourdeadrelativesandkinsIolk.SoiIthesearegoodtheyarepleased,and
iIthesearebadtheysay:'OAllah!LetthemnotdieuntilYouhaveguidedthemtotherightpathas
YouguidedusbeIore'."
An-N'umanibnBashirreports:"AbdullahibnRawahahIaintedandhissister,'Amrah,startedwailing:
'Omymonumentalloss!''O,mythisandthat!'Whenheregainedconsciousness,hesaidtoher:'Every
timeyousaidsomething(aboutme)iwasasked,"Areyoureallywhatshesaid?"'."Thisisnarratedby
Bukhari.
Eiqh4.22:WailingovertheDead
Wailing reIers to mourning in a loud voice and crying in a high pitch, which was prohibited by the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,.AbuMalikalAsh'arireportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:
"Eour practices oI the pre-Islamic days oI Ignorance will continue to be practiced by my ummah:
taking pride in one's parentage, giving a person a Iather other than his own genealogical Iather,
believing that rain is caused by some stars, and wailing over the dead." He Iurther said: "A
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(proIessional)mourner,unlesssherepentsbeIoreherdeath,willberaisedontheDayoIJudgement
wearingagarmentoItarandanarmoroIblisteringpuss."ThisisnarratedbyAhmadandMuslim.
Umm 'Atiyyah reports: "The Messenger oI Allah made us pledge that we will not wail over (the
dead)" (Bukhari and Muslim). Al-Bazzar has transmitted, through a sound chain oI authorities the
report that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Two sounds are accursed in this world and in the
hereaIter: the sound oI wind instruments (to celebrate) good Iortune, and oI moaning aloud when
aIIlictedwithamisIortune."
AbuMusaisreportedtohavesaid:'IdeclaremydisavowaloIallthatAllah'sMessengerdisavowed.
The Messenger oI Allah disavowed publically a woman who mourns loudly, one who shaves her
head,andonewhotearsherclothesinmourning"(BukhariandMuslim).
Ahmad narrates Irom Anasthathesaid:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,madethewomenpledge,
whilegivingtheirallegiancetohim,nottomournloudlyIorthedead.Thereupontheyaskedhim,'O
Messenger oI Allah, some women helped us (in mourning our dead) during the pre-Islamic days.
Shouldwe(alsoinreturn)helpthem(inmourningtheirdead)nowthatweareMuslims?'Hereplied:
'ThereisnosuchthinginIslam(i.e.,helpingeachothertomournthedeadloudly)'."
Eiqh4.23:MourningIoraDeceased
It is permissible Ior a woman to mourn Ior a period oI three days on the death oI a near relative,
provided that her husband does not object to her doing so. It is not permissible Ior her to mourn Ior
morethanthreedays,exceptinthecaseoIherhusband'sdeath,whensheistomournIorIourmonths
andtendays,whichisalegallyprescribedperiodoIwaitingor"iddah".Thisisreportedbythegroup,
(ThecompilersoIthesixmostreliablehadithbooksgenerallyknownasSihahSitta)exceptTirmizhi.
They report Irom Umm'Atiyyah,thattheMessengeroIAllahsaid:"AwomanshouldnotmournIor
any deceased person Ior more than three days, except in the case oI her husband's death, which she
maymournIoraperiodoIIourmonthsandtendays.Suchawoman(inmourning)isnottowearany
(brightly) colored dress. She may wear only plain dress. During this period she should not use any
adornment or eye makeup, nor wear any perIume, nor dye her hands and Ieet with henna, nor comb
herhair,exceptattheendoIhermenstruationperiod,whenshemayusesomecleaningorreIreshing
agents (such as perIume, etc. ) to get rid oI any oIIensive smell leIt over Irom her period."
Accordingly,whenawidowmourns,shemustnotuseanyadornment,suchasjewelry,kohl,58silk,
perIume,orhennadyeonherhandsandIeet.AwidowmustobservethiswaitingperiodindeIerence
toherlatehusband'smemoryandtoIulIillherobligationstowardhim.
Eiqh4.23a:PreparingEoodIortheBereavedEamilyisEncouraged
Abdullah ibn Ja'Iar reported that the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Prepare some
IoodIortheIamilyoIJa'Iar,IorwhathasbeIallenthemiskeepingthem preoccupied."Thisisnarrated
byAbuDaw'ud,IbnMajahandTirmizhi,whogradesitasasoundhadith.
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,recommendedthispracticeIoritisanactoIvirtueandkindnessand
bringsIriendsandneighborsclosertoeachother.
Ash-ShaIi'isaid:"ItisrecommendedthattherelativesoIthedeceasedprepareenoughIoodtoIeedall
the deceased's Iamily Ior one day and night, Ior it is the sunnah oI the Prophet, peace be upon him,
andapracticeoIgoodpeople."
The scholars hold it commendable to urge the deceased's Iamily to eat so that their sorrow or
excessivegrieIwillnotcausethemtoavoidIoodandtherebybecomeweak.Thesescholarsalsohold
that to oIIer Iood to the women while they are mourning loudly is not permissible, Ior it would be
helpingtheminsomethingsinIul.
All the schools oI Islamic law disapprove oI the deceased's Iamily preparing Iood Ior the people
comingtopaytheircondolences,IoritaddstotheirgrieIandIurtherencumbersthemunnecessarily.
Such apracticewouldalsoresemblethecustomoItheArabsbeIoreIslam.ReIerringtothispractice,
Jarir says: "(In those days) we considered it a part oI mourning to assemble at the deceased's house
and prepare Iood aIter burial Ior those gathered there."Some scholars consider this to be absolutely
Iorbidden(haram).
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IbnQudamahobserves:'Itispermissible,however,whenthereisgenuineneedIorit,sincesometimes
peopleattendingtheIuneralmaybeIromdistantplaces,andtheyhavetostaywiththeIamilyoIthe
deceased,inwhichcasetheIamilyhastohostsuchguests.
Eiqh4.24:PreparingtheKaIan(Shroud)andGraveBeIoreDeath
Bukharidealswiththissubjectinachapterentitled:"ThoseWhoPreparedtheKaIanintheProphet's
Dayswithouthimobjectingtoit.ReportingontheauthorityoISahl,Bukharisays:"Awomancameto
the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a woven piece oI cloth that had two seams on its edges. She
said: 'I wove it with my own hands in order to wear it. ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, took it
becauseheneededit.HewrappeditaroundhiswaistsothatitcoveredthelowerhalIoIhisbody,and
hecametowardus.Amanpraisedit,saying:'Thisisaverynicecloth!Whydon'tyougiveittometo
wear?' Some oI the people present there reproached the man Ior they knew that the Prophet needed
thatclothandthatheneverdeniedanyone'srequest.Themanreplied:'ByAllah,IaskedhimIoritnot
towearit,buttosaveitanduseitasmykaIan'."Sahlcontinues:"And(laterwhenhedied)thatsame
pieceoIclothwasusedashiskaIan."
Commenting on the above chapter oI Bukhari, Al-HaIiz ibn Hajar says: "Bukhari phrased it so as to
showthatthough(initially)thecompanionsdislikedtheman'srequestIortheclothIromtheProphet,
theydidnotdisapproveoIitwhenheexplainedtothemthereasonIorhisrequest.Thisprovesthatit
is permissible Ior a person to arrange during his liIetime Ior the things he will need aIter his death,
such as a kaIan or a grave." He cites Ibn Battal who said it is permissible to arrange Ior something
beIoreitisactuallyneeded.EurthermoreAl-HaIizobserves:"Somerighteouspeopledidindeedhave
their graves dug and prepared Ior them during their liIetime." Al-Zain ibn al-Munir criticized him,
saying that the companions oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not do so, and that iI doing so
(preparingone'sgraveduringone'sliIetime)weredesirablemostoIthemwouldhavedoneso.
Commenting on this Al-'Aini says: "The Iact that it was not done by the companions oI the Prophet
does not imply that doing so is not permissible, Ior iI an act is deemed good by Muslims, then it is
alsogoodinthesightoIAllah,especiallywhenitispracticedbysomeoIthemostpiousscholars."
Ahmadsaid:"ThereisnothingwrongiIapersonpurchasesasiteIorhisburialandmakesawilltothe
eIIectthatheistobeburiedthere.'Uthman,'Aishah,and'UmaribnAbdal-'Aziz,alldidso."
Eiqh4.25:TheDesiretoDieintheHaramain(Sacredprecinctsaround theKa'abainMakkahandthe
MosqueoItheProphetinMadinah)
The desire to die in either oI the sanctuaries in Makkah and Madinah is commendable. Bukhari has
reported on the authority oI HaIsah that 'Umar said: "O Allah ! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause,
and cause me to die in the city oI Your Prophet, peace be upon him." Thereupon HaIsa asked him:
"WhydoyouprayIorsuchathing?"Hesaid:"Allahwilling,IshallgetwhatIhaveprayedIor."
At-TabaranireportedontheauthorityoIJabirthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Hewhodies
inoneoIthetwosanctuarieswillberaisedinpeaceontheDayoIResurrection."Amongthenarrators
oI this hadith are Musa ibn Abdul al-Rahman, who is mentioned as trustworthy by Ibn Hibban and
Abdullahibnal-Mu'amil.Ahmadregardsthehadithasweak,whileIbnHibbanconsidersitsound.
Eiqh4.25a:SuddenDeath
AbuDaw'udreportedIrom'UbaidibnKhalidal-Sullami,acompanionoItheProphet,peacebeupon
him, that once he narrated Irom ' Ubaid and another time Irom the Prophet himselI, peace be upon
him, saying: "Being caught unawares by a sudden death is a grievous misIortune." This hadith has
been reported by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Hurairah and 'Aishah, but all these
narrations are weak Ior one or another reason. Al-Azdi says: This hadith has been reported through
diversechainsoInarrators,butnonearereportedonsoundauthorityIromtheProphet,peacebeupon
him.
Eiqh4.25b:TheRewardoIaPersonLosingaChild
BukharireportedIromAnasthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"AMuslimwholosesthreeoI
hischildrenbeIoretheycomeoIagewillbebroughttoParadisebyAllahasamercytohimIorlosing
them."
Bukhari and Muslim reported Irom Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that he said: "Some women asked the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim:'Appointa(separate)dayto(admonish)us.'TheProphet,peacebeupon
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him,toldthem:'IIa(Muslim)woman'sthreechildrendie,theywillbeaprotectionIorherIromHell.'
A woman asked him, 'And what iI two oI her children die?' He replied: 'And (even) iI two oI her
childrendie'."
Eiqh4.26:TheLiIe-SpanoIMuslims
Tirmizhi reported Irom Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The liIe-span oI
thoseinmyummahis60to70years.AndaveryIewoIthemwillexceedthisspan."
Eiqh4.26a:Death:AEormoIRest
BukhariandMuslimreportedIromAbuQatadahthatonce,whentheProphetpassedbyaIuneral,he
said:"Heis(now)inpeacesecureIromothersandothersareinpeacesecure Iromhim."Thepeople
asked: "O Allah's Messenger! Who is in peace and Irom whom are others in peace?" He said: "A
believing servant (oI Allah) is relieved Irom aIIlictions oI this world upon his death, while upon the
deathoIawickedperson,otherpeople,land,trees,andanimalsareridoIhisevil."
Eiqh4.26b:PreparationIortheBurialoItheDead
The body oI the deceased person must be prepared Ior burial, washed, and shrouded, and a Iuneral
prayermustbeoIIeredIorhim.Thenheshouldbeburied.
Eiqh4.26c:WashingtheDead
ThemajorityoIjuristsareoItheopinionthatwashingthebodyoIadeadMuslimisaIardkiIayahor
a collective obligation. II some people attend to it, it is done on behalI oI all, as commanded by
Allah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim,andpracticedbytheMuslimcommunity.
Eiqh4.26d:WhoistobeWashedandWhoisNot
The body oI a deceased Muslim, other than one killed in a battleIield by the inIidels, should be
washed.
Eiqh4.26e:WashingSeveredPartsoIaBody
ThereisadiIIerenceoIopinionamongMuslimjuristsconcerningwashingpartsseveredIromabody.
According to Ash-ShaIi'i, Ahmad and Ibn Hazm these parts must be washed and shrouded, and
IuneralprayershouldbeoIIeredIorthedepartedsoul.
Ash-ShaIi'isaid:"WewereinIormedthatabirddroppeda(human)handinMakkahaItertheBattleoI
the Camel. The people identiIied it by a ring on one oI its Iingers (It was the hand oI Abdul al-
Rahmanibn'ItabibnUsayd(probablykilledinthebattle).Itwaswashedanda(Iuneral)prayerwas
oIIeredonit.ThiswaswitnessedbymanyCompanionsaliveatthetime.
Ahmad said: Abu Ayub oIIered Iuneral prayer on a (severed) Ioot oI a dead person, while 'Umar
oIIeredprayeronadeadman'sbones.
Ibn Hazm said: "A Iuneral prayermaybeoIIeredonanyorganIoundIromadeadMuslim'sbody.It
shouldbewashedandshrouded,exceptwhenitispartoIamartyr'sbody."IbnHazmIurtherremarks
that oIIering prayer on any organ Iound Irom a Muslim's bodyisanalogoustoprayingIorthewhole
personoIthedeceased,namely,Iorbodyandsoul.
Abu HaniIah and Malik say, however, that, "II more than halI oI a Muslim 's body is Iound, then it
should be washed and Iuneral prayer be oIIered on it, but otherwise it should not be washed nor
shouldanyIuneralprayerbeoIIeredonit.
Eiqh4.27:AMartyrdoesnotneedtobeWashed
The body oI a martyr, that is, a Muslim killed in a battle at the hands oI disbelievers, may not be
washed even though it is in a state oI major ritual impurity. His body should be enshrouded in the
clothes he wore when he died iI they are good enough Ior the purpose. Otherwise some additional
clothmaybeusedtoenshroudhisbodyaccordingtothesunnah.ThebodyoIsuchapersonshouldbe
buriedinitsblood-stainedstate.NoneoIhisbloodshouldbewashedoII.
Ahmadreported:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Donotwashthosewhodieasmartyrs,Ior
theireverywoundordropoIbloodwillexudeaIragrancelikemuskontheDayoIJudgement."The
Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered the martyrs oI the Battle oI Uhud to be buried in their
bloodstainedclothes.Theywerenotwashed,noranyIuneralprayeroIIeredIorthem.
Ash-ShaIi'i said: "Burying the martyrs without washing or oIIering Iuneral prayer on them may be
explained by theIactthattheyshallmeetAllahwiththeirwoundsexudingIragrancelikemusk.The
honorbestowedonthembyAllahIreesthemIromtheneedIorIuneralprayersbyothers.Moreoverit
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makesthingseasierIorthesurvivingMuslims,whomayhavereceivedinjuriesinbattleandIearthe
enemy's attack, and may be concerned about the security oI their Iamilies and their Iamilies' worries
aboutthem.
Abdullah ibn Ja'Iar reported that the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Prepare some
IoodIortheIamilyoIJa'Iar,IorwhathasbeIallenthemiskeepingthempreoccupied."Thisisnarrated
byAbuDaw'ud,IbnMajahandTirmizhi,whogradesitasasoundhadith.
It is said that the wisdom behind not oIIering a Iuneral prayer on a martyr is that it is oIIered Ior a
deadperson,whereasamartyrisnotdeadbutalive.Anotherreasonmaybethatsinceprayerisakind
oIintercession,themartyrsdonotneedit.InIacttheywillintercedeIorothers.
Eiqh 4.28: The Martyrs whose Bodies must be Washed and Ior whom Euneral Prayer must be
PerIormed
Those who are not killed in a battle by disbelievers, though they may be regarded as martyrs in
Islamiclaw,shouldbewashedandIuneralprayersaidIorthem.
The bodies oI such martyrs, during the Prophet's time, were washed. Later on Muslims, during the
days oI 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, continued this practice (washing the bodies oI such martyrs). We
givebelowdetailsaboutthesemartyrs.
Jabiribn'UtaikreportedthatAllah'sMessengersaid:"TherearesevenkindsoImartyrsbesidesthose
killedinthecauseoIAllah:
-1- apersonwhoiskilledinanepidemic,
-2- apersonwhoisdrowned,
-3- apersonwhohasbedsoresthatcauseIeverandabadcoughresultinginhisdeath,
-4- apersonwhodiesoIastomachdisease,
-5- apersonwhodiesinaIire,
-6- apersonwhodiesunderIallingdebris(inadisaster),and
-7- awomanwhodiesduringchildbirth."Ahmad,AbuDaw'udandNasa'ireportthishadithbasedon
soundauthority.
AbuHurairahreportedthatAllah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim,asked:"Whodoyouconsidertobe
a martyr?" They said: "O Allah's Prophet, he who is killed Iighting Ior the cause oI Allah." The
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "(II this is so) then very Iew in my community will be martyrs! "
Theyasked:"Whoelsearethey,OAllah'sMessenger?"Hesaid:"HewhoiskilledIightingIorAllah's
cause is a martyr, he who dies in the cause oI Allah is a martyr, he who dies in an epidemic is a
martyr,hewhodiesIromastomachdiseaseisamartyr,andtheonewhodiesoIdrowningis(also)a
martyr."ThishadithisnarratedbyMuslim.
Sa'idibnZaidreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Hewhoiskilledwhileguardinghis
property is a martyr, he who is killed while deIending himselI is a martyr, and he who is killed
deIending his religion is a martyr, and he who dies protecting his Iamily is (also) a martyr." This
hadithisnarratedbyAhmadandTirmizhi.Thelatterconsidersitasoundhadith.
Eiqh4.28a:ADisbelieverisnottobeWashed
It is not necessary Ior a Muslim to wash a disbeliever's body. Some scholars, however, consider it
permissible. According to the Maliki and Hanbali schools, a Muslim may not wash a disbeliever' s
body even iI he is one oI hisnearoIkin.SimilarlyaMuslimisnotpermittedtoshroudhimorbury
himunlessitisIearedthatthebodywoulddecomposebecauseoIweatherconditions,orthatitwould
attract predatory beasts, etc. In such a case, he may be buried in a hole and covered with dust. This
opinion is based on a tradition transmitted by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i and Al-Baihaqi on the
authority oI Ali who said: "I said to Allah's Messenger 'Your uncle, the old misguided man, has
passedaway.'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:'GoandburyyourIatheranddonotdoanything
elseuntilyoureturntome'."'Alisaid:"Ididashehadtoldmeandwentbacktohim.TheProphet,
peacebeuponhim,orderedmetotakeabath,andthenheprayedIorme."
Ibnal-MunzhirsaysthereisnothingspeciIicreportedIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,aboutthe
procedureoIwashingthedeadbody.
Eiqh4.29:WashingaDeadBody
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The entire body must be washed with water, at least once, regardless oI whether the deceased is a
male and needed a ritual bath, or a Iemale who was menstruating at the time (oI her death). It is
recommendedthatthebodybeplacedonanelevatedsurIacei.e.,atableoraboard.Itthenshouldbe
strippedoIclothes,buthis'awra(privateparts)should becovered.(Ash-ShaIi'isaysthatitisbetterto
wash the body oI the deceased wearing a shirt, iI it is thin enough to let water reach the body. The
Prophet, peace be upon him, was washed this way, but it was done only in his case. The common
practicehasbeentocoverthe'awraandwashthebody)Atthewashing,onlypeoplewhosepresence
isneededmaystay.
Thewasher,maleorIemale,mustbeatrustworthyandpiouspersonwhowillnotbroadcastwhathe
orshemightseeexceptwhatisgood.
IbnMajahreportsthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Trustworthypersonsshouldwashyour
dead."AwashermustutterhisorherintentiontowashthebodyoIaspeciIicperson.Thenheshould
beginbylightlypressingthestomachoIthedeceasedsoastoexpel,iIpossible,anyremnantsIromit,
andthenwashthebodyoIallimpurities.Thewashershoulduseawashclothorwraphisorherhand
with it, because touching the private parts oI the dead is haram (Iorbidden). Then he or she should
wash the deceased as in wudu (ablution) Ior the salah (obligatory prayers). The Prophet, peace be
uponhim,isreportedtohavesaid:"Beginwashingthedeadbywashingorgansontheright,andthose
partsthatarewashedinablution."ThisisinordertocrystalizethemarkoIthebeliever'spartsoIthe
body always washed during wudu that will shine Iorth brightly on the Day oI Judgement. Then
beginningIromitsrightside,thebodyshouldbewashedwithsoapandwater,threetimes.IIsoapis
notavailable,thenwashingwithordinarywaterwillsuIIice.IIthewasherIeelsthatthreewashesare
not enough to cleanse the body properly, then he may wash it Iive or seven times. According to a
sahihhadith,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"WashthedeadbodyanoddnumberoItimes,that
is,three,Iive,orseven,ormoreiIyouIeelitisnecessary."(IbnAbdal-Barrobserves:"Iknowabout
no one who recommended more than seven washes." Ahmad and Ibn al-Munzhir disliked to exceed
beyondseven)
Ibn al-Munzhir said: "The Prophet instructed the Iemale washers to wash the dead body more than
seventimesincasetheyIeltitwasnecessarytodoso,butitmustbeanoddnumberoItimes.IIthe
deceased isaIemale,thenherhairshouldbeloosened,washed,redone,andplacedbehindherback.
AccordingtoahadithnarratedbyUmm'AtiyyahthehairoItheProphet'sdaughterwasdoneinthree
plaits.Iasked:'Didtheyloosenherhairandthenredotheminthreebraids?'Shesaid:'Yes'."Muslim
reportsthisinthesewords:"We braidedherhairinthreebraids,onbothsidesandinIront(oIher)."In
hisSahih,IbnHibbansays:"TheydidsoincompliancewiththeorderoItheProphet:'Doherhairin
threeplaits'."
AIter having washed the body, it should be dried with a clean cloth lest the shroud should get wet.
ThensomeperIumeshouldbeappliedtoit.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Whenyouapply
perIume (to the dead), apply it an odd number oI times aIter washing it." This is reported by
AlBaihaqi,Al-HakimandIbn Hibban,oIwhomthelasttwoconsideritasoundhadith.
AbuWa'ilsaid:"Alihadsomemusk,andherequestedthatitbeappliedtohisbodyuponhisdeath.
ThiswasoIwhatwasleItIromtheperIumeusedonthebodyoItheProphetuponhisdeath."
The majority oI scholars are oI the opinion that clipping a deceased's Iinger nails, trimming his
mustache, shaving the hair under his arms or Irom his private parts is makruh (disliked). Ibn Hazm,
however,considersitpermissible.
The scholars are agreed thatthe body oI thedeceasedberewashediIthestomachexcretesomething
(i.e., urine or stool) aIter it had been washed and prior to being shrouded. They diIIer, however,
whetherinsuchacasetheentirebodyshouldberewashed.Someholdthatthebodymust bewashed
again in such a case. Others are oI the opinion that there is no need to wash the whole body again,
whilestillothersholdthatatleastwudu(ablution)mustberepeatedinsuchacase.Someothershold
thatinsuchacasetheentirewashingmustberepeated.
TheopinionsoImostscholarsconcerningwashingoIthedeadarebasedonthehadithtransmittedby
the group on the authority oI Umm 'Atiyyah who said: "The Prophet came to our house when his
daughter died, and said: 'Wash her three times, Iive times, or more than that iI you consider it
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necessary, with water and sidr (lotus tree leaves), and aIterthelastwashapplysomecamphortothe
body, and inIorm me aIter you have done so.' So when we Iinished washing we inIormed him. He
gaveusacloththatheworearoundhiswaist,andtoldustowrapherinitasaIirstsheetoIshroud."
ThereasonIorusingcamphor,asmentionedbysomescholars,isitspleasantsmell,sinceburialisa
time when angels are present. Besides, it iscoolandhasa soothingeIIect,especiallywhenthebody
stiIIens,andhelpskeepvariousinsectsawayIromthebody,thuspreventingitsearlydecomposition.
In case camphor is not available, any other substance that has these or someoIthesepropertiesmay
beusedinstead.
Eiqh4.30:CleaningtheBodybyTayammumWhenWaterisUnavailable
II there is no water to wash the dead body, then it may be cleaned with tayammum (ablution with
dust),IorAllahsaysintheQur'an:"IIyoudonotIindwater,thenperIormtayammum(ablutionwith
dust)."AndtheProphetsaid:"TheentireearthhasbeenmadepureandamosqueIorme."SimilarlyiI
itisIearedthatthebodymightdeteriorateiIitiswashed,thenitmaybegivenatayammum.
Thesameappliestoawomanwhopassesawaywhenthereisnootherwomanaroundtowashher,or
iI a man dies and there are only women but no man to wash him. Abu Daw'ud in his collection oI
Marasil,andAl-BaihaqiontheauthorityoIMakhul,reportthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:
"IIawomandieswhilesheiswithmenandthereisnootherwomanwiththem,oriIamandieswhile
with woman, and there is no other man there, then the body oI the dead person may be given a
tayammuminsteadoIwashingitandthenitshouldbeburied.Theybothwillberegardedasoneswho
diedwhentherewasnowateravailabletowash(andpuriIy)."
ThebodyoIawomanshallbegiventayammumbyoneoIhermahrimconsanguinerelativeswithhis
hand. II there is no consanguine relative present, then any other man can give her a tayammum by
wrappingapieceoIclotharoundhishand.ThisistheopinionoIAbuHaniIahandAhmad.Malikand
Ash-ShaIi'i are oI the view that "iI a male relative oI the deceased is available, then he should wash
thebodyoIthedeadwoman,IorinmattersoI'awrah('Awrah(Arabic),thosepartsoIaperson'sbody
which must be covered. A man must cover the Iront and back oI his pubic region. There is
disagreement about the navel, thighs, and knees. There is, however, no disagreement over what
constitutes a woman's 'awrah. Her entire body is 'awrah and must be covered, except her hands and
Iace)(nakednessoItheprivateparts)andbeingalonewithawoman,sheisconsideredandtreatedin
suchacaseasamalepersonIorhim.
InAl-Murawwa itisnotedthatMaliksaid:"Iheardthescholarssaying:'IIawomandiesandthereis
no other woman there to wash her, nor any male consanguine relative nor her husband who could
undertakethisresponsibility,thensheshouldbegivenatayammum,wipingherIaceandhandswith
dry soil'." Malik said: "The same should be done in the case oI a man who dies and there are only
women around him." (Ibn Hazm holds that iI a man dies while among women and there is no man
around,oriIawomandieswhileamongmenwithnootherwomanaround,thenthewomenmaywash
the body oI the man and the men the body oI the woman while covered in thick cloth. The water
shouldbepouredoverthewholebodywithoutanyphysicalcontact.HeisoItheviewthattayamm~m
maynot begiveninsteadoIawashexceptwhennowaterisavailable)
Eiqh4.31:OneSpouseWashingtheOther
ThejuristsareagreedonthepermissibilityoIawiIewashingthebodyoIherdeadhusband.'Aishah
said: "Had I known then what I know now, I would not have allowed anyone, except his wives, to
wash the body oI the Prophet." This has been transmitted by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud, and by al-
Hakim,whoconsidersitasoundhadith.
There is a diIIerence oI opinion, however, on the permissibility oI the husband washing the body oI
hisdeadwiIe.ThemajorityoIscholars,nonetheless,consideritpermissible,asisshownbyareport,
narrated by ad-Daraqutni and Al-Baihaqi, that Ali washed the body oI Eatimah on her death. This is
alsosupportedbyahadiththattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saidto'Aishah:"IIyoudiebeIoreme,
IwillmyselIwashyouandenshroudyou."IbnMajahrecordsthishadith.
TheHanaIischoolholdsthatitisnotpermissibleIorahusbandtowashhiswiIe'sdeadbody,andiI
there is no other woman available then he should give her tayammum. However, the above hadith
provethecontraryoIthisview.
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Eiqh4.32:AWomanWashingaBoy
Ibnal-Munzhirsaid:"AllgreatscholarsareagreedthatawomanmaywashthebodyoIayoungboy."
Eiqh4.33:LegalStatusoItheShroud
ShroudingthebodyoIthedeceased,evenitbewithjustonepieceoIcloth,isacollectiveobligation
(Iard kiIayah) oI the Muslims. Bukhari narrated Irom Khabbab that he said: "We migrated with
Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, seeking Allah's pleasure, and we hope He will reward us Ior
that.InthemeanwhilesomeoIusdiedandreceivednorewardinthisliIe.OneoIthemwasMusa'ab
ibn'Umayr,whowaskilledintheBattleoIUhud.WedidnotIindanythingtoshroudhiminexcepta
pieceoIcloth.Whenwecoveredhishead,hisIeetwouldshow,andiIwecoveredhisIeet,hishead
would show. Allah ' s Messenger, peace be upon him, ordered us to use the cloth to cover his head
withitandcoverhisIeetwithsomegrass."66
Eiqh4.33a:PreIerablePracticesinShrouding
In shrouding, the Iollowing practices are recommended and should be observed while preparing a
bodyIorburial.
-1- The shroud should be nice, clean, and large enough to cover the entire body. This is based on a
narrationoIIbnMajahandTirmizhi,whoregarditasoundhadithIromAbuQatadahthattheProphet,
peacebeuponhim,said:"IIoneoIyouisaguardiantohisdeceasedbrother,heshouldgivehimthe
bestshroudhecan."
-2- Ashroudshouldbewhite,asitisrecordedbyAhmad,AbuDaw'ud,andTirmizhiontheauthority
oIIbn'AbbasthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Wearwhiteclothes,Iortheseareyourbest
clothes,andenshroudyourdeadinthem."Tirmizhiconsidersitasoundhadith.
-3- TheshroudshouldbescentedandperIumed.ThehadithiscitedbyAhmadandbyAl-Hakim,who
regardsitassound,inaccordancewithJabir'snarrationthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"II
youperIumeadeadbody,doitthreetimes."AbuSa'id,Ibn'Umar,andIbn'Abbasdirectedtheirheirs
intheirwillstoperIumetheirshroudswithaloes-wood.
-4- The shroud should be three wraps Ior a man and Iive wraps Ior a woman, in light oI what is
narrated by the group Irom 'Aishah who said: "The Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, was
wrappedinthreepiecesoInewwhitesheetsoIclothIromYemen,withoutashirtoraturban."
Tirmizhi said: "The majority oI the scholars among the Companions oI the Prophet (may Allah be
pleasedwiththem)andothersholdthisview."SuIyanAl-Thawrisaid:"A(deceased)maleshouldbe
shroudedinthreepiecesoIcloth,orashirtandtwoloosepiecesoIcloth,or(iInecessary)threewraps
oIcloth.
One wrap may suIIice iI nothing else is available. Two wraps will also suIIice, but three wraps are
preIerable Ior those who can aIIord it. This is the opinion oI Ash-ShaIi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. They
holdthatadeceasedIemaleshouldbeenshroudedinIivesheets.
ItisreportedIromUmm'AtiyyahthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,gaveheraloincloth,ashirt,a
scarI, and two pieces oI cloth (to be used as a shroud Ior him). Ibn Al-Munzhir said: "Most oI the
scholars,ourteachers,areoItheopinionthatawomanshouldbeshroudedinIivesheetsoIcloth.
Eiqh4.34:ShroudingaPilgrim
IIapilgrimdies,heistobewashedthesamewayanynon-pilgrimiswashed.Heshouldbeshrouded
in his ihram (two pieces oI seamless cloth which the pilgrims don during umrah or hajj. His head
should not be covered, nor should any perIume be applied to his body, because the restrictions oI
ihramstillapplytohim.ThisisbasedonwhatthegroupreportedIromIbn'Abbas,whosaid:"During
the last hajj, a man, mounted on a horse, was close to Allah's Prophet, peace be upon him, and was
tryingtolearnmoreIromhim,whenhesuddenlyIelloIIhismount.Thehorsekickedhimandkilled
him. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, was told about him, he said: 'Washhimwithwaterand
lotus (leaves), then wrap him in his two sheets,anddonotperIumehisbodynorcoverhishead,Ior
Allah,theExalted,willraisehimontheDayoIResurrectionwithtalbiyah(Theprayerutteredduring
hajjbythepilgrims)onhislips'."
TheHanaIiandMalikischoolsholdthatwhenapilgrimdies,thenhisstateoIihramisterminated,so
that thereaIter he may be shrouded like any nonpilgrim. His shroud may be sewn, his head may be
covered, and he may be perIumed. In their opinion the case oI the man who died while with the
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Prophet, peace be upon him, duringtheHajjseasonisoIaspecialcaseanddoesnotsetaprecedent
Ior other cases. Nevertheless the reason given (Ior not covering his head or perIuming his body . . )
applies generally. The statement that he willberaisedontheDayoIJudgementwithtalbiyahonhis
tongue clearly applies to all who die in the state oI ihram, because it is a well established juristic
principlethatarulingtrueIoronecaseisalsotrueandapplicabletoothersimilarcases,unlessthereis
somethingindicatingthatthecaseisspeciIicinnatureandlimitedinscope.
Eiqh4.35:ExtravaganceinShroudingisDisliked
Ashroudshouldbenice,butnotsoextravagantlyexpensivethatitwouldundulyburdenaperson.
Ash-ShaIi'i remarked, "Ali said: 'Do not be extravagant in shrouding me. I have heard Allah's
Messenger,peacebeuponhim,say:"DonotbeextravagantinpreparingyourshroudIoritwillsoon
be taken away."' This is narrated by Abu Daw'ud, in whose chain oI narrators is a man called Abu
Malik,whoisoIsomewhat dubiouscharacter.
ItisnarratedthatHuzhaiIahsaid,"Donotbeextravagantinpreparingtheshroud.BuyIormyshroud
twocleanwhitesheetsoIcloth."
Abu Bakr said: "Wash this garment oI mine, and add another two sheets oI cloth, and shroud me in
them." At this 'Aishah said, "This garment that you are wearing is old and worn out." He said, "The
living are more deserving oI the new garments than the dead. This shroud is only to absorb the
secretionsoIthebody."
Eiqh4.35a:UsingSilkClothintheShroud
ItisnotpermissibleIoramantobeburiedinasilkshroud,butitispermissibleIorawoman.Thisis
based on the Iollowing saying oI Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, concerning silk and gold:
"Both oI these things, i.e. gold and silk, are Iorbidden Ior the males oI my ummah, but they are
permissibleIortheIemales."
Manyscholars,however,disapproveoIawomanusingasilkshroud,becausethisisextravagantanda
wasteoImoneyandthereIoreIorbidden.ThesescholarsdiIIerentiatebetween thepermissibilityIora
woman to wear ornaments during her liIetime and the practice oI beautiIying the shroud aIter her
death.
Ahmadsaid:"Idonotlikeawomantobeshroudedinsilk."LikewiseAl-Hasan,Ibnal-Mubarak,and
Ishaq expressed their disapproval. Ibn AlMunzhir said, "I know oI no other scholars withadiIIerent
viewonthissubject."
Eiqh4.35b:TheShroudShouldBePurchasedwiththeDeceased'sMoney
Apersonwhodiesandleavessomemoneybehindshouldhavehisshroudpurchasedwithhismoney.
II the deceased did not leave any money, then, whoever is responsible Ior taking care oI his living
expensesshouldprovidehisshroud.Incasethedeceasedleavesnomoneyandthereisnoonetotake
care oI him, then his shroud should be purchased by the Public Treasury oI the Muslims. Otherwise
individualMuslimsshouldtakecareoIit.ThesameappliesincaseoIboththemalesandtheIemales.
IbnHazmsaid:"ThecostoIawoman'sshroudandthediggingoIhergraveshouldbemetoutoIher
own money.HerhusbandisnotobligedtopayIorit,IorthepropertiesoIMuslimsareIorbiddentobe
usedexceptbytheauthorityoItheQur'anorsunnah.
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Verily,yourbloodandpropertyaresacredandareIorbidden
to eachother."Allah,theExalted,imposedonahusbandtheresponsibilityoIprovidinghiswiIewith
Iood, clothing, and housing. The shroud is not synonymous with clothing, according to the language
inwhichAllahchosetoaddressus,noristhegraveequivalenttohousing.
Eiqh4.37:EuneralPrayer,itsLegalStatus
ThereisaconsensusamongallthegreatMuslimjuriststhataIuneralprayerIoradeceasedpersonisa
collective obligation or Iard kiIayah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded the Muslims to
oIIerit,andtheyhavebeendoingsoeversincetheyreceivedthiscommandment.
Abu Hurairah reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was inIormed oI the death oI a
person, he used to ask: Does he owe anything to anyone?' II the answer was in the aIIirmative, he
would then ask: 'Has he (the deceased) leIt anything to settle his debt?' II he had leIt something to
settle his debt, he would oIIer the Iuneral prayer Ior him. Otherwise, he would say to the Muslims:
'OIIera(Iuneral)prayerIoryourbrother"'(BukhariandMuslim).
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Eiqh4.37a:RewardIorOIIeringEuneralPrayer
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever Iollows a Iuneral
procession and oIIers the prayer Ior the deceased, will get one kerat 68 oI reward. And whoever
Iollowsitandremainswithituntilthebodyisburied,willgettwokeratsoIreward,theleastoIwhich
isequalinweightto'MountUhud'orhesaid'oneoIthemislikeUhud.'Thenarratorisnotcertainas
totheexactwordsusedbytheProphet,peacebeuponhim.Thisisreportedbythegroup.
Khabbab reported that he asked "O 'Abdullah Ibn'Umar!DidyouhearwhatAbuHurairahsays?He
says that he heard Allah's Messenger, saying. 'Whoever leaves his house to attend a Iuneral prayer,
oIIersIuneralprayer,andthenIollowstheIuneralprocessionuntilthebodyisburiedwillreceivetwo
keratsoIreward,eachoIwhichislikethemountainoIUhud.AndwhoeveroIIerstheIuneralprayer
and then leaves Ior home (This proves that a person does not need permission oI the Iamily oI the
deceasedtoleaveaIterattendingtheIuneral)willgetarewardlikethemountainoIUhud"(Muslim).
Ibn 'Umar sent Khabbab to 'Aishah asking her about the statement oI Abu Hurairah. She said, "Abu
Hurairahhastoldthetruth."WhenIbn'UmarwasinIormedaboutthishesaid,"Wehaveindeedlost
manyakerat."
Eiqh4.38:RequisiteConditionsIorEuneralPrayer
TheprerequisitesIoraIuneralprayerarethesameasIortheobligatoryprayers.Anyoneintendingto
oIIer Iuneral prayer must be in a state oI purity, be Iree Irom all minor and major impurities, must
coverhisorher"awrah,"andstandIacingthedirectionoItheKa'bah.
MalikreportedIromNaIi'thatAbdullahIbn'Umarusedtosay:"OneshouldnotoIIeraIuneralprayer
unlessheisinastateoIpurity."
The Iuneral prayer diIIers Irom the prescribed prayers in that there isnoIixedtimeIoroIIeringit.It
maybeoIIeredatanytime,includingthetimeswhenregularprayersmaynotbeoIIered.Thisisthe
opinion oI the HanaIi and ShaIi'i schools. Ahmad, Ibn Al-Mubarak, and Ishaq dislike oIIering a
Iuneralprayeratsunrise,atnoonwhenthesunisatitszenith,andatduskwhenthesunisabouttoset,
exceptincaseswhenitisIearedthatiIdelayed,thebodymightdecompose.
Eiqh4.38a:MainRequirementsoItheEuneralPrayer
Certain requirements must be met Ior a valid Iuneral prayer, and Iailure to meet any oI these may
invalidatetheprayer.Theserequirementsaregivenbelow:
-1- Intention
Therealintentioniswhatisintheheart,anditsverbalutteranceisnotlegallyrequired.Allahsaysin
the Qur'an: "And they have been commanded no more than this: To worship Allah, oIIering Him
sincere devotion, being true in (Iaith)." Qur'an 98.5 And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"Verily, all deeds (oI a person) will be judged in the light oI the intentions behind them, and every
personwillattainwhatheintends."
-2- StandingPrayer
The majority oI scholars regard it as an essentialcondition Ior a valid Iuneral prayer to stand while
prayingiIoneisphysicallyabletodoso.AIuneralprayeroIIeredwhilesittingorriding,withoutany
validexcuse,isnotvalid.
It is reported in Al-Mughni "It is not permissibleIoronetooIIeraIuneralprayerwhileriding,asin
this case an essential condition- standing while praying - would be missing." This is the opinion oI
AbuHaniIah,Ash-ShaIi'i,andAbuThaur.ThereisnodiIIerenceonthispoint.ItispreIerabletoput
one's hands together, placing the right on the leIt, as is done in the prescribed regular prayer. Some
disagree,butinourviewitisbetterandpreIerable.
-3- LoudRecitationoIEourTakbirs
ThisisbasedonareporttransmittedbybothBukhariandMuslimontheauthorityoIJabirwhosaid:
"Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, oIIered Iuneral prayers Ior Najashi (Negus) and said Iour
takbirs.(Thatis,hesaidAllahuakbarIourtimes)
Tirmizhisaid:MostoIthelearnedCompanionsoItheProphet(mayAllahbepleasedwiththem)and
others Iollowed and acted in accordance withtheaboveexampleoItheProphet.TheyholdthatIour
takbirsshouldbesaidinaIuneralprayer.AmongthesescholarsareSuIyan,Malik,IbnAl-Mubarak,
Ash-ShaIi'i,Ahmad,andIshaq.
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Eiqh4.39:RaisingoIOne'sHandsDuringtheTakbirs
It is sunnah to raise one's hands while uttering the Iirst takbir. There is nothing related Irom the
Prophet, peace be upon him, to show that he raised his hands in Iuneral prayer except Ior the Iirst
takbir. Ash-Shawkani mentions various opinions about takbirs and the arguments Iorthemandsays:
"InshortnothingexcepttheIirsttakhirisreportedIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim.Theactsand
sayings oI the Companions oI the Prophet (may Allah bless them) by themselves do not constitute a
conclusive argument. ThereIore one should raise one's hands only on saying the Iirst lakhir. Eor the
restoIthe(three)takbirsnosuchinstructionisavailable,exceptwhenonechangesIromoneposture
toanotherasintheregularprayer.ThereisnosuchchangeoIposturerequiredintheIuneralprayer,
sothereisnoneedIorraisinghandsinotherthantheIirst"takbir".
Eiqh4.39a:Reciting"Al-Eatihah"andSalutationstotheProphet
(AbuHaniIahandMalikregardthese astwoessentialrequisitesoIIuneralprayer)
Ash-ShaIi'ihasinhisMusnadnarratedIromAbuUmamahibnSahlthatoneoItheCompanionsoIthe
Prophet(mayAllahbepleasedwiththem)toldhimthatwhenoIIeringa(Iuneral)prayeritissunnah
IortheimamtosayaloudAllahuAkbar(Iirstopeningtakbir),thentoreciteal-Eatihahsilentlyinhis
heart, and then send salutations to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and then pray Ior Iorgiveness oI
the deceased. Nothing else is toberecitedinbetweentakbirs.Einally,heshouldendhisprayerwith
salutations in his heart. (According to the majority oI scholars, reciting al-Iatihah, sending blessings
upontheProphet,supplicatingIorthedeceased,andsalutationsaresunnah.InthecaseoItheimam,
however, it is sunnah to utter the takbir and salutations aloud in order to communicate with those
prayingwithhim)TheauthoroIAl-Eathsays:"ThechainoInarratorsoIthishadithissound."
BukharireportedIromTalhaibnAbdullahthathesaid:"IoIIeredaIuneralprayerthatwasledbyIbn
Abbas.HerecitedAl-Eatihahandsaid:'ThisisasunnahoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim."'Tirmizhi
also reported this and remarked that this has been the practice oI some oI the learned among the
CompanionsoItheProphet(mayAllahbepleasedwiththem).OtherspreIertoreciteAl-EatihahaIter
the Iirst takbir. This is the opinion oI Ash-ShaIi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Some others hold that Al-
Eatihah is not to be recited in a Iuneral prayer. The Iuneral prayer should consist oI praise Ior Allah
(thana),blessings(salawat)upontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andaprayer(du'a)IorIorgiveness
oI the deceased. This is the opinion oI Al-Thawri and other scholars oI KuIah. Those who hold the
recitationoIal-Eatihahina IuneralprayerobligatoryarguethattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,called
itaprayer(salat)whenhesaid:"OIIerprayer(sallu)IoryourdeceasedIriend."Andasnoprayercan
be complete without al-Eatihah, Ior the Prophet, peace be upon him, also told us "no prayer is valid
unlessal-Eatihallisrecitedinit."
Eiqh4.40:InvokingBlessingsUponAllah'sProphet
Prayer Ior peace and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, may be said in any Iorm. II
someoneweretosay:"OAllah,blessMuhammad,"itshouldsuIIice.Itisbetter,however,tousethe
prayerstransmittedthroughtradition,liketheIollowing::ExtravaganceinShroudingisDisliked
(Allahumma Salli 'ala-Muhammad wa'ala ali Muhammad kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali
Ibrahim wa barik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad kama barakta' ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali
IbrahiminnakahamidunMajid).""OAllah!GrantpeacetoMuhammadandhisIamilyasyoudidto
Ibrahim and his Iamily. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his Iamily as you blessed Ibrahim and his
Iamily.TrulyYouareMostGloriousandMostPraiseworthy.'
ThisshouldbesaidaIterthesecondtakbir,asisobvious,thoughthereisnothingspeciIicallyreported
inthisregardastoitspreciseplaceintheIuneralprayer.
Eiqh4.40a:SupplicationIortheDeceased
ThisisabasicelementoIIuneralprayeraccordingtotheconsensusoIjuristicopinion.TheProphet,
peace be upon him, said: "When you oIIer a Iuneral prayer Ior a deceased person, pray sincerely Ior
him to Allah." This is reported by Abu Daw'ud, Al-Baihaqi and Ibn Hibban, who said it is a sound
hadith.
Eorthispurposeanysupplication,evenabrieIone,maybeused.Itisrecommended,however,touse
oneoItheIollowingsupplicationsreportedIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim:
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-1- Abu Hurairah said: The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed in one oI the Iuneral prayers:
Allahumma anta Rubbuha wa ant khalaqtaha wa anta razaqtaha wa ant hadaytaha lil lslam wa anta
qabadata ruha-ha wa anta alamu bisirriha wa 'alaniyatiha. Ji'nashuI'ala-haIaghIir laha zanbaha "Oh
Allah!YouareherSustainer,YouareherCreator,Youprovidedherwithsustenance,guidedherto
Islam,causedhertodie,andYoubestknowhersecretandpublicliIe.WepleadtoYouonherbehalI
toIorgivehersins."
-2- Wa'ilah ibn al-Asqa reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, led us in a Iuneral prayer Ior a
manIromamongtheMuslims.Iheardhimsaying:AllahummainnaIulanaibnaIulanIizhimatikawa
habla jawaraka, Ia-qihu min Iitnatal qabri wa azhabin nar wa anta ahlal waIa' wal haq, allahumma
IaghIirlahu war-rahmhuIa innaka antal ghaIurur Raheem. 'O Allah! So-and-so, son oI so-and-so, is
under Your protection and mercy, so protect him Irom the trial oI the grave and the torture oI Hell
Eire. You are the guardian oI the truthIul and the IaithIul. OAllah! Eorgive him and be merciIul to
him,asYouaretheMostMerciIul,MostEorgiving'."NarratedbyAhmadandAbuDaw'ud.
-3- 'AwIibnMalikreported:"IheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,whileoIIeringaIuneralprayer,
say: Allahumma-ghIir lahu war-rhamhu wa'Iu anhu wa 'aIahu wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi'
mudkhalahu waghsilhu bi-ma' ind wa thalj wa barad wa naqi minal khataya kama yunaqi athaubu
danisminaddanaswaabdilhudarankhairanmindarihiwaahlan khairanminahlihiwazaujankhairan
min zaujihi wa qih Iitnatal qabr wa azhaban nar. 'O Allah! Eorgive him,havemercyonhim,pardon
him,healhim,begeneroustohim,causehisentrancetobewideandcomIortable,washhimwiththe
mostpureandcleanwater,andpuriIyhimIromsinsasawhitegarmentiswashedcleanoIdirt.Give
himinexchangeahomebetterthanhishome(onearth)andaIamilybetterthanhisIamily,andawiIe
betterthanhiswiIe,andprotecthimIromthetrialoIthegraveandthetortureoIHellEire'."Thisis
narratedbyMuslim.
-4- ItisreportedIromAbuHurairahthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,oIIeredaIuneralprayerand
said: AllahummaghIir lihayatina wa mayatina wa saghirina wa kahirina wa zhakirina wa unthana.
AllahummamanahyatahuminnaIa-ahyahu'alalIslamwamantawaIthuminnaIa-tawaIthu'alaiman.
Allahumma la tahrimna ajrahu wa la tudalana ba'dahu. "O Allah! Eorgive our living, our dead, our
young,ourold,ourmalesandourIemales,thoseoIuswhoarepresent,andthosewhoareabsent.O
Allah! Whomsoever among us You keep to live, make him to live in Islam, and whomsoever You
causetodie,lethimdieinIaith.OAllah!DonotdepriveusoIourrewardIor(supplicatingIor)him,
and cause us not to go astray aIter him." This is narrated by Ahmad and the other Sunan books.
(AuthenticcanonicalcollectionsoIhadith)
IIthedeceasedisachild,thenitisdesirabletopray:Allahumma'ij'alhulanasalaIanwazhukhran."O
Allah! Make him our Iorerunner and make him (a means oI) reward Ior us and a treasure." Bukhari
andAl-BaihaqireportitIromAl-Hasan.Nawawisaid:"IIthedeceasedisachild,aboyoragirl,one
shouldsaywhatisreportedinthehadith,namely,"OAllah!Eorgiveourliving,ourdead,... ,"and
addthewords:Allahumma'ij'alhuIaratanli-abwaihiwasalaIanwazhukhranwaizatanwai'tibaran
wa shaIi'an wa thaqil bihi mawazlnahumma wa aIrlghas sabra 'ala qulubihima wa la taItinhumma
ba'dahu wa la tuharim-humma ajrahu. "O Allah, make him (or her) Ior hisparents a Iorerunner, a
treasure and an admonition, an honor, an intercessor, and cause him (or her) to make their scales oI
good deeds heavier (on the Day oI Judgement). O Allah! Grant them patience, and O Allah! Do not
putthemtotrialaIterhim(orher)nordeprivethemoIhis(orher)reward."
Eiqh4.43:TimingoISupplications
Ash-Shawkanisaid:TherearenoIixedtimesIortheseprayers.OnemayuseanyoItheseaIterallthe
takbirs,oraItertheIirstorsecondorthirdtakbir,ordivideitbetweeneachtwotakbirs,orsayanyoI
these prayers in between each two takbirs in the light oI the practice oI the Prophet, peace be upon
him.Itisalsosaidthatsupplicationsshouldbedoneinthewordsgivenintheabovereportedhadith
Ior bothmaleorIemaledeadpersons.
Eiqh4.43a:SupplicationsaItertheIourthtakbir
It is preIerred to supplicate Ior the deceased aIter the Iourth takbir, even though the supplicant rnay
have done so aIter the third takbir. This is based on a narration by Ahmad on the authority oI '
Abdullah ibn Abi AwIa who said that when his daughter died, at his Iuneral prayer Ior her he made
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Iourtakbirs.AItertheIourthtakbir,hestoodsupplicatingIorasmuchashedidinbetweentheother
takbirs.Thenhesaid:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,usedtodothesameinaIuneralprayer."
Ash-ShaIi'isaid:"AItertheIourthtakbironemaysay,AllahummalatuharimnaajrahuwalataItinna
ba'dahu.'OAllah!DonotdepriveusoIrewardIor(supplicatingIor)him/her,norputustotrialaIter
him(orher)'."
Ibn Abu Hurairah said: "AIter the Iourth takbir the elders used to say: Allahumma Rabbana atina Ii
ad-DunyahasanatanwaIial-Akhiratihasanatanwaqina'azhaban-Nar.'OAllah!Grantusgoodinthis
liIeandgoodintheliIetocome,andsaveusIromthetormentoIHellEire."
Eiqh4.43b:Salutations
All jurists with the exception oI Abu HaniIah are in agreement that the two salutations (saying
assalamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah), one to the right and the other to the leIt, are obligatory. Abu
HaniIah, however is oI the viewthattheyarerequired,butnotobligatoryasacondition.Thosewho
hold it to be obligatory argue that the Iuneral prayer is a prayer (salah), and as such it cannot be
terminatedexceptbysalutations(totherightandleIt).
IbnMas'udsaid:"SalutationsattheendoIaIuneralprayeraresimilartothosesaidattheendoIany
Iormal prayer. The minimum that would suIIice in this respect is to say: "As-Salamu 'Alaikum" or
"salamun'alaikum"(thepeacebewithyouorpeacebewithyou)."
Ahmad is oI the opinion that one salutation- the salutation to the right - is sunnah, and there is no
harmiIonesaysitwhilelookingstraightahead.ThisisbasedonthepracticeoItheProphet,peacebe
upon him, and his Companions who ended their Iuneral prayer with one salutation.NodiIIerenceoI
opinionamongthemisonrecordonthisissue.
Ash-ShaIi'i holds that two salutations, turning one's Iace Iirst to the right and then to the leIt, are
commendable.IbnHazmsaid:"ThesecondsalutationisremembranceoIAllah,andanactoIvirtue."
Eiqh4.44:SummaryIorEuneralPrayer
-1- MakesurethatyoumeetalltherequirementsIoraIormalprayer(salah);
-2- StandupwiththeintentionoIsupplicatingIorthedeceased;
-3- Raisebothhandswithatakbir(takbiratalihram);
-4- EoldyourrighthandoveryourleIthand;
-5- CommencetheIuneralprayerwiththe(silent)recitationoIAl-Eatihah.
-6- AIterAl-Eatihahsayanothertakbir,
-7- OIIersalutationstotheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andendwithatakbir.
-8- NowsupplicateIorthedeceased,andendwithatakbir.
-9- Makeageneralsupplication.
-10- Endtheprayerwithsalutations(totherightandtotheleItside).
Eiqh4.44a:Imam'sPositionin EuneralPrayerIoraMaleoraEemale
It is sunnah Ior the imam to stand opposite the head oI a male body, and opposite the middle oI a
Iemalebody.ThisisbasedonahadithreportedIromAnasthatheoIIeredaIuneralprayerIoramale
standingopposite hishead.AssoonasthebodyoIthemanwasremoved,aIemalebodywasbrought
in Ior Iuneral prayer. He led the prayer standing opposite the middle oI herbody.Thereuponhewas
asked, "Did the Prophet, peace be upon him, stand where you stood in the cases oI a man and a
woman?" He answered: "Yes." This is narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah and Tirmizhi,
who regards it as a sound hadith. Al-Tahawi said: This is the most preIerred position, because it is
supportedbyotherreportsIromAllah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim.
Eiqh4.44b:EuneralPrayerIoraNumberoIDeadPersons
II there are a number oI bodies, including both male and Iemale, they should be placed in separate
rows, between the imam and the direction oI the Ka'abah, with the best among them nearer to the
imam,andasingleIuneralprayermaybeoIIeredIoralloIthem.
IIthedeceasedincludebothmaleandIemale,aseparateprayerIoreachmaybeoIIered.Butitisalso
permissible to oIIer one prayer Ior all oI them at once. In such a case the male should be placed
immediatelybeIoretheImamandthentheIemaleinthedirectionoItheQiblah.
ItisreportedbyNaIi'IromIbn'UmarthatheoIIeredaIuneralprayerIornineoIthedeceased,males
and Iemales. He placed the males closest to the imam and then the Iemales in the direction oI the
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Qiblah.HeplacedalloItheminonerow.TheIuneraloIUmmKulthum,daughteroI'AliandthewiIe
oI 'Umar, and her son called Zaid, was led by Sa'id ibn al-'As, and among the people attending this
IuneralwereIbnAbbas,AbuHurairah,AbuSa'idandAbuQatadah.ThelittleboywasplacedbeIore
theimam.Amansaid:"Idonotlikethisarrangement,andlookedtowardsIbn'Abbas,AbuHurairah,
AbuSa'idandAbuQatadah,andsaidtothem:"Whatisthis?"Theyreplied:"ThisisthesunnahoIthe
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,.ThiswasnarratedbyNasa'iandAl-Baihaqi,andAl-HaIizsaysitschain
oIauthoritiesissound.
Another hadith says that iI a Iuneral prayer is oIIered Ior a child together with a woman, the boy
shouldbeplacednearertheimamandthewomannexttoitinthedirectionoItheQiblah.AndiIthere
aremen,womenandchildren,thenthechildrenshouldbeplacednexttothemen.
Eiqh4.45:ThreeRowsIoraEuneralPrayerareCommended
Itisrecommendedthatthepeopleshouldmakethreerows(TheminimumnumberoIpeopleIorarow
istwopersons)whileoIIeringaIuneralprayer,andthattheserowsshouldbestraight.Thisisbasedon
a report Irom Malik ibn Habairah who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Every believer
who dies is Iorgiven by Allah iI a group oI Muslims comprising three rows prays Ior him'." That is
why,iItherewerenotmanypeopleattendingaIuneralprayer,MalikibnHabayrahwouldmakethem
stand in three rows. This is narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, Ibn Majah, Tirmizhi, and Al-Hakim,
whoconsidersitasoundhadith.
Ahmad said: "II the number oI people present at the Iuneral prayer is very small I would still preIer
that they make three rows." He was asked:"WhatiIthereareonlyIourpeoplepresent?"Hereplied:
"They may make two rows, with two persons in each line." He did not like three rows with each oI
themconsistingoIonlyoneperson.
Eiqh4.45a:ALargerNumberisMuchPreIerred
A larger gathering oI people Ior the Iuneral prayer is preIerable, as is reported by 'Aishah who said:
"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'IIaMuslimdiesandhisIuneralprayerisattendedbyagroup
oIahundredMuslims,andtheyallsincerelyprayIorhisIorgiveness,heisIorgiven'."Thisisnarrated
byAhmad,Muslim,andTirmizhi.
Ibn'Abbasreported:"IheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saying:'IIaMuslimdiesandagroupoI
Iortypeople,whodonotassociateanyonewithAllah,prayIorhim,theirprayerisacceptedandheis
Iorgiven'."ThishasbeennarratedbyAhmad,Muslim,andAbuDaw'ud.
Eiqh4.46:ArrivingLateIorEuneralPrayer
A person who misses a part oI a Iuneral prayer should make up the missed takbirs--making them
consecutively.ThisispreIerable,butiIhecannotdoitthereisnoharm.Ibn'Umar,Al-Hasan,Ayyub
Al-Sukhtiani,andAl-Awza'iareoItheopinionthatsuchapersonisnotrequiredtorepeatthemissed
takbirs,andheshouldIinishhisprayerwiththesalutationsledbytheimam.
Ahmad said: "II he cannot make the missed takbirs, there is no harm." The author oI Al-Mughni
preIers this opinion and remarks: "It is supported by a saying oI Ibn ' Umar and there is nothing on
record Irom the Companions oI the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) to contradict it. It is
reportedby'AishahthatshesaidtotheProphet,peacebeuponhim,"OAllah'sMessenger,sometimes
when I oIIer a Iuneral prayer, I cannot hear some oI the takbirs by the imam?" He replied: "Say the
takbir that you hear and do not worry about the ones that you miss. You donothavetorepeatthese
lateron."Thisstatementisquiteexplicit.Theseareconsecutive--uninterrupted--takbirsand,iImissed,
theyneednotberepeatedliketheonesinthe'Eidprayer.
Eiqh4.46a:PersonsIorWhomEuneralPrayeristobeOIIered
ThereisaconsensusamongthejuriststhatIuneralprayerisoIIeredIorallMuslims,maleorIemale,
andyoungorold.IbnAl-Munzhirsaid:"ThescholarsareinagreementthatiIitisestablishedthatan
inIant is born alive, that is, by his crying, sneezing, or moving etc., then, iI it dies, a Iuneral prayer
shouldbeoIIeredIorit."
Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "One may ride one's
mountbehindtheIuneral,andwalkonIootalittleaheadoIitortoitsrightorleIt.AIuneralprayer
should be oIIered Ior an aborted baby, seeking Ior his parents the mercy and Iorgiveness oI Allah."
This is reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud. Another narration reads: "A person on Ioot may walk
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behind a Iuneral, or ahead oI it, or on its leIt side or right side or still nearer to it." According to
anotherreport,"AridershouldridebehindtheIuneral,whereasoneonIootmaywalkanywhere.And
aIuneralprayershouldbeoIIeredIorachild."ThisisreportedbyAhmad,Nasa'i,andTirmizhi,who
consideritasoundhadith.
Eiqh4.46b:EuneralPrayerIoranAbortedChild
AmiscarriedIetus,lessthanIourmonthsold,maynotbewashed,normayaIuneralprayerbeoIIered
Iorit.ItshouldbewrappedinapieceoIclothandburied.ThemajorityoIjuristsareinagreementon
thispoint.
On the other hand, iI a miscarried Ietus is Iour months old or older, and the existence oI liIe in it is
established,thenthereisaconsensusthatitshouldbewashedandaIuneralprayeroIIeredIorit.But
iI its liIe is not established by its movementsorotherevidence,thenaccordingtoMalik,Al-Awza'i,
AlHasan,andtheHanaIischool,IuneralprayermaynotbeoIIeredIorit.They basetheiropinionona
hadith transmitted by Tirmizhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Baihaqi on the authority oI Jabir that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "II in a miscarried Ietus liIe is established by its movements, a
IuneralprayershouldbeoIIeredIorit,anditisentitledtoitsshareoIinheritance."Accordingtothis
hadith oIIering a Iuneral prayer Ior amiscarriedIetusisconditioneduponprooIoIitsliIeevidentin
signsoIliIe,suchasitsmovement,etc.
Ahmad,Sa'id,IbnSirin,andIshaqareoItheopinionthatinthelightoItheabovehadith,amiscarried
IetusmaybewashedandaIuneralprayermaybeoIIeredIorit.Thewordsusedinthishadithare"a
IuneralprayershouldbeoIIeredIoramiscarriedIetus"becauseithasasoulandisalive.TheProphet,
peacebeuponhim,inIormedusthataIetusreceivesasoulwhenitisIourmonthsold.OthersreIute
this argument with the assertion that there is conIusion in the chain oI narrators oI this hadith, and
besides,astrongerhadithcontradictsit.Butthisalonedoesnotconstituteavalidargument.
Eiqh4.47:EuneralPrayerIoraMartyr
A martyr is one who is killed in a battleIield Iighting the enemies oI Islam. All the hadith on this
subjectarequiteexplicitthatnoIuneralprayermaybeoIIeredIoramartyr.
Bukhari has narrated Irom Jabir thattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,orderedthatthemartyrsoIthe
battleoIUhudbeburiedwhiletheywerestillbleeding.HeneitherwashedthemnoroIIeredaIuneral
prayerIorthem.
Ahmad,AhuDaw'udandTirmizhireportedthatAnassaid:"ThemartyrsoIUhudwerenotwashed.
Theywereburiedwiththeirwoundsunwashed,andnoIuneralprayerwasoIIeredIorthem."
There are, however, some hadith that are equally explicit and state that a Iuneral prayer should be
oIIeredIormartyrs.BukharireportedIrom'Uqbahibn'AmirthatonedaytheProphet,peacebeupon
him,wentoutandoIIeredaIuneralprayerIorthemartyrsoIUhud,eightyearsaItertheirdeath,asiI
hewerebiddingIarewelltoboththelivingandthedead.
AbuMalikAl-GhaIarireported:"ThebodiesoIthemartyrsoIUhudwerebroughtinbatchesoInine
andplacedwiththebodyoIHamzah,whoservedasthetenth.ThentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,
oIIered a Iuneral prayer Ior them. AIter that the nine bodies were removed leaving Hamzah
undisturbed. Then a batch oI another nine martyrs was brought and placed beside Hamzah. The
Prophet, peace be upon him, oIIered a Iuneral prayerIorthemaswell.ThiswaytheProphetoIIered
Iuneral prayer Ior all oI them. This hadith has been narrated by Al-Baihaqi, who says: "This is the
most sound hadith on this subject. It is, however, a mursal hadith. (Mursal: A hadith that rests on a
chainoIauthontiesgoingnoIurtherbackthanthesecondgenerationaItertheProphet(peacebeupon
him))
The diIIerence in the narrations in these various hadith has led jurists to diIIer on this matter. Some
takealloIthemtogether,whileotherspreIersomenarrationsoverothers.IbnHazmholdsthateither--
oIIering or not oIIering (Iuneral prayer Ior the martyrs)--is permissible. It is alright whether or not a
IuneralprayerisoIIeredIorthemartyrs.InoneoIhisstatementsAhmadhasalsoexpressedasimilar
view.Ibnal-QayyimapprovesoIthisviewandsays:"Thecorrectpositioninthisregardisthatoneis
given a choice whether or not to oIIer a Iuneral prayer (Ior a martyr), because there are reports in
IavoroIbothpositions."ThisistheopinionalsooIAhmad,andheistheproperpersonto describethe
principlesoIhisschool.Hesays:"WhatisapparentIromthisisthatnoIuneralprayerwasoIIeredIor
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the martyrs oI Uhud beIore burying them. There wereseventypeoplewhoIellmartyrsinthatbattle,
andanyIuneralprayerIorthemcould nothavetakenplaceinsecret."
ThehadithreportedbyJabiribn'AbdAllahthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,didnotoIIerIuneral
prayer Ior these martyrs is sound and very explicit. Jabir' s Iather was among those who were killed
thatday,andheknewwhatIewbesideshimknew.
Abu HaniIah, Al-Thawri, Al-Hasan, and Ibn Al-Musayiyaib, however, are inclined to the reports
statingthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,didoIIerIuneralprayerIorthemartyrs.Theyholdthata
IuneralprayermustbeoIIeredIormartyrs.However,Malik,Ash-ShaIi'i,Ishaq,and,accordingtoone
report,Ahmad,preIerthereportsthatsaynoIuneralprayeristobeoIIeredIormartyrs.Ash-ShaIi'iin
his Kitab al-Umm writes: "All reports received concerning this subject aresound and show that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, did not oIIer Iuneral prayer Ior the martyrs oI Uhud. Those who report
that he oIIered Iuneral prayer Ior them and said seventy takbirs Ior Hamzah are not correct. Those
who turn away Irom these sound hadith should be ashamed oI themselves. The hadith reported by
'Uqbahibn'AmiralsostatesthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,didsoeightyearsaItertheirdeath,
as iI he were bidding them Iarewell. This does not constitute abrogation oI an established practice.
(SeeAl-Umm.byAsh-ShaIi'i)
Eiqh4.48:APersonSurvivingaBattlebutlaterDyingoIWounds
IIoneiswoundedinabattle,butsurvives,remainsinastableconditionIorawhile,andthendies,he
should be washed, and a Iuneral prayer should be oIIered Ior him, even though he may be a martyr.
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,washedSa'dibnMu'azh,andoIIeredaIuneralprayerIorhim,aIter
he died oI his hand wounds. Sa'd was taken to the mosque, where he remained Ior a Iew days, and
thenhediedasamartyrbecauseoIhisinIectedwound.
II on the other hand, a wounded Iighter does not survive in a stable condition, or he just talked or
drankwaterandthereaIterdied,heisnottobewashedoroIIeredaIuneralprayer.
TheauthoroIAl-Mughni states:"ItisrecordedinEutuhAl-Sham,thatamansaid:"Itooksomewater
togiveadrinktomycousiniIhewerestillaliveaItersomeinjuriesinthebattle.Ontheway,Ipassed
byAl-HarithibnHisham,whowasalsowoundedinthesamebattle.Iwantedtogivehimadrink,but
he noticed that another wounded man was looking toward him Ior a drink. At this he pointed that I
should Iirst give this man a drink. I went toward him to give him a drink, buthealsoIoundanother
manlookingtohim.SohegesturedthatIshouldIirstgivehimthedrink.Thustheyalldied.NoneoI
themwaswashedoroIIeredaIuneralprayeralthoughtheyalldiedaIterthebattle.
Eiqh4.49:EuneralPrayerIoraPersonSentencedtoDeathIoraCrime
AnyonesentencedtodeathbyanIslamiccourtistobewashedandaIuneralprayershouldbeoIIered
Iorhim.ThisisbasedonareportbyBukharithatJabirsaid:"AmanIromthetribeoIAslamcameto
theProphet,peacebeuponhim,andconIessedtoIornication.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,tried
to avoid him Iour times, while the man repeated his testimony against himselI. Then the Prophet,
peace be upon him, asked the man: 'Are you mad?' The man said, 'No.' The Prophet, peace be upon
him,askedhim,'Areyoumarried?'Hesaid,'Yes.'ThereupontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,ordered
that the man be stoned to death. He was stoned to death at the place where ( 'Eid prayer) usedtobe
oIIered.Whenthestonesstrucktheman,hetriedtorunaway,butwasovertakenandkilled.AIterhis
death,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,spokewelloIhim,andoIIeredIuneralprayerIorhim.Ahmad
said:"WeknowoInocaseswheretheProphet,peacebeuponhim,reIusedtooIIerIuneralprayerIor
any one except in cases oI one convicted oI embezzlement (oI zakat Iunds) and a person who
committedsuicide."
Eiqh4.49a:EuneralPrayerIorthoseGuiltyoIEmbezzlement,Suicide,orSomeOtherSins
ThemajorityoIMuslimscholarsareoItheopinionthataIuneralprayermaybeoIIeredIoraperson
whoisconvictedoIembezzlementoIpublicIunds,orcommitssuicideorsomesimilarlysinIulact.
An-Nawawi said: "Al-Qadi said: 'All Muslim scholars hold that a Iuneral prayer be oIIered Ior all
Muslims - those sentenced to death under Islamic law, or stoned to death, or those who committed
suicide,orwerebornoutoIwedlock.ThereportsabouttheProphet,peacebeuponhim,notpraying
IorembezzlersandthoseguiltyoIsuicidemaybeexplainedperhapsbyconsideringsuchreIusaltobe
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a Iorm oI reprimand tothesepeople.ThisissimilartohispracticeoIreIusingtoprayIorthosewho
diedindebt,thoughheaskedotherMuslimstooIIertheIuneralprayerIorthem'."
Ibn Hazm said: "Euneral prayer should be oIIered Ior all Muslims, whether good or bad, including
thosesentencedtodeathandthosethatdieIightingorinrevolt.Theimam,oranyoneotherthanhim,
may lead the Iuneral prayers. Likewise Iuneral prayers should be said Ior an innovator, provided his
innovationdoesnotbecomeblasphemy,andprayermayalsobesaidIoronewhocommitssuicideor
killssomeoneelse.AIuneralprayermaybeoIIeredinallsuchcaseseventhoughthedeceasedmight
havebeenthemostevilpersonontheIaceoItheearth,providedhediesasaMuslim.Thisisbasedon
ahadithIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,thathasageneralbearing."OIIeraIuneralprayerIor
yourIriend(aIellowMuslim),"heisreportedtohavesaidonthedeathoIaMuslim.AllMuslimsare
Iriends to one another. The Qur'an says: "Verily! The believers are but a single brotherhood" Qur'an
49.10and"Thebelievers,menandwomen,areprotectors,oneoIanother."Qur'an9.71
To prevent others Irom oIIering Iuneral prayers over a Muslim is a most serious thing, Ior surely a
sinIulMuslim ismoreinneedoIprayersIromhisMuslimbrothersthanapiousandsaintlyperson!
An authentic hadith records that a man died in Khayber, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"OIIer a Iuneral prayer Ior your Iriend. He has stolen something oI the war booty." The Muslims
searchedthedeceased'spersonaleIIectsandIoundlessthantwodirhamworthoIbeadsinthem.
Inanothersahihhadith'AtareportedthataIuneralprayermaybeoIIeredIoranillegitimatechild,and
hismother,andIorthosewhocurseeachother,(IncasesoILu'an,Iorinstance,whenintheabsence
oIanyevidenceoIaspouse'sadulteryboththemanandwiIearerequiredtoswearanoaththathe/she
istellingthetruthorIacebeingcursedbyAllahiItheywerelying)aswellas thepersonwhoiskilled
inrequital,andthepersonstonedtodeath,andthepersonwhoIleesIromthebattleIieldandisputto
death Ior it. ' Ata said: "I will never abstain Irom oIIering a Iuneral prayer Ior a person who says: 'I
bearwitnessthatthereisnodeityexceptAllah.'Allahsays:'ItisnotIittingIortheProphetandthose
who believe to pray Ior Iorgiveness Ior pagans, even though they be oI kin, aIter it is clearthatthey
arecompanionsoItheEire'.''Qur'an9.113
Another authentic hadith says that Ibrahim An-Nakh'i said: "Our predecessors never eschewed
attending a Iuneral prayer Ior any Muslim. They oIIered the Iuneral prayer Ior those who had
committed suicide, and it is a sunnah to oIIer Iuneral prayer Ior those who are stoned to death." In
anothersoundhadithQatadahreported:"IdonotknowoIanyscholarwhoreIusedtooIIeraIuneral
prayer Ior anyone witnessing that 'there is no god but Allah'." Ibn Sirin, according to a sahih hadith,
said: "I do not know oI any Muslim who considers it a sin to oIIer a Iuneral prayer Ior another
Muslim."
Abu Ghalib reported: "I asked Abu Amamah Al-Bahili: 'What iI a man is known to drink liquor.
Should a Iuneral prayer be oIIered Ior him? ' He said: 'Yes, Ior he might |at least| once in his liIe,
whilelyingdownIorrest,havesaid:"ThereisnodeitybutAllah,"andhemighthavebeenIorgiven
byAllah'."InasahihhadithAl-Hasanisreportedtohavesaid:"EuneralprayerwillbeoIIeredIorall
those who declare 'There is no deity but Allah.'ItwillbeoIIeredIorallMuslims;IoritisanactoI
intercessiononbehalIoIthedeceased."
Eiqh4.51:EuneralPrayerIoraNon-believer
AMuslimmaynotprayIoranon-believer,IorAllahsays:"NordoyoueverprayIoranyoIthemthat
dies,nor standathisgrave,IortheyrejectedAllahandHisMessenger,"Qur'an9.84"ItisnotIitting
IortheProphetandthosewhobelievetoprayIorIorgivenessIorpagans,eventhoughtheybeoIkin,
aIter it is clear to them that they are companions oI the Eire. And Ibrahim prayed Ior his Iather's
IorgivenessonlybecauseoIapromisehehadmadetohim.Butwhenitbecamecleartohimthathe
(hisIather)wasanenemytoAllah,hedissociatedhimselIIromhim."Qur'an9.113-114
LikewisenoprayermaybeoIIeredIortheirchildren,Iorwhatappliestotheirparentsappliestothem
aswell,exceptIorchildrenwhoacceptIslam,becauseoneoItheirparentswasaMuslimortheydie
or are taken prisoner separately Irom either or both oI their parents, then a Iuneral prayer may be
oIIeredIorthechildren.
Eiqh4.51a:EuneralPrayeronaGrave
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It is permissible to oIIer Iuneral prayer Ior a deceased anytime aIter his burial, even iI a prayer was
oIIered prior to his burial. As mentioned above, the Prophet, peace be upon him, oIIered Iuneral
prayerIorthemartyrsoIUhudaItereightyears.ZaidibnThabitreported:"Oncewewentoutwiththe
Prophet,peacebeuponhim.Whenwereachedal-Baqi'(EamouscemeteryinMadinah,wherealarge
numberoItheProphet'scompanionsareburied)wenoticedanewlyduggrave.TheProphet,peacebe
uponhim,askedaboutitandwastoldthatwasthegraveoIsuchandsuchawoman.Atthishesaid:
'Why did you not inIorm me oI her death?' They replied, 'O Prophet oI Allah! You were Iastingand
wererestingatthetimeandwedidnotwanttobotheryou.'Hesaid:'Donotdothatagain.Solongas
I am with you, make sure you inIorm me when any one among you dies, Ior my prayers Ior the
deceasedisamercyIorthem.'ThentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wenttothegrave.Westoodin
rows behind him and he oIIered a Iuneral prayer Ior her with Iour takbirs." This hadith has been
reportedbyAhmad,Nasa'i,Al-Baihaqi,Al-HakimandIbnHibban.Thelasttworeportersregarditas
asoundhadith.
Tirmizhisaid:ThishasbeenthepracticeoImostoIthescholars,theCompanionsoItheProphet(may
Allah be pleased with them), as well as others. Ash-ShaIi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq hold the same view.
ThishadithalsoshowsthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,oIIeredIuneralprayeratagravewhena
IuneralprayerhadalreadybeenoIIeredbyhisCompanionsIorthedeceasedbeIoreherburial,Iorthey
could not bury her without a Iuneral prayer. Erom this hadith it is also obvious that praying Ior the
dead (beIore the burial) was a common practice oI the Companions, and was not limited only to the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim.
IbnAl-Qayyimsaid:"TheseproventraditionsoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,donotcontradictthe
soundhadiththatreportsthestatementoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim:'Donotsitbythegraves,or
oIIerprayerIacingthem.'Thisisasoundhadiththatbidsusnottositorprayatthegraves.Whatis
IorbiddenistooIIerIormalprayer(salah)Iacingagrave.OIIering aIuneralprayeratthegraveisnot
Iorbidden, Ior Iuneral prayer does not have to be oIIered at any speciIic place. It is rather better
oIIeredoutsideamosquethaninsideit.TheIuneralprayeratthegraveissimilartooIIeringitbeside
thecoIIin. IneithercasetheprayerisoIIeredIorthedeceased,andhisbody,whetheritisinthecoIIin
orinthegrave,remainsinthesameposition.OIIeringprayersotherthanIuneralprayersareIorbidden
at graves, Ior there is a risk that this may tum these graveyards into mosques, against which the
Prophet, peace be upon him, wamed us. He cursed those who tum graves into places oI worship,
saying: 'Some evil people will be overtaken by the Day oI Judgement, including those (evil people)
whotumgravesinto mosques.'ThiswarninghasnobearingonanactthattheProphet,peacebeupon
him,repeatedlyperIommed."
Eiqh4.52:EuneralPrayerIoranAbsenteeandIoraPersonwhohasDisappeared
OIIeringaIuneralprayerIoranabsentpersoninanothercityispennissible,whetherthecityisnearor
Iar.InsuchacasethoseoIIeringIuneralprayershouldstandIacingtheqiblah,eveniIthecitywhere
the absentee is locatedisnotinthedirectionoItheqiblah.AItermakinganintentiontoprayIorthe
absentee, takbirs should be said as they are nommally said in Iuneral prayer over a deceased who is
present. This is based on a hadith reported by the group on the authority oI Abu Hurairah that the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,inIomnedpeopleaboutthedeathoINegusthedayhedied,andthentook
them out to oIIer Iuneral prayer Ior him. There he arranged his Companions in rows and said Iour
takbirs.
