The Reward for Reading Suratul Ikhlas 3 times -By Al-Amir As-San ani (1182H)

Transcription

1 The Reward for Reading Suratul Ikhlas 3 times -By Al-Amir As-San ani (1182H) The Reward for Reading Suratul Ikhlas 3x -By Al-Amir As-San ani (1182H) بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم What does 2 halves, 3 thirds, and 4 fourths all share when they are added together? That s right! They all equal a whole. Abu Hurairah narrated the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Gather and I will recite to you one third of the Qur an. He said: So whoever was to gather did so, then the Messenger of Allah came out and recited Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad. Then he went (ﷺ) back in. Some of them said to each other: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I shall recite to you one third of the Qur an I thought that this was news from the Heavens. Allah s Prophet came out and said: Indeed I said that I would recite to (ﷺ) you one third of the Qur an, and it is indeed equal to one third of the Qur an. [1] Abu Darda reported Allah s Messenger (ﷺ) as said: Is any one of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur an in a night? They (the Companions) asked: How could one recite a third of the Qur an (in a night)? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Say: He is Allah, One is equivalent to a third of the Qur an. [2] Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

2 A man heard another man reciting (Surat-Al-Ikhlas) Say He is Allah, (the) One. repeatedly. The next morning he came to Allah s Messenger (ﷺ) and informed him about it as if he thought that it was not enough to recite. On that Allah s Messenger (ﷺ) said, By Him in Whose Hand my life is, this Surah is equal to one-third of the Qur an! [3] These are some of the authentic Ahadith that mention Surah Al- Ikhlas being equivalent to 1/3 of the Quran. Now the question is if a person read it 3X it would equal reading the entire Quran? Al-Amir As-San ani was asked about this subject and gave a detailed answer as to why held his opinion that it does. Imam As-San ani mentioned that Al-Hafith As-Suyuti stated people differed between the exact meanings of Surahtul Ikhlas being a 3 rd of the Quran. Some scholars have said it s considered a third of the Quran as it contains, stories, laws, and Allah s attributes, and the 112 th chapter of the Quran is entirely the attributes of Allah, so it s a third of the Quran. [4]

3 Al-Ghazali said the knowledge in the Quran covers three main subjects: Tawheed, the straight path, along with details about the Hereafter, Surathul Ikhlas covers Tawheed, thus it s a third of the book.[5] Al-Jooni said: The Quran demands three principles to make a person s faith correct; knowledge of Allah, the truthfulness of His Prophet and the belief in the Last Day. Anyone who acknowledges Allah is One, Muhammad is truthful and the Judgment Day is real, is a religious believer. The person who denies anything from these three principles is disbeliever. The facts about Allah are included in Suratul Ikhlas and from this viewpoint that makes it a 3 rd of the Quran.[6] We have read some reasons why scholars said Suratul Ikhlas equals 1/3 of the Quran and how their judgments were built on the fact that portion of the Quran is related to Tawheed. Following this introduction Al-Amir As-San ani went into what does a third of the Quran represent in that hadith. Imam As-San ani said: It s also believed that the meaning for a 3 rd of the Quran in the hadith refers to the reward; however this opinion has been rejected by Ibn Aqeel, who said, It s improper to say reading Suratul Ikhlas is equals a third of the Quran in reward. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: [Whoever recites a letter] from Allah s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter. [7] Stopping here at the aforementioned Hadith brings something to mind, the Quran has 114 chapters and Al-Baqarah is the longest chapter in the Quran and more words than Suratul Ikhlas,so Ibn Aqeel s point is, if there is a reward for every letter read, then how can that chapter be considered a third in its reward? Imam As-San ani mentioned that Ibn Abdil Bar said: It s safer

4 and better to remain silent than to talk about this issue. Ishaq ibn Mansour asked Imam Ahmed, What does it mean that Suratul Ikhlas equals 1/3 of the Quran? Imam Ahmed didn t answer. Ishaq ibn Raahoowayah said, This means Allah made some of His words more superior to every other kind of speech and He appointed some of It to be greater in reward than others as a means to encourage people to learn. This doesn t mean that reading Suratul Ikhlas three times earns same reward of the entire Quran. This isn t a sound opinion, and even if a person were to read it two hundred times it wouldn t match up to whole Quran. Imam As-San ani said: It s obvious from the apparent meaning of the hadith, Whoever reads Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad, and then it s as if he read a third of the Quran. [8] Is there anything that prevents us from taking the meaning of the Hadith literally or explaining it based on what is clearly stated? We read that Ishaq didn t accept the reading of Suratul Ikhlas 3x times to be comparable to whole Quran in reward, but Imam As-San ani responded by asking what prevents us from taking that interpretation from the clear wording of the Hadith? Ibn Aqeel believed the same as Ibn Raahowayah, but mentioned his reason was such a belief outwardly contradicted the hadith. [Whoever recites a letter] from Allah s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter. [9] Imam As-San ani answered this interpretation by saying, This hadith is general and applies to everyone who recites the Quran. Allah specified the recital of 112 th chapter from the Quran to be the same as reading a 3 rd of His book. There s

