Some Forgotten Sunnah’s
These practices have not been “forgotten”, rather are not carried out very often. For various reasons, either through lack of knowledge, traditional or for cultural reasons one or more of these “forgotten” sunnahs are not practised. The list can go on further, but only a few common sunnahs which I find to be of interest have been selected.
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah and the people practise it, will have the same reward of those who practise it without their reward diminishing”[Sunan ibn Maajah (209)]
Changing Positions After Praying A Fardh Prayer In Order To Pray A Sunnah Prayer.
‘Umar ibn ‘Ata bin Abi Al-Khuwar narrated that Nafi bin Jubair sent him to
As-Sa’ib bin Yazid,the maternal nephew of Namir, asking him regarding
something Mu’awiyah had seen him do in the prayer. He said: “I prayed
Jum’uah with Mu’awiyah in his enclosure and when he finished, I stood up in
my place and prayed. When he went inside he sent for me and said” Do not
repeat what you have just done. If you pray Jum’uah don’t join it with another prayer until you speak or exit the masjid. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to separate between prayers. One prayer mustn’t be joined with another until you speak or exit. [Muslim (883)]
And Imaam an-Nawawee explains this saying:
“In this hadeeth there is evidence for what the scholars say [i.e.] that it is preferred to pray the optional prayers in another place than where one prayed their obligatory prayer. And the best place for
that is the house, but any other place inside the masjid is still valid.
“[Taken from Saheeh Muslim The book of Jumu’ah p. 409-410]
Shaikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“‘The Sunnah is to separate between performing the obligatory and optional Salat in Jumu’ah Salat and other Salawaat as was narrated in the “Sahih” that he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) prohibited that any [obligatory] Salat be followed immediately by [optional] one; one should separate between them with speech or changing one’s place’
Drinking Water – The Three Gulps
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to breathe three times in the course of a drink (he used to drink in three gulps).” [Muslim, Book
23, Hadith 5029]
Commentary from Riyadh as Saliheen “Water should be drunk in three breaths, that is one should breathe three times outside the drinking vessel one is drinking from. This habit has a salutary impact one one’s character and helps one avoid doing things in haste.”
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not drink in one gulp like a camel, but in two or three (gulps). Mention the Name of Allah (i.e. say Bismillah) when you start drinking and praise Him (i.e. say alHamdoulilah) after you have finished (drinking).” [at-Tirmidhi]
Smiling
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Every good deed is charity; verily, it is a good deed to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left from your bucket into the vessel of your brother.”[Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Righteousness, Number 1970, Sahih]
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
“There is no person who does not have the obligation of (doing) charity every day that the sun rises.”
Whereupon he was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, from where would we get something to give in charity (so often)?” To which he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “Indeed the gates to goodness are many: glorifying God, praising Him, magnifying Him, saying ‘There is no god but Allah,’ enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong, removing (any source of) harm from the road, making the deaf hear (and understand), guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you and with deep concern to give succor to him who asks, carrying with the strength of your arms (the burdens of) the weak. All these are (acts of) charity.” And he added, “And your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, your removing of stones, thorns, and bones from people’s paths is charity, and your guiding a man gone astray in the world is charity for you.”
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 98
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not abuse anyone…Do not look down upon any good work, and when you speak to your brother, show him a cheerful face.”
[Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1889]
Fasting 13th, 14th and 15th Of Each Month, Ayyam al- Beed
Jareer ibn ‘Abdullaah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Fasting three days of each month is fasting for a lifetime, and ayyam al-beed are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i (2420);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, (1040)).
“Beed” is the plural of “Abyad” which means white. Three days of 13, 14 and 15 of lunar month are called “Al-Ayyam-ul-Beed” for the reason that their nights are bright because of the moonlight. The moon begins to diminish gradually after these days.
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me:“If you fast any
part of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, (761); al-Nasaa’i, (2424); classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, (1038)).