IbnHazmsaid:"TheIuneralprayerIoranabsenteemaybeperIommedbyagroupoIpeopleunderan
imam.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,oIIeredaIuneralprayerIorNegus,whohaddiedinEthiopia,
with his Companions standing in rows behind him. There is consensus among the Companions
regardingthisissue,anditshouldnotbeoverlooked.AbuHaniIahandMalik,however,disagreewith
thisview,buttheyhavenogroundIorthisdisagreement."
Eiqh4.53:OIIeringEuneralPrayerinaMosque
ThereisnoharminoIIeringIuneralprayerinamosque,iIthereisnodangeroIitbecomingunclean.
This is based on a narration oI Muslim Irom 'Aishah who said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him,
oIIered a Iuneral prayer Ior Suhail ibn Baida in the mosque, and the Companions likewise oIIered
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IuneralprayerIorAbuBakrand'Umarinthemosque,andnooneobjectedtoit,becausetheIuneral
prayerissimilartoother(Iormal)prayer.'
AbuHaniIahandMalikdonotapproveoIit,citingahadithoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,tothe
eIIectthatwhoeveroIIersaIuneralprayerinthemosquewouldhavenothing(i.e.noreward).This
statement not only contradicts the practice oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions,
butisalsoaweakhadithduetootherreasons.AhmadibnHanbalsaid:"Thisisaweakhadith,andis
reported through a single transmitter, Salih, the Ireed slave oI Al-Tawamah, and he is an unreliable
narrator. Some scholars, however, hold that this hadith oI the Prophet, peace be upon him,issound,
and the words, reported by Abu Daw'ud, "Whoever oIIers a Iuneral prayer in a mosque would have
nothing,"meansuchapersonwouldnotincuranyburden(oIsin).IbnAlQayyimsaid:'Itwasnotthe
usual practice oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, to oIIer a Iuneral prayer in the mosque. Rather he
wouldusuallyoIIerIuneralprayersoutsidethemosqueexceptwhen IorsomereasonhehadtooIIerit
inthemosque.IncertaincaseshedidoIIerIuneralprayerinthemosque,asinthecaseoIIbnBaida,
which shows that Iuneral prayer may be oIIered either inside or outside the mosque, but to do so
outsidethemosqueispreIerable."
Eiqh4.53a:EuneralPrayerintheGraveyard
A majority oI jurists disapprove oI oIIering Iuneral prayer in a graveyard. This is the view oI 'Ali,
Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr, and Ibn 'Abbas, and also oI 'Ata, An-Nakh'i, Ash-ShaIi'i, Ishaq, and Ibn Al-
Munzhir,andtheycitetheProphet'shadith:"TheentireearthisamosqueexceptIoragraveyardanda
bathroom."
In a report Irom Ahmad it is said: "There is no harm in oIIering a Iuneral prayer (as distinct Irom
Iormalsalah)inagraveyardastheProphet,peacebeuponhim,himselIoIIeredaIuneralprayerover
adeceasedwhilehewasburiedinhisgrave.AbuHurairahalsooIIeredaIuneralprayeroverthegrave
oI 'Aishah in the middle oI the cemetery oI Al-Baqi', which was attended by Ibn 'Umar. And 'Umar
ibnAbdal-'Azizdidlikewise."
Eiqh4.53b:WomenarePermittedtoOIIerEuneralPrayers
A woman, like a man, may oIIer a Iuneral prayer, singly or in a congregation. In Iact, once when
Umm'AbdallahoIIeredIuneralprayerIor'Utbah,'UmarwaiteduntilsheIinished.'Aishahorderedthe
bodyoISa'dibnAbiWaqqastobebroughttohersothatshecouldoIIeraIuneralprayeroverhim.
An-Nawawi said: "Women may oIIer (Iuneral) prayer in congregation just as they are permitted to
perIormothersunnahprayers.Al-HasanibnSaleh,SuIiyanAl-Thawri,Ahmad,andtheHanaIischool
alsoholdthesameview.Malik,however,isoItheopinionthatwomenshouldoIIertheIuneralprayer
individually.
Eiqh4.54:TheMostWorthyPersontoLeadaEuneralPrayer
JuristsdiIIerastothemostworthypersontoleadaIuneralprayer.Somesaid:"Themostappropriate
personisthelegalguardianoIthedeceased,thenthe(Muslim)ruler,thentheIatheroIthedeceased,
grandIather, or great grandIather, then the son or the grandson, then the one closest in relationship.
ThisistheopinionoItheMalikiandHanbalischools.Otherssaid:ThebestpersonistheIather,then
thegrandIather,thentheson,thenthegrandson,thenthebrother,thenthenephew,thenthepaternal
uncle, and then his son in accordance with their blood ties with the deceased. This is the opinion oI
AshShaIi'i and Abu YusaI. Abu HaniIah and Muhammad ibn Al-Hasan, however, areoItheopinion
thatthepreIerredorderisthe(Muslim)ruleriIpresent attheIuneral,thenthejudge,thentheimamoI
the locality, then the guardian oI a deceased woman, then the nearest blood relative. OI the blood
relatives,iIbothIatherandhissonarepresent,theIathershouldbegivenprecedence.
Eiqh4.54a:JoiningtheEuneralProcessionandCarryingtheCoIIin
AcertainetiquetteisrecommendedwhilewalkinginaIuneralprocessionorcarryingacoIIin:
-1- CarryingacoIIinandaccompanyingittothegraveyardisrecommended.Accordingtothesunnah
itispreIerabletogoallaroundthecoIIinwhilecarryingit.IbnMajah,Al-Baihaqi,andAbuDaw'ud
At-Tayalisi report that Ibn Mas'ud said: "II one walks in a Iuneral procession and carries the coIIin,
oneshoulddosoIromallthesidesoIthecoIIin,Iorthisis asunnahoIProphet,peacebeuponhim."
Butthisisoptional.AbuSa'idreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Visitthesick,and
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Iollow the Iuneral procession, Ior it will (help) remind you oI the HereaIter." This was narrated by
AhmadwithasoundchainoInarrators.
-2- A Iuneral procession must proceed at a Iast pace. The group reported on the authority oI Abu
Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Walk briskly while carrying a coIIin, Ior iI the
deceased is righteous, you would be taking it to something better, and iI he or she is an evil person,
then you will be getting him or her oII your necks." Ahmad, Nasa'i, and others reported that Abu
Bakrahsaid:"IIyouhadseenusIollowingaIuneralprocessionalongwiththeProphet,peacebeupon
him, you would have thought that we were jogging." Bukhari reported in his book on History that,
when Sa'd ibn Mua'zh died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, walked at such a Iast pace behind his
Iuneralthatourshoescameapart."
TheauthoroIAl-Eathsaid:"Inshort,itispreIerabletowalkIastinaIuneral,butthisshouldnotharm
or aIIect the coIIin or put to hardship those carrying the coIIin or Iollowing it, because that would
deIeattheIslamicgoaloIpromotinghygieneandavoidingplacingunduehardshiponotherMuslims."
Al-Qurtubi said: "This hadith means that people should not delay the burial, because such a delay is
oItentheresultoIarroganceandvanity.
-3- OnemaywalkinIrontoItheIuneral,behindit,toitsright side,orleItside,orclosetoit.Thereis
a diIIerence oI opinion among the scholars on this point. The majority oI the scholars hold that
walkinginIrontoItheIuneralispreIerable,IortheProphet,peacebeuponhim,AbuBakr,and'Umar
usedtowalkinIrontoIit,asnarratedbyAhmad,andcompilersoISunan.
TheHanaIischoolholdsthatwalkingbehindaIuneralispreIerable,asisindicatedIromthewordsoI
theProphet,peacebeuponhim,concerningIollowingaIuneral.
Anas ibn Malik is oI the opinion that one may walk anywhere in a Iuneralprocession,asmentioned
above in the hadith oI the Prophet, peace be upon him: "A rider should ride behind the Iuneral,
whereasoneonIootmaywalkbehindit,orinIrontoIit,ortoitsrightsideorleItside,orclosetoit."
Apparently there is no hard or Iast rule in this regard, and the diIIerence oI opinion in this regard is
quitelegitimate.
AbdurRahmanibnAbzareportedthatAbuBakrand'UmarusedtowalkinIrontoIaIuneral,while
'Ali walked behind it. When told that AbuBakrand'UmarwerewalkinginIrontoItheIuneral,'Ali
remarked:"TheybothknowthatwalkingbehindaIuneralisbetterthanwalkinginIrontoIit,justas
theprayeroIapersonincongregation(jama'ah)isbetterthantheprayeroIoneoIIeringitalone.But
AbuBakrand'UmardidsoinordertomakeiteasyIorothers."ThiswasnarratedbyAl-Baihaqiand
IbnAbuShaibah.Al-HaIizsaiditschainoIauthoritiesissound.
Riding behind the Iuneral, without a valid excuse, is disliked in the opinion oI the majority oI
scholars.DoingsoaItertheburial,isnotdisliked,however,andisquiteacceptable,asindicatedbya
hadithnarratedbyThawban,whichsaysthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wasbroughtamountto
rideduringaIuneral,buthedeclined.But,whenhereturnedaItertheburialandwasoIIeredamount,
herodeonit.Theyaskedhimaboutthis(whyhedeclinedtomountduringtheIuneralprocession)and
hereplied:"Verily,theangelswerewalkingwiththe Iuneral,soIdidnotliketoridewhiletheangels
were walking. But, when the angels leIt, I rode the mount." This was narrated by Abu Daw'ud, Al-
Baihaqi, and Al-Hakim, who said this hadith is sound according to the criterion oI Muslim and
Bukhari. Tirmizhi narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, walked with the Iuneral oI Ibn Ad-
Dahdah,butonhiswaybackherodeonhorseback.AccordingtoTirmizhithisisasoundhadith.
ThishadithdoesnotcontradicttheotherhadithinwhichtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,isreported
to have said: "A rider must stay behind a Iuneral," since this may imp!y that such an act is disliked,
though permissible. The HanaIi school holds that there is no harm in riding, although it is better to
walk unless Ior some valid reason one is unable to do so. And in light oI the above hadith a rider
should stay behind the Iuneral procession. Al-Khattabi said: "I know oI no diIIerence oI opinion
amongstscholarsonthepointthataridershouldstaybehindaIuneralprocession."
Eiqh4.56:ActionstobeDiscouragedinaEuneralProcession
WhileaccompanyingaIuneralprocession,itisdislikedto:
-1- Reciteorraiseone'svoiceoranysimilaractivity.
-2- CarryingtorchesoIIireinaIuneralprocession.
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-3- Sittingdown,whenoneisIollowingaIuneralbeIorethosecarryingthecoIIinputitdown.
-4- RemainseatedwhenaIuneralprocessionpassesby.
-5- PermitwomentoaccompanyaIuneralprocession.
Eiqh4.56a:
Recite or raise one's voice or any similar activity. Ibn Al-Munzhir related that Qais ibn 'Abbad said:
"TheCompanionsoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,dislikedraisingone'svoiceonthreeoccasions,
namely,Iuneralprocessions,whenrememberingAllah,andonthebattleIield."
Sa'id ibn Al-Musaib, Sa'id ibn Jubair, Al-Hasan, An-Nakh'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq did not like it when
anyoneIromtherearoItheIuneralprocessionexhortedotherstoprayIorIorgivenessoIthedeceased.
Al-Awza'isaid:Thisisabid'a(innovationinreligion).Euzhailibn'Amrsaid:"Once,whileIbn'Umar
was present at a Iuneral, he heard someone Irom behind saying: 'Pray Ior Allah's Iorgiveness Ior the
deceased.MayAllahIorgivehim.'Ibn'Umarsaid:'MayAllahnotIorgiveyou'."
An-Nawawisaid:"YoushouldknowthattherightmanneroIaccompanyingaIuneralprocessionisto
remainquiet,asthepiousamongthepreviousgenerationsoIMuslimsdid.Oneshouldnotraiseone's
voiceIorrecitationorIortheremembranceoIAllah,orIoranythingelse.Keepingquietisbetterand
ishelpIulinconcentratingone'sattentionontheIuneralrites,whichisneededatthattime.Thisisthe
correctposition,andtheIactthatalargenumberoIpeopledootherwisedoesnotchangeit.Thereisa
consensus among scholars that the way ignorant people recite in the Iuneral processions, artiIicially
prolongingsoundsoIvariouswordsandmixingthemup,isIorbidden.
Mohammad 'Abduh issued a verdict concerning raising one ' s voice Ior the remembrance oI Allah
whileIollowingtheIuneralprocession,inwhich hesaid:"InreIerencetotheraisingoIone'svoicein
a Iuneral procession Ior remembrance oI Allah, we Iind inAl-Eath,underthechapteron"Eunerals,"
that it is disliked Ior a person walking in Iront oI a Iuneral procession to make such remembrance
loudly. II one wants to make any remembrance, one may do it in one's heart. Loud remembrance is
somethingquitenew,andthereisnoprecedentIoritIromthedaysoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,
andhisCompanions,orIromthegenerationIollowingthem ortheirSuccessors.Suchapracticemust
bediscouragedandstopped."
Eiqh4.56b:CarryingtorchesorIireinaIuneralprocession
TheseareIorbiddenastheyarevestigesoItheDaysoIIgnorance.IbnAl-Munzhirsaid:"Thispractice
isdislikedbyallmenoIknowledgeandscholarsonrecord.Al-Baihaqisaid:'Aishah,'UbadahibnAl-
Samit, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, and Asma, the daughter oI Abu Bakr, all stated in their
respective wills that their Iuneral processions should not include anyone carrying Iire (or torches).
According to Ibn Majah, Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, on his deathbed, directed his heirs, saying: "Do not
Iollow my Iuneral procession carrying any censers (with Iires in them to burn Irankincense Ior its
aromatic smoke and Iragrance)." The people asked him: "Did you hear anything Irom the Prophet
concerning this?" He said: "Yes, I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying so. (Among the
narratorsoIthishadithisamancalledAbuHuraiz,theIreedslaveoIMu'awiyah,whois"unknown"
amongstthenarratorsoIhadith)
IItheburialtakesplaceatnight,however,IireortorchesmaybeusedIorlight.Tirmizhihasreported
on the authority oI Ibn Abbas that once at night the Prophet, peace be upon him, entered a grave to
bury a dead person, and a lantern was given to him and he took it." Tirmizhi said: This hadith Irom
Ibn'Abbasissound.
Eiqh4.57:Sittingdown,whenoneisIollowingaIuneral,beIorethosecarryingthecoIIinputitdown
Bukhari said: "A person accompanying a Iuneral procession should not sit down until the coIIin is
placed on the ground, and iI he sits he should be asked to stand up." He reports Irom Abu Sa'id Al-
Khudri that the Prophet, peace beuponhim,said:"StandupwhenyouseeaIuneralprocession,and
he who accompanies it should not sit down until the coIIin is placed on the ground." Bukhari also
reports Irom Sa'id Al-Maqabari who narrated that his Iather said: "We were attending a Iuneral, and
AbuHurairahwasholdingMarwan'shand,andtheybothsatdownbeIorethecoIIinwasplacedonthe
ground. At this Abu Sa'id approached them, and taking Marwan by his hand said to him: 'Stand up!
ByAllah,thisman(i.e.,AbuHurairah)knowsthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,hasIorbiddenus
(tosit).'UponhearingthisAbuHurairahsaid:'Heisright.''ThishasalsobeenreportedbyAl-Hakim,
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with the Iollowing addition: "When Abu Sa'id told Marwan to stand up, he stood up and then asked
him:'Whyhaveyoumademestandup?'AtthisAbuSa'idrelatedthishadithtohim.ThenMarwan
askedAbuHurairahwhyhehadnotinIormedhimaboutthathadith.AbuHurairahreplied:'Youwere
walking ahead oI me, so when you sat down I too sat down." Most oI the Companions, their
successors,theHanaIiandHanbalischools,Al-Awza'i andIshaqholdthisvlew.
TheIollowersoIAsh-ShaIi'i,however,holdthatapersonwalkinginIrontoIaIuneralprocessionmay
sitdownbeIorethecoIIinisplacedontheground.ThereisagreementamongscholarsthatIorthose
walkingaheadoItheIuneralprecessionthereisnoharmiItheyarriveearlyattheplaceoIburialand
sitdownbeIoreitsarrival.
Tirmizhi said: "It is related Irom some knowledgeable Companions oI the Prophet, peace be upon
him, and others that they would walk ahead oI a Iuneral procession, and would sit down iI they
reached the place oI burial beIore the coIIin. This is the opinion oI Ash-ShaIi'i, who holds that, iI a
Iuneralarriveswhileoneisseated,oneneednotstanduponitsarrival.Ahmadsaid:"Thereisnoharm
whetheronestandsuporremainsseateduponitsarrival."
Eiqh4.58:RemainSeatedWhenaEuneralProcessionPassesby
AhmadhasreportedthatWaqidibn'AmribnSa'dibnMu'azhsaid:-IattendedaIuneralprocessionin
thetribeoIBanuSalimah.Istoodupon seeingtheIuneralprocession.ThereuponNaI'iibnJubairsaid
tome:'Sitdown.IwillgiveyouthereasonIorthis.Mas'udibnAl-HakimAz-Zurrqitoldmethathe
heard 'Ali ibn Abi Talib saying: -The Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded us to stand upupon
seeing a Iuneral procession, but later on he would remain seated, and bade us to do the same.' ' -
Muslim has reported it in these words: "We saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, standing, so we
stood.Thenhesatdown,andwetoosat.Tirmizhisaid:'ThishadithIrom'Aliissound,anditincludes
Iour oI the successors oI the Companions who related it successively. According to some people oI
knowledgethisisthecommonpractice.''
Ash-ShaIi'isaid:-Thisisthemostauthenticreportonthesubject.Thishadithabrogatestheonecited
previouslywhichsays:'StandupwhenyouseeaIuneralprocession.'- Ahmadsaid:-Onemayormay
not stand up Ior a Iuneral procession, depending on one's preIerence. He argues that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, used to stand upIoraIuneral,butlateronhewouldremainseated.'Thisisalso
the opinion oI Ishaq ibn Ibrahim. Ahmad, Ishaq ibn Hubaib, and Ibn Al-Majishun oI the Maliki
school.
An-Nawawi said: "Considering all these opinions, standing up upon seeing a Iuneral procession is
desirable."Al-MutawalliandAhmadalsoholdthisview.
IbnHazmsaid:"StandingupuponseeingaIuneralprocessionisrecommended,eveniIitisaIuneral
oI a disbeliever or a pagan, until the coIIin is placed on the ground or disappears Irom sight. But iI
someoneremainsseatedthereisnoharm.Thosewhoholditasadesirableactcitewhatisrelatedby
thegroupontheauthorityoIIbn'UmarwhoreportedIrom'AmiribnRabi'ahthattheProphet,peace
be upon him, said: "When you see a Iuneral procession stand up Ior it, and remain standing until it
disappears Irom sight or (the coIIin) is placed down on the ground." Ahmad said: "Whenever Ibn
'Umar saw a Iuneral procession he would stand up Ior it and would remain standing until it passed
by."
SahlibnHaniIandQaisibnSa'dreportedthattheyweresittinginQadisiyyah(AtowninSyria)anda
Iuneralprocessionpassedbythem.OnseeingitbothoIthemstoodupIorit.Theyweretolditwasthe
Iuneral oI a non-Muslim. They said: -Once when a Iuneral procession was passing by, the Prophet,
peace be upon him, stood up Ior it. And when told that it was Iuneral procession oI a Jew, he
exclaimed:'Doeshe(aJew)notpossessasoul?''(BukhariandMuslim)IbnMas'udandQaisusedto
standupIoraIuneralprocession.
The wisdom behind standing, according to Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim, as stated in a hadith
relatedIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,is"toshowrespecttoHimWhoseizesthesouls"orin
thewordsoIIbnHibban"asamarkoIrespecttoAllahWhoseizesthesouls."
In short, there is disagreement on this issue among the scholars. Some disapprove oI standing Ior a
Iuneral procession, while others preIer it. Some leave it to the individual's discretion. Each oI these
scholarssupportshisstandwithspeciIicarguments,andonemayIollowanyoItheseopinions.
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Eiqh4.59:PermitWomentoAccompanyaEuneralProcession
Umm 'Atiyah reported: "We were Iorbidden to accompany Iuneral processions, but this prohibition
was not mandatory Ior us." (Reported by Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim Ibn Majah) Abdullah ibn 'Amr
reported: "Once while we were with the Prophet, peace be upon him, he saw a woman- whom we
thought he did not recognize- so he waited until she reached him. It was Eatimah, his daughter. He
asked her: 'What caused you to leave your house?' She said: 'I came to visit the Iamily living in this
house in order to oIIer my condolences and to comIort them in their grieI.' He said: 'Did you
accompany them to the graveyard?' She said: 'God Iorbid! How could I do that, when I know what
you have said in this respect.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Had you accompanied the
Iuneralprocessiontothegraveyard,youwouldneverhaveseenParadise,notuntilyourgrandIather's
Iather had seen it! (Reported by Ahmad, Al-Hakim, Nasa'i, and Baihaqi. The scholars, however,
question the validity oI this hadith, claiming it is not a sound hadith, because among its narrators is
Rabi'ahibnSaiI,whoisnottrustworthy)
MuhammadibnAl-HanaIiyyahreportedthat'Alisaid:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wentoutand
sawagroupoIwomensittingoutside.Whenheaskedthemwhytheyweresittingthere,theytoldhim
that they were waiting Ior the Iuneral procession. Heaskedthem:'Areyougoingtowashthebody?'
They said: 'No.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked them: 'Are you going to carry the coIIin?'
Theysaid:'No.'Heaskedthem:'Willyouplacethebodyinthegrave?'Theysaid:'No.'Atthishesaid
tothem:'Thengobacktoyour homeswithyoursinsandwithoutgaininganyreward."(Reportedby
IbnMajahandAl-Hakim.ButoneoIitsnarratorsisDinaribn'Omar,whoisnotreliable.AbuHatim
says he is not well known, Azdi describes him as matruk (unacceptable), and Al-Khalili in his Al-
Irshad calls him "a liar.") Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Amamah, 'Aishah, Masruq, Al-Hasan, An-
Nakh'i,Awza'i,Ishaq,andtheHanaIi,ShaIi'iandHanbalischoolsholdthisview.Theyalldisapprove
the participation oI women in Iuneral processions.According to Malik, it is not disliked Ior an old
womantoleaveherhometoattendaIuneral.Inhisopinion,ayoungwomanaIIlictedbythedeathoI
a dear one may also accompany a Iuneral procession without any disapproval, provided she is well
coveredandherpresencedoesnotcauseanytemptation.
IbnHazmcontendsthattheargumentputIorthbythemajorityoIscholarsisnotsound,andthatitis
permissibleIorwomentoaccompanyIuneralprocessions.Hesaid:"WedonotdisapproveoIwomen
attending aIuneralprocession,nordowepreventthemIromdoingso.Amongthetraditionsreported
on this subject there is no authentic hadith. There are either mursal (Mursal: Report oI a successor
(tab'i)directlyIromtheProphetwithoutmentioningtheCompanionwhomighthavehearditdirectly)
ormajhul(unknown)orsuchascannotbepresentedasanargument."Thenhementionsthehadithby
Umm 'Atiyyah and says: "Even iI it were a sound hadith it does not prove prohibition, but merely
shows that it is disliked. In Iact the reverse is true iI we take into account the hadith narrated by
Shu'bahontheauthorityoIWaki',whointurnnarrateditIromHishamibn'Urwah,whohearditIrom
Wahab ibn Kaysan, who heard it Irom Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn 'Ata who reported it Irom Abu
Hurairah that once when the Prophet, peace be upon him, attended a Iuneral, 'Umar saw a woman
there and yelled at her. The Prophet, peace be upon him,said:"Leaveher,O'Umar!Verilyhereyes
shed tears, the soul Ieels the pangs, and the promised hour is near." (The chain oI authorities oI this
hadithissound)InasoundhadithitisreportedIromIbn'Abbasthathedidnotregarditasadisliked
act.
Eiqh4.60:NotAttendingaEuneralduetoSomeEorbiddenActs
The author oI Al-Mughni said: "II one sees or hears something that is Iorbidden while attending a
Iuneral,andoneiscapableoIcounteringandrectiIyingit,oneshoulddoso.IInot,thenonemaydo
oneoItwothings:voicehisdisapprovaloIit,andcontinuewiththeIuneralwhichwillIreeoneIrom
anyresponsibilityoIanysuchdisapprovedacts,withoutabandoningthegoodIorthebad.Thesecond
courseopentoapersoninsuchacaseistoleavetheIuneralprocession,especiallywhenoneisableto
leaveit,sothatone'scontinuedparticipationwillnotleadonetohearorseeaIorbiddenthing."
Eiqh4.61:BurialisaCollectiveObligation
Thereisaconsensusthatburyingadeadbodyandcoveringitisacollectiveobligation(IardkiIayah).
IIsomeMuslimsburythedeadbody, itwouldabsolvetherestoIthemIromthisobligation.Allah,the
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Almighty,says:"HaveWenotcausedtheearthtoholdwithinitselIthelivingandthedead?"Qur'an
77.25-26
ThemajorityoIscholarsareoItheopinionthatitispermissibletoburythe deadanytimeduringthe
day or night. The Prophet, peace be upon him, buried at night a man, who used to remember Allah
aloud during the night. Similarly 'Ali buried Eatimah at night. Abu Bakr, 'Uthman, 'Aishah, and Ibn
Mas'udwereburiedduringthenight aswell.
Ibn'Abbasreported:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wentintoagraveonenightandwasgivena
lamp.ThenheliItedthebodyIromthesidetowardtheqiblah,saying:"MayAllahbemerciIultoyou.
You used to cry a lot and oIten recited the Qur'an." AIter this the Prophet, peace be upon him, said
Iour takbirs."(Reported by Tirmizhi, who considers it a sound hadith) Tirmizhi said: "Most scholars
consider the burial oI the dead at night permissible, provided the rights oI the deceased are not
neglected.
The same applies to oIIering a Iuneral prayer Ior the deceased. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
commandedhisIollowersnottoburythedeceasedatnightiIitisIearedthatanyoIhisrightsmight
beneglected.Nighttimeburialinsuchacaseisdisliked.
One day the Prophet, peace be upon him, delivered a sermon and mentioned one oI his companions
whohaddiedandhadbeenwrappedinashortshroudandburiedduringthenight.TheProphet,peace
beuponhim,expressedhisdisapprovaloIburying someoneatnightunlessoneiscompelledtodoso.
(Muslim)JabirreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"Donotburyyourdeadduringthe
nightunlessyouarecompelledtodoso."(IbnMajah)
Eiqh4.62:BurialatSunrise,atMidday,oratSunset
There is a consensus that a body may be buried during any oI these three times whenever there is
danger oI it decomposing otherwise. II there is no such danger, its burial during these times is still
permissible, according to the majority oI scholars, provided that it is not done so on purpose, as
reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and the compilers oI Sunan on the authority oI 'Uqbah who said: "The
Prophet, peace be upon him, Iorbade us Irom oIIering prayer or burying our dead at three times: at
sunrise,untilthesunriseshighinthesky;atnoon,whenthesunisaboveone'sheaduntilitdeclinesa
little;andwhenthesunbeginstogodownuntilitsets."TheHanbalischoolholdsthatinlightoIthe
abovehadithburialduringthesetimesisundesirablewithoutexception.
Eiqh4.62a:DiggingaDeepGraveisDesirable
The purpose oI burial is to hide the body in a pit in order to prevent its stench Irom Iouling the
atmosphere, and to save it Irom being eaten by various beasts and birds. II these conditionsare met
andthispurposeisserved,thenonehascarriedoutone'sresponsibility.Itisencouraged,however,to
makethedepthoIthegraveequaltotheheightoIanaverageman.Thisisbasedonahadithreported
by Nasa'i and Tirmizhi (who considers it a sound hadith) Irom Hisham ibn 'Amer who said: "We
complained to the Prophet, peace be upon him, on the day oI the battle oI Uhud, saying: 'O Allah's
Messenger! Digging a separate grave Ior every body is a very hard job.' TheProphet,peacebeupon
him, said: 'Dig, dig deeper, dig well, and bury two or three bodies in each grave.' The Companions
askedhim:'WhoshouldbeputinthegravesIirst?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:'Putthose
mostlearnedintheQur'anIirst.'MyIather,thenarratoradded,wasthethirdoIthethreewhowereput
inonegrave."
IbnAbiShaibahandIbnAl-Munzhirreportedthat'Umarsaid:"DigagravedeepenoughIoraman's
heightandmakeitbroader."AccordingtoAbuHaniIahandAhmadthegraveshouldbedeepenough
IorhalIoItheaverageheightoIaman,butiIdugdeeper,itisbetter.
Eiqh4.62b:ALahdisBetterthananOrdinaryGrave
LahdisacreviceonthesideoIagraveIacingtheqiblah,whichiscoveredwithunburntbrickslikea
housewitharooI.Aregulargrave,ontheotherhand,isapitdugintheground,withthebodyplaced
in it and then sealed oII with unburnt bricks and covered to Iorm a ceiling. Either oI these two
methods is permissible, but the Iirst one--lahd--is preIerable in the light oI a hadith reported by
Ahmad and Ibn Majah on the authority oI Anas who said: "When the Prophet, peace be upon him,
died,thereweretwogravediggers.Oneusuallydugthelahdandtheotheraregulartomb-likegrave.
The Companions said: 'Let us seek guidance Irom our Lord.' Then they asked each oI them to dig a
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grave, and decided the grave oI the one who Iinished Iirst be chosen Ior the burial oI the Prophet's
remains.TheonewhodugthelahdIinishedIirst,sotheyburiedtheremainsoItheProphet,peacebe
uponhim,inalahd."
ThishadithshowsthatbothIormsarepermissible.TheIactthatthelahdispreIerableisindicatedbya
tradition transmitted by Ahmad and the Compilers oI the Sunan on the authority oI Ibn 'Abbas who
reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Lahd is Ior us, and digging a pit (i.e., a regular
grave)Iorothers."'
Eiqh4.63:PlacingaBodyintheGrave
It is sunnah to place a body in the grave with its Ieet Iirst, iIthisispossibleandcanbedoneeasily.
Thisisbasedona hadithreportedbyAbuDaw'ud,IbnAbiShaibah,andAl-BaihaqithatAbdallahibn
ZaidplacedabodywithitsIeetIirstinthegraveandsaid,"Thisissunnah."IIthisisnoteasy,thena
bodycouldbeplacedinthegraveinanymannerpossible.
IbnHazm said:"Abodymaybeplacedinthegraveinanymannerpossible,IromthedirectionoIthe
qihlah,orIromadirectionoppositetoit,withitsheadIirst,orwithitsIeetIirst,Iorthereisnoexplicit
instructionregardingthisinthetexts."
An-Nawawisaid:"YoushouldknowthattherightmanneroIaccompanyingaIuneralprocessionisto
remainquiet,asthepiousamongthepreviousgenerationsoIMuslimsdid.Oneshouldnotraiseone's
voiceIorrecitationorIortheremembranceoIAllah,orIoranythingelse.Keepingquietisbetterand
ishelpIulinconcentratingone'sattentionontheIuneralrites,whichisneededatthattime.Thisisthe
correctposition,andtheIactthatalargenumberoIpeopledootherwisedoesnotchangeit.Thereisa
consensus among scholars that the way ignorant people recite in the Iuneral processions, artiIicially
prolongingsoundsoIvariouswordsandmixingthemup,isIorbidden.
Eiqh4.63a:PlacingtheBodyEacingtheQiblah,PrayingIortheDeceased,andLoosening theShroud
The practice oI the learned ones has been to place the body on its right side Iacing the qiblah. The
person placing the body in the grave should say: "In the Name oI Allah, and in accordance with the
tradition oI Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him. " Then he should loosen the shroud. Ibn ' Umar
reported that when a body was placed in the grave, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say:
Bismillah wa 'ala sunnat rasulillah. "In the name oI Allah, and in accordance with the tradition oI
Allah's Messenger or the practice oI Allah's Messenger." (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud,
Tirmizhi,IbnMajabandNasa'i,whotransmitteditbothasamauquIhadith(itschainoItransmitters
stoppingataCompanion),andasamusnad(uninterruptedlyIromtheProphethimselI)).
Eiqh4.63b:PlacingClothesintheGraveisDisliked
The majority oIjuristsdisliketheideaoIplacingagarment,apillow,orthelikeIorthedeceasedin
thegrave.IbnHazm,however,seesnothingwronginplacingapieceoIgarmentunderthebodyinthe
grave, in light oI a hadith reported by Muslim Irom Ibn 'Abbas who said: "A red piece oI cloth was
placedinthegraveoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim."IbnHazmsaysapparentlyitwasAllah'sWill
topermitthemtodoso,becauseHis Prophet,theinnocentandguiltless,andotherswhopracticedit
were,accordingtotheconsensus,indeedthebestoImen,andnoneoIthemeverobjectedtoit."
The scholars consider it desirable, however, Ior the head oI the deceased to be placed on a brick, a
stone, or on the ground with his right cheek on a brick or some other similar thing, and with his
shroudremovedIromhisIacesothathisleItcheekisopentothesoil.'Umaradvisedhisheirs:"AIter
havingplacedmybodyinthegrave,leavemycheekopentothesoil."SimilarlyAd-Dahakinhiswill
gaveinstructionsthathisshroudshouldbeuntiedandhischeekexposed.ItispreIerrediIsomething,
somebricksorstonesorsoil,isplacedtosupportthebodysoasnottoleaveitIlatonitsback.
AbuHaniIah,Malik,andAhmadholdthatapieceoIclothmaybespreadoveraIemalebody,butnot
overamalebody,whenloweringitintothegrave.TheShaIi'ischool,however,isoItheopinionthat
doingsoisdesirableIorbothmaleandIemale.
Eiqh4.64:ThrowingThreeHandIulsoISoilovertheGrave
It is desirable to encourage those attending the burial to throw three handIuls oI soil over the grave
IromtheheadoIthebody.ThisisbasedonahadithbyIbnMajahwhichsays:"TheProphet,peacebe
upon him, once oIIered a Iuneral prayer and then went to the deceased's grave and threw three
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handIulsoIsoilIromnearthedeceased'shead."AbuHaniIah,Ash-ShaIi'i,andAhmadholdthatwhen
throwingtheIirsthandIuloneshouldsay,"OIthis(i.e. theearth)Wecreatedyou,"andonthesecond
one should say, "And to it shall We cause you to return," and on the third handIul one should say,
"And oI it We shall cause you to be resurrected a second time." This is based on a hadith that the
Prophet, peace be upon him, said this when his daughter Umm al-Kulthum was laid in her grave.
Ahmad said: "Nothing is required to be said while throwing handIuls oI soil over the grave because
thisisaweakhadith.
Eiqh4.64a:PrayingIortheDeceasedAIteritsBurial
AItertheburial,itisdesirabletoprayIorIorgivenessoIthedeceasedandacceptance(oIhisconduct
byAllah),becauseatthistimeheisbeingquestionedabouthisliIe.Itisreportedby'Uthman:"AIter
burial the Prophet, peace be upon him, would stand by the grave oI the deceased and say: "Seek
Iorgiveness Ior your brother and pray Ior his acceptance, because he is now being questioned about
it."(ThishadithisreportedbyAbuDaw'udandal-Hakim,whoconsidersitasoundhadith.Al-Bazzar
says:"ThisistheonlyreportIromtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)onthissubject.)Ruzainreported:
"AIterthedeceasedwasburied'Aliusedtopray:'OAllah!ThisisYourservant,whoisnowaguest
oIYours,andYouarethebesthost.Eorgivehim,andexpandtheentranceintoheavenIorhim."Ibn
'UmarlikedtorecitetheIirstandthelastIewversesoISurahAlBaqarahbythegraveaItertheburial
wasover.(ReportedbyAl-BaihaqiwithasoundchainoInarrators.)
Eiqh4.65:PromptingtheDeceasedAItertheBurial
Ash-ShaIi'iandsomeotherscholarspreIerthatadeceased(AdeceasediIheorsheisanadult,butnot
in the case oI a child) be "prompted" aIter theburial.ThisisbasedonareportbySa'idibnMansur
Irom Rashid ibn Sa'd and Damarah ibn Habib and Hakim ibn 'Umair. They said: "AIter the grave is
leveledandthepeopleleave,oneshouldstandbythegraveandsaythreetimestothedeceased:'Oso-
and-so,say:"ThereisnogodbutAllah,IbearwitnessthatthereisnogodbutAllah",''O so-and-so,
say:"AllahismyLord,Islamismydin,andMuhammadismyprophet."'Andthenoneshouldleave
the site." This is reported, without any comment, by Al-HaIiz in his book Al-Talkhis. At-Tabarani
reported that Abu Amamah said: "When one oI your brethren passes away and you have leveled the
groundoverhisgrave,youshouldstandbythegrave'sheadandsay:'Oso-and-so,sonoIso-and-so,'
Iorthedeceasedwillhearhim,buthecannotrespond.Thenheshouldsay'Oso-and-so,andsonoIso-
and-so, whereby the deceased will sit up in his grave. Then he should say: 'O so-and-so, son oI so-
and-so, at which the deceased says: "Guide me, may Allah be merciIul to you,' but you cannot hear
him. Then he should say to the deceased: 'Remember the Iaith with which you leIt this world, and
remember to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and
Messenger, and remember that you have accepted Allah as your Lord, Islam as your religion,
MuhammadasyourProphetandtheQur'anasyourguide.'AtthisMunkarandNakir(thetwoangels
appointed to question the people in the graves) will holdeachother'shandandsay:'Letusgo!Why
should we sit Ior a person who has been taught this."' A man asked: "O Allah's Messenger! What iI
one didnotknowthenameoIthedeceased'smother?"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,replied:"In
suchacase,oneshouldcallhimbyhisIirstmother,Eve,andsay:'Osoandso,OsonoIEve).''(Al-
HaIizinhisbookAlTalkhissaidthatthechainoInarratorsoIthishadithissound.Ad-Diaya'inhis
Al-Ahkamhasalsodescribeditasasoundhadith.ThereisinitschainoInarratorsonecalled'Asim
ibnAbdullahwhoisaweaknarrator.)HaithamireIerstothishadithandsaystherearesomenarrators
initschainwhomhedidnotknowastrustworthy.
An-Nawawi said: "The above hadith, even iI it is a weak one, would be considered a source oI
reIerence.ThescholarsoIhadithandothersagreethatinmatterssuchasvirtue,exhortationtogood,
and waming against evil, even the weak hadith are admissible. The above hadith is, however,
supportedbyotherevidenceincludingthehadithinwhichtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,isreported
tohaveaskedhisCompanions,'praythathebesupported.'Anotheristhehadithaboutthewillmade
by 'Amr ibn Al-'As. Both oI these hadith are sound. The people oI Syria still act on this, when the
occasionarises,untilthisveryday."
Both the Maliki school, according to general report, and the Hanbali school consider prompting the
deceased reprehensible. Al-Athram said: "I asked (Imam) Ahmad ibn Hanbal: 'This is what they do
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whenthedeceasedisburied.Amanstandsbythegravesideandsays:"OsoandsoandsonoIsoand
so (his mother's name").' Ahmad said: 'I have never seen anyone doing this except the Syrians when
AbuAl-Mughirahdied."'HetransmittedsomethingaboutthesubjectIromAbuBakribnAbiMaryam
according to which their elders said that they used to do it. Isma'il ibn 'Ayyash related the hadith
reportedbyAbuAmamah.
Eiqh4.66:TheSunnahConcerningGraveyards
Thesunnahistoraisethegraveatleastonehandabovethegroundsoitisknownthatitisagrave.It
isIorbiddentoraiseitmorethanthat.ThisisbasedonanarrativereportedbyMuslimandothersIrom
Harun that Thamamah ibn ShuIayy told him:"OncewewerewithEadalahbin'UbaydintheRoman
land oI Brudis. One oI our companions died and upon burying him we were ordered by Eudalah ibn
'Ubaydtolevelhisgrave.ThenEudalahsaid:'IheardAllah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim,ordering
people to level the graves oI the deceased." It is reportedIromAbulal-Hayajal-Asadiwhosaid'Ali
binAbuTalibtoldme:"ShouldInotinstructyoutodoastheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,
instructedme?Donotleaveastatuestandingwithoutremovingit.Donotleaveagraveraisedwithout
levelingit."
Tirmizhisaid:"Somescholarsactuponthisopinion.TheydisapproveoIraisingthegravemorethan
necessarytoindicatethatitisagrave,andsopeoplewillnotsteporsitonit."Muslimgovernorsused
todestroycemeterystructuresnotpermittedbythelaw,inaccordancewiththeauthenticsunnah.Ash-
ShaIi'isaid:"IpreIerthatthesoilusedIoragravebenomorethanthatdugIorthatgrave.Iliketosee
agraveraisedabovethegroundthelengthoIahandorso.IpreIernottoerectastructureoveragrave
ortowhitewashit,Iorindeedthisresemblesdecorationandvanity,anddeathisnotthetimeIoreither
oI these things. I have never seen the graves oI the Muhajirin or Ansar plastered. I have seen the
Muslimauthoritiesdestroyingstructuresingraveyards,andIhavenotseenanyjuristsobjecttothis."
Ash-Shawkani said: "It is apparent that raising graves more than what is legally permitted is
Iorbidden. The Iollowers oI Ahmad, a group oI the Iollowers oI Ash-ShaIi'i, and Malik are oI this
opinion. An opinion that raised graves are not prohibited because this practice occurred during the
time oI the Iirst and later generationswithoutdisapproval,whichisthepositionoIImamYahyaand
Mahdiinal-Ghayth,isnotcorrect.Thisargumentisbasedonlyontheirsilenceaboutthepractice,and
silence is not prooI when a matter rests on mere assumption, Ior prohibition oI raising graves is
presumptive."
Included in the discussion oI raising the grave are dome buildings, shrines built on graves, and
erecting mosques around graves.The Prophet, peace be upon him, cursed those who did that. The
practice oI erecting buildings around graves and beautiIying them causes corruption, which Islam
seekstoeliminate.
Part oI such a corruption is exaggerating the importance oI graves, in accordance with the
superstitious belieI oI the ignorant, similar to the belieI oI non-believers in their idols, that these
monumentscanbringbeneIitorpreventharm.ThustheytraveltothesegravesIorIulIillmentoItheir
needs or achievement oI their goals. They ask those in the graves what believers should ask only oI
theirLord.Theyridehorsestothem,touch them,andseektheiraid.Ingeneral,theydoexactlywhat
thepre-Islamicpeopleusedtodowiththeiridols.
Despite this disgraceIul, reprehensible evil and hideous disbelieI, how many people dare to take a
stand Ior the cause oI Allah, orevinceanyuneasinessIorthedeIenseoIthetruedin?Wherearethe
scholarsandstudents,andtherulers,theministers,andthekings,whoareobligedtoteachthetruth?
VariousreportsreachingusleavelittledoubtthatmanyoIthesegraveadorers,inIactmostoIthem,
whenconIrontedandaskedunderoathtorejectsuchidolatrywouldreadilytakeasolemnoathIalsely
byAllah.ButiIyouthenaskthem,"(Swear)byyourspiritualleaderandyoursaint,so-and-so,"they
will ponder, apologize, reIuse, and conIess the truth. This is one oI the clearest prooIs that their
polytheismisindeedworsethanthatoItheChristiansandotherswhosay:"Allah,theExalted,isthe
secondoItwoorthethirdoIthree."
O scholars oI Islam! O kings oI Islam! What calamity to Islam is worse than disbelieI? What
tribulation Ior this religion is worse than worshipping others than Allah? What misIortune Ior
MuslimscanequalthismisIortune?Isthereanymoreseriousabominationthanthisopenpolytheism?
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YoumightbeheardiIyou calledtheliving,ButthereisnoliIeinhimwhomyoucall;Hadtherebeen
aIireinwhichyoublew,therewouldhavebeenlight;butyoublewinthesand.
The scholars have issued clear legal verdicts concerning the destruction oImosquesanddomesbuilt
incemeteries.IbnHajarsaidinhisaz-Zawajir:(ThisisacollectionoIlegalverdicts,pubhshedwhen
king Al-Zahir decided to destroy all the buildings in the graveyards. Coeval Islamic scholars
collectivelysupportedhimsayingtodosowasincumbentupontheruler.)"Weshouldnothesitateto
destroy mosques and domes built over graves. These are worse thanthemosqueoIadDirar,because
thesethingsareerectedindisobediencetotheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim.TheProphet,
peacebeupon him,hasIorbiddenthisandhasorderedthedestructionoIraisedgraves.Everylampor
lanternplacedoveragravemustberemoved.Itisnotcorrecttostopatagraveormakeavowatit.
Eiqh4.68:MakingHumpsoverGravesandElatteningThem
JuristsagreethatitispermissibleeithertomakealittlehumpoverthegraveortoIlattenit.At-Tabari
said:"IdislikeitIoragravetobepreparedinanywayotherthanthesetwo:itshouldbeeitherleveled
withthegroundorraisedwithahumpoverit,butnohigherthanonehand,asisthecommonpractice
among Muslims. Leveling the grave diIIers Irom Ilattening it completely. Jurists diIIer concerning
whichoIthesetwomethodsisbest.Al-Qadi'IyadhasreportedIromthemajorscholarsthatitisbest
tomakeahumpoverthegravebecauseSuIyanan-NammartoldhimthathehadseenthegraveoIthe
Prophet, peace be upon him, with a hump over it." (Bukhari) This is the opinion oI Abu HaniIah,
Malik,Ahmad,al-Mazani,andmanyscholarsoItheShaIi'ischool.Ash-ShaIi'i'sopinion,however,is
thatbecauseoItheorderoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,levelingisbest.
Eiqh4.68a:PlacingaDistinguishingMarkonaGrave
It is permissible to place a mark, such as a stone or a piece oI wood, over a grave so that it can be
recognized. This is based on a hadith reported by Ibn Majah Irom Anas that the Prophet, peace be
upon him, "placed a rock over 'Uthman ibn Maz'eun's grave so that it could be recognized." In az-
Zawa'id it is stated that its chain oI narrators is sound. Abu Daw'ud reported it in the hadith oI al-
Muttalib ibn Abi Wada'ah which has the Iollowing words: "He carried a rock and placed it by the
headside oI the grave and said, 'I want to mark my brother's grave and then bury beside it whoever
else oI my Iamily dies."' This hadith indicates that it is preIerable Ior relatives oI the deceased to be
buriedinadjacentspotsbecauseitmakesiteasierIorthosewhovisittheirgravestoprayIorthem.
Eiqh4.68b:TakingOIIShoesinCemeteries
Most scholars are oI the opinion that it is permissible to wear shoes in a cemetery. Jarir ibn Hazim
said: "I saw al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin walking with their shoes on in a cemetery."Anasreported:"The
Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'When a servant oI Allah is put into a grave and his companions
leave, he can hear the sound oI their sandals'.'' (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim. Abu Daw'ud, and
Nasa'i) The scholars deduce Irom this hadith that it is permissible to walk in a cemetery with one's
shoesonsincetheonlywaythedeadwouldhearthesoundoItheirsandalsiswhentheywerewearing
them.
Ahmaddisliked,however,wearingdyedshoes(Sibtiyah(Arabic),atypeoIshoesdyedwithpodsoIa
species oI sant tree) in graveyards. This is based on a report by Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah
IromBushair,theIreedslaveoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,whosaid:"OncetheProphet,peace
beuponhim,noticedamanwearingshoeswhilewalkinginthecemetery.Hesaidtohim:'Oyouwho
are wearing the sihtiyyah (shoes). Woe to you. Take oII your sibtivyah shoes.' When the man
recognizedtheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,hetookthemoIIandthrewthemaway."
Al-Khattabi said: "The order oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, may indicate that he disliked this
becauseoIthepeopleinvolvedinthem.Thesibtiyvahshoeswerewombyprivilegedpeoplegivento
luxury. The Prophet, peace be upon him, liked those visiting the graveyards to be humble and
unpretentious.Ahmadholdsthatwearingshoesisdislikedonly whendonewithoutanyvalidexcuse.
IIthereisagenuinereasonIorwearingshoes,suchas,thomsorimpurities,thenonemaykeepone's
shoeson.
Eiqh4.69:TheProhibitionagainstCoveringGraves
Coveringgravesortombsisnotpermissible,becausethisinvolvesunnecessaryexpenseIoraninvalid
cause,andmaymisleadthecommonman.'Aishahreported:"TheProphet,peacebeUp('llhim,leIton
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a raid. I covered the door with a piece oI cloth. The Prophet, peace be upon him, noticed the cloth
whenheretumed.Hepulledatituntilhetoreit.Thenhesaid:'Allahdidnotorderustocoverstones
andclay'.''(ReportedbyBukhariandMuslim)
Eiqh4.69a:BuildingMosquesorPlacingLightsonGraves
TherearemanysoundandclearhadithconcemingtheunlawIulnessoIbuildingmosquesovergraves
orputtinglightsonthem.AbuHurairahreported:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:'MayAllah
destroytheJews,becausetheyusedthegravesoItheirprophetsasplacesoIworship.''(Bukhariand
Muslim)
Ibn 'Abbas reported: "The Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, cursed the women who visit
graves and those who build mosques and place lights on them.'' (Reported by Ahmad and other
compilers oI the Sunan except Ibn Majah. Tirmizhi considers it a sound hadith) Abdullah Al-Bujali
said: "I heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, Iive nights beIore his death, saying: 'I declare
myselIinnocentbeIoreAllahoIhavinganintimateIriendIromamongyou.Indeed,Allah,theMighty
and the Majestic, has taken me as an intimate Iriend just as he took Ibrahim as His intimate Iriend.
HadItotakeanintimateIriendIromamongyou,IwouldhavetakenAbuBakrasmyintimateIriend.
BeIore you there was a group who tumed the graves oI their prophets and their righteous ones into
mosques.Donottumgravesintomosques.IIorbidyoutodothat'.''(Muslim)
AbuHurairahnarrated:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:'MayAllahcurseJewsandChristians
IortheyturnedthegravesoItheirProphetsintoplacesoIworship'.''(MuslimBukhariandMuslim)
'Aishahreported:"UmmHabibahandUmmSalamahmentionedtoAllah'sMessenger,peacebeupon
him,achurchinwhichtheysawdrawingswhileinAbyssinia,whereuponhesaid:'Thosepeopleused
to build a place oI worship over the grave oI a righteous man among them when he died and make
suchdrawingsinit.ThesewillbetheworstoIpeopleinthesightoIAllahontheDayoIResurrection.''
(BukhariandMuslim)
The author oI Al-Mughni said: "It is not permissible to build mosques around graves because oI the
statementoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim,'MayAllahcursethewomenwhovisitgravesandthose
whobuildmosquesandplacelightsoverthem.'''(ReportedbyAbuDaw'udandNasa'i)
II it were permissible, the Prophet, peace be upon him, would not have cursed those who did it.
Moreover, this practice wastes money and encourages adoration oI graves similar in spirit to the
adorationoIidols.BecauseoIthisreportitisnotpemmissibletobuildmosquesovergraves.Besides,
the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May Allah curse the Jews who tumed the graves oI their
prophets into places oI worship," in order to wam others against pursuing a similar course. (Muslim
andBukhari)
'Aishah said: "The only reason the grave oI Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, was not made
prominentwastostoppeopleIromtumingitintoamosque."DesignatingcertaingravesasplacesoI
prayers is similar to adoring idols and seeking their pleasure. The worship oI idols started with the
adoration oI the dead, making images oI them, touching them, and oIIering prayers at their graves.
(The commentator on this said: "It points to what Bukhari narrated Irom Ibn Abbas conceming the
reasonwhythepeopleoINoahworshippedidols.TheywereknownasWadd,Sawa',Yaghuth,Ya'uq,
andNasr.ThesewerepiouspeopleoIwhomtheymadeimagesinordertorememberthemaItertheir
deathandimitatethem.DuetothelackoIknowledgethatbecameprevalentamongthepeople,Satan
madeitappearbeautiIultoworshiptheirimagesandlikenesses,andtohonorthem,wipeoverthem,
and approach them. Wiping them is passing one's hand over them to invoke their blessing and
intercession. The same was done to the graves oI nghteous people. This practice was initiated by
idolaters,andthenpassedontoJewsandChristiansandthentoMuslims.Suchobjectsareequivalent
toidols.")
Eiqh4.70:SlaughteringAnimalsontheGraves
The Prophet, peace be upon him, IorbadetheslaughteringoIanimalsatgraves,whichwaspracticed
in the Days oI Ignorance out oI arrogance and selI conceit in order to Ilaunt one's wealth. Anas
reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'There is no slaughtering (oIanimalsongraves)in
Islam.''(AbuDaw'ud)AbdulRazzaqsaid:"Theyused toslaughteracoworasheepbythegrave."
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Al-Khattabisaid:"DuringtheDaysoIIgnorancethepeopleusedtoslaughtercamelsbythegravesoI
generous people. They used to say: 'We would like him to be rewarded Ior his deeds. He used to
slaughterthem whenhewasaliveandIeedthemtohisguests.Weslaughterthesecamelsathisgrave
toIeedthelionsandbirds,sothathemaycontinueIeedingothersevenaIterhisdeathasheusedtodo
while he was alive'." A poet said: I slaughtered my she-camel at the grave oI my king, with a bright
sharpsword,meticulouslycleanedbypolishers,onthegraveoIsomeone,who,hadIdiedbeIorehim,
wouldhavewillinglyslaughteredhismountsbymygrave.
TheybelievedinresurrectionaIterdeath.SomepeoplebelievedthatiIacamelwasslaughteredbythe
grave oI a person, he would be restored to liIe mounted on it on the Day oI Resurrection, whereas
otherwiseathisresurrection,havingnomount,hewouldhavetowalkonIoot.
Eiqh4.71:ProhibitionoISitting,Leaning,andWalkingonGraves
Itisnotpermissibletositonagrave,orleanonit,orwalkoverit.Thisisbasedonahadithreported
by'AmrbinHazmwhosaid:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,sawmeleaningonagrave,sohesaid:
'Donotharmthedwellerinthisgraveordonotharmhim.'''(ReportedbyAhmad,whoconsidersits
chain oI narrators as sound) Abu Hurairah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'It is
better Ior you to sit on a glowing coal that burns through your clothes to your skin than to sit on a
grave.'' (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah) In the opinion oI Ibn
Hazm this statement amounts to an outright prohibition because oI the warning contained in it. He
saidthisistheopinionoIagroupoItheearlyMuslimsoIwhomAbuHurairahisone.
The majority oI scholars hold that such an act is merely disapproved. An-Nawawi said: "Ash-ShaIi'i
(See Al-ShaIi'i's work Al-Umm) and the companions mentioned in various narrations disapprove oI
sitting on a grave, holding it to be makruh tahrimi, (Makruh is divided into makruh tahrimi "that
whichisnearlyunlawIulwithoutitbeingactuallyso,"andmakruhtanzihi"thatwhichapproachesthe
lawIul.") a term well-known to jurists.The majority oI scholars including An-Nakha'i, Al-Laith,
Ahmad,andDaw'udholdthisview.TheyalsodisapproveoIrecliningorleaningonagrave."
Ibn 'Umar, Abu HaniIah, and Malik are oI the opinion that it is permissible to sit on a grave. Malik
said: "We think that prohibition oI sitting and leaning on graves means prohibition oI using them to
answerthecalloInature.''(Al-Muwatta)Hecitedaweakhadithinthisregard.Ahmadconsidersthe
interpretation oI Malik weak and said: "This is not an argument." An-Nawawi said that this
interpretation is weak or Ialse. Likewise, Ibn Hazm regards it invalid Ior a number oI reasons. This
diIIerence oI opinion concerns sitting on graves. However, there is agreement among the jurists,
however, that sitting on the gravestoanswerthecalloInatureisunlawIul.Thejuristsalsoagreeon
the permissibility oI walking over graves iI necessary, when Ior instance, there is no other way oI
reachingthegraveoIone'sdearone.
Eiqh4.72:ProhibitionoIWhitewashingorWritingonaGrave
Jabirreported:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,IorbadethewhitewashingoIagrave,sittingonit,or
erecting any structure on it." (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Nasa'i, Abu Daw'ud, and Tirmizhi who
saidthatitisasoundhadith)Tirmizhireportedthishadithwiththiswording:"TheProphet,peacebe
upon him, Iorbade the whitewashing oI graves, writing on them, building on them, or stepping on
them."Nasa'i,reporteditinthesewords:"TheProphet,peacebeupon,Iorbadebuildingoveragrave,
addinganythingtoit,whitewashingit,orwritingonit."
The majority oI scholars interpret this prohibition as an expression oI disapproval, while Ibn Hazm
takes it to mean that the act is unlawIul. The wisdom behind it is that a grave is not made to last
Iorever, but is sure to disintegrate with the passage oI time. whitewashing graves is decorating them
withthebeautyoIthisworldIorwhichthedeadhavenoneed.Othersthinkthatitswisdomliesinthe
Iactthatwhitewashingisdonebyburninggypsum(brimstone):This viewissupportedbyanarration
oI Zaid bin Arqam who said to a person who wanted to build something over his son ' s grave and
whitewash it: "You are wrong and have done a useless thing. Nothing touched by Iire should be
brought near the grave." There is nothing wrong, however, in daubing it with clay. Tirmizhi said:
"Some scholars, including Al-Hasan alBasri, hold it permissible to coat the graves with clay." Ash-
ShaIi'iisalsooIthesameviewandseesnoharmingivingthegravesacoatingoIclay.
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Ja'Iar bin Muhammad reported Irom his Iather: "The grave oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, was
raisedonehandIromthegroundandwascoatedwithredclayandsomegravel."Thiswasnarratedby
AbuBakrAn-Najjad,butAlHaIizdidnotcommentonthisinhisai-Talkhis.
ThescholarsalsodisapproveoIbuildinggraveswithbricksorwoodorburyingthedeadwithacoIIin
unlesstheburialgroundwaswetorsoIt.IIitiswetorsoIt,thenitispermissibletousebricksandthe
like and to place the body in a coIIin. It is reported Irom Mughirah that Ibrahim said: "The scholars
preIerred bricks oI clay and straw, but disliked clay bricks; they preIerred bamboo and disliked
wood."
Concerning the hadith prohibiting writing on graves, it apparently includes writing the name oI the
deceased or any other thing on the grave. AlHakim commented on this hadith and said: "Though its
chainoInarratorsissound,inpractice,however,itwasnotIollowed."ManyMuslimsIromtheEast
andtheWestdowriteonthegraves.ThisisapracticethatwaspassedonIromonegenerationtothe
next.Azh-Zhahabisaid:"Thishadithisaninnovatedone,andnoprohibitionisgenuinelyreported."
TheHanbalischoolholdsthatinscriptionongravesisprohibited,whetheritisaportionoI theQur'an
or the name oI the deceased." The ShaIi'i school agrees with this ruling, but they also hold: "II the
graveisoIascholarorarighteousman,itispreIerabletowritehisnameonittomakeitknown."
TheMalikischoolholdsthatwritingany portionoItheQur'anisnotpermissible,butwritingthename
anddateoIdeathoIthedeceasedisdisliked(makruh).
The HanaIi school disapproves oI writing anything on the grave and considers it unlawIul, except
whenitisIearedthatanytraceoIthegravemightdisappear.IbnHazmsaid:"ItisnotdisapprovediI
thenameoIthedeceasedwasengravedonarock."
It is Iorbidden in a hadith "to add more soil than what was taken out when digging the grave." Al-
Baihaqihasdealtwiththisunderaseparatechapterentitled,"NoaddingoIsoiltothegraveinexcess
oIwhatistakenthereIrom."
Ash-Shawkani said that: "Adding apparently here means adding more soil than what was taken out
while digging the grave." Some interpreted the addition to a grave as making a grave over another
one. Ash-ShaIi'i preIerred, however, the Iirst interpretation, saying that it was preIerable not to add
moresoilthanwhatwastakenoutwhilediggingthegravewhichispreIerredlestthegraveberaised
high. So long as the additional soil does not raise the grave higher than the ground, there is nothing
wrongwithit.
Eiqh4.73:BuryingMorethanOneBodyinOneGrave
EromtheexampleoIearlygenerations,welearnthatonebodyistobeburiedinagrave.Itisdisliked
iI more than one body is buried in a grave, unless there is a large number oI corpses, and there is a
scarcityoIgraves,anditisimpossibletoburythemseparately.Insuchacase,itispermissibletobury
morethanonebodyinagrave.Thisisbasedona hadithreportedbyAhmadandTirmizhi,whosaid,
"The Ansar came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, on the day oI the Battle oI Uhud, saying: 'O
Allah's Messenger! We are aIIlicted with physical injuryandwearetired,whatdoyoucommandus
todo?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:'Digit,enlargeit,anddeepenit,thenplacetwoorthree
meninonegrave.'Theyasked:'WhomshouldweputinIirst?'Hesaid:'Theonewhoknowsthemost
Qur'an'."Tirmizhistatedthatitisasoundhadith.'Abd-urRazzaqreportedIromWathilahibnal-Asqa'
withasoundchainoInarratorsthat,"amanandawomanwereburiedtogetherinthesamegrave.The
manwouldbeplacedIirst,andthenthewomanbehindhim."
Eiqh4.74:BurialatSea
TheauthoroIal-Mughnisaid:"IIapersondiedwhileinashiponthesea,then,accordingtoAhmad,
theyshouldwaitadayortwotoIindaplacetoburyhim,unlesstheyareaIraidthatthecorpsewould
decay. II they cannot Iind a place (on land) to bury him, then the deceased should be washed,
shrouded,aIuneralprayeroIIeredIorhim,thentiedwithaheavyweight,itbethrownintothewater."
ThisistheopinionoI'AtaandAl-Hasan.Al-Hasansaid,"Heistobeputinabasketandthenthrown
intothesea."Ash-ShaIi'isaid:"Thebodyshouldbeplacedontwoboardsandletintotheseasothat
theboardsmighttakeitashore,wheresomepeoplemightIinditandburyit.ButiIonethrowsitinto
thesea,onewouldnotbecommittinganysin."
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Thelatter,i.e.burialatsea,ispreIerable,becauseitservesthepurposeoIcoveringthebodywhichis
comparable to burying him. Tying it between two boards is apt to expose it and cause it to be
disIiguredandmutilated.Itmightbethrownontheshore,mutilatedandnaked,oritmightIallintothe
handsoIpagans.ThatiswhywebelievethesecondcoursementionedaboveistobepreIerred.
Eiqh4.74a:PlacingBranchesoIPalmonaGrave
It is not lawIul to put a branch oI a palm or Ilowers on a grave. The contrary is suggested by the
IollowinghadithreportedbyBukhariandothersIromIbn'Abbas:"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,
passed by two graves and said, 'Those two are being punished Ior a minor matter. The Iirst did not
cleanhimselIcareIullyaIterurinating.Thesecondoneusedtospreadlies.'ThentheProphet,peacebe
upon him, asked Ior a Iresh branch oI a palm tree, broke it into two parts, andthenplacedaparton
eachoIthem,saying,'IhopethatthiswillreducetheirpunishmentIoraslongasthebranchremains
Iresh.'Al-KhattabiisoItheopinion,however,that"ThisplacingoIabranchoIapalmonthegraves,
while saying, "I hope that this will reduce their punishment Ior as long as it remains Iresh," is a
blessed eIIect oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, and oI his supplication to Allah to lighten their
punishment."AccordingtoAl-Khattabi,"Hehoped,asitwere,thatthetwowouldberelievedoItheir
punishmentsolongasthepalmbranchremainedIresh.This,however,doesnothaveanythingtodo
with the Ireshness or dryness oI the palm branch or its role in lightening the punishment as such.
ThoughthemassesinmanyoItheMuslimcountriesplacebranchesoIpalmoverthegravesoItheir
relatives,thispracticehasnobasisormeritinthelightoIIslamicteachings."
Al-Khattabi's opinion as reported above is correct. The Companions oI the Prophet, may Allah be
pleased with them, were Iamiliar with this and practiced it. Bukhari reported that, "There is no
evidence to show that anyone oI them ever put a branch oI a palm or a bunch oI Ilowers on graves,
exceptonthegraveoIBuraidahal-Asalmi,whohadinstructedhisheirsinhiswillthattwobranches
oI palm be placed on his grave.'' (Bukhari) The idea that such a practice was lawIul, and yet was
unknown to all the Companions, except Buraidah, is not plausible. Al-HaIiz said in Al-Eath:
"ApparentlyBuraidahtookthehadithinitsgeneralimportanddidnotregarditasspeciIicallyrelated
tothosetwomen."IbnRashidsaid:"ItisapparentIromBukhari'scommentarythatitwasspeciIically
donebytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,Iorthosetwomen.HealsoquotedastatementoITbn'Umar,
who, when he noticed a tent was set up over 'Abd ur Rahman's grave, said: 'Take it away; the only
thing that can shade him is his deeds'." Ibn Umar's statement shows that he realized that placing
anythingoveragravedoesnotbeneIitthedeceased,excepthisowngooddeeds.
Eiqh4.75:AWomanwhoDiesWhilePregnantwithaLivingEetus
IIapregnantwomandiesandthetrustworthyphysiciansaresurethattheIetusisalive,thenitmustbe
takenoutoIherwombbyacaesarianoperation.
Eiqh4.75a:Anon-MuslimWomanwhoDieswhileCarryingaChildbyaMuslimistobeBuriedina
SeparateGrave
Al-BaihaqireportedIromWathilahbinal-Asqa'thatheburiedaChristianwomanbearingthechildoI
aMusliminacemeterythatbelongedtoneitherMuslimsnorChristians.Ahmadsupportsthisopinion
because he says that the woman being a disbeliever, cannot be buried in a cemetery oI Muslims, Ior
they would suIIer because oI her punishment, nor can she be buriedinaChristiancemeterybecause
herIetus,whichisaMuslim,wouldsuIIerbytheirpunishment.
Eiqh4.75b:ThePreIerenceoIbeingBuriedinCemeteries
IbnQudamahsaid:"AburialinacemeteryisbetterIoraservantoIAllahthanbeingburiedinhome,
Ior this is less harmIul to survivors in his Iamily, is more like the dwellings oI the hereaIter, and is
more suitable a place Ior making supplications Ior Iorgiveness and mercy Ior the dead. The
Companions,theirSuccessors,andthoseaIterthemburiedtheirdeadinthedesertsincemeteries.
Some people may ask: "Why then were the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his two Companions
buriedinhishome?"InanswertothiswewouldreIertothestatementoI'Aishahinwhichshesaid:
"ThiswasdonelestthegraveoItheProphetbeturnedintoamosque.''(Bukhari)TheProphet,peace
beuponhim,buriedhisCompanionsinthecemeteryoI"al-Baqi'inMadinahandsurelyhisactionis
more preIerable than someone else's action. The Companions oI the Prophet regarded his burial
arrangements as a special case Ior him because,asreportedinatradition"theProphetsareburiedat
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theplacetheydie,"andbecauseburyinghimathishomedistinguishedhisgraveIromthoseoIothers,
andprotecteditIrombeingexposedtogreatnumbersoIpeople,hewasburiedathome.
When asked about a man who had instructed inhiswillthathebeburiedinhishouse,Ahmadsaid:
"Heshouldbeburiedwith Muslimsintheircemetery."
Eiqh4.76:TheProhibitionAgainstTalkingIlloItheDead
ItisnotpermissibletotalkilloIthedeceasedMuslimsortomentiontheirevildeeds.Thisisbasedon
Bukhari'sreportIrom'AishahthattheProphet,peacebeupon him,said:"DonotspeakilloIthedead;
they have seen theresultoI(thedeeds)thattheyIorwardedbeIorethem."AbuDaw'udandTirmizhi
havetransmitted,butwithaweakchainoInarrators,IromIbn'UmarasimilarhadiththattheProphet,
peace be upon him, said, "Mention the good deeds oI your dead and cover their evil deeds." As Ior
those Muslims who openly do evil or indulge in illicit innovation, it is permissible to mention their
evil deeds iI some public good so requires and and as a warning to others in order to discourage
anyonewhomightotherwiseIollowtheirbadexample.IInosuchbeneIitistobegained,thenitisnot
permissibletomentionanythingevilaboutthedeceased.BukhariandMuslimreportedthatAnassaid:
"A Iuneral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet, peace be upon
him, exclaimed, 'It is decided.' Then another Iuneral procession passed by and the people said some
bad things about the deceased. The Prophet, peace be upon him, remarked, 'It is decided.' 'Umar
asked: 'What is decided?' The Prophet, peace be uponhim,answered,'Theonewhomyoupraisedis
entitled to Paradise, and the one whom you described as bad is entitled to the Hell Eire. You are
Allah'switnessesonearth'."
Cursingthedeaddisbelieversispermissible,becauseAllah,theExalted,says:"Cursesbythetongue
oIDavidandoIJesus,thesonoIMary,werepronouncedonthoseamongtheChildrenoIIsraelwho
rejectedIaith.''Qur'an5.78SimilarlywereadintheQur'an:"Perish thehandsoItheEatheroIElame!''
Qur'an111.1PharaohandotherslikehimhavealsobeencursedintheQur'an,besidesthegreatcurse
oIAllahaboutwhichweread:"Behold!thecurseoIAllahisonthosewhodowrong.Qur'an11.18
Eiqh4.76a:RecitingtheQur'anbytheGraveside
The jurists diIIer concerning the legality oI reciting the Qur'an by the graveside. Ash-ShaIi'i and
MuhammadbinAl-Hasanconsideritdesirable,becausebyit,thedeceasedmightbeblessed.Al-Qadi
'Iyad and scholars oI the Maliki school agree with them on this point. Ahmad holds that there is
nothing wrong in reciting the Qur'an at a grave, whereas Malik and Abu HaniIah view this as not
desirablebecausethesunnahdoesnotmentionthispractice.
Eiqh4.77:BuildingNewGravesoverOldGraves
MuslimscholarsagreethataplacewhereaMuslimisburiedshouldnotbedisturbediIIlesh,bones,
or other parts oI the body remain there. II any oI his other remains are Iounditisnotpermissibleto
disturbthem.ButiItheentirecorpsehasdisintegratedintodust,thenanewgravemaybedugthere.
Also, in such a case it is permissible to use the landIorplanting,cultivation,building,andIorother
beneIicial purposes. II the remains oI a body, such as bones, are Iound duringthe digging, then the
diggingshouldbestopped.AndiItheremainsareIoundaIterthediggingisIinished,thenitisquite
permissibletoplacethesetoonesideinthegraveandburyanotherbodybesidethem.
II the deceased person was buried beIore aIuneral prayer was oIIered Ior him or her and the person
hadnotyetbeencoveredwithsoil,thentheremainsshouldberemovedandtheIuneralprayershould
be oIIered beIore reburial. But iI the deceased was buried completely without a Iuneral prayer, it is
unlawIul,accordingtotheHanaIiandtheShaIi'ischools,todigupthegrave.Thisisalsotheopinion
oIAhmad,accordingtoonenarrationIromhim.Insuchacase,aIuneralprayershouldbeoIIeredIor
thedeceasedwithoutdisturbingthegrave.YetanotherreportIromAhmadsaysthatinsuchacasethe
graveshouldbedugup,thebodyexhumed,andaIuneralprayeroIIeredIorthedeceasedperson.
TheleadersoIthethreeschoolsholditpermissibletodigupagraveIoravalidreason,e.g.,toremove
some money leIt in the grave, to turn the Iace oI a body toward the Kaibah iI buried otherwise, to
wash a body that was buried without a proper puriIication, and to improve the shroud. This is not
done,however,incaseswhenitisIearedthatbydoing sothecorpsewilldisintegrate.
The HanaIi school disagrees and considers it not permissible to dig up a grave Ior any oI the above
reasons. They consider such digging oI a grave as a sort oI dismembering oI the body, which is not
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permissibleinanycase.IbnQudamahcounteredthispositionbyexplaining:"Itwouldbeconsidered
dismemberment(muthlah)onlyinthecaseoIthosewhosebodieshaverottenaway.Insuchacase,a
grave should not be dug up. II the deceased was buried without a shroud, then there are two
alternatives.Eirst,heshouldbeleItalonesincetheobjectoIhavingashroudistocoverthebody.and
thatisachievedbycoveringitwithsoil.Second,thegraveshouldbedugupandthebodyshrouded,
becauseshroudingisobligatoryandisasimportantaswashingthebody."
Ahmadsaid:"IIthegravediggerIorgotandleIthistoolsinsidethegrave,hemaydigthemup."The
sameappliesiIsomeonedroppedanaxe,somemoney,orsomethingoIvalue.Hewasasked:"WhatiI
the deceased's Iamily oIIered the owner oI the objects compensation Ior his lost valuables?"He said:
"IItheygivehimhisrightIuldue,thenhemaynotdig."
Bukhari has reported a relevant hadith concerning this Irom Jabir, who said: "The Prophet, peace be
upon him, came to Abdallah ibn Ubayy aIter he was lowered in his grave. He commanded his
companionstotakehimout.Thenheputhimonhisknees,blewhissalivaoverhim,thenputashirt
onhim."Hehasalsoreported:"AmanwasburiedwithmyIather.IdidnotIeelgooduntilIremoved
himandburiedhiminaseparategrave.''(ThebodywastakenoutsixmonthsaIterhisIather'sdeath)
Bukharihasgiventhesetwohadithinaseparatechapter,entitled:"CanadeceasedbetakenoutoIthe
grave Ior any reason?" Abu Daw'ud reported Irom Abdallah ibn ' Amr who said, "While we were
goingtoal-TaiIandpassingbyagrave,IheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saying:'ThisisAbu
Raghal's grave. ' He used to treat the Prophet insolently in the sacred precincts (oI the Sacred
Mosque).TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,added,'WhenheleIt,aretributionovertookAbuRaghal,
asitdidhispeopleatthisplace,sohewasburiedhere.AndtheprooIoIthisisthathewasburiedwith
apieceoIgold.SoiIyoudiguphisgrave,youwillgetit.'ThePeoplerushedtothegrave,dugitup,
Iound,andremovedthegoldpiece."
Al-Khattabisaid:"ThisshowsthatitispermissibletodigupthegravesoIpolytheistsiIthereissome
goodorbeneIitIorMuslimsindoingso.Indeed,in suchasituationtheircaseisnotsimilartothatoI
deceasedMuslims."
Eiqh4.78:TransIeringtheBodyIromOnePlacetoAnother
The Ash-ShaIi'i school considers it unlawIul to transIer the body oI a deceased Irom one country or
towntoanotherunlessitistoMakkah,MadinahorJerusalem.Itispermissibletoremovethebodyto
oneoIthesecitiesbecauseoItheirspecialsigniIicanceandposition.IIsomeoneleavesinstructionsin
his or her will that he or she be buried in a place other than these three cities, the will may not be
executed,becauseitcoulddelaytheburialandcausethebodytodeteriorate.LikewisetransIerringthe
bodyIromonegravetoanotherisprohibitedunlessthereisavalidreasonIordoingso,Iorexample,
iI the deceased was buried without a proper wash, or was buried without tuming the deceased's Iace
towardtheqiblah,orthegravewasdamagedbyIloodordampness.
It is stated in Al-Minhaj that digging up a grave aIter burial either Ior removing the body or Ior any
other reason is prohibited unless there is genuine reason Ior it. such as when a deceased person is
buriedwithoutawashorisburiedinausurpedclothorlandorsomethingoIvalueisleItinthegrave
orthedeceasedwasburiedwithoutIacingtheqiblah.
The MalikischoolholdsitpermissibletoremovethebodyIromoneplacetoanother,beIoreoraIter
the burial, Ior a genuine reason, Ior example, when it is Ieared that the body oI a deceased may be
drownedintheseaoreatenupbywildanimals,orwhenrelativeswanttoburythedeceasednearbyso
that they may visit it more easily, or in order to seek the blessings oI the place to which the body is
removed.Inallsuchcases,transIerringoIthebodyIromoneplacetoanotherispermissibleprovided
itssanctityisnotaIIected,e.g.,itdoesnotbloat,doesnotdecomposeoritsbonesdonotbreak.
TheHanaIischoolconsiderstheremovaloIabodyIromoneplacetoanotherundesirable,andholdsit
preIerabletoburyapersonattheplaceoIdeath.ThebodymaybetakenIoramileortwoIorburial,
Ior that is the usual distance to a cemetery. AIter the burial removing the body without a genuine
reasonisnotpermissibleasmentionedabove.IIawoman'ssondiesandheisburiedinherabsencein
anothertown,andshewasimpatientandwantedtoremovehisbodytoherowntown,herrequestmay
notbeheeded.
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The Hanbali school considers it desirable to bury a martyr at the place where he or she is killed.
Ahmad said, "As to those who are slain, a hadith reported by Jabir Irom the Prophet, peace beupon
him, says: 'Bury the martyrs wherever they are killed'." Ibn Majah reported: "The Prophet, peace be
upon him, ordered that the martyrs oI the Battle oI Uhud be returned and buried at theplaceswhere
they had Iallen." As Ior the others, they are not to be removed Irom one town to another without a
validcause.ThisistheopinionoIAlAwza'iandIbnal-Munzhir.AbdallahibnMalikahsaid:"Abd-ur
Rahman ibn Abu Bakr died in Abyssinia and his body was carried to Makkah where he was buried.
When'Aishahvisitedhisgraveshesaid:'ByAllah!HadIbeentherewhenyoudied,Iwouldnothave
allowedyoutobeburiedanywhereexceptattheplacewhereyouhaddied.AndhadIseenyouthere,
I would not have visited you'." Burying the deceased at the place oI death is easier and more secure
againstdeteriorationoIthephysicalremains.Itispermissible,however,toremovethebodyIromone
placetoanotherincasethereisavalidreason.
Ahmad said: "I do not know oI any harm in transIerring the deceased Irom one town to another."
WhenAz-Zuhriwasaskedaboutthat,hesaid,"ThebodiesoISa'dibnAbiWaqqasandSa'idibnZaid
wereremovedIromal-'AqiqtoMadinah."
Eiqh4.80:Condolences
OIIeringone'scondolencestosomeonemeanssharinginhisgrieIandencouraginghimtobepatient.
It means enjoining patience to comIort the distressed person and to lighten his or her grieI and
misIortune.
Eiqh4.80a:TheirLegality,Condolences
Condolences are desirable, even iI the deceased was a non-Muslim. Ibn Majah and Al-Baihaqi
reported Irom 'Amr ibn Hazm that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Every believer who
consoles his brother in distress, will be dressed by Allah in an apparel oI honor on the Day oI
Resurrection."Itisrecommended,however,thatthecondolencesbeoIIeredonlyonce.
