The Fourteenth
Chapter: On Emphasised Sunnah Prayers
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Almighty Allah has blessed us with
Sunnah and voluntary prayers, so that they compensate for any shortcomings in
the obligatory ones. Moreover, these Sunnah prayers are enacted to constantly
and consistently connect the worshiper with his Lord, glory be to
Him, and to be a racetrack on which the seekers of Allah’s pleasure and
protection compete, as His chosen Prophet (PBUH) narrates from His Lord: ‘And the most beloved thing with
which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My
slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing nawafil [prayer
or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory] till I love him. When I love
him I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he
sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks
[something] from Me, I give him, and if he asks My protection [refuge], I
protect him’.1 |
Learn, O pupil (May Allah guide you to the straight
path and truthful speech) that the people of fiqh (Islamic
jurisprudence) have differed over the legal ruling concerning a number of prayers,
as to whether they are compulsory prayers or emphasised/stressed Sunnah. The
same argument exists within the Sunnah prayers to specify the level of Sunnah
for each prayer (emphasised/stressed Sunnah or just recommended Sunnah)
However, as established
from the very beginning, this book relies mainly on the juristic opinions
concluded by the two well-versed scholars of the time, al-Khalili and al-Qannubi
(May Allah reward them). Thus, you should not be confused about what you might
find in other compilations of different views and opinions.
Section
On Urging People to Adhere
to Sunnah and Optional Prayers
Come
to know, oh worshiper (May Allah make you of those who are called from the Gate
of Salah on the Day of Resurrection) that the emphasised/stressed Sunnah
prayers (as-Sunan al-Mu’akkdah) are those that the Prophet (PBUH) strongly commanded
his followers to perform, including, for example, the mosque-greeting prayer
and the eclipse prayer.
They include as well those prayers, such as the al-witr
prayer and the dawn Sunnah prayer, which the Prophet (PBUH) always practised
and never left, even for a single time, whether at home or travelling.
Based
on this definition, the stressed Sunnah prayers are the closest to obligatory
of the optional prayers. Hence, they should not be abandoned except for a
legitimate excuse.
Generally
speaking, all Sunnah prayers, be it stressed or non-stressed, are not to be
neglected by a faithful believer, as they are authentically proven to have been
practised, or verbally recommended by the one whom Allah set as a good example
for us. Once, a Muslim scholar was asked regarding the status of one who
habitually leaves as-Sunan ar-Ratibah.2 He replied, ‘He is
religiously inferior’. Thereupon, Imam as-Salimi (May his soul rest in
peace) commented ‘And Paradise is not inhabited by inferiors’. If this is the
case with as-Sunan ar-Ratibah, the situation with the
emphasised/stressed Sunnah should be even more strict.
Likewise,
another scholar was questioned about one who does not care to perform the
optional prayers that were authentically reported from the Prophet (PBUH). Upon
being asked about this situation, he answered ‘He is a man of evil’, and
furthermore, he mentioned that ‘his witness is rejected’.
There
is a lot of reliably reported textual evidence urging and encouraging people to
consistently perform the Sunnah prayers.
For the sake of brevity, I suggest the reader examines these in their original
sources.
Attention: The worshiper
recites in the Sunnah prayers, be they emphasised or non-emphasised, the
Opening Chapter, as well as another part of the Qur’an. A shorter recitation
after the Opening Chapter is required for some prayers, such as the dawn Sunnah
prayer (sunnat al-fajr). However, it is advisable to elongate the
recitation in other prayers, such as the eclipse prayer (salat al-kusuf).
All this will be explained soon, Allah willing.
Attention: Be informed,
dear respected reader (May Allah save you from all evils) of the fact that the
best place for one to perform his Sunnah prayers, other than the obligatory
ones, is his house. In this, there is no distinction between the Sunnah prayer
being stressed or non-stressed, being ratibah or absolute, being prior to the obligatory prayer or after it,
being a day or night prayer. It is always better for it to be offered in one’s house. The evidence for this principle is the
authentic custom and saying of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH). On the authority of Ibn
‘Umar (May Allah make him and his father pleased with Him), the Prophet (PBUH) said: ‘Observe some of your
prayers in your houses and do not make them [the houses] graves’. However, one should not condemn the practice of those who pray
the non-obligatory prayers in the mosque, especially when there is a need for
it, such as attending a lecture or a gathering conducted for the remembrance of
Allah.
In this chapter, we will
mention the following emphasised Sunnah: al-witr prayer, the dawn Sunnah
prayer, the mosque-greeting prayer and the eclipse prayer. As for the ‘Id
prayer, we will dedicate a whole chapter to it.