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “My close friend [i.e., the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] advised me to do three things which I will never give up until I die: fasting three days each month, praying Duha, and sleeping after praying Witr.” (Al-Bukhaari,
1178; Muslim, 721).
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘Shall I not tell you of something that will take away the evil of the
heart? Fasting three days of each month.’
(an-Nisaa’i 2/2386)
Fasting On Mondays And Thursdays
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Deeds are shown (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 747; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1041.]
To Pray 2 Units Naafil Of Ishraaq/Duha Prayers
Abu Dharr Radhiallahu ‘anhu reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “In the morning, charity is due on every joint of the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah’s Glorification (i.e., saying Subhan Allah) is an act of charity, every utterance of His Praise (i.e., saying Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity, every utterance of declaration of His Greatness (i.e., saying La ilaha ill Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of declaration of His Power (i.e. saying Allah Akbar); and enjoining M`aruf (good) is an act of charity, and forbidding Munkar (evil) is an act of charity, and two Rak`ats of Doha Prayers
which one performs in the Forenoon is equal to all this (in
reward).” [Muslim]
Ishraaq (“ishrak”) prayer is Duha (“chast”) prayer offered at the beginning of its time. These are not two different prayers. It is called Ishraaq because it is done immediately after sunrise (shurooq) when the sun has risen to a certain height.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:
Ishraaq prayer is Duha prayer done at the beginning of its time. (Majmoo’
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/401)
The time of Duha prayer is from the time when the sun has risen to a certain height, until just before the time for Zuhr prayer.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen defined it as being from a quarter of an hour after
the sun has risen until ten minutes before Zuhr prayer. (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’,
4/122)
So all of this period is the time for Duha prayer.
It is better to pray it after the sun’s heat has become intense, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It is preferable to offer Duha prayer when the sun’s heat has become so intense that even the young of the camels feel it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 748)
Ibn Baaz: Majmoo’ Fataawa, 11/395
The scholars defined this as being when one quarter of the day has passed, i.e., halfway between sunrise and Zuhr prayer. (See al-Majmoo’ by al-Nawawi,
4/36; al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/224)
Preference To Use Siwaak
Siwaak means cleaning the mouth and teeth with a siwaak, which is the name given to the tool used. The siwaak(some call it miswak) is a stick or twig used for this purpose.
Siwaak is a method of cleaning the mouth which also earns the pleasure of Allah, as is proven in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Siwaak cleanses the mouth and pleases the Lord.’” (Reported by [??] al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, 2/274, and by [??] Ahmad, 6/47, and al-Nisaa’i,
1/50. Its isnaad is saheeh, see al-Irwa’ 1/105).
Use of the siwaak is repeatedly encouraged, as in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Were it not for the fact that I did not want to make things too hard for my ummah, I would have commanded them to use the siwaak at every time of prayer.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari,
2/299 and Muslim, 1/151). According to another report narrated by al-Bukhaari,
he said: “…at every time of making wudoo’.”
Qiyaamul Layl i.e. Standing In Salaah In The Night:
Salaatut Tahajjud.
“O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)!
Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than that,
Or a little more; and recite the Qur’ân (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style.” (al-Qur’an 73:1-4)
And there are many authentic ahadeeth that indicate the great virtues of the
Tahajjud Salaah.
It is reported in the Saheehayn, on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Most High, descends every night to the Heaven of this earth when the final third of the night remains. He says. ‘Who calls on Me that I should answer him? Who asks of Me that I should give him? Who seeks My Forgiveness that I should forgive him?”