5 nothing preventing that from being absolutely possible and specific for that chapter. So if a person says, Reading a 3 rd of the Quran can be achieved by reciting Suratul Ikhlas? The answer is yes. These are the words of Tawheed and best words to remember Allah,and are the easiest to say. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best remembrance of Allah is la ilaha illallah. [10] I don t believe there s a text that prevents the hadith from be understood by its apparent meaning. Suratul Ikhlas is equal to 1/3 of the entire Quran in reward. Allah can bestow special honors to whatever He wills and how He wills. We must believe in this and submit to it and avoid interpreting texts from their obvious meaning. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Azim [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise, (and) Allah, the Greatest is free from imperfection]. [11] This hadith proves the best deeds superior in reward aren t connected to a difficulty. Certain deeds were made superior to others by Allah s will. This is similar to the way He has made some of His servants loftier than others. He said: Those Messengers! We preferred some to others. [12] Allah mentioned that He gives His bounty to whoever He wills. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases. [13] Al-Amir As-San ani s supporting evidence for this topic is strong and unambiguous. After an analysis why some scholars said reading Suratul Ikhlas three times couldn t possibly be similar to reading to the entire Quran, we saw that they didn t interpreted the Hadith from its apparent meaning. Ibn Aqeel rejected the idea through calculation of the number of

6 verses in the Quran compared to amount of the ayah in that chapter. In reflecting over As-San ani s argument we can further support it with other acts of worship done at certain times which are superior in reward. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Umrah during Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj. [14] All the rites of Hajj aren t done in Umrah,yet performing Umrah in Ramadan is similar to Hajj. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, after that sits and remembers Allah until the sunrises, following this he prays two rakah earns the reward of a Hajj and an Umrah. [15] Remembering Allah after Fajr until sunrise is equal to the reward of Hajj and an Umrah. And this is action which doesn t have any rites of Hajj or Umrah. And Allah the Most High knows Best Presented by your brother in need of Allah s Mercy, Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle Doha,Qatar 1437H

7 [1] Muslim(812) and At-Tirmithi (2900) [2] Muslim(811) [3] Al-Bukhari(5013) (الا تقان 2/1139) [4] الجواهر [5] (الا تقان 2/1139) [6] [7] At-Tirmithi 2910 [8] Ahmed (6/442,447) [9] At-Tirmithi 2910 [10] At-Tirmithi (3383) [11] Al-Bukhari(7563)Muslim(2694) [12] Al-Baqarah (253) [13] Al-Hadeed (21) [14] Ibn Majah (2994) [15] Collected by At-Tirmithi (579) Imam At-Tirmithi and Al- Albani (May Allah mercy on them both) graded this hadeeth as Hasan.

8 Short You Tube clips from Senior Scholars بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Shaykh Muhammad nasiruddin Al-albani (1332H 1420H May Allah s mercy be upon him) Muqbil_bin_Hadi_al-Wadi i ( H- May Allah s mercy be upon him) Shaykh Salih ibn Muhammad Al-Luhaydan (1350- still alive and May Allah s Protection cover him)

9 Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan Al-Fawzan ) (1354- still alive and May Allah s Protection cover him) The Current Mufti of Saudi Arabia -Shaykh Abdul Aziz Al-Ashshaykh (1362-still alive and May Allah s Protection cover him) and more coming soon-inshallah. visit

10 : aliyah/videos and share their knowledge. Reading the Quran as Charity for a deceased Muslim By Imam Muhammad Ash-Shawkani (1250H) Reading the Quran as Charity for a deceased Muslim By Imam Muhammad Ash-Shawkani (1250H) بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Imam Ash-Shawkani was asked about reading the Quran on behalf of a deceased Muslim for charity and to explain what is the strongest position about this topic.