ThecondolencesshouldbeoIIeredtotheentireIamilyoIthedeceased,thatis,toalltherelatives,old
andyoung,menandwomen.(ThescholarsexcludeIromthislistbeautiIulyoungwomen.Onlytheir
mahram relatives may oIIer condolences to them) One may oIIer condolences either beIore or aIter
the burial up tothreedaysaIterdeath.IIthepersoneitheroIIeringorreceivingcondolenceswasnot
presentatthetimeoIdeath,condolencesmaybeoIIeredevenatalaterperiod.
Eiqh4.80b:TheWordingoICondolence
Condolences may be oIIered in any words so long as they lighten the distress, induce patience, and
bringsolacetothebereaved.ItispreIerable,however,tousethewordingastransmittedinhadith.
Usamah ibn Zaid reported, "A daughter oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, sent him a message to
cometoherhouse,becauseasonoIhershaddied.Inresponsehesentheramessagewithhisregards
saying: 'Verily, to Allah belongs what He has taken, and to Him belongs what He has given. Eor
everythingHehassetaterm.Sobepatientandbecontent'.''(Bukhari.InCommentAn-Nawawisaid:
"This is a very comprehensive hadith. It contains a number oI essential principles oI Islam. It
encourages one to be patient in the Iace oI catastrophe and hard times. The meaning oI 'what Allah
takes' is that everything belongs to Allah. ThereIore what he takes also belongs to Him and not to
others.HetakeswhatHeowns.Whateverwehaveis ontrust.Thus,weshouldbepatientandcontent
withwhateverbeIallsus.")
At-Tabarani, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Mardawayh reported - with a chain that has an unreliablenarrator-
IromMu'azhibnJabalthatwhenasonoIhisslied,Mu'azhreceivedaletterIromtheProphet,peace
be upon him, oIIering him condolences. The Prophet wrote to him: "In the name oI Allah, the most
BeneIicent,theMostMerciIul.EromMuhammad,theMessengeroIAllah,toMu'azhbinJabal.Peace
be upon you. I praise Allah, there is no god but He. May Allah increase your reward, grant you
patience,andgiveusandyouthepowertooIIerourthanks,Iorverily,ourlives,ourwealth,andour
IamiliesaregiItsoIAllahentrustedtousonlyIorawhile.MayAllahgrantyoujoyandblessyouwith
a large reward, mercy, and guidance. II you are content with Him, you should be patient. Do not let
your grieI destroy your reward, so that you may regret it later on. Remember grieving over the
deceasedwillnotrestorehimtoliIe,norremovegrieI.Whateverisdestinedtohappen,itisasiIithas
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alreadyoccurred.Peacebeonyou'.''(Thishadithisweak.Mu'azh'ssonreportedlydiedtwoyearsaIter
thedeathoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim)
Ash-ShaIi'ihasreportedtheIollowinginhisMusnad IromJa'IaribnMuhammad,whoreportedIrom
hisIatherandIromhisgrandIather,bothoIwhomsaid:"WhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,died
and condolences were oIIered, they heard someone saying. 'In Allah is the best consolation against
every catastrophe, a substitute Ior every loss, and a replacement Ior anything that is missed. Trust
Allah,seekHisaid,andbehopeIuloIHismercy.TheonereallyaIIlictedistheonewhoisdeprived
oItherewardIorhismisIortune."ThechainoInarratorsoIthishadithisweak.Muslimscholarssay
that iI a Muslim oIIers condolences to another Muslim he should say: "May Allah increase your
reward, give you the best consolation, and Iorgive your deceased beloved." And iI one gives
condolencestoaMuslimIoradisbelievingrelative,oneshouldsay:"MayAllahincreaseyourreward,
andgrantyouthebestoIconsolation."
IIonegivescondolencestoadisbelieverIoraMuslimrelative,oneshouldsay:"MayAllahgiveyou
thebestoIcondolencesandgrantIorgivenesstoyourdeceasedbeloved."
IIboththedeceasedandtheonetowhomcondolencesaregivenaredisbelievers,thenoneshouldsay:
"MayAllahgrantyouasubstitute."AsIortheresponsetocondolences,thereceivershouldrespond,
"Amin"and"MayAllahrewardyou."
AccordingtoAhmad,onemayormaynotshakehandswiththebereavedwhenoIIeringcondolences.
IIoneseesapersonwhohastornhisorherclothesbecauseoIamisIortune,oneshouldcomIortthe
person, and shouldnotreIusetodowhatisgoodbecauseoIhisorhervainact,butitisgoodiIone
bidssuchapersontoreIrainIromdoingso.
Eiqh4.82:SittingIorCondolences
The sunnah concerning this is that one should oIIer condolences to the bereaved Iamily and leave.
Neithertheconsolernortheconsoledshouldsitdown.ThisisthelessonwelearnIromtheexampleoI
ourrighteouspredecessors.Ash-ShaIi'iinhisAl-Ummsaid,"Idislikegatheringingroupstogetherto
give condolences even iI those gathered do not cry. Such a gathering revives sorrowandaddstothe
grieI and burden oI the bereaved Iamily. An-Nawawi said, "Ash-ShaIi'i and his companions disliked
sittingIorcondolences,wherebymembersoItheIamilystayintheirhomestoreceiveanyonecoming
togivetheircondolences.Instead,theyshouldgoabouttheirusualtasksandneeds.Thisappliesboth
tomenandwomen.Al-MuhamilistatesthisexplicitlyandtransmitsitinreIerencetoatextIromAsh-
ShaIi'i.Thisismakruhtanzihi(MakruhtanzihlsigniIiessomethingwhichisundesirableyetiscloser
to the lawIul) unless it is coupled with some other innovation. II it is accompanied with another
Iorbidden innovation (bid'ah), as is generally the case, then it is regarded as one oI the strongly
Iorbidden acts. All such acts are an innovation, and as a sound hadith says, "All novel acts are an
innovationandeveryinnovationiserror."
Ahmad and many other HanaIi scholars also hold this opinion. Early HanaIischolars,however,held
theviewthatthereisnothingwronginholdingagatheringatplacesotherthanmosquesIorthreedays
oIcondolence,solongasonedoesnothingprohibited.ThepracticesoIsomepeoplenowadays,such
asgatheringIorcondolences,settinguptents,spreadingcarpets,andincurringalotoIexpensesoutoI
arrogance and show oII are all despicable innovations that are Iorbidden and must be avoided,
especiallywhenmostoItheseactsarecontradictorytotheteachingsoItheQur'anandsunnahandare
vestiges oI pre-Islamic customs oI jahiliyyah. Some oI these innovations are reciting the Qur'an in a
melodicIashionanddisregardingtherulesoIproperrecitation,ornotkeepingsilentwhenlisteningto
theQur'anorindulginginsmokingorsuchotheractivities.Andthisisnotall.SomeoItheseslaves
oI their desires indulge in extreme innovation. They are not satisIied with the days originally
prescribedbyIslam,butdesignateWednesdayasthedaytorenewtheseabominationsandtoindulge
in these innovations. They celebrate the anniversary oI death on the Iirst day and observe
remembranceonthesecondday,anddoothersuchotherthingswithoutanyjustiIicationbyeithertext
orreason.
Eiqh4.83:VisitingGraves
VisitinggravesisdesirableIormen.'AbdallahibnBuraidahreportedIromhisIatherthat theProphet,
peace be upon him, said: "I had Iorbidden you to visit graves, but now you may visit them. It will
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remind you oI the HereaIter." (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan works) They were prohibited Irom
visitlng the graves because oI their proximity to the jahiliyyah (Days oI Ignorance) when they used
incorrect and obscene language. AIter they had Iully entered the Iold oI Islam, became well pleased
with it, and had Iully accepted its laws, the Prophet, peace be upon him, permitted them to visit
graves.
Abu Hurairah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited his mother' s grave and cried, and
everyone there cried with him. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'I sought my Lord's
permissiontoseekIorgivenessIorher,butHedidnotpermitme.Ithensoughtpermissiontovisither
grave and He permitted me to do this. You should visit graves, because they will remind you oI the
realityoIdeath.''(Muslim,Ahmad,andtheSunan,exceptTirmizhi)
SincethepurposeoIvisitinggravesisadmonitionandremembranceoIdeath,itispermissibletovisit
the graves oI disbelievers. Weeping when passing by the graves oI the wrongdoers who were seized
and punished by Allah Ior their evil deeds, and to express one's humility and one's need Ior
Iorgiveness oI Allah is desirable.This is obvious Irom a hadith,reportedbyBukhariontheauthority
oIIbn'Umar,thattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saidtohisCompanions,whentheypassedthrough
Al-Hijr,thedwellingsoIthepeopleoIThamud,"DonotgowithoutweepingtotheplacesoIburialoI
those who are undergoing torment. But iI you cannot weep, then do not enter these places lest what
beIellthemshouldbeIallyou."
Eiqh4.83a:EtiquetteoIVisitingGraves
WhoeverpaysavisittoagraveshouldIacethedeceased,greethim,andsupplicateIorhim.Onthis
subject we Iind the Iollowing: Buraidah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us that
whenwevisitedgravesweshouldsay,'Peacebeuponyou,Obelievingmenandwomen,Odwellers
oI this place. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you. You have preceded us and we are to Iollow
you.WesupplicatetoAllahtograntusandyousecurity'.''(ReportedbyMuslim,Ahmad,andothers)
Ibn'Abbasreported:"OncetheProphet,peacebeuponhim,passedbygravesinMadinah.Hetumed
his Iace toward them saying: 'Peace be upon you, O dwellers oI these graves. May Allah Iorgive us
andyou.Youhaveprecededus,andweareIollowingyourtrail'."(Tirmizhi)
'Aishahsaid:"EverytimeitwasmyturntobewiththeProphet,peacebeuponhim,towardtheendoI
thenight,hewouldgoouttothecemeteryoIal-Baqi'andwouldsay,
'Peacebeuponyou,OabodeoIbelievers.Whatyouwerepromisedwillcometopasstomorrowata
Iixedtime.Weshall,Allahwilling,soonjoinyou.OAllah!GrantIorgivenesstothepeoplewhoare
buriedinal-Baqi'al-Gharqad','(Muslim)
'Aishah also reported: "I asked: 'What should I say when I pass by a graveyard, O Messenger oI
Allah?' He replied, 'Say, "Peace be upon the believing men and women dwelling here. May Allah
grant mercy to those who have preceded us and those who are to Iollow them. Certainly, Allah
willing,wewilljoinyou"'."
What some people do, like wiping hands over the graves and tombs, kissing them, and
circumambulatingaroundthemareabominableinnovations.Suchthingsshouldnotbedone,Iorthey
areunlawIul.Thesethingsarepermissible,however,iIperIormedinrelationwiththeHouseoIAllah,
the Ka'abah, Ior Allah has so honored it. The grave oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, cannot be
considered a similar case, nor the tomb oI a saint. All good comes Irom azherence to his example
whereasallevilIlowsIrominnovatingnewthingsinreligion.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited the graves to supplicate Ior their
inhabitants, and to seek mercy and Iorgiveness oI Allah Ior them. Contrary to this, the pagans
supplicatedtothedead,swearingbythem,askingthemIortheirneeds,andseekingtheirsupportand
help. Such pagan practices are in conIlict with the guidance oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, and
his teachings about the OnenessoIAllahandaboutthemanneroIsupplicatingIorAllah'smercyIor
the dead. The people who do such things are guilty oI polytheism; they are indulging in sin, and
bringingeviltothedeceased.Theymaybedividedintothreecategories:thosewhosupplicateIorthe
deceased, those who supplicate through the deceased, and the third who supplicate to the deceased.
Theythinkthatmakingsupplications byagraveisbetterthaninamosque.Eoranyonewholooksto
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the guidance oI the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him, and his Companions, the distinction
betweenthetwocitedpositionsisIairlyobvious."
Eiqh4.85:CanWomenVisitGraves
Imam Malik and some HanaIi scholars, and, according to one report Irom Ahmad, most oI the
scholars hold it permissible Ior women to visit graves. This is based on the Iollowing hadith Irom
'Aishah, "What should I say to them, O Messenger oI Allah when visiting graves?" As mentioned
aboveAbdallahibnAbiMulaikahisalsoreportedtohavesaid,"Once'AishahreturnedaItervisiting
thegraveyard.Iasked,'OMotheroItheBelievers,wherehaveyoubeen?'Shesaid:'Iwentouttovisit
thegraveoImybrotherAbdar-Rahman.'Iaskedher:'Didn'ttheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeupon
him, prohibit visiting graves?' She said, 'Yes, he did Iorbidvisitinggravesduringtheearlydays,but
later on he ordered us to visit them'." This is reported by Al-Hakim and Al-Baihaqi, who also
remarkedthatthishadithwasnarratedonlybyBistambinMuslimal-Basri.Azh-Zhahabisaidthatitis
asoundhadith.
Anas reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a woman crying by the grave oI her son, and
said to her, 'Eear Allah, and be patient.' She replied, 'What do you care about mytragedy?'Whenhe
went away, someone told her, 'Indeed, that was the Messenger oI Allah, peace be upon him. ' The
womanIeltextremelysorryandsheimmediatelywenttotheProphet'shouse,whereshedidnotIind
any guards. She called out: 'O Messenger oI Allah! I did not recognize you.' The Prophet, peace be
upon him, said, 'Verily patience is needed at the time oI the Iirst aIIiction'.'' (Bukhari and Muslim)
This supports the argument in Iavor oI the permissibility oI women visiting graves, Ior the Prophet,
peacebeuponhim,sawheratthegraveanddidnotshowhisdisapprovaloIit.
The purpose oI visiting graves is to remember the HereaIter, which is something that both men and
women need. Men are by no means more in need oI this reminder than women. Some scholars
dislikeditIorwomentovisitgravesastheyarelesspatientandtooemotional.TheProphet,peacebe
upon him, said, "May Allah curse the women who are Irequent visitors oI the graves." (Reported by
Ahmad,IbnMajah,andTirmizhi,whosaidthatitisasoundhadith)
Al-Qurtubi said: "The curse mentioned in this hadith applies only to those women who visit graves
Irequently.ThereasonIorthiscurseliesperhapsintheIactthatitinvolvesinIringementoItherights
oI the husband, and leads to adornment and exhibition oI their beauty to strangers, and shouting,
yelling,andothersimilarthings."Itmaybesaidthat,"IInosuchharmisIearedIromwomenvisiting
graves, then there is no valid reason Ior preventing them Irom visiting graves, Ior indeed
remembrance oI death is something that both men and women equally need." Commenting on Al-
Qurtubi's view, Ash-Shawkani said, "This statement may Iorm the basis Ior reconciling apparently
contradictoryhadith."
Eiqh 4.86: The Deeds that BeneIittheDepartedSoulsandProIIeringRewardIorGoodDeedstothe
MessengeroIAllah(peacebeuponhim)
ThereisconsensusthatadeceasedpersonbeneIitsIromallgooddeedsIorwhichheorsheinhisor
her liIe might have been a cause. Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
'When a person diesallhisgooddeedsceaseexceptIorthree:acontinuousactoIcharity,beneIicial
knowledge, and a righteous son who prays Ior him'.'' (Muslim, and the Sunan) Also Abu Hurairah
reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'The righteous works that continue to beneIit a
believeraIterhisdeathincludetheknowledgethathetaughtandspreadamongothers,arighteousson
whomheleavesbehind,oracopyoItheQur'anthathebequeathstohisinheritors,oramosquethat
he builds, or a rest house that he builds Ior the wayIarers, or a canal oI water that he digs Ior the
beneIit oI others, or a charity that he gives out oI his property during his liIe while he is sound oI
health.HewillcontinuetoreceiverewardIoralltheseevenaIterhisdeath.'(IbnMajah)
Jarir ibn Abdallah reported: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever introduces a good
practiceinIslamwillgetitsrewardandtherewardsIorallthosewhoIollowthesepracticesaIterhim,
without any loss to their reward. And whoever introducesabadpracticeinIslamwillacquireitssin
andthesinsoIallthosewhopracticeit,withoutanydecreaseintheirsins."
AnaccountoItherighteousdeedsperIormedbyothersthatcontinuetobebeneIicialtothedeceased
isgivenindetailbelow:
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-2- Charity. An-Nawawi has recorded that Muslim scholars agree that charity beneIits the deceased
personanditsrewardreachesthedeceasedwhetheritisgivenbyhisorownsonorbysomeoneelse.
This is based on a report Irom Ahmad, Muslim, and others Irom Abu Hurairah that, "A man said to
theProphet,peacebeuponhim,'MyIatherdiedleavingwealthbutnowill.WouldhebepardonediI
we gave charity on his behalI?' He said: 'Yes."' It is also reported Irom Al-Hasan Irom Sa'd ibn
'Ubadahthat"hismotherdiedandhesaid,'OMessengeroIAllah,mymotherhasdied.ShouldIgive
charity on her behalI?' He said: 'Yes.' I said: 'What is the best charity?' He said, 'OIIering people a
drinkoIwater'."Al-Hasansaid:"ThisisthedrinkingplaceoItheIamilyoISa'dinMadinah."Thisis
reportedbyAhmad,Nasa'i,andothers.Givingcharityinthegraveyardisnotpermissibleandgivingit
duringtheIuneralisdisliked.
-3- Easting.ThisisbasedonareportbyBukhariandMuslimIromIbn'Abbaswhosaid,"Amancame
to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, 'My mother has died without making up Ior a missed
month oI Iasting. Can IIastonherbehalI?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'Wouldyoupay
herdebtiIsheowedsomeone?'Themansaid,'Yes.'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'Allahis
moredeservingoIpaymentinsettlementoIHisdebt'."
-4- PerIorming the Pilgrimage (Hajj). This is based on a report by Bukhari Irom Ibn 'Abbas that "a
woman oI the Juhainah tribe came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, 'My mother had
vowed to perIorm pilgrimage, but she died beIore she could IulIill her vow. Should I do it on her
behalI?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'Yes.PerIormHajjonherbehalI.Wouldyounotpay
the debt oI your mother iI she had owed someone? EulIill it. Allah is more deserving oI receiving
paymentIorwhatisduetoHim'."
-5- Prayer (salah). This is based on a report by Ad-Darqutni who said that "a man asked, 'O Allah's
Messenger! I had parents whom I served while they lived. How can I be good to them aIter their
death? ' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Verily, among the good deeds that you can do aIter
their death is to oIIer prayer (salah) Ior them when you pray Ior yourselI and to Iast Ior them when
youIastIoryourselI'."
-6- RecitationoItheQur'an.ThisisbeneIicialtothedeceasedaccordingtotheopinionoIthemajority
oIthescholarsamongtheahlal-sunnah.
An-Nawawisaid,"Themostwell-knownpositionoItheShaIi'ischoolisthatthisdoesnotbeneIitthe
deceased."AhmadibnHanbalandagroupoIShaIi'ischolarsholdthatitdoesbeneIitthedeceased.
The reciter has an option. He may supplicate Ior the deceased to be rewarded Ior the recitation,
saying:"OAllah!GranttherewardoIwhatIrecitedtoso-and-so."
IbnQudamahinal-Mughnistated,"AhmadibnHanbalsaid,'ThedeceasedwillreceivetherewardIor
everygooddoneonhisbehalI.ThisisprovedbytextualevidenceIoundonthissubject.TheIactthat
Muslims in every city gather to recite the Qur'an Ior the beneIit oI the deceased and that they have
beendoingsowithoutanydisagreementordisapprovalshowthatthereisconsensusonthissubject'."
Those who hold that the deceased beneIits by the recitation oI others make it conditional upon the
reciternottoacceptanypaymentIorhisrecitation.IIthereciterispaidIorreciting,itisunlawIulIor
boththegiverandthereceiver,andheshallhavenorewardIorhisreciting.AbdArRahmanibnShibl
reportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"RecitetheQur'an,anddogooddeeds....Donot
neglect it, nor be extreme in it. Do not make it a means oI living nor a source oI your wealth.''
(ReportedbyAhmad,At-Tabarani,andAl-Baihaqi)
Ibn al-Qayyim said, "Worship is oI two types: Iinancial and physical. The Prophet, peace be upon
him,hasinIormedusthatbecausecharity(sadaqah)beneIitsthedeceased,allotheractsoIcharitywill
also beneIit the deceased, and that because Iasting on his behalI beneIits the deceased, all other
physicalactsoIworshipwilllikewisebeneIitthedeceased.SimilarlytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,
inIormedusthat therewardoImakingHajj,whichinvolvesbothphysicalandIinancialsacriIice,does
indeedbeneIitthedeceased.ThusthesethreetypesoIbeneIicialactsoIworshiparesupportedbyboth
therevealedtextsandreason."
Eiqh4.88:IntentionasaPrerequisite
TheperIormermusthavetheintentionoIperIorminganactonbehalIoIthedeceased.Ibn'Aqilsaid,
"IIoneperIormedanyactoIobedience,Iorexample,aprayer,Iasting,orrecitationoItheQur'anand
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madeitsrewardagiIttoadeceasedMuslim, thedeceasedwillreceivetherewardIorit,providedthat
he has a prior intentionoImakingitIorthebeneIitoIthedeceased,andtheactandtheintentiongo
together."Ibnal-Qayyimsupportsthisopinion.
Eiqh4.88a:TheBestPresentIortheDeceased
Ibnal-Qayyimsaid,"ThebestpresentIorthedeceasedisanactthatismostbeneIicialtopeople,Ior
example, Ireeing a slave.Thus a sadaqah giving in charity is better than Iasting on behalI oI the
deceased.ThebestcharityisthatwhichIulIillssomeone'sneedandiscontinuous.TheProphet,peace
beuponhim,said,"ThebestcharityistogivepeopleadrinkoIwater."Thisappliestoaplacewhere
water is scarce. Otherwise, giving someone a drink oI water Irom a river or a canal would not be
better than Ieeding the hungry who need Iood. Likewise, supplication and asking Iorgiveness Ior the
deceasedisbeneIicialtothedeceased,especiallywhenthesupplicantissincere,earnest,andhumble
in his supplication. Such a supplication is better than charity, just as regular prayer (salah) is better
thantheIuneralprayerandthansupplicatingIorthedeceasedbyhisgrave.
In general, the best giIt to send the deceased is Ireeing a slave, giving in charity, asking Iorgiveness
Iorhimorher,andmakingtheHajj(pilgrimage)onhisorherbehalI.
Eiqh4.89:PresentingaRewardtoAllah'sMessenger(pbuh)
Ibnal-Qayyimsaid,"SomeoIthelatterjuristsholditdesirablewhileothersdonotagreebecausethey
regard it as an innovation (bid'ah). The Companions never did it. The Prophet, peace be upon him,
shallreceivearewardIoreverygooddonebyanyoneIromamonghiscommunity(Ummah)without
in the least diminishing the reward oI the doer.This is because he is the one who invited his
communitytoeverygood,andledthemtoit,andbecausetheonewhocallsotherstotruthalwayshas
arewardsimilartothatoIthosewhoIollowitwithoutinanywaydiminishingtheirreward.Whatever
guidance or knowledge his community gained, they gained it only through him, so he shall have a
rewardequaltothatoIhisIollowerswhethertheyIormallydedicateittohimornot.
Eiqh4.89a:ChildrenoIMuslimsandNon-Muslims
ThechildrenoIMuslimswhodiepriortotheageoIpubertygotoParadise.'AdiibnThabit reported
that he heard al-Bara' saying, "When Ibrahim, son oI the Prophet died, the Prophet, peace be upon
him, said, 'Verily, he will have suckling in Paradise'.'' (Bukhari) Al-HaIiz said in Al-Eath, "Bukhari
indicates his view on this subject when he makes the statement that 'they are inParadise'."Anasibn
MalikreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyMuslimhasthreechildrenandthey
die prior to reaching the age oI puberty, Allah will cause him to enter Paradise on account oI His
mercytothem."
ItisclearIromthishadiththatthosechildrenwhobecomeareasonIorotherstoenterParadise,would
themselvesbeinaIarbetterpositiontoenterit,becausetheyaretherealcauseoIthemercyoIAllah.
AsIorchildrenoInon-Muslims,theyaresimilartothechildrenoIMuslimswithrespecttotheirentry
into Paradise. An-Nawawi said, "This is the sound view held by the eminent scholars, and it is
supported by Allah's words, 'We will not punish anyone until We have sent a Messenger.' (Qur'an
17.15) Now iI an adult is not punished Ior the reason that the truth did not reach him, it is Iar more
reasonabletoassumethatachildwillnotbepunished."AreportbyAhmadIromKhansa,daughteroI
Mu'awiyah ibn Sarim, states that he related her aunt's Iollowing account: "I asked, 'O Messenger oI
Allah!WhowillbeinParadise?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'ProphetswillbeinParadise,
martyrswillbeinParadise,andbabieswillbeinParadise'."Al-HaIizsaidthatthishadithhasasound
chainoInarrators.
Eiqh4.89b:TheQuestioningintheGrave
Allahlal-SunnahwaAl-Jama'ahagreethateachpersonwillbequestionedaIterhisdeath,whetherhe
isburiedornot.EveniIapersonwereeatenbycarnivorousanimalsorbumttoashesandthrowninto
theairordrownedinthesea,heorshewouldbequestionedabouthisorherdeeds,andrewardedwith
good or evil depending on his or her deeds in liIe. Both the body and the soul together experience
punishmentorreward.
Ibnal-Qayyimsaid,"TheearlyMuslimcommunityanditsprominentscholarsheldthataIterdeath,a
personiseitherinblissortormentbothphysicallyandspiritually.AIteritsseparationIromthebody,
thesoulenduresastateoIhappinessorpunishment.Attimes,whenthesoulrejoinsthebody,bothoI
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them receive torture or joy. On the Day oIResurrection,thesoulswillbereturnedtothebodiesand
theywillriseIromtheirgravesandstandbeIoretheLordoItheworlds.TheMuslims,Christians,and
Jews,all believeintheresurrectionoIthebody.
Al-MaruzirelatedthatImamAhmadsaid,"Thepunishmentinthegraveisareality,andonlyhewho
ismisguidedorwantstomisguideothersdeniesit."
Hanbalsaid,"IaskedAbuAbdallahaboutthepunishmentinthe grave.Hesaid,'Thesearethesound
hadith and we believe in them and aIIirm them. We aIIirm everything that comes Irom the Prophet,
peacebeuponhim,withasoundchainoInarrators.IIweweretoconIirmareportasbeingIromthe
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,andthenrejectitoropposeit,wewouldbedenyingtheWordoIAllah,
"WhatevertheMessengergivesyou,takeit".'Iaskedhim,'IsthepunishmentoIthegraveareality?'
He said, 'Yes, it is a reality. The people are punished in their graves. ' I heard Abu Abdallah saying,
'We believe in the punishment oI the grave, in Munkar and Nakir (the two questioning angels), and
that the deceased will be questioned in their graves.' The Qur'an states that 'Allah will establish in
strength those who believe in the Word, that stands Iirm in this world and in the HereaIter,' Qur'an
14.27thatis,inthegrave."
Ahmadibnal-Qasimsaid,Iasked,'OAbuAbdallah!DoyoubelieveinMunkarandNakirandwhatis
relatedconcemingthepunishmentoIthegrave?'Hesaid,'GlorytoAllah.Yes,wedoconIirmthatand
wedeclareso.'Isaid,'Thisexpressionthatyouuse,isitMunkarandNakir?Ordoyoucallthem,"The
twoangels?"'Heanswered:'MunkarandNakir.'Isaid,'Theysay,"ThereisnomentionoIMunkarand
Nakirinthehadith".'Hereplied,'OIcoursethereis.ThereisMunkarandNakir'."
Al-HaIizsaidinAl-Eath,"AhmadibnHazmandIbnHubairahareoItheopinionthatthequestioning
is addressed to the soul only, without its returning to the body. The majority oI Muslim scholars,
however,disagreewiththem.Theysay,'ThesoulisreturnedtothebodyorsomeoIit,asisconIirmed
bythehadith.Hadthepunishmentbeendirectedatthesoulonly,therewouldnotbeconcernIorthe
body.ThescatteredpartsoIabodyshouldposenoproblem,IorAllahisabletogiveliIetoanypartoI
a body, and then address the questioning to that particular part. Likewise, He is able to gatherallits
partseasily'."
Thosewhoholdthatthequestioningwillbeaddressed onlytothesoulsaythatiIoneweretoexamine
thebodyinthegraveatthetimeoIthequestioning,onewillnoticenotraceoIitssittingoranyother
movement.Onewillalsonoticethatthegraveisneithermorenarrownorspacious.Similaristhecase
oIthosewhoarenotburiedinanygrave,e.g.,thepeoplewhoarecruciIied.Tocounterthisobjection,
it is maintained that it is not impossible. Rather, in physical liIe we Iind a similar example, namely,
sleeping.Asleepingpersonexperiencesboth pleasureandpain,buthiscompanioncannotnoticeany
oIitseIIectsonhim.InIact,evenapersonwhoiswideawakealsoIeelspainandpleasurewhenhe
hearsorthinksoIhispainIulorpleasantexperiences,butitseIIectscannotbenoticed.Consideringthe
unseeninthelightoIwhatisseenorguessingaboutliIeaIterdeathintermsoIthepresentliIeisthe
mistakeoIthisIallaciousthinking.
ObviouslyAllahhasscreenedthesightsandsoundsoItheotherworldIromman,andwithourlimited
physicalIaculties,weareincapableoIperceivingthevastkingdomoIheavens,unlessAllahwillsit.
TheopinionoIthemajorityinthisrespectissupportedbyvarioushadith.TheProphet,peacebeupon
him, Ior example, told us, "the deceased hears the sound oI their Iootsteps"; "his ribs are altered
because oI the embrace oI the grave"; "the sound oI his voice resounds when the angel strikes him
with a hammer"; "he is struck between his ears," or "they (thetwoangels)willcausehimtositup."
All these hadith reIer to various bodily conditions. We will mention here some oI the sound hadith
concerningthissubject.
Zaid ibn Thabit reported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wasgoingwithustowardthedwellings
oIBanuan-Najjar.Hewasridingapony,whichspookedandhenearlyIelloII.HeIoundIour,Iive,or
sixgravesthere,andasked,'WhichoIyouknowsaboutthoselyinginthesegraves?'Someonesaid,'I
do . ' Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, ' In what state did they die? ' He replied,
'They died as polytheists. ' He said, "These people are passing through an ordeal in the graves. You
wouldstopburyingyourdeadinthegravesiIyouheardthetormentinthegravethatIhear.IIitwere
not Ior this Iact, I should have certainly made you listen to it.' Then turning his Iace toward us, he
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admonished, 'Seek reIuge with Allah Irom the torment oI Hell.' They replied, 'We seek reIuge with
AllahIromthetormentoIHell.'Hesaid,'SeekreIugewithAllahIromthetormentoIthegrave.'They
said,'WeseekreIugewithAllahIromthetormentoIthegrave.'Hewarned,'SeekreIugewithAllah
Iromtemptationsbothvisibleandinvisible.'Theyreplied,'WeseekreIugewithAllahIromtemptation
(Iitnah) in every visible and invisible Iorm.' Then he added, 'Seek reIuge with Allah Irom the
temptation oI the Dajjal.' They said, 'We seek reIuge with Allah Irom the temptation oI the Dajjal'.''
(Muslim)
QatadahreportedthatAnasibnMaliksaid,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'Whenahuman is
laidinhisgraveandhiscompanionsreturnandhehearstheirIootsteps,twoangelswillcometohim
and make him sit and ask him, "What did you say about this man, Muhammad, may peace be upon
him?"Hewillsay,"ItestiIythatheisAllah'sservantandHisMessenger."Thenitwillbesaidtohim,
"LookatyourplaceinHell-Eire.AllahhasexchangedIoryouaplaceinParadiseinsteadoIit".'The
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,added,'Thedeadpersonwillseebothhisplaces.AsIoranon-believeror
a hypocrite, he will respond to the angels, "I do not know,butIusedtosaywhatthepeopleusedto
say ! " It will besaidtohim,"NeitherdidyouknownordidyouseekguidanceIromthosewhohad
knowledge."Thenhewillbehitwithanironhammerbetweenhistwoears,andhewillcryandthat
crywillbeheardbyallexcepthumanbeingsandjinns'."(BukhariandMuslim)
Al-Bara ibn 'Azib reported: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,'WhenaMuslimisquestionedin
his grave, he bears witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger oI
Allah.'Accordingtoonereport,theverse,'Allahwillestablishinstrengththosewhobelievewiththe
Word,thatstandsIirminthisworldandintheHereaIter'(Qur'an14.27)wasrevealedconcerningthe
punishment oI the grave. The deceased will be asked, 'Who is your Lord?' He will say, 'Allah is my
Lord and Muhammad is my Prophet.' That is what is meant by the statement oI Allah, 'Allah will
make Iirm those who believe with a Iirm statement in this liIe and in the hereaIter'." (Al-Bukhari,
Muslim,andSunan)
AhmadandAbuHatimreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Whenadeceasedperson
islaidinhisgrave,hehearsthesoundoItheIootstepsoIpeopleastheygoaway.IIheisabeliever,
the prayer will stand by his head, the Iasting will be to his right, alms to his leIt, and all other good
deeds oI charity, kindness to relations, and good behavior will be by his Ieet. The deceased will be
questionedbytheangelsathishead.Theprayerwillsay,'Thereisnoentrancethroughme.'Thenhe
willbequestionedbyhisrightsidewhereIastingwillsay,'Thereisnoentrancethroughme.'Thenhe
willbequestionedbyhisleItsidewherecharitywillsay,'Thereisnoentrancethroughme.'Thenhe
willbequestionedbyhisIeetwherethegoodactsoIvoluntarycharity,kindnesstorelations,andgood
behavior will say, 'Thereisnoentrancethroughme.'Thentheywillsaytohim,'Getup.'Andhewill
get up. The sun will appear to him and it will begin to set. Then they will ask, 'This man who was
among you, what do you say about him? What is your testimony about him?'Themanwillsay,'Let
mepray.'Theangelswillsay,'Youwillpray.Answerourquestion.Whatdoyouthinkabout thisman
who was among you? What do you say concerning him? What do you testiIy concerning him?' The
deceasedwillsay,IbearwitnessthatMuhammadwastheMessengeroIAllahwhobroughtthetruth
Irom Allah.' The deceased will be told, 'According to this you lived, died, and according to this you
willberesurrected,iIAllahwills.'
"ThenadoortoParadisewillbeopenedIorhim.Hewillbetold,'ThisisyourplaceinParadiseand
whatAllahhaspreparedIoryou.'AtthisthedesireandhappinessoIthedeceasedwillincrease.His
gravewillbeenlarged70arms-lengthandhisgravewillbelitup.Hisbodywillchangetohisoriginal
Iorm and his spirit will be placed in a bird dangling by the trees oI Paradise in a nice breeze." The
Prophet, peace be upon him, added, "That is what is meant by the statement oI Allah, 'Allah will
establish in strength those who believe with the Word that stands Iirm, in this world and in the
HereaIter'."Healsomentionedtheunbelieverandsaid,"Hisgravewillbecompressed,sothathisribs
will be crushed together. About this the Qur'an says, 'Verily, Ior him is a narrow liIe and We will
resurrecthimblindontheDayoIResurrection'.''Qur'an20.124
SamuraibnJundubreported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,aIter theprayerswouldturntowardus
andaskus,'DidanyoneoIyouhaveadream?'IIsomeonehad,hewouldrelateit.Uponhearingitthe
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Prophet,peacebeuponhim,wouldsay,'WhatsoeverAllahwills(isdone).'Onedayhequestionedus
saying,'Didanyone oIyouhaveadream?'Theyanswered,'No.'ThentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,
said,'ButIsawtonighttwomen.Theycametome.Theyheldmyhandandtookmetotheholyland.
We came across a man Iying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a
big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at theman'shead,crushingit.Therockrolledawayand
thethrowerIolloweditandbroughtitback.Bythetimehereachedtheman,hisheadwasrestoredto
its normal state. The thrower thendid the same as he had done beIore. I asked my two companions,
"Whoarethesetwopeople?"Theysaid,"Proceed!"SoweproceededandcametoamanlyingIlaton
hisbackandanothermanstandingoverhisheadwithanironhook.Behold,hewouldputthehookin
onesideoItheman'smouthandtearoIIthatsideoIhisIacetothebackoItheneckandsimilarlytear
his nose Irom Iront to back and his eye Irom Iront to back. Then he turned to the other side oI the
man'sIaceanddidjustashehaddonewiththeotherside.Assoonashetoreoneside,theotherside
returnedtoitsnormalstate.ThenhereturnedtoittorepeatwhathehaddonebeIore.Isaidtomytwo
companions, "Who are these two people?" They said to me, "Proceed!" So we proceeded and sawa
holelikeanoven,narrowatthetopandwideatthebottom,andIireburninginit.Inthatoventhere
were naked men and women, and behold, Ilames oI Iire were reaching them Irom underneath, and
whenitreachedthem,theywouldberaisedhighuntiltheywereclosetothemouthoItheoven.Then
the Iire subsided and they went back inside it again. I asked, "Who are these?" They said to me,
"Proceed!"AndsoweproceededandcametoariveroIblood.Andbehold,inthemiddleoItheriver
was a man standing, and on the bank there was one who had many stones.Themanwhowasinthe
riverwouldtrytoleavebuttheothermanwouldthrowrocksintohismouthsothathewouldreturnto
wherehewas.EverytimetheIormertriedtoleave,theotherwouldthrowrocksintohismouth.Then
hewouldreturntowherehewas.Iasked,"Whoarethesepeople?"Theyreplied,"Proceed!Proceed!"
Weproceededuntilwecametoamanwitharepulsiveappearance,themostrepulsiveappearanceyou
eversawinaman!BesidehimtherewasaIireandhewaskindlingitandrunningaroundit.Iasked
my companions, "Who is this (man)?" They said to me, "Proceed! Proceed!" So we proceeded until
we reached a garden oI deep green dense vegetation, bedecked with all sorts oI spring colors. In the
middleoIthegardentherewasaverytallman.IcouldhardlyseehisheadbecauseoIhisgreatheight.
AndaroundhimthereweremorechildrenthanIhadeverseenbeIore.Isaidtomycompanions,"Who
isthis?"Theyreplied,"Proceed!Proceed!"Soweproceededuntilwecametoahugemajesticgarden,
greaterandbetterthanIhaveeverseen!Mytwocompanionssaidtome,"Goup,"andIwentup.'
"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'So we ascended until we reached a city built oI gold and
silver bricks. We went to its gate and asked the gatekeeper to open the gate. It was opened and we
enteredthecity.ThereweIoundmenwithonesideoItheirbodiesashandsomeasthemosthandsome
person you have ever seen, and the other side as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My
two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river
Ilowingthroughthecity,anditswaterwasaswhiteasmilk.Thosemenwentandthrewthemselvesin
itandthenreturnedtousaItertheuglinessoItheirbodieshaddisappearedandtheyturnedinthebest
shape.' I said to them, "I have seen many wonders tonight. What is the meaning oI all that I have
seen?"
They replied, "We will inIorm you. As Ior the Iirst man you came upon whose head was being
crushed with the rock, he is the symbol oI the one who studies the Qur'an and then neither recites it
noractsonit,andsleeps,neglectstheenjoinedprayers.AsIorthemanyoucameuponwhosemouth,
nostrils, and eyes were torn oII Irom Iront to back, he is the symbol oI the man whogoesoutoIhis
house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. And those nakedmen
and women whom you saw in the oven, they are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man
whom you saw in the river oI blood is the usurer. As Ior the man by the base oI the tree, he was
Abraham. As Ior the children around him, they are the children oI the people. (The narrator added,
"Some Muslims asked the Prophet. peace be upon him, 'O Messenger oI Allah! What about the
childrenoIpagans?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,replied,'AndalsothechildrenoIpagans'.")And
themanwhomyousawneartheIirekindlingitandgoingroundit,isMalik,thegatekeeperoIHell."'
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"The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, 'My two companions explained, "The men you saw halI
handsomeandhalIuglywerethosepersonswhohadmixedanactthatwasgoodwithanotherthatwas
bad,butAllahIorgavethem."TheIirsthouseisthecommonbeliever'shouse.AsIorthishouse,itis
thehouseoImartyrs.IamGabrielandthisisMichael.Now,raiseyourhead."
WhenIraisedmyhead,Isawapalacethatlookedlikeacloud.Theysaid,"Thisisyourhome."Isaid,
"Letmeentermyhouse."Theysaid,"YoustillhavesomeliIetocompleteonearth.Uponcompleting
it,youmaycometoyourhome''.'(Al-Bukhari)
Ibnal-Qayyimexplained,"ThisisatextthatpertainstothepunishmentoIbarzakh,Ioravisionbythe
Prophetsislikerevelationdemonstratingthe reality."
Al-Tahawi reported Irom Ibn Mas'ud that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A person was
ordered to be lashed a hundred times in his grave. He continuously asked Allah to decrease his
punishment until only one lash remained. His grave was totally Iilled by Iire. When the Iire was
removed, he regained consciousness and asked, 'Why was I lashed?' He was told, 'You oIIered a
prayeroncewithoutproperpuriIication,andyoupassedbyanoppressedpersonbutyoudidnothelp
him'."
Anasreported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,onceheardavoiceIromagrave.Heasked,'When
did this one die?' They said, 'He died during the pre-Islamic era.' He was pleased to hear that and
remarked, 'Had I not Ieared that you would stop burying your dead, I wouldhave asked Allah to let
youhearthepunishmentoIthegrave'."(ReportedbyNasa'iandMuslim)
'Abdallah ibn 'Umar reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him,said,'Thisis(Sa'dibnMu'azh),Ior
whomtheThrone(oIAllah)moved.ThedoorsoIHeavenwereopenedIorhimandseventythousand
angelsparticipated(inhisIuneralprayer).(Hisgrave)wascompressedandlateronwasexpandedIor
him'.''(Nasa'i)
Eiqh4.95:TheAbodeoISouls
Ibn al-Qayyim dealt with this subject under a separate chapter in which he mentions opinions oI
variousscholarsconcerningtheabodeoIsouls.Mentioningthemostcorrectpositionheexplained,"It
is said that the abodes oI the souls in barzakh vary considerably. Some oI them are in the highest
reaches oI the heavens, such as the souls oI the Prophets, peace be upon them all. Their status also
variesasobservedbytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,duringthenightoIIsra."
SomesoulsareintheIormoIgreenbirdswhoroamaroundIreelyinParadise.ThesearethesoulsoI
some oI the martyrs, but not all oI them. The souls oI some martyrs are prevented Irom entering
Paradise on account oI their debts or some other similar thing. This is supported by a report by Ibn
Hanbal in his Musnad Irom Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Jahsh that "A man came to the Prophet,
peace be upon him, and asked, 'O Allah's Prophet! What would I have iI I am killed in the cause oI
Allah?' The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, 'Paradise.' But, when the man got up to go, the
Prophetadded,'Unlessyouhavesomedebtstopay.GabrielhasinIormedmeaboutitjustnow'."
Some souls will be locked out at the gate oI Paradise, in accordance with this hadith: "I have seen
your companion locked out at the gate oI Paradise." Other souls are restricted to theirgraves as is
evidentIromthehadithaboutthemartyrwhohadstolenacloak(HehadstolenitoutoIthespoilsoI
war beIore their proper distribution) when he was killed, the people asked, "Will he have bliss in
Paradise?"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ByHiminwhosehandismysoul,thecloakwhich
hestolecausesaIiretoIlareoverhiminhisgrave."
TheabodeoIothersisatthegateoIParadise,asdescribedinahadithbyIbn'Abbasthat,"Theabode
oImartyrsisinagreendome,onabrightriver,nearthegateoIParadise.TheirprovisioncomesIrom
Paradise in the morning and in the evening.'' (Ahmad) This does not apply to Ja'Iar ibn Abi Talib,
whosehandsweretransIormedintowings,andwiththeseheIlieswhereverhewishesinParadise.
OthersremainconIinedtoearth,Iorthesesoulscannotrisetoheaven.Indeed,thesearebase,earthly
soulswhichdonotmixwiththeheavenlysouls,justastheydonotmixwiththemduringtheirsojourn
on earth. A soul that is oblivious to its Lord, blind to His love, negligent oI His remembrance, and
remissinseekingHispleasureisadespicableearthlysoul.AIterseparationIromitsbody,itcannotgo
anywhere, but remains here. On the other hand, the heavenly soul in this liIe clings to the love oI
AllahandtoHisremembrance,andseeksHispleasureandnearness.AIterseparationIromitsbody,it
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willjoinotherkindredheavenlysouls.Inthebarzakh(Literallyaninterval,aseparationorapartition,
Al-barzakh may be deIined astheinterveningstatebetweendeathandtheLastDay)andontheDay
oI Resurrection a person will be with those he loved. Allah will join some souls with others in the
abode oI barzakh and on the Day oI Resurrection, placing the believer's soul with other pure souls,
thatis,otherpuresoulskindredtohissoul.Asoul,aIterseparationIromthebody,joinsotherkindred
soulswhointheirnatureanddeedsaresimilartoitandstayswiththem.
SomesoulswouldbethrowninanovenorapitalongwithotherIornicatorsandharlots.Othersouls
wouldbeinariveroIblood,Iloatingthereinandswallowingrocks.ThetwocategoriesoIsouls- the
blessed and the damned - do not share a similar abode, Ior there are souls that reside in the highest
reachesoIheavens,whiletheothers,lowandmeanearthlysouls,cannotriseabovetheearth.
WhenonepondersthehadithandtraditionsonthissubjectcareIully,onecaneasilyIindthereasonIor
this.Thereisnocontradictioninthesoundtraditionsonthissubject.InIact,theyarealltrueandeach
supports the other. It is important, however, to understand the soul and to appreciate its essence and
thelawsthatgovernitsIunctions.Indeed,thesoulissomethingcompletelydiIIerentIromthebody.It
isinParadise, butatthesametimeisattachedtothegraveandthebodyinit.ItistheswiItestthingin
moving, relocating, ascending, or descending Irom one place to another.These souls are divided into
various categories: the ones that are Iree to move about, those that are conIined, the ones that are
celestial, and the others that are earthly and oI a low order. AIter separation Iromtheirbodies,souls
do experience health and sickness, and they Ieel Iar more pleasure and pain than they experienced
whentheywerejoinedtogether.TheyaresubjecttoconIinement,pain,punishment,sickness,andgrieI
astheyaretovariousstatesoIjoy,rest,bliss,andIreedom.Howsimilarisitsconditioninthebodyto
when it was in the womb oI its mother! And likewise how analogous is its situationaIterseparation
IromthebodytowhenitcameoutoIthewombintothisworld!ThereareIourabodesoIthesoul,and
eachabodeisbiggerandgreaterthanthepreviousone.
Thesoul'sIirstabodeisthewomboIthemother,wherethereisconIinement,compression,seclusion,
and three layers oI darkness.The second abode is its earthly habitat where it grows, does good and
evil, and accumulates blessings Ior its ultimate success or Iailure. Its third abode is the abode oI
barzakh,whichismorespaciousandimmensethantheabodeoIthisworld.Thisabode,comparedto
theIourthone,islikethis|third|abodecomparedtotheIirstabode.
The Iourth abode is the abode oI eternity, either Paradise or Hell. There is no other abode aIter
these.Allah causes the soul to pass through these abodes in stages, until it reaches the abode most
suitableIorit,anabodethatonlyitdeservesandIorwhichitis|uniquely|suitable,becausethisabode
was created Ior it, and the soul was given theability to perIorm the deeds that lead precisely to this
abode.
In each abode the soul enjoys a peculiar status and position altogether diIIerent Irom what it has in
otherabodes.Blessedindeedissoul'sOriginatorandCreator,WhogivesitliIe,causesittodie,makes
ithappyorsubjectsitgrieIandsorrow.BlessedisHeWhoappointedIoritvariouslevelsoIsuccess
and Iailure, and distinguished them by various grades in accordance with their knowledge,
perIormance, Iaculties, and morality.Whoever truly understands andappreciatesthiscannot,butbear
witnesstotheIactthatthereisnodeityexceptAllah,Whohasnopartners.WithHimalonerestsall
authority, praise, and all that is good, and to Him alone all aIIairs return Ior decision. His is the
absolute authority, and all dominion, might, honor, wisdom, and perIection Iree oI any deIects or
imperIections.HeisknownthroughthetestimonyoIHistruthIulProphetsandMessengers.Theydid
indeedcomewithTruth.ReasontestiIiestoitstruthIulness,andnaturesupportsandconIirmsit.And
anythingthatcontradictsthistestimonyisuntrue.
Eiqh4.99:AZH-ZHIKR
AllwordsoIpraiseandglorytoAllah,extollingHisPerIectAttributesoIPowerandMajesty,Beauty
andSublimeness,whetheroneuttersthembytongueorsaysthemsilentlyinone'sheart,areknownas
zhikrorremembranceoIAllah.HehascommandedustorememberHimalwaysandever.TheQur'an
says: O you who believe! Celebrate the praises oI Allah, and do so oIten; and gloriIy Him morning
andevening.Qur'an33.41
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II anyone remembers Allah, He remembers that person: "Remember me, I shall remember you."
Qur'an 2.152 In a hadith qudsi, the Prophet, peace be upon him, narrated: "Allah says: 'I am to my
servantasheexpectsoIMe,IamwithhimwhenheremembersMe.IIheremembersMeinhisheart,
I remember him to MyselI, and iI he remembers me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly
betterthanhis,andiIhedrawsnearertoMeahand'sspan,Idrawnearertohimanarm'slength,andiI
he drawsnearertoMeanarm'slength,IdrawnearertohimaIathomlength,andiIhecomestome
walking,Irushtohimat|great|speed.(BukhariandMuslim)
AllahhasbestowedaspecialdistinctionuponthosewhorememberHim.TheProphet,peace beupon
him, said, "The devotees have surpassed all." They asked, "Who are these exceptional people
(MuIarridun), O Prophet oI Allah?" He replied, "Those men and women who remember Allah
unceasingly."(Muslim)Thesearethepeoplewhoarereallyalive.AbuMusareported,"Thelikeness
oItheonewhoremembershisLordandtheonewhodoesnotrememberHimislikethatoIalivingto
adeadperson.''(Bukhari)
Remembrance oI Allah is the Ioundation oI good deeds. Whoever succeeds in it is blessed with the
closeIriendshipoIAllah.ThatiswhytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,usedtomakeremembranceoI
Allah at all times. When a man complained, "The laws oI Islam are too heavy Ior me, so tell me
something that I can easily Iollow," the Prophet, peace be upon him, told him, "Let your tongue be
always busy with the remembrance oI Allah." The Prophet, peace be upon him, would oIten tell his
Companions,"ShallItellyouaboutthebestoIdeeds,themostpureinthesightoIyourLord,about
theonethatisoIthehighestorderandisIarbetterIoryouthanspendinggoldandsilver,evenbetter
Ior you than meeting your enemies in the battleIield where you strike at their necks and they at
yours?" The Companions replied, "Yes, O Messenger oI Allah!" The Prophet, peace be upon him,
said, "Remembrance oI Allah.'' (Reported by Tirmizhi, Ahmad, and Al-Hakim, who considers its
chainoInarratorssound)
RemembranceoIAllahisalsoameansoIdeliveranceIromHellEire.Mu'azhreported,"TheProphet,
peacebeuponhim, said,'NootheractoImanisamoreeIIectivemeansIorhisdeliveranceIromthe
chastisement oI Allah than the remembrance oI Allah.'' (Ahmad) Ahmad reports that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "Whatever you say in celebration oI Allah's Glory, Majesty, and Oneness,
andallyourwordsoIPraiseIorHimgatheraroundtheThroneoIAllah.Thesewordsresoundlikethe
buzzing oI bees, and call attention to the person who uttered them to Allah. Don't you wish to have
someonethereinthepresenceoIAllahwhowouldcallattentiontoyou?"
Eiqh4.100:HowMuchzhikrisRequired?
Allah,theExalted,orderedthatHeshouldberememberedalot.Describingthewisemenandwomen
whoponderHissigns,theQur'anmentions,"thosewhorememberAllahstanding,sittingandontheir
sides,'' Qur'an 3.191 and "those men and women who engage much in Allah's praise. Eor them has
Allah prepared Iorgiveness and a great reward.'' Qur'an 33.35 Mujahid explained, "A person cannot
beoneoI'thosemenandwomenwhorememberAllahmuch'asmentionedintheaboveverseoIthe
Qur'an,unlessheorsheremembersAllahatalltimes,standing,sitting,orlyinginbed."
When asked how much zhikr one should do to be considered as one oI "those who remember Allah
much," Ibn Al-Salah said that "much" is "when one is constant in supplicating, in the morning and
eveningandinotherpartsoIthedayandthenightasreportedIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim."
Concerning the above Quranic verses 'Ali b. Abi Talha relates that Ibn 'Abbas said, "All obligations
imposed upon man byAllahareclearlymarkedandoneisexemptedIromtheminthepresenceoIa
genuinecause.TheonlyexceptionistheobligationoIzhikr.AllahhassetnospeciIiclimitsIorit,and
under no circumstances is oneallowedtobenegligentoIit.Wearecommandedto'rememberAllah
standing, sitting and reclining on your sides,' in the morning, during the day, at sea or on land, on
journeyorathome,inpovertyandinprosperity,insicknessorinhealth,openlyandsecretly,and,in
Iact,atalltimesthroughoutone'sliIeandinallcircumstances."
Eiqh4.101:ZhikrasanIntegralPartoIWorship
Sa' id b. Jubair said, "Anyone engaged in obeying Allah is in Iact engaged in the remembrance oI
Allah."SomeoItheearlierscholarstiedittosomemorespeciIiedIorm.'Atasaid,"ThegatheringsoI
zhikrarethegatheringswherethelawIulandtheprohibitedthingsarediscussed,Iorinstance,selling,
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buying,prayers,Iasting,marriage,divorce,andpilgrimage."Al-Qurtubisaid,"GatheringsoIzhikrare
thegatheringsIorknowledgeandadmonition,thoseinwhichtheWordoIAllahandthesunnahoIHis
Messenger, accounts oI our righteous predecessors, and sayings oI the righteous scholarsarelearned
andpracticedwithoutanyadditionorinnovation,andwithoutanyulteriormotivesorgreed."
Eiqh4.101a:EtiquetteoIZhikr
ThepurposeoIzhikristopuriIyheartsandsoulsandawakenthehumanconscience.TheQur'ansays,
"Andestablishregularprayer,IorprayerrestrainsIromshameIulandunjustdeeds,andremembrance
oIAllahisthegreatestthinginliIe,withoutdoubt.''Qur'an29.45Inotherwords,theremembranceoI
Allah has a greater impact in restraining one Irom shameIul and unjust deeds than just the Iormal
regularprayer.ThisissobecausewhenaservantopensuphissoultohisLord,extollingHispraise,
Allah strengthens him with His light, increasing thereby his Iaith and conviction, and reassuring his
mind and heart. This reIers to "those who believe, and whose hearts Iind satisIaction in the
remembrance oI Allah, Ior without doubt in the remembrance oI Allah do hearts Iind satisIaction.''
Qur'an13.28
AndwhenheartsaresatisIiedwiththeTruth,theyturntothehighestidealswithoutbeingdeIlectedby
impulsesoIdesireorlust.ThisunderscorestheimportanceoIzhikrinman'sliIe.Obviouslyitwould
be unreasonable to expect these results just by uttering certain words, Ior words oI the tongue
unsupported by a willing heart are oI no consequence. Allah HimselI has taught us the manner in
whichapersonshouldrememberHim,saying,"AnddobringyourLordtoremembranceinyourvery
soul,withhumilityandinreverence,withoutloudnessinwords,inthemorningsandevening,andbe
notoIthosewhoareunheedIul.''Qur'an7.205
Thisverseindicatesthatdoingzhikrinsilenceandwithoutraisingone'svoiceisbetter.Onceduringa
journeytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,heardagroupoIMuslimssupplicatingaloud.Thereuponthe
Prophet,peacebe uponhim,said,"Giveyourselvesarespite,youarenotcallinguponsomeonedeaI
orabsent.SurelyHeWhomyouarecallinguponisnearyouandHelistenstoall.Heisnearertoyou
than the neck oI your mount." This hadith underlines the love and awe a person should Ieel while
engagedinzhikr.
ApartoIthisetiquetteistherequirementthatapersonwishingtodozhikrbecleaninbodyanddress,
andsmellsweetandIragrant.ThiswillgivehimaIreshzealandhewillIeelinvigorated.Oneshould
Iacetheqiblahduringzhikr,IorthebestassembliesarethosethatIacetheKa'bah.
Eiqh4.102:ExcellenceoIAssembliesoIZhikr
JoiningtheassembliesorcirclesoIzhikrisacommendablepracticeasshownbytheIollowinghadith:
Ibn'Umarreported,"The Prophet,peacebeuponhim,said,'WhenyoupassbyagardenoIParadise,
avail yourselves oI it.' The Companions asked, 'What are the gardens oI Paradise, O Messenger oI
Allah?'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,replied,'TheassembliesorcirclesoIzhikr.Therearesome
angels oI Allah who go about looking Ior such assemblies oI zhikr, and when they Iind them they
surroundthem'."
Muslim reports that Mu'awiyyah said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, went out to a circle oI his
Companions and asked, 'What makes you sit here?' They said, 'We are sitting here in order to
rememberAllahandtopraiseHimbecauseHeguidedustothepathoIIslamandheconIerredIavors
uponus.'ThereuponheadjuredthembyAllahandaskediIthatwastheonlypurposeoItheirsitting
there. 'They said, By Allah, we are sitting here Ior this purpose only. ' At this the Prophet, peace be
uponhim,said,'IamnotaskingyoutotakeanoathbecauseoIanymisapprehensionagainstyou,but
only because Gabriel came to me and inIormed me that Allah, the Exalted andGlorious,wastelling
theangelsthatHeisproudoIyou'."
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When
anygroupoImenrememberAllah,angelssurroundthemandmercycoversthem,tranquilitydescends
uponthem,andAllahmentionsthemtothosewhoarewithHim."
QatadahreportedthatAnasibnMaliksaid,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'Whenahumanis
laidinhisgraveandhiscompanionsreturnandhehearstheirIootsteps,twoangelswillcometohim
and make him sit and ask him, "What did you say about this man, Muhammad, may peace be upon
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him?"Hewillsay,"ItestiIythatheisAllah'sservantandHisMessenger."Thenitwillbesaidtohim,
"LookatyourplaceinHell-Eire.AllahhasexchangedIoryouaplaceinParadiseinsteadoIit".'The
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,added,'Thedeadpersonwillseebothhisplaces.AsIoranon-believeror
a hypocrite, he will respond to the angels, "I do not know,butIusedtosaywhatthepeopleusedto
say ! " It will besaidtohim,"NeitherdidyouknownordidyouseekguidanceIromthosewhohad
knowledge."Thenhewillbehitwithanironhammerbetweenhistwoears,andhewillcryandthat
crywillbeheardbyallexcepthumanbeingsandjinns'."(BukhariandMuslim)
Eiqh4.102a:ExcellenceoIPronouncingLallahailla-AllahSincerely
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhenaservantoIAllahuttersthe
wordslailahailla'Allah(thereisnoneworthyoIworshipexceptAllah)sincerely,thedoorsoIheaven
open up Ior thesewordsuntiltheyreachtheThroneoIAllah,solongasitsuttererkeepsawayIrom
themajorsins.''(Tirmizhi,whosaysitisahasangharibhadith)
AbuHurairahalsoreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"RenewyourIaith.""Howcan
werenewourIaith?"theyasked.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,replied,"Sayalways,'Lailahaill-
Allah'.''(ReportedbyAhmadwithasoundchainoIauthorities)
JabirreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ThebestremembranceoIAllahistorepeat
Lailahaill-Allahandthebestprayerisalhamduli-Allah(AllPraiseisduetoAllah).''(Reportedby
Nasa'i,IbnMajah,andAl-Hakim,whoconsidersitschainsound)
Eiqh4.103:ExcellenceoITasbih,Tahmid,Tahlil,TakbirandOtherSupplications
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Therearetwophrasesthatarelight
onthetonguebutheavyonthescaleoIrewardsandaredearto(Allah)theGraciousOne.Theseare,
subhanallah wa bi-hamdihi (All Glory is to Allah and all Praise to Him), and subhanallah al-azim
(GloriIiedisAllah,theGreat).''(Muslim,Bukhari,andTirmizhi)AbuHurairahalsoreportedthatthe
Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "I love repeating subhanallah, wal-hamdulillah, wa la-ilaha ill-
Allah, wa-Allahuakbar(GloriIiedisAllah,allpraiseisduetoAllah,andthereisnoGodbutAllah,
Allahisthegreatest)morethanallthatthesunshinesupon.''(MuslimandTirmizhi)
AbuZharrreported,"theProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'ShallItellyouthewordsthatAllahloves
the most?' I said, 'Yes, tell me, O Messenger oI Allah.' He said, 'The words most dear to Allah are
subhan-Allah wa bihamdihi (GloriIied is Allah with all praise due to Him)'." This is narrated by
Muslim and Tirmizhi. In Tirmizhi's version, we also Iind the Iollowing: "The words most dear to
Allah which He has chosen Ior His angels are subhana Rabbi wa bihamdihi, subhana Rabbi wa
bihamdihi(GloriIiedismyLordwithallpraiseduetoHim,GloriIiedismyLordwithallpraisedueto
Him)."
Jabir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever says Subhan-Allah-al-Azim wa
bihamdihi(GloriIiedisAllah,theGreat,withallpraiseduetoHim),willhaveapalmtreeplantedIor
himinParadise.''(ReportedbyTirmizhiwhoconsidersitasoundhadith.)
Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "PerIorm the enduring goods deeds
more Irequently." The asked, "What are these enduring deeds?" The Prophet, peace be upon him,
replied, At-Takbir, (Saying Allahu akbar i.e., Allah is the greatest) At-Tahlil, (Saying la ilaha ill-
Allah, i.e., there is no god but Allah) At-Tasbih, (Saying subhan-Allah meaning, Exalted and Iar
removed is Allah Irom any weakness) al-hamdu li-Allah, (This means: All praise belongs to Allah
alone) and la hawla wala quwwata illa billah. (There is no power nor any authority except with the
permission oI Allah) This is reported by An-Nasa'i and Al-Hakim, who consider its chain oI
authoritiessound.
AbdallahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"DuringtheNightJourneyImetIbrahim
whosaidtome,'OMuhammad,conveymygreetingstoyourummah,andtellthemthattheParadise
is oI pure land, its water is sweet, and its expanse is vast, spacious and even. And its plants are
Subhan-Allah,wal-hamdulillah,walailahillallah,wa-Allahuakbar'.''
SamuraibnJundabreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ThedearestphrasestoAllah
are Iour: Subhan Allah, (GloriIied is Allah), al-Hamdulillah (All praise be to Allah),Walailahaill-
Allah (There is no God but Allah), and Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is the Greatest). There is no harm in
beginningtheminanyorderyouchoosewhilerememberingAllah.''(Muslim)
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AbuMas'udreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyonerecitesthelasttwoverses
oI Surat al-Baqarah, they will suIIice Ior him,'' (Bukhariand Muslim) that is, these two verses will
bringhimarewardequivalenttothatoIanightprayer,andwillsaIeguardhimIromanyhurtduring
thatnight.IbnKhuzaimahinhisSahihhasalsomentioneditunderthechapter"TheRecitationoIthe
Qur'anEquivalentinRewardtoaNightPrayer."
Abu Sa'id reported that theProphet, peace be upon him, asked, "Can anyone oI you recite a third oI
the Qur'an during the night?" The Companions considered this rather diIIicult and they said, "Who
among us can do so, O Prophet oI Allah?" Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "(Say:)
HeisAllah,theOneandOnly;Allah,theEternal,Absolute;Hebegettethnot,norishebegotten;and
thereisnonelikeuntoHim.''(ThereIerencehereistorecitationoISurah112(SuratulIkhlas)oIthe
Qur'an, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, described as equivalent to reciting one-third oI the
Qur'an.ThishadithisreportedbyBukhari,Muslim,andNasa'i)
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Whoeversays,'Lallahailla-Allahu
wahdahulasharikalahu,lahul-mulkuwalahul-hamdwahuwa'alakullishai'inqadir'ahundredtimes
during a day will have a reward equivalent to the reward Ior Ireeing ten slaves. Besides, a hundred
gooddeedswillberecordedIorhimandahundredbaddeedsoIhiswillbewipedoII,anditwillbea
saIeguard Ior him Irom Satan that day until evening, and no one will be better in deeds than such a
personexcepthewhodoesmorethanthat.''(Bukhari,Muslim,Tirmizhi,Nasa'i,andIbnMajah)Inthe
version oI Muslim, Tirmizhi, andNasa'i,weIindthisaddition:"AndwhoeversayssubhanAllahwa
bi-hamdihi a hundred times during a day, will have all his sins wiped oII even iI they were as
numerousastheIoamonthesurIaceoIthesea."
Eiqh4.105:ExcellenceoIIstighIar
AnasreportedthatheheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,sayingthatAllahsays,"OsonoIAdam,
whateveryouaskedMeandexpectIromMeIIorgave- respectingthatwhichyouowedtoMe- andI
don'tcare|howgreatthiswas|.OSonoIAdam,eveniIyoursinspileuptotheskyandthenyouseek
My Iorgiveness I will Iorgive you, and O son oI Adam, even iI you have an earthIul oI sins but you
meetMewithoutassociatinganyotherthingwithMeIwillIorgiveyou.'(ReportedbyTirmizhi,who
considersitahasansahihhadith)
Abdallah b. 'Abbas said, "II one supplicates without Iail Ior Iorgiveness Irom Allah, He Iinds a way
outIorhimtogetoutoIeverydistressanddiIIiculty,andgiveshimsustenancethroughwaysutterly
unthought oI.'' (Reported by Abu Daw'ud, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim, who says its chain oI
authoritiesissound.)
Eiqh4.105a:SomeComprehensiveEormsoIZhikr
Juwairiyah (One oI the wives oI the Prophet, peace be upon him) reported that one day the Prophet,
peace be upon him, leIt her apartment in the morning as she was busy observingherdawnprayerin
herplaceoIworship.HecamebackintheIorenoonandshewasstillsittingthere.TheProphet,peace
be upon him, said to her, "You have been in the same place since I leIt you?" She said, "Yes."
ThereupontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IrecitedIourwordsthreetimesaIterIleItyouand
iItheseweretobeweighedagainstwhatyouhaverecitedsincemorningthesewouldoutweighthem,
andthesewordsare:Subhanallahwabihamdihi'adadakhalqihiwarida'naIsihiwazinata'arshihiwa
midada kalimatihi (hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him to the extent oI the number oI His
creation and to the extent oI His pleasure and to the extent oI the weight oI His Throne and to the
extentoIinkusedinrecordingwordsIorHisPraise).''(ReportedbyMuslimandAbuDaw'ud)
Sa'dibnAbuWaqqasreportedthatoncetheProphet,peacebeuponhim,sawawomanwhohadsome
date-stones or pebbles which she was using as beads to gloriIy Allah. The Prophet, peace be upon
him, said to her, "Let me tell you something which would be easier andmoreexcellentIoryouthan
that."SohetoldhertosayinsteadSubhan-Allah'adadamakhalaqaIil-ardwasubhanAllah'adadama
khalaqa bayna zhalika wa subhan-Allah 'adada ma huwakhaliqwaAllahuakharmithlazhalikwala
ilaha illa-Allahu mithla zhalik wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa mithla zhalik (Glory be to Allah as
manytimesasthenumberoIwhatHehascreatedinHeaven,GlorybetoAllahasmanytimesasthe
numberoIwhatHehascreatedonEarth,GlorybetoAllahasmanytimesasthenumberoIwhatHe
has created between them, Glory be to Allah as many times as the number oI that which He is
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creating, Allah is the most great a similar number oI times, praise be to Allah a similar number oI
times,andThereisnogodbutAllahasimilarnumberoItimes,andthereisnomightandnopower
except with Allah a similar number oI times).'' (Reported by the Compilers oI the Sunan and Al-
Hakim,whosaysit isasoundhadithaccordingtothecriterionoIMuslim)
Ibn'UmarreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,toldthem,"AservantoIAllahsaid'MyLord!
All praise is Ior You as much as Your Glory and Sublime Majesty rightly deserve. ' This was too
muchIorthetwoangelstorecord.Theydidnotknowhowtorecordit.Sotheysoaredtotheheaven
and said, 'Our Lord! Your servant has said something which we don't know how to record?' Allah
asked them--and, oI course, He knew what the servant had said--'What did My servant say?' They
said, 'He has said, "My Lord! All praise is Ior You as much as Your Glory and Sublime Majesty
rightlydeserve."Allahsaidtothem,'WriteitdownasMyservanthassaiduntilheshouldmeetMe
andIrewardhimIorit'.'(ReportedbyAhmadandIbnMajah)
Eiqh4.106:CountingonOne'sEingersisBetterthanCountingBeads
YusairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,commandedthem(theemigrantwomen)tobe
regularinrememberingAllahbysaying,"Allahisthemostgreat,""GlorybetoAllah,theHoly,"and
"ThereisnoGodbutAllah,"andnevertobeIorgetIuloIAllahandHisMercy,andtocountthemon
their Iingers, Ior the Iingers will be questioned and will speak. (Reported in the Sunan and by Al-
Hakimwitha soundchainoIauthorities)
Abdallahb.'Amrb.al-'Asreported,"IsawtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,countingthegloriIications
oIAllahonhisrighthand'sIingers.''(ReportedintheSunan)
Eiqh 4.107: Warning Against Sitting in Company Where Allah is Not Mentioned and Blessings on
HisProphetareNotInvoked
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "II peopie sit in an assembly in
whichtheydonotrememberAllahnorinvokeablessingontheProphet,itwillbeacauseoIgrieIIor
themontheDayoIJudgment."ThisisreportedbyTirmizhi,whosaysitisasoundhadith.
In the version oI Ahmad, however, we read, "II people sit in an assembly in which they do not
rememberAllah,itwillbeacauseoIsorrowIorthem,andiIamaniswalkinganddoesnotremember
Allah,itwillbeacauseoIsorrowIorhim,andiIamanliesdownonhisbedanddoesnotremember
Allah,itwillbeacauseoIsorrowIorhim."Anotherversionsays,"ItwillbeasorrowIorthem,even
iItheyaregivenParadiseinreward."
TheauthoroIEathal-'Allamsays,"ThishadithprovesthatitisincumbentononetorememberAllah
and invoke blessings on the Prophet while sittmg in an assembly, Ior whether we take the words
'causeoIgrieIorsorrow'tomeantormentoIIireoranyotherchastisement,obviouslyapunishmentis
incurredonlywhenanobligatoryactisneglectedoraIorbiddenactiscommitted,andhereitisboth
the remembrance oI Allah and the invoking oI blessings on His Prophet that are apparently
incumbent."
Eiqh4.107a:AtonementIorSittinginanAssembly
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyonesitsinanassemblywhere
there is much clamor and says beIore getting up to leave, Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika,
ashaduan-laillahailla-anta,astaghIirukawaatubuilayka(GlorybetoYou,OAllah,andIbeginwith
declaringallpraiseisduetoYou,ItestiIythatthereisnogodbutYou;IaskYourpardonandturnto
Youinrepentance),hewillbeIorgiven anysinthathemighthavecommittedwhileinthatassembly.
(TirmizhiandAl-Baihaqi,(Kitabad-D'watAl-kabir))
Eiqh4.107b:AtonementIorBackbiting
ItisrelatedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"TheatonementIorbackbiting|andslander|is
toprayIorIorgivenessoIthepersonwhowasslanderedandtosay,'OAllah,Iorgiveusandhim'."
ThepreIerablecourseinthisregardistoprayIorIorgivenessoIthepersonwhowasthetargetoIthe
slander and to mention his good qualities.ThiswillwipeoIItheeIIectsoIsuchbackbiting,anditis
notnecessarytoannouncesuchathing.
Eiqh4.109:InjunctiononSupplication
Allah has commanded people to call upon Him humbly and sincerely, promising them He will
respondtotheirprayersandIulIilltheirneeds.
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Nu'manb.BashirreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Verilysupplicationisworship."
ThenherecitedtheQur'anicverse,"AndyourLordsays,'CallonMe.Iwillansweryourprayer,but
thosewhoaretooarroganttoservemewillsurelyIindthemselveshumiliatedinHell!''Qur'an40.60.
ThisisreportedbyAhmadandSunan.
'Abdar Razzaq reported Irom Al-Hasan that the Companions asked the Prophet, peace be upon him,
"WhereisourLord?"AtthisAllahsentdowntheIollowingverseoItheQur'an,"WhenMyservants
ask you (O, Muhammad) conceming Me, I am indeed close to them. I listen to the prayer oI every
supplicantwhenhecallsuponMe.''Qur'an2.186
Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Nothing is more dear to Allahthan
one'ssupplicationtoHim.''(TirmizhiandIbnMajah)
AbuHurairahalsoreported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'WhoeverwantsAllahtoanswer
his prayers during diIIicult times, should supplicate to Him more and more in times oI ease'.''
(Tirmizhi)
AbuYa'larelatedIromAnasthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,reportingIromhisLordsaid,"Allah
said, 'There are Iour characteristics, oI which one is Mine, one yours, one common between Me and
you, and one is common between you and My other servants. The one that is Mine is that you shall
not associate any other god with Me, the one that isIoryouisthatwhenyoudoagooddeedIshall
reward you Ior it, the one that is common between Me and you is that when you supplicate I shall
respondtoyoursupplications,andtheonethatiscommonbetweenyouandMyotherservantsisthat
youshouldlikeIorthemwhatyoulikeIoryourownselves'."
InasoundhadiththeProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Allah'swrathisontheonewhodoesnotcall
upon Him Ior help." 'Aishah reported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'PrecautionsareoIno
availagainstthedecreeoIAllah,butthesupplicationbeneIitsinthecaseoIacalamitythatstrikesor
isabouttostrike.Andwhenacalamitydescendsthesupplicationinterceptsitandholdsitatbayuntil
the Day oI Resurrection'. (Reported by Al-Bazar, At-Tabrani, and Al-Hakim, who says its chain oI
authoritiesissound)
SalmanAl-EarisireportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"NothingcanavertthedecreeoI
Allahexceptsupplication,andnothingincreasesliIeexceptvirtuousdeeds."(Tirmizhi)
Abu'AwanahandIbnHibbanreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhenoneoIyou
supplicates,heshouldaskAllahIorsomethingimportantandgreat,IornothingisdiIIicultIorAllah."
Eiqh4.110:EtiquetteoISupplication
There are certain manners that must be observed while making a supplication to Allah. These are
givenintheIollowingtopics.
Eiqh4.110 a:PursuitoIlawIulmeansoILivelihood.
Ibn'Abbasreported,"Once,whenIrecitedtheversesoItheQur'an,'Oyoupeople!EatoIwhatison
earth,lawIulandgood'(2.168)inthepresenceoItheProphet,peacebeuponhim.Sa'db.AbiWaqqas
got up andsaid,'OMessengeroIAllah!AskAllahtomakemeonewhosesupplicationisheard.'At
thistheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'OSa'd,consumelawIulthingsandyoursupplicationswill
beheard,andbyHiminWhosehandsisthesouloIMuhammad,whenamanputsintohisstomacha
morseloIwhatisIorbiddenhisprayersarenotacceptedIorIortydays,andaservantoIAllahwhose
body is nourished by usury or by what is Iorbidden becomes more deserving oI the Hell Iire." (Al-
HaIizb.Marduwiyah)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "O people, Allah isGoodandHe,
thereIore,acceptsonlythatwhichisgood.AndAllahcommandedthebelieversasHecommandedthe
Messengersbysaying,'OMessengers,eatoIthegoodthings,and dogooddeeds;verilyIamawareoI
what you do,' Qur'an 23.51 and He said: 'O those who believe, eat oI the good things that We gave
you'." Qur'an 2.172 The Prophet, peace be upon him, then made mention oI a person who travels
widely, his hair dishevelled, and covered with dust. "He liIts his hands and makes supplication, 'O
Lord, O Lord,' but his diet is unlawIul, his drink is unlawIul, and his clothes are unlawIul, and his
nourishmentisunlawIul.Howthencanhissupplicationbeaccepted?"(MuslimandAhmad)
Eiqh4.111:EacingtheQiblahwhilemakingaSupplication.
TheProphet(peacebeuponhimwentoutandprayedIorrainandIacedtheqiblah.
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Eiqh4.111a:SupplicatingatthemostOpportuneTimesandLocations.
These are, Ior instance, the day oI 'AraIah, month oI Ramadan, Eriday, the last part oI the night, at
dawn, during prostration, at the time oI rainIall, between the azhan and iqamah, at the time oI
encounteroIarmies,attimesoIpanic,andwhenone'sheartissoItandtender.
Abu Umamah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked, 'What supplication Iinds the
greatest acceptance?' He answered: 'A prayer oIIered in the middle oI the latter part oIthenightand
aItertheprescribedPrayers'.'(ReportedbyTirmizhiwithasoundchain oIauthorities)
AbuHurairahreported,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"TheservantisnearesttohisLordwhen
he is prostrating to Him, so make supplication in this state." (Muslim) There are very many hadith
Ioundinvariousbooksonthissubject.
Eiqh4.111b:RaisingOne'shandstoone'sshoulders.
Ibn 'Abbas is reported as saying, "When asking Ior something Irom Allah, you should raise your
handsoppositetoyourshoulders;whenaskingIorIorgivenessyoushouldpointwithoneIinger;and
when makinganearnestsupplicationyoushouldspreadoutbothyourhands."ThisisreportedbyAbu
Daw'ud.
Malikb.YassarreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"SupplicateAllahwiththepalms
oIyourhands,anddonotsupplicateHimwiththeir backsupwards."
Salman reported that the Prophet, peacebeuponhim,said,"YourLord,theBlessedandtheExalted
One,isModestandGenerous,andHeloathestoturnawayHisservantempty-handedwhenheraises
hishandstoHiminsupplication."
Eiqh4.111c:StartingtheSupplicationwithAllah'sPraiseandBlessingsonHisProphet.
Eudalah b. 'Ubaid reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man supplicating during
prayer. He did not gloriIy Allah, nor did he invoke blessings on the Prophet. The Prophet, peace be
upon him, said, "He has been hasty." Then he called the man and said either to him, or to someone
else, "When any one oI you prays, he should begin by gloriIying and praising his Lord and then he
shouldinvokeblessingsontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andaIterthatheshouldsupplicateAllah
Ioranythinghewishes."
Eiqh4.111d:Supplicatingwithattentionandhumility,inavoiceneitherloudnorlow.
