Dought & clear, - The length of du‘aa’ al-Qunoot and reciting it.

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- - > - > What is the ruling on reciting du'aa'
al-qunootand making it last for more than twenty minutes, which
includes du'aa' that resembles how people ordinarily talk?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Qunoot in Witr prayer is Sunnah and mustahabb; it was narrated from
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there are
somehadeeths which give thewording for du'aa' al-qunoot.
It was narrated that al-Hasan ibn 'Ali may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
taught me some words to say in Qunoot of Witr:
"Allaahumma ihdini feeman hadayta wa 'aafini feeman 'aafayta wa
tawallani feeman tawallayta wa baarik li feema a'tayta, wa qini sharra
ma qadayta , fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda 'alayk, wa innahu laa
yadhillu man waalayta wa laa ya'izzu man 'aadayta, tabaarakta Rabbana
wa ta'aalayta (O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided,
pardon me among thosewhom You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship
among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in
what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have
decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is
not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honoured who is
Your enemy. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted.)."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1425; at-Tirmidhi, 464. Classed as hasan by
at-Tirmidhi and as saheeh by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr in al-Istidhkaar, 2/285
and an-Nawawi in al-Adhkaar, 86
See question no. 14093 .
In Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah (1100) it is narrated that the people, at the
time of 'Umar, used to pray against the disbelievers in the middle of
Ramadan, (saying): "O Allah, destroy the disbelievers who seek
toprevent people from following Your path and who disbelieve in Your
Messengers and do not believe in the Day of Resurrection. Create
disunity among them and instil fear in their hearts, and send Your
wrath and punishment upon them, O God of truth."
Then he would send blessings on the Prophet(blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and pray for the Muslims for whatever he could of
good, then he would pray for forgiveness for the believers. He said:
And he used to say whenhe had finished praying against the
disbelievers, sending blessings upon the Prophet, praying for
forgiveness for the believing men and women and asking for good: "O
Allah, You (alone) we worship and to You (alone) we pray and
prostrate; for Your sake we strive and worship. We hope for Your
mercy, our Lord, and we fear Your inevitable punishment, for Your
punishment willsurely befall the one whom You oppose." Then he would
say takbeer and fall down inprostration.
Al-Albaani said: Its isnaad is saheeh
Secondly:
Paying attention to the du'aa' that was narratedfrom the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), thenfrom his Companions
after him, is better and ispreferable and brings more blessings than
making up flowery supplications and invented awraad, for which there
is no guarantee that they will be free from mistakes in meaning or
that they will not be contrary to proper etiquette when calling upon
Allah, may He be exalted, and it willbe more likely to keep one safe
from showing off.
Al-Qaadi 'Iyaad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Allah, may He be
exalted, has given us permission to call upon Him and has taught
du'aa' in His Book to His creation, and the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) has taught his ummah how to offer du'aa'.
The du'aa' of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
is based on three things: proper knowledge of Tawheed (the Oneness of
Allah), proper knowledge of the (Arabic) language and sincerity to the
ummah. So no one should turn away from his du'aa' (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him).
Al-Maawardi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Haawi al-Kabeer
(2/200): What is narratedfrom the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) is what is more liked by us than anything else, but
whatever a person says in Qunoot of 'du'aa's narrated from the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and otherwise is good for
that purpose.
Both texts were quoted by Shaykh Muhammad Ismaa'eel al-Muqaddim in his
essay: 'Oodu ila khayr al-Huda, p. 45-46]
Ibn 'Uqayl al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that
'du'aa's narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) should be what is recited as regular wird, and anything
added to it is by way of a concession. He said: What is mustahabb in
our view is that which was narrated by al-Hasan ibn'Ali from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "Allahumma
ihdini…" – the well-known hadeeth. He said: If one adds to that the
words narrated from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), "Allahumma
inna nasta'eenuka… (O Allah, we seek Your help)…", there is
nothingwrong with that. End quote.
This was quoted by Ibn Muflih in his comment on al-Muharrar, 1/89
Indeed, some of the scholars spoke sternly about the issue of adding
to the 'du'aa's narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him, to the extent that al-'Izz ibn 'Abd as-Salaam(may
Allah have mercy on him) said – as it says in his Fataawa, 87 –: It is
not appropriate to add anything to or subtract anything from what the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in
Qunoot.