11 Imam Ash-Shawkani mentioned: The scholars differ over whether or not the deceased receives the reward for Quran readings. Imam Ash-Shafa I and a group of the Mu tazilah don t believe the deceased can be rewarded from the reading of the living without it being mentioned as a request in a will. Other scholars such as Imam Ahmed, some Shafa I scholars, Hanafi specialists, Ibn As-Salah, and Ibn Nahwi held the opinion that the deceased can earn charitable benefits for the Quran readings. Imam Ash-Shawkani mentioned both opinions which don t deny the possibility the deceased can feel the pleasure of this charitable deed while in their graves, but the first group of scholars made the condition for the dead Muslim to earn this benefit, is they must request it in their will. Imam Ash-Shawkani said: The scholars with the first opinion use the verse: And that man can have nothing but what he does.[ An-Najm :39] This ayah is general and covers all actions and rejects the idea that a person can be rewarded from the actions of others. On the hand the scholars who hold the opposite view answered

12 this theory by saying the verse was abrogated by the verse, And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith. [At-Tur :21] Ash-Shawkani said: An-Naskh(abrogation of rulings) are only effective and correct once there is certainty that the ruling revealed abrogating the earlier one came after it, and not based on the possibility there is an Ijma(concensus) of an abrogation. Moreover the verse from At-Tur isn t suitable to abrogate everything in the first verse from An-Najm. Furthermore, the scholars who reject the verse from An-Najm as proof their view say the intended meaning of, the man.. in the verse refers to the disbeliever. This understanding is erroneous as a Muslim and a non-muslim are both included in word man; and this is understood from the linguistic, the Islamic, and the customary usage of the word. Additionally, the scholars who say the deceased is unable to earn the reward of the Quran recital on their behalf use the hadith, Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, pious son who prays for him. [1] Imam Ash-Shawkani said: This hadith clearly mentioned a person s deeds come to end in general, except for those three specifically mentioned. Also, the ulema who concluded the dead are unable to profit from the readings of the living use the verse, This Day shall every person be recompensed for what he earned. [ Al- Ghafir:17] Imam Ash-Shawkani said: being recompensed is general and applies to a reward or to a punishment for the actions they performed, but this doesn t mean that he can t be rewarded for something done on his behalf.

13 There are proofs that are suitable for allocating specific Quran readings for general situations and can be used here in this issue. Ibn `Abbas narrated: Some of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by some people staying at a place where there was water, and one of those people had been stung by a scorpion. A man from those staying near the water, came and said to the companions of the Prophet, Is there anyone among you who can do Ruqya as near the water there is a person who has been stung by a scorpion. So one of the Prophet s companions went to him and recited Surat-al-Fatiha for a sheep as his fees. The patient got cured and the man brought the sheep to his companions who disliked that and said, You have taken wages for reciting Allah s Book. When they arrived at Medina, they said, O Allah s Messenger!(ﷺ) (This person) has taken wages for reciting Allah s Book On that Allah s Messenger (ﷺ) said, You are most entitled to take wages for doing a Ruqya with Allah s Book. [2] Imam Ash-Shawkani mentioned the proof of this hadith is the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed a person to take wages for reading the Quran. This shows that person who the Quran is read to can

14 benefit from someone else s reading, and if the reciter was the only one who could benefit, then the Prophet (ﷺ) wouldn t have permitted that transaction, and this would be a form of devouring people s wealth unjustly. You want to know how? Ok, the Prophet (ﷺ) made the recitation of the Quran among the things that entitle a person to take wages for. It s well known that wages are only given to person in exchange for the employer s benefit. If the person s intention to recite the Quran is to have an effect on the one read to, then there is no difference between the living and dead, for money or for free; and this is the right of any employee. The second proof suitable for assigning specific Quran readings for general situations and can be used here in this issue is the hadith, Sahl ibn Sad as-saidi that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, Messenger of Allah! I have given myself to you. She stood for a long time, and then a man got up and said, Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need of her. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Do you have anything to give her as a bride-price? He said, I possess only this lower garment of mine. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, If you give it to her you will not have a garment to wear so look for something else. He said, I have nothing else. He said, Look for something else, even if it is only an iron ring. He looked, and found that he had nothing. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Do you know any of the Qur an? He said, Yes. I know such-and-such a surah and such-and-such a surah, which he named. The messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, I have married her to you for what you know of the Qur an. [3]

15 Imam Ash-Shawkani mentioned that the proof here is the Prophet allowed the man s recital of the Quran to be a Worldly (ﷺ) benefit for him and a means to benefit others. After the aforementioned two Hadith Imam Ash-Shawkani used the Qiyas(an analogy by comparison) as an evidence. He cited five examples, all which strongly support the deceased can benefit from the readings of the living. Imam Ash-Shawkani mentioned; 1. Based on the permissibility for a person to make Hajj on the behalf of others as found in the hadith. Ibn Abbas (ﷺ) (Radi Allahu anhu) narrated, The Messenger of Allah heard a man saying, O Allah! Here I am in response to Your call (saying Labbayk on behalf.. ) on behalf of Shubrumah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him. Have you performed your own Hajj? He replied, No, then the Prophet told him, You must perform Hajj on your own behalf first, and then perform it on behalf of Shubrumah. [4] Did Shubrumah leave it in the will that Hajj be made his behalf? 2. Another incident suitable as proof is the hadith,the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whoever dies while he still has some fasts to make up (of the days of Ramadan), then his heir (any of them) should fast on his behalf. [5] 3. Dua can be used as a comparison to deduct the proof that the dead benefit from the reading of the living. Allah said: And those who came after them say: Our Lord!