Section on al-Witr
Prayer
al-Witr is a
stressed Sunnah, as far as the two Shaykhs (May Allah preserve them) are
concerned. His Eminence, the Grand Mufti al-Khalili (May Allah save him), says
‘We are of the opinion that al-witr is an emphasised Sunnah’.
How to Perform It
Technically
speaking, al-witr could be performed with one unit (rak’ah).
Also, it could be performed with three, five, seven, nine, eleven or thirteen units; thirteen is the
maximum. Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) is reported to have said: ‘Whoever wants to pray
al-witr with seven rak’ahs, let him do so, and whoever wants to
pray al-witr with five rak’ahs, let him do so, and whoever wants
to pray al-witr with three rak’ahs, let him do so, and whoever wants to pray al-witr with one rak’ah,
let him do so, and whoever wants to do so gesturing, let him do so’.
It is
allowable to perform al-witr in the al-fasl way or the al-wasl
way,3 yet the former is preferred to the latter. The proof supporting
this preference is the fact that al-fasl was the main practice of the
Prophet (PBUH), and furthermore it is what he (PBUH) directed his people to do
when he said: ‘Prayer at night is two by two; then if one of you fears that
dawn will break, pray one rak’ah’.
Instructive Story:
A person’s witr prayer should not be less than three units, whenever
possible. It is narrated that Abu ash-Sha’tha’
Jabir b. Zayd (May Allah have mercy on him) prayed al-witr
with one unit, in order to show his companions that this practice is
technically possible. Despite that, he then said: “This is the slack’s witr”.
Important Remark:
Whoever wants to offer al-witr in al-fasl way has to pray in twos, giving taslim after
each two, and when he wants to finish his witr, he prays one unit, then
sits for tashahhud and taslim.
Conversely,
whoever wants to pray al-witr in al-wasl way has to continue
after the second sitting, without taslim. On this ground, he stands up
straight away after the first tashahhud for the third/last unit, with a
transitional takbir.
It is to be noted that al-wasl
way is only possible for those who want to pray al-witr with three
units. Thus, if a person wants to pray al-witr with more than three
units, he has to separate each two units with a taslim.
What is Recited during al-Witr
The
worshiper is required in al-witr to recite the Opening Chapter, along
with another part of the Holy Qur’an in all its units, including the third/last
unit. It is from the Sunnah to recite in the first unit the Chapter of ﴿ سَبِّحِ ﴾ (the Most High), in the second unit the
Chapter of ﴿
الْكَافِرُونَ ﴾ (the Disbelievers), and in the third unit the Chapter
of al-Ikhlas (Sincerity).
Finally, it is advisable
for the prayer to say after concluding al-witr
prayer ‘Subhan al-maliki al-Quddus’ three times. This is authentically reported
from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The Time for al-Witr
Prayer
The
prayer time for al-witr begins right after the Night (‘Isha’) prayer,
and lasts until the appearance of the true dawn, in accordance with the correct
view. It is recommended to delay the performance of al-witr until the
end of the night. This recommendation is for those who are confident that they
will wake up at that late time. Otherwise, it is better to pray it before going
to bed. In so doing, one concludes his day worshiping his Lord, Exalted is He.
On the authority of Jabir b. ‘Abdullah,
who said: ‘I heard the Prophet (PBUH) say: “He who amongst you is afraid that
he may not be able to get up at the end of the night should observe al-witr
[in the first part] and then sleep, and he who is confident of getting up and
praying at night [i.e. the Tahajjud prayer] should observe it at the end
of it, for the recitation at the end of the night is
witnessed, and that is better’.
Attention: Technically
speaking, al-witr could be legally performed before the start of the
time for the Night prayer, as far as the reliable viewpoint is concerned.
This could be possible in the case of combining the Sunset and Night prayers at
the time of the earlier one, advanced combination right after the sun
has set.
Attention: Whoever forgets
or misses al-witr until its time has entirely elapsed should substitute
it whenever he remembers or gets up, whether during the day or at night. Making
up al-witr whenever one remembers or wakes up is the adopted opinion of
the two Shaykhs (May Allah prolong their lives).
Fatwa
Question\ Can one who
combines the Sunset and Night prayers delay al-witr?
Answer\ Yes, he may
postpone it or pray it right after the Night prayer. Allah knows bests.
Section on the Dawn Sunnah
Prayer
Be
informed, dear brother (May Allah grant you guidance) that included in the strongly emphasised prayers are
the two Sunnah units of dawn (sunnat al-fajr). They are short
units offered after the emergence of the true dawn and before its obligatory
prayer.4 The Prophet (PBUH) would constantly adhere to this practice
in all situations, and he would urge his Companions not to miss it, as he said:
‘The two rak’ahs [before] fajr
are better than this world and everything in it’.