Quoted from 'Oodu ila Khayr al-Huda, p. 45
Thirdly:
There is nothing wrong with adding to the wording narrated from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Qunoot words
that may be appropriate to the situation, because this is the issue of
du'aa' (supplication), and the issue of du aa' is broad in scope, and
adding to it is something that is allowed in Islam. Concerning the
du'aa' narrated from 'Umar, it says: … and he would pray for whatever
he could of good for the Muslims, then he would pray for forgiveness
for the believers.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo' (3/477-478):
Shaykh Abu 'Amr ibn as-Salaah said: The view of those who say that one
should limit du'aa' in Qunoot to that which is narrated from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is odd (shaadhdh)
and is not acceptable; it is contrary to the opinion of the majority
of our companions and in fact is contrary to the opinion of the
majority of scholars. Al-Qaadi 'Iyaad narrated that the scholars were
unanimously agreed that there is no specific du'aa' for Qunoot… The
author of al-Haawi said: It may be done reciting the du'aa' narrated
fromthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or by
saying other du'aa's. End quote.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 34/63:
He may add whatever hewants of du'aa's that arepermissible to say
during prayer. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in ash-Sharh
al-Mumti', 4/52:
If he adds to that, there is nothing wrong with that, because it is
the matter of du'aa' (supplication). End quote.
Fourthly:
It is important to note that although adding (phrases not narrated in
the Sunnah) to a du'aa' narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) is permissible according to the majority of
scholars, it is not permissible to take that as a regular practice,
thus neglectingthe Sunnah and missing out on the blessing (barakah) of
following the Sunnah as a result ofthat. Indeed, one should not always
combine the two and regard them as being the same in status.Rather the
worshipper should do that sometimes and not do it sometimes, according
to the situation.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Undoubtedly dhikr and du'aa's are among the best kinds of worship.
Acts of worship are based on tawqeef and following, not on whims and
desires and innovation. The du'aa's and dhikrs narrated from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are the best that
anyone can find of dhikr and du'aa', and the one who limits himself to
them will be safe and sound. The beneficial results that they bring
cannot be putinto words or fully comprehended by man. Any other dhikrs
may be haraam or they may be makrooh. They may involve shirk which
mostpeople may not realize and which would take too long to explain in
detail.
No one has the right to prescribe for people any kind of dhikr or
du'aa' that is not narrated in the Sunnah and make it an act of
worship that people should perform regularly as they perform the five
daily prayers regularly. Ratherthis is a kind of innovation in
religion for which Allaah has not given permission… As foradopting a
wird that is not prescribed in sharee'ah and dhikr thatis not
prescribed in sharee'ah, this is something that is forbidden. Moreover
thedu'aa's and adhkaar thatare prescribed in sharee'ah are the best
and lead to achieving all aims and goals; no one turns away from them
and adopts innovated and invented adhkaar except one who is ignorant,
negligent or a wrong doer.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 22/510- 511
Fifthly:
How long should Qunootbe? Is it prescribed to make it lengthy or not?
If we study the hadeeth of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali quoted above, we will
find that the du'aa' that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) taught him is a brief and concise du'aa' that only takes a
few minutes. This indicates that what is appropriate in du'aa'
al-Qunoot is to make it brief and to stick to concise phrases.
It says in Mughni al-Muhtaaj, 1/369:
It says in al-Majmoo', narrating from al-Baghawi: It is makrooh to
make Qunoot lengthy, like the first tashahhud. Al-Qaadi Husayn said:
If he makes Qunoot longer than is usual, that is makrooh. End quote.
In fact an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) indicated that
combining the du'aa' of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) and the du'aa' of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in
Qunoot comes under the heading of making it lengthy, and one should
pay attention to the people'scircumstances and find out whether they
approve of that.
He said: Our companions said: It is mustahabb to combine the Qunoot of
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and that which is mentioned in
the hadeeth quoted above. If they are combined, then the more correct
way is to recite the Qunoot of 'Umar second. And if he wants to keep
it short, he should limit it to what is narrated in the hadeeth.
Rather it is mustahabb to combine the two if he is praying on his own
or if he is an imam of people who approve of making it lengthy. And
Allah knowsbest.