Allah says: "Neither say your prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course
between."Qur'an17.110And"CallonyourLordwithhumilityandinprivate,IorAllahdoesnotlove
thosewhogobeyondbounds."Qur'an7.55
Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari reported, "Once the people raised their voices in supplication. At this the
Prophet,peacebeuponhim,said,'Beeasyonyourselves.YouarenotcallinguponsomeonedeaIor
absent. Y ou are calling upon one Who is All-seeing and All-hearing. He is nearer to you than the
neck oI your mount. O Abdallah b. Qais, shall I tell you a word that is one oI the treasures oI
Paradise?Itis:"ThereisnopowernoranymightexceptwiththepermissionoIAllah''.'(Muslimand
Bukhari)
Abdallahb.'UmarreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Heartsarelikevessels,some
moreattentive and capacious than others. When yousupplicateAllahyoushouldbecertainoIbeing
answered, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication that comes Irom a careless and
inattentiveheart."(Ahmad)
Eiqh4.112:Supplicationswithoutasinor breakingbloodties.
AhmadrecordsthatAbuSa'idreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"AnyMuslimwho
makesasupplicationcontainingnothingthatissinIulandnothingthatinvolvesbreakingtiesoIblood
relationships, will be given Ior it by Allah one oI these three things: He may accept his request, or
assign its reward Ior him in the next world, or turn away Irom him an equivalent amount oI evil."
Those who heard it said, "We would, then, make many supplications." The Prophet, peace be upon
him,replied,"Allahismorethanreadytoanswerwhatyouask."
Eiqh4.112a:AvoidinghastinessIoracceptanceoIsupplication.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Yoursupplicationwillbeanswered
iI you are not impatient, and iI you do not say, 'I supplicated but my supplication was not heard'."
(Malik)
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Eiqh4.112b:SupplicatingwithconIidenceinitsacceptance.
Abu Hurairah also reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "None oI you should say, 'O
Allah, Iorgive me iI You wish, (or) O Allah, have mercy on me iI you wish.' Rather you should be
Iirminyourrequest,Ior(AllahdoeswhateverHewishes)andnoonecanIorceHimtodootherwise."
Eiqh4.112c:ChoosingcomprehensivewordsIorsupplication.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, loved comprehensive supplications but used other supplications as
well. The Qur'anic supplication, "Our Lord, give us good in this world, and give us good in the
hereaIter,"isjustsuchacomprehensivesupplication.
A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, "O Messenger oIAllah,whichisthebest
supplication?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Supplicate to your Lord Ior Iorgiveness and
security in this world and in the HereaIter." He came again the next day, and then again on the
Iollowing (third) day and asked him the same thing. The Prophet, peace be upon him, gave him the
same answer, and then said, "II you are given Iorgiveness and security in this world and in the
HereaIter you have attained success." Another version says: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
'Nosupplicationmadebyapersonisbetterthanasking"OAllah,IaskYouIorsecurityinthisworld
andintheHereaIter"'."(IbnMajah)
Eiqh4.113:AvoidSupplicatingAgainst(Cursing)YourselI,yourEamily,orProperty.
JabirreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Donotsupplicateagainstyourownselves,
yourchildren,yourservants,oryourproperty,lestyoushouldsupplicateatatimewhensupplications
areaccepted."
Eiqh4.113a:Repeatingasupplicationthreetimes.
Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved to repeat his supplication
threetimes,andprayIorIorgivenessthreetimes."(AbuDaw'ud)
Eiqh4.113b:WhensupplicatingIorsomeonebeginwithyourselI.
The Qur'an says that the believers pray, "Our Lord, Iorgive us and our brethren in Iaith who have
precededusinIaith."Ubayyb.Ka'breported,"WhensomeonerequestedtheProphet,peacebeupon
him,toprayIorhim,heusedtobeginbysupplicatingIorhisownselI."(ReportedbyTirmizhiwitha
soundchainoIauthorities)
Eiqh 4.113 c: Supplication oI a Iather, oI one who is Iasting, a traveller, and oI a person who is
wronged.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,"ThesupplicationsoIthreepersonsareaccepted,andthereis
no doubt concerning their acceptance: the supplication oI a Iather, oI a traveller, and oI one who is
wronged.'(ReportedbyAhmad,AbuDaw'ud,andTirmizhi,withasoundchainoItransmitters)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said, "The supplications oI three persons are not rejected: the
supplication oI a Iasting person at the time oI breaking Iast, oI a just ruler, and oI a person who is
wronged.Allahcausestheirsupplicationstoriseabovetheclouds,andgatesoIheavenareopenedIor
them,andGodsays,'ByMyMajesty,Iwillhelpyou,evenitbeaIterawhile'."(ReportedbyTirmizhi
withasoundchainoIauthorities)
Eiqh4.114:PrayeroIaMuslimIorAnotherMusliminhisAbsence
SaIwan ibn 'Abdallah reported, "I visited Abu Darda's house in Syria. I did not Iind him there but
UmmDardawaspresentatthehouse.Sheasked,'DoyouintendtoperIormHajjduringthisyear?'I
replied,'Yes.'Shesaid,'DosupplicateAllahIorus,IorAllah'sMessenger,peacebeuponhim,usedto
say, "The supplication oI a Muslim Ior his brother in his absence is accepted when he makes a
supplicationIorblessingsIorhisbrother,andthecommissionedAngelsays,'Amen,MayitbeIoryou
too!"" I went to the market and met Abu Darda and he narrated a similar report Irom Allah' s
Messenger,peacebeuponhim.(ReportedbyMuslimandAbuDaw'ud)
Abdallah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplication
thatgetsthequickestansweristheonemadebyoneMuslimIoranotherinhisabsence.''(AbuDaw'ud
andTirmizhi)
'Umar ibn al-Khattab reports, "I sought permission oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, to perIorm
'Umrah. He gave me permission, and said, 'My younger brother, do not Iorget me in your prayers. '
'Umarsaid,'ItwasawordmorepleasingtomethantheentirewealthoItheworld'."
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Eiqh4.114a:OpeningWordsRecommendedIoraSupplication
Buraidah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man saying, "O Allah, I ask You, I
bearwitnessthatthereisnogodbutYou,theOne,theEtemal,BesoughtoIall,Whobegetsnot,noris
begotten; and there is none like unto Him." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Youhaveasked
AllahbyHisGreatestName.WhenoneasksHimbythisname,Hegives,whatonedesires,andwhen
supplicated by this name He answers." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmizhi, who regards it a
soundhadith)
Commenting on the above hadith, Al-Munzhri says, "Our teacher Abu al-Hasan Al-Maqdisi said,
'Thereisnoweaknessinitschain,andnootherandmoresoundhadithisIoundonthissubject'."
Mu'azh b. Jabal reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man saying, " O Lord oI
MajestyandHonor!"AtthistheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Yoursupplicationwillbeheard,
soaskIorwhatyouwanttoask.''(ReportedbyTirmizhi,whosaysitisasoundhadith)
Anas reported, "Once theProphet,peacebeuponhim,passedbyAbu'Ayyash,Zaydb.as-Samitaz-
Zarqi,whilehewasoIIeringprayerandsaying,'OAllah,IcalluponYouIortoYouisdueallpraise,
there is no god but You, O the Compassionate One, O the True BeneIactor, the Originator oI the
heavens and the earth, the Lord oI Majesty and Honor, O the Living One, O the One Who is selI-
subsistingandsustainsall.'TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'YouhavecalleduponAllahbyHis
greatest name. Anyone calling upon Him by this name is heard, and whatever one asks Him Ior, He
grantsit'."(ReportedbyAhmadandothers.Al-Hakimsaysthatitissoundaccordingtothecriterion
oI Muslim) Mu'awiyah reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'Whoever
supplicateswiththeseIivephraseswillbegrantedwhateverheasks,'lailahailla-Allahwallahuakhar
(thereis nogodbutAllahandAllahisthegreatest),lailahaill-Allahuwahdahulasharikalahu(there
is no god but only Allah, and he has no partners), lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli
shai'inqadir(toHimbelongstheauthorityandHisisallpraise,andHehaspoweroverallthings),la
ilahailla-Allahuwalahawlawalaquwwataillabillah(thereisnogodbutAllahandthereisnopower
noranystrengthexceptwithHispermission)."(ReportedbyAt-Tabaraniwithasoundchain)
Eiqh4.115:SupplicationsIorMorningandEvening
ThetimeIorthesupplicationsoImorningisIromdawnuntilthesunrise,andthoseoItheeveningare
meantIorthetimebetween'Asr(lateaIternoon)untilthesunset.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyonesaidinthemorningand
evening:'subhana-Allahwabihamdihi'(GlorytoAllahandallpraisetoHim),ahundredtimes,onthe
Day oI Judgment nonewillcomewithanythingbetterthanthatexceptthepersonwhoutterssimilar
wordsoraddssometothem."
Ibn Mas'ud reported, "When it was evening the Prophet, peace be upon him, would supplicate, "We
haveeveningandthewholeKingdomoIAllahalsohaseveningandallpraiseisduetoAllah.Thereis
nogodbutAllah,theOneWhohasnopartnerwithHim,HisistheSovereigntyandallPraiseisdue
toHim,andHehaspoweroverallthings.OAllah,IaskYouthegoodoIthisnightandIseekreIuge
inYouIromtheeviloIthisnightandtheevilthatIollowsit.OAllah,IseekreIugeinYouIromsloth
andIromtheeviloIvanity.OAllah,IseekreIugeinYouIromthetormentoIHell-EireandIromthe
torment oI the grave." And likewise when it was morning he would say, "It is morning Ior us and
|also|IorthewholeKingdomoIAllah."(Muslim)
Abdallahb.HabibreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Speak."Iasked,"OMessenger
oI Allah, what should I say?" He replied, "Recite Surat al-Ikhlas, and the two last surahs (oI the
Qur'an), i.e. Surat al-Ealaq and Surat an-Nas, in the morning and evening three times, and it will
suIIiceyouIoreverything."
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,usedtoteachhisCompanions,"Whenit
ismorningyoushouldsay,'OAllah,wehavereachedmorningwithYourhelpandeveningwithYour
help,andwithYourhelpweliveandbyYourcommandwedie,andtoYouisourResurrection.'And
whenitiseveningyoushouldsay,'OAllah,withYourhelpwehavereachedevening,andwithYour
helpwewillreachmorning,withYourhelp weliveandbyYourcommandwedie,andtoYouisour
return'."(ReportedbyTirmizhi,whosaysitisahasansahihhadith)
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Shaddad b. Aws reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The best supplication Ior
Iorgivenessistosay,'AllahummaantaRabbilailahaillaanta,Khalaqtaniwaana'abduka,waana'ala
'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu. A'uzhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayya wa
abu'ulakabizhanbiIaghIirliinnahulayaghIiruzhzhunubaillaanta(OAllah,Youaremy Lord,there
is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I try my best to keep my covenant
(Iaith)withYouandtoliveinthehopeoIYourpromise.IseekreIugeinYouIromevildonebyme.I
acknowledgeYourIavorsuponmeandIacknowledgemysins.SoIorgivemeIornoneIorgivessins
butYou."')TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,added,"IIsomebodyrecitesthisduringthedaywithIirm
Iaithinit,anddiesonthesamedaybeIoretheevening,hewillbeoneoIthepeopleoIParadise.And
iIsomebodyrecitesitatnightwithIirmIaithinit,anddiesbeIorethemorning,hewillbeoneoIthe
peopleoIParadise."(Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah reported ihat once Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, to tell
himsomethingtopray inthemorningandintheevening.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Say,
O Allah, Creator oI the heavens and the earth, Who knows the unseen and the seen, Lord and
Possessor oI everything! I testiIy that there is no god but You. I seek reIuge in You Irom the evil
withinmyselI,IromtheeviloIthedevil,andIromhisincitingonetoattributepartnerstoAllah."Then
headded,"Saythisinthemorning,intheevening,andwhenyougotobed."
'Uthman b. 'AIIan reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'II any servant oI Allah says
dailyinthemorningandintheevening,'InthenameoIAllah,byWhosenamenothingintheearthor
intheheavencandoanyharm,andHeisAll-Hearing,All-Knowing!"threetimes,nothingwillharm
him.'(ReportedbyTirmizhiwhoregardsitahasansahih(sound)hadith)
ThawbanreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyonesaysinthemorningandinthe
evening,'IampleasedwithAllahasmyLord,withIslamasmyreligion,andwithMuhammadasthe
Prophet,'Allahwillcertainlypleasehim."(Tirmizhi,whosaysitisasound(hasansahih)hadith)
Anasb.MalikreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyonesaysinthemorningorin
theevening,'OAllah!itismorning,Icallto bearwitnesstoYou,andtothebearersoIYourThrone,
Your angels, and all Your creatures, that You are Allah other than Whom there is no god, and that
Muhammad is Your servant and Messenger,' Allah will emancipate one-Iourth oI him Irom Hell. II
one says it twice, Allah will emancipate one-halI oI him Irom Hell. II one says it three times, Allah
willemancipatethree-IourthsoIhim(IromHell).AndiIhesaysitIourtimes,Allahwillemancipate
him(completely)IromHell.(Tirmizhi)
Abdallah ibn Ghannam reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "II anyone says in the
morning, 'O Allah! Whatever Iavor has come to me, has come Irom You alone Who has no partner.
To You all praise is due and all thanksgiving,' he expresses his thanksgiving Ior the day. And iI
anyonesaysthesameintheevening,heexpresseshisthanksIorthenight.(AbuDaw'ud)
Abdallahibn'Umarsaid,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,alwaysutteredthesesupplicationsinthe
evening and in the morning: 'O Allah, I ask You Ior security in this world and in the HereaIter. O
Allah!IaskYouIorIorgivenessandsecurityinmydinandinmyworldlyaIIairs,inmyIamilyandin
my property. O Allah! Cover up my Iaults, and keep me saIe Irom the thingsIIear.OAllah!Guard
me Irom the Iront and the behind, Irom the right and the leIt, and Irom above. And I seek in Your
greatness the protection Irom unexpected harm Irom beneath." (Abu Daw'ud and Al-Hakim) Waki'
said,"Thismeanstobeswallowedupbytheearth."
'Abdur-Rahman b. Abu Bakrah said that he told his Iather, "O my Iather! I hear you supplicating
everymorningwiththewords:'OAllah!Grantmesoundhealth.OAllah!Grantmesoundhearing.O
Allah!Grantmesoundeyesight.ThereisnogodbutYou.'
You repeat them three times in the morning and three times in the evening.' He replied, 'I heard the
Prophet, peace be upon him, using these words as a supplication and I like to Iollow his practice'."
(AbuDaw'ud)
Ibn'AbbasreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"II anyonesaid,'OAllah,Ihaverisen
with Your help, blessings, security, and protection, so complete Your blessings upon me, Your
securityIorme,andyourprotection,inthisworldandintheHereaIter,'threetimesinthemorningand
intheevening,AllahwillcertainlycompleteHisIavorsuponhim."
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AnasreportedthatoncetheProphet,peacebeuponhim,exclaimed,"Can'tanyoneoIyoubelikeAbu
Damdam?" The Companions asked, "Who is Abu Damdam, O Messenger oI Allah?" He replied,
"When he gets up in the morning he says, 'O Allah, I oIIer my honor and liIe to You?' So that he
would not abuse those who abused him, nor would he wrong those who wronged him, or hit those
whohithim."
Abu Darda reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "II anyonesays daily in the morning
andintheevening,'AllahsuIIicesme,thereisnogodbutHe,inHimismytrust,andheistheLordoI
theThrone,Supreme,'seventimes,AllahwillsuIIicehimIoralltheconcernsoItheliIeoIthisworld
andoItheHereaIter."
ItisreportedthatTalqb.Habibsaid,"AmancametoAbuDardaandsaidtohim,'OAbuDarda,your
househasburned.'Hesaid:'No,itcannotbeburned.AllahwillneverallowthistohappenbecauseoI
the words that I heard Irom the Prophet, peace be upon him. Whoever says these words in the
beginningoIaday,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,toldus,willnotbeaIIlictedbyamisIortuneuntil
the end oI the day, and whoever says these words in the evening will not be aIIlicted until morning.
Thesewordsare,"OAllah,YouaremyLord,thereisnogodbutYou,IputmytrustinYou,Youare
theLordoItheMightyThrone.WhateverAllahwillswillhappenandwhatHedoesnotwill,cannot
happen.ThereisnopowerorstrengthexceptwithAllah,theExalted,theMighty.IknowthatAllah
haspoweroverallthings,andAllahcomprehendsallthingsinknowledge.OAllah,IseekreIugewith
YouIromtheeviloImyselIandIromtheeviloIallcreaturesunderYourcontrol.Surelythestraight
wayismySustainer'sway"."'
InsomeversionsoIthishadithweIurtherIindthathesaid,"Come,letusgo.Sohewentwiththemto
hishouse.TheyIoundalltheareasurroundingthehouseburnedbuthishousewasnotdamaged."
Eiqh4.119:SupplicationsatBed-Time
HuzhaiIahandAbuZharrreportedthatwhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wenttobed,hewould
say,"OAllah,byYournameIliveanddie."Andwhenhewokeuphesaid,"PraisebetoAllahWho
gave us liIe aIter death and to Him is the return." He placed his right hand under his cheek and
prayed, three times, "O Allah, save me Irom YourpunishmentonthedaywhenYouwillraiseYour
creature."
Hewouldalsosay,"OAllah,LordoItheheavens,theearth,andtheMightyThrone,ourLordandthe
Lord oI everything, Who causes the seed to grow and the date-stone to split and sprout, Who sent
downTaurah,Injil,andtheQur'an,IseekreIugeinYouIromtheeviloIallevil-mongersunderYour
Control.YouaretheEirstandthereisnothingbeIoreYou,andYouaretheLast,andthereisnothing
aIterYou.YouaretheEvidentandthereisnothingbeyondYou,andYouaretheSourceandthereis
nopowerbesideYou.RelieveusoIourdebtandpoverty."ThisisreportedbyBukhari.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also prayed, "Praise be to Allah Who has Ied us and given us to
drink,metallourneeds,andgivenusreIuge,whiletherearemanywhohaveneitheranyonetomeet
their needs nor anyone to provide them with a reIuge." And every night when he retired to bed he
would hold out his hands together imploringly and blow over them aIter reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas,
Surah Al-Ealaq, and Surah An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whicheverpartsoIhisbodyhewas
abletorub,startingwithhishead,Iace,andIrontoIhisbody.Heusedtodothatthreetimes.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed his Companions that when they go to bed they should
supplicate,"InYourname,OLord,Ilaymedowntosleep.AndbyYourleaveIraisemyselIup.SoiI
You take away my soul during sleep, Iorgive it, and iI You keepitaliveaItersleepprotectitjustas
YouprotectYourpiousservants."
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,onceadvisedhisdaughter,Eatimah,"Saysubhan-Allahthirtythree
times,al-hamdu-lillah,thirtythreetimes,andAllahuakbar,thirtyIourtimes."Healsocommendedthe
recitation oI ayatal-Kursi, the verse oI the Throne, Qur'an 2.255 along with the above supplications,
and said that he who does so will be under the protection oI Allah, Who will assign a protector to
protecthim.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Bara, "When you go to bed make wudu as you do Ior the
regular prayer, and then lie down on your right side and say, ' O Allah, I surrender my soul to You,
and I tum my Iace toward You, and I trust my aIIairs to Your care. I turn to You in Iear and hope.
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ThereisnoreIugenoranyprotectionagainstYouexceptinYou.IbelieveinYourbookwhichYou
haverevealedtoYourProphetwhomYousent'."Thenheadded,"IIyoudie,youwilldieinyourtrue
nature,andthesewordswillbeyourlastwords."
Eiqh4.121:SupplicationonWakingUp
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,advisedthatonwakingupIromsleeponeshouldsay,"Thanksbeto
AllahWhoreturnedmysoul,mademybodysound,andpermittedmetorememberHim."
When the Prophet, peace be upon him, woke he would say, "There is no god but You, glory be to
You. O Allah, I seek Your Iorgiveness oI my sins, and askIorYourmercy.OAllah,increasemein
knowledge,andletnotmyheartdeviateaIterYouhaveguidedmeontherightpath.Grantmemercy
IromYou,IorYouaretheGrantoroIbountieswithoutmeasure."
In another sound hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever wakes up Irom sleep and
cannotgobacktosleep,andsays,"Lailahailla-Allahuwahdahulasharikalahu,lahul-mulkwalahul-
hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli sha' in qadeer, al-hamdu lillahi, wa subhan'Allah, wa la ilaha illallahu,
wallahuakbar,walahawlawalaquwwataillabillah(thereisnogodbutAllah,HeisOneandhasno
partner, to Him belongs all praise and all authority, and He has power over all things, praise be to
Allah, glory be to Aliah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, there is no power nor any
authority but with Allah),' and then says, 'Allahumma ighIir li (O Allah, Iorgive me), or asks some
otherthing,willbeanswered,andiIhemakeswuduandoIIersaprayeritwillbeacceptedIromhim."
Eiqh4.122:WhenOneisErightenedDuringSleep
'Umarb.Shu'aibreportedIromhisIatherandheIromhisgrandIatherthattheProphet,peacebeupon
him,said,"WhenoneoIyouisIrightenedduringsleepheshouldsay,'IseekprotectionintheperIect
words oI Allah, Irom His displeasure and punishment and Irom evil people, and Irom the (evil)
promptingoIdevilsandIromtheirpresence.'Thennothingwillharmhim."Thenarratoradded,"Ibn
'Umarusedtoteachthistohischildren,bothgrownupandyoung,andhewouldwriteitonapieceoI
paperandmakethemwearitaroundtheirnecks."ThechainoIauthoritiesoIthishadithissound.
Khalidb.WalidreportedthatoncehesuIIeredIrominsomnia.TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said
tohim,"ShallIteachyouwordsthatwillmakeyougotosleepwhenyousaythem?Say,'OAllah,the
Lord oI the seven heavens and whatever they cover, Lord oI the earths and whatever they contain,
CreatoroIdevilsandwhomevertheymislead,bemyprotectorIromtheeviloIallYourcreatureslest
someoIthemmayhastenwithinsolenceagainstmeortransgressthebounds.Honoredishewhoisin
YourprotectionandblessedbeYourname,thereisnogodexceptYou'.'(ReportedbyAt-Tabraniin
his Al-Kahir and Al-Awsat. Its chain is sound,althoughAbdur-RahmandidnothearitIromKhalid.
Al-HaIizal-Munzharihasmentionedit)
Bara' b. 'Azib reported that a man complained to the Prophet, peace be upon him, about Iear and
depression.TheProphetsaidtohim,'Say,'GlorytoAllah,theHoly,theKing,LordoItheangelsand
oI Gabriel. Your power and glory encompass the heavens and the earth." The man said these words
andAllahhealedhimoIhisdepressionandIear.
Eiqh4.122a:PrayeronDreamingSomethingUnpleasant
JabirreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,-IIsomeoneoIyouseesanunpleasantdream
heshouldspitthreetimesonhisleItsideandseekAllah'sreIugeIromtheaccursedSatan,andchange
thesideonwhichhewaslying.'(ReportedbyMuslim,AbuDaw'ud,Nasa-i,andIbnMajah)
AbuSa'idAl-KhudrireportedthatheheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saying,"Whensomeone
among you sees a good and pleasing dream, he should know that it is Irom Allah, and so he should
praiseandthankAllah,anddescribetootherswhathesawinthedream.ButiIheseessomethinghe
dislikesthenitisIromSatan,soheshouldseekAllah'sreIugeIromitsevilandshouldnotmentionit
toanyone.Itwillnotharmhim."(ReportedbyTirmizhi,whosaiditisahasansahihhadith)
Eiqh4.123:PrayerOnWearingClothes
IbnAs-SinnireportedthatwhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,putonhisclothes,whetherashirt,a
cloak,oraturban,hewouldsay,"OAllah,IseekIromYouitsgoodnessandthegoodnessIorwhich
itismade,andIseekYourreIugeagainstitsevilandtheevilthatisapportionedIorit."
Mu'azh b. Anas reported that the Prophet, peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyonewearsanewgarment
andsays,'AllthanksandpraisebetoAllah,Whoclothedmeandgavemesustenance,whereasIhave
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nopowerorstrength,'AllahwillIorgiveallhisprevioussins."TopronouncethenameoIAllahisalso
recommended,becauseanythingdonewithoutinvokingAllah'snameisIlawed.
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri reported that when the Prophet, peace be him, got a new piece oI garment, he
wouldmentionit,whetheraturbanorashirtora cloak,andthenwouldsay,"OAllahallpraiseand
thanks be to You. You have given me this garment. I seek Irom You its good and the good that is
made oI it and I seek Your reIuge against its evil and the evil that it is made oI." (Reported by Abu
Daw'ud andTirmizhi,whoconsidersitasoundhadith)
'UmarreportedthatheheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,say"IIanyonewearssomenewclothing
and says, 'all praise and thanks be to Allah Who clothed me to cover my nakedness, and made it a
meansoIadommentIorme,'andthentakeshisoldgarmentandgivesitincharity,willbeunderthe
protection oI Allah and will be treated as iI struggling in the cause oI Allah, in liIe and aIter his
death."
Eiqh4.123a:OnSeeingAnotherMuslimWearingSomeNewClothes
Accordingtoasoundhadith,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,dressedUmmKhalid,asmallgirl,ina
blackwoolenblanketandsaidtoher,"Mayyoulivesolongthatyouwillwearoutmanygarments."
The Companions used to say, "May you live so long that you wear out this garment and may Allah
replaceitwithabetterone."Onseeing'UmarwearingsomenewclothestheProphet,peacebeupon
him,said,"Mayyouwearnewclothesandmayyoulivenoblyanddieasahappymartyr.'(Reported
byIbnMajahandIbnAs-Sinni)
Eiqh4.124:OnDiscardingaPieceoIClothing
AnasreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ThebarrierbetweentheeyesoItheJinnand
the nakedness oI the Children oI Adam is |created| when a Muslim discards a garment and says, 'In
thenameoIAllahbesidesWhomthereisnoothergod'."(IbnAs-Sinni)
Eiqh4.124a:OnLeavingOne'sHouse
AnasreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhenoneoIyouleavesthehouseheshould
say, 'In the name oI Allah, I putmytrustinAllah.ThereisnopowerorstrengthexceptwithAllah.'
Tohimissaid,'ThisissuIIicientIoryou.Youareprotected,saved,andguided.'Thedevilleaveshim
alone,sayingtoanotherdevil,'Howcanyoutackleamanwhoisguided,saved,andwellprotected'.'
(AbuDaw'ud)
A sound hadith reports the Iollowing supplication Irom Anas: "In the name oI Allah, I believe in
Allah, and I seek protection oI Allah. There is no power or strength except with Allah." (Musnad
Ahmad)
UmmSalmahreportedthatwhenevertheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wheneverleItherapartmenthe
would look up and then pray, "O Allah, I seek Your reIuge against going astray or leading others
astray, slipping or causing others to slip, doing wrong or being wronged by others, and behaving
arrogantly or being treated arrogantly by others." (Reported by Tirmizhi, who considers it a sound
hadith)
Eiqh4.125:PrayersOnEnteringOne'sHouse
Jabir reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'II a man remembers Allah while
enteringhishouseandeatinghismeals,thedevilsaystohisIorces,"Youwillhavenoplacetosleep
or Iood to eat." But iI the person Iails to remember Allah while entering his house the devil says to
them, "You have Iound the place to rest at night." And iI he does not remember Allah while eating
meals,thedevilsays,"YouhaveIoundtheplacetorestandmealstoeat.''"(Muslim)
Abu Malik Al-Asha'ri reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When a man enters his
house he should say, 'O Allah, I seek oI You the best oI entrance and the best oI departure. In the
nameoIAllahweenterandinthenameoIAllahwegoout,andweputourtrustinAllah,ourLord,'
andthenheshouldgreethisIamily."(AbuDaw'ud)
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "O son, when you enter yourhouse
say, 'As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you).' It will bring blessing to you and to your Iamily."
(Tirmizhi)
Eiqh4.125a:OnSeeingSomethingPleasingAboutOne'sOwnProperty
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Onseeing somethinggoodandpleasingconcerningone'sIamilyorpropertyoneshouldsay,"Allah's
will be done! There is no power or strength except with Allah." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) And on
seeing in them something unpleasant, he should say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah under all
circumstances."AllahsaysintheQur'an(18.39),"Whydidyounotsay,asyouwentintoyourgarden,
'Allah'sWillbedone!ThereisnopowerbutwithAllah!"'
Anasreported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,'IIIoreveryblessingbestowedbyAllahupon
his servant in his Iamily or property the servant says, "Allah's will be done! There is no power but
with Allah," he will witness no misIortune concerning them except that oI death'." (Reported by Ibn
As-Sinni)
ItisreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,onseeingsomethinggoodandpleasingusedtosay,
"PraisebetoAllahwithWhoseblessingsallgooddeedsareperIected."Andwhenhesawsomething
thatdispleasedhim,hewouldsay,"PraiseandthanksbetoAllahunderallcircumstances."(Reported
byIbnMajah.Al-Hakimsaid,-ThechainoIthishadithissoundanditsnarratorsaretrustworthy)
Eiqh4.126:OnLookingintoaMirror
'Ali reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, looked into a mirror he would say, "Praise
andthanksbetoAllah.OAllah,makemegoodmanneredasYoumademegoodlooking."(Reported
by Ibn As-Sinni) Anas reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him,lookedathisIacein
themirror,hewouldsay,"PraisebetoAllahWhoIashionedmynatureandgaveitaperIectIorm,and
WhohonoredmyIaceandmadeitgood,andmademeoneoItheMuslims."
Eiqh4.126a:OnSeeingSomeoneinDistress
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said:"IIoneseesanaIIlicted personand
says,'PraiseandthanksbetoAllahWhohassavedmeIromwhathehasaIIlictedyouwith,andhas
honoredmeovermanyoIHiscreatures,'hewillbesavedIromthataIIliction."(ReportedbyTirmizhi,
whoconsidersitsound)
An-Nawawistatesthatthescholarssaid,"Oneshouldsaytheabovementionedsupplicationinaudibly
sothattheaIIlictedpersonshouldnothearit,lestheshouldbegrievedbyit.ButiItheaIIlictionisthe
resultoIhissinIulconductthenthereisnoharminhislisteningiIheisnotheedIuloIevil."
Eiqh4.127:OnHearingtheSoundoIaCock,aDonkey,andaDog
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,-SeekreIugewithAllahagainstthe
devil when you hear the sound oI a donkey, Ior it seesthe devil, and when you hear a cock, pray to
AllahIorHisbounty,Ioritseesanangel.'(BukhanandMuslim)
Abu Daw'ud's versionreads,"WhenyouhearthebarkingoIdogsandbrayingoIdonkeysduringthe
nightseekthereIugeoIAllahIromthem,Iortheyseewhatyoudon't."
Eiqh4.127a:WhentheWindBlows
AbuHurairahreported,"IheardtheProphet,peacebeuponhim,saying,"ThewindisablessingIrom
Allah.Itbringsmercyaswellaspunishment.Sowhenyouseeitdonotabuseit,andaskAllahIorits
good, and seek reIuge with Allah against its evil'." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chain oI
narrators)
'Aishahreportedthatwheneverthewindblew,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,wouldsupplicate,"O
Allah,IaskYouIoritsgood,andthegoodthatisinit,andthegoodoIwhatitissentwith,andIseek
YourreIugeagainstitsevil,andtheevilitissentwith."(Muslim)
Eiqh4.127b:OnHearingThunder
Ibn 'Umar reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard the sound oI thunder or
lightning he would say, "O Allah, do not destroy us with Your wrath nor let us perish with Your
punishment,andsaveusbeIoreitcomestopass."(ReportedbyTirmizhi,byitschainoIauthoritiesis
weak)
Eiqh4.127c:OnSeeingtheMoon
'Abdallah b.'Umar reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw moon he would say,
"Allah is the Greatest! O Allah, make it shine upon us in peace, Iaith, security, saIety, and with the
power to do what You love and are pleased with! O moon! Your Lord and our Lord is Allah." (At-
Tabarani)
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Qatadah reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw the moon, he would say,"Youare
thenewmoonoIgoodnessandguidance,thenewmoonoIgoodnessandguidance.IbelieveinAllah
Whocreatedyou."Hesaidthisthreetimes.Andthenhewouldadd,"PraisebetoAllahWhocaused
suchandsuchmonthtogobyinthismannerandbroughtanothermonth(whichhenamed)."Thisis
reportedbyAbuDaw'ud.
Eiqh4.128:SupplicationsoISorrowandGrieI
Ibn'Abbasreported,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,attimesoIsorrowandgrieIusedtosupplicate,
La iliha illa Allah Al-'Azim, Al-'Alim, la ilaha illa Allah, Rabbul 'arshil 'Azim, la ilaha illa Allahu,
Rabbus-Samawati wa rabbul ardi wa rabbul 'arshi karim (There is no god but Allah, theMighty,the
Eorbearing, there is no god but Allah, the Lord oI the mighty throne, there is no god but Allah, the
LordoItheheavensandtheearth,andtheLordoIthethroneoIhonor)'."ThisisreportedbyBukhari
andMuslim.
Anas said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was Iaced with a serious diIIiculty, he would
always supplicate, "Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghithu (O the Living, O the Eternal, I
seekhelpinYourgrace).(Tirmizhi)
Abu Hurairah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was Iaced with a serious
diIIiculty, he would raise his head to the sky and supplicate, "Subhan-Allah al-'Azim (glory be to
Allah, the Mighty)." And when he implored seriously and strongly, he would say "Ya Hayyu, Ya
Qayyum(OtheLiving,theEternalOne)."(Tirmizhi)
Abu Bakrah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplications oI distress are,
'Allahumma rahmataka arju, Iala takilni ila naIsi tarIata 'ain, wa aslah li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa
anta(OAllah,IhopeIorYourmercy,sogivemenotovertomyselIevenIoraslittleaswinkoIan
eye,andsetrightallmyaIIairs,thereisnogodbutYou)."(AbuDaw'ud)
Asma, daughter oI'Amais,reportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,askedher,"ShallItellyou
words that you may say in times oI pain or distress. These are, 'Allah, Allah, Rabbi la ushriku bihi
shai'an(Allah,Allah,myLord,IassociatenonewithHim)."Anothernarrationsaysthatthesewords
shouldbesaidseventimes.(AbuDaw'ud)
Sa'd ibn Waqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplication made by the
CompanionoItheEish(ProphetYunus)inthebellyoItheIishwas,'Lailahaillaanta,subhanaka,inni
kuntu minaz-zalimin (there is no god but You, You are Iar exalted and above all weaknesses, and I
wasindeedthewrongdoer)'.
II any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will be accepted." In another report we
read, "I know words that will cause Allah to remove one's distress. These are the words (oI
supplication)oImybrotherYunus,peacebeuponhim,''(Tirmizhi)
IbnMas'udreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"IIanyservantoIAllahaIIlictedwith
distress or grieI makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your
servant,sonoIYourservant,sonoIyourmaidservant.MyIoreheadisinYourhand.Yourcommand
concemingmeprevails,andYourdecisionconcerningmeisjust.IcalluponYoubyeveryoneoIthe
beautiIulnamesbywhichYouhavedescribedYourselI,orwhichYouhaverevealedinYourbook,or
have taught anyone oI Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge oI the
unseen with You,tomaketheQur'anthedelightoImyheart,thelightoImybreast,andremoveroI
my grieIs, sorrows, and aIIlictions'." A supplication in these words will be answered. Allah will
removeone'saIIlictionandreplaceitwithjoyandhappiness.(ReportedbyAhmadandIbnHibban)
Eiqh4.130:OnEncounteringtheEnemy,andWhenOneis AIraidoItheRuler
AbuMusanarratedthatwhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,Iearedapeople,heusedtosupplicate
against them in these words, "O Allah, we request you to kill them and we seek Your protection
againsttheirevil.'(AbuDaw'udandNasa'i)
Ibn As-Sinni reported that in a battle the Prophet, peace be upon him, supplicated, "O Master oI the
DayoIJudgment,IworshipYoualone,andseekonlyYourhelp."Anasremarked,"Isawtheangels
IightingagainsthisenemiesanddeIeatingthemleItandright."
ItisalsoreportedIromIbn'UmarthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhenyouareaIraidoIa
rulerorsomeoneelse,youshouldsay,'ThereisnogodbutAllah,theEorbearing,theGracious.Glory
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be to Allah, my Lord, glory be to Allah, the Lord oI the seven heavens and oI the mighty throne.
ThereisnogodbutYou,strongisyourprotection,andgreatisYourpraise'."
Ibn 'Abbas said, "Hasbuna-Allah wa ni'am alwakil (Allah suIIices us Ior everything and He is the
most excellent guardian)," and then he added, "These words were uttered by the Prophet Ibrahim,
peace be upon him, when he was thrown into the Iire, and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon
him, said these words when the people inIormed him, 'The people have gathered against you'."
(Bukhari)
'AwIb.MalikreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,judgedthecaseoItwomen.Theonewho
lost the case, turning away to go, said, "Allah is suIIicient Ior us, and He is the best guardian." The
Prophet, peace be upon him, said tohim, "Allah disapproves oI weakness and impotence. You must
putineIIortandwork,butiIyouareoverwhelmedbyadiIIicultythensay,'AllahissuIIicientIorme,
andheisthemostexcellentguardian'."
Eiqh4.131:WhenOneisConIrontedwithaDiIIicultSituation
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to supplicate, "O Allah, there is no ease
exceptwhatYoumakeeasy,andyoualonecanturnadiIIicultyintoease."(IbnAs-sinni)
Eiqh4.131a:WhenOneisDestitute
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When you leave your house and are
aIIlictedwithhardship,whydon'tyoupray,'InthenameoIAllahrespectingmyselI,myproperty,and
my din. O Allah, cause me to be satisIied and pleased with Your decree, and bless me in whatis
decreedIorme,sothatIwillnotwanttohastenwhatYouhavedelayed,nortodelaywhatYouhave
hastened'."(IbnAs-Sinni)
Eiqh4.131b:WhenOneisinDebt
'Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms oI his Ireedom with hismaster, came to him and
said,"IcannotpaymymasterasIagreedinthetermsoIIreedom,sohelpme."'Alisaidtohim,"Let
meteachyouthesupplicationthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,taughtme.IIyousayit,Allahwill
cause your debt to be paid even iI it be as great as a mountain. Say, 'O Allah, make Your lawIul
bounties suIIicient Ior me so as to save me Irom what is unlawIul, and Irom Your grace grant me
suIIicientabundancetomakemeIreeIromtheneedoIallexceptYou'."(ReportedbyTirmizhi,who
considersitsound)
AbuSa'idal-Khudrireported,"OnedaytheProphet,peacebeuponhim,enteredthemosque.Hesaw
there a man Irom the Ansar called Abu Umamah. He asked, 'What is the matter with you that I see
yousittinginthemosquewhenitisnotthetimeoIprayer.'Hereplied,'Iamverymuchworriedandin
greatdebt,OMessengeroIAllah!'TheProphetsaid,'LetmeteachyouwordstosaysothatAllahwill
remove your worries and settle your debt?' He exclaimed, 'OI course, O, Messenger oI Allah.' The
Prophetsaid,'Sayinmorningandevening,"OAllah,IseekreIugeinYouIromallworryandgrieI.I
seek reIuge in You Irom incapacity and slackness. I seek reIuge in You Irom cowardice and
niggardliness, and I seek reIuge in You Irom being overcome by debt and being subjected to men".'
Themansaid,'WhenIdidthat,Allahremovedallmyworriesandsettledmydebt'."(AbuDaw'ud)
Eiqh4.132:WhenOneisEacedwithSomethingDiIIicultorUnpleasant
Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one oI you is aIIlicted with
anymisIortuneheshouldsay,'Inalillahiwainna'ilayhiRaji'un(WeareIorAllah,andtoHimisour
return),'eveniIitbemerelylosingone'sshoestraps,IorthisisalsoamisIortune."(IbnAs-Sinni)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A strong believer is better and
dearertoAllahthanaweakbeliever,andthereisgoodineveryone,butcherishwhatgivesyoubeneIit
in the HereaIter and seek help Irom Allah and do not lose heart, and iI anything (in the Iorm oI
trouble) comes to you, don't say, 'II I had not done that, such and such thing would not have
happened,'butsay,'Allahhasordaineditso,andwhateverHepleasesHedoes,'because'iIs'and'buts'
openthedoorIorSatan."(Muslim)
Eiqh4.132a:WhattoSayWhenOneisStruckbyDoubt
Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "Satan comes to you and
says, 'Who created so-and-so, until Iinally he says, 'Who created your Lord?' So, when he inspires
suchadoubt,oneshouldseekreIugewithAllahandgiveupsuchthoughts.''(BukhariandMuslim)
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Another sahih hadith reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The people will continue
raising questions until they ask, 'Allah created the creation, but who created Allah?' So whoever is
Iacedwithsuchasituationshouldsay,'IbelieveinAllahandHismessengers'."
Eiqh4.133:WhenOneisAngry
Sulaimanb.Sardsaid,"IwassittingwiththeProphet,peacebeuponhim,whentwomenabusedeach
otherandoneoIthembecamesoangrythathisIacebecameswollenandchanged.TheProphet,peace
be upon him, said, 'I know a word that that will cause him to relax, and this is, "I seek reIuge with
Allah Irom Satan, the accursed." (II he said these words) his anger will cool down.' (Muslim aud
Bukhari)
Eiqh4.133a:SomeComprehensiveSupplications
'Aishah says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved the short but comprehensive, meaningIul
supplications, more than others. We give below some oI these supplications, which are a must Ior
everybeliever.
AnasreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,Irequentlyprayed,"OAllah,giveusallthegood
oIthisworld,andthegoodoItheliIehereaIter,andsaveusIromthepunishmentoItheIire."
TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,visitedoneoItheMuslimswhohadbecomeasIeebleasachicken,
andinquiredabouthishealth.Allah'sMessenger,peacebehim,asked,"DidyousupplicateAllahIor
anythingorbegHimIorit?"Hereplied,"Yes,Iaskedinthesewords,'O,Godpunishmeinthisworld
with the punishment that You are goingtoinIlictonmeintheHereaIter'."Allah'sMessenger,peace
beuponhim,remarked,"HallowedbeAllah!YouhaveneitherthepowernortheIorbearancetotake
upon yourselI the burden oI Allah's punishment. Why did you not say this,'OAllah,grantusallthe
goodoItheworld,andallthegoodoItheHereaIter,andsaveusIromthetormentoItheIire?"'Then
theProphet,peacebeuponhim,madethissupplicationIorhimandhewasallright.(Muslim)
Sa'dibnAbuWaqqasheardhissonpraying,"OAllah,IaskYouIorParadiseanditsblessingsandits
pleasure,andIorsuch-and-such,andsuch-and-such.IseekreIugeinYouIromHell,Iromitschains,
Iromitscollars,andIromsuch-and-such,andIromsuch-and-such."AtthisSa'dsaid,"Youhaveasked
AllahIoralotoIgood,andsoughtHisreIugeIromalotoIevil.IheardAllah'sMessenger,peacebe
uponhim,saying,'Therewillbepeoplewhowillexaggerateinsupplication.EoryouitissuIIicientto
say, "O Allah, I seek Irom You all thegood,whetherIknowitorIdonotknowit,andIseekYour
reIugeIromalltheevil,whetherIknowitorIdonotknowit.'(AhmadandNasa'i)
'Abdallah ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed to Allah, "My Lord, help
meanddonotturnagainstme.Grantmevictory,anddonotgrantvictoryoverme.PlanonmybehalI
and do not plan against me. Guide me, and make the guidance easy Ior me. Grant me victory over
those who act wrongIully toward me. O Allah, make me grateIul to You,mindIuloIYou,inaweoI
You, devoted to your obedience, humble, penitent, and ever turning to You in repentance. My Lord,
accept my repentance, wash away my sins, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence,
guidemyheart,makemytonguetrue,anddrawoutmaliceIrommybreast."
Zaid ibn Arqam said, "I am not going to say anything except what Allah's Messenger,maypeacebe
upon him, used to say. He used to supplicate, 'O Allah, I seek reIuge in You Irom incapacity, Irom
sloth, Irom cowardice, Irom miserliness, Irom old age, and Irom the torment oI the grave. O Allah,
grantmysoulrighteousness,andpuriIyit,IorYouaretheBestPuriIier.YouaretheProtectingIriend,
and Guardian. O Allah, I seek reIuge in You Irom the knowledgethatdoesnotbeneIit,Iromaheart
that does not Iear You, Irom a soul that is uncontented, and Irom supplication to which You do not
respond."(Muslim)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed to his Companions, "O people, would you like to be
seriousinyoursupplications?"Theyreplied,"Yes,OAllah'sMessenger."Hesaid,"ThenaskHim,'O
Allah,helpusinremembringYou,inoIIeringthankstoYou,andinworshippingYouproperly'.'(Al-
Hakim)
Ahmad reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, advised: "Recite Irequently, "Ya zha al-jalali w
al-ikram(O,PossessoroIMajestyandsublimity)"'.
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TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,alsousedtosay,"OControlleroItheHearts,makemyheartIirmin
Your Iaith. The balance is in the hands oI the BeneIicent, the Exalted, the Mighty, and He honors
someandbringsotherslowthereby.(Ahmad)
Ibn'UmarreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,usedtosupplicate,"OAllah,IseekreIugein
You against deprivation oI Your bounties, against loosing Your security, against the suddenness oI
Yourwrath,andagainsteverythingthatmightcauseYouranger."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say, "O Allah, beneIit me with what You have taught me,
andteachmewhatisbeneIicialIorme,andincreasemeinknowledge.ThanksbetoAllahunderall
circumstances,andIseekAllah'sreIugeIromtheplightoIthepeopleoItheIire.'(At-Tirmizhi)
When (his daughter) Eatimah came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, asking him to give her a
servant,hesaid,"Say,'OAllah,theLordoIthesevenheavens,andthemagniIicentthrone,ourLord
andtheLordoIallthings,theRevealeroItheTorah,Injil,andtheQur'an,TheSplitterandGroweroI
the seed grain and date stone, I seek Your reIuge against the evil oI all things that You hold under
Your control. You are the Eirst, there is nothing beIore You. You are the Last, and there is nothing
aIter You. You are the ManiIest and there is nothing above You, You are Innermost and there is
nothingbeyondYou.RemovetheburdenoIdebtIromusandrelieveusIromwant'.'(Muslim)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to supplicate, "O Allah, I beseech You Ior guidance,
virtuousness,chastity,anddetachmentIromtheworld."
'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, seldom leIt an assembly without
usingthesesupplicationsIorhisCompanions:"OAllah,apportiontoustheIearoIYouthatwillstand
between us and acts oI disobedience to You, and the obedience to You that will bring us to Your
Paradise,andthecertaintysuIIicientIorYoutomakethecalamitiesoIthisworldeasyIorus.Grantus
enjoymentoIourhearing,oursight,andourpoweraslongasYougrantusliIe,anddothesameIor
thosewhoinheritIromus.Grantusvictoryoverthosewhohavewrongedusandhelpusagainstthose
who are hostile to us. Let no calamity beIall our din, do not let worldly aIIairs become our greatest
concern or all that we know about, and do not let those rule over us who do not show us mercy."
(ReportedbyTirmizhi,whoconsidersitasoundhadith)
Eiqh4.136:InvokingBlessingsontheProphet
Allahsays,"AllahandHisangelssendblessingstotheProphet,Oyouwhobelieve!Sendblessingsto
him,andsalutehimwithallrespect."
Eiqh4.136a:WhatisMeantbyInvokingBlessingsontheProphet?
Abual-'Aliyah said, "Allah's sending blessings to the Prophet, peace be upon him, means that He
praises him in Iront oI the angels, and the blessings oI angels mean their supplications invoking
blessingsontheProphet.'(Bukhari)SuIianAl-Thawriandotherscholarssaid,"BlessingsoItheLord
meanHismercy,andtheblessingsoItheangelsreIertotheirsupplicationsandseekingIorgiveness."
(Tirmizhi)CommentingontheQur'anicverse33.56,IbnKathirsaid,"InthisverseAllah,theExalted,
inIormedHisservantsaboutthereveredstatusthatHisProphetandservantoccupieswithHiminthe
higherassembly.HerevealedthatHepraiseshiminthecompanyoItheangelsclosetoHim,andthat
theangelsprayIorhim,andthatHehascommandedtheinhabitantsoIthelowerworldtosendtheir
salutationsandgreetingstotheProphet,sothatthelowerandthehigherworldswouldjointogetherin
hispraise.Onthissubjecttherearemanyhadith.SomeoIthesearegivenbelow:
Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-'As reported that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, "II
anyone invokes blessings upon me once, Allah will bestow blessings upon him ten times over."
(Muslim)
IbnMas'udreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ThepeoplenearesttomeontheDay
oI Judgment will be the ones most conscientious in invoking blessings upon me." Tirmizhi reported
this hadith, and he considers it a sound hadith. The words "nearest to me" here mean the ones most
deservingoItheProphet'sintercessionandnearesttohiminstation.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"DonotturnmygraveintoasiteoI
Iestivities, but send greetings to me Ior your greetings are raised to me wherever you might be."
(ReportedbyAbuDaw'udwithasoundchainoIauthorities)
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AusreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"ThebestoIyourdaysisEriday,sosendmore
and more greetings to me on it, Ior your greetings are presented to me." They asked, "How are our
greetingspresentedtoyouwhileyouaredeadandyourbodyisturnedintodust?"Hereplied,"Allah
hasIorbiddentheearthtoconsumethebodiesoItheprophets."(AbuDaw'udandNasa'i)
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhenanyMuslimsendsgreetings
tome,AllahreturnsmysoultomesothatImayrespondtohisgreetings."(ReportedbyAbuDaw'ud
withasoundchainoIauthorities)
AhmadrecordedthatAbuTalhaAlAnsarisaid,"TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wokeuponeday
cheerIul and beaming. His companions exclaimed, 'O Prophet oI Allah, you woke up today cheerIul
andbeaming.'Hereplied,'Yes!AmessengeroIAllah,theMightyandtheGloriIied,cametomeand
said, "II anyone Irom your ummah sends you a salutation, Allah will record Iorhimtengooddeeds,
wipe oII ten oI his sins, and raise him thereby ten degrees in rank, and He will return his salutation
withasimilarsalutation".'IbnKathirconsidersthisasoundhadith.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever desires to be given (his
reward)inIullmeasure,shouldsendsalutationstous- themembersoImyIamily- andshouldsay,'O
Allah, shower blessings upon Muhammad, the Prophet, his wives, the mothers oI the believers, his
descendants, and the members oI his Iamily, as you showered blessings upon the Iamily oI Ibrahim.
YouarethePraiseworthyandGlorious."(RelatedbyAbuDaw'udandNasa'i)
AbuibnKa'absaid,"Whentwo-thirdsoIthenighthadpassed,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,would
get up and say, 'O people, remember Allah, remember Allah. The great commotion has come,
Iollowedbymorecommotions.Deathhascomewithallthatithasin store.Deathhascomewithall
thatithasinstore.'Isaid,'OmessengeroIAllah,Iinvokeblessingstoyouagreatdeal.HowmuchoI
my prayer should I reserve Ior invoking |such| blessings upon you?' The Prophet replied, 'Whatever
you want.' I asked, 'A quarter oI it?' He said, 'Whatever you wish. II you increase it, that would be
betterIoryou.'Iasked,'HalIoIit?'Herepeated,'Whateveryouwish,butiIyouincreaseit,thatwould
be better Ior you.' I asked, 'Two-thirds oI it?' He said, 'Whatever you wish. II you increase it, that
wouldbebetterIoryou.'Isaid,'Idevotemywholeprayertoinvokingblessingsonyou(i.e.IprayIor
you wherever I am).' He concluded, 'Thus will you be relieved oI your anxiety, and your sins
Iorgiven'."(RelatedbyTirmizhi)
Eiqh4.138:SendingSalutationstotheProphetonHearingHisName.IsthisObligatory?
Some Muslim scholars hold that it is obligatory to send salutations to the Prophet, i.e. invoke
blessings upon him, each time one hears his name mentioned. They, like Al-Tahawi and Al-Halimi,
basetheirargumentonahadithrecordedbyTirmizhi,whichhegradesassound,IromAbuHurairah,
that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May the nose oI the person in whose presence I am
mentioned be covered with dirt iI he does not invoke blessings upon me. And let the nose oI that
person be smeared with dust who Iinds the month oI Ramadan but lets it come to an end without
securing pardon Ior himselI. And may the nose oI the person be smeared wlth dust whose aged
parents,bothoIthemoroneoIthem,arestillliving,andwhoIailsthem(i.e.byservingthem)toenter
Paradise."(RelatedbyTirmizhi,whosaiditisanauthentichadith)
In a report related by Abu Zharr we read, "the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'The most miserly
amongpeopleistheonewhoIailstoinvokeblessingsuponmewhenmynameismentionedinhisor
herpresence'."
OtherscholarsareoItheopinionthatinvokingAllah'sblessingsupontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,
onlyoncewhileinagatheringisobligatory.AIterthatitisnolongernecessary,thoughitispreIerred
todoso.ThisisbasedonahadithIromAbuHurairahthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"II
somepeoplesittingtogetherinanassemblydonotrememberAllah init,norinvokeAllah'sblessings
upon His Prophet, peace be upon him, they will be sorry on the Day oI Judgment. Allah may either
punishthemorIorgivethem."(Tirmizhi)
Eiqh4.139:InvokingAllah'sBlessingsUpontheProphetwhenWritinghisName
The scholarsholditdesirabletoinvokeAllah'sblessingsupontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,each
timeonewriteshisname.Butthisisnotmentionedinanyhadith,sononecanbeusedtosupportthis
view. Al Khatib al-Baghdadi said, "I saw the handwriting oI Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and I Iound
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that oIten he wrote the name oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, without invoking Allah's blessings
upon him." Then he added, "It has come to my knowledge that he used to invoke Allah's blessings
upontheProphetverbally."
An-Nawawisaid,"WheninvokingAllah'sblessingsupontheProphet,peacebeuponhim,weshould
combineprayersIorpeaceandblessingsuponhim(bysayingSalalahu'alaihiwassallam),andshould
notconIineittooneoIthesesayingeitherSallahu'alaihi(MayAllahshowerHisblessingsuponhim)
or'Alaihias-salaam(peacebeuponhim)'."
Eiqh4.139a:InvokingBlessingsUpontheProphets
It is preIerred to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophets and angels separately. Astoothersthan
theProphets,thereisconsensusamongscholarsthatAllah'sblessingsmaybeinvokedIorthemalong
with others (but not separately). The statement oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, has been cited
above, "O Allah invoke blessings on Muhammad, the Prophet, and his wives, the mothers oI the
believers ..." It is disliked, however, to invoke blessings Ior them on their own. Eor instance, one
shouldnotsay,"Umar,mayAllahshowerHisblessingsuponhim."
Eiqh4.139b:HowtoInvokeBlessingsandPeaceUpontheProphet
Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari reported the Iollowing account Irom Bashir ibn Sa'd: "I asked Prophet,peace
be upon him, 'O Messenger oI Allah, Allah has commanded us to invoke blessings upon you. How
shouldwedoit?'TheMessengeroIAllah,peacebeuponhim,remainedsilentuntilwewishedwehad
notaskedhim.Thenhetoldustosay,
'Allahummasalli'alamuhammadinwa'alaalimuhammadinkamasallayta'alaaliibrahimawabarik
'alamuhammadinwa'alaalimuhammadinkamabarakta'alaibrahimawa'alaaliibrahimaIil'alamin,
innakahammidummajeed(OAllah,blessMuhammadandtheIamilyoIMuhammadasYoublessed
the Iamily oI Ibrahim, and give baraka to Muhammad and the Iamily oI Muhammad as You gave
barakatotheIamilyoIIbrahim,inalltheworlds.YouareworthyoIPraiseandGlorious),andthenhe
toldustogivethetaslimasyouhavelearnedit."(Muslim)
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "When you invoke blessings upon the Prophet do it in the best manner,
because you don't know whether or not your blessings may be presented to him. The Companions
asked him to teach them how to do it. He replied, ' Say, "Allahumma 'ij'al salawatakawarahmataka
wa barakataka 'ala sayyidil mursalin, wa imamal mutaqadimin wa khatimin nahiyyin muhammadin
'abduka wa rasuluka imamal khair wa qaidil khair wa rasulir rahmati. Allahumma b'athu maqaman
yaghbatuhu bihil awalun. Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama sallaita
'alaibrahimawaaliibrahimainnakahamidummajeed.Allahummabarik'alamuhammadinwa'ala ali
muhammadin kama barakta 'ala ibrahima wa 'ala ali ibrahima innak hamidum majeed (O Allah,
shower Your blessings, mercy, and Iavors on the ChieI oI the Messengers, and the ChieI oI the
Eoremost,theSealoItheProphets,Muhammad,YourservantandYour Messenger,theleaderoIthe
virtuous,thechieIoIthevirtuous,theMessengeroIMercy,granthimastationthatisthehappygoal
oI the most excellent, O Allah, bless Muhammad and his Iamily as You blessed Ibrahim and the
Iamily oI Ibrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, give baraka to Muhammad
and his Iamily as you gave baraka to Ibrahim and his Iamily, You are indeed Praiseworthy and
Glorious"'."(IbnMajah)
Eiqh4.140:GoingonaJourney
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Travelandbesoundinhealth,and
Iight(inthecauseoIAllah)andbeenriched."(Ahmad.Almanawiconsidersthisasoundhadith)
Eiqh4.140a:LeavingOne'sHouseIorWhatisDeartoAllah
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "No one leaves his home without
twobannerswaitingathisdoor,oneoItheminthehandsoIanangelandtheotherinthehandsoIa
devil.IIheintendstodowhatpleasesAllahtheangelwillIollowhimwithhisstandard,andhewill
remainunderthebanneroItheangeluntilhereturnstohishouse,butiIhesetsoutIorwhatdispleases
Allah the devil with his banner will Iollow him about, and he will remain under the devil's banner
untilhereturnstohishouse."(AhmadandAt-Tabarani.ItschainoIauthoritiesissound)
Eiqh4.141:ConsultationandIstikharahBeIoreSettingoutonaJourney
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Istikhara(Arabic)meanstoaskAllahtoguideonetotherightthingconcerninganyaIIairinone'sliIe,
especially when one has to choose between two permissible alternatives. A traveller should consult
good righteous persons beIore setting out on a journey, because Allah says, "And consult them (O
Prophet)inaIIairs(oImoment),"(Qur'an3.159)andoneoIthecharacteristicsoIthebelieversisthat
"they(conduct)theiraIIairsbymutualconsultation"(Qur'an42.38).
Qatadahsaid,"EverypeoplewhoseekthepleasureoIAllahandconsultwithoneanotherareguided
tothebestcourseintheiraIIairs."
ThetravellershouldalsomakeistikharahandseekguidanceIromAllah.Sa'dibnWaqasreportedthat
theProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"Istikharah(seekingguidanceIromAllah)isoneoIthedistinct
Iavors (oI Allah) upon man, and a good Iortune Ior the son oI Adam is to be pleased with the
judgment oI Allah. And a misIortune oI the son oI Adam is his Iailure to make istikharah (seeking
Allah's guidance), and a misIortune Ior the son oI Adam is his displeasure with the judgment oI
Allah."IbnTaimiyyahsaid,"HewhoseeksguidanceIromtheCreatorandconsultsthecreatureswill
neverregretit."
Eiqh4.141a:HowtomakeIstikharah
Eorthispurposeoneshouldpraytwonon-obligatoryraka'atoIprayer,eveniItheyareoItheregular
sunnah prayers or a prayer Ior entering the mosque,and so on, during any time oI the day or night.
One should recite in them whatever one wishes oI the Qur'an, aIter reciting al-Eatihah. Then one
shouldpraiseAllahandinvokeblessingsupontheProphet,peacebeuponhim.AIterthisoneshould
supplicate to Allah with the Iollowing supplication, which Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah has reported Irom the
Prophet, peace be upon him, when he related, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us how to
make Istikharah in all (our) aIIairs, just as he taught us various surahs oI the Qur'an. He told us, 'II
anyoneoIyouconsidersdoingsomethingheshouldoIIeratwo-rak'atprayerotherthantheobligatory
prayers, and then say (aIter the prayer), "Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika. wa astaqdiruka bi-
qudratika,waas'alukaminIadlikaal-azimIa-innakataqdiruwalaaqdiru,wata'lamuwalaa'lamu,wa
anta 'allamu-l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta' lamu anna hazhaI-amra khairun liIi dini wa ma'ashi
waaqibatiamri(or'ajiliamriwa'ajilihi)Iaqdirhuliwayas-sirhulithummabarikliIihi,wainkunta
ta'llamu anna hazha-l-amra sharrun liIi dini wa ma'ashi wa-aqibati amri (orIi'ajili amri wa ajilihi)
IasriIhu anni was-riIni'anhu. Wa aqdir li al-khaira haithu kana thumma ardini bihi (O Allah ! I ask
guidanceIromYourknowledge,andPowerIromYourMightandIaskIorYourgreatblessings.You
are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! IIYouknow
thatthisthingisgoodIormydinandmysubsistenceandIormyHereaIter- (orsay,IIit isbetterIor
mypresentandlaterneeds)- thenordainitIormeandmakeiteasyIormetoobtain,andthenbless
meinit.IIYouknowthatthisthingisharmIultomeinmydinandsubsistenceandintheHereaIter--
(orsay,IIitisworseIormypresentandlaterneeds)--thenkeepitawayIromme,andkeepmeaway
Irom it. And ordain Ior me whatever is good Ior me, and make me satisIied with it)."' The Prophet,
maypeacebeuponhim,addedthatthenthepersonshouldmentionhisneed."
Thereisnothing authenticconcerninganythingspeciIicthatistoberecitedintheprayernoristhere
anyauthenticreportconcerninghowmanytimesoneshouldrepeatit.
An-Nawawiholdsthat"aItermakingistikharah,apersonmustdowhatheiswholeheartedlyinclined
to do and Ieels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do beIore
making the istikharah. And iI his Ieelings change, he should leave what he had intended to do, Ior
otherwise he is not leavingthechoicetoAllah,andwouldnotbehonestinseekingaidIromAllah's
powerandknowledge.SincerityinseekingAllah'schoice,meansthatoneshouldcompletelyabandon
whatonedesiredoneselI."
Eiqh4.142:TravellingonThursdayisPreIerred
BukharireportsthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,seldomsetoutonajourneyexceptonThursday.
Eiqh4.142a:OIIeringTwoRaka'atBeIoretheJourney
Al-Mut'am ibn al-Miqdam reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "No one leaves
anything behind with his Iamily better than the two raka'at oI prayers that he oIIers withthemwhile
intendingtogoonajourney."(At-TabaraniandIbn'Asakirasamursalhadith)
Eiqh4.142b:ItisPreIerredtohaveCompanionsIortheJourney
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Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, Iorbade loneliness, i.e., that a man should
sleepaloneatnight,orgoonajourneyalone.(Ahmad)
UmaribnShu'aibreportedIromhisIatherandheIromhisgrandIatherthattheProphet,peacebeupon
him,said,"Asinglehorseman(traveller)isadevil,two aretwodevils,butthreeareacaravan."
Eiqh4.143:BiddingEarewelltoOne'sRelatives,AskingthemIorPrayers,andPrayingIorThem
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Anyone intending to go on a
journey should say to those staying behind, 'I commend you to Allah Whose trusts are never lost'."
(IbnAs-Sinni)
'UmarreportedthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhensomethingisentrustedtothecareoI
Allah,Heguardsit."(Ahmad)
ItisreportedIromAbuHuraraihthattheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"WhenoneoIyouintends
togoonajourney,heshouldbidIarewelltohisbrothers,IorAllahwillmaketheirprayersameansoI
good."
ItissunnahthatthemembersoItheIamily,aswellastheIriendsandthose whoseethetravelleroII
shouldprayIorhimasintheIollowingprayertransmittedIromtheProphet.
SalimreportedthatwhensomeonewantedtoleaveIorajourney'IbnUmarwouldsaytohim,"Come
over to me so that I may bid you Iarewell as the Prophet, peace upon him, used to bid us Iarewell,"
andthatheusedtosay,"ToAllahIcommendyourdin(Islam),yourtrust(ThatishisIamily,thosehe
leavesbehind,andhisproperty),andtheconclusionoIyourdeeds."'
InanotherreportwereadthatwhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,bidIarewelltoamanhewould
holdhishandandwouldnotleaveituntilthemanhimselIdroppedtheProphet'shand.TherestoIthe
hadithissimilartotheonegivenabove.Tirmizhiconsidersthisasound(hasansahih)hadith.
AnasreportedthatamancametotheProphet,peacebeuponhim,andsaid,"OAllah'sMessenger,I
intend to go on a journey, so please give me provision Iorthejourney."TheProphet,peacebeupon
him, replied, "May Allah provide you with piety (taqwa)." The man said, "Give me some more
provision."TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"AndmayAllahIorgiveyoursins."Themansaid,
"Give me still more." TheProphet,peacebeuponhim,thenreplied,"AndmayAllahIacilitategood
Ioryouwhereveryoumaybe."Tirmizhiconsidersthisasoundhadith.(ReportedbyAbuDaw'udand
Tirmizhi,whoconsidersittobeasound,hasansahih,hadith)
Abu Hurairah reported that a man said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, "O Allah's Messenger, I
intend to proceed on a journey, so give me some advice." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to
him, "Eear Allah, the Mighty and the Exalted, and gloriIy Him on every elevated piece oI ground."
Whenthemanturnedawaytogo,theProphet,peacebeuponhim,said,"OAllah,makethedistance
shortIorhim,andmakehisjourneyeasyIorhim."Tirmizhiconsidersthisasoundhadith.
Eiqh4.144:AskingtheTraveller"PrayIorUs"
'Umar ibn al-Khattab reports, "I sought permission oI the Prophet, peace be upon him, to perIorm
'umrah. He gave me permission and said, 'My brother, do not Iorget me in your prayers' ." 'Umar
reported Iurther, "This was a word more pleasing to me than the entire wealth oI the world."
(ReportedbyAbuDaw'udandTirmizhi,whoholdsittobeasoundhadith)
Eiqh4.144a:SupplicationsIoraJourney
ItispreIerredIoratravellertosaywhenleavinghome,"Bismillahitawakaltu'alallahwalahaulawala
quwwata illa billah, Allahumma inni auzhu bika an adilla au udalla au azilla au uzalla au azlima au
uzlama au aj-hala au yuj-hala 'alayya (In the name oI Allah, I repose my trust in Allah, and there is
neitherpowernoranymightexceptwithAllah.OAllah,IseekreIugewithYouIromleadingothers
astrayorbeingledastray,causingotherstosliporbeingcausedtoslipbyothers,ordoingwrongor
bewrongedbyothers,orbehavingIoolishlyorbeingtreatedIoolishlybyothers)."Thetravellermay
choosewhateverhewantsIromthesupplicationsreportedIromtheProphet,peacebeuponhim.Some
oIthese supplicationsaregivenbelow.
Ibn'AbbasreportedthatwhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,proceededonjourney,hewouldsay,
"OAllah,YouaretheCompanioninthejourney,andtheOneWholooksaItertheIamily.OAllah,I
seekreIugeinYouIromworthlesscompanionsonthejourney,andIromIindingharmwhenIreturn,
O Allah, make the length oI the journey short Ior us, and the journey easy Ior us." And when he
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returned he would say, "We are returning repentant, worshipping our Lord and praising Him." And
whenhewenttohisIamilyhewouldsay,"Repentant,repentant,wereturntoourLord,thesinvisits
usnot."(ReportedbyAhmad,At-Tabarani,andAl-BazarwithasoundchainoIauthorities)
Abdullah ibn Sarjis reported that when Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him, set Iorth on a
journey, he would say, "O Allah, I seek reIuge (with You) Irom the hardships oI the journey and
Iindingevilchangesonmyreturn,anddisgraceaIterhonor,andthecurseoItheoppressed,andasad
disarrayinmypropertyandIamily."Andwhenheretumedhewouldusesimilarwords,exceptthathe
would mention his Iamily beIore his property, and would say "... a sad disarray in my Iamily and
property.'(AhmadandMuslim)
Eiqh4.145:WhataTravellerShouldSayonRiding
'AliibnRabi'areportedthataridinganimalwasbroughtIor'Alitoride.WhenheputhisIootinthe
stirrups he said, "In the name oI Allah." When he was seated on it he said, "Glory to Him Who has
subjected this (means oI transportation) to our (use), Ior we could never have accomplished this (by
ourselves). And to our Lord, surely, must we return." (Qur'an 43.13-14) Then he praised Allah three
times, and gloriIied Him (i.e. said Allahu akbar), and then said, "Subhanaka la ilaha illa ant, qad
zalamtunaIsi,IaghIirli,innahulayaghIiruzhunubaillaanta(GlorytoYou(OAllah),thereisnogod
but You, I have indeed wronged my soul, so Iorgive me, verily none can Iorgive sins except You)."
Thenhelaughed,whereuponIaskedhim,"Whydidyoulaugh, OChieIoItheBelievers?"Hereplied,
"I saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, doing as Idid."AtthisIaskedhim,"Whydidyoulaugh,O
Allah'smessenger?"Hereplied,"OurLordispleasedwhenhisservantsays'MyLord,Iorgiveme,'
andHesays,'My servantknowsthatthereisnonetoIorgivesinsexceptMe'."(ReportedbyAhmad,
IbnHibban,andAl-Hakim,whosaiditissoundaccordingtothecriterionoIMuslim)
Al-Azdi recorded Abdullah Ibn 'Umar's narration that whenever Allah's Messenger, peace be upon
him, mounted his camel to set out on a journey, he gloriIied Allah (uttered Allah-o-Akbar) three
times, and then said, "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), Ior we could never have
accomplished this (by ourselves). And to our Lord, surely, must we return. O Allah, we seek virtue
andpietyIromYouonthisjourneyoIours,andactionsthatpleaseYou.OAllah,lightenthisjourney
oIours,andmakeitsdistanceeasyIorus.OAllah,Youare(our)companionduringthejourney,and
guardian oI (our) Iamily. O Allah, I seek reIuge with You Irom the hardship oI the journey, the
gloominessoIthesights,andIromIindingmisIortunesinpropertyandIamilyonourreturn."Andthe
Prophet, peace be upon him, uttered these words in addition, "We are returning repentant,
worshippingourLordandpraisingHim."(AhmadandMuslim)
Eiqh4.146:WhataTravellerShouldSayatNightIall
Abdullahibn'UmarreportedthatwhentheProphet,peacebeuponhim,wastravellingorIighting(in
the cause oI Allah) and night came on, he said, "O earth, my Lord and your Lord is Allah. I seek
reIugeinAllahIromyourevil,theeviloIwhatyoucontain,theeviloIwhathasbeencreatedinyou,
andtheeviloIwhatcreepsuponyou.IseekreIugeinAllahIromlions,Iromlargeblacksnakes,Irom
othersnakes,Iromscorpions,IromtheeviloIjinnwhoinhabitsettlements,andIromaparentandhis
oIIspring.''(AhmadandAbuDaw'ud)
Eiqh4.146a:WhataTravellerShouldSayonStoppingataPlace
Khaulah, daughter oI Hakim As-Sallammiya, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "II
anyonestopsataplaceandthensays,'IseekreIugewithalltheperIectwordsoIAllahIromtheevil
oI his creatures,' nothing will harm him until he departs Irom that place." (Reported by the Group
exceptBukhariandAbuDaw'ud)
Eiqh4.147:OnApproachingaVillageorPlace
'Ata ibn Abi Marwan relates Irom his Iather that Ka'ab swore to him by Him Who split the sea Ior
Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, that Suhaib inIormed him that whenever the Prophet, peace be
uponhim,sawavillagethathewantedtoenter,healwayssupplicated,"Allahummarabbissamawati
sab' i wa ma azlalna wa rabbul ardinas sab' i wa ma aqlalna wa rabbush sayatini wa ma adlalna wa
rabbur riyyahi wa ma zaraina as'aluka khairahazhihilqaryatawakhairaahlahawakhairamaIihawa
na'uzhubikaminsharrihawasharriahlihawasharrimaIiha(OAllah,LordoIthesevenheavensand
whattheyovershadow,LordoIthesevenearthsandwhattheycarry,andLordoIthedevilsandthose
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whomtheymislead,andLordoIthewindsandwhattheyscatterabout,IaskYouoIthegoodoIthis
village,thegoodoIitspeopleandthegoodithas,andseekYourprotectionIromitsevil,andtheevil
oIitspeople,andtheevilinit)."(ReportedbyNasa'i,IbnHibban,andAl-Hakimwhoconsidersthisa
soundhadith)
Ibn 'Umar reported, "We were with the Prophet, peace be upon him, on a journey. When he saw a
townthathewantedtoenterhewouldsay,'OAllah,blessusinit'threetimes,andthen'OAllahgrant
us sustenance Irom its Iruits, and put our love in (the hearts oI) its people, and put the love oI its
righteous people in our hearts'.'' (Reported by At-Tabarani in his Al-Awsar with a sound chain oI
authorities)
A'ishah reportedthatwhenevertheProphet,peacebeuponhim,approachedaplacethatheintended
toenterhewouldsay,'OAllahIaskYouoIthegoodinit,andthegoodoIwhatyouhaveplacedinit,
and I seek Your reIuge Irom its evil and the evil oIwhatYouhaveplacedinit.OAllah,giveusits
IruitsandprotectusIromitsplagues,andputourloveintheheartsoIitspeopleandputtheloveoIits
righteouspeopleinourhearts.'(ReportedbyAs-Sinni)
Eiqh4.147a:WhattheTravellerShouldsayatDawn
Abu Hurairah reported that during a journey when the day broke, the Prophet, peace be upon him,
wouldsay,"AlistenerhasheardthatwepraiseAllahIorHisIavorsuponus.OurLord,accompanyus
andgrantusYourIavors.WeseekprotectionoIAllahIromtheEire.'(Muslim)
Eiqh4.148:OnGoingUphill,Downhill,orReturning
Jabir said, "We used to say Allahu akbar when we went up a high place, and subhanallah when we
wentdownavalley."(Bukhari)
Ibn ' Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, returned Irom hajj (or 'umrah). When he
approachedapathhighupinmountainoronethatwasdiIIicult,hewouldbackupthreestepsandsay.
"ThereisnogodbutAllah,HeisOne.Hehasnopartners.ToHimbelongsalldominionandpraise,
and He has power over all things. We are returning repentant, worshipping, prostrating, praising our
Lord.HekeptHispromise.AndgavevictorytoHisservant,anddeIeatedalltheconIederatesalone."
Eiqh4.148a:OnBoardingaShip
Al-Hussain ibn Ali reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The security Ior my
community against drowning is to say, while boarding a ship (or a boat), 'Bismillahi majraiha wa
mursahainnarahhilaghaIoorunraheem(Bukhari),wamaqadarullahahaqaqadrihi,walardujami'an
qabadatuhu yaumal qiyyamati was samawatu matwiyyatun hi yameenihi subhanallahi 'amma
yushrakun (Qur'an 11.41) (In the name oI Allah, whether it move or be at rest! Eor my Lord is, be
sure,OIt-Eorgiving,MostmerciIul!NojustestimatehavetheymadeoIAllah,suchasisduetoHim,
OnthedayoIJudgmentthewholeoItheearthwillbebutHishandIul,andtheheavenswillberolled
up in His right hand, Glory to Him! High is He above the partners they attribute to Him!)" This is
reportedbyAs-Sinni.
Eiqh4.149:SailinginRoughWeather
Itisnotpermissibletoembarkonavoyagewhentheseaisstormyandagitated.Accordingtoahadith
reported by Abu'Umranal-JawnisomeoItheCompanionstoldhimthattheProphet,peacebeupon
him,said,"Anyonewhosleepsonahouse-topthathasnoIence,andthenIallsanddies,heIorIeitsthe
protection oI Allah, and anyone who sails while the sea is rough, and then perishes, he IorIeits the
protectionoIAllah."(ReportedbyAhmadwithasoundchainoIauthorities)
Eiqh5.1:PILGRIMAGE:AGENERALDEEINITION,ITSEXCELLENCEAND
PREREQUISITES
Allah, the Exalted One, says: "The Iirst House (oI worship) appointed Ior men was that at Bakka;
(BakkaisoneoIthenamesoIMakkah)IulloIblessingsandguidanceIorallkindsoIbeings:initare
signs maniIest (Ior example), the station oI Abraham-- whoever enters it attains security; pilgrimage
thereto is a duty men owe to Allah--those who can aIIord the journey; but iI any deny Iaith, Allah
standsnotinneedoIanyoIHiscreatures"(Qur'an3.96-97).
Eiqh5.1a:DeIinitionoIHajj
ThemajorityoIthescholarsholdthatHajjwasprescribedinthesixthyearaIterHijrah(MigrationoI
the Prophet (peace be upon him) Irom Makkah to Madinah) Ior it was then that the Iollowing verse
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concerning it was revealed: "And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah in the service oI Allah" (Qur'an
2.194).Thisconclusionisbasedontheunderstandingthatthe"completion"intheaboveverseinIact
reIers to the time when it was Iirst made obligatory. This view is also supported by 'Alqamah,
Masrouq, and Ibrahim An-Nakh'i, who substitute "And establish" Ior "And complete" in the above
verse,asreportedbyAt-Tabaranionsoundauthority.Ibn-al-Qayyim,however,isinclinedtotheview
thatHajjwasmadeobligatoryintheninthorthetenthyearoIHijrah.
Eiqh5.1b:ExcellenceoIHajj
The Divine Law Giver exhorted Muslims to perIorm Hajj. In this regard we may reIer to the
Iollowing:
Eiqh5.1c:Hajj- OneoItheBestDeeds
AbuHurairahreportedthatthe Prophet(peacebeuponhim)wasonceasked:"Whatisthebestdeed?"
He replied: "To have Iaith in Allah and His Messenger." The enquirer asked: "What next?" The
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)said:"TostriveinthecauseoIAllah.""Whatisthenextbestthing?"He
replied: "Hajj Mabrur (a Iaultless Hajj that is Iree oI sin and is graced with Divine acceptance and
pleasure)."
Al-Hasansaid:"ItmeansthatapersonaIterperIormanceoIHajjshoulddesireandbeinclinedtothe
liIe oI the HereaIter rather than the material pleasures oI this world." Another report transmitted on
sound authority Irom the Prophet (peace be upon him) says that a righteous perIormance oI Hajj is
crownedbyIeedingtheneedyandspeakingkindwordstomen.
Eiqh5.2:Hajj:AEormoI Jihad
Al-HasanibnAlisaysthatamancametotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andsaid:"Iamacoward
andaweakperson.IsthereanythingIcando?"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Youmaygo
Iorajihad(striving)thatinvolvesnoIighting,thatis,Hajj."ThisisreportedbyAbdurRazzaqandAt-
Tabarani,andallitsnarratorsaretrustworthy.