Imaam Ahmad, At Tirmidhee, Al Haakim and Al Bayhaqee reports on the authority of Bilaal that the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The night prayer is enjoined upon you for surely the righteous who came before you were unstinting in its performance. It brings you closer to Allah the Most High, it keeps you away from evil, it wipes away your wrong deeds and cleanses the body of illness.” (Authenticated by Shaykh Al Albaanee in Saheeh Al Jaami’ As Sagheer)
Visiting The Sick
It is reported in the Saheehayn on that authority of Al Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib: the Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has ordered us to visit the sick, to follow the funeral (of a dead
believer)…” (to the end of the hadeeth)
Imaam Muslim reports in his Saheeh a hadeeth qudsee, the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reported that His Lord will say on the Day of Resurrection:
“O Son of Aadam, I was ill but you did not visit Me.’ He would say: ‘O my
Rabb! How could I visit You and You are the Lord of the Worlds? Thereupon He would say: ‘Did you not know that such and such a slave of Mine was ill but you did not visit him? Did you not realize that if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him? (I.e. to reward you and not physically with him)
i.e. You would have known that I was aware of your visit to him for which I
would reward you
When You Sleep Read Ayatul Kursi
Abu Hurairah(may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When you are about to sleep recite Ayatul Kursi till the end of the Verse for there will remain for you a protection from Allah and no devil will draw to you until morning.” [Saheeh al-Bukhari]
Greeting A Fellow Muslim With Salaams [Pertains To
Helping The Ummah]
So you pass a sister or brother that you don’t know. You stand there wondering if you should give salaams or not. Maybe you’re just too shy, maybe you just don’t feel like talking to any strangers at the moment, maybe you’re a revert and are afraid you won’t pronounce it correctly, or maybe you’re just not used to it. You know what though? Giving salaams is a free reward from Allah and its one of the easiest ways of gaining a reward. It is also one of those rewards that affects the Ummah in a positive way because it’s a way of uniting us. Unlike the nonbelievers that greet each other with a “hi”, “hello”, or “’sup homes!” our greeting is unique and distinguishable, so don’t deprive your Muslim brother/sister from their salaams even if you
don’t know them. This is their right.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “By Him in Whose Hand is my life! You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you of something which, if you do, you will love one another? Promote greetings amongst yourselves.”[Muslim].
Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: A
man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him): “Which act in Islam is the best?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “To give food, and to greet everyone, whether you know or you do not.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
`Abdullah bin Salam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, “O people, exchange greetings of peace (i.e., say: As-Salamu `Alaikum to one another), feed people, strengthen the ties of kinship, and be in prayer when others are asleep, you will enter Jannah in peace.” [At- Tirmidhi].
“When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or (at least) return it equally. Certainly, Allah is Ever a Careful Account Taker of all things” [al-Nisa’4:86]
According to this ayah, if someone begins with “assalamu alaikum” you would respond with “walaikum asalaam wa rahmatallah”. If they begin with “assalamu alaikum wa rahmatallah,” you would respond with “walaikum asalaam wa rahmatallah wa barakatu”. Get it?
So the next time a brother yells out “What’s up!?” Rather than replying “Hey yo, just chillin dawg’”, begin with your salaams inshaAllah.
Putting On Your Shoes Starting With The Right Foot, And Taking Them Off Starting With The Left Foot.
“Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When any of you puts on his shoes, he should put on the right one first; and when he takes them off, he should begin with the left. Let the right shoe be the first to be put on and the last to be taken off.”
[al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Yawning
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Yawning is from the Shaytaan. If any of you feels the urge to yawn, let him resist it as much as possible, for if any of you says
‘Ha’ (makes a noise when yawning), the Shaytaan laughs.” (al-Bukhari
- n 3289)
Narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri Allah’s Apostle said: When one of you yawns, he should try to restrain it with the help of his hand since it is the Satan that enters therein. (Muslim)
Sneezing
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Allah loves sneezing and dislikes yawning. If any one of you sneezes and says ‘Al–hamdu Lillaah,’ it is a duty on everyone who hears him to say ‘Yarhamak Allah.’ As for yawning, if any one of you feels the urge to yawn, let him resist it as much as he can, and do not say ‘Hah, hah’ (do not make a noise when yawning), for this is from Shaytaan and he laughs at it.” Abu ‘Eesaa said: This is a saheeh
hadeeth. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2747)
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “When one of you sneezes he should say: `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah),’ and his brother or his companion should say to him: `Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you).’ When he says this he should reply: `Yahdikum-ullah wa yuslihu balakum (may Allah guide you and render sound your state of
affairs).”’ [Al-Bukhari]
Reminder: One says “Yarhamuk Allah” only after the one who has sneezed has praised Allah:
Narrated Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him): Two men sneezed before the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to one of them, “Yarhamuk-Allah (May Allah bestow His Mercy on you),” but he did not say that to the other. On being asked (why), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “That one praised Allah (at the
time of sneezing), while the other did not praise Allah.”