Al-Majmoo', 3/478
If combining the two du'aa's mentioned, even though they are brief, is
regarded as a kind of making it lengthy, then how about what is
mentioned in your question of making it last for twenty minutes or
thereabouts? What about those who offer du'aa' for double that time or
more, which many imams do who do not care about anything except giving
a performance in front of people, Allah forbid? People have seen
strange things of that nature nowadays.
The best approach in all of that – and Allah knows best – is to be
moderate, for the best ofaffairs are those that aremoderate; and Islam
forbids making things difficult for people, especially if there is a
custom of doing that every night.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen was asked the following question in Fataawa
'Ulama' al-Balad al-Haraam (152):
In Ramadan, some of theimams in the mosques make the du'aa' long, and
some make it short. Which is the correct way?
He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied:
The correct way is not toexaggerate or to fall short. Making it so
long that it causes hardship for the people is forbidden. When the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard that
Mu'aadhibn Jabal was making the prayer very lengthy when he led his
people in prayer, he got angry in exhortation in an unprecedented
manner, and he said to Mu'aadh ibn Jabal: "O Mu'aadh, do you want to
put people off their religion?" Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6106; Muslim,
465.
So what should be done is adhering to the wordsnarrated (in hadeeth)
or one may add more to that.
Undoubtedly making it very lengthy causes hardship to people and
exhausts them, especially the weak onesamong them. Among thepeople are
those who have work ahead of them but they do not like to leave before
the imam, although it is difficult for them to stay with the imam. So
my advice to my brother imams is to adopt a moderate approach. By the
same token, they should refrain from offering du'aa' on occasion, so
that the common folk do not think that du'aa' is obligatory. End
quote.
See also the answer to question no. 93051
Sixthly:
With regard to what youasked about reciting du'aa' al-Qunoot (in a
manner like reciting Qur'an) and beautifying the voice in it, if he
exaggerates about that and is preoccupied with it and makes it his
main concern, and he uses it as a means of attracting people's
attention to him, or he crosses the boundary between du'aa' and
exhortation or speaks as people ordinarily do, as in the case of the
person referred to in your question, and as is done by many imams who
toy with the people's worship and emotions – if the situation is as
described, then it is objectionable and is disapproved by everyone who
knows the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) and is rejected by everyone who has a sound nature.
Al-Kamaal ibn al-Humaam al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
when discussing the mu'adhdhins who used to repeat the takbeers behind
the imam – in histime –
With regard to what youare accustomed to in thiscity, it is not
unlikely that it is wrong, becauseit usually involves elongating the
first syllable in the words "Allah" and "akbar", or the second
syllable in the word "akbar", and that is wrong. Even if it does not
involve that, they still raise their voices too much, more than is
needed to conveythe words, and they focus too much on their
performance of tunes to show their proficiency indoing so, which has
nothing to do with carrying out the act of worship properly.
It is obvious that the purpose behind this is toimpress the people. It
is as if he is saying: Look atmy beautiful voice and how I come up
with nicetunes, and that is wrong.I do not think that this would come
from one who really understands the meaning of prayer and worship!
If this is what he said concerning the mu'adhdhins, then what about
the imams who dothat in the prayer itself?!It is no wonder that he
commented further and said:
Similarly, I think that coming up with nice tunes in du'aa', as some
reciters do in our times, is not done by one who understands the real
meaning of du'aa' and asking of Allah. That is no more than a kind of
playing about. If you saw someone making a request of a king and he
put on this kind of performance, with his voice rising and falling as
if singing, he would be accused of mockery and fooling about, because
the appropriateway to ask is with beseeching and humility, not
singing! End quote.
Fath al-Qadeer by Kamaal ibn al-Humaam, a Hanafi faqeeh, 2/225-226
With regard to paying attention to making the voice beautiful, without
exaggerating or pronouncing the letters differently from the correct
Arabic pronunciation, it seems that this does not come under the
heading of blameworthy singing referred to above.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about
this and he replied in detail.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked the following question, as
it says in Fataawa al-Balad al-Haraam, 153:
Some imams of mosques try to soften people's hearts and move them by
changing the tone of voice sometimes during taraweeh prayer and in
du'aa' al-Qunoot, and I heard that some scholarsdisapprove of that.
Whatis your opinion of that?