16 Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful. [Al-Hasr:10] Dua reaches the dead without them requesting it to be done on their behalf after their deaths. 4. The superior virtue of a Muslim making Dua on behalf of his brother in his absence is another proof. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, Whenever a Muslim supplicates for his (Muslim) brother in his absence, the angels say: May the same happen for you too. [6] 5. The Sunnah to make Dua when visiting the graveyards is also another proof. Sulaiman bin Buraidah narrated on the authority of his father (Radi Allahu anhu) that the Prophet (ﷺ) taught us that when we visit graves we should say, Peace be upon you, O believing men and women, O dwellers of this place. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you. We supplicate to Allah to grant us and you well-being. [7] Imam Ash-Shawkani mentioned next that Imam An-Nawawi stated there was a consensus that Dua for the deceased reaches them in their graves, and also there is an Ijma that charity given on behalf of the dead benefits them. Moreover the scholars unanimously agree that a debt paid for the dead helps them in their graves.[8] Ibn Al-Nahwi said: One should be absolutely certain that reading the Quran as charity benefits deceased; as it s Dua.

17 In conclusion, Imam Ash-Shawkani s arguments are strongly supported from the areas of the Sunnah and Qiyas. He established instances when the Quran reader benefited others through his recital from authentic ahadith,and then summed up his argument with 5 angles of Qiyas. The closing arguments he focused on was the fact that there is an Ijma that Dua on behalf of the deceased benefits and what better Dua is there than the Quran. So from this point on we need to make sure that we teach our children the Quran as parents, because every ayah they recite after our death will benefit us in the graves, and if they read Quran and give their readings to us when we are in that dark place, then their readings will bring some light to us when we will need it the most Inshallah. And Allah knows best. Taken Fathur Rabbani/ vol 6,page 3157 Arranged and presented by your brother in need of Allah s Mercy, Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle Doha, Qatar 1437

18 [1] Abu Dawud(2880),At-Tirmithi(1376),An- Nisa 6/251),Ahmed(2/372) [2] Al-Bukhari(2272),Muslim(2201) [3] Al-Bukhari(5087)Muslim(1425) [4] Related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah. Ibn Hibban graded it as Sahih [5] Al-Bukhari(1952)Muslim(1147) [6] Muslim/book 17/hadith 30 [7] Muslim (975) [8] Sharh Sahih Muslim(8/26) Exploring the actions of Hellfire and Paradise-Ibn Taymiyyah (728H) بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Exploring the actions of Hellfire and Paradise From the Fatwa of Ibn Taymiyyah (728H)[1] بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم All praises belong to Allah the Lord of All the Worlds and we ask Allah to continue to shower His Peace and Blessings on His final and last Messenger Muhammad.

19 Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah was asked about the actions the people of Paradise and Hell practice. Ibn Taymiyyah gave an excellent summary mentioning the deeds we need to do to earn Jannah and the acts we must avoid to bypass Jahannam. In Ibn Taymiyyah s answer a few footnotes were added for the reader to comprehend his message clearer and I pray to Allah its made clearer with extra benefit. Ibn Taymiyyah was asked. What are the actions for the People the Paradise and the actions of the People of the Hell? Answer:The Praises belong to Allah,Lord of All the Worlds. The actions for the People of Jannah are; Iman and Taqwa and the actions for the People of Hell include Al-Kufr (disbelief) Al-Fusuq(wickedness) and Al- Isyan(to disobey Allah and His Messenger)[2] The actions for the people of Jannah include belief in Allah, His Angels, His books, His Messengers, The Last Day along with the good and bad things that happen from the Qadr.[3] The People of Jannah attest that there is absolutely no deity worthy of worship, but Allah, and acknowledge that Muhammad is Allah s Messenger. [4]

20 The actions for the people Paradise consist of establishing the Prayer, paying the Zakah, fasting in Ramadhan, and performing Hajj, and to worship Allah as if you can see Him, and even though you can t see Allah, you are aware that He can see you. [5] Likewise the deeds of the people of Jannah involve honesty when speaking, fulfilling trusts, and keeping promises when made.[6] Being dutiful to the parents, maintaining family ties, being kind to the neighbors, the orphans, the less fortunate, and showing compassion towards those under your care,and animals are all included among the acts for the People of Jannah.[7] Also, amongst the actions for the People of Jannah is sincerity to Allah,[8] relying on Allah, having love for Allah and His Messenger, having fear of Allah, and at the same time having hope for His Mercy.[9] Repenting to Allah,[10] and remaining patient with His decree and expressing gratitude for the blessings He gave you are amongst the actions for the people of Paradise. The actions for the People of Paradise are the reading of the Quran, remembering Allah, and Supplicating to Him in desire of His reward.[11] Commanding the good and preventing the evil are among the deeds the People of Paradise practice. They strive in Allah s Cause against the Kuffar and the hypocrites to spread Islam. Among the deeds for the inhabitants of Jannah is to connect with those who have cut ties with you, to give to those who prevent you, and to pardon those who have oppressed you. Verily Allah has promised Jannah for the God Fearing, who spend their wealth during good times and bad times.[12]