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Hajj is the jihad Ior the old, the
weakandthewomen."(ThisisreportedbyNasa'iwith areliablechainoInarrators)
'Aishah reports that she once said: "O Prophet oI Allah! Jihad (striving or Iighting in the cause oI
Allah)isthebestdeed.Shouldwe(women)then,notactivelyparticipateinit?"TheProphet(peacebe
uponhim)replied:"ThebestjihadIoryouisHajjMabrur."(BukhariandMuslim)
In another report 'Aishah says: "I once asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): 'O Prophet oI Allah!
Should not we (women) strive and actively participate in the Islamic war with you?' The Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)replied:'ThebestandthemostbeautiIulstrivingIoryouinthecauseoIAllahis
HajjMabrur."'(BukhariandMuslim)'Aishahcommented:"AIterhearingthisIromtheProphet(peace
beuponhim)IshallneverceaseperIormingHajj."
Eiqh5.2a:HajjWipesOIIPastSins
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"HewhoperIormsHajjIorAllah's
pleasureandavoidsalllewdnessandsinswillreturnaIterHajjIreeIromallsinsashewasthedayhis
mothergavebirthtohim."(BukhariandMuslim)
'Amribnal-'Assays:"WhenAllahguidedmetoIslam,IwenttotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)and
said to him: 'O Prophet oI Allah! Stretch out your hand so that I may pledge my allegiance to you.'
TheProphet(peacebe uponhim)stretchedouthishandtome,butIwithdrewmyhand.TheProphet
(peacebeuponhim)asked:'O'Amr!whatisthematterwithyou?'Isaid:'Iwouldliketostipulatea
condition! ' The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: 'What is it?' I said: 'That all my past sins be
Iorgiven!'TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:'O'Amr!DoyounotknowthatIslamwipesoIIall
past sins, and hijrah (leaving one's home and hearth Ior Allah's cause) wipes oII all sins, and
(similarly)HajjwipesoIIallpastsins!"'(Muslim)
AbdullahibnMas'udnarratedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"AlternatebetweenHajjand
'Umrah(regularly),Iorthesetworemovepovertyandsinsjustastheblacksmith'sbellowsremovesall
impurities Irom metals like iron, gold and silver. The reward Ior Hajj Mabrur is nothing short oI
Paradise."(Nasa'iandTirmizhi,whoregardsitasoundhadith)
Eiqh5.3:PilgrimsareAllah'sGuests
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Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Pilgrims and those perIorming
'Umrah are Allah's guests; their prayers are answered and their supplications Ior Iorgiveness are
granted.ThisisreportedbyNasa'i,IbnMajah,IbnKhuzaimahandIbnHibbanintheircollectionsoI
Sahih hadith. In the last two we read: "And Allah's guests are three: A pilgrimperIormingHajj,one
perIorming'Umrah,andapersonwhoIightsinthecauseoIAllah."
Eiqh5.3a:TheRewardoIHajjisParadise
Abu Hurairah says the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "All sins committed in between the
perIormance oI one 'Umrah and another are expiated and erased, and the reward oI Hajj Mabrur is
nothingsaveParadise."(BukhariandMuslim)
InanothersoundhadithIbnJoraijrelatesIromJabirthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"This
House oI Allah (the Ka'bah) is the pillar oI Islam, so whosoever heads to it with the intention oI
perIorming Hajj or 'Umrah is under Allah's security. II he should die (during his trip) he is granted
Paradise,andiIhereturnshomesaIely,hereturnswithrewardandgain."
Eiqh5.3b:TheExcellenceoISpendinginHajj
Buraidah reports the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: "Spending during Hajj is akin to
spending in the cause oI Allah, and every dirham thus spent will be rewarded seven hundred times
over.''(ReportedbyIbnAbiShaibah,Ahmad,At-TabaraniandAl-Baihaqi)
Eiqh5.3c:HajjisObligatoryOnlyOnceinLiIe
There is consensus among Muslim scholarsthatHajjisobligatoryonlyonceduringtheliIetimeoIa
Muslim,unlesssomeonevowstoperIormextraHajj,in whichcasehemustIulIilhisvow.Whatever
isdoneoverandaboveissupererogatoryoroptional.
AbuHurairahnarratesthatonce,inasermon,theProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Opeople!Allah
hasprescribedHajjIoryou,soyoumustperIormit."Amanasked:"Everyyear,OProphetoIAllah?"
TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)remainedsilent.Whenthemanrepeateditthrice,theProphet(peace
be upon him) said: "Had I said 'yes', it would have become a yearly obligation, and this would have
beenbeyondyourpower."Thenheadded:"LeavemealonesolongasIleaveyoualone(i.e.,donot
pester me with questions about things which I omit and do not mention). Some people who lived
beIoreyouweredestroyedbecausetheyaskedtoomanyquestionsanddisagreedwiththeirProphets.
SowhenIcommandyoutodosomething,youmustobeyanddoittothebestoIyourpower,andiII
IorbidyouIromsomething,thenavoidit."(BukhariandMuslim)
Ibn'AbbasnarratesthatoncetheProphet(peacebeuponhim)addressedusandsaid:"OPeople!Hajj
hasbeenprescribedIoryou."AtthisAl-Aqra'binHabisstoodupandasked:"OProphetoIAllah!Are
we to perIorm Hajj every year?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Had I said 'yes', it would
have become a (yearly) obligation, and had it become a (yearly) obligatory duty you would have
Iailedtokeepit.Hajjisobligatoryonlyonceinone'sliIetime.Whateveronedoesoverandabovethis
is supererogatory (a voluntary act) Ior him. (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daw' ud, Nasa' i and Al-
Hakim,whoregardsitasoundhadith)
Eiqh 5.4: Can the PerIormance oI Hajj Be DeIerred to a More Convenient Time or Must It Be
PerIormedImmediatelyaIterOneisAbletoDoSo?
Ash-ShaIi'i,Ath-Thawri,Al-Awza'iandMohammadbinal-HasanareoItheopinionthatHajjmaybe
perIormed at any time during one's liIe, and there is nothing wrong iI someone, Ior whom it is
obligatory, delays ituntilalaterdateinhis(orher)liIe,Ior,althoughHajjwasprescribedinthe6th
year oI Hijrah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) delayed it until the 10th year oI Hijrah when he
perIormed it along with his wives and many oI his companions. Had perIorming it earlier been
essentialtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wouldhaveneverdelayedit.
Ash-ShaIi'isays:"We,thereIore,areconvincedthatHajjisobligatoryuponaMuslim,maleorIemale,
IromtheageoIpubertyuntilbeIorehisdeath."
Abu HaniIah, Malik, Ahmad, some oI Ash-ShaIi'i's Iollowers and Abu YusuIareoItheopinionthat
Hajj must be perIormed as soon as one is (physically and Iinancially) in a position to do so. This
opinion is based on a hadith thatisrelatedbyIbn'AbbasthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:
"HewhointendstoperIormHajjlethimdosoexpeditiously,Iorhemaywell Iallsick,maylosehis
mount (ability to bear expenses oI the jaurney) or he may be prevented by some other exigency.''
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(Reported by Ahmad, Al-Baihaqi, At-Tahawi and Ibn Majah) In another report by Ahmad and Al-
Baihaqi, we read that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Hasten to perIorm Hajj - the basic
obligation - Ior you don't know what might happen to you," meaning "one may Iall sick or be
prevented by some other exigency." The earlier scholars interpreted these ahadith saying it was
commendableIor apersontoperIormHajjassoonaspossibleprovidedhehadtheabilitytodoso.
Eiqh5.5:PrerequisitesIorHajj
There is a consensus among jurists concerning the prerequisites that must be Iound in a person Ior
Hajjtobeincumbentonhim:
-1- Hemust beaMuslim.
-2- Hemustbeanadult.
-3- HemustbeoIasoundstateoImind.
-4- HemustbeIree.
-5- Hemusthavethenecessarypowerandability.
AnyonelackinganyoItheseconditionsisnotobligatedtoperIormHajj.Alltheseconditions,thatis,
being a Muslim, being oI adult age and oI sound mind, being Iree, and possessing the power to
dischargeadutyareequallyvalidwithrespecttoallotherIormsoIworshipinIslam.Thisisbasedon
a hadith oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) which says: "Three persons are not to be held
accountable: a sleeping person until he awakes, a minor until he comes oI age, and a mentally
disturbedpersonuntilheregainshisreason."
EreedomisanessentialprerequisiteIorHajj,IorthisworshipneedstimeaswellasIinancialability.A
slave lacks both, Ior all his time is spent in the service oI his master, and Iinancially he lacks the
abilitytoundertakethisobligation.TheQur'ansays:"PilgrimagetheretoisadutymenowetoAllah-
thosewhocanaIIordthejourney"(3.97).
Eiqh5.7:THEABILITYTOPEREORMHAJJ- WHATDOESITIMPLY?
TheabilitytoperIormHajj,whichisoneoIitsessentialconditions,includestheIollowing:
-1- A person must be healthy and physically Iit. II one is disabled by old age or a disease that is
incurable or is unable to perIorm Hajj Ior some other similar reason, he may, iI he is Iinancially
capable,assignsomeoneelsetoperIormHajjonhisbehalIandathisexpense.Thiswillbediscussed
laterunder"HajjOnBehalIoIAnotherPerson."
-2- ThejourneytoHajjmustbesaIesothatthepilgrim'sliIeandpossessionsaresaIeandsecureIrom
any danger. II one is aIraid Ior one's liIe Irom highwaymen or an epidemic or iI one is aIraid to be
robbedoIone'spossessions,thensucha oneisdeemedasoneoIthosewhocannotaIIordthejourney
IorHajj.
Thereis,however,adiIIerenceoIopinionamongscholarsregardingtheentryIeesandothercharges
levied on pilgrims. Can a person be excused and reckoned as unable Iinancially to perIorm Hajj
becauseoIthesecharges?AshShaIi'iandothersareoItheviewthatthepresenceoItheseleviesdoes
qualiIy a person to be classiIied as unable to perIorm Hajj, even though the levy involved may be
paltry.TheMalikischolarsdisagreeIortheydonotregardthisasasuIIicientreasonIorapersontobe
deemed as unable to perIorm Hajj, unless the amount involved is too exorbitant or is demanded
repeatedly.
-3- One must possess the necessary provision and also the requisite means oI journey. Necessary
provisionheremeansthattheintendingpilgrimmusthavesuIIicientsuppliesIorhimselIaswellasIor
his Iamily that he leaves behind. These supplies include suIIicient and adequate clothing, housing,
meansoItraveling,andtoolsIorthepursuitoIhistradeorproIessionbesidestheIinancialmeansIor
thejourney.(ThepersonintendingtoperIormHajjshouldnotsellhisclothes,hispersonalbelongings,
orhishouse--eveniItheywereabundanttogetmoneyIorHajj)MeansoItravelingimplythatwhich
enableshimtogotoHajjandcomeback,whetheritisbyland,bysea,orbyair.Thisconcernsthose
wholiveIarIromMakkahandcannotwalkthere.
As Ior those who live in the vicinity oI Makkah, this condition does not apply, Ior they are so close
thattheycangoIorHajjonIoot.
Some ahadith explain the Qur'anic words "those who can aIIord the journey," (Qur'an 3.97) as
meaningprovisionoIIoodandmeansoIjourney.AnasreportsthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
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when once asked about the meaning oI "those who can aIIord" said: "It means possessing means oI
sustenance and transportation." (Ad-Daraqutni considers this hadith sound) Al-HaIiz remarks: "Most
probablyitschainoItransmittersisnottraceabletotheProphet(peacebeupon him).Tirmizhiaswell
has reported it on the authority oI Ibn 'Umar but its chain oI transmitters is weak. Abdul Haqq
remarked: "All its chains oI transmitters are weak." Ibn Al-Munzhir says: "It is not traceable to the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)andthecorrectpositionisthatitisasoundbutincompletelytransmitted
hadithwhosechainoIauthoritiesdoesnotgobacktotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)."
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said: "He
who possesses suIIicient provisions and means oI journey Ior the perIormance oI Hajj and yet does
not do so, let him die the death oI a Jew or a Christian." Eor Allah says in the Qur' an: "Pilgrimage
theretoisadutymenowetoAllah- thosewhocanaIIord thejourney."(TransmittedbyTirmizhi,but
among the narrators oI this hadith are included "Halal" ibn Abdullah, who is unknown, and "Al-
Harith"whomAsh-Sha'abiandothershavedescribedasaliar)
Alltheseahadithareweakinauthority,yetmostscholarsregardprovisionsandmeansoIjourneyasa
necessaryconditionIorHajj.IIapersonhasneitherthenecessaryprovisionsnormeansoItravel,heis
notobligatedtoperIormHajj.
Ibn Taimiyyah says: "These ahadith are musnad (A report which is traceable in uninterrupted
ascendingorderoIthenarratorstoitsIirstauthority)andhaveasoundchainoIauthorities,someare
mursal(Ahadithtransmittedbyasuccessor(atabi'),youngorold,withoutmentioningtheCompanion
who might have heard it Irom the Prophet directly. Ash-ShaIi'i considers such a hadith weak, while
Abu HaniIah and Malik consider it sound) and others are mauquI. (A hadith reported Irom a
Companion through words or acts uninterruptedly or otherwise) They all prove that the ability to
arrangeone'sprovisionsandpossessionoImeansoIjourneyisanecessaryprerequisiteIorHajj,and
thisdespitetheIactthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)knewthatmanyoIthepeople(inhistime)
wereabletogoIorHajjonIoot.
SimilarlythewordsoIAllah:"PilgrimagetheretoisadutymenowetoAllah- thosewhocanaIIord
the journey" underline the Iact that ability and power are the necessary prerequisite Ior all Iorms oI
worship.ItsigniIiestheunspeciIiedpoweroralittlebitmorethanwhatmaybenecessary.Inthecase
oI sawm (Iasting) and salah (obligatory prayers) the Iinancial ability is superIluous and is not
speciIiedintheQur'an,unlikeHajjIorwhichitisanimportantrequirement.Similarly,HajjisaIorm
oI worship which involves traveling Ior which one must be in possession oI suIIicient means to
supportoneselI(andone'sIamily),aswellasbeabletoshoulderthecostoIthejourneyasinjihad.
InthisregardwemayreIertotheQur'anicverse(9.91-92)"NoristhereanyblameonthosewhoIind
noresourcestospend,noristhere(blame)onthosewhocometoyoutobeprovidedwithmounts,and
whenyousaid,'IcanIindnomountsIoryou,."'
InAl-Muhazhibweread:"IIsomeonehasthemoneytobuyprovisionsandthepassagetoHajjbuthe
needs it to pay his debts, Hajj is not binding on him, whether the settlement oI the debt is required
immediately or is due aIter a time. The debts that are due Ior immediate settlement must be paid at
once,whereastheHajjmaybeperIormedlateroninliIe.ButiIhespendsallthathehasonHajjhe
maynotbeinapositiontopayoIIhisdebt."
Similarly, iI one is in need oI a dwelling or a servant to help him, he may be classiIied as unable to
perIormHajj.Likewise,iIoneneedstotakeawiIebecauseheIearshemaynotbeabletoavoidevil,
hemustgetmarried,Ioritishisimmediateneed.Eurthermore,iIoneneedsgoodsIorhisbusinessto
obtain requisite resources thereIrom, such a one, according to Abul 'Abbas, Ibn Sarih, may be
classiIiedasunabletoperIormHajjinviewoIhisspeciIicneed.Al-Mughnisays:"IIthedebtisowed
to a wealthy person who does not demand immediate settlement oI the loan, deIers settlement to a
later stage, and is ready to permit the debtor to proceed Ior Hajj, then such a debtor is (technically)
able to perIorm Hajj. But in case the lender cannot aIIord to deIer settlement oI the loan, the debtor
wouldbereckonedasunabletoperIormHajj."
AccordingtotheShaIi'ischool:"IIsomeoneoIIersanotheraIreepassageIorHajj,oneisnotobliged
to accept the oIIer, Ior it is a Iavor and involves distress oI being obliged to another person. II,
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however,suchanoIIerismadebyone'ssontoperIormHajj,thenoneisobligatedtodoso,Iorone
canperIormitwithoutbeingbeholdentoanyoneelse."
TheHanbalischoolisoItheviewthatanoIIeroIIinancialhelpbysomeoneelsedoesnotobligatea
person to perIorm Hajj, nor does this classiIy him as (Iinancially) capable oI perIorming it, whether
the oIIer comes Irom a stranger or a relative and whether the oIIer provides means oI travel and
provision,orlinanacialhelpassuch.
-5- There must also be no obstruction which may prevent people Irom undertaking the journey Ior
Hajj,likeIearoItortureorimprisonmentbyatyrannicalruler.
Eiqh5.9:HajjoIaMinorandaSlave
ThoughHajjisnotcompulsoryIorthesetwogroupsitisquitevalidiItheyperIormone,butitwillnot
suIIicethemasregardstheHajjprescribedinIslam.
Ibn 'Abbas reports: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Any minor (child) who perIorms Hajj
must perIorm it again aIter coming oI age; any slave who perIorms Hajj and is then Ireed, must
perIormhisHajjagain'."(ReportedbyAt-Tabaranionsoundauthority)As-Sa'ib binYazidsays:"My
Iather perIormed Hajj with the Prophet (peace be upon him) who was perIorming his Earewell Hajj,
while I was only seven years old." This was reported by Ahmad, Bukhari and Tirmizhi, who noted:
"All scholars agree that iI a minor perIorms Hajj, he must repeat his Hajj upon coming oI age.
LikewiseaslavewhoperIormsHajj,andthereaItergainshisIreedom,mustalsorepeathisHajjiIhe
isinapositiontodoso."
It is also reported Irom Ibn 'Abbas that during a Hajj a woman liIted a boy, and asked the Prophet,
"WillthisboyberewardedIorHajj?"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)answered:"Yes,andyoutoo
willberewarded."(TheboywillberewardedIorhisobedience,whilethemotherwillberewardedIor
helpingandinstructinghimtoperIormHajj.ThishadithisalsoreportedIrom'Umar)
Jabirreports:"WeperIormedHajjwiththeProphet(peacebeuponhim)andanumberoIwomenand
children were with us. We said talbiyah on behalI oI the children, and (also) threw pebbles on their
behalI.ThisisnarratedbyAhmadandIbnMajah.
IIaminorisablehemayhimselIdeclarethestateoIihramandperIormtheritesoIHajj.Otherwise,
his guardian (An-Nawawi said: "The guardian who declares the state oI ihram on behalI oI a non-
discerning minor, is the guardian oI his properties, i.e., his Iather, grandIather, or the guardian
appointedbylaw.Concemingthemother,thescholarsdiIIer.SomeareoItheopinionthatherihram
on his behalI is only valid iI she is appointed by law as his guardian. Others claim that her ihram is
valid even iI she is not the guardian) must declare the state oI ihram and say talbiyah on his behalI,
circumambulateroundKa'bah,runbetweenSaIaandMarwah,stayat'AraIahandthrowstonesonhis
behalI. II, on the other hand, a minor attains the age oI puberty on or beIore the Day oI 'AraIah, his
Hajj is then credited to him. The same applies to a slave who is liberated on or beIore the Day oI
'Aratah. Malik and Ibn Al-Munzhir say: "To both oI these people their Hajj cannot be credited as
(replacement Ior) the obligatory Hajj, Ior they intended a supererogatory worship while putting on
ihram;itssupererogatorystatuscannotbetransIormedintoanobligatoryworship."
Eiqh5.12:AWomanShouldSeekHerHusband'sPermissionIorHajj
ItisdesirableIorawomantoseekherhusband'spermissionIortheprescribedHajj.TheniIhegrants
herthepermissionshemayleaveIorHajj;incasehereIusestogivepermission,shemaystillproceed
IorHajj,IorahusbandshouldnotIorbidhiswiIeIromperIormingobligatoryHajj.Itisanobligatory
act oI worship. It is unlawIul to obey anyone in something that involves disobedience to Allah. A
woman should perIorm obligatory Hajj as soon as possible, just as she should oIIer her prescribed
dailyprayersattheirearliestprescribedtimes.IneithercaseahusbandhasnorighttopreventhiswiIe
Iromdoingwhatisherobligatoryduty.ThesameapplieswhenawiIehasvowedaHajj,becauseitis
obligatory like the prescribed Hajj. In the case oI supererogatory Hajj, however, the husband may
prevent his wiIe, and the wiIe must obey her husband. This is supported by a hadith reported by
AdDaraqutni on the authority oI Ibn 'Umar who narrated that while speaking about a wealthy lady
whosehusbandhadreIusedtogiveherpermissiontoperIormHajj,theProphet(peacebeuponhim)
said:"ShemustnotgoIorHajjexceptbyherhusband'spermission."
Eiqh5.12a:HeWhoDiesWithoutPerIormingObligatoryHajj
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II a person dies beIore perIorming obligatory Hajj or iI one vowed to perIorm Hajj but died beIore
IulIillingone'svow,hisheirmustassignsomeonetoperIormHajjonbehalIoIthedeceased.Allthe
ensuing expenses in this regard must be paid out oI the deceased's property, as indeed must be any
debtsleItbyhim.
Ibn'AbbasnarratesthatawomanIromthetribeoIJohainahcametotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
and said: "My mother had vowed to perIorm Hajj but she died beIore IulIilling her vow, should I
perIormHajjonherbehalI?TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Yes,perIormHajjonherbehalI.
Would you not pay oII any debts your mother might have leIt behind upon her death? Pay oII what
youowetoAllah,IorHeismostdeservingoIsettlementoIHisdebt."(Bukhari)
This hadith underlines the obligation oI perIorming Hajj on behalI oI a deceased person, whether or
not he leaves a will to this eIIect (it is a kind oI debt Ior the deceased), and all debts leIt by the
deceasedmustbesettled,justasallotherIinancialobligationssuchaszakah,anatonementoravow
transactedbythedeceasedhastobeIulIilled.
Ibn'Abbas,ZaidbinThabit,AbuHurairah,andAsh-ShaIi'iholdthisopinion.Theyconsiderthatthe
expenses oI the substitute (the hired person) must be paid out oI the wealth oI the deceased beIore
dividingitupamonghisheirs.
IncasethewealthisinsuIIicienttocoverboththecostoIHajj(bythesubstitute)andsettlementoIthe
deceased's debts, the expense oI Hajj must be paid Iirst, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"AllahismostdeservingthatHisdebtbepaidback."
ImamMaliksays:"ApersonmayperIormHajjonbehalIoIthedeceasedonlyiIthedeceasedleavesa
willtothateIIect.IIthedeceasedleavesnosuchwill,thenaHajjonhisbehalImaynotbeperIormed,
Ior this worship involves, more than anything else, physical exertion and struggle and as such, no
other person can replace or substitute another person. II a deceased makes a will regarding it, then
HajjmaybeperIormed,meeting allitscostIromoutoIonethirdoItheshareoIhisheritage."
Eiqh5.13:HajjOnBehalIoIOthers
IIsomeonehastheabilitytoperIormHajjbutaIterwardsheisunabletoperIormitduetosicknessor
oldage,hemustarrangeIorsomeoneelsetoperIormHajjonhisbehalI,Iorhemayneverbeableto
doithimselI.Inthisrespect,suchapersonisverymuchlikethedeceased,hencethepermissionIor
himtochoosehissubstituteinHajj.
ThisisbasedonahadithreportedbyAl-Eadlibn'Abbas,whosays:"AwomanoIKhath'amsaid,'O
ProphetoIAllah!AllahhasprescribedHajjIorHisservants.(Nowthat)Iamgrownup,IIindthatmy
Iatherisanoldman,andhecannotrideonthecamel(Iorlong).ShouldIperIormHajjonhisbehalI?'
TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:'Yes.'"ThishappenedduringtheEarewellHajj.(Reportedby
theGroup)Tirmizhiconsidersitasoundhadithwithasoundchainandadds:"Onthistopic,reports
otherthanthishaditharealsoIound;theyareoIsoundauthority,andthecompanionsoItheProphet
(peace be upon him) believed and practiced accordingly; they held that one may perIorm Hajj on
behalI oI a deceased person." At-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, Ash-ShaIi'i, Ahmad and Ishaq also hold a
similarview.
Imam Malik says: "II the deceased leaves a will that someone perIorm a Hajj on his behalI, then it
maybeperIormed."SomescholarslikeIbnMubarakandAsh-ShaIi'isaythatitispermissibleIoran
oldman,whoisunabletoperIormHajjonhisown,toarrangeIorasubstitutetodoitonhisbehalI.
The above hadith also lends support to the view that, both Ior a man or a woman, it is quite
permissibletoperIormHajjonbehalIoIanothermanorwoman.Thereisnothingagainstthisinthe
Qur'anorhadith.
Eiqh5.14:PositionoIaSickPersonWhoRecovers
II a sick person recovers aIter someone has perIormed Hajj on his behalI, he will be considered as
havingperIormedhisobligatoryduty,andhewillnotberequiredtorepeatit,Ioritwouldimplythe
obligationoIperIormingtwoobligatorypilgrimages(ratherthanone).ThisisImamAhmad'sview.
ThemajorityoIscholarsare,however,oItheviewthatsuchasubstitutoryHajjwillnotsuIIiceaman
toabsolvehimoIhisobligation,Iorhisrecoveryshowsthathiscasewas notreallyhopeless(andhe
shouldthereIorerepeatit),IorthedecisiveIactorinthisrespectiscessationoIillnessandrestoration
oIhishealth.
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IbnHazimisinclinedtotheIirstview.Hesays:"WhentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)commanded
toperIormHajjonbehalIoIthosewhoareunabletowalkorride(i.e.,cannottravelIorHajj),andtold
thatthiswillpayoIItheirdebttoAllah,thenindeedthedebtissettled,andtheireIIortaccepted."And
surely iI an obligation is removed or IulIilled, there is no justiIication Ior its repetition, especially
when there is nothing in the texts to support it. Had such a repetition been necessary, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) must have clearly mentioned it, but as he did not, there is no reason Ior its
repetition.
Eiqh5.14a:ConditionsIorPerIormingHajjonBehalIoIOthers
BeIoreperIormingHajjonbehalIoIsomeoneelse,apersonmusthaveperIormedhisownHajj.This
isbasedonthehadithinwhichIbn'AbbasnarratesthattheProphet(peacebe uponhim)heardaman
saying:"OAllah!HereIaminresponsetoYourcallonbehalIoIShabrumah."TheProphet(peacebe
upon him) asked him: "Have you perIormed your own Hajj?" He replied: " No", whereupon the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)toldhim:"YoumustperIormHajjonyourownbehalIIirst,andthentor
Shabrumah."(AbuDaw'udandIbnMajah)Al-Baihaqisays:"ItschainoIauthoritiesissound,andin
thisregarditisthemostgenuinereport."
MostoIthescholarsholdthatitisnotproperIorapersontoperIormHajjonbehalIoIotherspriorto
perIormingitonhisownbehalI,whetherornotheisableorunabletodoso.
Eiqh5.14b:HajjinEulIillmentoIaVowWhileHavingtoPerIormObligatoryHajj
AccordingtotheverdictoIIbn'Abbasand'IkrimahiIapersonperIormsHajjinIulIillmentoIavow,
while he has yet to perIorm the prescribed Hajj, then it should suIIice him (and absolve him) trom
both. 'Ata and Ibn 'Umar, on the other hand, hold that one must Iirst perIorm the Hajj obligatory on
him,andthereaIterperIormanotherHajjtoIulIilhisvow.
Eiqh5.15:NoSarorah(Delaying)inIslam
Ibn 'Abbas reports: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'There is no Sarorah (delaying
perIormanceoIobligatoryHajj)inIslam.'''(AhmadandAbuDaw'ud)
Al-Khattabiremarks:"Thewordsarorahhastwomeanings:
-1- apersonwhodoesnotmarryandleadsaliIeoIcelibacy,likemonasticChristians;or
-2- someonewhohasnotperIormedHajj.InotherwordsthismeansthatnooneabletoperIormHajj
shouldIailtodoso,becauseinIslamthereisnodelayingoIobligatoryHajj.
Some scholars reIer to it as a prooI that a person who has not perIormed Hajj is not allowed to
perIormHajjonbehalIoIothers.Al-Awza'i,Ash-ShaIi'i.AhmadandIshaqholdthisview.Malikand
Ath-Thawri say: "Such a person's Hajj depends on his own intention." Al-Hasan Al-Basri, 'Ata and
An-Nakh'ialsoholdasimilarview.
Eiqh5.15a:GettingaLoanIorHajj
Abdullah ibn Abi 'AwIa relates: "I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about amanwhohasnot
perIormedHajj,'ShouldhenotgetaloantoperIormHajj?'TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)replied:
'No"'(Al-Baihaqi).
Eiqh5.15b:PerIormingHajjwithUnlawIullyGainedMoney
SomeoneperIormingHajjwithunlawIullygainedmoney,maytechnicallyIulIilhisprescribeddutyoI
pilgrimage, but according tothemajorityoIthescholars,hewillbeguiltyoIsinIordoingso.Imam
Ahmad disagrees and holds that such a Hajj is not enough Ior a person to absolve him oI his
prescribedobligation,andthisismorecorrectasthesahihhadithsays:"Surely,AllahisPure,andHe
does not accept anything but what is pure (and clean)." Also it is reported by Abu Hurairah that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "As soon as a pilgrim sets out Ior Hajj with a provision which is
lawIul,andputshisIootinthestirrup(rideshismount)andcallsout:'O,Allah!HereIaminresponse
to Your call,' an announcer answers him Irom the heavens above, saying: 'Your call has been heard;
youareahappyone;yourprovisionsarelawIul,yourmountislawIulandyourpilgrimageisIreeoI
sinandacceptable.'But,iIhisprovisionsareunlawIullygained,andheputshisIootinthestirrupand
callsout:'OAllah!HereIaminresponsetoYourcall,'anannouncerIromtheheavensaboveanswers
him back, saying: 'Your call is not accepted; nor are you welcome; your Iood is unlawIul; your
provisionsareunlawIul;andyourpilgrimageisnotIreeoIsinandisunacceptable."'Al-Munzhrisays:
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"This is reported by At-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, and also by Al-Asbahani in a mursal hadith Irom
Aslam,theIreedslaveoI'Umarbinal-Khattab."
Eiqh5.16:WhatisBetterinHajj:RidingorWalking?
Al-HaIiz writes in Al-Eath: "Ibn al-Munzhir says there is a diIIerence oIopinionastowhatisbetter
Iorapilgrim,walkingorridingduringtheHajj.
ThemajorityoIscholarsholdridingisbetter,IortheProphet(peacebeuponhim)didso,andbecause
it is more helpIul (in concentrating) on praying and making supplications to Allah, apart Irom other
beneIits.
Ishaq bin Rahoweh says: "Walking is preIerable Ior it involves more exertion and hardship (in the
cause oI Allah)." We may say that whether a person walks or rides during Hajj depends on each
personandhisparticularcircumstance.
BukharihastransmittedIromAnas(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)thattheProphet(peacebeupon
him)sawamanleaningonbothsidesonhistwosons,whereuponheasked:"Whatisthematterwith
this man?" The people said: "He has vowed to walk during Hajj." The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: "Allah is in no need whatever oI torturing this man." Then he commanded the man to perIorm
hisHajjriding."
Eiqh5.16a:DoingBusinessandLeasingRidesDuringHajj
ThereisnoharmiIapilgrimengagesintradeandbusinessduringHajjor'Umrah.
Ibn 'Abbas said: "In the beginning when Hajj was prescribed, the people used to trade at Mina,
'AraIah, and the market place oI Zhul-Majaz (A place close to 'AraIah) during the Hajj season, but
they Ieared it might be Iorbidden Ior them while in a state oI ihram. Thereupon Allah revealed the
verse (Qur'an 2.198): "It is no crime in you iI you seek oI the bounty oI your Lord (during
pilgrimage)."ThisisreportedbyBukhari,MuslimandNasa'i.
Commentingontheaboveverse,Ibn'Abbasadds:"ThepeopleusedtoshunbusinesswhileinMina,
so they were instructed to engage in business or trade while pouring down Irom 'AraIah.''ls Abu
OmamahAt-TaiminarratesthathesaidtoIbn'Umar:"IrentmountstopeopleduringHajjseason,and
the people tell me that my Hajj is void." Ibn 'Umar asked him: "Do you not don Hajj garb, say
talbiyah,goaroundtheHouseoIAllah,pourdownIrom'AraIah,andstonetheSatan?"Themansaid,
"Yes,Ido."Ibn'Umarsaid:"ThenyourHajjisquitevalid(andyouwillberewardedIorit).Aperson
came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him something similar to what you asked me,
whereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) remained silent until this verse (Qur'an 2.198) was
revealed to him: "It is no crime in you iI you seek the bounty oI your Lord (during Hajj season)."
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Ior the man and recited the verse to him, saying: "Your
Hajjisvalid."ThisisreportedbyAbuDaw'udandSa'id ibnMansur.Al-HaIizAl-MunzhrisaidAbu
Omamahisnotknown(asanarrator).
Ibn'Abbassaysthatamanaskedhim:"IhiremyselItothesepeopletoguidetheminperIormingtheir
ritesoIHajj;willIhavearewardIorHajj?"Ibn'Abbassaid:"Yes."(Andthenherecited)"Tothese
will be allotted what they have earned; and Allah is quick in account.'' (Qur'an 2.202) This is
transmittedbyAl-BaihaqiandAd-Daraqutni.
Eiqh5.19:THEHAJJOETHEPROPHET(PeaceBeUponHim):ADetailedAccount
Muslimreports:"AbuBakribnAbiShaibahandIshaqbinIbrahimtoldusthatHatembinIsma'ilal-
MadanireportedoIJa'IarbinMohammadandheoIhisIather,saying,'WevisitedJabirbinAbdullah
(hewasblind)andhebeganinquiringaboutthepeople(whohadcometoseehim)tillitwasmyturn.
Isaid:"IamMohammadibnAliibnHussein."Heplacedhishandonmyheadandopenedmyupper
button and then the lower one, and then placed his hand on my chest (in order to bless me). I was
during those days ayoungboy,andthenhesaid:"Youarewelcome,mynephew.Askwhateveryou
want to ask." I asked him a question but it was time Ior prayer. He stood up covering himselIinhis
mantle. Whenever he placed its ends upon his shoulders they slipped down because it was short (in
size). Another mantle was, however, Iying on the clothes rack nearby (and he put it on) and led the
prayer.Isaidtohim:"TellmeabouttheHajjoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)."Hehelduphisnine
Iingers and said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed in Madinah Ior nine years but did not
perIorm Hajj. Then, in the tenth year he made a public announcement to the eIIect that Allah's
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MessengerwasabouttoperIormtheHajj.AlargenumberoIpeoplecametoMadinah,andalloIthem
wereeagertoemulatetheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andIollowhisactions.
"We set out with him until we reached Zhul-HulaiIah, where Asma bint 'Umais gave birth to
MohammadibnAbiBakr.ShesentamessagetotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)askinghim:"What
shouldIdo?"Hesaid,"Takeabath,bandageyourprivatepartsandputonihram.
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) then prayed in the mosque and then mounted al-Qaswa (his she-
camel)anditstooderectwithhimonitsbackatal-Baida.AsIarasIcouldseein IrontoIme,behind
me,onmyrightandonmyleIt,Isawridersandpedestrians.TheMessengeroIAllah(peacebehim)
wasprominentamongusandthe(revelation)oItheQur'anwasdescendinguponhim,anditishewho
knows(itstrue)interpretation.Whateverhedid,wealsodid.
HepronouncedtheOnenessoIAllah(saying):LabbaikaAllahummalabbaiklabbaikalasharikalaka
labbaik,innalhamdawan-ni'matalakawalmulk,lasharikalak(OAllah!IhastentoYou.Youhave
no partner. I hasten to You. All praise and grace is Thine and the Sovereignty too; You have no
partner).Andthepeoplealsopronouncedthistalbiyahwhichtheypronouncetoday.TheMessengeroI
Allah(peacebeuponhim)didnotdisapproveoIanythinginit,butheazheredtohisowntalbiyah.
Jabir said: "We did not have any other intention but thatoIHajjonly,beingunawareoIthe'Umrah,
butwhenwecamewithhimtotheHouse(oIAllah),hetouchedtheBlackStone(HajaralAswad)and
madesevencircuits,runningthreeoIthemandwalkingIour.ThengoingtotheStationoIIbrahim,he
recited: "And adopt the Station oI Ibrahim as a place oI prayer.'' (Qur'an 2.125) He stood at a place
wheretheStation(oIIbrahim)wasbetweenhimandtheHouse.Thereheprayedtworak'ahsreciting
Surah Al-lkhlas, and Surah Al-KaIirun. He then returned to the Black Stone (Hajar al A.sl~ad) and
kissed it. Then he went out oI the gate to SaIa, and as he approached it he recited: "Al-SaIa and al-
Marwah are among the signs appointed by Allah," (Qur'an 2.15) (adding:) I begin with what Allah
began. He Iirst mounted SaIa until he saw the House, and Iacing Qiblah he declared the Oneness oI
Allah and gloriIied Him and said: La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul
hamd,wahuwa'alakullisha'inqadeer,lailahaillallahuwahdahuanjazawa'dahu,wanasara'abdahu,
wa hazamal ahzaba wahdah (There is no God but Allah, One, He has no partner. His is the
Sovereignty, to Him praise is due, and He is PowerIul over everything. There is no God but Allah
alone,WhoIulIilledHispromise,helpedHisservantandroutedtheconIederatesalone").
He said these words three times making supplications in between. He then descended and walked
towards Marwah, and when his Ieet touched the bottom oI the valley, he ran; and when he began to
ascend,hewalkedtillhereachedMarwah.TherehedidashehaddoneatSaIa.
"WhenitwashislastroundoIMarwahhesaid:'IIIhadknownbeIorehandwhatIhavecometoknow
aIterwards,IwouldnothavebroughtsacriIicialanimalsandwouldhaveoIIereditasan'Umrah.So,
he among you who has not the sacriIicial animals with him should put oII ihram and treat it as an
'Umrah. Suraqa ibn Malik ibn Ju'tham got up and said, 'Messenger oI Allah, does it apply to the
present year, or does it apply Iorever? Thereupon the Messenger oI Allah (peace be upon him)
intertwined the Iingers (oI one hand) into another and said twice: 'The 'Umrah has become
incorporatedintheHajj,'(adding):'No,butIoreverandever.'
"Ali came Irom Yemen with the sacriIicial animals Ior the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Iound
Eatimah (Allah be pleased with her) to be one among those who had put olI ihram. put on dyed
clothes, and had applied kuhl*. Ali showed diiapproval oI it, whereupon she said: 'My Iather has
commandedmetodothis.'(Thenarrator)saidthatAliusedtosayinIraq:'IwenttotheMessengeroI
Allah (peace be upon him) showing annoyance at Eatimah Ior what she had done, and asked the
Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding what she had narrated Irom him, and told him that he was
angrywithher,whereupontheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:'Shehastoldthetruth;shehastold
thetruth.'
"(TheProphetthenaskedAli):'Whatdidyousaywhenyouputonihram?'I(Ali)said:'O Allah,Iam
putting on ihram Ior the same purpose as Your Messenger has put it on.' Thereupon the Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)toldhim,'IhavewithmesacriIicialanimals,sodonotputoIItheihram.'
"(Jabir)said:'ThetotalnumberoIthosesacriIicialanimalsbroughtbyAliIromYemenandoIthose
brought by the Prophet (peace be upon him) was one hundred. All the people except the Prophet
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(peacebeuponhim)andthosewhohadwiththemsacriIicialanimals,putoIIihramandgottheirhair
clipped.WhenitwasthedayoITarwiya(8thoIZhul-Hijjah)theywenttoMinaandputontheihram
Ior Hajj and the Messenger oI Allah (peace be upon him) rode and led there, the noon, aIternoon,
sunset,'Ishaanddawnprayers.Hethenwaitedalittletillthesunrose,andcommandedthatatentoI
hairshouldbepitchedatNamira.
"The Messenger oI Allah (peace be upon him) then set out and the Quraish did not doubt that he
would halt at Al-Mash'ar Al-Haram (the sacred site) as the Quraish used to do in the pre-Islamic
period.TheMessengeroIAllah(peacebeuponhim),however,passedontillhecameto'AraIahand
heIoundthatthetenthadbeenpitchedIorhimatNamira.Therehegotdowntillthesunhadpassed
the meridian; he commanded that al-Qaswa be brought and saddled Ior him. Then he came to the
bottomoIthevalley,andaddressedthepeoplesaying:Verilyyourblood,yourpropertyareassacred
andinviolableasthesacrednessoIthisdayoIyours,inthismonthoIyours,inthistownoIyours.
Behold! Everything pertaining to the Days oI Ignorance is under my Ieet, and completely abolished.
Abolished are also the blood-revenges oI the Days oI Ignorance. The Iirst claim oI ours on blood-
revengewhichIabolishisthatoIthesonoIRabi'aibnal-Harith,whowasnursedamongthetribeoI
Sa'd and killed by Huzhail. And the usury oI the pre-Islamic period is abolished,andtheIirstoIour
usuryIabolishisthatoI'Abbasibn'Abdal-Muttalib,Ioritisallabolished.
Eear Allah concerning women! Verily youhave taken themonthesecurityoIAllah,andintercourse
with them has been made lawIul unto you by word oI Allah. You too have rights over them, in that
they should not allow anyone to sit on your bed whom you do not like. But iI they do that, you can
chastisethembutnotseverely.TheirrightsuponyouarethatyoushouldprovidethemwithIoodand
clothinginaIittingmanner.
IhaveleItamongyoutheBookoIAllah,andiIyouholdIasttoit,youwillnevergoastray.Andyou
will be asked about me (on the Day oI Resurrection), (now tell me) what would you say? They (the
audience)said:"Wewillbearwitnessthatyouhaveconveyed(themessage),discharged(theministry
oI Prophethood) and given wise (sincere) counsel." He (the narrator) said: "He (the Holy Prophet)
thenraisedhisIoreIingertowardstheskyandpointingitatthepeople(said):'OAllah,bewitness.O
Allahbewitness,'sayingitthrice'."
"Then azhan was pronounced and later on iqama and the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the noon
prayer. Then another Iqama was pronounced and the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the aIternoon
prayerandheobservednootherprayerinbetweenthetwo.(ThisprovesthevalidityoIjoiningZuhr
and'Asrprayeronthisday,atthisplace.Thereisconsensusonit,butthereisdisagreementastoits
cause.AbuHaniIahandsomeShaIi'ischolarsholdthatitisapartoIHajj,butthemajorityoIShaIi'i
scholars hold it is due to journey) The Messenger oI Allah (peace be upon him) then mounted his
camelandcametotheplacewherehewastostay.Hemadehisshe-camel,al-Qaswa,turntowardsthe
rocky side, with the pedestrian path Iying inIrontoIhim.HeIacedtheQiblah,andstoodthereuntil
thesunset,andtheyellowlightdiminishedsomewhat,andthediscoIthesuntotallydisappeared.He
madeUsamasitbehindhim,andpulledthenosestringoIQaswasoIorceIullythatitsheadtouchedthe
saddle (in order to keep her under perIect control), and pointing out with his right hand, advised the
people to be moderate (in speed) saying: "O people! calmness,calmness!"Wheneverhepassedover
anelevatedtractoIland,heslightlyloosenedthenose-stringoIhiscameltillsheclimbedup.Thisis
howhereachedal-MuzdaliIah."
"Thereheledtheeveningand'IshaprayerswithoneazhanandtwoiqamasanddidnotgloriIy(Allah)
inbetweenthem(i.e.hedidnotobservesupererogatoryrak'ahsbetweenMaghriband'Ishaprayers).
The Messenger oI Allah (peace be upon him) then lay down till dawn and oIIered the dawn prayer
withanazhanandiqamawhenthemorninglightwasclear.Heagainmountedal-Qaswa,andwhenhe
came to Al-Mash'ar Al-Haram, he Iaced Qiblah, and supplicated to Allah, GloriIied Him, and
pronouncedHisUniquenessandOneness,andkeptstandingtillthedaylightwasveryclear.
"HethenwentquicklybeIorethesunrose,andseatedbehindhimwasAl-Eadlibn'Abbas,whowa.sa
man with beautiIul hair, Iair complexion, and handsome Iace. As the Messenger oI Allah (peace be
upon him) moved on, a group oI women riding camels was also passing. Al-Eadl began to look at
them.TheMessengeroIAllah(peacebeuponhim)placedhishandonAl-Eadl'sIacewhothenturned
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hisIacetotheotherside,andbegantolook,andtheMessengeroIAllah(peacebeupon him)turned
hishandtotheothersideandplaceditonAl-Eadl'sIace.HeagainturnedhisIacetotheothersidetill
hecametothebottomoIMuhassir.Heurgedher(al-Qaswa)alittle,and,Iollowingthemiddleroad,
(This proves that it is sunnah to Iollow a diIIerent road on the way back Irom AraIah than the one
taken while going toward it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) went by the Dab road to AraIah.
SimilarlyheusedtotakediIIerentroutesgoingtoorcomingbackIrom'Eidprayers)whichcomesout
at the greatest Jamarah, he came to the Jamarah which is near the tree. At this hethrewsevensmall
pebbles, saying, 'Allahu Akbar' while throwing every one oI them in a manner in which the small
pebblesarethrown(holdingthemwithIingers)andthis hedidwhileatthebottomoIthevalley.(That
is,hestoodthereataplacewhereMina,AraIahandAl-MuzdaliIahwereonhisright,andMakkahon
hisleItside)
"He then went to the place oI sacriIice, and sacriIiced sixty-three (camels) with his own hand. He
sharedtheremainingcamelswithAli,whosacriIicedthem.HethencommandedthatapieceoImeat
IromeachsacriIicedanimalbeputinapot.Whenitwascooked,bothoIthem(theProphetandAli)
atesomeoIitanddrankitssoup.
"TheMessengeroIAllah(peacebeuponhim)againrodeandcametotheHouse(oIAllah),wherehe
perIormed TawaI Al-IIadah and oItered the Zuhr prayer at Makkah. HecametothetribeoI'Abdal-
Muttalib, who were supplying water at Zamzam, and said: 'Draw water, O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib;
were it not that people would usurp this right oI supplying water Irom you, I would have drawn it
alongwithyou.'SotheyhandedhimabucketandhedrankIromit."
The scholars said: "This hadith is one oI its kind. It contains lots oI valuable inIormation." Al-Qadi
'Iyad said: "Many scholars have spoken (and written) at great length about the legal injunctions
contained in this hadith." Abu Bakr ibn Al-Munzhir has listedalargepartoItheseidentiIyingabout
onehundredandIiItyinjuctions.HeobservesthatiIhehadanalysedmorecloselythisnumberwould
almostdouble.
Thescholarssaid:ThishadithindicatesthatIorthewomengivingbirthtoachildorhavingmonthly
periodsitissunnah- andmuchmoresoIorothers- totakeabathwhentheyintendtoperIormHajjor
'Umrah.ItalsoteachesusthatthewomenwhoaremenstruatingorarestillintheirconIinementaIter
childbirth, should clean themselves properly, cover their private parts with a piece oI cotton, then
declare their ihram. It also indicates that ihram must be declared aIter oIIering either a Iard or a
supererogatory prayer. AIter declaring ihram one should utter talbiyah loudly and preIerably use the
samewordsasusedbytheProphet(peacebeuponhim).However,thereisnoharminaddingsimilar
phrases as 'Umar did: "O Allah! I answer Your call, You Who gives blessings and good Iavors. I
answerYourcallIearingYou,andwishingYourIavor."
This hadith also indicates that a pilgrim must Iirst come to Makkah where one must perIorm
circumambulationoIarrivalinMakkah(TawaIqudoom),andtouchtheBlackStone--iIpossible--and
make the Iirst three rounds running, while making the other Iour walking at normal speed. The
runningisdonearoundtheKa'bahexceptbetweentheYemeniCornerandtheBlackStone.
AIter making the TawaI one must go to the Station oI Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and recite the
verse: "Take the Station oI Ibrahim as a place Ior prayer." Then standing there, with the Station oI
IbrahimbetweenhimandtheKa'bah,heshouldpraytworak'ahsrecitingaIterAl-Eatihah,SurahAl-
KaIirun in the Iirst rak'ah, and Surah Al-lkhlas in the second rak'ah. This hadith also indicates that
touchingtheBlackStoneagainpriortoleavingtheSacredMosqueisrecommended(iIpossible),just
as one did upon entering it. There is consensus among thescholarsthattouching(kissing)theBlack
Stoneissunnah.
AIter that, one must make Sa'i and Ior this purpose go to mount SaIa. climb it, Iace the Ka'bah and
makesupplicationsthreetimestoAllah.Then.onemustclimbdownandwalktowardMarwah,while
jogginginthemarkedareacalledbainalmilainbetweenSaIaandMarwaheverytimeonepassesthis
area during the sevenroundsnotjustintheIirstthreeroundsasin TawaI.OnreachingMarwahone
shouldclimbitjustasoneclimbedSaIa,makesupplications,andmakeremembrance.
CompletionoIalltheseriteswillcompleteone's'Umrah.Nowoneshouldeithershaveone'sheador
clipsomeoIone'shairtogetoutoIthe stateoIihram.ThisispreciselywhattheCompanionsoIthe
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Prophet(peacebeuponhim)didwhentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)commandedthemtochange
theirHajjto'Umrah.AsIorthepilgrimwhoiscombiningHajjand'Umrah,hemustnotshaveorclip
hishair,butshouldremaininhisstateoIihram.
Onthe8thoIZhul-Hijjah.thosewhohadputoIItheirihramaItermaking'Umrah,shouldagainput
onihramtoperIormpilgrimage,andthenheadtoMinawiththosewhocombineHajjand'Umrah.Itis
sunnahtooIIertheIivedailyprayersinMinaandtospendthenightoIthe9thoIZhul-Hijjahthere.
ItisalsosunnahnottoleaveMinaIor'AraIahuntilaIterthesunrise,andnottoenter'AraIahuntilthe
sunbeginstodecline,andaIterot'IeringbothZuhrand'Asrprayers,whichtheProphet(peacebeupon
him)oIIeredatNamirawhichisnotapartoI'AraIah.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)didnotenter
his quarters at 'AraIah until aIter otIering Zuhr and 'Asr prayers. Moreover, it is also sunnah oI the
Prophet (peace be upon him) to oIIer some supererogatory (nawaIil) prayers in between these two
prayers.
TheimamshouldgiveasermonbeIoretheprayer,whichisoneoIthesunnahsermonsinpilgrimage.
The second sermon is given by the imam on the 7th oI Zhul-Hijjah aIter Zuhr prayer in the Ka'bah.
The third oI these sunnah sermons is delivered on the 10th oI Zhul-Hijjah, the day oI slaughtering.
And the Iourth sermon is given on the day the people leave (yawm an-naIr)--the 11th day oI Zhul-
Hijjah.
ThishadithalsocontainssomeimportantmannersandetiquetteIorperIormingHajjand'Umrah:
-2- Itisbettertospendthetimeat'AraIahridingone'smount.
-3- ItisbettertostandbytherocksorclosetothemastheProphet(peacebeuponhim)did.
-4- OneshouldIaceQiblahwhilein'AraIah.
-5- Onemuststayatone'squartersin'AraIahuntilsunset.
-6- One should make supplications to Allah, raising one's hands to one's chest, and aIter the sunset
calmly and quietly leave 'AraIah. And iI one is in a leading position one should ask others to do
likewise.
-7- Upon arriving at Al-MuzdaliIah, one should combine Maghrib and 'Isha prayers with one azhan
andtwoiqamahs.
-8- One may not oIIer any nawaIil prayers in between these two prayers. There is consensus among
Muslimscholarsaboutcombiningthesetwoprayers.TheydiIIer,however,concerningthereasonIor
it. Some claim that it is a part oI the rites oI the Hajj, while others say it is a permission granted to
them,becausetheyaretraveling.
-9- Spending the night at Al-MuzdaliIah is also sunnah. All scholars agree that it is part oI the Hajj
rites.Theydo,however,diIIeronwhetherspendingthenightthereisobligatoryorsunnah.
-10- ItisalsosunnahtooIIerEajrprayeratAl-MuzdaliIah,andthendepartIromitIorAl-Mash'arAl-
Haramtostopthereandmakesupplications.StoppingthereisapartoItheHajjrite.
-11- ItissunnahtoleaveAl-Mash'arAl-HaramwhendawniswelladvancedandgotothebottomoI
Mohassir valley. When in this valley one should walk Iast because this is the place where Allah's
wrathdescendedupontheCompanionsoItheElephant.
-12- On reaching the jamarah--jamarah al 'aqabah--one should throw seven pebbles at it, and with
eachthrowsayAllahuAkbar.Thepebbles shouldbenomorethanthesizeoIacerealseed(beans).
-13- AIter this one should oIIer his sacriIice, iI one has one, slaughtering it with one's own hands.
AIterslaughteringonemayshaveone'shead.
-14- Now one must go to Makkah to perIorm TawaI iIadah also known as TawaI az-ziyarah or
circumambulationoIvisit.
One is thereaIter permitted to engage in any lawIul activity that was unlawIul Ior him while in the
state oI ihram, including sexual intercourse with one's wiIe. A person who has thrown pebbles at
Jamarahal- 'Aqabah,buthasnotperIormedthecircumambulationoIiIadah(orziyarah)mayengage
inanylawIulactivityexceptsexualintercoursewithhiswiIe.
That is the guidance oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) concerning Hajj. Itexplainswhathemeant
when,accordingtoahadith,hesaid:"TakeyourritesIromme,"IorhisHajjaloneistherealandtrue
Hajj.
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IntheIollowingpageswewilldealindetailwithalltheserites,andtheopinionsoIvariousscholars
concerningthem.
Eiqh5.27: EixedTimeEorIhram,Mawaquit
ThisreIerstothespeciIicperiodoItimewhentheritesoIHajjhavetobeperIormedtobevalid.This
isclearIromthewordsoIAllah:"Theyaskyouconcerningthenewmoons.Say:Theyarebutsignsto
markIixedperiods oItime(intheaIIairsoI)men,andIorHajj''land"EorHajjarethemonthswell-
known." (Qur'an 2.197) The Muslim scholars are agreed that the months oI Hajj are the months oI
Shawwal and Zhul-Qui'dah. They diIIer about the month oI Zhul-Hijjah, whether only the Iirst ten
daysoIitareincludedinthemonthsoIHajjortheentiremonth.Ibn'Umar,Ibn'Abbas,IbnMas'ud,
theHanaIiandShaIi'ischool,andAhmadareoItheopinionthatonlyitsIirsttendaysareincludedin
themonthsoIHajj,whileMalikholdstheentiremonthoIZhulHijjahasoneoItheHajjmonths.Ibn
Hazm supports Malik's opinion, saying that the words, "Eor Hajj are the months well-known," does
notmeantwomonthsandapartoIothermonths.
SimilarlyweknowthatoItheritesoI Hajj,thethrowingoIpebblesatjamarahtakesplaceonthe13th
oI Zhul-Hijjah, while the scholars agree that the circumambulation oI IIadah, which is one oI the
essential rites oI Hajj, may be perIormed anytime in the month oI Zhul-Hijjah. There is no
disagreementonthispoint.Itis,thereIore,quitecorrecttosaythatallthreemonthsarethemonthsoI
Hajj.
The eIIects oI disagreement are apparent mainly in the rites perIormed aIter slaughtering the
sacriIicialanimal.ThosewhoconsidertheentiremonthoIZhul-HijjahaHajjmonth,holdthereisno
penalty Ior delay in slaughtering an animal. On the other hand, those who hold that only its Iirst ten
daysareincludedintheperiodoIHajjareoItheopinionthatsuchapersonmustoIIerapenaltyand
oIIerasacriIiceIordelay.
Eiqh5.28:PuttingonIhramBeIoretheMonthsoIHajj
Ibn'Abbas,Ibn'Umar,JabirandAsh-ShaIi'iareoItheopinionthatdonningthegarboIihramIorHajj
is not valid outside its months. (Anyone putting on ihram beIore the months oI Hajj may, however,
perIorm'Umrah,buttbiscannotbeasubstituteIorhisihramIorHajj)
Ibn 'Umar said, "The months oI Hajj are Shawwal, Zhul-Qui'dah and ten days oI Zhul-Hijjah." Ibn
'Abbas said: "The sunnah is to declare one's intention and to put on ihram with the intention oI
perIormingHajjduringthemonthsoIHajj."(Bukhari)
Ibn Jarir reported Irom Ibn 'Abbas that he said: "To put on ihram Ior Hajj is not valid except in the
monthsoIHajj."
TheHanaIites,Malik,andAhmadareoItheopinionthattoputonihramIorHajjbetoreitsmonthsis
permissiblebutdisliked.Ash-Shawkani,however,preIerredtheIirstopinion.Heobserves:"Allah,the
Exalted One, has named speciIic months Ior Hajj rites, oI which ihram is one. So whosoever claims
thatitispermissibletoputonihramevenbeIorethesemonthsmustproduceevidencetosupporthis
claim."
Eiqh5.28a:EixedPlacesIorPuttingonIhram
Mawaqit oI place are the speciIic places where a pilgrim or a person intending to visit Makkah Ior
'Umrah or Hajj must declare his intention to do so and put on ihram, the pilgrim garb. Anyone
intendingtoperIormHajjor'Umrahmustnotpassbeyondtheseplaceswithoutihram.
TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)himselIspeciIiedtheseplaces:
EorthepeopleoIMadinahthemiqat(singularoImawaqit)isZhalHalaiIah,aplace450kilometresto
thenorthoIMakkah,Iromwheretheymustdeclaretheirintentionanddontheihram,theHajjgarb.
Eor those coming Irom Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon, the miqat is Al-JuhIah, a place 187
kilometrestothenorth-westoIMakkah,andclosetoRabigh,whichis204kilometresIromMakkah.
Rabigh became the miqat Ior the people coming Irom Syria and Egypt, aIter the settlement oI Al-
JuhIahdisappearedcompletely.
The miqat Ior people oI Najd is Qarn al Manazil, a mountain 94 kilometres to the east oI Makkah,
overlooking'AraIah.
Yalamlam, a mountain 54 kilometres to the south oI Makkah is the miqat Ior those coming Irom
Yemen.Heretheymustdeclaretheirintentionandputonihram.
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EorthepeopleoIIraq,themiqatisZhatIrq,aplace94kilometrestothenorth-eastoIMakkah.
These places were Iixed by the Prophet (peace beuponhim)himselIIorallthosewhopassbythem
whether they come Irom these speciIic areas or some other areas. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: "These places are Ior the people (coming Irom the above speciIied countries) as well as Ior
others who pass by them on their way to perIorm Hajj or 'Umrah." Eor a person who is present in
Makkah and intends to perIorm Hajj, like the residents oI Makkah, his miqat would be the place
whereheisstayinginMakkah.However,iIsuchaoneintendedtoperIorm'Umrah,thenheshouldgo
toAl-KholorAt-Tan'im,IorthatishismiqatIor'Umrah.Heshould gothereandmakehisihramIor
'Umrah.
ApersonwhoisaresidentinanareabetweenthemiqatandMakkah,hemaymakehisihramIromhis
house.
IbnHazmsaid:"Apersontravellingbylandorsea(toMakkahIorHajjor'Umrah)whodoesnotpass
byanyoI theseplacesmaymakehisihramIromanyplacehelikes."
Eiqh5.28b:DeclaringIhramBeIoreReachingtheMiqat
Ibnal-Munzhirsays:"Thereisconsensusamongthescholarsthatapersonwhodeclareshisintention
to perIorm Hajj or 'Umrah and puts on his ihram beIore reaching the miqat does enter the state oI
ihram.Butisitundesirabletodoso?Somesayitis,inlightoIthesayingoItheCompanionsthatthe
Prophet (peace be upon him) himselIIixedZhulHulaiIahasmiqatIorthepeopleoIMadinahwhich
means that (an intending pilgrim) should make his ihram Irom these speciIied places, without any
additionordeletionIromtherule.ButiIadditionisnotprohibited,thenatleastthebestcoursewould
benottodoit(i.e.notmakeihrambeIorereachingtheIixedplace)."
Eiqh5.31:Ihram,DeIinition
Ihram is the intention to perIorm either Hajj or 'Umrah, or to make intention oI perIorming both.
IntentionisanimportantelementoIboth.Allahsays:"Andtheyhavebeencommandednomorethan
this:to worshipAllah,oIIeringHimsinceredevotion.''(Qur'an98.5)TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
said: "The actions will be rewarded according to the intentions behind them, and every person will
havewhathehadintended."
We have dealt with the subject oI intention in Eiqh us-Sunnah, Vol.1.(See the chapter on Wudu in
Eiqh us-Sunnah vol. 1) The human heart is its seat. Al-Kamal bin al-Homam reported, "We are
unawareoIanyoneamongthenarratorsreportingabouttheritesperIormedbytheProphet(peacebe
upon him) and saying that he (the Prophet) declared his intention to perIorm Hajj or 'Umrah aloud
saying,"Ihavemadetheintentiontomake'UmrahorHajj."
Eiqh5.31c:EtiquetteoIIhram,Cleanliness
This means clipping one's Iingernails, trimming the moustache, shaving oII the hair Irom under the
armpits, shaving the pubic hair, making an ablution or preIerably taking a complete bath, and in the
caseoImen,tocombtheirbeardandhair.
Ibn'Umarsaid:"ItissunnahIorapilgrimtotakeacompletebathbeIoreenteringthestateoIihramor
beIoreenteringMakkah."ThisisreportedbyAl-Bazzar,Ad-Daraqutni,Al-Hakim,whoconsidersita
soundhadith.
ItisreportedIromIbn'AbbasthatAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)said:"Awomaninthestate
oIconIinementaIterchildbirthandoneinhermenstruationperiodmusttakeacompletebath,declare
her ihram, and perIorm all the rites except circumambulation around the Ka'bah, which she may
perIormaItersheisinastateoIpuriIication."(Ahmad,AbuDawud,andTirmizhiwhoconsidersthis
hadithsound)
Eiqh5.32:TakingoIIallsewnclothesandputtingontheHajjgarb
ThisconsistsoItwosheetsoIcloth.OneoItheseiswrappedroundtheupperpartoIthebody,except
thehead,andtheother(izar)is wrappedroundthelowerpartoIthebody.BothoIthesesheetsshould
bewhiteasthiscoloristhebestcolorinthesightoIAllah.
Ibn'Abbassaid:"Allah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)combedhishair,woresomeperIume,puton
hisHajjgarb,alongwithhisCompanions,andthenhesetoutIromMadinahaccompaniedbythem."
(Reportedbysukhari)
Eiqh5.32a:WearingSomePerIume
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The perIume may be used on the body as well as the Hajj garb, even iI it should continue to smell
aIterwards.
'Aishah said: "It is as iI I can still (in retrospection) see the traces oI perIume glittering on the
Prophet's head while he was in the state oI ihram." (Reported by sukhari and Muslim) She also
reported: "IusedtoapplyperIumetotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)beIoreheworehisHajjgarb,
and again when he ended his state oI ihram, but beIore he had made TawaI around the Ka'bah."
(Bukhari and Muslim) In another report transmitted by Ahmad and Abu Daw' ud, 'Aishah said:"We
usedtogotoMakkahwithAllah'sMessenger (peacebeuponhim),andwhenweworeourHajjgarb
weusedtosprinklemuskonourIoreheads.AndiIoneoIuswassweatingorperspiringitwouldrun
downherIace.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wouldnoticethisbutdidnotprohibititsuse."
Eiqh5.32b:PrayingTwoRak'ahs
Withthese,oneshouldmakeone'sintentiontoassumethestateoIihram.IntheIirstrak'ahoneshould
recite Surah AlKaIirun, and recite Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second rak'ah aIter the recitation oI Surah
Al-Eatihah.
Ibn'Umarreported:"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)usedtooIIertworak'ahsatZhul-HulaiIah.
II,however,oneoIIeredaprescribedprayeratthattimeitwillsuIIicehim,justasaprescribedprayer
suIIicesandreplacesaprayeroIsalutationstothemosque.
Eiqh5.32c:KindsoIIhram
IhramisoIthreekinds:
-1- Qiran(combiningboth'UmrahandHajj).
-2- Tamattu'(combiningbothHajjand'Umrahwithabreakinbetween),and
-3- IIrad(Hajjonly).
Thereisconsensusamongscholarsthatallthesethreekindsarelegitimate.
'Aishah reported: "We leIt (Madinah) with Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) to perIorm the
EarewellHajj.SomeoIusdeclaredihramtoperlorm'Umrah,whileothersdeclaredtheirintentionsto
perIorm both Hajj and 'Umrah. Yet others declared their ihram to perIorm Hajj only. The Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)declaredihramIorHajjonly.
AsIorthosewhointended'Umrah,theyterminatedtheirihramassoonastheyIinishedtheritualsoI
'Umrah. Those who intended to combine Hajj with 'Umrah or those who intended to perIorm Hajj
only,theydidnotterminatetheirihramuntiltheSlaughteringDay(Yawmun-Nahr),the10thoIZhul-
Hijjah."(ReportedbyAhmad,Bukhan,MuslimandMalik)
Eiqh5.33:Qiran- CombiningHajjand'Umrah
Initapilgrim declareshisintentiontoperIormbothHajjand'Umrahtogether,andsayswhendoing
talbiyah, "O Allah, I answer your call to perIorm Hajj and 'Umrah." Such a pilgrim is required to
remaininthestateoIihramuntilhehasperIormedalltheritesoI'UmrahandHajj.Or,IorthiskindoI
ihram, a pilgrim may declare his intention to perIorm 'Umrah and later, beIore making the TawaI
aroundKa'bah,makehisintentiontoperIormHajjaswell.
Eiqh5.33a:Tamattu'- Combining'UmrahandHajjWithaBreakinBetween
Tamattu' means perIorming 'Umrah during the Hajj season, and then subsequently making Hajj the
sameyear.Itiscalledtamattu'(orenjoyment)duetotheIactthatapilgrimhastheaddedadvantageoI
perIorming Hajj and 'Umrah in the same journeywithout having to go back home, and also because
suchapilgrimaIterthe'Umrah,enjoysnormalliIe;hecanwearhisusualclothes,applyperIume,and
dootherthingsuntilthetimeheonceagainputsonhisHajjgarbIortheHajj.
Anyone intending to make a tamattu' should on approaching the miqat, Iirst make intention Ior
'Umrah. While uttering talbiyah he should say: Labbaik bil 'Umrah. "O Allah, I answer Your call to
perIorm'Umrah."SuchapilgrimshouldkeeponhisorherHajjgarbuntilhecircumambulatesaround
the Ka'bah, walks between SaIa and Marwah, then clips his hair or shaves it. AIter that he may put
away his Hajj garb and wear his usual clothes. He may do everything that is permissible but was
prohibitedIorhiminthestateoIihram.Onthe8thoIZhul-Hijjah,suchapersonmustdeclarehisor
herintentiontoperIormHajjandputonihramIromMakkah.
The author oI Al-Eath says: "The majority oI the scholars agree that Tamattu' means a pilgrim may
combine Hajj with 'Umrah during the months oI the Hajj and in thesamejourney,andthatwhenhe
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perIorms 'Umrah he should be present in Makkah. In the absence oI any oI these conditions he may
notperIormHajjtamattu'.
Eiqh5.34:IIrad(OrHajjonly)
IIrad means a pilgrim intending to perIorm Hajj only should, while at the miqat, make intention Ior
Hajjonly.Whilemakingtalbiyahheorsheshouldsay,Labbaikbihajj"(OAllah,Iansweryourcallto
perIorm Hajj)," and must keep his or her Hajj garb until all the rites oI Hajj are completed. Then, iI
suchapilgrimdesires,heorshemayperIorman'Umrah.
Eiqh5.34a:WhichoItheAboveKindsoIHajjandUmrahCombinationistheBest
The scholars disagree as to which oI these is the best kind. The ShaIi'i school holds that iIrad and
tamattu'aresuperiortoqiran,becauseineitheroItheIormertwokindsapilgrimhastheopportunity
to perIorm complete rites oI Hajj and oI 'Umrah. On the other hand, a qarin (one who undertakes a
qiranHajj)isabletoperIormHajjonly.
As to which oI the two--tamattu' or iIrad--is better, there are two opinions. One group oI scholars
holdstamattu'assuperiortoiIrad,whiletheothersholdiIradisbetter.
TheHanaIischoolholdsthatqiranisbetterthantamattu'andiIrad,andthattamattu'isbetterthaniI
rad. The Maliki school holds that iI rad (Hajj only) is better than tamattu' and qiran. The Hanbali
scholars,ontheotherhand,areoItheviewthattamattu'(combiningHajjand'Umrahwithabreakin
between),isbetterthantheqiranandiIrad.ThisiscomparativelyeasyandthepeoplecanperIormit
comIortably.
In Iact, this is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) perIormed himselI and commanded his
Companions to do likewise. 'Ata said, "I heard Jabir ibn Abdullah saying, 'We (the Companions)
declared our intention to perIorm Hajj only. On the 4th oI Zhul-Hijjah the Prophet (peace be upon
him)commandedustoterminateourstateoIihram,saying,"TerminateyourstateoIihramandgoto
yourwives."Hedidnot,however,obligeustodosobuthepermittedus.Wesaid:'ThereareonlyIive
days leIt to the Day oI 'AraIah. Shall we go to 'AraIah while semen is dribbling Irom our male
organs?"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)stoodupandsaid:"YouknowthatIIearAllahthemost,
and that I am the most truthIul, and the most pious amongst you. II I had not brought my sacriIicial
animals with me, I also would have terminated my state oI ihram. II I were to again come (to
Makkah),IshallnotbringthesacriIicialanimalswithme.SoterminateyourstateoI ihram."Atthis
we terminated our state oI ihram; we listened to and obeyed (the Prophet)." This was reported by
Muslim.
Eiqh5.35:PuttingonIhramWithoutSpeciIyingItsKind
II a person puts on ihram with the intention oI perIorming whatever Allah has prescribed Ior him
without speciIying any oI the above three kinds due to lack oI knowledge. his ihram would be quite
lawIulandvalid.
The scholars said: "II such a person utters talbiyah like others with the intention oI perIorming the
rituals(oIHajj), butsaysnothinginwords,normakesanintentioninhisheart,norspeciIieswhether
it is tamattu', iIrad, or qiran Hajj that he intends, his pilgrimage would still be valid, and he will be
reckonedtohavemadeoneoIthethreekindsoIHajj.
Eiqh5.35 a:TawaIandSa'iIorthosePerIormingQirarlandTamattu'- ThePeopleLivingWithinthe
SacredPrecinctsoIKa'bahMayPerIormIIrad(Hajjonly).
Ibn 'Abbas was once asked about the break between 'Umrah and Hajj to which he replied: "The
Muhajirun (immigrants Irom Makkah),theAnsar(peopleoIMadinah),andthewivesoItheProphet
(peace be upon him) declared their intention to perIorm the Earewell Hajj. So we also declared our
intentiontodothesame.UponarrivalinMakkah,theProphet(peacebeupon him)said:"Makeyour
declarationoIintentionIor'Umrahonly,exceptIorthosewhohavealreadydesignatedtheirsacriIicial
animals,andbroughtthemalongwiththem."WemadeTawaIoIKa'bah,walkedseventimesbetween
SaIa and Marwah. Then we consorted with our wives and wore our regular clothes. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) Iurther told us: "Those who have garlanded (i.e., marked) their sacriIicial
animals, they must not break their state oI ihram until the animal reaches the slaughter house to be
oIIered in sacriIice. Then we were commanded by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to declare our
intentionIorHajjonthenightoIthe8thoIZhul-Hijjah.AItercompletingalltheritesoIHajj,wewent
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andcircumambulatedaroundtheKabbah,walkedbetween SaIaandMarwah,andthuswecompleted
Hajj and we oIIered the sacriIice as Allah says, "II anyone wishes to continue the 'Umrah onto the
Hajj, he must make an oIIering such as he can aIIord, butiIhecannotaIIordit,heshouldIastthree
daysduringtheHajjandsevendaysonhisreturn...(tohiscountry)."(Qur'an2.196)OIIeringasheep
in sacriIice is enough Ior this purpose. These Companions oI the Prophet (peace be upon him)
combined two worships in one year: Hajj and 'Umrah. Allah has mentioned it in His Book and
(reinIorced it) by the practice oI His Prophet (peace be upon him), making it permissible Ior all
people, excepting the residents oI Makkah. Allah says (Qur'an 2.136): "This is Ior those whose
householdisnotin(theprecinctsoI)theSacredMosque."TheHajjmonthsreIerredtoareShawwal,
Zhul-Qui'dahandZhulHijjah.Sowhosoevercombinesan'UmrahandHajjduringthesemonthshasto
oIIerasacriIice,orobserveIast.ThisisreportedbyBukhari.
This hadith proves that the residents oI Makkah can neither perIorm qiran nor tamattu'. They may
perIorm iI rad only--a single Hajj or a single 'Umrah. This is the opinion oI Ibn 'Abbas, and Abu
HaniIahinthelightoIAllah'swords,"ThisisIorthosewhosehouseholdis(intheprecinctsoI) the
SacredMosque."
Thereisdisagreementamongscholarsconcerning"thosewhosehouseholdis(intheprecincts)oIthe
SacredMosque."MalikholdsthattheyarethepeopleoIMakkah.Al-A'rajagreeswiththisviewand
alsoAt-TahawiwhopreIerredthisview.Ibn'Abbas,Taw'us,andanothergroupareoItheopinionthat
it is the people living within the sacred precincts oI Haram, which according to Al-HaIiz, is quite
apparent. Ash-ShaIi'i holds that any one living around Makkah at a distance not more than that at
whichoneispermittedtoshortenregularprayersisaresidentoIMakkah.IbnJariragreesandpreIers
this view. The HanaIi scholars hold that all those living within or at the miqat are residents oI
Makkah. In this regard, the place oI residence and not the place oI birth oI a person is taken into
account.
The above hadith also indicates that apersonwhoperIormsHajjtamattu'mustIirstmakeatawaIoI
Ka'bah and Sa'i between SaIa and Marwah. This will suIIice him Ior tawaIul qudum
(circumambulation oI arrival) which is perIormed as a greeting to the Sacred Mosque upon arrival
there. Then, aIter the Day oI 'AraIah, such a person shall make another tawaI, tawaI iIada. and
perIormanotherSa'ibetweenSaIaandMarwah.
AsIortheqarin,thepilgrim whocombines'UmrahandHajjandremainsinastateoIihramaIterthe
Iirst 'Umrah, the scholars are oI the opinion that he needs to perIorm only one tawaI (seven
circumambulations around Ka'bah) and one Sa'i (seven rounds between SaIa and Marwah) Ior both
theHajjand'Umrah.ThecaseoIsuchapersonisverymuchsimilartothepilgrimwhoperIormsiIrad
(Hajjonly).
-1- Jabir reported: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) combined Hajj and 'Umrah, with one tawaI."
ThisistransmittedbyTirmizhi,whoconsidersitasoundhadith.
-2- Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He whodeclaredhisintentionto
perIormHajjand'Umrahtogether,mayperIormonetawaIandoneSa'iIorthem."Thisisreportedby
Tirmizhi,withtheremarksthatthisisahasangharibhadith.Ad-Daraqutnihasalsoreportedit,buthe
adds:"Onemustnotterminateone'sstateoIihramuntilonehascompletedboth(theHajjaswellas
'Umrah)."
-3- The Prophet (peace be upon him) told 'Aishah: "Your tawaI oI theKa'bahandSa'ibetweenSaIa
andMarwahwillsuIIiceyouIorbothHajjand'Umrah."ThisisreportedbyMuslim.
AbuHaniIah,however,isoItheviewthatinsuchacase(i.e.,combiningHajjand'Umrah)lawaIand
Sa'imustbeperIormedtwice.TheIirsthadithispreIerableconsideringitsauthenticityandstrengthoI
evidence.
-4- A hadith says that a pilgrim who combines Hajj and 'Umrah, with a break in between (as in
tamattu')orwithoutabreak(asinqiran)mustsacriIiceatleastasheep.AndiIonecannot aIIordthe
sacriIice he should Iast three days during Hajj and another seven days aIter returning home. It is
preIerable Ior such a person to Iast three days during the ten days oI Zhul-Hijjah beIore the Day oI
'AraIah.SomescholarssuchasTaw'usandMujahid,however,holdthatsuchapilgrimmayIastatthe
beginning oI the month oI Shawwal. Ibn 'Umar, on the other hand, is oI the opinion that such a
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pilgrim may Iast a day beIore the 8th, and the 8th as well as 9th oI Zhul-Hijjah (Day oI 'AraIah). II
suchapilgrimIailedtoIastthesethreedays,orIastedsomeoIthembeIore'Eid,thenhemayobserve
Iast during the tashriq days (i.e., the I Ith, 12th and 13th oI Zhul-Hijjah). This is based on a report
Irom 'Aishah and Ibn 'Umar who said: "Easting is not permitted on the 11 th, 12th and 13th oI
ZhulHijjahexceptIorthosewhoareobligatedtoIastbecausetheycannotaIIordthesacriIice."Thisis
reported by Bukhari. II one Iails to Iast these three days during Hajj, then one must make them up
later.
As Ior the seven days oIIasting,accordingtosomescholars,onemayIastthemuponarrivingathis
home town. Others, like Mujahid and 'Ata, say one may do so aIter arriving at one's stopover.
AccordingtothemonemayIastthesesevendaysonthewaybackhome.ThesetendaysoIIastingdo
notnecessarilyhavetobeIastedconsecutively.
Onceapersonmakesintention(IorHajjor'Umrah)anddonstheihram,hemustmaketalbiyah.
Eiqh5.39:TALBIYAH,ItsLegality
Thereisconsensusamongthescholarsthat talbiyahisaprescribedpractice.UmmSalamahreported:
"I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) saying: "O Eamily oI Muhammad! Whoso among
youintendstoperIormHajjmustraisehisvoicewhileutteringtalbiyah."ThisisreportedbyAhmad
andIbn Hibban.
Thescholarsdisagree,however,onitslegalstatus,timing,andthepositionoIonewhodelaysit.Ash-
ShaIi'iandAhmadholdthatitissunnahoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim);itisdesirabletoutterit
when putting on the garb oI ihram. Thus, iI a person intended to perIorm Hajj but did not utter
talbiyah, his Hajj would still be valid, and he is not required to do anything, because according to
them,suchapersonentersthestateoIihramjustbymakingintentiontoperIormHajj.