[Al-Bukhari]
Praying Whilst Wearing Shoes
It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he used to pray wearing his shoes. Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) was asked, “Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) pray wearing shoes?” He said, “Yes.” (al-Bukhaari,
386; Muslim, 555). This is to be understood as meaning, so long as there is no impurity on the shoes; if there is any impurity on them then it is not permissible to pray in them. If a person forgets and prays wearing shoes when there is some impurity on them, then he has to take them off when he finds out or remembers. This is because of the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-
Khudri who said: “While the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was leading his companions in prayer, he took off his shoes and placed them to his left. When the people saw that, they took off their shoes too. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer, he asked, ‘What made you take off your shoes?’ They said, ‘We saw you take off your shoes, so we took ours off too.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to me and told me that there was something dirty on them.’ When any one of you comes to the mosque, let him look and if he sees anything dirty on his shoes, let him wipe them and then pray in them.” (Abu Dawood 650; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 605).
One of the reasons why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed wearing shoes is to be found in the hadeeth, “Be different from the Jews, who do not pray in their shoes or in their leather slippers (khufoof).” (Abu Dawood 652; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 607). That is regarded as mustahabb for the purpose of differing from non-Muslims, as stated above.
However if the mosque is furnished with carpeting, then the mosque should be kept clean of shoes, and no one should enter wearing shoes lest the place be made dirty. (Fataawa Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Humayd, p81). Moreover the furnishings of the mosque are a waqf which should not be damaged or destroyed, and if dirt gets onto the carpets it will offend those who pray and prostrate on them. Hence no one should enter wearing shoes and walk on the carpets in the mosque in shoes, lest he damage them or make them dirty.
The one who is keen to follow this Sunnah can apply it when praying at home, or when praying in places where there are no furnishings or carpets, such as parks, beaches and out of doors, etc. If this action confuses some of those who are unaware of the Sunnah, he should explain to them that it is Sunnah before he does it, so that they will not find that odd. We ask Allah to make us among those who adhere to the Sunnah and strive to follow it until He joins us with the author of the Sunnah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) close to the Lord of the Worlds. And Allah is the Source of strength.
Tahiyyat al-Ma sjid (“G reet ing The Mosque ” )
Tahiyyat al-masjid (“greeting the mosque”) is Sunnah according to most of the scholars; some of the scholars stated that there was consensus on this point.
Abu Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two rak‘ahs.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1167; Muslim, 714
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is mustahabb to greet the mosque, and it is makrooh to sit down without greeting it with no excuse, because of the hadeeth of Abu Qataadah which clearly states that that is not allowed.
End quote from al-Majmoo‘, 3/544
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are unanimously agreed that the command in this case is a recommendation (as opposed to an obligation). Ibn Battaal narrated from the literalists that it is obligatory, but Ibn Hazm stated that it is not obligatory.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 1/538, 539. See also al-Muhalla, 2/7
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (7/137): The Sunnah for the one who enters the mosque at any time is to pray tahiyyat al-masjid, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit down until he has prayed two ra ‘ahs. Saheeh – agreed upon.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The view that tahiyyat al-masjid is obligatory is a strong view, but the more likely to be correct is the view that it is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah). And Allah knows best.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 14/354
When Times Get Hard, Pray
Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whenever the matter became serious the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would pray.”