21 Controlling anger and excusing people are among the deeds the People of Jannah do, and Allah loves those who do good towards others.[13] In addition to everything mentioned, Justice and fairness in every affair for every human being, including the non-muslims are from the deeds for the people of Jannah.[14] Now as for the deeds for the People of Hell, then it s to join partners with Allah[15], deny His Messenger, to disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and to have envy, to lie and to be deceitful. (All)Oppression, sinning, betrayal and severing ties are the actions for the people of Hell.[16] Being a coward in the path of spreading Islam, being stingy and acting differently in private from how you carry yourself publicly, and being despair of Allah s Mercy,and to feel secure against the Plan of Allah ;are all included among the deeds of Hellfire.[17] Acting impatiently during calamites, acting arrogantly and looking down on the favors of Allah are the acts the People of Hell do. They also, abandon Allah s obligations, exceed the boundaries He has put in place, and violate His sanctities.[18]

22 The deeds from the people of Jahannam are fear of creation instead of fearing the Creator;[19] they have more reliance on creation instead of the Creator. They depend on on humanbeings and not on Allah. The acts for the people of Hell are doing performing deeds to be seen and heard of. The inhabitants of Hell do things contradictory to the Quran and the Sunnah ; and they obey creation and disobey Allah. The actions for the companions of Hell are fanaticism to falsehood,[20] to ridicule Allah s verses and to deny the truth. At the same time they also, conceal the things that should be known while being fully aware of them.[21] Practicing magic, disobeying parents, murdering a soul unjustly and devouring the wealth of orphans are among the deeds for the people in the Fire. Furthermore, the dwellers of Hell indulge in Riba, flee from the battlefield, and slander the chaste and weak Muslim women.[22] It s really not possible to go into detail for the actions of Hell and Jannah, however in short the actions for the people of Jannah are all related to obedience to Allah and His Messenger and for the People of Hell-fire it s the opposite. Allah said: and whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ) will be admitted to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein, and that will be the great success. And whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment.[ An- Nisa 13-14][23] And Allah knows best. Prepared by :

23 Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle Doha,Qatar 1437 [1] This Fatwa is in the Majmo Fatawa vol 10/pg 422 [2] Ibn Taymiyyah began by explaining a trait of the pious that are promised Jannah and the characteristics of those promised Hell. The proof for this can be found in Al- Hujjarat/7. Allah said: And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah.(ﷺ) If he were to obey you (i.e. follow your opinions and desires) in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble, but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones [3] The 1st following actions that Shaykhul Islam is going to mention are found in the Hadith of Jibril which the Prophet Religion. defined as the (ﷺ) [4] This is the first pillar of a Islam. A person must acknowledge that all worship must be directed to Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger. A person s testimony of faith is incomplete and therefore of no benefit if he attests Allah is the Only true God,but doesn t acknowledge Muhammad to be His Messenger. Likewise if someone confirms Muhammad is Allah s Messenger, but rejects Allah,then his testimony of faith is useless.(refer to المنح ة الرباني ة /pg 36,Shaykh Salih Al- Fawzan)

24 [5] These are the other four pillars of our religion that are a must for the person to carry out and perform as long as he has the ability to do so. [6] The following the three actions are among the 6 things the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned among the 6 things that guarantees a person Jannah. Refer to : ee-you-jannah/ [7] Allah said: And give to the kindred his due and to the Miskin (poor) and to the wayfarer [Quran:17/26] and showing compassion towards animals is found in the hadith. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, A man saw a dog eating mud from (the severity of) thirst. So, that man took a shoe (and filled it) with water and kept on pouring the water for the dog till it quenched its thirst. So Allah approved of his deed and made him to enter Paradise. [ Sahih Al-Bukhari 173] [8] Sinceirty(Ikhlas ) is the first of two pillars for the acceptance of deeds. Allah said: So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord. [Al-Khaf 110] [9] Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that love, fear and hope are all acts of worship. Ibn Taymiyyah said fear and hope are connected together and the people who fear Allah and hope for His Mercy are those whom Allah praised.[majmou 7/21] Maintaining fear of Allah is a means for His forgiveness.