HanaIischolarsholdthattalbiyahoranysubstituteIorit- suchascontainingpraiseorgloriIicationoI
Allah. and bringing an animal Ior sacriIice -is a requisite condition Ior the validity oI ihram. II
someone puts on the garb oI ihram without uttering talbiyah or gloriIying Allah or bringing a
sacriIicial animal, his ihram is not valid, because ihram, according to them, is a combination oI
intentionandoneoItheritesoIHajj.Thus,iIonedeclareshisintentionIorihramandperIormsanyoI
theritesoIHajj,IorexampleiIhegloriIiesAllahordeclares,"ThereisnodeityworthyoIworshipbut
Allahalone,"oriIhebroughthissacriIicialanimalalongwithhimbutdidnotuttertalbiyah,hisihram
willbevalidbuthewillberequiredtosacriIiceananimalasapenaltyIorIailingtodoso.
According to the well-known position oI Imam Malik, uttering talbiyah is obligatory and in cases
whereoneIailstodosoordoesnotutteritupondonningthegarboIihrambututtersitlateron,one
mustslaughterananimalinatonement.
Eiqh5.39b:WordsoITalbiyah
MalikreportedIromNaIi'thatIbn'Umarsaid:"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)madehistalbiyahin
thesewords:'Lab-baikaAllahummaLab-baik.Lab-baikala-Sharikalakalab-baik.In-nalHamdawan-
ni 'mata laka wal mulk. La Sharika lak (Here I am at Your service, O Allah! You have no partner,
HereIamatYourservice,OAllah.Verily,allthepraise,thegracebelongtoYou,andthekingdom.
Youhavenopartner)"'
NaIi'saidthatIbn'Umarusedtoadd,"IamatYourservice,IamatYourservice.IamatYourservice
andatYourcall.AllgoodisinYourhands,IamatYourservice.OurdesireisIorYou,andalsoour
deeds."
Thescholars,however,preIertorestrictthewordsoItalbiyahtothewords usedbytheProphet(peace
beuponhim),andthereisdisagreementamongthemconcerninganyadditiontothem.Themajority,
however, holds that there is no harm in adding other words to them as Ibn 'Umar and other
Companions oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. The Prophet (peace be upon him) heard them
and did not say anything to them.(Reported by Abu Da'wud and Al-Baihaqi) Malik and Abu YusuI
dislikedaddingtothetalbiyahoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim).
Eiqh5.40:ExcellenceoITalbiyah
JabirreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"WhosoevermakesintentiontoperIormHajj
andpronouncestalbiyahalldayuntilsunset,AllahtheAlmightywillIorgivehissins,andhewillbe
IreeoIsinashewasthedayhismothergavebirthtohim."(IbnMajah)
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AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Hewhodeclares,'ThereisnoGod
but Allah' will get the good news oI reward (Ior him), and he who magniIies Allah (or, says Allahu
Akbar - Allah is the greatest) will receive the good news oI reward (Ior him)." They asked: "O
ProphetoIAllah,isitthe(goodnewsoI)Paradise?"Hereplied,"Yes."(NarratedbyAt-Tabaraniand
Sa'idbinMansur)
SahlibnSa'adreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"WhenanyMuslimutterstalbiyah,
everything- everystoneoreverytreeoreverypebble- onhisrightsideandonhisleItsideresponds
witha(similar)talbiyah,untilthewholeearthresoundswithit."(ReportedbyIbnMajah,Al-Baihaqi,
Tirmizhi,Al-Hakim,whoconsidersitasoundhadith)
Eiqh5.41:UtteringTalbiyahAloudisEncouraged
Zaid ibn Khalid reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Gabriel (peace be upon him)
came to me and told me: 'Command your Companions to raise their voices when saying talbiyah,
because it is one oI the rituals oI Hajj." This is reported by Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah and
Al-Hakim,whoregardsitasoundhadith.
AbuBakrreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wasasked:"WhichHajjisthebestHajj?"He
replied:"OneinwhichvoicesareraisedwhensayingtalbiyahandasacriIiceisoIIered."(Reportedby
Tirmizhi and Ibn Majah) Abu Hazim said: "When the Companions put on ihram their voices would
become hoarse even beIore they reached Makkah." In the light oI these ahadith the majority oI
scholarspreIersthatthepilgrimsraisetheirvoiceswhensayingtalbiyah.
Malik holds that one must not raise one's voice in saying talbiyah while inside a congregational
mosque.Onemay,however,sayitloudenoughIoroneselIorIorthosearoundtohearit,exceptinthe
Sacred Mosque and the Mosque oI Mina. In these two one should raise one's voice when saying
talbiyah.Thisappliestomalepilgrimsonly.
As Ior women, they may raise their voices when saying talbiyah so that they themselves or those
aroundthemcanhearit.ToraisetheirvoicesabovethatisdislikedIorthem.
'Atasaid:"Menmustraisetheirvoices(whensayingtalbiyah),butawomanshouldraisehervoiceso
astohearitherselI,butsheshouldnotraiseher voicemorethanthat."
Eiqh5.41a:PlacesWhereTalbiyahisEncouraged
Saying talbiyah is desirable in the Iollowing places and times: when mounting one' s mount (or any
meansoItransportation),onarrivingataplace,ongoingupahillordownintoavalley,onmeeting
another group oI people, at the end oI every prayer, and early in the morning. Ash-ShaIi'i said: "We
lovetosayitatalltimes."
Eiqh5.41b:TimingsoITalbiyah
A pilgrim should begin his talbiyah Irom the time he wears his ihram andcontinue it until throwing
the IirstpebbleattheAqabahJamarahonthe10thoIZhul-Hijjah,theDayoINahr(sacriIice).Then
he should stop saying talbiyah, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did, according to a hadith
transmitted by the Group. Ath-Thawri, the HanaIi school, Ash-ShaIi'i, and the majority oI scholars
alsoholdthisview.AhmadandIshaq,however,areoItheviewthatapilgrimmustcontinuetalbiyah
until he has stoned all the three jamarahs. AIter that he may stop saying talbiyah. Malikholdsthata
pilgrim must continue talbiyah until the end oI the Day oI 'AraIah (the 9th oI Zhul-Hijjah). This
appliesonlytothoseperIormingHajj.
As Ior those perIorming 'Umrah, they may discontinue talbiyah aIter kissing the Black Stone and
starting their tawaI. Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to discontinue
talbiyahaIterkissingtheBlackStone(atthestartoIhistawaI).(ReportedbyTirmizhiwhoconsiders
it a sound hadith. When a person puts on ihram Irom a miqat he should discontinue ralbiyah on
entering the Haram (Sacred Mosque). And those who put on ihram Irom Ju'rana or Tan'im, they
shoulddiscontinueitonreachingthehousesoIMaklcah)Inpractice,mostoIthescholarsIollowthis
hadith.
Eiqh 5.42: Desirability oI Invoking Blessings on the Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) and Making
Supplications
Al-QasimibnMuhammadibnAbuBakrsaid:"ItiscommendableIorapilgrimtosendgreetingsand
blessingsontheProphet(peacebeuponhim)aItersayingtalbiyah."TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
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used to seek Allah's Iorgiveness, pleasure, and protection Irom men aIter having said his talbiyah.
(ReportedbyAt-Tabaraniandothers)
Eiqh5.43:TakingaBath,andChangingClothesbyaMuhrim
IbrahimAn-Nakh'isaid:"WheneverourcompanionsapproachedthewelloIMaimun,theywouldtake
abathandthenputontheirbestclothes."
ItissaidthatIbn'AbbasenteredapublicbathatAl-JohIah(totakeabath),whilehewasinthestate
oIihram.Hewasasked:"HowdoyoudosowhileinthestateoIihram?"Hereplied:"Allahdoesnot
needanyoIourdirtandIilth!"
Jabirsaid:"ApersoninthestateoIihrammaytakeabathandwashhisgarb."AbdullahibnHunain
reported: "Ibn 'Abbas and Al-Musawir ibn Makhramah were at Al-Abwa when they disagreed on
whether a person in the state oI ihram can wash his head. Ibn 'Abbas said: 'A person in the state oI
ihram is permitted to wash his head.' Al-Musawir diIIered and said that a muhrim is not allowed to
washhishead.AtthisIbn'AbbassentmetoAbuAyyubAl-Ansari.IIoundhimbathingbetweenthe
twowoodenposts(oIthewell)andwasscreenedwithasheetoIcloth.
"IgreetedhimandheaskedwhoIwas.Ireplied,'IamAbdullahibnHunainandIhavebeensentto
youbyIbn'AbbastoaskyouhowAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)usedtobathewhileinthe
state oI ihram. At this Abu Ayub Al-Ansari caught hold oI the sheet oI cloth and lowered it till his
headappearedbeIoreme,andthentoldsomebodytopourwateronhishead.Hepouredwateronhis
head, and he (Abu Ayub Al-Ansari) rubbed his head with his hands by bringing them Irom back to
Iront and Irom Iront to back and said, 'I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) doing this."' This is
reported by the Group except Tirmizhi. Bukhari added: "Then I came back and told them. And Al-
MusawirsaidtoIbn'Abbas:'Iwillneveragainarguewithyou."'
Ash-Shawkanisaid:"ThishadithshowsthatamuhrimispermittedtotakeabathwhileinthestateoI
ihramandmayevencoverhisheadwithhishandwhiledoingso."
Ibn al-Munzhir said: "There is consensus that a muhrim may take a bath when in a state oI janabah
(majorimpurity).Thereisdisagreement,however,concerningbathinginothercases."
Malik reported Irom NaIi' that Ibn 'Umar did not wash his head while in the state oI ihram except
when he had a wet dream."' It is reported that Malik disliked that one should immerse one's head in
waterwhileinthestateoIihram.
Usingsoaporanyothercleaningagentispermissible.Ash-ShaIi'i andHanbalischoolsholdonemay
use perIumed soap Ior bathing, and similarly women are permitted to undo their hair and comb it,
because the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered 'Aishah, saying: "Undo your hair, and comb it."
(Muslim)
An-Nawawisaid:"ItispermittedtoundothehairandcombitwhileinthestateoIihramprovidedthat
no hair is pulled out. Combing, however, is disliked unless there is some genuine reason Ior it. One
mayalsocarryone'sbelongingsonone'shead."
Eiqh5.44:WearingaShortUnderpants(shortunderwear)
Sa'id ibn Mansur reported Irom 'Aishah that she held that a muhrim may wear underpants. Al HaIiz
remarked: "This is an opinion oI 'Aishah, but the majority oI scholars hold wearing underpants is
IorbiddenIoramuhrim,becauseitissimilartowearingtrouserswhichareIorbiddenIoramuhrim."
(Bukhari)
Eiqh5.44a:CoveringtheEace
Ash-ShaIi'iandSa'idbinMansurreportedIromAl-Qasimthathesaid:"Uthmanibn'AIIan,Zaidibn
Thabit,andMarwanibnAl-HakamusedtocovertheirIaceswhileinthestateoIihram."Taw'ussaid:
"A person in the state oI ihram may cover his Iace iI there is dust or ashes." Mujahid said: "II there
wasasandstormtheycoveredtheirIaceswhileinthestateoIihram."
Eiqh5.44b:WomenareAllowedtoWearShoes
Abu Daw'ud and Ash-ShaIi'i reported on the authority oI 'Aishah that Allah's Messenger (peace be
uponhim)permittedwomentoweartheirshoeswhileinthestateoIihram.
Eiqh5.44c:CoveringtheHeadbyMistake
TheShaIi'ischoolholdsthatthereisnoharmiIapilgrimIorgotandcoveredhisheadorworeashirt
in a state oI IorgetIulness. 'Ata said: "There is no blame on such a person, but he should seek
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Iorgiveness oI Allah." The HanaIi school says that such a person will have to redeem himselI (by
oIIering a sacriIice). There is also disagreement on using perIume by mistake or unknowingly. The
ShaIi'ischoolholds:"IgnoranceandIorgetIulnessconstituteanexcuseenoughtoremovetheneedIor
redemption Ior doing something Iorbidden, unless it is something that involves damage such as
hunting,shaving,andclippingnails."Thisisthecorrectpositionaccordingtothem.Wewilldealwith
itatitsproperplace.
Eiqh5.45:Cupping,OpeninganAbscess,PullingaToothorCuttingaVein
ItissubstantiatedthatAllah'sMessengercuppedhimselIinthemiddleoIhisheadwhilehewasina
stateoIihram.Maliksaid:"ThereisnoblameuponamuhrimiIincaseoIneed,heopensanabscess,
wrapsawoundorseversavein."
Ibn'Abbassaid:"ApersoninthestateoIihrammaypullhistoothoropenanabscess."An-Nawawi
said: "II a muhrim wants cupping without any reason, and it necessitates cutting hair, then it is
unlawIul to do so. But iI it does not necessitate cutting hair, the majority oI scholars hold it
permissible.Malik,however,holdthatitisdisliked.Al-HasanisoItheopinionthatonemustsacriIice
an animal iI one does so, even iI it does not involve cutting any hair. But iI it is done because oI a
need,thenitispermissible,butonewillhavetopayaransomtoredeemoneselI.Zahirischoolholds
thatanatonementisrequiredonlyIorcuttinghairIromthehead.
Eiqh5.45a:ItchingintheHeadandBody
'Aishahwasaskedaboutapilgrimwhohasitchinginhisorherbody.Shesaid:"Yes,heorshemay
scratch as strongly as he or she likes." This hadith is reported by Bukhari, Muslim and Malik, who
added: "II both oI my hands were tied, and only my leg was Iree, I would use it to scratch myselI."
ThesamewasreportedIromIbn'Abbas,Jabir,Sa'idibnJubair,'AtaandIbrahimAn-Nakh'i.
Eiqh5.45b:LookingintheMirrorandSmellingSweetBasil
Ibn'Abbassaid:"ApersoninastateoIihramispermittedtosmellsweetbasil,lookinamirror,and
curehimselIbyeatingbutterandoils."'UmarbinAbdul'Azizusedtolookinthemirrorandusethe
toothstick(siwak)whileinastateoIihram.
Ibn Al-Munzhir said: "There is consensus among the scholars that a muhrim may eat oil, Iat, and
butter,butheisnotpermittedto useperIumealloverhisbody.
HanaIiandMalikischolarsholditisdislikedIoramuhrimtostayataplacewhichisIulloIperIume
orscent,whetherheintendedtosmellitornot.HanbaliandShaIi'ischoolsareoItheopinionthatiI
such a person does so intentionally it is unlawIul Ior him, otherwise there is no harm. The ShaIi'i
schoolholdsthatsittingataperIumerinanincensedplaceispermissible,becauseitsprohibitionwill
makethingsdiIIicult.ApplyingperIumeisnotdesirable;oneshouldavoiditunlessoneissittingina
place where one cannnot avoid it, Ior example, iI one is sitting in the Sacred Mosque when it is
scented.Inthisthereisnoharm,norisitdisliked,becausesittingatthisplaceisameansoIachieving
closenesstoAllah,andtoabandonitIorsomethingwhichisatbestonlypermissibleisnotdesirable.
One may carry the perIume in a bottle or wrapped in a cloth and one is not required to make any
atonementIordoingso.
Eiqh5.46:WearingaBeltPocketAroundtheWaisttoKeepOne'sMoneyandWearingaRing
Ibn'Abbassaid:ThereisnoharmiIamuhrimwearsaring,orabeltpockettokeephismoney.
Eiqh5.46a:WearingKohlintheEye
Ibn'Abbassaid:ApersoninastateoIihrammaywearkohliIhisorhereyesaresore,providedthe
kohlisnotperIumed.ThereisconsensusamongscholarsonitspermissibilityIortreatmentbutnotas
ameansIorbeautiIication.
Eiqh5.46b:SittingUndertheShadeoIanUmbrella,aTent,aRooI,etc.
Abdullahibn'Amerreported:"'UmarusedtothrowapieceoIleatheronatreeandsitunderitsshade
whilehewasinthestateoIihram."ThisisreportedbyIbnAbiShaiba.
Ummul-Hussainreported:"IperIormedtheEarewellHajjwiththeProphet(peacebeuponhim).Isaw
UsamahibnZaidandBilal.OneoIthemwasholdingthenosebandoItheProphet'sshe-camel,andthe
other was shading him with a cloth Irom the sun until he threw the pebbles at 'Aqabah." This is
reported by Ahmad and Muslim. 'Ata said: "A muhrim may shade himselI Irom the sun, and take
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shelter to protect himselI Irom rain and wind." Ibrahim An-Nakh'i reported: "Al-Aswad ibn Yazid
threwaclothoverhisheadIorshelterIromrainwhilehewasinthestateoIihram."
Eiqh5.46c:UsingHenna
The Hanbali school holds that using henna Ior dyeing any part oI the body, except the head, is not
IorbiddenIoramuhrim,maleorIemale.TheShaIi'ischoolholdsthatamalemuhrimmayusehenna
IordyinganypartoIthebody,excepthandsandIeet,dyingoIwhichwithoutanygenuinecauseisnot
permissible in the state oI ihram. Also covering one' s head with thick (layers oI) henna is not
permissible.TheyalsoholdthatitisnotdesirableIorawomaninthestateoIihramtousehenna,and
thatitisunlawIulIorhertodosoiIsheisin'iddahaIterthedeathoIherhusband.
The HanaIi and the Maliki schools on the other hand, hold that a muhrim, male or a Iemale, is not
permitted to use henna Ior dyeing any part oI the body because it is a perIume, and amuhrimisnot
allowedtowearperIumeduringthestateoIihram.KhawlahbintHakimreportedIromhermotherthat
theProphet(peacebeuponhim)toldUmmSalamah:"DonotwearperIumewhileyouareinthestate
oI ihram. nor touch henna, because it is a perIume." (Reported by At-Tabarani in Al-Kabir, Al-
BaihaqiinhisAl-Ma'riIah,andbyIbnAbdul-BarrinhisworkAt-Tamheed)
Eiqh5.46d:PunishingaServantIorDiscipline
Asma bint Abi Baker reported: "We went Ior Hajj with the Prophet (peace be upon him). When we
reachedaplacecalled'ArjtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)stopped,andsodidwe.'Aishahsatbythe
Prophet(peacebeuponhim),andIsatnexttoAbuBakr.TheirtravelsupplieswerewithaservantoI
AbuBakr.HesatdownwaitingIorhisservant.WhentheservantcamehewaswalkingonIoot,and
hadnocamelwithhim.AbuBakraskedhimabouthiscamel.Theservantreplied:'Ilostityesterday.'
AtthisAbuBakrgotangryandsaidtohim:'Youhadonlyonecamel(tolookaIter)andyoulostit.'
Andhebeathim.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)smiledandsaid:'Lookatthismuhrim--AbuBakr!
What is he doing?' And he kept on smiling and repeating this." (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud,
andIbnMajah)
Eiqh5.47:KillingElies,Eleas,andLice
'Atawasasked byamanabouttheIleasorantsthatvexedhimwhilehewasinthestateoIihram.He
replied: "You may throw away what does not belong to you." Ibn 'Abbas said: "A muhrim may kill
liceandticks."
AmuhrimmayalsoremoveIleasIromhiscamel.'IkrimahreportedthatIbn'Abbasonceorderedhim
to kill the ticks oII his camel while theywerebothinthestateoIihram.'Ikrimah,dislikeddoingso.
Then, Ibn 'Abbas commanded Ikrimah to slaughter a camel, which he willingly did. Thereupon Ibn
'Abbasaskedhim,"Doyouknowhowmanyticksyoujustkilled?"
Eiqh5.47a:KillingtheEiveViciousAnimalsandOthersthatareHarmIul
'AishahreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"EiveoItheanimalsareviciousandthey
may be killed in the sacred precincts oI Haram: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse, and the
ravenousdog.ThisisreportedbyMuslimandBukhari,whoadded"(and)thesnake."
Thereisconsensusamongthescholarsthatthesmallcrowwhicheatstheseeds,isnotincludedinthe
categoryoItheaboveanimals.UndertheravenousdogisincludedonethatbitespeopleandIrightens
themandallothersimilarviciousanimalsthatattackhumanssuchasthelion,tiger,leopardandwolI.
ThusAllahsaid:"TheyaskyouwhatislawIulto them(asIood).Say:'LawIultoyou,are(all)things
good and pure: And what you have taught your trained hunting animals 8 (to catch) in the manner
directed to you by Allah"' (Qur'an 5.4). The HanaIi scholars hold, however, that the word "vicious
dog"inthiscaseappliesonlytodogsandwolves.
IbnTaimiyyahisoItheopinionthatamuhrimmaykillanyharmIulcreaturethatusuallycausesharm
to humans, such as snake, scorpion, mouse, crow, and a vicious dog. He is also permitted to deIend
himselI against whatever harms him, whether animals or people; iI they assault him, he should Iight
themback.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"HewhoiskilledwhiledeIendinghiswealthisa
martyr,andhewhoiskilledwhiledeIendinghisliIeisamartyr,andhewhoiskilledwhiledeIending
hisreligionisamartyr,andsimilarlyhewhoiskilledwhiledeIendinghishonorisalsoamartyr."
Ibn Taimiyyah Iurther said: "II Ileas and lice bite him, a muhrim should cast them out. He may also
kill them, and incur no penalty. Casting them out is, however, easier than killing them. Similarly a
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muhrim is Iorbidden to kill any animal that he sees, such as a lion, a leopard, etc. But, most oI the
scholars hold that iI he should kill one oI these animals, he is not required to make any atonement.
LookingIorlicewithoutIeelinganybite,IorcomIortandpleasure,however,whileoneisinthestate
oIihram,shouldbeavoided.ButiIsomeonedoesit,heisnotrequiredtomakeanatonement.
Eiqh5.49:RESTRICTIONSOEIHRAM
TheLawGiverIorbidscertainthingsIoramuhrimaIterhedonstheihramgarb:
-1- Sexualintercourseandallmattersleadingtoitsuchaskissing,touching,ortalkingwithone'swiIe
aboutintercourseorrelatedmatters.
-2- CommittingsinsthatcauseamantodeviateIromthepathoIobediencetoAllah.
-3- Disputing,arguingorIightingwithcompanions,servantsorothers.
The basis oI this prohibition are the words oI Allah: "Let there be no obscenity nor wickedness nor
wrangling in the Hajj" (Qur'an 2.197). Both Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority oI Abu
HurairahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"HewhoperIormsHajj,committingnoobscenity,
norwickedness,norwrangling,willreturnhomeIreeoIsinsasthedayhismotherborehim."
-4- Wearinganysewnclothes,suchasashirt,hoodedrobes,cloak,underpantsorwrappinganything
around the head, a cap or a Iez, etc. Likewise one is not permitted to wear clothes dyed with a nice
Iragrantdyeortowearshoesorsewnslippers.
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A person in a state oI ihram is not
allowed to wear a sewn shirt, a turban, a hooded robe, underpants, a cloth that has been dyed with
sweetsmellingIragrance(suchassaIIron),shoesorsewnslippers,unlessoneisunabletoIindregular
unsewnslippers,thenonemaywearhisshoesprovidedonecutsthemdowntotheankles."Thiswas
reportedbyBukhariandMuslim.Thereisagreementamongthescholarsthattheserestrictionsapply
tomenonly.
AsIorawomanpilgrim,shemaywearalloItheabove.ButsheisIorbiddentouseperIumedclothes,
aveilthatcoverstheIace,andgloves.
Ibn 'Umar reported: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) Iorbade women pilgrims Irom wearing
gloves, veils, and clothes dyed with saIIron or warse. (A sweet smelling plant that was used to dye
clothes yellow) Besides these, they may wear anything else, any color, silk clothes, ornaments,
trousers, or a shirt or shoes." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud, Al-Baihaqi and Al-Hakim, with a sound
chainoIauthorities)
Bukhari reported that 'Aishah wore a dress that was dyed with 'usIur (UsIur: saIIlower, the red
dyestuII prepared Irom its Ilower heads) while she was in a state oI ihram, and she said: "A woman
mustneitherweara veiltocoverherIace,norwearclothesthataredyedwithsaIIronorotherIragrant
dyeingmaterial."Jabirsaid:"Idonotconsider'usIurascent."
'Aishah held that there is no harm Ior women pilgrims in wearing ornaments, black or rose-colored
clothesandshoes.
BukhariandAhmadhavereportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Apilgrimwomanmust
neither cover her Iace nor wear gloves." This proves that a woman in the state oI ihram should not
coverherIaceandhands.Thescholars,however,saythatthereisnoharmiIshecoveredherIacewith
something other than a veil. She may also use an umbrella or similar item as a screen between men
andherselI.ButiIsheisaIraidoItemptingothersshemustcoverherIace.
'Aishahsaid:"MenoncamelsusedtopassbyuswhilewewerewiththeProphet(peacebeuponhim)
andinthestateoIihram.WewouldcoverourIaceswithourgownswhentheypassedbyus,andthen
uncover them again." This is reported by Abu Daw'ud and Ibn Majah. 'Ata, Malik, AthThawri, Ash-
ShaIi'i,Ahmad,andIshaqholdthatitpermissibleIorwomentocovertheirIacesinthestateoIihram.
Eiqh5.50:AManWithoutGarborShoesIorIhram
A person who has no proper garb and shoes Ior Hajj may wear whatever is available to him. Ibn
'AbbasreportedthatAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)deliveredasermonat'AraIahsaying,"A
Muslim (pilgrim) who Iinds no suitable garb (Ior ihram), may wear trousers, and iI he Iinds no
suitableslippers,hemaywearshoes."(ThisisinthecaseoIamanwhoIindsthesethingsareeither
notavailable,orhehasnoextramoneytobuythem)ThisisreportedbyAhmad,BukhariandMuslim.
InAhmad'snarrationIrom'AtaibnDinarwereadthatAbaAl-Sha'shainIormedhimthatIbn'Abbas
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heardtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)saying,"HewhoIindsnogarb(Iorihram),buthastrousers,he
may wear them, and he who Iinds no (suitable) slippers but has shoes,hemaywearthem."AtthisI
(AbaAl-Sha'sha)askedhim:"Anddidhesayanythingaboutcuttingthem?"Ibn'Abbassaid:"No."
Ahmad,thereIore,holdsthatamuhrimwhoIindsnopropergarborslippersmaywearhistrousersand
shoes,asshownbythehadithoIIbn'Abbas,withoutbeingrequiredtomakeanyatonementIordoing
so.(IbnQayyimalsopreIersthisview)
The permission to wear one' s shoes in case oI not having suitable slippers is, according to the
majorityoIscholars,conditionaloncuttingtheshoesdowntotheankles,Iorthismakesshoessimilar
toslippers.Thesescholarsconclude thisIromtheabovementionedhadithoIIbn'Umarinwhichwe
read:"IIhedoesnotIindslippersandIindsshoes,heshouldcutthemdowntotheankles."TheHanaIi
scholars hold that hewhohasnogarbIorHajjmustunsewhistrousersbeIoreusingthemasagarb.
Buthewhowearsthemastheyare(withoutunsewingthem)hemustmakeatonementIordoingso.
MalikandAsh-ShaIi'i,however,areoItheviewthatsuchapersonmaywearhistrousersastheyare,
without incurring any penalty, as shown by a hadith oI Jabir ibn Zayd Irom Ibn 'Abbas that the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)said:"IIapersondoesnotIindthegarbIorihram,hemayweartrousers;
iIhedoesnotIindslippers,hemaywearshoesaItercuttingthemdowntotheankles."(Reportedby
Nasa'iwithasoundchain)SuchapersonmusttakeoIIhistrousersandputonapropergarbwhenand
iI he Iinds one.ButiIapersonIindsnoproperupperHajjgarment,heshouldnotwearhisshirt,Ior
unliketrousersonecandowithoutit.
Eiqh 5.51: Contracting a Marriage, or Acting on BehalI oI Others, or Acting as a Guardian Ior
Someone
Such a marriage contract is invalid, null and void, and is not binding as reported in a hadith
transmittedbyMuslimandothers.Itisreportedthat'Uthmanibn'AIIansaid:TheProphet(peacebe
upon him) said: "A muhrim must not contract marriage, nor help others contract marriage, nor get
engagedIormarriage."Malik,Ash-ShaIi'i,Ahmad,andIshaqarealsooIthesameopinion.Theyhold
thatitisnotpermissibleIoramuhrimtocontractamarriageandregardanymarriagethuscontracted
as invalid. Tirmizhi has also reported it but without the words "nor get engaged Ior marriage."
Tirmizhi considers this a sound hadith and remarks that the Companions oI the Prophet (peace be
uponhim)practicedit.
Some oI the reports that say the Prophet (peace be upon him) "married Maimunah while he was a
muhrim"arecontrarytothereporttransmittedbyMuslimthat"hemarriedherwhilehewasnolonger
inthestateoIihram."
Tirmizhi said:"ThereisdisagreementconcerningthemarriageoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)to
Maimunah, Ior he married her on his way to Makkah. Some said: 'He married her beIore he put on
ihram, but the news oI his marriage became known while he was in the state oI ihram. Later he
consummated his marriage with her in SaraI, on the road to Makkah, aIter he was Iree Irom the
restrictionsoIihram.'
HanaIischolars,however,holdthatamuhrimmaycontractamarriage,becauseinthestateoIihram
whatisIorbiddenisnotmarriagewithawoman,butonlytheconsummationoImarriage.Contracting
amarriageispermissible,butintercourseisIorbidden.:WearingKohlintheEye
Eiqh 5.52: Clipping Nails, Shaving, Cutting or Removing Hair by any Means, Irom the Head or any
PartoItheBody
Allah says: "And do not shave your heads until the oIIering reaches the place oI sacriIice." (Qur'an
2.196)
There is consensus among the scholars that a person in the state oI ihram is Iorbidden to clip his
Iingernails without any genuine excuse. However, iI a nail is broken, one may remove it without
incurringanypenalty.
Removing the hair is permitted, iI it becomes bothersome. In such a case one must pay atonement,
exceptIortheremovaloIhairoItheeyeiIitbothershim.(TheMalikischolarsholdthereisapenalty
IorremovinghairoItheeyes)AllahtheAlmightysays:"AndiIanyoIyouisill,orhasanailmentin
his scalp (necessitating shaving), he should in compensation either Iast, or Ieed the poor, or oIIer
sacriIice."(Qur'an2.196)Thiswillbediscussedlater.
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Eiqh5.52a:UsingPerIumeonBodyorClothesbyaManorWoman
Ibn 'Umar reported that 'Umar smelled the pleasant smell oI perIume coming Irom Mu'awiyahwhile
thelatterwasinthestateoIihram.'Umarcommandedhim:"Getback,andwashitoII.Ihaveheard
theProphet(peacebeuponhim)saying:'ApilgrimmustbeunkemptandwithoutanyperIume."This
isreportedbyAl-Bazzarwithasoundchain.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Wash away the perIumethat you are wearing." He repeated
this thrice. The body oI a deceased muhrim should neither be perIumed during thewashing,norany
perIume be applied to his shroud. (Abu HaniIah, however, holds it is permissible) Concerning a
muhrimdyinginthestateoI ihram,theProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Donotcoverhishead,nor
perIume his body, because on the Day oI Resurrection he will be raised with talbiyah on his lips."
There is no harm, however, iI some oI the perIume used by a muhrim on his body or clothes beIore
enteringthestateoIihramisleItover.
It is permissible, however, to smell the things that are not planted Ior their scent such as apples and
quince. TheseplantsaresimilartootherplantsthatarenotplantedIortheirscent,norisit extracted
Iromthem.
AsIortheperIumethatonemayacquireIromtouchingtheKa'bah,thereisnoharm.Sa'idbinMansur
reported that Salih bin Kaisan said: "I have seen Anas bin Malik in the state oI ihram, while some
perIumeIromtheKa'bahwasrubbed onhisHajjgarb,buthedidnotwashitoII."'Atasaid:"Sucha
person does not have to wash it oII, nor does he need to make any atonement." The ShaIi'i school
holds that iI someone purposely did so (applied perIume), or wasaccidentlyperIumed,andhe could
wash it oII, but he did not do so, he would be committing a wrong Ior which he will have to pay a
penalty."
Eiqh5.53:WearingClothesDyedwithScentedMaterial
There is agreement among scholars that wearing a Hajj garb dyed with a scented material is
disallowed unless it is washed and its smell removed. NaIi'i reported Irom Ibn 'Umar that Allah's
Messenger(peacebeuponhim)said:"Donotwear(whileinthestateoIihram)anyclothesdyedwith
warseorsaIIronwithoutwashingthem."ThisisreportedbyIbnAbdulBarrandAt-Tahawi.
Wearing scented clothes is disliked Ior those in leading positions in liIe, because the masses may
imitatethemandwearscentedclotheswhicharenotpermitted.MalikhasreportedIromNaIi'thathe
heard Aslam, the Ireed-slave oI 'UmarbinAI-Khattab, saying to Abdullahbin 'Umar: "'UmarbinAI-
Khattab saw Talhah bin Obaidullah wearing a dyed garb in the state oI ihram. At this 'Umar said to
him:'OTalhah,whatisthisgarb!'Talhahreplied:'OChieIoItheEaithIul,thisisdyedwithareddish
dye (that has no smell)." 'Umar said: "O People! You are leaders Ior others. II a layman saw you
wearingthisgarbhewouldsay:"IsawTalhahbinObaidullahwearingdyedgarbinthestateoIihram.
OPeople!DonotwearanyoIthese dyedgarbs."
Thereisnoharm,however,inusingsomescentincookingordrinkswhenitstaste,colororsmellis
eliminated. II a muhrim partakes oI it, he does not have to make any atonement. The ShaIi'i school
holdsthatpartakingoIsuchIoodordrinkmakesanatonementnecessaryiIthesmellpersists.
TheHanaIischoolisoItheviewthatthatthereisnopenaltyonhim,becausehedidnotpartakeoIit
toenjoyitsperIume.
Eiqh5.53a:EngaginginHunting
A muhrim may Iish, eat sea game, or mention any kind oI sea Iood. It is Iorbidden, however, Ior a
muhrimtohuntonland,bykillingorbyslaughtering.ItisalsoIorbiddenIoramuhrimtopointitout
iIitisvisible,orindicateitsplaceiIitisinvisible,orscareitoII.ItisalsoIorbiddenIorhimtospoil
eggsoIanimalslivingonland.Buying,sellingthem,ormilkingtheseanimalsisalsoIorbiddeninthe
stateoIihram.TheQur'ansays:"LawIultoyouisthepursuitoIwatergameanditsuseIorIood- Ior
thebeneIitoIyourselvesand thosewhotravel;butIorbiddenisthepursuitoIlandgame- aslongas
youareintheSacredPrecinctsorinpilgrimgarb.''(Qur'an5.96)
Eiqh5.53b:EatingGame-Meat
AmuhrimisIorbiddentopartakeoIanylandgamepreparedIorhissake,athissuggestionorwithhis
help.AbuQatadahreportedthatAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)wentIorHajjandtheyalso
wentwithhim.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)dispatchedagroup,includingAbuQatadah,andtold
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them:"Eollowtheseashoreuntilwemeetagain."AlloIthemexceptAbuQatadahwereinthestateoI
ihram.Ontheway,theysawaherdoIzebras.AbuQatadahattackedthemandkilledaIemalezebra.
They all ate oI its meat but said: "Is it permissible Ior us to partake oIthislandgameinthestateoI
ihram?" Then they carried the rest oI the meat to the Prophet (peacebeuponhim),andtoldhimthe
wholestory.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)saidtothem:"DidanyoneoIyouaskAbuQatadahto
attacktheherd,orpointitouttohim?"Theysaid:"No."Hesaid,"Then,youmayeatwhatisleItoI
thequarry."ThisisreportedbyBukhariandMuslim.
AmuhrimmayeatthemeatoIagamewhichisneitherkilledbyhim,norIorhim,norpointedoutby
himtosomeoneelse,andinthehuntingoIwhichhedidnothelpothers.
Al-Muttalib reported Irom Jabir that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The (eating oI)
landgameislawIulIoryouinthestateoIihramprovidedyouyourselvesdonotkillitbutitiskilled
Ior you (by someone else)." This is reported by Ahmad and Tirmizhi, who said: "Jabir's hadith is
explanatory,butwedonotknowthenarratorwhoreporteditIromJabirtoAl-Muttalib."
SomeoItheschol;lrsIollowthisprincipleandconsiderthateatingmeatoIlandgameislawIul Iora
muhrimiIhedoesnothuntit,norisithuntedIorhissake.Ahmad,lshaq,MalikandthemajorityoI
scholarsholdasimilarview.Ash-ShaIi'isaid:"Thisisthebestandthemostcorrecthadithreportedon
thisissue."
TheeatingoIalandgamehuntedbyamuhrimorIoramuhrimisunlawIulIorhim,whetheritisdone
with or without his permission. But, iI someone else who is not in the state oI ihram, hunted it Ior
himselI,andoIIeredorsoldsomeoIittoamuhrim,heispermittedtopartakeoI it.
Abdur-Rahmanbin'UthmanAt-Taimireported:"WewentIorHajjwithTalhahbinObaidullah.While
wewereinthestateoIihram,somemeatoIbirdswasgiventoTalhah.Hewasasleep.SomeoIusate
oI thismeat,whileothersreIrained.WhenTalhahwoke up(andwastoldaboutthis)heapprovedoI
those who had eaten it and said: "We used to eat such meat while we were with Allah's Messenger
(peace be upon him). (Reported by Muslim and Ahmad) Other ahadith Iorbid a muhrim eating the
meat oI a land game, such as the one reported Irom As-Sa'ab bin Jathamah al-Laithee which says:
"Someone presented meat oI a zebra to the Prophet (peace be upon him), while he was in the area
known as Al-Abwa or Bawaddan. The Prophet (peace be upon him) declined it, but when he saw
marksoIdisquietonthepresenter'sIace,theProphet(peacebeuponhim)saidtohim:"Wedeclined
(your)presentonlybecauseweareinthestateoIihram."
Considering the assumption behind declining the meat--that it was hunted Ior the sake oI those who
were in the state oI ihram--these ahadith can be reconciled. The people who were not in the state oI
ihrammeanttohuntIorthosewhowereinthestateoIihram.IbnAbdulBarrsaid:"TheargumentoI
those holding this view is that it is supported by sound ahadith on this subject. When taken in this
sense we Iind no contradiction or disagreement in these ahadith. All Sunan should be interpreted in
thismanner.Theydonotcontradictordisagreewitheachotherwhenappliedintheirpropercontexts.
Ibn Al Qayyim preIers this opinion, and says: "All the traditions oI the Companions approve oI this
course."
Eiqh5.55:PenaltyIorViolatingSanctityoIIhram
A muhrim who Ior a genuine reason is compelled to violate any oI the restrictions oI ihram, like
shavinghishead,wearingsewnclothesbecauseoIcoldorheatorsomethingelse,withtheexception
oIhavingsexualintercoursewithhisspouse,(EordetailsonthisseetheIollowingpages)hemaydo
so, but he will have to slaughter a sheep, or Ieed six needy people, (Each needy person should be
givenatleasttheequivalentoIhalIsainmeasure)orIastthreedaystoatoneIorit.
Violation oI restrictions oI ihram other than sexual intercourse does not invalidate Hajj or 'Umrah.
Sexualintercoursewithone'swiIeinvalidatesHajjor'Umrah.AbdurRahmanbinAbiLailareported
IromK'abbin'UjrahthatAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)passedbyhimwhileinHudaibiyah
andsaid,"Aretheliceinyourheadbotheringyou?"Hesaid,"Yes."TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
said,"Shaveyourheadandslaughterasheep,orIastthreedaysorgiveameasureoIthreesa'oIdates
to six needy people." (Reported by Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Daw'ud) In another report the same
narratorsays:"LiceinIestedmyhairandbotheredme,whileIwaswithAllah'sMessenger(peacebe
upon him) during Hudaibiyah. It got so bad that I was aIraid oI losing my sight. Then Allah, the
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Almighty revealed the Qur'anic verse (2.196) "And iI any oI you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp
(necessitating shaving) (he should) in compensation either Iast or Ieed the poor or otIer sacriIice."
UponthisAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)calledmeandsaid:"Shaveyourhead,orIastthree
days or Ieed six poor persons one Iarq (A measure commonly used in Madinah at the time oI the
Prophet,itisroughlyequivalenttosixteenIraqirotl)oIraisins,orslaughterasheep."SoIshavedmy
headandslaughteredasheep."
With regard to penalty Ash-ShaIi'i makes no distinction between a muhrim who is compelled to
violate ihram by some genuine need, andonewhodoessowithoutanygenuinecause.Ineithercase
penalty must be paid to atone tor violation. Abu HaniIah holds that a person who violates the ihram
restrictionswithoutgenuinecausemustoIIerasheeptocompensateIorhisviolation,iIhecanaIIord
it.ApersonwhocannotaIIordthisdoesnothavetomakeanyatonementasmentionedabove.
Eiqh5t!Q1 6)!MHanibmMm `mmB `- Q-Mw yt mM
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IIsuchamanisunabletoslaughteracamel,thenhemayslaughtera cow.IIhecannotaIIordit,then
hemayslaughterseven(7)sheep.AndiIheisevenunabletodothat,thenhemayestimatethevalue
oI the camel, and distribute Iood oI that amount among the poor and needy people, so that every
personreceivesonemudd.IIheisunabletodoso,thenheshouldIastadayIoreachmuddthereoI.
Thescholarssaid:IIamuhrimhadsexualintercoursewithhisspousebeIoretheDayoI'AraIah,then
his Hajj will be null and void, and he will have to oIIer in sacriIice a sheep or one-seventh oI a she
camel. But iI he did so aIter the Day oI 'AraIah, hisHajjwillnotbeinvalidated,buthewillhaveto
slaughteracamel.
Incasesuchanactiscommittedbyaqarinpilgrim- onecombiningHajjwith'Umrah- hemustmake
upIor thisHajjqarinwithanotherHajjqarinandoIIeranothersacriIicejustasthepilgrimperIorming
Hajjonlydoes.
Sexualintercourse,iIithappensaItertheIirstbreakinihram(Iollowingthrowingpebblesandshaving
one'sheadatMina),doesnotinvalidateHajjnordoesitrequireHajjtoberepeatedlater.Thisisthe
view oI most oI the knowledgeable people. But others hold that making up Hajj and oIIering a
sacriIice is mandatory. This is the opinion oI Ibn 'Umar, Al-Hasan, and Ibrahim. There is also
disagreementastowhatanimalistobeoIIeredinsacriIice,asheeporacamel?
Ibn'Abbas,'Ikrimah,and'AtaareoItheviewthatitmustbeacamel;thisisalsooneoItheopinions
oI Ash-ShaIi'i. According to a second opinion oI Ash-ShaIi'i, a sheep must be oIIered in sacriIice.
Malikagreeswiththissecondopinion.
A muhrim, who had a wet dream or ejaculated by thinking about or looking at a woman, incurs no
penalty,accordingtotheShaIi'ischool.
These scholars, however, hold that iI one kisses or touches his spouse with a sexual desire, he must
oIIer a sheep in sacriIice regardless oI whether he ejaculates or not. Ibn 'Abbas holds that such a
personincurspenaltyandhemustslaughterasheep.
Mujahidsaid:"AmancametoIbn'Abbasandsaidtohim:'Suchandsuchawomancametomewith
all her make up while I was in the state oI ihram. I could not control myselI, and ejaculated. (What
shouldIdo?)'Ibn'AbbaslaugheduntilheIellonhisbackandsaid:'YouareverylustIul.Thereisno
harm. But you must slaughter a sheep. Your Hajj is complete'." This was reported by Sa'id Ibn
Mansur.
Eiqh5.59:KILLINGAGAMEINTHESTATEOEIHRAM
Allah says: "O You Who Believe, kill not game while in the Sacred Precincts or in Pilgrim garb. II
any oI you doeth so intentionally, the compensation is an oIIering, brought to the Ka'bah, oI a
domesticanimalequivalenttotheonehekilled,asadjudgedbytwojustmenamongyou;orbyway
oIatonement,theIeedingoItheindigent;oritsequivalentinIasts;thathemaytasteoIthepenaltyoI
hisdeed.AllahIorgiveswhatispast:Eorrepetition,AllahwillexactIromhimthepenalty.EorAllah
isExalted,andLordoIRetribution."(Qur'an5.95)
Ibn Kathir said: "The majority holds that as Iar as the penalty is concerned there is no diIIerence
between one who deliberately kills a game and he who does so IorgetIully." Az-Zuhri said: "The
Qur'an imposed a penalty only on theintentionalkilleroIthegame,whilethesunnahincludesthose
whokillagameIorgetIully."InotherwordstheQur'animposesapenaltyonanintentionalkillerIor
hissin,asisindicatedbythewordsoIAllah"...thathemaytastethepenaltyoIhisdeed."
The sunnah oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the judgments oI his Companions show that he
who kills a game by mistake must also pay a penalty. Killing a game is a destructive act, and
thereIore, whether it is inIlicted intentionally or IorgetIully, makes little diIIerence, though a
deliberatekillerisguiltyoIasin,whereasonewhodoessobymistakecommitsnosin.
In Al-Musawwa, it is stated: "In the opinion oI Abu HaniIah, the verse: 'II any oI you doeth so
intentionally,thecompensationisanoIIering,broughttotheKa'bah,oIadomesticanimalequivalent
to the one he killed' means that one who kills a game must compensate it by sacriIicing something
similar to or equivalent in price to be decided by two justmen."Itmaybeadomesticanimalthatis
broughttotheKa'bahIorsacriIice,orelseonemayIeedtheneedy.
In Ash-ShaIi'i's opinion it means that, "Anyone who kills a game while in the Hajj garb must pay a
penalty Ior his act by sacriIicing an animal similar in shape and Iorm and two just men must make
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surethatitisequivalentinvaluetothegamekilled.Orelse,onemustmakeanatonementorIastIor
anequivalentnumberoIdays."
Eiqh5.60:SomePrecedentsIrom'UmarandSubsequentGenerations
AbdulMalikbinQurairreportedIromMohammadbinSirinthatamancameto'UmarbinAl-Khattab
and said: "A Iriend oI mine and I ran aIter a wild game while we were in pilgrim garb. We killed a
deer.Whatisouratonement?"'Umartoldamannexttohim:"Come,youandImustjudgetogether."
ThenhegavehisverdictandtoldthemantosacriIiceagoatincompensation."The manleItsaying,
"ThisistheChieIoItheEaithIul,whocannotpassajudgmentconcerningthekillingoIadeer!"'Umar
heardtheman'sremark,andhecalledhimbackandaskedhim:"HaveyoureadSurahAl-Ma'idah(oI
the Qur'an)?" The man said: "No." 'Umar asked Iurther: "Doyouknowthismanwhoparticipatedin
thejudgmentwithme?"Themansaid,"No."'Umarsaid:'HadyoutoldmethatyouhavereadSurah
Al-Ma'idah,IwouldhavemadeyouacheIrombeating."Thenheadded:"Allah,theExaltedOne,says
in His Book: 'II any oI you doeth so intentionally, the compensation is an oIIering, brought to the
Ka'bah,oIadomesticanimalequivalenttotheonehekilled,asadjudgedbytwojustmenamongyou.'
Andthisman(whojudgedwithme)isAbdur-Rahmanbin 'AwI'."
EarliergenerationsoIMuslimscholarsgaveverdictsthatacamelistobesacriIicedIoranostrich,and
a cow Ior a zebra, a stag or a deer, and similarly a sheep Ior a woodchuck, a pigeon, a turtledove, a
mountainquail,andcertainotherbirds.AmalesheepistobesacriIicedIorahyena,agoatIoradeer,
a Iour month old goat Ior a rabbit, a baby goat (kid) Ior a Iox, and a Iour month old goat should be
sacriIicedIorkillingajerboa.
Eiqh5.60a:WhenOneisUnabletoPaythePenalty
Sa'id bin Mansur reported that commenting on the words oI Allah "the compensation is an oIIering,
brought to the Ka'bah, oI a domestic animal" Ibn 'Abbas said: "II a muhrim kills an animal, an
assessment should be made and then he should make compensation. II he has an animal oI an
equivalentvalueIorthegame,hemustslaughteritandgiveitsmeatincharity,butiIhedoesnothave
ananimaloIanequivalentvalue,heshouldassessthevalueoIthegameandthengiveawayIoodIor
that amount.IncaseonedoesnothavemoneyIorit,then,onemustIastonedayIoreachhalIsa'oI
Iood.IIamuhrimkilledagame,hemustslaughterasimilaranimalaccordingtothejudgmentoItwo
justmen.IIonekilledadeerorsimilaranimal,onemustslaughterasheepin Makkah.IIonecannot
buy a sheep, then, one must Ieed six poor people, and iI one cannot aIIord that, then one must Iast
threedays.
II one killed a male adult deer or similar animal, he must slaughter a cow, otherwise one must Ieed
twenty needy people, or Iast Ior twenty days. II an ostrich or zebra or similar animal is killed, one
must Iast thirty days. This is reported by Ibn Abi Hatem and Ibn Jarir. They also added to this the
words:"TheIoodgiventotheneedymustbesuIIicienttosatisIytheirhunger."
Eiqh5.61:HowtoEeedandEast
Maliksaid:"ThebestthingthatIheardconcerningthismatteristhatthepriceoIthekilledgamemust
beassessed,ortheIoodthatcanbeboughtwiththatamount.Thenthekillermustgivetoeveryneedy
persononemuddoIIoodorelsehemustIastanidenticalnumberoIdays,onedayIoreachmudd(oI
Iood).HemustestimatethenumberoItheneedythatcouldbeIedwiththatIood.OnemustIastten
daysiIthemoneycouldIeedtenpoorpeople,Iasttwentydays,iItwentypeoplecouldbeIedIorthat
amount,andsoIorthwhatevertheirnumber,evensixtyormore."
Eiqh5.61a:JointKillingoIaGame
II a group oI people participated in killing a game intentionally, they are to pay one penalty only,
because Allah says "the compensation is an oIIering oI a domestic animal." Ibn 'Umar was asked
about a group oI people who had jointly killed a hyena while they were in the state oI ihram. Ibn
'Umar told them, "Slaugther a ram." They asked, "Should we slaughter a ram Ior each person oI our
group?"Hesaid,"No.SlaughteronlyoneramonbehalIoIalloIyou."
Eiqh5.61b:KillingaGameWithintheSacredPrecinctsandCuttingTrees
ItisIorbiddenIorbothamuhrimandanon-muhrimtokillthegameinthesacredprecincts oIHaram,
ortoIrightenit,ortocutitstreesthatarenotplantedbythepeople,ortocuttenderplants,including
thorns,exceptIortheplantscalledIzhkherandSanawhichmaybecut,pulledorweededout.
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Ibn'AbbasreportedthatonthedayoItheconquestoIMakkahtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,
"Verily, this is a Sacred City, its thorns and its plants must not be cut, its wild game must not be
Irightened,andnoneisallowedtopickuplostarticlesunlessoneknowsitsowner(inorderto returnit
tohim)."''Abbasadded,"Except(Iortheplant)Izhkher"whichisusedbyblacksmithsandburnedin
households." The Prophet (peace be upon him) excluded this plant, saying, "Except izhkher."
(Bukhari)
Ash-Shawkanisaid:"Qurtubisaid:'Jurists holdthatthetreesIorbiddentobecutarethewildtreesor
plants that are not planted or grown by people. As to the trees grown by men there is disagreement
amongscholars.Themajorityholdsitpermissibletocuttreesgrownbymen.
Ash-ShaIi'isaid: "Cuttinganytreeorplantispunishable."IbnQudamahalsoholdsthisview.Thereis
alsodisagreementonpunishmentIorcuttingtheIirstkindoItrees.
MalikholdsthereisnopenaltyIorit,althoughonewhodoesthiscommitsasin.'Ataopined:"Such a
person should seek Allah's Iorgiveness." Abu HaniIah is oI the opinion that such a person must
compensate Ior it by sacriIicing an animal equivalent in value to the damage caused by him. Ash-
ShaIi'isaid:"Eorcuttingabigtreeonemustslaughteracow incompensation,andIorasmallertreea
sheep."
Thescholars,however,makeanexceptioninmakinguseoIbrokenbranches,Iallentrees,orleaves.It
is permissible to use these. Ibn Qudamah said: "There is agreement on the permissibility oI using
herbs,Ilowers,grassandtenderplantsgrownbymenwithinthesacredprecinctsoIHaram."
The author oI Al Rawdah al-Nadiyyah says: "The dwellers oItheHaram,whoarenotinthestateoI
ihram,incursin,butnopenaltyIorkillingagameorcuttingatreewithintheSacredPrecincts."AsIor
thosewhoareinthestateoIihram,theymustpaythepenaltyprescribedbyAllahIorkillingagame.
But Ior cutting a tree in Makkah they incur no penalty, because the evidence in this regard is not
strong enough. The hadith which states "II one cuts a big tree, he must slaughter a cow in
compensation" is not asoundhadith.WhatisrelatedIromearlierscholarsandtheiropinionsonthis
issue,cannotbetakenasconclusivebythemselves.
The author continues: "In short, there is no connection between prohibition oI killing game and
cuttingtrees,andtheobligationoIpayingapenaltyorgivingawayanamountoIequivalentvaluein
atonement.Prohibition,however,isclearIromwhatisIorbidden.Thepenaltyorequivalentvaluecan
be applied only when there is clear evidence to establish it. But the only evidence we have in this
matteristhewordsoIAllah"...KillnogamewhileintheSacredPrecinctsorinpilgrimgarb..."Inthis
verseonlypenaltyismentioned;nothingelseisessential(wajib).
Eiqh5.63:SACREDPRECINCTSOEMAKKAH(HARAMMAKKAH)
TheSacredPrecinctsoIMakkahincludetheareaaroundMakkah,markedbystonesameterhigh,on
allroadsleadingto,orIromMakkah.
OnthenorthernsideHaramMakkah extendstoTan'im,sixkilometersIromtheSacredMosque,and
onthesouthernsidetoAdah,twelvekilometersIromMakkah.Onitseasternside,sixteenkilometers
away, lies al-Ji'ranah, while on its northeastern border lies the valley oI Nakhlah, which is Iourteen
kilometers Irom Makkah. On the western border lies Al-Shmaisi, (This place used to be called Al-
Hudaibiya.ItwasherethattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)tooktheIamouspledge- bai'atridwan-
IromhisCompanions.TheBattleoIAl-Hudaibiya isnamedaIterit)IiIteenkilometersIromMakkah.
Muhibbuddin At-Tabari reported Irom Az-Zuhari Irom Obaidullah bin Abdullah bin 'Utba and said:
"Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) put up markers Ior the Sacred Precincts as shown to him by
Gabriel(peacebeuponhim)."ThesemarkerswereundisturbeduntilthetimeoIQusaiy,whorenewed
them.AIterthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim),intheyearoItheconquestoIMakkah,sentTamim
binOsaidal-Khozai'itoreIurbishthem.Later'UmarappointedIourmenIromQuraish,Muhramabin
NawIal,Sa'idbinYarbu',HowaitebbinAbdil-Uzza,andAzharbinAbd-AuI,torenewthesemarkers.
Subsequently,IirstMu'awiyahandthenAbdul-MalikreIurbishedthem.
Eiqh5.63a:SacredPrecinctsoIMadinah(HaramMadinah)
IntheSacredPrecinctsoIMadinahkillingagameandcuttingitstreesisprohibitedasitisinthecase
oI Haram Makkah. Jabir bin Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
"Ibrahim (peace be upon him) made Makkah Haram (sacred), and I declare Madinah and what lies
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betweenitstwoblacktractsHaram.Nogame(withinthisarea)istobekilled,noranyadah- athorny
plant- growingthereinistobecut."(Muslim)
Ali reported that concerning Madinah the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Its plants must not be
cut, its game must not be Irightened, articles lost in it must not be picked up except by someone
makingannouncementtoIindtheowner,norisanymantobeararmsIorIightinginit.Itstreesmust
not be cut, exceptwhen(requiredIor)Ieedingone'scamels."(ReportedbyAhmadandAbuDawud)
Both Bukhari and Muslim report that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Madinah is Haram
(Sacred) and its Sacred Precincts extend Irom 'Eer to Thowr." (Eer is a mountain at the miqat Ior
Madinah, and Thowr is a mountain near Uhud on the north) Another agreed upon hadith reported
IromAbuHurairahsays,"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)declaredtheareabetweenthetwoblack
tractsoIMadinahassacredandthenextendedittoabouttwelvemilesaroundMadinah."TheProphet
(peacebeuponhim)permittedtheresidentsoIMadinahtocuttreesIormakingplows,cartsandother
necessary tools and equipment. He also permitted themtocutitsgrasstoIeedtheiranimals.Ahmad
reported Irom Jabir bin Abdullah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The area between two
blacktractsoIMadinahisaHaram(asanctuary).Notreemustbecut(withinthisarea)exceptIoruse
asIodderIoranimals."
Unlike this the residents oI Makkah, who have suIIicient supply Ior their animal Ieed, are not
permittedtocuteventhegrasstoIeedtheiranimals.TheresidentsoIMadinaharenotselI-suIIicient
andarethereIoreallowedtousetreesandgrassIortheiranimals.
But killing the game or cutting oII the trees in the sanctuary oI Madinah carries no penalty nor
requiresanycompensation,althoughdoingsoisasinIulact.
AnasreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"MadinahisasanctuaryIromsuchandsuch
aplacetosuchandsuchaplace, and(withinthisarea)itstreesshallnotbecut,norany(unlawIul)act
committed, and whoso does so on him shall rest the curse oI Allah, His angels and the entire
mankind."(Bukhari)
It is permissible to pick up and use branches oI a Iallen tree within this sanctuary. Sa'ad bin Abi
Waqqas reported that while on his way to his palace at 'Aqiq he Iound a slave cutting oII a tree or
hitting and shaking it Ior leaves. Sa'ad seized whatever the slave had gathered. The owners oI the
slave went to Sa'ad and asked him to return to them what he had seized Irom the slave. Sa'ad said,
"Allah Iorbid that I should return something which Allah's Messenger has given me as a giIt." And
sayingthishereIusedtoreturnittothem.(Muslim)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "II you Iind anyone hunting a wild game within the sacred
bounds oI Madinah you may seize it Irom him." (Abu Dawud, and Al-Hakim, who considers it a
soundhadith)ThisisreportedbyAbuDaw'ud,andAl-Hakim,whoconsidersitasoundhadith.
Eiqh5.65:IsThereAnyOtherSanctuaryBesidesMakkahandMadinah?
Ibn Taimiyyah said, "There is no other sanctuary in the wholeworldbesidesthesetwo,noteventhe
Al-AqsaMosqueoIJerusalem,noranyother,eventhoughsomeignorantpeoplecallthemHaramal-
Maqdis and Haram al-Khalil. By consensus Haram Makkah is the only Haram (sanctuary). About
Madinah there is no such consensus. A majority oI scholars, however, hold that Madinah is also a
sanctuary,asmentionedinahadithonthissubject.
Muslim scholars disagree about a third sanctuary, namely, Wuja, a valley oI Al-Ta'iI. Ash-ShaIi'i
regardsitasanctuary.Ash-Shawkaniagreeswithhim,butthemajorityoIthescholarsdisagreeanddo
notconsideritasanctuary."
Eiqh5.65a:ExcellenceoIMakkahOverMadinah
ThemajorityoIscholarsbelievesMakkahhaspreIerenceoverMadinah.
Abdullah bin 'Adi bin Al-Hamra reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)
saying,"ByAllah!You(OMakkah)arethebestoIAllah'sland,andmostbelovedtoHim.HadInot
been driven away Irom you, I would have never departed (Irom you)." (Ahmad, Ibn Majah and
Tirmizhi) Ibn 'Abbas said: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) addressed Makkah saying, 'How
nice a place you are! You are the most beloved place to me! II my people had not driven me away
Irom you I would have never departed (Irom here) to live somewhere else."(Tirmizhi considers it a
soundhadith)
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Eiqh5.65b:EnteringMakkahwithoutIhram
One may enter Makkah without putting on a garb oI ihram iI one does not intend to make Hajj or
'Umrah.OnemaybeaIrequentvisitortoMakkahasawood-cutter,agrasscutter,awatercarrier,ora
hunter,etc.,ornotaIrequentvisitorsuchasamerchantoravisitor.RegardlessoIwhetheroneenters
itinastateoIsecurityorIear,allsuchpeoplemayenterMakkahwithoutihramiItheydonotintend
toperIormHajjor'Umrah.ThisisAsh-ShaIi'i'sopinionwhich,oIhistwoviews,isthemoreaccurate
one,andisalsosupportedbyhiscompanions.
MuslimreportedthatAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)enteredMakkahwearingablackturban
and without an ihram. It is said about Ibn 'UmarthathereturnedaItertravellingpartoIthewayand
enteredMakkahwithoutihram.
Both Ibn Shihab and Ibn Hazm hold entering Makkah without the ihram garb permissible. The
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)setthemarkers(Mawaqit)aroundMakkahonlyIorthosewhointended
toperIormHajjor'Umrah.
Wearing ihram is not compulsory Ior those who pass these markers iI they do not intend Hajj or
'Umrah. Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) did not Iorbid entering Makkah without ihram.
ToinsistonitisobligatingpeopletowhichtheyarenotobligatedbyShari'ah.
Eiqh5.66:EncouragedActsIorEntrantstoMakkahandtheSacredMosque
ItisdesirableIorthoseintendingtovisitMakkahtodotheIollowing:
-1- Totakeabath.ItisreportedthatIbn'UmarusedtotakeabathbeIoreenteringMakkah.
-2- TospendthenightatZhiTuwa,avalleyinthedirectionoIAl-Zaher.TheProphet(peacebeupon
him)usedtospendthenightthere.NaIi'said:"Ibn'Umarusedtodothesame.''(ReportedbyBukhari
andMuslim)
-3- To enter Makkah Irom the upper hill called "Koda". The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered
MakkahIromthedirectionoIAl-Mu'allah.WhoeverisabletoIollowthispath,shoulddoso,butone
commitsnosiniIonedoesnotdoit.
-4- TohurrytotheSacredMosqueassoonasonedepositsone'sbelongingsinasaIeplace.Onemust
entertheSacredMosqueIromthegateknownasBabBaniShayba- Babus-Salam- andsayhumbly
and sincerely: "A'uzhu billahil azeem wa biwajihil kareem wa sultanihil qadeem , minash shaltanir
rajeem. Bismillah allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa alihi wa salam, Allahumma ghiIirli zunubi
waItahliabwabarahmatika(IseekreIugewithAllahtheSupreme,IseekreIugewithHisHonorand
EternalGlory,withHisEverlastingAuthority,Iromthecurseddevil.OAllah,BlessMuhammadand
theIamilyoIMuhammad!OAllah!EorgivemysinsandopenYourdoorsoImercyIorme)."
-5- Toraiseone'shandsonIirstsightoItheKa'bahandsay:"AllahummazidhazhalbaytitashriIanwa
ta 'zeeman wa takriman wa muhabatan wa zid min sharIihi wa karamihi mimman hajjahu au
'itamarahu tashriIan wa takriman wa ta'zeeman wa birran (O Allah! increase this House's honor,
dignity, respect and grant all those who come to it Ior Hajj or 'Umrah honor, dignity, respect and
righteousness.)" And say, "Allahumma antas salam, wa minkas salam, Iahayyina rabbana bis-salam
(OAllah!YouarethePeace,IromYouisthePeace.OAllah!GreetuswiththePeace)."
-6- ThenheadtotheBlackStoneandkissitquietly.IIkissingisnotpossible,thenonemaytouchit
withahandandkissthehand,andiIeventhisisnotpossiblethenonemayjustpointtoitwithahand.
-7- ThenbegintawaI(circumambulation)startingIromtheBlackStone.
-8- OnedoesnothavetoperIormsalutationprayertotheSacredMosque.becausetawaIoIKa'bahis
itssalutation.II,however,itistimeIortheprescribeddailyprayers,thenonemustoIIerthemwiththe
congregation.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Whenaprescribedprayerisinprogressthenno
other prayer except the prescribed prayer is valid." Similarly, iI one is aIraid to miss a prescribed
prayerthenonemustoIIeritIirstbeIoreanythingelse.
Eiqh5.69:PerIormingTawaI
-1- OnemustbegintawaI(circumambulation)withone'srightshoulderuncovered,andtheKa'bahon
one'sleItside,whileIacingtheBlackStone,kissingit,iIpossible,ortouchingitwithone'shand,or
pointing in its direction, and saying, Bismillah wallahak baalla humma imanan bika wa tasdiqan
bikitabika wa waIa'an bi 'ahdika wa ittiba'an li sunnati nabbiyyi sallalahu 'alaihi wa sallam (In the
Name oI Allah. Allah is the Greatest. O Allah! |I begin this tawaIl believing in You, aIIirming the
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truthoIYourBook,IulIillingmycovenantwithYou,andIollowingtheexampleoItheProphet,peace
beuponhim)."
-2- JogginglightlythroughtheIirstthreeroundsaroundKa'bahisencouraged.OneshouldwalkIast,
keep close to Ka'bah as much as possible, and take short steps. In the next Iour rounds one should
walkatnormalpace.IIoneisunabletojogorgetclosertoKa'bah,becauseoIovercrowdingaround
it,onemayperIorm one'stawaIinanywaypossible.
Touching the Yemeni corner (Ar-Ruknul Yemeni) is encouraged, and so is kissing or touching the
BlackStoneineachoIthesevenroundsoItawaI,iIpossible.
-3- Making remembrance oI Allah and supplicating to Him as muchas possible is also encouraged.
EorthispurposeonemaychooseanysupplicationsthatoneIeelscomIortablewith,withoutrestricting
oneselI to any supplications or repeating what others (around one may be saying). There are no set
supplications prescribed Ior this purpose. The supplications that some people take as prescribed Ior
various rounds oI tawaI have no authenticity. No such supplications are reported Irom the Prophet
(peace be upon him). One should pray Ior oneselI, Ior one's Iamily and one' s Muslim brethren Ior
anythinggoodinthisliIeorinthehereaIter.
SomeoIthesupplicationsthatarereportedinthisregardaregivenbelow:
-1- UponIacingtheBlackStonetheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"Allahummaimananbikawa
tasdiqan bikitabik wa waIa 'an bi'ahadika wa Itba'an li sunnat nabbiyyika bismillahi wallahu akbar
(ThisisreporteddirectlyIromtheProphet(peacebeuponhim))(OAllah!IbeginthistawaIbelieving
inYou,aIIirmingthetruthoIYourBook,IulIillingmycovenantwithYou,andIollowingtheexample
oIYourProphet,peacebeuponhim.IntheNameoIAllah!AllahistheGreatest!)"
-2- UponcommencingthetawaItheProphet(peacebeonhim)said:"SubhanAllahwalhamdulillah
walailahaillallahwallahuakbarwalahaulawalaquwwataillabillah(GlorytoAllah,Allpraiseis
duetoAllah,thereisnogodbutAllah.AllahistheGreatest.Thereisnomightnorpowerexceptwith
Allah)."(IbnMajah)
-3- Upon reaching the Yemeni corner the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Rabbana aatina Iid
dunniyya hasanatan wa Iil akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'azhaban nar (Our Lord! Grant us good in this
world and good in the hereaIter, and save us Irom the punishment oI the Eire).'' (Reported by Abu
Daw'ud,andAsh-ShaIi'iIromtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)ontheauthorityoI'Umar)
-4- Ash-ShaIi'i said: "I like that each time on passing the Black StoneoneshouldsayAllahuAkbar,
and while jogging one should supplicate and say: Allahumma ij 'alhu hajjan mabruran wa zhanban
maghIuran wa Sa'iyan mashkuran (O Allah! Let this be an accepted Hajj, with sins Iorgiven, and a
well appreciated eIIort)." And during each round oI tawaI he would say: "RabbighIir warham wa'Iu
'amata'lamwaantala'azzulakramallahummaaatinaIiddunniyyahasanatanwaIilaakhiratihasantan
waqina'azhabannar.(OmyLord.Eorgiveus,andhavemercyuponus,pardonoursinsthatYouonly
know,YouaretheMostHonoredandDigniIied.OAllah!Grantusgoodinthisworldandgoodinthe
hereaIter,andprotectusIromthetormentoItheIire)."
ItisreportedaboutIbn'AbbasthatwhilewalkingbetweentheYemenicornerandtheBlackStonehe
used to say: "Allahumma qanni'nibima razaqtani wa barik liIihi wakhluI 'alayya kulla gha'ibatin
bikhair.(OAllah!LetmebesatisIiedwithwhatyouprovidedme,OAllah!BlessitIorme.OAllah!
SubstituteeverygoodthingthatImissedwithsomethinggood."(ReportedbySa'idbinMansurandal-
Hakim)
Eiqh5.71:RecitingtheQur'aninTawaI
ApersonmayrecitetheQur'anwhileperIormingtawaI,becausethepurposeoItawaIistoremember
Allah and the Qur'an is a reminder and a remembrance oI Allah. 'Aishah reported that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: "TawaI (circumambulation) around the House oI Allah, walking between
SaIa and Marwah, and throwing the pebbles at the Jamarahs are instituted Ior the remembrance oI
Allah."(ReportedbyAbuDaw'udandTirrnizhiwhoconsidersitasoundhadith)
Eiqh5.71a:ExcellenceoITawaI
Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Every day Allah descends a
hundredandtwentyIoldsoIHisMercytoHisslaveswhoperIormHajj(toHisHouse).Sixty-IoldoI
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these are speciIied Ior people perIorming tawaI, Iorty-Iold Ior those who pray there, and twenty Ior
thosewholookattheKa'bah."
-5- Uponcompletingone'stawaI,onemustoIIeratworak'ahprayerattheStationoIIbrahim,reciting
the verse oI the Qur'an 2.125 "And take the Station oI Abraham as a place oI prayer." This will
completeonetawaIaroundtheKa'bah.
ThistawaIiscalledTawaIalQudum(ArrivalCircumambulation),iIapilgrimisperIormingamuIrid
(single) Hajj. Otherwise it is called TawaI al Tahayya (Circumambulation oI Greeting), or TawaIad
Dakhul (Circumambulation oI Entry). It is neither an essential condition nor an obligation. Eor a
pilgrim perIorming Hajj Tamattu' (combining Hajj and 'Umrah with a break), or perIorming Hajj
Qiran (combining Hajj and 'Umrah without a break), it is TawaIal 'Umrah ('Umrah
Circumambulation), and aIter having perIormed it a pilgrim does not need to perIorm a TawaIal
TahayaorTawaIalQudum.Suchapilgrimmust,however,completehis'UmrahmakingaSa'i(seven
roundsoIwalking)betweenthehillsoISaIaandMarwah.
Eiqh5.72:KindsoITawaI
-1- TawaIalQudum(ArrivalCircumambulation).
-2- TawaIalIIada(ReturnIromMinaCircumambulation).
-3- TawaIalWida'(EarewellCircumambulation).Wewilldealwithitseparatelyatitsplace.
-4- TawaIatTatawwu'(SupererogatoryCircumambulation).
ThepilgrimshouldmakeIulluseoIhisstayatMakkahperIormingasmuchsupererogatorytauaIand
prayersintheSacredMosqueaspossible.Aprayerinitisbetterthanahundredthousandprayersin
anyothermosque.InasupererogatorytawaIonemaynotuncoverone'sshoulderorjog.Itissunnah
to perIorm a tawaI oI Ka'bah as a salutation to the Sacred Mosque upon entering it, unlike other
mosqueswhereonenteringthematworakahprayerisoIIeredasasalutationtothemosque.
Eiqh5.72a:PrerequisitesoITawaI,CleanlinessIromallmajororminorphysicalimpurities.
The HanaIi school holds that cleanliness Irom impurities is not a necessary condition, but an
obligationwhich,iInotIound,maybecompensatedbyasacriIice.ThusiIsomoneperIormsaTawaI
in a state oI minorimpurity his tawaI will be valid, but he will have to oIIer a sheep in sacriIice. II
suchapersonisjunuborha'idhisorhertawaIwillstillbevalid,butheorshewillhavetosacriIicea
camel as a penalty and repeat the tawaI as long as he or she is in Makkah. As to the cleanliness oI
clothesorbody,theHanaIischooltakesitasasunnahonly.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that theProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"TawaIis(similarto)aprayer...but
Allah, the Almighty, has made talking Ior one (engaged in tawaI) permissible. So, whoso speaks
(whileperIormingtawaI)shouldsayonlygoodthings.(TirmizhiandAd-Daraqutni.Alsoreportedby
Al-Hakim,IbnKhuzaimahandIbnAl-Sakanasasoundhadith)
'AishahreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)enteredherapartmentandtoundhercrying.He
askedher,"Hasyourmonthlycoursesetin?"Thatis,areyouweepingbecauseyouaremenstruating?
She replied, "Yes." Upon this the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "This is a matter inscribed by
Allah,theAlmighty,IoralldaughtersoIAdam.YoushouldperIormalltheritesoIHajj,excepttawaI
(circumambulation) - which you should perIorm aIter taking a complete bath (when you are clean)."
(Reported by Muslim) 'Aishah also said: "The very Iirst thing that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
diduponarrivinginMakkahwastoperIormWuduandthenmakeatawaIoIKa'bah."(Bukhariand
Muslim)
There is consensus that iI one suIIers Irom an illness that causes one to be continuously impure
physically, such as leaking urine or continuous bleeding in the case oI a menstruating woman, one
mayperIormtawaIwithoutincurringanypenaltyorneedIormakingcompensation.Malikrelatedthat
a woman came to Abdullah bin Umar seeking a verdict. She said, "I came to the Sacred Mosque to
pertorm tawaI, but when I arrived at the door oI the Mosque I started bleeding. So I went away and
waiteduntilIbecameclean,andthenreturnedtotheSacredMosque.ButagainwhenIarrivedatthe
doorIstartedbleeding.IwentbackandreturnedwhenIwasclean.ButwhenIarrivedatthedooroI
the Mosque I started bleeding again. (What should I do?)" Ibn 'Umar said, "That bleeding is a spurt
tromthedevil.Youshouldtakeabath,placesomepadsonyourprivateparts,andthenperIormyour
tawaI."
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Eiqh5.73:CoveringOne's'Awrah
ThemaleshouldcoverIromthenaveltotheknee,andtheIemaleallherbodyexceptherIace,hands
and Ieet. (Tran.) Abu Hurairah reported: "During the Hajj Ior which Abu Bakr was appointed the
leaderbyAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim),beIoretheEarewellHajj,AbuBakrsentmewitha
grouptoannouncetheDayoINahr- the10thoIZhul-Hijjah- andtoproclaim:'Noidolaternorany
nakedpersonshallbeallowedtoperIormtawaIoItheKa'bahaIterthisyear.''(BukhariandMuslim)
Eiqh5.73a:OneMustCompleteSevenRoundsoItheKa'bah
Thus,iIoneleavesevenasinglestepinanyoIthesevenroundsthatroundwillnotbecounted.IIone
is doubtIul as to the number oI rounds perIormed, one mustassumetheleastnumberoIrounds,and
thencompletethesevenrounds.IncaseswhereonecompletesaTawaIandthenIindsoneselInotso
sureaboutthenumberoIroundsperIormed,oneincursnopenaltynorisrequiredtodoanything.
Eiqh5.73b:OneMustBeginandEndOne'sTawaIattheBlackStone.
Eiqh5.73c:WhenMakingTawaItheKa'bahShouldBetotheLeItoIthePersonPerIormingTawaI.
CircumambulatingwiththeKabahonone'srightisinvalid
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "When Allah's Messenger arrived in Makkah, he
went to the Black Stone, kissed it, and then walked on its right side. He jogged three rounds and
walkedtheremainingIour.''(Muslim)
Eiqh5.74:TawaIMustBePerIormedOutsideandAroundtheKa'bah
Thus iI someone were towalkwithintheHijr(CommonlyknownasHijrIsma'il,andsituatedtothe
north oI Ka'bah, it is surrounded by a semicircular wall. OI this, only an area oI six cubits (three
metresapproximately)extendingIromtheKa'bahisitspart)histawaIwill notbevalid,becauseboth
HijrandAl-Shazarwan(Al-ShazarwanistheconstructioncontiguoustotheKa'bahtowhichareIixed
the rings holding the Ka'bah cover) are a part oI the Ka'bah. Allah has commanded us to
circumambulate around the Ka'bah and not inside it, saying: "...and circumambulate the Ancient
House.''(Qur'an22.29)ItispreIerable,however,toremainclosetotheKa'bah,iIonecandosoeasily.
Eiqh 5.74 a: TawaI (circumambulation) should be immediately Iollowed by Sa'i (between SaIa and
Marwah)
A short break in between the two, however, may be made. A longer interval because oI a genuine
excuse will also do no harm and is permissible. The HanaIi and ShaIi'i schools hold that such a
continuance(oISa'iimmediatelyaItertawaI)isSunnahoItheProphet.
SimilarlythereisnoharmiIoneperIormstawaIinpartsandwithlongintervalsinbetween,andeven
iI it is done without any genuine reason. Such a person may continue the remaining rounds and
completehistawaI.
Sa'idbinMansurreportedIromHumaidbinZaidthathesaid:"Isaw'Abdullahbin'Umargothreeor
IourtimesaroundtheKa'bah,andhethensatdownIorarest,whilehisservantIannedhim.Thenhe
resumed his TawaI Irom where he had leIt it. Both ShaIi'i and HanaIi schools hold that iI one's
ablutionisvoidduringthetawaI;oneshouldredoitandresumethetawaItocompleteitsremaining
rounds,regardlessoIthelengthoItheinterval.
It is reported that once Ibn 'Umar heard the call Ior prayer while he was perIorming his tawaI. He
interruptedhistawaIandoIIeredtheprayerswiththecongregation.ThenheresumedhistawaIIrom
wherehehadleItit.
'AtaisreportedtohavegivenaverdictconcerningapersonwhohadtointerrupthistawaIinorderto
participate in a Iuneral prayer, saying that such a person may resume his tawaI and complete the
remainingrounds.
Eiqh5.74b:SunnahoITawaI
ItisSunnahtoperIormcertainactsintawaIasgivenbelow:
-1- EacingtheBlackStoneatthestartoIthetawaIwhileutteringatakbir(Allahu-Akbar),andatahlil
(La ilaha illahlah), and raising one's hands as they are raised in prayers, and iI possible touching it
withbothhandsandkissingitquietly,orplacingone'scheekonit.Otherwise.onemaytouchitwith
one's hand and kiss the hand, or touch it with something, and then kiss it, or iI even that is not
possible,onemayjustpointtoitwithastick,etc.asismentionedinsomeoItheahadithgivenbelow.