Collected by Abu Dawud (1319) and others. Graded as being Hasan by
Shaykh Al-Albani (May Allah have mercy on him)
- Muhammad Abdur-Rauf Al-Manaawee (may Allah have mercy on him)
commented on this hadeeth. He wrote the words” Whenever the matter became serious” means- If the Prophet was attacked by surprise, on the
verge of being subdued or an important matter aroused which caused him to worry or feel sad.
“He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would pray.” Means – He’d pray because prayer helps against the removal of all heavy blows, disasters and misfortunes. Through prayer one is seeking the assistance of the Creator who allowed it to happen. Prayer is a means to draw nearer to Allah and whoever resorts to prayer to his lord will be protected and averted from all evil. [Faydul Qadir, #6641]
- Al-Mulla Ali Qari 1014H (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The meaning for this Hadeeth is derived from the verse “Seek help in patience and prayer” Al-Baqarah 45. [Sharh Musnad Abu Haneefah page 342 printed by Darul Kutubul Ilmeeyah Beriut Lebanon.]
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on this issue in his Tafseer for Surahtul Baqarah. He wrote: “The excellence of prayer is that it’s one of the things a person can seek
assistance in for all matters and worldly affairs. Allah mentioned prayer and
we believe with certainty that this speech is the truth. It’s been reported that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would pray whenever
the matter became serious. Also this is supported by the Prophet’s action
during the Battle of Badr. He prayed in the shade and appealed to his Lord
for help. [Tafseerul Quran Al-Kareem Al-Fateehah-Baqarah vol 1 page 163-
164]
Wiping Sleep From The Face
Ibn Abbass (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that he spent the night at his aunt’s [Maymunah] house (may Allah be pleased with her). He said, “I lied across the pillow while my aunt and Allah’s messenger both lied on the pillow. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) slept until a little before or after the middle of the night. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) woke up and began to wipe the sleep from his face with both his hands…”
Collected by Bukhari (183) and Muslim (763)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) commented on this hadeeth saying: This hadeeth shows it’s permissible to spend the night in a house with a man and his wife under two conditions:
- Permission is granted from both spouses.
- No hardship results from this action.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to wake up early at night, before the middle part. He would stay awake until about a
sixth of its part remained, then go back to sleep until the call for Fajr. This is what he did most of the time, and sometimes he remained awake from the middle of the night until Fajr.
It is a legislated (recommend) act to wipe the sleep from the face when waking up. By doing so you’ll find energy. “[Sharh Saheeh Bukhari by Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen Hadeeth # 183]
Prostration Of Gratitude-Sujood ash-Shukr
Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: When happiness about something reached the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or good news, He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would prostrate to Allah to show thankfulness.”
Collected by Abu Dawud, 2776; Al-Albani classed it Saheeh.
- Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “It’s from the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to offer a prostration of thanks to Allah whenever a blessing is granted or a trial and affliction is lifted. [Zaad al Maad, 1/270]
- The four Imams considered Sujood ash-Shukr as being Sunnah.
-. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) prostrated when Musayleemah the liar was killed.
-. Ka’b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) prostrated when Allah forgave him.
- Ibn Taymiyyah said, Purification isn’t a condition to offer Sujudus Shukr.
This is derived from the verse about Firawn’s magicians who prostrated after believing in Allah. They didn’t have Wudu prior to their belief. Here we understand that prostration is what Allah loves and is pleased with. Legislation for those before us is legislation for us as long as there’s no contradiction between the two.
- A person can offer Sujood ash-Shukr whether standing or not.
- Takbeer: saying “ Allahu Akbar” isn’t mentioned that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) did it before prostrating.
- There is no specific Dhikr or supplication for Sujood ash-Shukr. The person should thank Allah, ask forgiveness, and make du’a while prostrating.
When One Is Involved In (Blameworthy) Argumentation And Quarrelling
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Prophet (peace abd blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Expiation for every quarrel* is by (performing) two rak’ah.”
[Tabarani, ‘Mu’jam al-Kabeer’, 7651 (in marfu’ form); Ibn al-Arabi, ‘Mu’jam’,
1784; Ar-Razi, ‘Al-Fawa’id’, 870 and others – graded as hasan by al-Albani in
‘Silsilat as-Saheehah’, 1789 (see also ‘Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2986)]
* The word in the hadeeth refers to any form of argument, including insulting, cursing, abusing or name-calling etc.