25 Allah said: Verily! Those who fear their Lord unseen (i.e. they do not see Him, nor His Punishment in the Hereafter, etc.), theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise).[Al-Mulk:12] [10] Allah said: And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped.[az-zumar :54] The people who repent to Allah do so by one of three ways; 1-They turn to Allah and abandon sinning. 2-They turn to Allah through doing actions of worship. 3-They turn to Allah by humbling themselves and supplicate to Him.[ Tareeq Al-Hijratain/pg 292/by Ibn Al-Qayyim] [11] Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward. [Al-Bukahri 8/532/Muslim 798] [12] Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, The word Ar- Rahm (womb) derives its name from Ar-Rahman (i.e., one of the names of Allah) and Allah said: I will keep good relation with the one who will keep good relation with you, (womb i.e. Kith and Kin) and sever the relation with him who will sever

26 the relation with you, (womb, i.e. Kith and Kin).[ Al-Bukhari 5988] [13] Ibn Umar said, There is nothing that is swallowed greater with Allah in reward than a slave of Allah who swallows and contains his rancour out of desire for the pleasure of Allah. [ Al-Adabul Mufrad 1318] [14] Allah commands fairness, balance and justice in everything, and especially when we judge between people in regards to their rights. We are prohibited from taking positions towards others unjustly.. He said: And if you judge, judge with justice between them. Verily, Allah loves those who act justly. [Al-Ma idah:42] Allah said: and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He (Allah) gives you! Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All- Seer.[An-Nisa :58] [15] Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode[al-ma idah: 72] [16] Abdullah bin Amr said: It was said to the Messenger of Allah :(ﷺ) Which of the people is best? He said: Everyone who is pure of heart and sincere in speech. They said: Sincere in speech, we know what this is, but what is pure of heart? He said: It is (the heart) that is pious and pure, with no sin, injustice, rancor or envy in it. [Ibn Majah

27 4126]. Further reading check: its/ [17] Allah said: Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah. None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers.[al- Araf:99] [18] A isha, the wife of Allah s Apostle,(ﷺ) said that whenever he had to choose between two things he adopted the easier one, provided it was nor sin, but if it was any sin he was the one wio was the farthest from it of the people; and Allah s Messenger (ﷺ) never took revenge from anyone because of his personal grievance, unless what Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, had made inviolable had been violated.[muslim 2327] [19] Allah said: It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Auliya [supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad )], so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers.[quran:al-imran:175] [20] Allah said: On the Day when their faces will be turned over in the Fire, they will say: Oh, would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.And they will say: Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the (Right) Way.[Al-Ahzab 66-67]

28 [21] Allah said: And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth[al-baqarah 42] [22] Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned acts that can earn a person the punishment of Hell. Riba and killing someone unjustly have been mentioned among these acts and it s important to note here that there is a difference between a sinner and Kafir remaining in Hell. Please refer to the speech of Shaykh Bin Baz: [23] Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa di said: This verse refers to this refers to those who follow Allah and His Messenger s Commands. The greatest of their commands is Tawheed, followed by different acts of worship based on their status. The people mentioned in this verse should stay away from everything Allah and His Messenger prohibited and the most serious prohibition to avoid is Shirk followed by the various kinds of sins according to the major to the minor.[ Tafsir As-Sa di]

29 The Superiority of offering Sunnah Prayers in Private!! The Superiority of offering Sunnah Prayers in Private. صلاة الر جل ت طو عا حيث لا ي راه الن اس تعد ل صلات ه على أع ين الن اس خ مسا و ع شر ين The Voluntary prayer of a man done where people can t see him outweighs his prayer done where people can see him by twenty five (degrees). [1] Benefits for this topic:

30 Shaykh Rslan (may Allah preserve him) considers offering Sunnah prayers in the home an abandoned sunnah. [2] Al-Ameer As-San anee (may Allah have mercy on him) said, The Voluntary prayer of a man was said here because most men pray in congregation. However here the same ruling applies for women, who pray sunnan prayers in their homes. Where people can t see him what is evident from the wording is an empty masjid and a person s home are both included. Outweighs his prayer done where people can see him by twenty five This refers to the degree of the prayer or twenty five prayers. The reason for this status is because voluntary prayers were legislated to draw nearer to Allah. Hence, if an act of worship is done in secret, then it s farther from showing off and seeking fame than acts done publicly. On the other hand, obligatory acts of worship were legislated to be carried out in public. Subsequently, these acts and rites help establish the religion when everyone sees them done.[3] Shaykul Islam Abu Yahya Zakariyah Al-Ansari (may Allah have mercy on him) said, Only the supererogatory acts of worship were legislated to be practiced in the homes. Reason being, this is the farthest away from Riya. Along with this the Angels descend with mercy. The Sunnah acts which aren t included are; Sunnah Al-Jumu ah, Tawaf, Ihram and Taraweeh in congregation[4] Translated and compiled by the one in need of Allah s mercy, bu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle Sr.