Being
a short prayer necessitates that the worshiper does not prolong its
recitation in emulation of the Prophetic guidance. Also, it is recommended to
follow in the steps of the Prophet (PBUH),
to recite in the first unit the Chapter of ﴿ الْكَافِرُونَ ﴾ (Disbelievers), and in the second unit the Chapter of al-Ikhlas (Sincerity). All this should only be after reciting al-Fatihah
(the Opening Chapter).
Attention: He who misses the dawn Sunnah prayer before its
obligatory prayer makes it up right after this obligatory prayer, according to
the opinion held by Qutb al-A’immah5 (May the Exalted have mercy on
him). Also, this is what has been concluded by Shaykhs al-Khalili and al-Qannubi
(May Allah save them).
Moreover,
the original order is to be maintained when performing the two dawn
prayers (the Sunnah and the obligatory) after the time of dawn has elapsed. In
other words, the dawn Sunnah is made up before the Dawn obligatory
prayer, even if they are performed after sunrise, keeping the original order.
This is demonstrated by the practice of the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions, when they got up after the
sun rose fully. Thereupon, Bilal raised adhan, then the whole group prayed
the dawn Sunnah followed by the Dawn prayer.
Attention: You previously
knew that it is generally commendable to perform the absolute and ar-ratibah
(regular (Sunnah payers at one’s house, so that Muslim houses do
not resemble cemeteries, in which praying is not allowed. However, if one enters a mosque after he has prayed the dawn
Sunnah at his house, he should not sit down except after offering the mosque-greeting
prayer; otherwise, he should remain standing until iqamah. This will be
elaborated in the following section.
Section on the
Mosque-Greeting Prayer
Know,
oh pursuer of knowledge (May the all-Powerful admit you to Paradise), that he
who comes to a mosque is asked to pray two units before sitting. These two units
are the mosque- greeting Sunnah prayer (tahiyyat al-masjid).
This prayer is of the emphasised Sunnah prayers, according to the adopted position
of the two Shaykhs (May Allah save them).
The
various Messenger’s (PBUH) hadiths, commanding Muslims to observe the
mosque-greeting prayer or prohibiting them from abandoning it, confirm this
prayer is greatly emphasised. Among these traditions is his (PBUH) commandment that ‘If any one of you enters a mosque,
he should pray two units before sitting’, and his (PBUH) prohibition: ‘He should not sit till he has observed
two units’. Hence, our Shaykh al-Khalili (May Allah preserve him) says: ‘I maintain
that the least ruling that could be given to it is to be a highly stressed
Sunnah’.
Attention: The mosque-greeting prayer is of as-Salawat as Sababiyyah (the circumstantial
/occasional prayers), just like the funeral prayer, the solar/lunar eclipse
prayer, the istikharah (seeking
Allah’s guidance) prayer and the tawaf (circumambulation
around al-Ka‘bah) prayer.
Formerly
it was mentioned that the legality of praying the occasional prayers during
the disliked/reprehensible times is authentically established. This
allowance is limited to the disliked times, apart from the three prohibited
times (sunrise, sunset and midday).
An
application of this rule is if one comes to the mosque after he has prayed the
Afternoon prayer (’Asr); he should not sit down without praying the
mosque-greeting prayer, unless the sun becomes yellowish and it is about to
set. Allah knows best.
Attention: Whoever enters
the mosque while the Imam is delivering the Friday’s sermon should pray the
mosque-greeting prayer and is commanded to shorten it (i.e. recite short chapters).
Therefore, do not give much weight to the view that calls for abandoning this
established Sunnah during the Friday’s sermon. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is
reliably reported to have paused his sermon to order a companion of his to
offer the mosque-greeting prayer, after the latecomer had sat down without
performing it.
Imam
Abu Sa‘id al-Kudami (May his soul rest in peace) said: ‘If the Prophet (PBUH)
actually ordered the man, then this viewpoint should take priority’. This
opinion has also been advocated by the two scholars of the time, al-Khalili and
al-Qannubi (May Allah protect them both).
Benefit: The
mosque-greeting prayer is not of the maqsud lidhatih prayers (prayers
meant/enacted dependently for their virtues, such as the voluntary night
prayer). The purpose for which this mosque-greeting prayer is enacted is
so that you do not sit down in the mosque until you have prayed two units at least.
This meaning is extracted from the Prophet’s (PBUH) teaching ‘If any one of you enters a mosque, he
should pray two units before sitting’.