Al-Manawi commented on this hadeeth and said: “(the rak’atayn should be prayed) after performing wudu, as it diminishes anger (as per another narration), he should then perform two rak’ah (for the expiation).” [Fayd al- Qadeer, 3355]
Despite the differences of opinion of the level of authenticity of the sanad of the above hadeeth, there are supporting Ayaat and narrations that corroborate the meaning of the text. For example, in his famous advice to
Mu’ad bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Fear Allah wherever you are. And follow up a bad deed with a good deed and it will wipe it out. And behave towards the people with a good behaviour.” [Tirmidhi, 1987 who graded it as hasan; Musnad Ahmad, 21491; Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 16754 and others]
Ibn Rajab said about this profound advice that: “It gathers the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants.” – This can be understood by performing one’s deeds for the sake of Allah, while behaving well towards fellow men.
People of taqwah do not persist in sins and when they fall victim to it, they immediately remember Allah and repent and make amends by performing good deeds – in order to outweigh the negative effects of a bad ones. Allah spoke of such people in the Qur’an, that:
“…Verily good works do away with evil deeds…” [Hud, 114]
Allah also Said:
“…And those who, when they have committed Fahishah or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins…” [Aal-Imran, 135]
Asking “forgiveness for their sins” comes under all types of actions, from making istighfar to performing highly rewarding and commendable acts of ibadah, like giving sadaqah, fasting, praying nawafilah, reading Qur’an etc. Even acts like giving the salaam and maintaining good speech at all times, is a means of achieving Allah’s maghfirah; as Hani bin Yazeed (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said:
“Verily, among the means of (gaining Allah’s) forgiveness is by (extending) salaam and having good speech.” [Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 17956 and others – graded as saheeh by al-Araqi, al-Haythami and al-Albani in
‘Silsilat as-Saheehah’, 1035 (see also ‘Saheeh at-Targheeb’, 2699)]
A man once came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and informed him that he had contact with a woman from a far city and that he did (everything) with her except going so far as to fornicate with her. This man had just prayed the Fajr salah, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked him: “Have you prayed Fajr with us?” When he replied that he had, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the full Ayah of Surat al-Hud, 114 (above) and explained that this advice was for all the people of the ummah – [see Saheeh al-Bukhari, 526 and Saheeh Muslim 2763]
The aspect of quarrelling mentioned in the initial hadeeth, is the type that is criticised and blameworthy, which includes wrangling and being abusive, wanting to win over or disparage the opponent/s – where one argues just for the sake of argument etc. Performing two rak’ah after being involved in such an encounter is from the guidance of Allaah and His Messenger, because bad deeds should be followed up with good deeds in order to remove the harm and harmful effects of the former.
To Send Peace And Blessings Of Allah To The Greatest Of All Prophets
It was narrated from Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send blessings upon me.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3546) and classed as saheeh by al- Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (1/35).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May his nose be rubbed in the dust, the one in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send blessings upon me.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3545) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
It is prescribed for the Muslim to pray for peace for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and to send salaams upon him, just as it is prescribed to pray for blessings for him. The evidence that it is prescribed to send salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah sends His Salaah (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad), and also His angels (ask Allaah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salaah on (ask Allaah to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation, i.e. As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum)”
[al-Ahzaab 33:56]
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has angels who travel about the earth, conveying to me the salaams of my ummah.” (Saheeh Sunan al- Nasaa’i, 1215; al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 2853).