31 Doha, Qatar 1433 [1] Collected by Ibn Hajr in Muttalib Al-Aaliyah (547) from the chain of Abu Ya la.al-albani graded this hadeeth as being Saheeh.( Jami 3821) [2] Abandoned Sunnan pg 38 [3] Tanweer Sharhul Jami As-Saghir vol 7 [4] (Minhatul Bari Bi Sharhi Saheeh Al-Bukhari vol 3 The Prostration is an Independent act of Worship- Imam Ash-Shawkani (1250H) The Prostration is an Independent act of Worship By Imam Ash-Shawkani (1250H) بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم No scholar or disciple of Fiqh can deny Imam Ash-Shawkani s rank and status among the greatest distinguished Islamic Jurists. He reached a level of Ijtihad that few people have attained. Imam Ash-Shawkani has left behind a hoard of treasure in the science of Fiqh,Usul,Aqeedah, Minhaj and

32 Hadith. After looking at his study titled, بحث في أن السجود بمجرد من غير انضمامه إلى صلاة عبادة مستقلة با جر الله A Research about the Sajdah separately from a prayer is an Independent act of worship that earns Allah s Reward I found it extremely beneficial, so desiring Allah s Pleasure I decided to share this research. Imam Ash-Shawkani s theory in the paper lead him to the conclusion that the Sajdah is a separate act of worship pleasing to Allah outside of the prayer. The prostration is legislated for certain verses of the Quran and for thankfulness at the time Allah brings about ease in an affair or removes a difficulty. This prostration can be done on its own. Before going through the hadith Imam Ash-Shawkani presented I feel it would be a great idea to present a few verses from the Quran showing were the Sajdah (prostration) is an unattached action of a prayer. Allah said: And (remember) when We said to the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam. [ Al-Baqarah/34] Ibn Al-Arabi (543H) said there are two positions for the prostration offered to Adam and there is a consensus that this kneeling wasn t an act of worship, but rather it was one of two types. The first type refers to the way the non-arabs and Persians used to greet people of by way of bowing to them showing them honor, and the 2 nd opinion, and this is the more favorable view, which is Adam was positioned in place like a Qiblah for Sujud similarly to the Kab ah and Baitul Maqdis.

33 The verse: So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) the soul which I created for him, then fall (you) down prostrating yourselves unto him.[al- Hijr/29] is a proof for that interpretation. The prostration wasn t to honor Adam, but it was ordered to direct worship to Allah (acknowledging His Greatness.) However Islam abrogated that practice.[1] Allah said: And he raised his parents to the throne and they fell down before him prostrate.[2] Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa di said: Yusuf s father, mother, and brothers all prostrated to Yusuf honoring him with respect. Allah said: (Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allah), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so,[3] Shaykh Abdur Rahman A-Sa di said: The hypocrites and wicked sinners won t be able to prostrate to Allah. Their backs will be like baby cows unable to bend.[4]

34 Imam Ash-Shawkani said: You need to know that prostrating to Allah outside of the prayer is a separate act of worship that Allah rewards His servant for practicing it. There are many texts that support this found in the Quran. Some people comprehend the word Sajdah to mean a part of the prayer, or consider it to figuratively involve a Salah. Imam Ash-Shawkani didn t mention any of those verses from the Quran in this paper to support his opinion. He begins by mentioning the Hadiths and their status. Imam Ash-Shawkani said: A hadith collected in Sahih that relates the Sujud being the prayer or an independent an act of worship is the narration from Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, Prostrate more often. For every prostration that you perform before Allah will raise your position one degree and will remit one of your sins.[5] Every Arab speaker understands the meaning of Sajdah to mean an independent prostration; and the prostration done during the prayer, and then its reward is included as a part of the salah. Rabi ah bin Ka b Al-Aslami said:

35 I used to bring to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) water for wudu and serve him. He said: Ask of me. I said: I want to be with you in Paradise. He said: Is there anything else? I said: That is all. He said: Help me to fulfill your wish by prostrating a great deal.' [6] The literal meaning in this hadith is for the separate prostrations outside of the prayer. It was narrated that Aisha said: I noticed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was missing one night, and I found him when he was prostrating with his feet held upright, and he was saying: Allahumma, inni a udhu biridaka min sakhatik, wa bimu afatika min uqubatik, wa bika minka la uhsi thana an alaika anta kama athnaita ala nafsik (O Allah, I seek refuge with Your pleasure from Your wrath, in Your forgiveness from Your punishment and in You from You. I cannot praise You enough, You are as You have praised Yourself.) [7] This hadith affirms prostration being done separately from Salah. You will notice that Imam Ash-Shawkani in the beginning of his paper used two hadith to establish the prostration is an independent act of worship which can be performed outside of the prayer. The first hadith is a good reference, but the second hadith only mentions Aisha (Radi Allahu anha)narrating the condition she found her husband, and just because she didn t mention he was praying doesn t negate that he wasn t,nor does it make it a fact that he (ﷺ) was only prostrating. There is a principle in Fiqh, Whenever there are two possibilities one can t be used to support a definite