With
this in mind, you realise that any two-unit prayer could replace the
mosque-greeting prayer, such as al-witr prayer if it is performed
with more than one unit, the dawn Sunnah prayer, the duha prayer, the
Sunnah prayer of ablution, or any due obligatory prayer. The Prophet (PBUH)
says: ‘When the iqamah for prayer is said, there is no prayer except the
prescribed prayer’.
Once, our Shaykh al-Qannubi
(May Allah protect him) was asked about one who enters a mosque during duha
time and wants to offer two units before sitting down; what is the preferred
intention for this two-unit prayer, duha or mosque-greeting? Upon being asked this question, he replied:
‘He prays two units and this suffices for both’.
Section on the Eclipse
Prayer
Be
acquainted (May Allah protect you from the temptations of life, and save you
from the tragedies of day and night) with the fact that Almighty Allah
﴿ جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ
خِلْفَةً لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا ﴾ الفرقان: 62
‘Has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to
remember or desires gratitude’ (Q, the Criterion. 25:62).
Furthermore,
He has made the sun and moon among the great signs of His existence, and among
the major proofs of His absolute power in this universe.
The
solar eclipse (kusuf) and, likewise, the lunar eclipse (khusuf),
is meant to cause people to resort to their Creator, glory be to Him, remembering and asking forgiveness
from Him. To that end, a unique prayer has been legislated for the solar eclipse
by explicit textual evidence, and for the lunar eclipse by means of analogy.
Benefit
Kusuf and khusuf are interchangeable terms.
Based on this, it is possible to say khusuf of the sun, and kusuf of the
moon, although the most common practice is to use kusuf
for the sun and khusuf for the moon.
The Legal Ruling of the
Eclipse Prayer
The
eclipse prayer is a stressed Sunnah for every Muslim, due to the fact that the
Prophet (PBUH) rushed to offer it when sun was eclipsed in his lifetime.
Besides this practical Sunnah, Allah’s
Messenger (PBUH) commanded his noble Companions to gather for it. Hence, its
legality is textually proven by more than twenty Companions of the Prophet (May
Allah be pleased with them all). Therefore, it could be said that it is fard
kifayah (a collective/communal obligation) with regard to the whole Ummah.
The eclipse of the moon is given
analogically the same ruling as the eclipse of the sun in terms of prayer, so
praying for the lunar eclipse is legally enacted.6 Likewise, by
means of analogy, such an exceptional prayer is legalised when a natural
disaster inflicts its dire consequences on people, such as earthquakes and
volcanoes, as far as Shaykh al-Qannubi is concerned. May Allah save us all from
such disasters.
How to Perform the Eclipse
Prayer
Learn,
brother (May Allah make you of those who listen to the speech and follow the
best of it), that upon the occurrence of the solar or lunar eclipse, it is
legislated to call people to prayer,
proclaiming as-Salah Jami‘ah, which literally means ‘The prayer is
gathering’.
When people gather in
the mosque, the Imam stands and leads them for the eclipse prayer. This prayer
consists of two audible units, whether it is performed during the day or night. Unlike the other prayers, each unit in this unique
prayer has two ruku’s (bowings) and two qiyams (standings). This
format for the eclipse prayer is adopted by the two Shaykhs, al-Khalili and al-Qannubi (May Allah save them), and it is also the one
chosen by Imam as-Salimi (May Allah have mercy on him).
The
description of this prayer, in brief, is as follows:
After
the consecrating takbir, the Imam recites the Opening Chapter and
another part of the Qur’an, and he greatly elongates his recitation. Then, he
bows down, prolonging his bowing and the glorification of his Lord. Next, he
stands up and recites the Opening Chapter again with another part of the Our’an,
elongating the recitation, but this second recitation is shorter than the first
one. Afterwards, he bows down for a long time, but this one is also shorter
than the former one. Then, he stands up straight from his bowing and falls into
prostration twice, prolonging his glorification of his Creator.
Upon
the completion of his prostration, he stands upright for the second unit and performs
it in just the same manner as he performed the first one, except that the
recitation and glorification in this second unit are shorter than those of the first
unit.
Attention: It has been
widely spread in some communities that they raise adhans upon the occurrence
of the solar or lunar eclipse. This custom is in contrast to the authentic
Sunnah and what has been established by Consensus. The legal religious practice
is to announce as-Salah Jami’ah. There is no objection to the repeating of
this announcement in order to call people and draw their attention to the
prayer.
Much worse is what we have heard that when some witness an eclipse, they
start beating drums and provoking beasts. This misbehaviour is due to the
misconception that the sun has eclipsed because it has committed a sin, or that
a giant dragon has eaten part of it!