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Ibn 'Umar said: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)IacedtheBlackStone,touchedit,andthen
placedhislipsonitandweptIoralongtime."'UmaralsoweptIoralongtime.TheProphet(peacebe
upon him) said: 'O 'Umar, this is the place where one should shed tears.''' (Reported by Al-Hakim,
whoconsidersit asoundhadithwithasoundchainoIauthorities)
It is reported by Ibn 'Abbas that 'Umar bent down towards the Black Stone and said: "By Allah! I
knowthatyouareamerestone,andiIIhadnotseenmybelovedProphet(peacebeuponhim)kissing
you and touching you I would have never done so." The Qur'an says: "You have indeed in the
MessengeroIAllahabeautiIulpattern(oIconduct)."'(Qur'an33.32)ThiswasreportedbyAhmadand
othersinslightlydiIIerentwords.
NaIi'said,"IhaveseenIbn'UmartouchingtheBlackStonewithhishand,andthenkissinghishand
and saying: 'Ever since I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) doing this, I have never Iailed to do
that.'''(ReportedbyBukhariandMuslim)
Sowayd bin GhaIlah said: "I have seen 'Umar kissing the Black Stone and touching it." He Iurther
said:"IknowthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wasespeciallyveryparticularaboutit.''(Muslim)
Ibn 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to come to Ka'bah, touch the
Black Stone and then say: Bismillahi wallahu akbar (In the name oI Allah, Allah is the Greatest.)"
(Ahmad) Muslim has reported on the authority oI Abu TuIail that he said: "I have seen the Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)makingtawaIaroundtheKa'bahandtouchingitwithastickandthenkissingthe
stick."
Bukhari,MuslimandAbuDaw'udreportedthat'UmarapproachedtheBlackStoneandkissedit.Then
hesaid:"Iknowthatyouareamerestonethatcanneitherharmnordoanygood.IIIhadnotseenthe
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)kissingyou,Iwouldhaveneverkissedyou."
Al-Khatabi said: "This shows that abiding by the Sunnah oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) is
binding,regardlessoIwhetherornotweunderstanditsreasonorthewisdombehindit."
Such inIormation devolves obligation on all those whom it reaches, even iI they may not Iully
comprehenditssigniIicance.Itisknown,however,thatkissingtheBlackStonesigniIiesrespectIorit,
recognition oI our obligation toward it, and using it as a means oIseeking Allah's blessings. Indeed
Allah has preIerred some stones over others, as He preIerred some countries and cities, days and
nights,andmonthsoverothers.TheunderlyingspiritoIallthisisunquestioningsubmissiontoAllah.
Insomeahadithwhich saythat"theBlackStoneisAllah'srighthandonearth,"wedoIind,however,
aplausiblerationaleandjustiIicationIorthisstatement.InotherwordswhosoevertouchestheBlack
Stone he pledges allegiance to Allah, as it were, by giving his hand into the hand oI Allah, just as
some Iollowers do pledge their Iealty to their kings and masters, by kissing and shaking hands with
them.
Al-Muhallibsaid:"ThehadithoI'UmarreIutestheassertionsoIthosewhosaythat'TheBlackStone
is Allah's right hand on earth wherewith He shakes the hands oI His slaves."' God Iorbid that we
should ascribe any physical organs to Allah. The commandment to kiss the Black Stone is meant to
testandtodemonstratepalpablyastowhoobeysandsubmits.Itmaybecomparedwiththecommand
toIblistobowtoAdam.
WehavenodeIiniteevidence,however,tobelievethatanyoIthestonesusedinbuildingtheKa'bah
originally(byIbrahimandIsma'il),isstillinexistencetodayexceptingtheBlackStone.
Eiqh5.76:Crowdingat theBlackStone
There is no harm in crowding around the Black Stone so long as no harm is caused to other people.
Ibn'UmarusedtostrugglehardtogetthroughthecrowdinordertoreachtheBlackStone,somuch
sothatsometimes(hewasstruckontheIaceand)hisnosewouldbleed.TheProphet(peacebeupon
him)saidto'Umar:"OAbuHaIs!Youareastrongman.DonotcrowdothersaroundtheBlackStone.
Youmayhurtaweakperson.ButiIyouIindanopportunitytoreachitinordertokissitortouch it,
do it. II not, then say 'Allahu-Akbar' and continue (your tawaI).'' (Reported by Ash-ShaIi'l in his
Sunan)
Eiqh5.76a:Al-Idtiba'(Uncoveringone'sshoulder)
It is reported by Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions declared their
intention to perIorm 'Umrah Irom al-Ji'ranah by putting on their ihram (Hajj garb) but leaving their
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right shoulders uncovered, bringing their ihram up Irom under their right armpits while covering the
leIt shoulder. (Reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud) The majority oI scholars holds a similar view
andclaimsthatdoingsoishelpIulinramal(jogging)whilemakingatawaI.MalikisoItheopinion,
however,thatdoingsoisnotcommended.Ioritisnotaknown(practice),nordidheseeanyonedoing
so.ThereisconsensusthatitisundesirableinthetawaIprayer(salatultawaI).
Eiqh5.76b:Ramal23orJogging
RamalmeanswalkingIast,vigorouslymovingtheshouldersandtakingsmallsteps,givingasenseoI
strengthandenergy.Ibn'UmarreportedthatAllah'sMessenger(peacebeuponhim)joggedIromthe
Black Stone to the Black Stone three times, and walked the remaining Iour rounds. (Muslim and
Ahmad)IIapersondoesnotjogintheIirstthreerounds,thenheisnotrequiredtomakeitupinthe
lastIourrounds.Ramal(Jogging)andidtiba'(uncoveringone'srightshoulder)areprescribedIormen
onlywhilemakingtawaIIor'Umrah.IncaseoIapilgrimperIormingHajj,tawaIisalwaysIollowedby
Sa'i(walkingbetweenSaIaandMarwah).ShaIi'ischoolholdsthatapilgrim,whodoesmakeidtiba'
(i.e., uncovers his right shoulder) and perIorms ramal (i.e., jogs), while making TawaI al Qudum on
arrivalandthenmakingSa'ibetweenSaIaandMarwah,isnotrequiredtorepeatidtiba'andramalin
hisTawaIalIIada(aIterreturningIrom'AraIah).IIonedoesnotperIormSa'iaItermakingtawaIand
postpones it till aIter TawaI az-Ziarah (TawaI oI Visit), he should make idtiba' (uncover his right
shoulder)andperIormramal(jog)whilemakingTawaIaz-Ziarah.
Women are not obligated to jog or uncover their right shoulder, because they must properly cover
themselves.Ibn'Umarsaid:-WomenarenotobligatedtojogaroundtheKa'bahnorwhilemakingSa`i
betweenSaIaandMarwah."(ReportedbyAl-Baihaqi)
Eiqh5.77:WisdomBehindRamal
Whatisthewisdombehindramal?ItisreportedbyIbn'AbbasthatwhentheProphet(peacebeupon
him) and his companions came to Makkah, they were weakened by the Iever in Yathrib. Thereupon
theidolatorssaid,''ApeopleweakenedwithIeverhavecometoyouandtheyareaMictedwithevil."
Allah.theAlmighty,inIormedHisProphet(peacebeuponhim)abouttheirsaying.Sohecommanded
them to jog through the Iirst three rounds oI tawaI around the Ka'bah, and to walk between its two
corners. When the idolaters saw the Muslims jogging, they said: "Are those the people you said are
weak because oI the Iever? They are stronger and sturdier than us!"Ibn'Abbasadded:"TheProphet
(peace be upon him) did not command them to jog all through the seven rounds in order not to
overexert themselves." This was reported by Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud, whose wording is
givenhere.
'Umar was oI the opinion that jogging be stopped as there was no longer any need Ior it aIter the
MuslimshadbecomestrongandpowerIul.Buthedecided,however,toleaveit(initsoriginalIorm)
sothattheIuturegenerationsoIMuslimscouldshareaIormandaIeelingsimilartothatobservedand
IeltbyearlyMuslims.MuhibbuddinAt-Tabarisaid:"Sometimescertaininstructionsareprescribedin
the religion Ior a speciIic reason, and later even though that specilic reason no longer exists yet the
instructionsstillremainvalid."
ZaidbinAslamreportedIromhisIatherthathesaid:"Iheard'UmaribnAl-Khattabsaying:'Whyjog
around the Ka'bah today'? Why uncover our shoulders (in tawaI)? Allah has made Islam strong and
powerIul,andbanisheddisbelieIandthedisbelievers,yetweshallneverabandonwhatweusedtodo
inthetimeoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)."
Eiqh5.78:TouchingtheYemeniCorner
ThisisbasedonthestatementoIIbn'Umarinwhichhesaid"IneversawtheProphet(peacebeupon
him) touching any other parts oI Ka'bah except the two corners: The Black Stone and the Yemeni
corner."Andheadded,"NomatterhowhardanddiIIicultthecircumstances,IhavenotIailedtotouch
thesetwocorners- theYemeniCornerandtheBlackStone- eversinceIsawtheProphet(peacebe
uponhim)doingso."(ReportedbyBukhariandMuslim)
ApilgrimmakingtawaItouchesthesetwocorners,andnoothers,becauseoItheirspecialmeritsand
excellence.TheBlackStoneisdistinguishedbytwothings:
-1- itisplacedontheIoundationsraisedbytheProphetIbrahim(peacebeuponhim),and
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-2- it marks the beginning as well as the end oI tawaI. The Yemeni corner is directly opposite to it
and,liketheBlackStone,itisalsolaidontheIoundationsraisedbyIbrahim.
When Ibn 'Umar was told about 'Aishah's statement that "Some oI the Hijr Isma'il is part oI the
Ka'bah"hesaid:"Ithinkthat'AishahheardthatIromtheProphet(peacebeuponhim).Ithinkthatthe
Prophet (peace be upon him) never Iailed to touch them while making a tawaI These two, however,
are not at the Ioundations oI the House, and the people circumambulate around the Hijr because oI
that.(AbuDawud)
The Muslim community, however, is in agreement concerning the desirability oI touching these two
Yemeni corners. A person making tawaI oI Ka'bahmaynottouchtheothertwocorners.Ibn Hibban
hasreportedinhisSahihthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"TheBlackStoneandtheYemeni
cornercausethesinstobeIorgiven."
Eiqh5.78a:OIIeringaTwoRak'ahPrayerAIterTawaI
ItissunnahtooIIeratworak'ahprayeraItercompletingthetawaIattheStationoIIbrahim(peacebe
upon him), or at any other place in the Sacred Mosque, regardless oI whether it is a supererogatory
tawaIorobligatoryone(asinHajjor'Umrah).
Jabir reported that "When the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Makkah, he went around the
Ka'bah seven times, then went to the Station oI Ibrahim and recited the verse (Qur'an 2.125): "And
take oI the Station oI Abraham a place oI prayer." He prayed behind it, and then went to the Black
Stoneandkissedit."(ReportedbyTirmizhiwhoconsidersitasoundhadith)
In this two rak'ah prayer, it is sunnah to recite Surah Al-KaIirun, in the Iirst rak 'ah, and Surah Al-
Ikhlas in the second rak 'ah, aIter reciting Al-Eatihah. (Reported by Muslim and others) These two
rak'ahsmaybeoIIeredatanytimeoIthedayandnightincludingtheprohibitedtimes.
Jubair bin Mut'im reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "O Bani Abd ManaI! Do not
preventanyoneIromperIormingtawaIaroundtheKa'bah.Onemaypray(intheSacredMosque)any
timeduringthedayornight."(ReportedbyAhmad,AbuDawud,andTirmizhiwhoregardsitasound
hadith)Ash-ShaIi'iandAhmadholdthisview.
ThoughitissunnahtooIIerthistworak'ahprayeraIterthetawaIintheSacredMosque,itmayalsobe
oIIered outside the Mosque. Umm Salamah reported that she perIormed a tawaI around the House
riding, but she did not oIIer the two rak'ah prayer until she had leIt the Mosque. (Bukhari) Malik
reported Irom 'Umar that he oIIered these tworak'ahs at Zhi Tuwa valley. Bukhari also hasreported
that'Umarprayed(thesetworak'ahs)outsidetheSacredMosque.
II one oIIered a prescribed prayer aIter the tawclI then he need not oIIer this two rak'ah prayer. The
ShaIi'i school holds this view, which is also in accordance with the well known position oI Ahmad.
The Maliki and the HanaIi schools are oI the opinion that these two rak'ahs must be oIIered and no
otherprayercanreplacethem.
Eiqh5.79:PassinginErontoIWorshippersintheSacredMosque
ItispermissibletooIIerprayerintheSacredMosquewhilethepeople,maleandIemale,passinIront
oI the worshipper. There is no harm in it, and it is one oI the special characteristics oI the Sacred
Mosque.KathirbinKathirbinAl-MutalibbinWida'ahreportedIromsomeoIhisIamilymembersand
Irom his grandIather that he said: "I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) oIIering prayer in the
SacredMosqueintheareaadjacenttoBaniSahmwhilepeoplepassedinIrontoIhimbuthedidnot
place any sutrah (protection) in Iront oI him." SuIIiyan bin 'Uyainah said, "There was no partition
betweenhimandtheKa'bah."(ReportedbyAbuDawudNasa'i,andIbnMajah)
Eiqh5.79a:MenandWomenPerIormingTawaITogether
IbnJuraijreported:"'AtatoldmethatwhenIbnHishamIorbadewomenIromperIormingtawaIalong
with men he asked him, 'How dare you preventthemwhilethewivesoItheProphet(peacebeupon
him)perIormedtawaIalongwithothermen?'Headded:'Iaskedhim:"DidtheydosobetoreoraIter
thecommandmenttoobserveveil?"Hesaid:"TheydidsoaItertherevelationoIthecommandmentto
veil." I said: "How couldtheyinterminglewithmen?"Hesaid:"Theydidnotinterminglewithmen.
'Aishah used to perIorm tawaI keeping apart Irom men and without intermingling with them. A
womanaskedher,"OMotheroIBelievers!ShallwetouchtheBlackStoneandkissit?'Aishahsaid:
"Get away Irom here, and she reIused to join her. (Bukhari) They used to go disguised at night and
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perIormtawaIwithmen,butwhentheyenteredtheMosque,theywouldwaitandgoinwhenthemen
leIt.
WomenmaytouchandkisstheBlackStonewhenthereisanopportunityandnomenarearound.Itis
reportedthat'Aishahsaidtoawoman,"DonotcrowdwithothersattheBlackStone,butiIyouIinda
chance,touchandkissit,otherwiseiIthereiscrowding,thensayatakhir(AllahistheGreatest)when
youareoppositetoit,andmakeyourtawaIanddonotcauseanyharmtoanyone."
Eiqh5.80:MakingaTawaIwhileRiding
Apersonmay,eveniIheisabletowalk,perIormtawaIwhileriding,providedthereisavalidreason
Iordoingso.
Ibn 'Abbas reported that during the Earewell Pilgrimage the Prophet (peace be upon him) perIormed
tawaIwhileridinghiscamel,andtouchedtheBlackStonewithastick(thathecarried).(Reportedby
BukhariandMuslim)
Jabir reported that during the Earewell Pilgrimage theProphet(peacebeuponhim)perIormedtawaI
andmadeSa'ibetweenSaIaandMarwahwhileridingonhismount,soastoshowittothepeople,to
draw their attention, and (to give them an opportunity) to ask him any questions (they had), and the
peoplewerecrowdingaroundhim."
Eiqh5.80a:InterminglingoIaLeperwithOthersinTawaI
MalikreportedIromIbnAbiMulaikahthat'UmarbinAl-KhattabsawawomanaMictedwithleprosy
perIormingtawaIwithothers.Hesaidtoher,"OmaidservantoIAllah!Donotharmothers.Whydo
you not stay in your home?" She did so and stayed at her home. Upon the death oI 'Umar, a man
visited herandsaid,"TheonewhoIorbadeyoutocircumambulatetheKa'bahhaspassedaway.You
may now go and perIorm tawaI." She replied, "I shallnotobeyapersoninhisliIe,anddisobeyhim
aIterhisdeath."
Eiqh5.80b:DesirabilityoIDrinkingZamzamWater
UponcompletionoIthesevenroundsoIthetawaI;andaIteroIIeringthetworak'ahsbytheStationoI
Ibrahim,itisencouragedtodrinkwaterIromthewelloIZamzam.
BothBukhariandMuslimconIirmthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)drankoIZamzam water,and
said,"Itisblessed(water);itisIoodIorthehungry,andahealingIorthesick.'Itisreportedthatthe
angel Gabriel had washed the heart oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) with its water on the Night
Journey.
At-TabaraniinhisAl-Kabir,andIbnHibbanhavereportedIromIbn'AbbasthattheProphet(peacebe
upon him) said: 'The best water on earth is the water oI Zamzam. It is Iood Ior the hungry, and a
healingIorthesick."(Al-MunzhrisaidthatthechainoInarratorsoIthishadithissound)
Eiqh5.81:EtiquetteoIDrinkingZamzamWater
ApersondrinkingZamzamwatershouldintendandhopeIorhealing,blessingsandwhateverisbest
IorhiminthisliIeandinthehereaIter.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"ThewateroIZamzam
is(good)Iorwhateveritisintended."
SuwaidbinSaeedreported:"WhenthewateroIZamzamwasbroughttoAbdullahbinAl-MobarakI
sawthathedrankalittle,thenturninghisIacetowardstheKa'bahsupplicated,'OAllah!IbnAbiAl-
Mawali told us on the authority oI Mohammad bin Al-Monkader, who narrated Irom Jaber that the
Messenger oI Allah (peace be upon him) said, "The water oI Zamzam is good Ior whatever one
intends(whiledrinkingit)."IintendtodrinkthiswatertosparemyselIIromgoingthirstyontheDay
oIJudgment.'ThenhedranktherestoIthewater."(ReportedbyAl-Baihaqi,andAhmadwithasound
chainoIauthorities)
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The water oI Zamzam is good Ior
whateveroneintends(whiledrinkingit).IIyoudrinkitseekinghealing,Allahwillgiveyouhealing.
II you drink it to satisIy your hunger, Allah will satisIy your hunger. II you drink it to quench your
thirst, Allah will quench your thirst. Zamzam is a well dug by the angel Gabriel by which Allah
quenchedthethirstoIIsma'il."ThiswasreportedbyAdDaraqutniandAl-Hakimwhoadded,"AndiI
youdrinkitseekingreIugewithAllah,AllahwillgiveyoureIuge."
ItisdesirablethatoneshoulddrinkZamzamwaterinthreebreaths,IacetheQiblah,drinkasmuchas
possible,praiseandthankandsupplicatetoHimasIbn'Abbasdid.AbuMolaikahreported:"Aman
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cametoIbn'Abbas.Heaskedtheman,'WhereareyoucomingIrom?'Themanreplied:'Iamcoming
Irom the well oI Zamzam.' Ibn 'Abbasaskedhim,'DidyoudrinkoIitasyouaresupposedto?'"The
man asked: 'O Ibn 'Abbas, how am I supposed to drink it?' Ibn 'Abbas replied: 'When you drink its
wateryoushouldIacethedirectionoItheQiblah,rememberAllah,drinkitinthreebreaths,drinkas
muchasyoucan,andpraiseandthankAllahwhenyouIinishdrinking.'TheProphet(peacebeupon
him)said,'AmajordiIIerencebetweenusandthehypocritesisthattheydonotdrinktheirIilloIthe
Zamzamwater'."(ReportedbyIbn Majah,Ad-DaraqutniandAl-Hakim)
Ibn 'Abbas used to supplicate Allah, whenever he drank Zamzam water: "Allahumma inni as'aluka
'ilmannaIi`anwarizqanwasi'anwashiIaanminkulidain(OAllah!GrantmebeneIicialknowledge,
bountiIulprovision,anda healingIromeverydisease)."
Eiqh5.82:TheOriginoIZamzamWell
ExplainingtheoriginoIZamzamIbn'Abbassaid:"WhenHajarreachedthe(mountain)oIMarwahin
searchoIwaterIorherbabysonIsma'ilandherselItoquenchtheirthirst.sheheardasound,andsaid
toherselI,"Quiet."Sheagainheardthesound,whereuponshesaid,"Ihaveheardyou.Helpme,iIyou
can."AlloIasuddensheIoundanangelattheplacewherenowZamzamis.Heeitherdugitwithhis
heelortouchedit(theground)withhiswingandaspringoIwaterappeared.Hajarencircledthewater
withsoil.Shetooksomewaterinacontainershehad,andwaterkeptbubblingupunchecked."
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "'May Allah shower His mercy on
Isma'il's mother. Had she leIt ituntouched,or(thenarratorisnotsure)theProphetsaid,hadshenot
drunk oI its water, the Zamzam would have turned into a clearIlowing spring.' He added, 'So she
drankthewaterandgavesometoherson.'Theangelsaidtoher,'Eearnoloss,becausethisisthesite
oIAllah'sHouse,whichthisboyandhisIathershallbuild.AllahneverpermitsHisservanttobelost.
AtthesiteoItheHousewasahillthatwassplitbyIloodwatersrunningdownitsrightandleIt."'
Eiqh5.82a:ExcellenceoISupplicationsatAl-Multazim
Al-Multazim is the part oIKa'bahbetweenitsdoorandtheBlackStone.AIterdrinkingthewateroI
Zamzam, it is recommended that one should make special supplications at Al-Multazim. Ibn 'Abbas
reported that he used to stand between the Black Stone corner and the Ka'bah door and said, "The
spacebetweentheBlackStoneandthedooroItheKa'bahiscalled'AlMultazim'andwhoeverstands
hereandsupplicatestoAllah,hegiveshimwhateverhesupplicatesIor."(Al-Baihaqi)
'AmrbinShu'aibreportedIromhisIather,andheIromhisIatherthathesaid,"IhaveseentheProphet
(peacebeuponhim)placinghisIaceandchestagainstAl-Multazim."
(SomescholarsincludingBukharisayAl-HateemisAl-Multazim.Tosupporttheirviewtheycitethe
hadithoItheNightJourneyinwhichtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said"WhileIwasasleepin(the
areacalled)'al-Hateem"oralsocalled"al-Hijr...")
ThisisbasedonthestatementoIIbn'Umarinwhichhesaid"IneversawtheProphet(peacebeupon
him) touching any other parts oI Ka'bah except the two corners: The Black Stone and the Yemeni
corner."Andheadded,"NomatterhowhardanddiIIicultthecircumstances,IhavenotIailedtotouch
thesetwocorners- theYemeniCornerandtheBlackStone- eversinceIsawtheProphet(peacebe
uponhim)doingso."(ReportedbyBukhariandMuslim)
Eiqh5.82b:EnteringKa'bahandHijrIsma'ilanditsExcellence
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the Ka'bah along with Usamah bin
Zaid, and Uthman bin Talhah and closed its door behind them. When they came out, BilalinIormed
methattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)oIIeredaprayerinsidetheKa'bahbetweenthetwoYemeni
corners." (Bukhari and Muslim) This has led some scholars to conclude that entering Ka'bah and
oIIering prayerinsideitissunnah.Others,however,saythateveniIitisasunnah,itisnotapartoI
Hajjrites,asstatedbyIbn'Abbaswhenhesaid:"Opeople,enteringtheKa'bahisnotoneoItherites
oIHajj.''(Reportedbyal-HakimwithasoundchainoIauthorities)
Eor a pilgrim unable to enter the Ka'bah it is recommended that he should enter the Hijr Isma'il and
oIIer prayer there, because it is a part oI the Ka'bah. Ahmad reported on sound authority Irom Sa'id
bin Jubair that 'Aishah said: "O Prophet oI Allah ! All your Iamily except me have been inside the
Ka'bah ! " The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her, "Send Ior Shaibah (His name was Ibn
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'Uthman bin Talhah; he was tbe key-bearer oI the Ka'bah) so that he should open the door Ior you."
She did as he had told her to do. Shaibah said, "Wecouldneveropenit,duringthenightduringthe
pre-Islamic days, nor during the days oI Islam. The Prophet(peacebeuponhim)told'Aishah,"Pray
insidetheHijrIsma'il.ItisapartoIKa'bah,butyourpeopleleItitoutwhilerebuildingtheKa'bahand
didnotincludeitinitsstructure."
Eiqh5.85:SA'IBETWEENSAEAANDMARWAH,HistoricalBackground
Ibn 'Abbas said: 'Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) brought Hajar, his wiIe, and her son Isma'il
(peace be upon them), whom she was still nursing, and leIt them at (the site oI) the House oI Allah
under a tree above the Zamzam. Makkah at that time was a place where there was neitherwaternor
any dweller. He leIt a bag oI dates and a container oI water Ior them. Then Ibrahim (peace be upon
him)turnedtogoaway.Isma'il'smothersaidtohim,"OIbrahim!Whereareyougoing?Andwhoare
youleavingustointhisvalleywithoutacompanionorathing?"Sherepeatedthisseveraltimesbut
he did not respond. At last she asked him, "Has Allah commanded you to do so?" He answered,
"Yes."Thereuponshesaid,"ThenHewillnotletusperish!''(Bukhari)Inanothernarrationweread:
"Sheaskedhim,'Whoareyouleavingusto?'Heanswered,'ToAllah'whereuponsheresponded,'Iam
satisIied,'andturnedback."
IbrahimleItandwhenhereachedamountainpasswherehecouldnolongerseethem,heturnedhis
Iace toward the Ka'bah and with his hands raised, supplicated, "O Our Lord! I have made oI my
oIIspringtodwellinavalleywithoutcultivationbyyourSacredHouse;inorderOurLord,thatthey
mayestablishregularprayer:soIilltheheartsoIsomeamongmenwithlovetowardsthem,andIeed
themwithIruits,sothattheymaygivethanks!"(Qur'an14.37)
Hajarsatunderthetreewithherbabynexttoher.ShedrankIromherwatercontainerhangingnearby,
andnursedherbaby,untilallthewatershehadwasgone,hermilkdriedout.Hersongrewhungrier
andhungrier.Shecouldhardlybeartolookathim.ShewentandstoodatSaIa- thehillnearesttoher.
ShelookeddownthevalleytoseeiItherewassomeonearoundtohelp.Shecouldseenoone.So,she
climbed down SaIa and reached the valley. She struggled hard, crossed the valley and reached
Marwah. She stood on Marwah, and looked around. Still she could see no one around. She repeated
this seven times. Ibn 'Abbas added, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'It is (to commemorate
thiswalk)thatpilgrimswalkbetweenSaIaandMarwah."'
Eiqh5.86:ItsLegalStatus
There is disagreement among scholars concerning the legal status oI Sa'i betweenSaIaandMarwah.
Thesescholarsmaybedividedintothreegroups:
-1- 'Aishah,andIromamongtheCompanionsIbn'Umar,andJabirholdthatSa'ioISaIaandMarwah
isanessentialpartoIHajjrites.Malik,AshShaIi'i,andAhmad(accordingtoonenarrationIromhim)
also hold a similar opinion. Thus iI a pilgrim Iails to perIorm Sa 'i his Hajj will be void and his
oIIeringoIasacriIicewillnotbeenoughtomakeupIorit.Thesescholarsbasedtheiropiniononthe
Iollowing:
-2- Ibn 'Abbas, Anas, Ibn Al-Zubair, Ibn Sirin, and Ahmad - according to one narration Irom him-
holdthatSa'iissunnah,whichiInotperIormed,nopenaltyisincurredbythepersonneglectingit.
It is reported that the MushaI oI Ubaiy and Ibn Mas'ud read " ..iI those who visit the House in the
seasonoratothertimes,shouldnotcompassthem,itisnosininthem."ThisisnottheQur'anictext,
butitdoesconveyanimportantpieceoIinIormationandaninterpretationoItheQur'anictext.
-3- Abu HaniIah, Thawri and Hasan hold that Sa'i between SaIa and Marwah is an essential rite
(wajib), but it is not obligatory Ior Hajj and 'Umrah. ThereIore, iI a pilgrim Iailed to perIorm it, he
mustpayapenalty(slaughterasheepinsacriIice).
TheauthoroIAl-MughnipreIersthisopinion,andsays:
-1- ThisispreIerable,becausetheargumentoIthoseholdingittobe wajibsupportstheabsoluteness
oI the obligation rather than the principle that anythingneededtoIulIillanobligation(wajib)isalso
obligatory(wajib).
-2- 'Aishah'sstatementinthisrespectisdiIIerentIromwhatotherCompanionsoItheProphet(peace
beuponhim)havenarrated.
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-3- The hadith oI the daughter oI Abi Tajrah has among its narrators one called Abdullah bin Al-
Mu'mal,whoiscontroversial.Accordingtohimitisobligatory,whereasitisonlywajib.
-4- The verse quoted above was revealed concerning those people who Ieared they would be
committingasiniItheywalkedbetweenSaIaandMarwahastheyusedtodointhedaysoIJahiliyya
whiletwoidolsweresetontopoISaIaandMarwah.
Eiqh5.87:PrerequisitesIorSa'i
EorSa'itobevalidandacceptable,itmustmeettheIollowingconditions:
-1- ShouldbeperIormedaItertawaI.
-2- MustbeperIormedinsevenrounds.
-3- MustbeginIromSaIaandendatMarwah.
-4- Must be perIormed in Al-Mas'a, the path between SaIa and Marwah, becausethe Prophet (peace
be upon him) did so, and moreover he explicitly told us: "Take your (religious) rites Irom me."
ThereIore,aSa'iperIormedwithoutperIormingtawaIpriortoit,oronethatstartsIromMarwahand
ends at SaIa, or is perIormed in a place other than the speciIied area(betweenSaIaandMarwah),is
void.(TheHanaIischoolholdsthatSa`iaItertawaIandbeginningitatSaIaandendingitatMarwah,
are two essential conditions Ior the validity oI Hajj . Thus iI someone made a Sa`i beIore making
tawaI, or begins his Sa`i at Marwah, and ends it at SaIa, his Sa`i is valid, but he is required to
slaughterananimal)
Eiqh5.88:ClimbingtheSaIaMountain
ClimbingonopoISaIaorMarwahisnotanecessaryconditionIorSa'i,butonemustwalkbackand
IorththeIulldistancebetweenthesetwopoints.IncaseanypartoIthisdistanceisleItuntraversedthe
Sa'iwillremainincomplete.
Eiqh5.88a:ContinuityoISa'iBetweenSaIaandMarwah
Continuity in Sa'i is not a necessaryconditionIoritsvalidity.(Malikholds.however.thatcontinuity
oISa`i,withoutalongbreak,isanecessaryconditionIorit)ThusiIapilgrimstopsSa'i(betweenSaIa
andMarwah)Iorsomereason,e.g.,itisprayertimeandhejoinsthecongregation,inallsuchcaseshe
mayresumehisSa'iwhenthereasonIorcinghimtostopisnolongerthere,andbeginIromwherehe
hadleItit.
ItisreportedthatIbn'UmarusedtoperIormSa'ibetweenSaIaandMarwah,andwheneverhehadto
answerthecalloInature,hewouldstop,relievehimselI,makeablution,andthengobackandresume
hisSa'i,(ReportedbySa'idbinMansur)becausethecontinuityinSa'iisnotrequired.
The author oI Al-Mughni observes: "Ahmad says there is no harm in delaying the Sa'i aIter
perIorming tauaI until one is rested, or postponing it until evening. 'Ata and Al-Hasan also see no
harm in someone making tawaI early in the day and postponing the Sa'i between SaIa and Marwah
untilevening.Al-QasimandSa'idbinJubairIollowedthis,becausethecontinuityoISa'iis,assuch,
notacondition,muchlessthecontinuityoItawaIandSa'i.
Sa'idbinMansurreportedthatSaudah,thewiIeoI'Urwahbinal-ZubairperIormedSa'ibetweenSaIa
andMarwahandbecauseshewasabigandheavywoman,shecompleteditinthreedays.
Eiqh5.88b:PuriIicationEorSa'i
Most scholars are oI the opinion that puriIication is not necessary Ior perIorming Sa'i between SaIa
and Marwah, in light oI what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to 'Aishah once when she
menstruated. He told her, "You may perIorm all rites (oI Hajj ) as other pilgrims do, except
perIorming tawaI around the Ka'bah which you may do aIter you are clean and no longer
menstruating."(Muslim)'AishahandUmmSalamahsaid,"AwomanwhoperIormsthetawaI, oIIersa
tworak'ahprayer(bytheStationoIIbrahim),andthenIindsthatherperiodhasstarted,mayperIorm
Sa'i between SaIa and Marwah.''(ReportedbySa'idbinMansur)ItispreIerable,however,tobeina
state oI complete purity while perIorming various rites oI Hajj or 'Umrah, because cleanliness is
commendableinIslam.
Eiqh5.89:RidingandWalkingDuringtheSa'i
Sa 'i may be perIormed either riding or walking, but walking is preIerable. In the hadith narrated by
Ibn 'Abbas we Iind that the Prophet (peace be upon him) perIormed Sa'i on Ioot, but when the
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overcrowdingincreasedandheIoundthatthepeoplewantedtoknowmore(abouttheirreligion),he
rodehismountsothattheycouldseehimandaskhim(whatevertheywantedtoask).
Abu At-TuIail asked Ibn 'Abbas, "Tell me about the Sa'i between SaIa and Marwah - is it (really)
sunnahtoperIormitriding,Ioryourpeopleclaimitis?"Ibn'Abbasreplied,"Theyareright,butthey
are wrong." Then he added, "The people crowded around the Prophet (peace be upon him), saying
'This is (Prophet) Muhammad, this is (Prophet) Muhammad. Even young girls came out oI their
houses to see him. So when the people overcrowded he mounted on his camel, because the people
werenotbeatenback(tomakewayIortheProphet)."
MuslimreportedthatwalkinginSa'iisbetter,andriding,thoughpermitted,isdisliked.Tirmizhihas
reported that a group oI knowledgeable people disliked that someone should perIorm tawaI oI the
HouseandmakeSa'ibetweenSaIaandMarwahridingonamountwithoutanygenuineexcuse.This
istheopinionoIAsh-ShaIi'i.
The Malikites hold that a person who perIorms Sa'i between SaIa and Marwah riding without any
genuinereason,mustrepeatit,iIthereisstilltimeIorhimtodoso.AndiIthereisnotime,thenhe
must oIIer a sacriIice in penalty, because it is wajib (obligatory) Ior him iI he is able to walk. Abu
HaniIahholdsasimilarview.AccordingtothesescholarstheProphet(peacebeuponhim)perIormed
theSa'iridingbecauseoIthelargenumberoIpeoplearoundhim.
Eiqh5.89a:JoggingBetweentheTwoGreenMarkers
WalkingbetweenSaIaandMarwahiscommended,exceptbetweenthetwomarkerswherejoggingis
encouraged. The hadith oI the daughter oI Abi Tajrah tells us that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
joggedsohardthathislowergarmentwaswrappedaroundhisbody.
ThusjoggingbetweenthesetwomarkersispreIerable,butwalkingisalsopermissiblebetweenthem.
Sa'idbinJubairreported:"Ihaveseen'UmarwalkingbetweenSaIaandMarwah."Thenheadded,"II
youwantto,youmaywalk,becauseIhaveseentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)walking.So,iIyou
wanttojog,youmayjog,becauseIhaveseentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)jogging,butIaman
old man."l' This applies to a male pilgrim only. As Ior a woman, she is not required to walk Iast
between these two points. She should walk at her normal pace. Ash-ShaIi'i has reported that once
'AishahsawsomewomenwalkingIastwhereuponshesaidtothem,"YoushouldIollowourexample.
Youarenotobligatedtojog(whileperIormingSa'i)".
Eiqh5.90:MakingSupplicationsonSaIaandMarwah
Climbing SaIa and Marwah and making supplications Ior one'smaterialandspiritualwellbeingand
welIareisencouraged.DuringthesupplicationsoneshouldIaceKa'bah.
ItiswellknownthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wentthroughtheSaIagate,andonapproaching
SaIa herecitedtheQur'anicverse2.158"Verily,SaIaandMarwahareamongthesymbolsoIAllah"
and then saying "I begin with what Allah HimselI began" he climbed SaIa until he could see the
Ka'bahIromwherehestood.HeIacedtheKa'bah,thriceproclaimedAllah'sOneness,gloriIiedHim,
praisedHim,andthensaid,"ThereisnodeityworthyoIworshipexceptAllah.Hehasnopartners.To
Himbelongsthekingdomandallpraise.HealonegrantsliIeandcausesdeath,Hehaspoweroverall
things.
There is no God but He. He has IulIilled His promise, given victory to His servant, and He alone
deIeatedtheconIederates."Thricehemadesimilarsupplications.ThenhewalkedtowardMarwahand
climbedit,untilhecouldseetheKa'bah.TherehemadesupplicationsashehadatSaIa.
NaIi'hasreportedthathesawAbdullahbin'UmarstandingonSaIaandsupplicatinginthesewords:
"O Allah! You have said 'Call Me and I shall respond to your call.' Verily, You do not break Your
promise.OAllah!IpraythatjustasYouguidedmetoIslam,sodivestmenotoIituntilthedayyou
causemetodie."
Eiqh5.90a:SupplicationsBetweenSaIaandMarwah
Makingsupplications,remembranceoIAllah,andrecitingtheQur'anwhilewalkingbetweenSaIaand
Marwah are all desirable. It is reported while making Sa'i the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to
supplicate,"OmyLord,Iorgiveme,havemercyuponme,andguidemetothestraightpath."Alsohe
used to supplicate, "O my Lord, Iorgiveme,andhavemercyuponme.YouarethemostHonorable,
mostDigniIied."
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AIter perIorming TawaI and Sa'i a pilgrim completes the rites oI 'Umrah. Similarly a person
perIorming Hajj Tamattu' may terminate his stateoIihrambyclippingsomeoIhishairshortorelse
shaveitall.However,apilgrimshouldkeephisstateoIihramiIheisperIormingHajjQiran.Sucha
pilgrim may terminate his state oI ihram on the Day oI SacriIice (Yaumun-Nahr)aIterthesacriIice.
Eoraqarinpilgrim,thisSa'iwillsuIIiceinplaceoItheoneotherpilgrimsarerequiredtomakeaIter
TawaIal Eard when they return Irom Mina. As Ior those pilgrims who join Hajj with 'Umrah witha
breakinbetween(i.e.,whomakeHajjTamattu'),theymustperIormanotherSa'iandstayinMakkah
untilYaumal-Tarwiya(the8thoIZhul-Hijjah).
Eiqh5.93:MovingouttoMina
It is sunnah to move to Mina on the 8th oI Zhul-Hijjah. So all pilgrims, who are perIorming Hajj
Qiran or Hajj IIrad, they should proceed in their ihram to it. Those perIorming Hajj Tamattu'should
on that day put on ihram (as they did the Iirst time at the miqat and proceed to Mina with others.
AccordingtosunnahapilgrimperIormingHajjTamattu'shouldputonhisihramIromtheplaceoIhis
stay.IIheisinMakkahheshouldassumeihramIromMakkah,otherwisehemayassumeihramtrom
whereverheisstaying.Inahadithweread,"HewhoisstayingatMakkah,shouldputonihramIrom
whereheisstaying.TheresidentsoIMakkahshouldputontheirihramIromMakkah."
It is commended that one should make supplications and say talbiyah as much as possible while
movingtoMina,andshouldoIIerZuhr,'Asr,MaghribandIshaprayersat Mina,andspendthenight
there,andnotdepartIromituntilthesunriseoItheninthdayoIZhul-Hijjah.IollowingtheexampleoI
theProphet(peacebeuponhim).IIanyonemissesanyoIthesehewillbemissingasunnahact,buthe
isnotrequiredtodoanythingtocompensateIorit.IbnAl-Munzhirhasreportedthat'Aishahdidnot
leaveMakkahonthe8thoIZhul-Hijjahtillquitelate,aIteronethirdoIthenighthadpassed.
Eiqh5.93b:LeavingMakkahBeIorethe8thoIZhul-Hijjah
Sa'idbinMansurreportedthatAl-HasanusedtoleaveMakkahIorMinaadayortwobeIoreYaumal-
Tarwiya (on the 6th or 7th oI Zhul-Hijjah). Malik, however, disliked it, and also disliked that one
shouldstayinMakkahuntiltheeveningoIYaumal-Tarwiya,exceptwhenitis Eridayandoneisstill
in Makkah and it is time Ior the Eriday prayer. In such a case one must oIIer Eriday prayer beIore
leavingIorMina.
Eiqh5.94:MovingtoAraIat
AIterthesunriseoIthe9thdayoIZhul-Hijjah,itissunnahtoleaveIorAraIahbywayoIZhabbwhile
utteringtakbir(AllahuAkbar),tahlil(Lailahail-lal-lah),andtalbiyah(LabaikaAllahummalab-baik).
MohammedbinAbiBakrAl-ThaqaIisaid:"IaskedAnasbinMalikregardingtalbiyah,whilewewere
onourwaytoAraIahIromMina,'How didyoudoitwhileyouwerewiththeProphet(peacebeupon
him)?'Anasanswered,'Some(oIus)saidtalbiyah,whileotherssaidtakbir,andyetothersrepeatedLa
ilaha il-lal-lah. And the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not disapprove oI any oI them."' This is
reportedbyBukhariandothers.
It is desirable to stop at Namira and take an ablution or bath in preparation Ior one's stay at AraIah.
Eurthermore, it is liked that one should enterAraIahatthetimeappointedIorstayingtherewhichis
aItermidday.
Eiqh5.94a:SpendingtheDayatAraIah,ItsExcellence
Jabir reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The ten days oI the month oIZhul-Hijjah
are the best days in the sight oI Allah." A man asked, "Are these days better than an equivalent
number oI days that are spent Iighting Ior the cause oI Allah?" The Prophet (peace be upon him)
answered, "They are better than an equivalent number oI days spent Iighting in the cause oI Allah.
And there is no day better in the sight oI Allah than the Day oI AraIah. On this day Allah, the
AlmightyandtheExaltedOne,descendstothenearestheaven,andHeisproudoIHisslavesonthe
earth,andsaystothoseinheaven,"LookatMyservants.TheyhavecomeIromIarandnear,withhair
dishevelled and Iaces covered with dust, to seek My Mercy, even though they have not seen my
chastisement. Ear more people are Ireed Irom the HellIire on the Day oI AraIah than on any other
day."Al-MunzhrisaidthatthishadithwasreportedbyAbuYa'la,al-Bazzar,IbnKhuzaimah,andIbn
Hibban,inwhosewordingitisgivenhere.
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Ibn Al-Mubarak reported Irom SuIyan Al-Thauri, he Irom Az-Zubair bin Ali, and he Irom Anas bin
Malik that he said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) spent the day at AraIah until almost sunset.
Then he said, 'O Bilal! Ask the people to be quiet and listen to me.' Bilal stood up and asked the
people to be quiet and listen to the Prophet (peace be upon him). When the people were quiet, the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)said:OPeople!Alittlewhileago Gabriel(peacebeuponhim)cameto
me. Gave me salutations Irom Allah, and inIormed me that Allah has Iorgiven those who spend the
DayatAraIah,andthosewhostopatMash'aral-Haram,andthatHehasguaranteedtheirdebts.'
At this 'Umar bin al-Khattab stood up and asked, 'O Allah's Messenger, is this Ior us only?' The
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)said,"ThisisIoryou,andIorallthosewhowillcomeaIteryouuntilthe
DayoIJudgment.''Umarexclaimed,'HowplentiIulandblissIulAllah'sbountiesare!"'
MuslimandothershavereportedIrom'AishahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said:"AllahIrees
Iar more people Irom HellIire on the Day oI AraIah than on any other day, and that Allah comes
closerthisdayandproudlysaystotheangels,'Whatdothesepeoplewantandseek?"'
AbuDardareportsthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"OnnootherdaydoestheSatanIeelso
belittled,humiliated,andangryashedoesontheDayoIAraIah."ThereasonIorthisisthemercyoI
Allahthatdescends(thisday)andtheIorgivenessthatHegrantstopeopleIormajorsins,exceptthe
dayoItheBattleoIBadrwhichwitnessedaIargreatermercyoIAllahdescendinguponpeoplewhich
causedgreatsadnesstoSatan.
TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wasasked, "OProphetoIAllah!WhatdidSatanseeonthedayoI
theBattleoIBadr?""HesawGabrielleadingthetroopsoIAngels,"hereplied.(ReportedbyMalikas
amursalhadithandbyAl-Hakimwithanunbrokenchain)
Eiqh5.94b:SpendingtheDay
ThereisconsensusamongtheMuslimscholarsthatspendingtheDayatAraIahisthemostimportant
part oI Hajj. Ahmad and the compilers oI the Sunan have reported Irom Abdur Rahman bin Ya'mur
thattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)orderedanannouncertoproclaim"Hajjis(spendingthedayat)
AraIah,sohewhojoinsotherpilgrimsonthenightoIMuzdaliIahbeIoredawn,willbeconsideredas
havingperIormedHajj."
Eiqh5.95:TimeIorAraIah
MostMuslimscholarsareoItheopinionthatthetimetospendinAraIahbegins IromnoonoIthe9th
dayoIZhul-HijjahuntildawnoIthe10thoIZhul-Hijjah,andthatanypartoIthisperiodoItime,day
ornight,maybespentinAraIah(toIulIillthiscondition).Apilgrimchoosingtospendthedaytimeat
AraIah must stay there until aIter the sunset. But iI someone spends the night at AraIah he is not
obligated to stay Ior any speciIic length oI time. Ash-ShaIi'i holds that extending the stay at AraIah
untilnightIallissunnah.
Eiqh5.95a:TheSigniIicanceoIStayingatAraIah
Staying at AraIah means physical and mental presence in any part oI AraIah, whether one is awake,
asleep,riding,sitting,lyingdown,walking,andregardlessoIwhetheroneisinastateoIpurityornot,
e.g.,amenstruatingwoman,oronegivingbirth,orapersonhavingawetdream.ThescholarsdiIIer,
however, about the position oI one who Iaints and remains in a coma until he leaves AraIah. Abu
HaniIahandMalikholdthattheHajjoIsuchpeopleisvalid.
Ash-ShaIi'i,Ahmad,Al-Hasan,AbuThawr,Ishaq,andIbnAl-Munzhirholdthatsuchaperson'sHajj
is invalid, because it is an essential part oI Hajj, and a person in a coma cannot perIorm this or any
otherritesoIHajj.
AIter reporting the above hadith oI Ibn Ya'mur, Tirmizhi remarks: "SuIyan Al-Thawri said that the
knowledgeable Companions oI the Prophet (peace be upon him) and others Iollowed this hadithand
heldthatapersonIailingtospendthedayoraportionthereoIatAraIahbeIorethedawnoIthe10thoI
Zhul-Hijjah,orarrivingthereaIter thesunrise,missesHajj.Suchapersonshouldconsiderhispresent
Hajj as an 'Umrah, and must repeat it the next year. This is the opinion oI Ash-ShaIi'i, Ahmad, and
others.
Eiqh5.96:StayingbytheRocks
ApilgrimmayspendtheDayoIAraIahanywherewithintheboundsoIAraIahIoralloIitisequally
goodIorencamping(onthisparticularday)exceptthebottomoIthevalleycalled'Urnahtothewest
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oIAraIah.ThereisconsensusthatspendingtheDayoIAraIahat'UrnahisnotsuIIicienttoIulIill the
conditionoIstayingatAraIah.
Spending time near the rocks or as close to them as possible is commended. The Prophet (peace be
uponhim)stoppedatthisplaceandsaid,"Ihavestoppedhere,butthewholeoIAraIahisastopping
place (Ior the Day oI AraIah)." (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud on the authority oI
Jabir)ClimbingtheMountainoIMercyorthebelieIthatstandingonitisbetterthanstandinginany
otherplaceiswrong.NordoesdoingsorepresentasunnahoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim).
Eiqh5.96a:TakingaBath
ItisdesirablethatoneshouldtakeabathbeIoreencampinginAraIah.Ibn'Umarusedtotakeabath
on the eve oI the Day oI AraIah, as reported by Malik. Similarly 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him)usedto takeabathinAraIahwhilehewasinthestateoIihram.
Eiqh5.96b:EtiquetteoIStandingandMakingSupplications
OnemustmaintainacompletestateoIpurity.IacethedirectionoIKa'bah,seekIorgivenessoIAllah
asmuchaspossible.gloriIyAllah, andsupplicateIorone'swellbeingandwell:areinthisIiIeandin
theHereaIter,andIorothers,withIervor,attention,andwithhandsraisedinsupplication.
OsamahbinZaidreported:"IwasridingbehindtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)inAraIah,whilehe
raisedhishandsinsupplicationstoAllah."(ReportedbyNasa'i)
'AmrbinShu'aibreportedIromhisIatherandhisgrandIather,whosaidthatontheDayoIAraIahthe
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)mostlysupplicatedinthesewords:"Lailahaillallahuwahdahulasharika
lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd, biyadihil khair wa huwa 'ala kulli sha'in qadeer (There is no deity
worthyoIworshipbutAllahAlone.Hehasnopartners.ToHimalonebelongstheKingdom,andall
praise.InHishandisallthegood,andHehaspoweroverallthings)."
ItisreportedbyAhmadandTirmizhi(andthisisthewordingoITirmizhi)thattheProphet(peacebe
uponhim)said,"ThebestsupplicationisthatoItheDayoIAraIah,andthebestthingthatIandother
ProphetsbeIoremesaidis:'Lailahaillallahuwahdahulasharikalahulahulmulkwalahulhamdwa
huwa'alakulisha'inqadeer."'
Al-Hussain bin Al-Hasan Al-Maruzi reported: "I asked SuIyan bin 'Oyainah, 'What is the best
supplicationIortheDayoIAraIah?'Hesaid,'Lailahaillallahuwahdahulasharikalahu.'Isaid,'But
thisisgloriIicationoIAllahandHispraise,anditisnotasupplication.'ThereuponSuIyansaid,'Don't
you know the hadith oI Malik bin Al-Harith which explains it.' I said to him, 'Tell me about it.' He
said, 'Mansur narrated Irom Malik bin Al-Harith that he said "Allah, the Almighty, and the Exalted
One, says: 'II a servant oI Mine occupies himselI in extolling and praising Me instead oI asking Me
Ior his needs I give him better than what I give to those who ask Ior their needs."' Then he added,
'This explains the saying oI the Prophet (peace be upon him).' He continued and said, "Haven't you
heardwhatUmmayabinAbiAl-SaltsaidtoAbdullahbinJad'anwhenhesoughtthehandoINa'ilah
in marriage?" I said, "No." At this he said, "Ummaya recited (these lines oI poetry) to Abdullah bin
Jad'an: Do I have to tell youmyneed,oryourmodestyisenough(topleadmycase),Iormodestyis
your disposition, You are conversant with rights (and obligations) and come oI a Iamily polite and
respectable,Whensomeonepraisesyouonceheneednotrepeatitagain!
Then SuIyan added, "O Hussain, you see how the humans are pleased with praise and are ready to
grantrequestwithoutevenasking.WhatabouttheirCreatorthen?"
Al-Baihaqi reported Irom Ali (with a weak chain oI narrators) that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said, "The supplication most Irequently used by the Prophets beIore me and by me on the Day oI
AraIahisthis:'Lailahaillallahuwahdahulasharikalahu,lahulmulkwalahulhamdwahuwa'alakuli
sha'inqadeer.Allahumma'ij'alIibasrinuranwaIisam'inuranwaIiqalbinuran.Allahummashrahli
sadri wa yassir li amri. Allahumma 'uzhubika min waswasis sadri wa shatatil amr wa sharri Iitnatil
qabrwasharrimayalijuIillailwasharrimayalijuIinnaharwasharrimatahububihiriyahwasharri
bawa'iqid dahr (There is no deity worthy oI worship but Allah alone. He has no partners. To Him
belongsthekingdomandallpraise,andhehaspower overallthings.OAllah!placelight(guidance)
inmysight,inmyears,andinmyheart.OAllah!Openmychestandeasemywork.OAllah!Iseek
reIuge with You Irom evil whispers, Irom conIusion, Irom the trial oI the grave, Irom the evil that
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takesplaceduringthedayornight,Iromtheevilcarriedbythewinds,andIromtheaIIlictionsoIthe
world."
TirmizhialsoreportedIromAlithatthesupplicationusedmostoIthetimebytheProphet(peacebe
upon him) during his stay in AraIah was: "Allahumma lakal hamdu kallazhi naqulu wa khairam
mimma naqulu, Allahumma laka salati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati wa ilaika ma'abi wa laka
rabbi turathi allahumma inni a'uzhubika min 'azhabil qabri wa waswasatis sadri wa shatatil amri
allahummainnia'uzhubikaminsharrimatahubbubihiriyhu(AllpraisebelongstoYou,OAllah!as
wesay,andbetterthanwhatwecansay.OAllah!Myprayers,myworship,myliIeandmydeathare
all Ior You. O Allah! To You is my return, to You belong what I own. O Allah! I seek reIuge with
You Irom the torment oI the grave, the evil whispers, conIusion, and Irom whatever the wind may
bring.)
Eiqh5.98:SpendingtheDayatAraIah- AnAbrahamicTradition
Mirba' Al-Ansari reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "You must azhere to the
traditions and rituals (oI Hajj), Ior these have come down to you Irom (your IoreIather) Ibrahim in
heritage."ThiswasreportedbyTirmizhiasasoundhadith.
Eiqh5.99:EastingontheDayoIAraIah
It is conIirmed that the Prophet (peace beuponhim)didnotIastontheDayoIAraIah.TheProphet
(peacebeuponhim)said:"VerilytheDayoIAraIah,theDayoISacriIice(Yaumal-Nahr),andAyam
Tashriq (the 10th, 11th and 12th oI Zhul-Hijjah) are our days oI Iestivities. These are the days oI
eatinganddrinking."ItisalsoestablishedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)IorbadeIastingonthe
DayoIAraIahwhileatAraIah(Iorpilgrimage).
ThishasledmostoIthescholarstoconcludethatinIactnotIastingontheDayoIAraIahisdesirable,
so that a pilgrim should be strong enough to devote himselI wholeheartedly to worship and
supplications.
Some oI the ahadith that encourage Iasting on the Day oI AraIah concern the persons who are not
stayingatAraIahaspilgrimsperIormingHajj.
Eiqh5.99a:CombiningZuhrand'AsrPrayersatAraIah
AccordingtotheauthenticahadiththeProphet(peacebeuponhim)combinedZuhrand'Asrprayers
while at AraIah. Eor this, azhan - call Ior the prayer - was given, then iqamah - the second call Ior
prayer - was made. Then he oIIered Zuhr. AIter this, another iqamah was made and he oIIered 'Asr
prayer.
Al-Aswad and 'Alqamah said: "Eor the completionoIHajj,Zuhrand'AsrprayersmustbeoIIeredat
AraIahincongregationbehindanimam."
IbnAl-Munzhirsaid:"ThereisconsensusamongthescholarsthattheimammustcombineZuhrand
'AsrprayersatAraIah,andsoshouldanyoneoIIeringprayerwiththeimam."Andincaseonecannot
combinetheseandpraybehindanimam,oneshouldcombinethemwhileprayingalone.
ItisreportedthatIbn'UmarusedtoresideatMakkah,butwhenhewenttoMinahewouldshortenhis
prayers.'AmrbinDinarreportedthatJabilbinZaidtoldhim:"ShortenyourprayersatAraIah."This
isreportedhvSa`idbinMansur.
Eiqh5.99 b:ReturningIromAraIah
According to sunnah, pilgrims should leave AraIah quietly and peaceIully aIter sunset. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) leIt AraIah very peaceIully and quietly, holding the reins oI his she camel so
tightlythatitsheadtoucheditsback,whilehesaidtothepeople,"Opeople,walkcalmly;rushingor
making haste is not a virtue." This is reported by Bukhari and Muslim. They also reported that the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)lethisshecamelgoatnormalpace,butwhenheIoundamplespacein
IrontoIhimheurgedittogoIaster."HedidthisoutoIcompassionandconsiderationIorthepeople.
ItisdesirableIorpilgrimstouttertalbiyahandmakeremembranceoIAllahasmuchaspossible.The
Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated talbiyah right until he threw pebbles at Jamarah Al-'Aqabah.
Ash'ath bin Sulaim reported Irom his Iather that he said, "I went with Ibn 'Umar Irom AraIah to
MuzdaliIah. He did not stop making remembrance oI Allah and declaring His Oneness until we
reachedMuzdaliIah."ThisisreportedbyAbuDaw'ud.
Eiqh5.10:HajjoIaWoman
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HajjisobligatorybothIorwomenandmenalike;theymustperIormitwhenevertheymeettheabove
mentioned prerequisites Ior it. In the case oI a woman it is essential that she be accompaniedbyher
husband or some other mahram (Al-HaIiz said in his Al-Eath: "According to the scholars. the
conditionIorbeingamahramtoawomanisthatlegallyitshouldbeimpossibleIorsuchamantoever
marryher)relativeonthejourneyIorHajj.
Ibn'Abbasreports:"IheardtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)saying:'Amanmustneverbealonewith
a woman unless there is a mahram with her. A woman also may not travel with anyone except a
mahramrelative.'Amanstoodupandasked:'OProphetoIAllah!MywiIehasgoneIorHajjwhileI
amenlistedIorsuchandsuchabattle,whatshouldIdo?"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)replied,
'Go and join your wiIe in Hajj." (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim; the words given here are oI
Muslim's.Thisorderunderlinessomethingdesirable;itdoesnotobligatethehusbandorthemahram
to travel with the woman, iI there is no one else but him. No one is obligated to give up his
conveniencesothatanotherpersonmightdowhatisnotrequiredoIhim)
Yahya bin 'Abbad reported that a woman Irom Iraq wrote to Ibrahim AnNakh'i: "I have not yet
perIormedtheprescribedHajj;IoralthoughIamrich,Ihavenomahramwhomayaccompanymeon
thistrip."Hewroteherback:"YouareoneoIthosewhomAllahhasnotgiventhemeanstoperIorm
(Hajj)."AbuHaniIah,Al-Hassan,At-Thauri,AhmadandIshaqallholdasimilarviewonthisissue.
Al-HaIiz says: "Among the ShaIi'ite scholars the most commonly accepted opinion in this regard is
thatawomanmaytravelwithherhusband,oroneoIhermahramrelatives,oragroupoItrustworthy
women, or even one such (trusted) woman companion. According to one view, reported by Al-
KarabisiandrecordedassoundinAl-Muhazhib,awomanmaytravelbyherselIprovidedthewayto
HajjissecureandsaIe.ThisappliestobothHajjand'Umrah.
It is reported in Subul as-Salaam: "A group oI scholars hold that an old woman may travel without
beingaccompaniedbyanymahramrelative."
This permission Ior a woman to travel without a mahram in the company oI trusted companions or
when the journey to Hajj is saIe is supported by what is reported by Bukhari Irom 'Adi ibn Hatem,
whosays:"IwaswiththeProphet(peacebeuponhim)whenamancametohimandcomplainedoI
poverty. Another man complained about highway robbery. Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon
him)said:'O'Adi!HaveyouseenthecityoIHirainIraq?'Isaid:'No,butIhaveheardaboutit.'The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'II you lived long enough you will see that a woman will travel
IromHiraandwillperIormTawaIroundKa'bah,andshewillhavenoIearexceptthatoIAllah."
ThisopinionissupportedbytheIactthat'UmargavepermissiontothewivesoItheProphet(peacebe
upon him) to perIorm Hajj while accompanied by 'Uthman and Abdur-Rahman ibn 'AwI. 'Uthman
wouldannouncethemtopeopletellingthemtoavoidlookingatthemorcomingclosetotheircamels.
II, however, a woman Iails to abide by this provision and perIorms Hajj alone - without being
accompaniedbyanymahram- herHajjwouldstillbevalid.
TheauthoroISubulas-SalaamsaysthatIbnTaimiyyahsaid:"HajjoIawomanwithoutamahramis
valid,andlikewiseoIapersonwhoisIinanciallynotabletoperIormit."
InbrieI,thoseIorwhomHajjisnotcompulsoryduetosickness,poverty,IearoIhighwayrobbery,or
inthecaseoIawomanbecausenomahramisavailabletoaccompayher,iIthesepeoplenonetheless
perIormHajj,itwillbecreditedtotheiraccount.SomeoIthemtrytheirbest(andexertthemselvesto
theutmost)likethoseperIormingHajjonIoot,whileothersareguiltyoIsins,suchasthosewhobeg
otherstohelpthemperIormHajj,orawomanthatperIormsHajjwithoutamahrammalecompanion.
Notwithstandingtheirvalidexcuse,iIanyoIthesepeopleperIormHajj,itwillbequitevalid,Iortheir
sinrelatestotheir(choiceoIunlawIul)meansandhasnobearingontheobjectiveassuch.
It is reported in Al-Mughni: "II a person, not obliged to perIorm Hajj because he is unable
(Iinancially) to do so, should seek to perIorm Hajj, suIIering hardship, traveling on Ioot and without
necessaryprovisions,hisHajjwillbequitevalidandacceptable."
Eiqh5.100:CombiningMaghriband'Isha
Upon arriving in MuzdaliIah the Prophet (peace be upon him) oIIered Maghrib and two rak'ahs Ior
'Isha(makingqasr).HeorderedonesinglecallIorboth'IshaandMaghrib,butaseparateiqamahIor
each. No other supererogatory prayer is to be olIered in between these two prayers. In the hadith
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recorded by Muslim we read that the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in MuzdaliIah, and
combinedtheMaghriband'Ishaprayers,withoneazhanandtwoiqamah.s.HedidnotoIIeranyother
prayer in between the two. Combiningtheseprayersis,accordingtotheconsensusoI thescholars,a
sunnah,thoughthereisdisagreementastothosewhooIIerthesetwoprayersseparatelyintheirtimes.
MostoIthescholarsconsideritpermissible,butholdthatIollowingtheexampleoItheProphetisIar
more preIerable. Thawri and other knowledgeable people are oI the opinion that a pilgrim oIIering
Maghrib prayer at any place other than MuzdaliIah must re-do it. They are oI the opinion, however,
thatoIIeringZuhrand'Asrprayersseparatelyintheirduetimesispermissible,butitisadislikedact.
Eiqh5.100a:SpendingtheNightatMuzdaliIah
Jabirsays:"WhentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)reachedMuzdaliIah,heoIIeredbothMaghriband
'Isha prayers,thenhelaydowntosleep.Hesleptuntildawn,thenhegotupandoIIeredEajrprayer,
andmountedhisshecamel,Al-Qaswa.WhenhereachedAl-Mash'arAl-Haramhestoppedthereuntil
therewaslightallaround,thenbeIoresunrise,heleIttheplace.Thereisnoevidencetoshowthatthe
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)spentthenight(atMuzdaliIah)inprayersandsupplications.Thisisthe
correctpositionaboutspendingthenightatMuzdaliIahandstoppingthereinthelightoIthepractice
oItheProphet(peacebeuponhim).
AhmadholdsthatspendingthenightatMuzdaliIahisobligatoryIorallpilgrimsexceptshepherdsand
water providers Ior whom it is not obligatory to do so. All the imams oI schools oI Islamic law
consider stopping and spending some time at MuzdaliIah obligatory. They do not, however, regard
spending the entire night there as obligatory. Spending some time there, means being present
physically, in any posture or condition, standing, sitting, being awake or asleep, walking. or passing
by.
TheHanaIischoolisoItheopinionthatitisobligatorytobepresentatMuzdaliIahbeIorethedawnoI
Yaumal-Nahr(the10thoIZhul-Hijjah).So,iIoneIailstodosowithoutagenuineexcuse,onemust
oIIer a sacriIice unless one has a genuine excuse in which case one is not obligated to be physically
present,nordoesoneincuranypenalty.
The Maliki school holds that stopping at MuzdaliIah, beIore dawn, and spending some time there is
enough,whilegoingIromAraIahtoMina,isobligatorywhenonehasnoexcusetodootherwise.Eor
apilgrimwithagenuineexcusestoppingandstayingatMuzdaliIahisnotobligatory.
TheShaIi'ischoolholdsthatonlythephysicalpresenceinthesecondhalIoIthenightoIthe10thoI
Zhul-Hijjah at MuzdaliIah, aIter spending the day at AraIah, is obligatory. One is not required to
spend the entire night there, nor is it essential even to make sure whether the place one is staying is
withintheboundariesoIMuzdaliIah.
Itisthesunnah,however,tooIIerEajrprayeratitsearlytime,thenheadIorandstopatAl-Mash'aral-
Haram till daylight spreads beIore the sunrise. One should spend this time in supplication and
remembrance oI Allah. Allah says in the Qur'an (2.198): "Then when you pour down Irom (mount)
AraIah, celebrate the praises oI Allah at the Sacred Monument and celebrate His praises as He has
directed you, even though,beIorethis,youwentastray.ThenpassonataquickpaceIromtheplace
whence it is usual Ior the multitude to do so, and ask Ior Allah's Iorgiveness. And Allah is OIt-
Eorgiving,MostMerciIul."
BeIoresunrise,thepilgrimsleaveMuzdaliIahtorMina,butwhentheypassthroughthevalleycalled
Muhassir,theyshouldpassitataquickerpace.
Eiqh5.101:StoppingPlaceatMuzdaliIah
One may stop anywhere in MuzdaliIah, except the valley called Muhassir (between MuzdaliIah and
Mina). Jubair bin Mot'im reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The entire area oI
MuzdaliIahisaplacetostay,butavoidthevalleycalledMuhassir."ThisisreportedbyAhmadwitha
sound chain oI authorities. Spending the time at MuzdaliIah at a place called Quzah, (The Quraish
usedtostopthereinthepre-IslamicperiodinsteadoIstayingatAraIah)is,however,better.
In a hadith reported by Ali we read that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived at Joma (a
placein MuzdaliIah),hestoodthereandsaid,"ThisisQuzah,theplacetostop;andtheentireJomais
astoppingplace."ThisisreportedbyAbuDaw'udandTirmizhi,whoconsidersitasoundhadith.
Eiqh5.101a:RitesoIYaumAl-Nahr(lOthoIZhul-Hijjah)
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TheritesoIthe10thoIZhul-HijjahareperIormedintheIollowingorder:
These rites begin with throwing the pebbles, Iollowed by oIIering the sacriIice, shaving one's head,
pertorming a tawaI around Ka'bah. Observance oI these rites in this sequence is sunnah. II one oI
theseisperIormedbeIoreoraIteranotherthereisnoharm,accordingtomostscholars.
ThisisthestandpointoIAsh-ShaIi'ibasedonahadithreportedbyAbdullahbin'Amrwhosaid:"The
Prophet (peace be upon him) stood in Mina during the Earewell Hajj, while the people asked him
questionsandheansweredthem.Amanasked,'OProphetoIAllah!IwasnotalertandIshavedmy
head beIore slaughtering my animal?' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'There is no harm, go
andslaughteryour animal.'Anothermanasked,'IslaughteredtheanimalbeIoreIthrewthepebbles?'
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him, 'There is no harm. Go and throw the pebbles.'" The
narrator said: "Whoever asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about anything done beIore or aIter
theotherhetoldhim'Noharmdone.Goanddo(whateveryoumissed)."'
Abu HaniIah is oI the opinion that iI someone Iailed to observe the proper sequence in perIorming
these rites, and he did delay or precede a rite, he must olIer a sacriIice, interpreting the words "no
harmdone"oItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)tomeanthatsuchapersonisnotguiltyoIanysin,but
nonethelesssuchapersonhastoslaughteranadditionalanimalinatonement.
Eiqh5.102:TheEirstandtheSecondRemovaloIIhram
AIterthrowingthepebblesonthe10thdayoIZhul-Hijjahandshavingtheheadorclippingsomehair
oIit,apilgrimisreleasedIromallrestrictionsoIthestateoIihram.HemaynowwearperIume,puton
regular clothes, etc., except approaching his wiIe sexually. This is known as the Iirst removal oI
ihram. AIter completing TawaI AI-IIada, an essential rite oI Hajj, everything is permissible Ior him
including approaching his wiIe sexually. This is called the second or Iinal removal oI the state oI
ihram.
Eiqh5.102a:ThrowingthePebbles- TheirOrigin
Al-BaihaqireportedIromSalimbinAbiAl-J'adthatIbn'AbbassaidthattheProphet(peacebeupon
him)said:"WhenAbraham(peacebeuponhim)wantedtoperIormtheHajjrites,Satanblockedhis
way near 'Aqabah. (Jamarah Al-Aqabah is on the leIt side inside Mina; the Jamarah Al-Wusta (the
MiddleJamarah)isatabout11,677metersIromtheIirstone,whileJamarahAl-Sughra(theSmallest
Jamarah) is 1,564 meters Iurther Irom the middle one) Abraham threw seven pebbles at him
whereupontheSatansunkintotheground.AgaintheSatanappearedtohimnearthesecondJamarah.
Abraham threw seven pebbles at him and he again sunk into the ground. Once again the Satan
approached him near the third Jamarah, and again Abraham threw seven pebbles at him and once
again the Satan sunk into the ground." Ibn 'Abbas added, "You throw pebbles at the Satan, and (in
doing so) you Iollow thepathoIyour(great)IoreIatherAbraham(peacebeuponhim)."Al-Munzhri
said:"ThisisreportedbyIbnKhuzaimahinhisSahihandbyAl-Hakim,anditissoundaccordingto
theircriterion."
Eiqh5.102b:WisdomBehindThrowingPebbles
In his Al-Ahya, Al-Ghazali says: "As to the throwing oI the pebbles, it is an expression oI the
thrower'sintentiontoobeyAllah'scommandment,andademonstrationoIhishumilityandservitude
to Him. It signiIies compliance with divine commandment without any trace therein oI any selIish
pleasure,sensuousorintellectual.
"Bythrowingpebbles,oneemulatesAbrahamwhenSatan- mayAllahcursehim- blockedhiswayat
that place in order to cast doubts in his heart or tempt him and divert him away Irom his Lord, so
AllahcommandedAbrahamtodrivetheSatanawaybythrowingpebblesathim.
"Theretore,iIyouaretemptedtothinkthatSatanappearedtoAbrahamandthereIorehethrewpebbles
at him, but I am not tempted by Satan, so there is no need tor me to throw these pebbles- iI such a
thoughtcomestoyou- thenyoumustrealizethatthis thoughtitselIisIromSatan,whosuggestsitto
make you think there is no beneIit in it, and so weaken your resolve andpreventyouIromthrowing
pebbles. Eight against these evil whispers with Iirmness, resolution and by throwing pebbles despite
these suggestions. You must also realize that although you are apparently throwing pebbles at the
Jamarahs,inrealityyouarehurlingtheseintheIaceoISatanandtherebybreakinghisbackbone.This
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is not possible except by submitting to the commandments oI Allah, in submission to Him, and
withoutseekinggratiIicationoIanypersonaldesire."
Eiqh5.103:ItsLegality,ThrowingPebbles
ThemajorityoIscholarsisoItheopinionthatthrowingthepebblesisnecessary(wajib),butitisnot
obligatory. Anyone Iailing to throw pebbles is required to oIIer a sacriIice as reported by Ahmad,
Muslim,andNasa'iIromJabirwhosaid,"IsawtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)ridinghismountand
throwingpebblesontheDayoINahr(10thoIZhul-Hijjah),andsaying,'TakeyourritualsIromme.I
donotknowwhetherIwillbeabletoperIormanotherHajjaIterthisone'."
AbdurRahmanAl-Taimisaid:"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)commandedusintheEarewellHajj
to use small pebbles (the size oI a pea)."This was reported by At-Tabarani in his Al-Kabir with a
soundchainoIauthorities.
Eiqh5.103a:TheSizeoIthePebbles
Thepebbles,asstatedintheabovehadith,shouldbenobiggerthanthesizeoIapea.Thatiswhythe
scholarsconsiderthissizeasdesirable.II,however,someonethrowsabiggerstone,accordingtothe
majorityoIscholars,itwillsuIIicehimIorcompletingtherite,butitisdisliked.Ahmadholdsthatit
will not be suIIicient Ior him until he repeats it with pebbles (oI suitable size), because the Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)practicedit,andheIorbadetheuseoIbiggerstones.
Sulaiman bin 'Amr bin Al-Ahwas Al-Azdi reported Irom his mother that she said, "The Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)wasatthebottomoIthevalley,andhewassaying,"OPeople!Donotkilleach
other!Whenyouthrowpebbles,usepebblesthesizeoIapea."ThiswasreportedbyAbuDaw'ud.
Ibn'Abbasreported:"TheProphettoldme'Come,picksomepebblesIorme!'Ipickedsmallpebbles
likepeas.WhenIgavethesepebblestohim,hesaid,"Usepebblessimilartothese(inthrowing),and
beware against exaggerating in your religion, Ior those beIore you were destroyed because oI their
exaggeration in religion." This was reported by Ahmad and Nasa'i, its chain oI authorities being
sound. The majority oI scholars take these ahadith as indicating preIerence Ior the size oI pebbles.
Thereisconsensusthatonlystones(pebbles)bethrownandnotiron,leadetc.
TheHanaIischool,however,disagreesandholdsthatitispermissibletouseanythingthatcomesIrom
the earth, stones, clay, bricks, soil, or ceramics etc., because the hadith mentions throwingonly(and
doesnotspeciIyastowhatshouldbeused).ThepracticeoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andhis
companions indicates the preterence and does not speciIy anything in particular. The Iirst opinion is
preIerable because the Prophet (peace be upon him) used pebbles and he ordered others to throw
pebbleslikepeas,whichmayapplytovariouskindsoIpebblesbutnottoanythingelse.
Eiqh5.104:WheretoPickthePebblesErom
Ibn'UmarusedtopickhispebblesIromMuzdaliIah,andsodidSa'idbinJubair.Ash-ShaIi'iregards
thispreIerable,butaccordingtoAhmadonemaypickpebblesIromanywhereonewants.
'Ata and Ibn Al-Munzhir hold a similar view, Ior in the hadith oI Ibn 'Abbas the words used by the
Prophet (peace be upon him) are "pick (some pebbles) Ior me" without speciIying the place whence
theseweretobepicked.
AccordingtotheHanaIiandShaIi'ischools,andAhmaditispermissible,thoughundesirable,touse
pebbles that have been used beIore. Ibn Hazm holds it permissible without any dislike. He says,
"ThrowingthepebblesthatareusedbeIoreispermissible,andsoisthrowingpebbleswhilemounting
ananimal."
NeithertheQur'annorSunnahIorbidstheuseoIusedpebbles.Logicallyspeaking,hadthosepebbles
notbeenre-usedbymultiplepilgrims,therecouldhavebeenmountainsoItheminthearea.
Astothrowingpebbleswhileridingone'smountwereadinthehadithoIQudamahbinAbdullahthat
hesaid,"OntheDayoISacriIice,IsawtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)throwingpebblesontheIirst
Jamarah Al-Aqabah while he was riding a light-colored she camel without throwing them hard or
slow,norpushingandshovingothers."
Eiqh5.104a:TheNumberoIPebbles
ThetotalnumberoIpebblestobethrowniseitherseventy(70)orIortynine(49).SevenoItheseare
tobethrownontheIirstJamarahAl-Aqabahonthe10thoIZhul-Hijjah;twentyoneonthe11thday,
sevenateachoIthethreejamarahs;andsimilarlytwentyoneonthe12thday,throwingsevenateach
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oI the three places. The last twenty one pebbles are likewise to be thrown, seven at each oI the
jamarahs, on the 13th day oI Zhul-Hijjah. The total number oI these pebbles comes to seventy
pebbles.
IIapilgrimthrowsthepebblesIoronlythreedays(the10th,11thand12thoIZhul-Hijjah),anddoes
not throw on the 13th day, he may do so without any harm. In such a case the total number will be
Iortyninepebbles.
AccordingtoAhmadthrowingIivepebbleswillsuIIiceapilgrim.'AtasaysthrowingIivepebbleswill
completehisHajjrites.Mujahidsaid,"IIapilgrimthrowssixpebbleshemaydosowithoutincurring
anypenalty."
Sa'id binMalikreported: "WereturnedwiththeProphet(peacebeuponhim)aIterHajj.SomeoIus
saidtheyhadthrownsix,otherssaidtheyhadthrownsevenpebbles.ButnoneoIusIoundIaultwith
othersIordoingso."
Eiqh5.105:DaysoIThrowingthePebbles
ThedaysIorthrowingpebblesareeitherthreeorIourdays:the10th,11thand12thoIZhul-Hijjahor
these three and the 13th oI Zhul-Hijjah. Allah says in the Qur'an (2.203): "Celebrate the praise oI
Allahduringtheappointeddays.ButiIanyonehastenstoleaveintwo daysthereisnoblameonhim,
andiIanyonestaysonthereisnoblameonhim,iIhisaimistodoright."
Eiqh5.105a:ThrowingPebblesontheDayoISacriIice(10thZhul-Hijjah)
ThebesttimetothrowthepebblesisIorenoononthe10thoIZhul-Hijjah,becausetheProphet(peace
beuponhim)threwthepebblesbeIorenoononthatday.
Ibn'AbbassaidthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)permittedtheoldandweakpeopleoIhisIamily
tothrowIirst.Thenhesaid,"DonotthrowpebblesattheIirstJamarahAl-AqabahbeIorethesunrise."
ThiswasreportedbyTirmizhi,whoconsidersitasoundhadith.DeIerringthethrowingtotheendoI
thedayis,however,permissible.
Ibn Abdul Barr said: "There is consensus among thescholarsthatiIapilgrimthrowspebblesonthe
10thoIZhul-HijjahbeIorethesunset,hewillbeconsideredashavingthrownintime,althoughdoing
soisnotdesirable."
Ibn'AbbasreportedthatontheDayoISacriIicetheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wastoldbyamanat
MinathathehadthrownhispebblesaItersunset,whereuponhesaidtotheman,"Thereisnoharm."
ThiswasreportedbyBukhari.
Eiqh5.105b:DelayingThrowingUntilAIterDark
Delay in throwing pebbles until aIter dark is permissible iI there is agenuineexcuseIordoingsoas
related by Malik Irom NaIi' that a daughter oI SaIiyah, wiIe oI Ibn 'Umar, gave birth to a baby in
MuzdaliIah. So she and SaIiyah (her mother) were leIt behind, and they arrivedinMinaaItersunset
on the 10th oI Zhul-Hijjah. Ibn 'Umar asked them to throw their pebbles when they arrived and he
Ioundnoharmintheirdoingso.
It is disliked, however, to delay throwing the pebbles without a valid excuse until aIter dark.
According to the HanaIi and ShaIi'i schools, and in the light oI a narration Irom Malik, there is no
penalty Ior delaying the throwing oI pebbles, considering the aIorementioned hadith oI Ibn 'Abbas.
Ahmad is oI the opinion that iI a pilgrim delays the throwing oI pebbles till the end oI the Day oI
SacriIice. then he should not throw pebbles during the night, but should throw them the next
aIternoon.