36 position and Allah knows best. Imam Ash-Shawkani said there is another hadith from Abu Hurayrah (Radi Allahu anhu): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, A slave becomes nearest to his Rubb when he is in prostration. So increase supplications while prostrating. [8] It was narrated that Aisha said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray eleven rak ahs at night between finishing Isha prayer and Fajr, apart from the two rak ahs of Fajr, and he would prostrate for as long as it takes one of you to recite fifty verses.[9] I checked on the hadith from Aisha (Radi Allahu anha) and became enlightened that Imam An-Nisa I used this hadith as proof that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to make Sujud after Witr; nonetheless Shaykh Muhammad Adam said this opinion is weak and more clarity for this hadith is found in Sahih Al-Bukhari that proves this Sujud was done in the night prayer.[10] Ubadah bin Samit heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: No one prostrates to Allah but Allah will record one Hasanah (good reward) for him, and will erase thereby one bad deed and raise him in status one degree. So prostrate a great deal. [11] Abu Fatimah told him: I said: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of a deed that I can adhere to and act upon. He said: You should prostrate, for you will not prostrate to Allah but He will raise you in status one degree thereby and erase from you one sin. [12] The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The best condition Allah loves to see His servants is in Sajdah with their face in the dirt.[13]

37 Abu Dhar heard Allah s Messenger say: Whoever prostrates to Allah then Allah will write it as a good deed and remove a bad from his book and raise him in rank. Imam Ash-Shawkani said: No doubt the meaning of Sajdah found in these hadith refers to the prostrations done outside of the prayer. This is the literal meaning of the Sajdah found in those narrations, and to hold it to figuratively mean the prayer, then this doesn t go against our view, nor does it remove the point that the Sajdah done separately from the prayer is incorrect. What s been established is the Sujood (prostration) is a desired act of worship and a means to draw closer to Allah. This is similar to prayers which strengthen our connection to Allah, and the Prophetic promise and reward for the person who preserves them. The slave can prostrate to Allah anytime he wants, with wudu or without. Any person who denies this is unaware of the Hadith previously mentioned, or he is familiar with them, but doesn t understand that the Sujud is a legislated act of worship based on those texts. As for the person who says the only legislated prostration outside of the prayer are the ones for the Quranic verses and

38 for gratitude, etc. Then a response to his speech is these must be done in the prayer and the servant can t offer any voluntary acts of prayer except those the Prophet (ﷺ) did. Therefore, he s unable to add the amount Rakat he prays, or (ﷺ) offer it in time period other than the one the Prophet prayed it in. No doubt this understanding is inaccurate, because the encouragement to offer supererogatory prayers unrestrictedly is a desired act of Sunnah,as long as they aren t offered in the prohibited times for prayer. The same ruling for the supererogatory prayers applies to the Sujud. There is an enormous reward for the person who prostrates to Allah, not to mention this is a method to draw closer to Allah. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When a servant is prostrating that is the closest he is to his Lord. The Prophet ordered us to frequently ask Allah during that state. This is the best time to knock on the door and have it opened. Dua during this time opens the doors of mercy that consist of supplications being answered, having sins expiated, and a person s status getting lifted. All of this occurs because the slave is in the closest position to the Most High. In concluding this topic, Imam Muhammad Ash-Shawkani mentioned various narrations for his theory which serve as a proof for his decision. We can t deny that Sujud can be done for the recital of certain verse and is a sunnah to perform when expressing gratitude to Allah, both which represent the prostration being done outside of the prayer and Allah knows best Prepared by the one in need of his Lord s Mercy or Forgiveness, Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle Doha,Qatar 1437H

39 [powr-mailing-list id=d00768b9_ ] [1] Ahkamul Quran vol 1 [g 43] [2] Yusuf /100 [3] Al-Qalam 42 [4] Tafsir As-Sa di [5] Muslim 488,At-Tirmithi 388, An-Nisa I 2/228, Ibn Majah 1423 [6] Muslim 226/489 [7] Muslim 222/486 [8] Muslim 482 [9] An-Nisa I 1739 [10] Sharh Sunnan An-Nisa I vol 18/pg 136 [11] Ibn Majah 1424 [12] Ahmed 3/428 [13] At-Tabarani in Awsot (6075)