The Eclipse Sermon
Learn,
O caller to Allah (May He grant you truthful Speech and righteous deeds), that
it is recommended for the one who leads people in this prayer to stand
and deliver a sermon. This sermon should be concise and informative. At the
beginning of it, the orator praises Allah and thanks Him. Then, he invites the attendees
to reflect on and contemplate this exceptional phenomenon. Also, he warns them
of Allah’s punishment and gives them the glad tidings of His extraordinary
reward. Additionally, he urges them to mention the name of
Allah repeatedly, send peace and blessings of Allah to His beloved, the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), give charity, follow the Sunnah,
and distance themselves from religious heresies.
This
is similar to what the Prophet (PBUH) did when the sun was eclipsed on the
day his son, Ibrahim, passed away (Peace be on him and his father). Upon
that coincidence, some thought that the sun was actually eclipsed because of
the death of the Prophet’s (PBUH) son. To clear this misunderstanding, the Prophet
(PBUH) stood and delivered a sermon.
Amongst
what the Prophet (PBUH) declared in his sermon was: ‘The sun and the moon are
two of Allah’s signs. They are not eclipsed for anyone’s death, nor for anyone’s
life. When you see an eclipse, call on Allah and magnify Him [i.e. say: “Allah
is greater”] and give sadaqah.’ Then he said: ‘O community of Muhammad!
By Allah, if you knew what I knew, you would laugh little and weep much’.
‘A’ishah said: ‘He further told them to seek protection for themselves from the
punishment of the grave’.
Precious Benefit:
The solar eclipse only takes place at the end of the lunar month. On the other
hand, the lunar eclipse only takes place at the middle of the lunar month when
the moon is full.
Another Benefit: If
something prevents the sighting of kusuf or khusuf, such as
intense clouds or dust, then the prayer is not legally required, even if
astronomers state the time at which the eclipse astronomically takes place.
Similarly, if it occurs in one place, people in other places are not asked to
perform it. The justification for this is that the eclipse prayer is tied to
the actual sighting of the eclipse itself, as enshrined explicitly in the previous
Prophetic report: ‘When you see an eclipse...’.
Reminder: You are advised,
oh generous one, to give voluntary charity once you view kusuf or
khusuf. This recommendation is given by the previous tradition, ‘When
you see an eclipse, call on Allah, magnify Him [say: “Allah is greater”] and
give sadaqah (charity)’.
_________________________________
1 - al-Bukhari. Hadith number 6021.
The
contemporary scholar of Hadith al-Qannubi (May Allah grant him good health)
says regarding this report: ‘It has come from different chains of narrators,
each one enhancing the others. Thus, it is elevated to the level of acceptance.
This is what we think of this hadith’.
2
- as-Sunan ar-Ratibah are the regular Sunnah prayers observed
before and/or after the mandatory prayers. Hence, they are the regular optional
prayers attached to the five daily ones.
Saleh. Dictionary of Islamic Words and Expressions.
p.224.
3 - al-Fasl is to do taslim after
sitting for the second unit. Then, you pronounce the consecrating takbir (takbirat
al-Ihram) after being upright for the third unit. As for al-wasl,
it is to perform the three units continuously, without this first taslim
after sitting for the second unit;
rather, you stand up after sitting, with a transitional takbir to the
third unit.
4
- In ‘The Third Chapter: On the Conditions of Prayer\ The Second Condition:
Time’, we mentioned that dawn is of two types: the false dawn and the true
dawn. The false dawn emerges vertically towards the middle of the sky,
and it is then followed by darkness. The true dawn is the lightening
that spreads horizontally at the eastern horizon. None of the legal rulings
concern the false dawn, because it is considered an extension of the preceding
night. The true dawn is the one on which many religious rituals depend, such as
the start of fasting and the end of al-witr prayer.
5 - Qutb al-A’immah
is a well-known title given to the renowned scholar from Algeria, Shaykh
Muhammad b. Yusuf Atfayyish. Shaykh al-Qutb has many compilations on different
religious and linguistic fields. He passed away in 1332 AH/1914 CE.
6
- It has been argued that the legality of prayer for the lunar eclipse is also derived
from textual evidence. This is the following Prophetic tradition ‘O people, the
sun and the moon are two of Allah’s signs; they are not eclipsed on account of
a man’s death. So, when you see anything of that nature, offer prayer’. The
ultimate result, that prayer for the lunar eclipse is legalised, is the same.
Reference:
The Reliable
Jurisprudence of Prayer, al-Mu’tamad fi Fiqh as-Salah, by al-Mu’tasim
al’Ma’wali, pg: 397-417.
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