Eiqh 5.106: Concession Ior the Weak and Others with a Valid Excuse to Throw Pebbles aIter
MidnightoISacriIice(10thoIZhul-Hijjah)
There is consensus on throwing pebbles beIore midnight on the 10th oI Zhul-Hijjah (the Night oI
SacriIice).Itispermissible,however,Iorwomen,children,theweak,thosewhohaveavalidexcuse,
andtheshepherdstothrowpebblesatJamarahAl-Aqabahinthenight.
'AishahreportedthattheProphet(peace beuponhim)sentUmmSalamahonthenightoIthe10thto
throw her pebbles. She did so beIore dawn aIter which she went back to Makkah Ior tawaI. This is
reportedbyAbuDaw'udandAl-Baihaqi,whosaysthatitschainissound.
Ibn'AbbasreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)permittedtheherdsmentendingthecamels
tothrowtheirpebblesduringthenight.ThisisreportedbyBazzarwithachainoInarratorsincluding
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KhalidAl-Zanji,whoisconsideredanunreliablereporter.'UrwahreportedthattheProphet(peacebe
upon him) went to Umm Salamah on Yaum al-Nahr and ordered her to hasten Ior MuzdaliIah, and
then to Makkah (aIter throwing the pebbles in Mina during the night) and to oIIer Eajr prayer there.
Thatdaywasherturntobewithhimandshedesiredtobewithhim.ThiswasreportedbyAsh-ShaIi'i
andAl-Baihaqi.
'Ata reported that someone told him about Asma who threw pebbles at the Iirst jamarah during the
night, and said, "We used to do so during the liIetime oI the Prophet (peace be upon him)." This is
reportedbyAbuDaw'ud.
Tabarisaid:"Ash-Shaii'ireIerstothereportstransmittedbyUmmSalamahandAsmaandconcludes
thatitispermissibletogotoMakkahattermidnight.
Ibn Hazm, however, holds that the permission to throw at night applies to women only; it does not
applytomen,whetherstrongorweak.TheseahadithalsoshowthatitispermissibleIoranyonewitha
validexcusetogoanightearlierandthrowthepebblesatnight.IbnAl-Munzhirsaid:"Thesunnah(in
thisrespect)istothrowthepebblesaItersunrise,IorthisiswhattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)did.
ItisnotpermissibletothrowpebblesbeIoresunrise,Iorsuchanactwouldbecontrarytosunnah.But
iI one doesso,heneednotrepeatit,becauseIhaveheardnone(oIthescholars)sayingthiswasnot
acceptable."
Eiqh5.107:ThrowingIromAtop
Al-Aswad said: "I saw'UmarthrowinghispebblesattheJamarahAlAqabahIromaplaceaboveit."
'AtawasaskedaboutthrowingpebblesIromabovetowhichhereplied,"Thereisnoharminit."This
isreportedbySa'idibnMansur.
Eiqh5.107a:ThrowingDuringtheThreeDays
ThetimeappointedIorthrowingpebblesduringthethreedaysisIrommiddayuntilsunset.Ibn'Abbas
reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) threw the pebbles at midday or thereaIter. This is
reportedbyAhmad,IbnMajahandTirmizhiwhoconsideritasoundhadith.
Al-BaihaqihasreportedontheauthorityoINaIi'thatAbdullahbin'Umarusedtosay"Weusednotto
throw the pebbles during the three days until aIter the sun was past the meridkul. Delaying the
throwingoIpebblestillnightwasdisliked.ThetimeIorthrowingpebblesdul-ingthenightwasuntil
the sunrise oIthenextday.AllImamsoIIslamiclaw.exceptAbuHaniIah,agreeon thispoint.Abu
HaniIah holds that throwing pebbles beIore midday on the third day is permissible. He based his
opiniononaratherweakhadithtransmittedbyIbn'Abbaswhichsays,"Whendaybreaksonthe13th
oIZhul-Hijjah,itispermissibletothrowone'spebblesanddepartIromMina(toMakkah)."
Eiqh5.107b:SupplicationsAIterThrowingPebblesDuringAyamAt-Tashriq(llth,12th,and13thoI
Zhul-Hijjah)
ItisdesirabletostandIacingtheQiblah,topraiseAllah,whilesupplicatingtoHimIorIorgivenessIor
oneselI, and Ior other Iellow Muslims. Ahmad and Bukhari have reported Irom Salim bin Abdullah
bin'UmarandheIromhisIatherthatwhentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)threwpebblesattheIirst
Jamarah, which is near the mosque, he said, Allahu Akbar. Thus he threw seven pebbles and each
timehesaidAllahuAkbar.Thenhewent,turnedleIttowardthebottomoIthevalley.Therehestood
torquitealongtimetacingthedirectionoIQiblah,andraisinghishandssupplicatedtoAllah.Thenhe
wentandthrewsevenpebblesatthesecondJamarahsayingAllahuAkbarwitheachthrow.ThereaIter
hewenttotheleItoIthebottomoIthevalley,stoodthereIacingQiblahandsupplicatedtoAllahwith
raised hands. Then he went to the Jamarah near Aqabah, threw seven pebbles at it, uttering a Iakhir
with each throw. AIterthisheleItanddidnotpause.AccordingtothishadiththeProphet(peacebe
upon him) did not pause aIter throwing pebbles at the Jamarah Al-Aqabah, but he did pause aIter
throwingpebblesattheothertwoJamarahs.
ThescholarshaveinthelightoItheabovehadithsuggestedthataIteranythrowing(oIpebblesatthe
Jamarahs) that is not Iollowed by another throwing the same day one should not stop (Ior
supplications), but iI one throwing (oI pebbles) is Iollowed by another throwing the same day one
shouldstandthereIorsupplications.
Ibn Majah has reported Irom Ibn 'Abbas that aIter throwing pebbles at the Jamarah al-Aqabah, the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)usedtoleave,andnotstop(Iorsupplications).
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Eiqh5.108:OrderinThrowingPebbles
ItisconIirmedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)usedtobeginwiththeIirstJamarahthatisnear
Mina,thenhewouldgotothemiddleJamarahIurtheraway,andthenhewouldgototheJamarahAl-
Aqabah.Likewiseitisproventhathesaid,"TakeyourreligiousritesIromme."
ThethreeoItheleadingImamstakethisasindicatingthatobservingsequenceinthrowingpebblesat
theJamarahsisanecessaryconditionandmustbeazheredto,becausethisiswhattheProphet(peace
beuponhim)did.TheHanaIischool,however,holdsthatsequenceisonlysunnah.
Eiqh5.108a:ATakbirandaSupplicationwithEveryThrowHoldingthePebbleBetweentheIndex
EingerandtheThumb
Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn 'Umar at the time oI throwing pebbles used to say, Allahumma ij'alhu Hajjan
mabruranwazhanbanmaghIuran"OAllah!AcceptthisHajjoIoursandpardonoursins".
Ibrahim said, "The Companions oI the Prophet loved that while throwing pebbles at Jamarah Al-
Aqabahoneshouldsupplicate,"OAllah,acceptthisHajjoIoursandIorgiveoursins.''WhenaskediI
thissupplicationshouldbemadeatthetimeoIthrowingpebblesateachoItheotherJamarahsaswell
herepliedintheaIIirmative.
'Ata said, "When you throw the pebbles you should utter a takbir (Allahu Akbar) with each throw.
This is reported by Sa'id bin Mansur. According to the hadith oI Jabir, the Prophet (peace be upon
him) uttered Allahu Akbar with each pebble that he threw. The author oI Al-Eath says: "There is
consensusthatthereisnoharmiIsomeonetailstoutteratakbir."
SalmanbinAl-AhwasreportedIromhismotherthatshesaid."IsawtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
riding his mount at Aqabah holding a pebble between his Iingers and throwing it, while others were
alsothrowingpebbleswithhim."ThisisreportedbyAbuDaw'ud.
Eiqh5.108b:ThrowingPebblesonBehalIoIOthers
Persons who Ior a valid reason, illness, etc., cannot themselves throw the pebbles they may ask
someoneelsetothrowpebblesontheirbehalI.Jabirsaid,"WeperIormedHajjwiththeProphet(peace
beuponhim)andwehadsomewomenandchildrenwithus.We(adults)utteredtalbiyahandthrew
pebblesonbehalIoIthechildren."ThiswasreportedbyIbnMajah.
Eiqh5.109:Sleeping(theNight)atMina
Spending three nights or two nights, the 11th and 12th oI Zhul-Hijjah, at Mina is necessary (wajib),
according to the three Imams oI the Islamic law. The HanaIi school regards sleeping at Mina as
sunnahonly.
Ibn 'Abbas said, "AIter you have thrown the pebbles you may spend the night wherever you wish."
ThisisreportedbyIbnShaibah.Mujahidsaid,"ThereisnoharmiIonespendstheIirstportionoIthe
nightatMakkah,andthelastoneatMina,ortheIirstportionoIthenightatMinaandthelastoneat
Makkah."IbnHazmsaid,"ApilgrimwhodoesnotspendthenightatMinadoeswrong,buthedoes
notincuranypenalty.
There is consensus that in the case oI those who have a genuine excuse, like water carriers, and
shepherds,sleepingthenightatMinaisnotnecessary,andiItheyleaveoutanythingtheydon'tincur
anypenalty.
The uncle oI the Prophet (peace be upon him), Abbas, sought and got permission Irom the Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)tospendthesenights(supposedtobespentinMina)atMakkahsothathecould
attendtohisIunctionsasprovideroIdrinkingwatertothepilgrims.ThiswasreportedbyBukhariand
others.
'Asam bin 'Adi reported that Prophet (peace be upon him) excused the shepherds Irom sleeping at
Mina.ThisisreportedintheSunan,andTirmizhiconsidersitasoundhadith.
Eiqh5.109a:WhentoReturnIromMina
ThethreeschoolsoIIslamiclawholdthatthepilgrimsmustreturnIromMinatoMakkahbeIorethe
sunsetoIthe12thoIZhul-HijjahaIterthrowingthepebbles.
TheHanaIischool,however,isoItheopinionthatpilgrimsmayreturntoMakkahbetorethedawnoI
the13thoIZhul-Hijjah.LeavingaItersunsetis,however,dislikedIoritisagainstthesunnah.butone
whodoessoincursnopenalty.
Eiqh5.109b:SacriIicialAnimals
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These are animals brought to the Haram, the Sacred Mosque, seeking the closeness and pleasure oI
Allah, Who says in the Qur'an (22.36), "The sacriIicial camels We have made Ior you as among the
symbolsIromAllah:inthemis(much)goodIoryou:thenpronouncethenameoIAllahoverthemas
they line up (tor sacriIice) when they are down on their sides (aIter slaughter), eat you thereoI, and
Ieed such as beg with due humility: thus have We made animals subject to you, that you may be
grateIul.Itisnottheirmeatnortheirblood,thatreachesAllah:itisyourpietythatreachesHim."
'Umarsaid,"SacriIiceanimals,IorAllahlovessacriIice.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)oIIeredone
hundredcamelsinsacriIiceIorthepleasureoIAllah."ThisoIIeringbyhimwassupererogatory.
Eiqh5.110:TheBestAnimalsIorSacriIice
ThereisconsensusamongscholarsthatasacriIicemustbeoIoneoItheanimals,andthatthebestoI
theseare,camels,thencows,thensheepandsoon,IoracamelismorebeneIicialIorthepoorbecause
oIitsgreatsize(morecanbeneIitIromitsmeat),andsimilarlyacowismoreuseIulthanasheep.
Thereisdisagreement,however,astowhatisbestIoranindividualtooIIerinsacriIice,acamelora
cowsharingoneseventhoItheirprice,orasheep.ApparentlythepreIerenceinthisregardistowhat
ismoreuseIulandbeneIicialIorthepoorandtheneedy.
Eiqh5.110a:TheMinimumNumbertoBeSacriIiced
One may sacriIice any animal one chooses. The Prophet (peace be upon him) oIIered a hundred
camels as a supererogatory sacriIice. The minimum number oI animals a person is obligated to
sacriIice is one sheep, or one-seventh portion oI a camel or a cow (by sharing one-seventh oI their
price).AcameloracowmaybesacriIicedonbehalIoIsevenpeople.Jabirsaid:"WeperIormedHajj
with the Prophet (peace be upon him), and we slaughtered a camel Iorsevenpersons,andacowIor
sevenpersons."ThiswasreportedbyAhmadandMuslim.
EorasacriIicetobeacceptableitisnotnecessarythatallthepartnersshouldbeoIonemind.ThusiI
some do it Ior the pleasure oI Allah, while others do it to obtain meat, it would still be valid. The
HanaIi school, however, holds that a necessary condition Ior sacriIicing is that all the partners must
havethepleasureoIAllahinmindwhileoIIeringsacriIice.
Eiqh5.110b:WhenIsItObligatorytoSacriIiceaCamel?
SacriIicing a camel is not necessary except Ior a pilgrim who perIorms tawaI in a state oI ritual
impurity (Junub) or a Iemale pilgrimperIormstawaIwhilestillmenstruatingorinconIinementaIter
childbirth,orapilgrimwhohassexualintercoursewithhiswiIeaIterspendingtheDayatAraIahbut
beIoreshaving(orclipping)thehair,orapilgrimwhovowstosacriIiceacamel;inallsuchcasesone
mustsacriIiceacamel.AndiIacamelisnotavailablethenoIIersevensheepinstead.
Ibn'AbbasreportedthatamancametotheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andtoldhimthathehadto
sacriIice a camel which he could easily aIIord but could not Iind. Thereupon the Prophet (peace be
uponhim)saidtohim,"BuysevensheepandsacriIicetheminstead."ThisisreportedbyAhmadand
IbnMajahwithasoundchainoInarrators.
Eiqh5.110c:KindsoISacriIice
SacriIicemaybedividedintotwocategories,onethatisdesirable,andtheotherthatisobligatory.
AsIorthedesirableone,anexampleoIitisthatwhichisrequiredoIpilgrimswhoperIormHajjonly
(Hajj IIrad), or who perIorm 'Umrah only. As to the obligatory sacriIice it may be one oI the
Iollowing:
-1- That which is obligatory Ior those perIorming Hajj Iqran (combining Hajj and 'Umrah without a
breakinbetween),
-2- orHajjTamattu'(combiningHajjand'Umrahbutwithabreakinbetween).
-3- That which is obligatory Ior a pilgrim who misses out an essential ritual oI Hajj, e.g., throwing
pebbles, or putting on ihram Irom a miqat (a place designated Ior entering into a state oI ihram), or
combining day and night while camping at AraIah, or spending the night at MuzdaliIah or Mina or
departingMakkahwithoutperIormingTawaIal-Wida'(Earewellcircumambulation).
-4- ThatwhichisobligatoryIorapilgrimcommittingsomethingIorbiddeninthestateoIihram,other
thansexualintercourse,wearingperIumeorshaving.
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-5- ThatwhichisobligatoryIorcommittingacrimewithinthesacredprecinctsoIHaram,likehunting
or cutting trees within the Sacred precincts oI Haram. All these have been explained above in their
respectivesections.
Eiqh5.111:ConditionsIorSacriIice
AsacriIicialanimalshouldsatisIytheIollowingconditions:
-1- Itshouldbetwoyearsold,iIitisananimalotherthanasheep.AsIorsheep,evenasixmonthold
lambmaybesacriIiced,butitshouldbeIatandhealthy.AsIoracamel,itmustbeatleastIiveyears
old,acowtwoyearsold,andagoatayearoldatleast.
-2- It should be healthy and Iree Irom all physical deIects. It should not be one eyed, nor should it
limp, be mangy, or very thin and weak. Al-Hasan said that the scholars said: "II a man purchases a
healthy animal Ior sacriIice. but later beIore its slaughtering it becomes sick or loses one eye or
developsalimpinherlegs,thensuchapersonmayslaughteritasasacriIiceandthatwillsulIice him
(toIullIilhisobligation)."ThiswasreportedbySa'idbinMansur.
Eiqh5.111a:SelectingOne'sOwnSacriIicialAnimal
MalikhasreportedIromHishambin'UrwahandheIromhisIatherthatheusedtotellhissons:"Omy
sons!DonotslaughterananimalinthenameoIAllahsuchasyouwillbeembarrassedtopresentasa
giIttoacloseandrespectedIriendoIyours.AllahistheMostHonorableandMostGenerous,andHe
isthemostdeservingtobeoIIeredthebestoIwhatyouhave."
Sa'id bin Mansur reported that Ibn 'Umar once mounted in Makkah on a nice she-camel, which he
liked very much, and said, "Excellent! Excellent!" admiring it. Then he dismounted, marked itasan
oIIering,andasacriIiceIorthepleasureoIAllah.
Eiqh5.112:MarkingtheSacriIicialAnimalandGarlandingIt
Ish'ar(ormarking)meansthatacamelorcowtobeslaughteredismarkedbycuttingoIItheirhumps
ononeside.ThisservesasamarkthattheyareintendedIorsacriIicesothatnooneshouldcausethem
anyharm.
AndtaqlidorgarlandingmeansputtingaleatherpiecearoundthesacriIicialanimal'snecktomarkit
assuch.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) garlanded the sheep that he had marked out Ior slaughtering and
sent them with Abu Bakr to Makkah when he perIormed Hajj in the 9th year aIter Hijrah. It is
aIIirmedbyahadiththattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)garlandedsacriIicialanimals,markedthem
and doned ihram Ior 'Umrah at thetimeoIHudaibiah.Mostscholars,exceptAbuHaniIah,holdthat
markingthesacriIicialanimalisdesirable.
Eiqh5.112a:WisdombehindIsh'arandTaqlid
The wisdom behind these two acts concerns reverence Ior Allah's commands, and an expression oI
thatreverence,besidesservingasameansoIinIormingpeoplethattheseanimalsareontheirwayto
theHouseoIAllahtobeslaughteredthereIorHispleasure.
Eiqh5.112b:RidingtheSacriIicialAnimals
It is permissible to ride and beneIit Irom the sacriIicial animals (e.g., camelsorcows).Allahsaysin
the Qur'an (22.33): "In them (i.e., animals) you have beneIits Ior a term appointed. In the end their
placeoIsacriIiceisneartheAncientHouse."
Dahak and 'Ata said: "BeneIiting Irom them here means using them Ior riding when needed, and
beneIitingIromtheirmilkandwool."Thephrase"appointedterm"reIerstothetermwhenapilgrim
markstheanimalIorsacriIiceuntilitisslaughtered.Andthewords"Intheendtheirplaceisnearthe
AncientHouse"reIertotheDayoISlaughterorSacriIice(Nahr),the10thoIZhul-Hijjah.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a man driving a she-camel to the
placeoIslaughter.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)saidtotheman,"Mountit."Themanreplied,"It
isasacriIicialanimal."TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)saidtohimtwiceorthrice,"Woebetoyou!
Mountit."ThisisreportedbyBukhari,Muslim,AbuDaw'ud
Eiqh5.113:TimeoISlaughtering
There is disagreement among scholars about the time oI slaughtering. According to Ash-ShaIi'i it
shouldbedoneontheDayoINahr,10thoIZhul-Hijjah,andduringAyyamat-Tashriq(the11th,12th
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or 13th oI Zhul-Hijjah) in light oI the Prophet's words "All the Tashriq days (lOth, 12thand13thoI
Zhul-Hijjah)areDaysIorSlaughtering"asreportedbyAhmad.
II one missed slaughtering during these days, then one may slaughter an animal later on to make up
Iorit.
Malik and Ahmad hold that regardless oI whether the slaughtering oI the animal is obligatory or a
supererogatory act oI worship it must be done during the appointed days. The HanaIi school also
holds the same view concerning a pilgrim pertorming Hajj Tamattu' or Hajj Qiran. Such a pilgrim
mustslaughtertheanimalduringtheappointed(tashriq)days.
As opposed to this, a sacriIice in IullIilment oI a vow, atonement oI sins, and oIIered as a
supererogatoryactoIworshipmaybeoIIeredanytimeduringtheyear.
AbuSalmahbinAbdulRahmanandAn-Nakh'ireportedthatthetimeIorslaughteringisIromtheDay
oINahrtotheendoIZhul-Hijjah.
Eiqh5.113a:PlaceoISlaughtering
A sacriIice whether it is obligatory (wajib) or voluntary cannot be done except within the Sacred
PrecinctsoIHaram.AnywherewithintheseprecinctsonemayoIIertheintendedsacriIice.
JabirreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"AllMinaisaplaceIorslaughtering,andthe
entire MuzdaliIah is a place Ior spending the night; and all roads oI Makkah are passageways and
placestooIIerone'ssacriIice."ThisisreportedbyAbuDaw'udandIbnMajah.
ItispreIerableIorapilgrim,however,tooIIerhissacriIiceatMina.EorapersonperIorming'Umrah
itispreIerabletooIIerhissacriIicenearMarwah,asthisistheplacewherepilgrimsleavethestateoI
ihramwhetherperIormingHajjor'Umrah.
Malik has reported that he was toldthat the Prophet (peacebeuponhim)saidatMina,"Thisisthe
place Ior oIIering sacriIice. All Mina is a slaughtering place." And speaking about 'Umrah, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, -This - i.e. Marwah - and all roads and paths oI Makkah are
slaughteringplaces."
Eiqh5.113b:SlaughteringCamelsinaStandingPosition
It is desirable to slaughter camels in a standing position with their leIt legs tied as in the Iollowing
ahadith:
-1- MuslimreportedIromZiyadbinJubairthatIbn'Umarcameuponamanwhowasslaughteringa
camelwhileitwassitting.Hesaidtotheman,"Letitstandup,andtieitslegs.ThisisthesunnahoI
yourProphet(peacebeuponhim)."
-2- AbuDaw'udreportedIromJabirthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andhiscompanionsusedto
slaughtertheirsacriIicialcamelswiththeirleItlegstiedandstandingonthreelegs."
-3- HakimreportedIromIbn'AbbasconcerningtheQur'anicverse(22.36)"thenpronouncethename
oIAllahoverthemastheylineup(IorsacriIice)"heinterpretedittomean"astheylineupandstand
onthreelegs."AsIorcowsandsheepitispreIerabletoslaughtertheminalyingposition.According
to some it is disliked to slaughter an animal standing that is to be slaughtered lying down and vice-
versa.Othersdisagreeandholditisnotdisliked.ItispreIerabletoslaughterone'sanimalwithone's
ownhands,iIpossible,otherwiseonemayassignsomeoneelsetodoitonone'sbehalI,butonemust
bepresentthere.
Eiqh5.114:Butcher'sWages outoItheSacriIice?
It is not permissible to give a butcher his wages out oI the meat oI the animal. A butcher may,
however,begivenaportionoIthemeatincharity.ThisisbasedonthestatementoIAliwhosaid,"the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)orderedmetotakecareoIhiscamelsthatweretobeslaughteredandto
distribute their meat, skins and everything else (among the needy people), but he ordered me not to
giveanyportionoIittothebutcher."Andthenhesaid,"WeshallgivehimIromourselves."Thisis
reportedbytheGroup.
This hadith shows that one is permitted to designate someone else to slaughter the animal on one's
behalI, distribute its meat, skin and other useIulpartsamongothers,butoneisnotpermittedtogive
any portion oI it in wages to the butcher. A butcher should, however, be paid Ior his work as the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)said,"WeshallgivehimIromourselves."
ItisreportedthatAl-Hasansaid,"ThereisnoharmingivingtheskinoItheanimaltothebutcher."
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Eiqh5.114a:EatingtheMeatoItheSacriIicialAnimal
Allah commands Muslims to eat oI the animals slaughtered in sacriIice: "...eat you thereoI and Ieed
suchas(begnotbut)liveincontentmentandsuchasbegwithduehumility."(Qur'an22.36)
Apparently this commandment applies to both the obligatory and supererogatory sacriIice. There is
somedisagreementamongthejuristsonthissubject.AbuHaniIahandAhmadareoItheopinionthat
one may eat oI thesacriIicemadeIorHajjTamattu'(InwhichHajjand'Umraharecombinedwitha
break)orHajjQiran(InwhichHajjand'Umraharecombinedwithoutabreak)oronethatisoIIered
voluntarily,butonemaynoteatoIanyothersacriIice.
MalikholdsthatonemayeatoIananimalsacriIicedasapenaltyIorviolatingone'spreviousHajj,or
thatwhichissacriIicedIormissingone'sHajj,orasacriIiceoIIeredbyoneperIormingHajjTamattu',
oranyotheranimaloIIeredinsacriIice,exceptasacriIiceoIIeredasanatonementIorkillingagame
oronethatisvowedIorthepoor,andthatwhichisoIIeredvoluntarilyexceptwhen(itisIeared)the
animalwillbespoiledbeIorearrivingatitsplaceoIslaughter.
Ash-ShaIi'iholdsthatoneisnotpermittedtoeatoIanobligatorysacriIice,e.g.anobligatorysacriIice
olIered in penalty, or a sacriIice made Ior killing a game, or one that is oIIered Ior spoiling one ' s
Hajj,oroneoIIeredIorHajjTamattu'orHajjQiran,andlikewisethatwhichonehasvowed.Incase
oIavoluntarysacriIice,however,onemayeatthereoIhimselIaswellasgiveittoothers.
Eiqh5.115:AmountoIMeattobeEatenoItheSacriIice
A person oIIering a sacriIice may consume, without any restrictions, any amount oI meat he may
desire. He may likewise give away or oIIer in charity any amount he may wish. Some scholars said
that one may eat halI and give away the other halI in charity, while others said that the meat be
divided into three parts. OI these one may keep a part, distribute a part,andgiveincharitythethird
part.
Eiqh5.115a:ShavingorClippingHair
ThepracticeoIshavingorclippinghairisaIIirmedbytheQur'an,theSunnahoItheProphet,andthe
consensusoIthecommunity.SaysAllah:"TrulydidAllahIulIilthevisionIorHisMessenger:yeshall
entertheSacredMosque,iIAllahwills,withmindssecure,headsshaved,haircutshort,andwithout
Iear."(Qur'an48.27)
BothBukhariandMuslimhavereportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"MayAllahbless
those who shaved." The Companions asked him, "O Allah's Messenger, what about those who clip
theirhairshort?"ThereupontheProphet(peacebeuponhim)againsaid,"MayAllahblessthosewho
shaved." They repeated their question the third time, and again the Prophet said, "May Allah bless
thosewhoshaved."WhentheyaskedhimIortheIourthtime,"OAllah'sMessenger,whataboutthose
whocliptheirhairshort?"Hesaid,"And(mayAllahbless)thosewhocliptheirhairshort.(Itissaid
that the reason Ior repeating supplication Ior those who shaved their hair is obviously to encourage
people to shave rather than cut their hair short only because by shaving oII one's hair one
demonstratesone'ssincerityandhumilitytoAllahwithoutcaringIorone'sphysicalappearance)
Both Bukhari and Muslim also report that the Prophet (peace be upon him) shaved his head, and so
didagroupoIhisCompanions,whileothersonlycuttheirhairshort.
ShavingheremeansremovinghairoItheheadwitharazor,etc.,orpluckingthemout.ItsuIIicesone,
however,toremoveonlyasmanyasthreehairs.AndcuttingthehairshortmeanscuttingthelengthoI
oneIingertipoIthehead'shair.ThemajorityoIjuristsdisagreeconcerningthisissue.
Most scholars hold that shaving or cutting the hair short is obligatory, and one Iailing to do somust
slaughterananimaltoatoneIorthisomission.AccordingtotheShaIi'ischoolitisanintegralpartoI
Hajj.
Eiqh5.116:TimeoIShaving
ApilgrimmayshaveorcuthishairshortrightaIterthrowingtheIirstpebblesatJamarahAl-Aqabah
on the Day oI Nahr - the 10th oI Zhul-Hijjah. II, however, a pilgrim has with him animals to be
slaughteredthenhecanshaveorcuthishairshortonlyaIterhavingslaughteredtheseanimals.
In a hadith reported by Ma'mar bin Abdullah we read that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
slaughteredhissacriIicialanimalatMinaandsaid,"Hehascommandedmetoshave(myhead)."This
wasreportedbyAhmadandAt-Tabarani.
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The time to shave or cut one's hair short while perIorming 'Umrah is right aIter completing Sa'i -
sevenrounds- betweenSaIaandMarwah.AsIorthosewhobringtheirsacriIicalanimalswiththem,
theymayshaverightaItertheyslaughterthem.
AtthetimeoIshavingorcuttingone'shairshort,accordingtoAbuHaniIahandMalik,onemustbe
in Haram (within the prencincts oI the Sacred Mosque) and it must be during the Days oI Nahrm-
10th, 11th, 12th and 13th oI Zhul-Hijjah. A narration Irom Ahmad, based on the above hadith,
supportsthisopinion.
Ash-ShaIi'i,MohammadbinAl-Hasan,and,accordingtohiswellknownposition,Ahmad,areoIthe
viewthatshavingorcuttingoIone'shairshortmustbedonewithintheSacredPrecinctsoItheHaram,
but not necessarily during the Days oI Nahr. II one delays shaving one's head until aIter these days
onemaydosowithoutanyharmorincurringanypenalty.
Eiqh5.116a:EtiquetteoIShavingorCuttingShortOne'sHair
It is liked that while shaving the head one should Iirst shave the right halI, then the leIt side, while
IacingthedirectionoIQiblah,utteringAllahuAkbar,andoIIeringatworak'ahprayerattheendoIit.
Waki' said, "Abu HaniIah once told me: 'I was mistaken concerning Iive rites oI Hajj and a cupper
taught these to me and corrected me. This happened when I went to a cupper and asked him, "How
muchwillyouchargeIorshavingmyhead?"Thecuppersaid,"AreyouIromIraq?"Isaid,"Yes."The
cuppersaidtome,"Sitdown,thisisariteoIHajj,andonitnoconditionsmustbeplaced."Isatdown
with my Iace slightlyaway Irom the direction oIQiblah.Atthishesaid,"TurnyourIacetowardthe
Qiblah." I turned the leIt side oI my head to him to shave it Iirst whereupon he said, "Turn over the
rightsideoIyourhead(thatImayshaveitIirst)."Iturnedtherightsidetohimandhebeganshaving
whileIsatquiet.Heagainsaid,"Saytakbir"whichIdid,untilwhenIgotuptoleave,hesaid,"Where
areyougoing?"Isaid,"Iamgoingtomycamp."Hesaid,"OIIeratworak'ahprayerIirst,thenleave."
Iaskedhim,"Wheredidyoulearnallthis?"Hereplied,"Ihaveseen'AtabinAbiRabahdoingthis.""'
ThiswasreportedbyAl-MuhibAl-Tabari.
Eiqh5.117:PassingRazoroveraBaldMan'sHead
ThemajorityoIscholarsisoItheopinionthatinthecaseoIabaldman,whohaslittleornohairatall,
it is desirable to pass a razor over his head. Ibn-ul-Munzhir said, "All reliable scholars agree that a
razorbepassedovertheheadoIabaldman."InAbuHaniIah'sopinionpassingrazorovertheheadoI
abaldmanisobligatory.
Eiqh5.117a:Clippingone'sNailsandShorteningMoustaches
ItisdesirableIorthosewhoshaveorcutshorttheirhair(aspilgrims)toalsocliptheirIingernailsand
shortentheirmustaches.WheneverIbn'Umarshavedorcutshorthishairin Hajjor'Umrah,hewould
alwayscliphisIingernailsandshortenhismoustaches.
Ibnal-Munzhirsaid,"ItisconIirmedthatwhentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)shavedorcutshort
hishairheclippedhisIingernailsaswell."
Eiqh5.117b:AWomantoShortenHerHairbutEorbiddentoShave
AbuDaw'udandothersreportedIromIbn'AbbasthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Women
(pilgrims) do not have to shave (their heads); they may only shorten their hair." Al-HaIiz considers
thisasoundhadith.
Ibn Al-Munzhir said, "There is agreement among the scholars on this, because shaving a woman's
headisinIactasortoIpunishmentIorher."
Eiqh5.117c:HowMuchoIHerHairaWomanistoCutOII
Ibn'Umarsaid,"Whenawoman(pilgrim)wantstocutoIIherhair,shemayholdherhairattheIront
andcutitoIIaboutthelengthoIthetipoIaIinger."In'Ata'sopinion,whilecuttingherhair,awoman
should cut it oII her sides, oI the long hair as well as the short ones. This is reported by Sa'id bin
Mansur.OthersholdthatthereisnolimitastohowmuchawomanmaycutoIIherhair.TheShaIi'i
schoolholdsthatcuttingasmuchasthreehairsisenoughIoraIemalepilgrim.
Eiqh5.118:TawaIAl-IIadah
There is consensus among the Muslims that TawaI AI-lIadah is one oI the essentials oI Hajj, and iI
someone Iails to observe it his Hajj is void. The Qur'an (22.29) says: "Then, let them complete the
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rites prescribed Ior them, perIorm their vows, and (again) circumambulate the Ancient House".
AccordingtoAhmadapilgrimmustmakeadeIiniteintentionIoritsperIormance.
All the otherthreeImamsholdthathavingtheintentiontoperIormHajjcoversandappliestoallits
ritesincludingTawaIAl-IIadah.
ThemajorityoIscholarsholdsthatTawaIAI-lIadahiscomprisedoIsevenroundsoItheKa'bah.Abu
HaniIah,however,isoItheviewthatonlyIouroIthesevenroundsareessentialinHajj,andiIthese
(Iour)aremissedtheHajjoIapersonbecomesvoid.Theremainingthreeroundsarenecessary(wajib)
butnotessential.ApilgrimabandoningoneoralloIthesethreeroundsmissesanecessarypart,butit
doesnotinvalidatehisHajj,althoughheisrequiredtooIIerasacriIiceoIananimalinatonementIor
it.
Eiqh5.118a:TimeIorTawaIAl-lIadah
AccordingtoAsh-ShaIi'iandAhmad,thetimeIoritisIromthemidnightoItheDayoINahr,the10th
oI Zhul-Hijjah, and its end is indeIinite. A male pilgrim is, however, not permitted to have sexual
intercoursewithhiswiIeuntilaIterhecompletesTawaIAl-IIadah.Delayingitbeyondthe11th,12th
and13thoIZhul-Hijjah,doesnotobligateapersontoslaughterananimal,butitisdisliked.
ThebesttimeIorperIormingthisTawaIisbeIorenoonontheDayoINahr,the10thoIZhul-Hijjah.
According to Abu HaniIah and Malik its time is Irom the dawn on the Day oI Nahr, though
concerningitsendthereisdisagreementamongscholars.
Abu HaniIah holds that it must be perIormed during the Days oI Nahr, but iI a pilgrim delays it
beyondthesethenhemustslaughterananimalinatonementIorit.Malik,ontheotherhand,isoIthe
view that there is no harm in delaying this rite until aIter the 13th oI Zhul-Hijjah, though doing it
earlier(duringtheDaysoITashriq)isbetter.ItstimeisuntiltheendoIthemonthoIZhul-Hijjah,and
iIitisperIormedaIterit.thenonemustslaughterananimalinatonement.TheHajjoIsuchaperson
willstillbevalid,IorthewholemonthoIZhul-Hijjah,accordingtoMalik,isincludedinthemonths
oIHajj.
Eiqh5.118b:WomenandTawaIAl-IIadah
EorwomenitisdesirabletoperIormTawaIAl-IIadahearlyontheDayoINahr,iItheyIeartheywill
begin to menstruate. 'Aishah used to order the women (pilgrims) to perIorm it on the Day oI Nahr-
10thoIZhul-Hijjah,asaprecautionagainstthemenses.
'Atasaid,"IIawoman(pilgrim)isaIraidoIhermonthlyperiod,shemayperIormtheTawaIoIKa'bah
beIore throwing the pebbles at Jamarah Al-Aqabah, and even beIore her sacriIicial animal is
slaughtered.
There is no harm in a woman pilgrim using any medicine to delay her periods so as to perIorm this
TawaI.Sa'idbinMansurreportedthatIbn'Umarwasaskedaboutawomanthattakessomemedicine
todelayherperiods.Atthishesaidhesawnoharminit,andtoldthemtouse wateroIArakinstead.
Mohibbuddin Al-Tabri said, "II it can be delayed in this case then it can also be delayed in
(determining) the period oI'iddah,andallothersituations.Onthesameprinciple,medicinesmaybe
usedtoinducemonthlyperiods.
Eiqh5.119:StayingintheValleyoIAl-Mohasab
It is established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) on his way Irom Mina to Makkah rested Ior a
while at Al-Mohasab, where he oIIered Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha prayers. Ibn 'Umar would
alwaysdolikewise.
Thereisdisagreementamongthescholarsastoitsdesirability.'AishahsaidthattheProphet(peacebe
uponhim)restedatAl-Mohasabbecauseitwaseasiertodoso,butitisnotasunnah.Hence,onemay
ormaynotdoso.
Al-KhattabisaidthatitwassomethingpracticedbeIorebutwaslateronabandoned.Tirmizhisaidthat
somescholarslikedtorestatAl-Abtahwithouttreatingitasnecessary,exceptthosewholikedit.
ThewisdomoIrestingatthisplaceistothankAllahIorwhatHebestoweduponHisProphet(peace
be upon him) in the Iorm oI victory over his enemies who boycotted Banu Hashim and Banu Al-
MutallibandIoresworethattheywillneithermarrytheirwomennorsellanythingtothemunlessthey
handovertheProphet(peacebeuponhim)tothem.
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Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) intended to proclaim the rites oI Islam at a
placewheredisbelieI,blasphemy,andhostilitytoAllahandHisMessengerweredominant."
This was the usual practice oI the Prophet (peace be upon him).He would use every opportunity to
proclaimtheOnenessoIAllahatplacesoncedominatedbysymbolsoIdisbelieIandpolytheism.One
such example is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered that a Mosque in Ta'iI be built in the
sameplacewhereonceidolsoILatand'Uzzastood.
Eiqh5.121:UMRAH
InArabictheword'UmrahisderivedIromal-i'timarwhichmeansavisit.Hereitmeanspayingavisit
to Ka'bah, perIorming lawaI around it, walking between SaIa and Marwah seven times, and then
shavingone's headorcuttingone'shairshort.
Thereisconsensusamongscholarsthatitisaprescribedworship.Ibn'AbbasreportedthattheProphet
(peacebeuponhim)said,"An'UmrahinthemonthoIRamadanisequal(inreward)toperIorminga
Hajj.'' (This does not, however, remove Irom one the obligation oI perIorming the obligatory Hajj)
ThiswasreportedbyAhmadandIbnMajah.
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Eromone'Umrahtothenextisan
atonement Ior any sins committed in between, and the reward Ior an accepted Hajj is nothing but
Paradise."ThiswasreportedbyAhmad,BukhariandMuslim.
Eiqh5.121a:RepeatedPerIormanceoI'Umrah
NaIi'said,"DuringthereinoIIbnAz-Zubair,Abdullahbin'UmarperIormedan'Umrahtwiceayear."
Al-Qasimsaid,"AishahperIormedthree'Umrahsinoneyear."
Some people asked iI any oI the scholars criticised her Ior this. He replied, "May Allah be blessed!
(Criticise) the Mother oI Believers?!!" The majority oI scholars supports this view. Malik, however,
holdsthattherepetitionoI'Umrahmorethanonceayearisdisliked.
Eiqh5.121b:UmrahBeIoreandDuringtheMonthsoIHajj
ApersonmayperIorm'UmrahduringthemonthsoIHajj,withoutperIormingHajj.'UmarperIormed
'Umrah during the month oI Shawwal and returned to Madinah without perIorming Hajj. One may,
like'Umar,perIorm'UmrahevenbeIoreHajj.
Taw'ussaid,"IntheDaysoIIgnorancetheArabsconsideredperIormingan'Umrahduringthemonths
oI Hajj as one oI the major sins. And they used to say, "When (the month oI) SaIar ends, and the
camels are back, and wounds in theirlegsarehealed,andwhentracesoIIootprints(oIpilgrims)are
eIIaced,thenonewishingtoperIorm'Umrahmaydoso."
AItertheadventoIIslam,thepeoplewerecommandedtoperIorm'UmrahevenduringthemonthsoI
Hajj.Thus,the'UmrahwaspermittedduringthemonthsoIHajjtilltheDayoIJudgement.
Eiqh5.122:UmrahsPerIormedBytheProphet
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) perIormed Iour 'Umrahs in his liIetime:
'Umrah oI Hudaibiyah, one that he perIormed to make up Ior another missed 'Umrah, a thirdthathe
perIormedgoingIorthIromAl-Ji'rannah,andtheIourthhecombinedwithhisHajj.Thiswasreported
byAhmad,AbuDaw'udandIbnMajah,withasoundchainoIauthorities.
Eiqh5.122a:ItsLegalStatus
According to the HanaIi school and Malik, 'Umrah is a sunnah, as described in this hadith reported
IromJabirwhosaid,"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wasonceaskedabout 'Umrah,andwhetherit
wasobligatory(wajib),towhichhereplied,'No,itisnot,butitisbetteriIyouperIormit."'Thiswas
reportedbyAhmadandTirmizhiwhoconsiderthisasoundhadith.
TheShaIi'ischool,andAhmadholdittobeobligatory(Iard)inthelightoIthewordsoIAllah(Qur'an
2.196) "And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah in the service oI Allah." In the above verse 'Umrah is
mentioned along with Hajj, which is obligatory, which means 'Umrah must likewise be obligatory,
eventhoughtheIormerispreIerable.
TheauthoroIEathul'Alamsays,"OnthissubjectnodecisioncanbemadeonthebasisoIahadith."
Tirmizhi has reported that Ash-ShaIi'i said, "There is no evidence concerning 'Umrah; it is only a
supererogatoryactoIworship."
Eiqh 5.122b:TimeIor'Umrah
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The majority oI scholars is oI the opinion that 'Umrah may be perIormed any time during the year.
AbuHaniIah,however,isoItheopinionthatitisdislikedtoperIorm'UmrahonIivedays:theDayoI
'AraIah,theDayoINahr(the 10thoIZhul-Hijjah),andthethreedaysoITashriq(11th,12th,and13th
oIZhul-Hijjah).
Abu YusuI considers it disliked on the Day oI 'AraIah, and during the three Iollowing days. All oI
them,however,agreeonthepermissibilityoIperIorming'UmrahduringthemonthsoIHajj.
Bukhari has reported Irom 'Ikrimah bin Khalid that he said, "I asked Abdullah bin 'Umar about
perIorming 'Umrah beIore Hajj, whereupon he said, 'There is no harm in doing so, because the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)himselIperIormed'UmrahbeIoretheHajj."'
Jabirreportedthat'Aishah'smenstruationstartedwhileshewasperIormingHajj,butsheperIormedall
the rites oI Hajj except tawaI around Ka'bah. When her period ended and she was clean, she
perIormed the tawaI, and said, "O Prophet oI Allah! Everyone has perIormed Hajj and 'Umrah
together, but I have perIormed Hajj only." Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded
her brother Abdur Rahman to accompany her to Tan'im (in order to perIorm 'Umrah). So she
perIormed 'Umrah right aIter Hajj in the month oI Zhul-Hijjah. The best time to perIorm 'Umrah is
duringthemonthoIRamadan.
Eiqh5.123:MiqatIor'Umrah
IncaseapersonintendingtoperIorm'UmrahisoutsidethemiqatIixedIorHajj,itisnotpermittedIor
himtocrossthesemiqats(placesIixedIorihram)withoutdeclaringihram.
Bukhari has reported that Zaid bin Jubair came to Ibn 'Umar and asked him, "WhereIrom should I
declare my intention to perIorm 'Umrah?" He replied, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) has set
Qarna as the miqat Ior the people oI Najd (Irom where they must declare their ihram), and similarly
IorthepeopleoIMadinahhesetZhulHulaiIah,andIorthepeopleoISyriaAlJohIahastheirmiqats."
One who is already well within the conIines oI the miqat area--even iI one is within the Sacred
PrecinctsoIHaramitselI--mustgoouttothemiqatanddeclareihramIromthere,asisobviousIrom
theabovehadithoIBukhariwhichsaysthat'AishahwascommandedbytheProphet(peacebeupon
him)togotoTan'im(themiqat)andputonherihramIor'UmrahIromthere.
Eiqh5.123a:EarewellTawaI
This is called the Earewell TawaI because by this a pilgrim bids Iarewell to Ka'bah, the House oI
Allah.ItisalsoknownasTawaIAs-Sadr(TawaIBeIoreDeparting)becauseitmarksthedepartingoI
pilgrims Irom Makkah. In this there is no jogging (ramal), and it is the last rite perIormed by a
nonresident pilgrim in Makkah beIore leaving Ior his home. Malik has reported in Al-Muwatta that
'Umarsaid,"ThelastriteoIHajjistawaIaroundtheKa'bah."
AsIorresidentsoIMakkah,andthemenstruatingwomen(pilgrims),theyarenotobligatedtoperIorm
it,nortopayanyatonementIormissingit.BothBukhariandMuslimreportedIromIbn'Abbasthathe
said, "A menstruating woman (pilgrim) is permitted to depart (without perIorming the Earewell
TawaI)." According to another report, he said: "PeoplewereorderedtomakethetawaIoItheKa'bah
theirlastrite;themenstruatingwomenwere,however,excusedIromit."
It is also reported by Muslim and BukharithatSaIiyah,thewiIeoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)
hadhermonthlyperiodduringHajj.WhentheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wasinIormedaboutthis,
he said, "Is she going to hold us here(tillsheperIormsherritesoIHajj)?"Hewastoldthatshehad
alreadyperIormedallherHajjritesexcepttheEarewellTawaI.TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,
"Thereisnoharmthen,(letusgo)."
Eiqh5.124:LegalStatusoIEarewellTawaI
There is agreement among the Muslim scholars that the Earewell TawaI is prescribed by law. Both
MuslimandAbuDaw'udreportedIromIbn'Abbasthathesaid,"Thepeople(pilgrims)usedtoleave
Makkahineveryotherdirection(andhaphazardly).ThereupontheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,
"LetnoneoIyouleaveMakkahbetoremakingaTawaIaroundtheKa'bah,asthelastoIHajjrites."
Thereisdisagreement,however,aboutitslegalposition.Malik,Dawu'd,andIbnAl-Munzhirsayitis
sunnahandbyleavingitonedoesnotincuranypenalty.Ash-ShaIi'iisalsooIthisview.TheHanaIi
andHanbalischools,and,accordingtoonereport,Ash-ShaIi'i,holdthatitisobligatory,andapilgrim
whomissesitmustslaughterananimaltoatoneIorit.
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Eiqh5.124a:TimeIorEarewellTawaI
OneshouldperIormthisriteaIterIinishingallotherritesandjustbeIoreleavingMakkahsothatitis
thelastriteoneperIormsasapilgrim,asmentionedinthehadithgivenabove.
AIter the completion oI the Earewell TawaIa pilgrim must leave Makkah, without engaging in any
sellingorbuyingorstayingonIorlongthereaIter.ApersonengaginginanyoIthesemustrepeathis
TawaI beIore leaving Makkah. One may, however, stop Ior a while in order to purchase necessary
provisions.
Whendeparting,itisrecommendedthatoneshouldsupplicatetoAllahinthesewordsastransmitted
by Ibn 'Abbas: Allahumma inni 'ahduka wa ibnu 'abdika wa ihnu 'amatika. Hamalatni 'ala ma
sakhartaliminkhalqikawasatartaniIihiladikahattaballaghtani-bini'matika-ilabaitika,waa'antani'ala
ada-inusuki,Ia-inkuntaradita'anniIaz-dud'anniridan,waillaIa-minalaanaIarda'aniqablaantan'a
'an baitika dari. Ea hazha awanu insiraIi in azintali ghaira mustabdilin bika wa la bi-baitika, wa la
raghibun 'anka wa la 'an baitika. AllahummaIa-as-hebnil al 'aIiyataIi badani wa sihataIi jismi wal
'ismata Ii dini, wa ahsen munqalabi, warzuqni ta'ataka ma abqaitani, wajma' li balna khairai-dunyia
walakhirata,innaka'alakulishai'inqadeer."OAllah!Iamyourslave,sonoIyourslave,sonoIyour
maid slave. You enabled me to mount what You subjected to my service oI Your creation. You
protectedmeinthislandoIYours,untilYou,byYourgrace,broughtmetoYourHouse.Youhelped
me perIorm rites oI Hajj. O Allah! II You are pleased with me, increase Your pleasure with me.
Otherwise,grantmeYourpleasurebeIoreIdepartIromYourHouse.OAllah,nowisthetimeIorme
to depart, by Your leave, without changing (my attitude) toward You and Your House, nor turning
awayIromYouorYourHouse.OAllah,grantmehealthinmybody,purityinmyreligion,blessmy
return, and help me to obey You until You cause me to live, and combine Ior me the good oI this
worldandtheworldtocome.Youhavepoweroverallthings."
Ash-ShaIi'isaid,"IlikethatwhenleavingtheHouseoIAllah,apilgrimshouldstandbyAl-Multazim,
andthenmakethesupplicationmentionedintheabovehadith."
Eiqh5.125:OnPerIormingHajjand'Umrah:ABrieISummary
Onapproachingthemiqat(theplaceIixedIortakingonihram),apilgrimshouldtrimhismoustache,
cutshorthishair,cliphisIingernails,andtakeabathormakeablution,wearsomeperIume,andthen
don the ihram. He should oIIer a two rak'ah prayer, and then declare his or her intention to perIorm
Hajj,orHajjand'Umrah,or'Umrahonly,asthecasemaybe.
WearingihramanddeclaringintentionIorHajjor'UmrahisanessentialpartoIboth,andneitherwill
becorrectwithoutthese.
SpeciIyingthekindoIHajj,whetheritisiIrad(Hajjonly),tamattu'(Hajjand'Umrahcombinedwith
abreakinbetween),orqiran(Hajjand'Umrahwithoutabreak),isnotessential.IIsomeonemakesan
intention oI perIorming Hajj without speciIying the kind, his ihram will still be valid, and he may
perIormanyoIthethreekindsoIHajj.
AssoonasheentersthestateoIihramapilgrimmustuttertalbiyahloudly,wheneverheclimbsahill
or goes down a valley, meets a group or a person, early in the morning, and aIter every prescribed
prayer.
WheninastateoIihram,apersonmustavoidsexualintercourseandallthingsthatleadtoit;hemust
avoidwranglinganduselessbickering,normusthemarryorjoinothersinmarriage.
AmuhrimmustnotwearanysewnclothesorshoesthatcoverhisIeetabovehisankles.Hemustnot
coverhishead,noruseanyperIume,norcuthishairornails,norengageinhuntinganygame,norcut
treesorgrasswithintheSacredPrecinctsoIHaram.:RepeatedPerIormanceoI'Umrah
WhenenteringMakkahitisdesirablethatapilgrimenterIromitshighiide.iIpossible.attertakinga
bath at the Zhi Tawa well in Zahir. Then he should go to the Ka bah and enter the Sacred Mosque
Irom the gate called Bab As-Salam, while uttering supplications oI entry into the mosques and
observingotheretiquetteoIentrywithhumility,Iear,andtalbiyahonhistongue.
On seeing the Ka'bah, he should raise his hands and supplicate to Allah Ior His bounties. Then he
shoulddirectlyproceedtotheBlackStone,kissitquietlyortouchitwithhishandandkissthehand.
II this is not possible and one cannot reach the Black Stone, one may just point toward it Irom a
distance.
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AIter this one should begin his tawaI around the Ka'bah supplicating in words transmitted Irom the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim).
IntheIirstthreeroundsitislikedthatthe(male)pilgrimuncoverhisrightshoulderandjogataslow
pace.Intheremainingroundshemaywalkatanormalpace.Itissunnahtotouchineveryroundthe
YemeniCornerandtokisstheBlackStone.Attercompleting(sevenroundsoI)thetawaIthepilgrim
shouldgototheStationoIIbrahimincompliancewiththecommandoIAllah"AndtaketheStationoI
IbrahimasaplaceoIprayer."(Qur'an2.125)Thereheshouldpraytworak'ahsoItawaI.
Now he should go to the well oI Zamzam and drink oI its waterasmuchaspossible.ThereaIterthe
pilgrimgoestoAl-MultazimandstandsthereandsupplicatesIorhimselItoAllahIorwhatevergood
he may wish Ior in this world and the hereaIter. AIter this he should (iI possible) go to the Black
Stone,andkissit.
Then he should approach the (hill oI) SaIa through the As-SaIa gate to begin his Sa'i in compliance
withAllah'swords"Behold!SaIaandMarwahareamongthesymbolsoIAllah.SoiIthosewhovisit
theHouseintheseasonoratothertimes.shouldcompassthem,itisnosin."(Qur'an2.158)Heshould
climbtheSaIa,looktowardsKa'bah.andthenmakesupplicationtoAllah,usingonetransmittedIrom
theProphet(peacebeuponhim).AIterthisheshouldclimb downandstartwalkingtowardthe(hill
oI)Al-MarwahasastartoIhissevenroundwalkbetweenthetwohills,whilerememberingAllahand
supplicatingtoHim.
On approaching one oI the two green markers, he should jog to the second green marker. And aIter
that he should resume his normal walking speed toward Al-Marwah. Upon reaching Al-Marwah he
shouldclimbit,turntowardKa'bah,andmakesupplicationsandgloriIyAllah.Thiswillcompletehis
one round. Then he should make the remaining six rounds in like manner, completing all seven
rounds.
ThisSa'iisanessential(wajib)ritualoIHajj,andanypilgrimIailingtoperIormitorapartoIitmust
slaughterananimaltoatoneIorthisomission.Einally,iIheisperIormingaHajjTamattu'(Hajjwith
an 'Umrah with a break between the two), he should either shave olI his head or trim his hair short.
ThiswouldreleasehimoIalltherestrictionsoIthestateoIihram,andallthingsthatwereprohibited
tohiminthatstatebecomepermissibleIorhim,includingsexualintercoursewithhiswiIe.
ThosewhointendtoperIormaHajjIIrad(Hajjonly)orHajjQiran(Hajjand'Umrahtogetherwithout
abreak)theymustcontinueinthestateoIihram.Onthe8thoIZhul-HijjahthoseintendingtoperIorm
Hajj Tamattu' will once more resume ihram Irom their residences and proceed to Mina, along with
thosewhohadcontinuedinastateoIihram,andspendthenightthere.
At sunrise oI the 9th oI Zhul-Hijjah the pilgrims leave Ior AraIah, and (iI possible) stay by the
MosqueoINamira.TheretheytakeabathandoIIerZuhrand'Asrprayers,makingQasr(shortening
theprayers)andcombiningthemattheearliesttimebehindanimam.IIthisisnotpossiblethenone
mayprayalone,asbestasonecan,combiningandshorteningthetwoprayers.
Pilgrims' stay at AraIah begins only atter the sun has passed its zenith. During this time one should
stand by the rocks (oI AraIah) or as close as possible, because this is where the Prophet (peace be
upon him) used to take his stand. Staying at AraIah is the principal rite oI Hajj, but climbing the
MountoIMercyisneitherasunnahnorshoulditbeattempted.
During this stay one should Iace the direction oI Qiblah, gloriIy Allah and remember Him, and
supplicatetoHimasmuchaspossibleuntilnightIall.
AIter nightIall the pilgrims must leave Ior MuzdaliIah, and reaching there, oIIer Maghrib and 'Isha
prayers, combining them and oIIering themtowardthetheendoItheusualtime,andthenspendthe
nightthere.
At dawn the pilgrims stand by Al-Mash'ar al Haram (the Sacred Monument), and remember and
gloriIy Allah until it is broad daylight. ThereaIter they should return to Mina aIter picking up their
pebblesIromMuzdaliIah.
StandingbytheSacredMonumentisessential(wajib),andanyoneIailingtodosoisrequiredtooIIer
asacriIiceinatonement.
AIter the sunrise, a pilgrim must throw seven pebbles at Jamarah Al-Aqabah. Then he should
slaughterhissacriIicialanimal,iIpossible,shaveoIIorcuthishairshort.ThiswillreleasehimIrolll
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therestrictionsoIihram.andhemayengageinanynormalactivityexceptsexualintercoursewithhis
wite.
HemustthenreturntoMakkahtoperIormTawaIAl-ItadahanessentialpartoIHajj,andalsoknown
asTawaIAz-Ziyarah.HeshouldperIormitinthesamemannerashehadearlierperIormedTawaIAl-
Qudum.IIthepilgrimisperIormingHajjTamattu',hemustperIormaSa'iaIterthisTawaIAl-IIadah.
EorapilgrimperIormingHajjQiranorIIrad,thissecondSa'iisnotessential,iIonarrivinginMakkah
hehadperIormedaTawaIAl-Qudum.
AIter this tawaI - TawaI-Al-IIadah - a pilgrim may engage in all normal lawIul activities including
sexualintercoursewithhiswiIe.
ThepilgrimmustnowreturntoMinaandstayovernightthere.ThisovernightstayatMinaisessential
andIorabandoningitonemustatonebyoIIeringasacriIice.
AIter midday on the 11th oI Zhul-Hijjah, the pilgrim must throw pebbles at the three Jamarahs,
starting with the one nearest to Mina, then the middle one, and stand Ior a while invoking and
supplicating to Allah. Then he should go to the last Jamarah, throw pebbles at it, and leave without
stoppingthere.ApilgrimshouldIinishthrowingpebblesatthethreeJamarahswellbeIorethesunset.
Onthe12thoIZhul-HijjahheshouldrepeattheritesoIthepreviousday.
HavingthrownthepebblesapilgrimisIreeeithertoreturntoMakkahbeIorethesunsetoIthe12thoI
Zhul-Hijjah,orspendthe13thoIZhul-HijjahaswellinMina,andthrowpebblesattheJamarahs.
ThrowingpebblesisanessentialriteoIHajjandIorIailingtodosoonemustoIIerasacriIice.
AIter returning to Makkah iI the pilgrim desires to return to his home country he must perIorm
TawaIAI-Wida' or Earewell TawaI, which is also an essential rite oI Hajj. In case he is unable to
perIorm it, and iI he has not crossed the miqat, he should return to Makkah and perIorm it, or else
sacriIiceasheep.
In short, the essential rites oI Hajj and 'Umrah are: declaring ihram Irom miqat, tawaI, Sa'i, halq
(shaving one' s hair) or qasr (or cutting one' s hair short). With these the rituals oI 'Umrah are
completed.
InthecaseoIHajjonehastoperIormcertainadditionalrites.TheessentialritesoIHajjarespendinga
Day at AraIah, throwing pebbles at Jamarahs, TawaI Al-lIadah, staying in Mina, slaughtering an
animal,shavingorcuttingone'shairshort.ThisisabrieIsummaryoIalltheritesoIHajjand'Umrah.
Eiqh5.128:GoingBackHomeAItertheHajj
AbuHurairahreportedthattheProphetsaid."TravelingisbutasortoItorture.OneispreventedIrom
(properly) eating and drinking. So when one oI you (travels and) accomplishes his work, he must
hastenbacktohisIamily."ThisisreportedbyBukhariandMuslim.'AishahreportedthattheProphet
(peacebeuponhim)said,"WhenoneoIyouhasperIormedHajj,heshouldhastenbacktohisIamily,
Iorthatwillincreasehisreward."ThiswasreportedbyAd-Daraqutni.
Muslim has reported Irom Al-'Ala bin Al-Hadrami that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "A
pilgrimIromabroadmaystayIorthree(days)aItercompletinghisHajj."
Eiqh5.128a:Al-Ihsar(OrBlockading)
Al-lhsar (as used in the Qur'an) means blocking the path to the House oI Allah. Allah says, "And
complete the Hajj or 'Umrah in the service oI Allah. But iI you are prevented (Irom completing it)
sendanoIIeringIorsacriIice."(Qur'an2.196)
This verse was revealed at the time oI Hudaibiah when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was
prevented Irom visiting the Sacred Mosque. By implication it means being prevented Irom making
tawaIinthecaseoI'Umrah,orspendingtheDayatAraIahandmakingTawaIAl-lIadahinthecaseoI
Hajj.
There is disagreement among the scholars, however, on what constitutes a state oI prevention or
blockading. Malik and ShaIi'i hold that such a state reIers to a blockade by an enemy, Ior the verse
was revealed about the Prophet (peace be upon him) who was blocked Irom perIorming an 'Umrah.
Ibn'Abbasalsoholdsasimilarview.
Most scholars including the HanaIites and Ahmad, however, are oI the opinion that a person is
deemed blocked when he is prevented Irom approaching the House oI Allah, byreasonoIanenemy
Iorce(AIorceoIdisbelieversorarebelgroup)orasicknesswhichcouldworsenbymotionortravel,
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astateoIIear(andinsecurity),lossoIprovisions,orinthecaseoIawoman,thedeathoIhermahram
accompanyingher,oranyothersimilarcause.IbnMas'udevengaveaverdictthatamanbittenbya
snakeisalsoconsideredamongthepreventedones.
These scholars base their argument on the Iact that the words "But iI you are prevented" used inthe
above Qur'anic verse about the Prophet (peace be upon him) are general and are not limited to any
speciIiccauseoIprevention.Thisisthestrongestviewonthissubject.
Eiqh5.129:PreventedPersontoSlaughteraSheeporaBiggerAnimal
TheverseisquiteclearinthatapreventedpersonmayslaughteranyanimalheisabletoaIIord.Ibn
'Abbas reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was prevented Irom perIorming 'Umrah
(by the Quraish) he shaved his head, consorted with his wives,andslaughteredhisanimal.Thenext
year he perIormed an 'Umrah to make up Ior the year that he had missed. This was reported by
Bukhari. The majority oI scholars in light oI this hadith hold the view that a prevented person must
slaughter a sheep, a cow or a camel. Malik, however, diIIers withthisopinionandsaysslaughtering
ananimalisnotessential.
TheauthoroIEathul'Alamremarks,"Malikisrightinhisopinion,becausealltheCompanionsoIthe
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)whowerepreventedwithhim(atHudaibiyah)didnothaveanimalswith
them to slaughter aIter they were unable to perIorm 'Umrah. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
slaughteredhisanimalwhichhehadbroughtalongwithhimIromMadinah."Thereisnoimplication
oIanyobligationintheverse.Rather,itistheProphet(peacebeuponhim)whoisreIerredtointhe
Qur'anic verse (48.25): "They are the ones who denied revelation and hindered you Irom the Sacred
MosqueandsacriIicialanimals."
Eiqh5.130:PlaceIorSlaughteringthePreventedAnimals
TheauthoroIEathul'Alamsays:'ThescholarsdisagreeconcerningtheplaceoIslaughterontheDay
oIHudaibiahwhetheritwaswithinoroutsidethe SacredPrecinctsoIHaram.ApparentlythewordsoI
Allah "and they hindered you Irom the Sacred Mosque and sacriIicial animals" suggest that the
animalswereslaughteredoutsidetheSacredPrecinctsoIHaram.Therearevariousviewsconcerning
this. One view - the majority view - is that a prevented person may slaughter his sacriIicial animal
withinoroutsidetheSacredPrecinctsoIHaram.Anotherview,theviewoItheHanaIiSchoolisthat
hemustslaughteritwithintheSacredPrecinctsoIHaram.Athirdview,theviewoIIbn'Abbasanda
group oI scholars, is that iI a prevented person is in a position to send his sacriIicial animal to the
PrecinctsoIHaramhemustslaughteritthere,andonlythenterminatehisihram.IIthisisnotpossible
thenhemayslaughteritattheplacewhereheisprevented.
Eiqh5.130a:APreventedPersonNotRequiredtoRepeatHisHajjExcepttheObligatoryHajj
CommentingontheQur'anicverse"ButiIyouareprevented(Iromcompletingit)sendanoIIeringIor
sacriIice," Ibn'Abbassaid,"IIoneintendedtoperIormeitherHajjor'Umrah,butwaspreventedIrom
approaching the House oI Allah, then hemustslaughterwhateveranimalhecanaIIord,asheepora
largeranimal."
IIapersonintendedtoperIormtheobligatoryHajj(andhewasprevented),hemustmakeituplater,
butiIhewasintendingasupererogatoryHajj,hedoesnothavetomakeupIorit.
Malik said that he was told that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions came to
Hudaibiah, and there they slaughtered their animals, shaved their heads, terminated their ihram, and
resumed their normal course oI liIe, without having Iirst made TawaI oI Ka'bah or without the
sacriIicialanimalsreachingtheKa'bah.
Likewise there is no record, according to Bukhari, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered his
Companions to make up Ior their (missed) 'Umrah or return to the Sacred Mosque to repeat it,
althoughHudaibiahisoutsidetheSacredPrecinctsoIHaram.
Ash-ShaIi'i holds that a prevented person may slaughter his sacriIicial animal at the place he is
stoppedandterminatehisihramandresumehisnorrnalliIe.HeisnotrequiredtomakeupIorwhathe
missed,becauseAllahhasnotmentionedanysuchthing.
Ash-ShaIi'iadds,"EorweknowIromtherecordedreportsthatsomeoIthepeoplewhowerewiththe
Prophet(peacebeuponhim)atthetimeoIHudaibiahdidnotreturnthenextyeartomakeupIortheir
missed'Umrah.
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TheywerenotIorcedtostaybackIoranyexcuse,sicknessorworldlybusiness.IImakingupIorthe
'UmrahwereessentialtheProphet(peacebeuponhim)wouldhavecertainlycommandedthemtojoin
himandnottostayback."
Continuing, he Iurther says, "This 'Umrah was called the "'Umrah tul Qada (or 'Umrah perIormed in
order to make up Ior the missed 'Umrah)" because oI the the dispute between the Prophet (peace be
upon him) and the Quraish, and not because it was essential (wajib) and had to be made up later by
another'Umrah."
Eiqh5.131:AMuhrimTerminatingIhramBecauseoIIllnessorSomeOtherReason
ManyscholarsholdittobepermissibleIoronetosetaconditionwhenenteringthestateoIihramthat
onewillberelievedoIitiIoneIellill.MuslimhasreportedIromIbn'AbbasthattheProphet(peace
be upon him) told Daba'ah, "PerIorm Hajj but set a conditionthatyoushallberelievedoItheihram
wheneveryouareprevented(duetoillness,etc.,)."
ln such a case iI a pilgrim is prevented Irom perIorming Hajj or 'Umrah Ior any reason, illness or
something else, he may terminate his state oI ihram and not be required to slaughter any animal, or
Iastinatonement.
Eiqh5.131a:CoveringoItheKa'bah
In the pre-lslamic period the Arabs used to cover the Ka'bah with a cloth covering. When Islam
prevailed it retained this tradition. Al-Waqidi has stated that Isma'il bin Ibrahim bin Abu Habibah
reportedIromhisIatherthatintheDaysoIIgnorancetheKa'bahwascoveredwithrugsmadeoIred
skin. Later on the Prophet (peace be upon him) covered it with Yemeni cloth, while 'Umar and
'UthmancovereditwithanEgyptianwhitecloth,Qabati.Hajjajcovereditwithsilkbrocade.TheIirst
onetocoveritwasamanIromTubba'oIYemencalledAs'adal-Himairi.
Ibn'UmarusedtochoosethebestandmostexpensiveQabati,Egyptiancloth,andsenditascovering
IortheKa'bah.ThisisreportedbyMalik.
Al-WaqidihasalsoreportedIromIshaqbinAbuAbdbinAbuJa'IarMohammadbinAlithathesaid,
"ThepeopleusedtosendclothcoveringsIortheKa'bah,andlikewisetheysenttoitsacriIicialcamels
loadedwithYemenicloth."
Yazid bin Mu'awiyah covered it in silk brocade, and so did Ibn Az-Zubair aIterwards. He used to
delegateMus'abbinAz-ZubairtosendacoveringIortheKa'bahwhichwaschangedon'Ashura(the
10thoIMuharram).
Sa'idbinMansurhasreportedthat"UmarbinAl-KhattabusedtotakedowntheoldcoveroIKa'bah,
every year,cutitintopieces,anddistributethemamongthepilgrimswhousedthemasshelterIrom
theheatoIMakkah.
Eiqh5.132:PerIumingtheKa'bah
Aishah said, "PerIume the Ka'bah, because this is a part oI puriIying it." Ibn Az-Zubair used to
perIume the entire interior oI the Ka'bah. He used to burn one pound oI incense in the Ka'bahdaily,
butonEriday,heburnttwopoundsoIincense.
Eiqh5.132a:ProhibitionoIProIaneActsinHaram
Allah says in the Qur'an (22.25): "And any whose purpose therein is proIanity or wrongdoing, them
willWecausetotasteoIamostgrievouspenalty."AbuDaw'udreportedIromMusabinBazhanthat
he said, "I went to Ya'la bin Amayyah, who said, 'the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Hoarding
Iood in the Sacred Mosque is committing an act oI proIanity." Bukhari in his At-Tarikh Al-Kabir
reportedIrom'Umarthathesaid,"HoardingIoodisaproIaneact."
AhmadreportedthatIbn'UmarcametoIbnAz-ZubairwhowassittinginAl-Hijr(Theareaattached
to Ka'bah and also called Hijr Isma'il) and said, "O Ibn Az-Zubair! Be mindIul oI acts oI proIanity
whileintheHaramoIAllah!IbearwitnessthatIheardtheMessengeroIAllah(peacebeuponhim),
saying,'AmanoIQuraishshallviolateitssanctity."'ThewordsoIanotherreportare"amanIromthe
QuraishwillcommitactsoIproIanityinit.HissinswillbeequivalenttothesinsoIhumansandJinns
combined,iIweighedagainst them.BemindIulthatyouarenotthatman."
Mujahidsaidthatgooddeedsmultiply(manyIold)inMakkahasdothesins.Ahmadwasonceasked,
"Arethesinsrecordedmorethanonce?"Hereplied,"No,exceptinMakkahbecauseoIthesanctityoI
thatcity."
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Eiqh5.132b:InvasionoIKa'bah
BukhariandMuslimreportedIrom'AishahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Anarmywill
attacktheKa'bah.Whentheyreachadeserttheywillallbecausedtobeswallowedupbytheearth,to
thelastman."'Aishahasked,"OMessengeroIAllah,howisthat,becauseamongthemtheremaybe
some pious and good people and others who are not with them?" The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said. "They will all be swallowed up by the earth, but then they will be restored to liIe (on the
JudgmentDay)accordingtotheirintentions."
Eiqh5.132c:TravelingtoThreeMosques
Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib reported Irom AbuHurairahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"You
should not undertake a special journey to visit any place other than the three Mosques: the Sacred
Mosque oI Makkah, this mosque oI mine, and Al-Aqsa Mosque (oI Jerusalem)." This is reported by
Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud. In another natration the words are "Eor three mosques a special
journey may be undertaken: The Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah), my mosque, and the mosque oI Al-Quds
(Jerusalem)."
Abu Zharr reported that he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), "O Prophet oI Allah, which
mosque was built Iirst on earth?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "TheSacred Mosque oI
Makkah."AbuZharragainasked,"Whichwasnext?"TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"TheAl-
Aqsa Mosque." "How long was the period between them?" Abu Zharr asked. The Prophet (peacebe
upon him) said, "Eorty years. Apart Irom these, oIIer your prayers anywhere when it istimetopray,
althoughexcellenceisinprayinginthesemosques."
Traveling to these three mosques is prescribed because oI their special position in Islam. Jabir
reportedthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"OneprayerinthismosqueoImineisbetterthan
1,000prayersoIIeredanywhereelseexcepttheSacredMosque,andoneprayerintheSacredMosque
isbetterthanahundredthousandprayersinanyothermosque."ThiswasreportedbyAhmadwitha
soundchainoIauthorities.
Anas bin Malik reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever prays Iorty prayers
consecutively in my mosque without missing any oI the obligatory prayer, he will be removed Irom
Hell, Irom punishment, and Irom hypocrisy." This was reported by Ahmad and At-Tabarani with a
sound chain. We read in various ahadith that a prayer oIIered in the AlAqsamosqueisIivehundred
times superior (in reward) to one oIIered in any other mosque, except the Sacred Mosque and the
MosqueoItheProphet(inMadinah).
Eiqh5.133:EtiquetteoIVisitingtheProphet'sMosqueandGrave
-1- It is recommended that one should approach the Prophet's Mosque calmly and with composure.
OneshouldwearperIume,putonanicecleandressandenterthemosquewiththerightIoot,andsay,
A'uzhu billahil 'azeem wa bi-wajhihil kareem wa sultanihil qadeem minashaitanir rajeem. Bismillah,
Allahummasalli'alaMuhammadinwaaalihiwasallam,AllahummaghIirlizunubiwaItahliabwaba
rahmatika. "I seek reIuge with Allah the Supreme with His Noble Eace and with His Eternal
Dominion Irom the accursed devil. In the Name oI Allah O Allah! BlessMohammadhisIamilyand
hisIollowers.OAllah!EorgivemysinsandopendoorsoIYourmercyIorme."
-2- Itisalsorecommendedto goIirsttotheraudah(Accordingtoahadithraudah(literally,agarden)
isthespaceintheProphet'smosquebetweenhisgraveandhispulpit.Asisstatedinthehadithbelow.
TheProphet(peacebeuponhim)diedinhishouse,andthatiswherehewas buried)andoIIerthere
tworak'ahsasgreetingstotheMosquewithcalmandhumility.
-3- AIterthisoneshouldheadtowardthegraveoItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)Iaceit,andwith
thebacktotheQiblah,givegreetingsoIpeacetotheProphet(peacebeuponhim),saying:Assalamu
'alaika ya rasulallah. Assalamu 'alaika ya nabiyallah. Assalamu 'alaika ya khiyrata khalqillah min
khalqihi. Assalamu 'alaika ya khaira khalqillah. Assalamu 'alaika ya habiballah. Assalamu 'alaika ya
sayyidilmursaleen.Assalamu'alaikayarasullallahrabal'alameen.Assalamu'alaikayaqa'idalghirril
muhajjaleen.Ash-hadualla-ilahaillallah,waash-haduannaka'abduhuwarasuluhuwaameenuhuwa
khiyratuhu min khcllyihi, wa ash-hadu annaka qad ballaghtar rasalata wa addaital amanata wa
nasahtal ummata wa jahdta Iillahi haqa jihadihi."Peacebeonyou,OtheMessengeroIAllah.Peace
beonyou,O,theProphetoIAllah.Peacebeonyou,O,thechosenoneoIAllah'screation.Peacebe
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on you, O, the beloved one oI Allah. Peace be on you, O, the ChieI oI the Messengers oI (Allah).
Peacebeonyou,O,theMessengeroItheLordoItheuniverse.Peacebeonyou,O,theChieIoIthe
unique generation. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that youareHis
slave,messenger,trustee,andthechosenoneoIHiscreation.Ibearwitnessthatyouindeeddelivered
the message (oI Allah). discharged your trust,counseledtheMuslimcommunity,andstrovehardtor
thecauseoIAllah."
-4- Now moving about a yard to the right, the visitor should oIIer his greetings to Abu Baker As-
Siddiq, and then moving Iurther another yard in the same direction, oIIer greetings to 'Umar bin Al-
Khattab.
-5- Then Iacing the direction oI Qiblah the visitor should supplicate Ior himselI, his Iamily, Iriends,
relatives,andtherestoItheMuslims,andthenleave.
-6- AvisitorshouldnotraisehisvoicemorethanneededtohearhimselI.Thepeopleinchargeshould
preventothersIromraisingtheirvoicesgentlyandpolitely.
It is reported that 'Umar bin Al-Khattab saw two men raising their voices in the Mosque oI the
Prophet(peacebeuponhim).Atthishetoldthem,"HadIknownthatyouareIromthiscity,Iwould
havepunishedyou."
-7- Avoid wiping hands on the chamber (i.e., the grave oI the Prophet), or kissing it. The Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)hasIorbiddenallsuchthings.
AbuDaw'udreportedIromAbuHurairahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Donotturnyour
houses into graves, nor make my grave a place oI Iestivity. Send your greetings upon me, Ior your
greetingsareconveyedtomewhereveryouare."AbdullahbinHasansawamanIrequentingthegrave
oItheProphet(peacebeuponhim)andmakingsupplicationsthere.Thereuponhetoldhim,O,soand
so, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, 'Do not make my grave a place oI Iestivity. but send
yourgreetingsuponmeIromwhereveryouhappentobe,Ioryourgreetingsareconveyedtome.'(In
thisrespect)thereisnodiIIerencebetweenyouandamanIrom(adistantcountrylike)Andalusia."
Eiqh5.135:ExcellenceoIPrayersinRaudah
BukharireportedIromAbuHurairahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Thespacebetween
myhouseandmypulpitis(raudah)oneoIthegardensoIParadise,andmypulpitisatmyEountain."
Eiqh5.135a:OIIeringPrayersintheMosqueoIQuba
The Prophet (peacebeuponhim)usedtogothere,ridingoronIoot,everySaturdayandoIIeratwo
rak'ahprayer.Headvisedotherstodothesame,saying,"Whoevermakesablutionsathome andthen
goes and prays in the Mosque oI Quba, he will have a reward like that oI an 'Umrah." This was
reportedbyAhmad,Nasa'i,IbnMajah,andAl-Hakim,whosaysithasasoundchainoInarration.
Eiqh5.135b:ExcellenceoIMadinah
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Verily, belieI returns and comes
backtoMadinahasasnakereturnsandcomesbacktoitshole(whenindanger)."
At-TabaranihasreportedIromAbuHurairahthattheProphet(peacebeuponhim)said,"Madinahis
thedomeoIIslam,theabodeoIIaith,thelandoImigration,andthedwellingplaceoIwhatislawIul
andunlawIul."
'Umar reported that when things became very dear in Madinah and the people suIIeredhardship,the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said (to the people), "Be patient (and oI good cheer) and receive the
happy news. I have blessed your measures, your Sa' and Mudd. So eat in groups together. One
person's Iood shall be suIIicient Ior two; two people' s Ior Iive; and Iood Ior Iour people shall be
suIIicient Ior Iive and six people. The blessings are upon the community. He who perseveres and is
patientinits(i.e.,oIMadinah)timesoIhardshipanddiIIiculty,Ishallbeanintercessorandawitness
Ior him on the Day oI Judgement. And he who leaves it (i.e., Madinah) disliking what is therein (oI
hardships), Allah will replace him with someone better than him. Whoever intends evil against it,
Allahwillcausehimtobedissolved(destroyed)likethesaltisdissolvedinwater."Thiswasreported
byBazzarwithasoundchainoInarration.
Eiqh5.136:ExcellenceoIDeathinMadinah
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At-Tabarani has reported with a sound chain oI narration Irom a woman oI ThaqiI that the Prophet
(peacebeuponhim)said,"HeamongstyouwhoisabletostayuntildeathinMadinahmustdoso,asI
shallbeawitnessoranintercessorIorhimontheDayoIJudgement."
That is why 'Umar prayed to Allah to cause him to die in Madinah. Bukhari reported Irom Zaid bin
Aslam, and he Irom his Iather that 'Umar said, "O Allah! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and
causemetodieinthesanctuaryoIYourProphet(peacebeuponhim).":
|EndoIBook|