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: “When we prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to say, ‘Peace be upon Allaah from His slaves and peace be upon So and so.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Do not say “Peace (salaam) be upon Allaah”, for Allaah Himself is al–Salaam. Rather say, “Al– tahiyyaatu Lillaahi wa’l–salawaatu wa’l-tayyibaat. Al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat Allaahi wa barakaatuhu. Al-salaamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ibaad-illaah il-saaliheen (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. Peace be on us, and on the righteous slaves of Allaah).” If you say this it will be for all the slaves in heaven and between the heavens and the earth. [Then go on to say] “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).” Then choose whichever du’aa’ you like and recite it.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 835)
It was narrated that Faatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered the mosque, he would say, ‘Bismillaah wa’l–salaam ‘ala Rasool-illaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika (In the name of Allaah, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your Mercy).’ And when he exited he would say, Bismillaah wa’l–salaam ‘ala Rasool-illaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab fadlika (In the name of Allaah, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your Bounty).’”(Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah, 625)
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no one who sends salaams upon me, but Allaah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salaams.”(Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 1795)
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Talhah from his father that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came one day with evident signs of happiness on his face, and he said: “Jibreel (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to me and said, ‘Would it not please you, O Muhammad, to know that no one among your ummah will send blessings upon you but I will send ten blessings upon him, and no one among your ummah will send salaams upon you but I will send ten salaams upon him.”(Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i, 1228)
Sending salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is one of the rights that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has over his ummah. The Muslim is commanded to do this either in general word or in the specific phrases narrated in the reports, such as sending salaam on him in the Tashahhud, and when entering or leaving the mosque. The command to send salaams upon him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) even in his absence is one of the unique blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon him alone, which he does not share with anyone else, for it is not prescribed to send salaams upon any specific person in his absence apart from him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Another of his unique privileges is that the salaams of his ummah are conveyed to him, so a person may attain the virtue of sending salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and it reaching him even if he did not have the opportunity to meet him during his lifetime and even if a person is not able to go to his grave after he died.
With regard to praying for blessing for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), this is also prescribed in Islam. One of the reports that prove that it is prescribed is the saheeh report from Abu Mas’ood al_Ansaari who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to us when we were sitting with Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah, and Basheer ibn Sa’d said to him: ‘Allaah has commanded us to send blessings upon you, O Messenger of Allaah. How should we send blessings upon you?’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained silent until we wished that he had not asked him. Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Say: Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem. Wa baarik ‘ala
Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem fi’l–‘aalameen innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem, and bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed the family of Ibraheem among the nations. Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory). And the salaam is as you know.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 405)
Sending salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) may be done by saying “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings). Or it may take the form of a du’aa’, praying that Allaah may keep him sound, such as saying Sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (may Allaah send blessings and peace upon him [i.e., the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)]. A person’s sending salaam upon the Prophet may be done by mentioning Allaah’s name al-Salaam by way of seeking the blessing of that name and this name is suited to the context because you are asking Allaah to keep him safe and sound, as if one is saying “O Allaah, Whose name is al-Salaam, keep your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) safe and sound.” When the word Salaam refers to the name of Allaah, it appears with the definite article al-, unlike when the word salaam appears in the context of praying for peace, tranquillity and soundness to be bestowed by Allaah upon His slaves, in which case it appears without the definite article. “Because salaam from Him means any amount of salaam, and any amount of salaam from Him will be sufficient to make any slave of Allaah have no need of salaam from anyone else and no need for any greeting from anyone else; and any salaam from Allaah will be sufficient to grant him all of his wishes. So the least salaam from Allaah – and nothing can be described as least when it comes from Allaah – will bring the greatest blessings and will ward off all causes of misery, and will make life good and will ward off all causes of doom and destruction. Therefore in this context, when speaking of salaam from Allaah, there is no need for the definite article.”
See Dabaa’i’ al-Fawaa’id, 2/143
What is meant by salaam is being free from evil and faults. So the one who sends salaams upon the Prophet is praying for him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in this sense, asking for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to be protected from evil, faults and shortcomings. As for blessings (barakah), what this means is steadfastness and stability. Blessing means growth and increase.
What is meant by praying for blessing for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is asking Allaah to bestow good upon him, to make it lasting, to increase and multiply it.
Related Posts