His reply was:
What I think is that if this is done within shar'ilimits, without
exaggerating, then there is nothing wrong with it. Hence Abu
Moosaal-Ash'ari said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him): If I had known thatyou were listening to myrecitation, I
would have beautified it for you." If someone has a beautiful voice or
recites in a way that softens people's hearts, I do not think there is
anything wrong with that. But exaggerating with regard to that so that
he does this with every single word of the Qur'an, as mentioned in the
question – I think that this is excessive and should not be done. And
Allah knows best. End quote.
And Allah knows best.
See [in Arabic] the essaysDu'aa' al-Qunoot by Shaykh Bakr ibn
'Abdullah Abu Zayd; 'Oodu ila Khayr al-Huda by Shaykh Muhammad
Ismaa'eel al-Muqaddim.

Dought & clear, - Response to those who say that isbaal (letting the garment come below the ankles) is onlyharaam if it is done to show off.

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I explained to one of thebrothers the ruling on isbaal (letting the
garment come below the ankles) and the warning that was narrated
concerning it, which implies that it is a major sin, and he was
convinced – by Allah's grace – and stopped doing it. Then he discussed
it with another brother, who presented specious arguments that
confusedhim. He asked me for refutations and answers that would put
his mind at rest, but I told him that I would not respondon my own
initiative; rather I would consult shaykhs and scholars. The specious
arguments are as follows:
1.
The reports which say that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said to a man who let his garment come below hisankles:
"|Do you not have an example in me?"They say that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not rebuke the man and
did not tell himnot to do that, which indicates – or so they claim –
that the prohibition and warningmentioned in the other hadeeths may be
understood as meaning that it is mustahabb not to let the garment come
below the ankles or, in other words, that lettingthe garment come
below the ankles (isbaal)is makrooh.
2.
They quote the following two opinions as evidence: it was narrated
that Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) used to let his izaar
(waist wrapper or lower garment) hang below his ankles. When something
was said to him about that, he said: My legs are thin and I lead the
people in prayer. And it was narrated that Ma'mar said: Ayyoob was
criticised for the length of his chemise and he said: In the past,
fame and vanity was connected to how long it is but today it is
connected to how much it is cut off. So they say: if isbaal were
haraam or a major sin, Ibn Mas'ood and Ayyoob would not have made
their izaars or chemises long.
3.
They say: How can isbaal be equated with drinking alcohol, for
example, in the sense that they are both majorsins?
4.
They say: The majority are of the view that isbaal is makrooh. I do
not know where they get this idea from.
5.
In the story of the martyrdom of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with
him), it says: A young man came and said: Be of good cheer, OAmeer
al-Mu'mineen, forthere are glad tidings from Allah to you; you
accompanied the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), and you were one of the earliest Muslims, as you know, then
you were appointed caliph and you were just, then you attained
martyrdom. He said: I wish the outcome of all that will be
neitheragainst me or for me. When he (the young man) turned away,
'Umar saw that his izaar was touching the ground. He said: Bring the
young man back to me. He said: O son of my brother, pull up your
garment, for it is cleanerfor your garment and more fearing of your
Lord. They say: This indicates that Sayyiduna 'Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) did not stop enjoining what is good and forbidding
what is evil, even if it was a minor matter or it was makrooh – as was
the way of the Sahaabah(may Allah be pleased with them all), or that
hesaw something in the young man's heart or the way he conducted
himself that would be warded off by means of him pulling up his
garment.
6.
They say that the martyr is undoubtedly one of the people of Paradise,
yet despite that he may be one who lets his garment come below the
ankle, so how can the warnings mentionedin the hadeeth – "it is in the
Fire" and "Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of
Resurrection, nor will He praise them, and theirs will be a painful
punishment" – be applicable to him when he is one of the people of
Paradise?
7.
It is proven that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the
Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon him): My izaar drops
unless I not pay attention to it, and the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said: "You are not one of those who do that out
of pride." So they say: this indicates that the warning mentioned in
the hadeeths applies to those who do that out ofpride.
I hope that you can give us responses and answers that will put
ourbrothers' and others' minds at rest. May Allah reward you with
good.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Before discussing the answer, it is essential to point out two things:
1.
The issue of isbaal (letting the garment come below the ankles) is a
matter of ijtihaad concerning which the scholars differed. In fact the
majority of them are of the view that it is not haraam unless it is
done by way of pride.
Their opinions have been discussed previously in the answerto question
no. 102260
What is required in all matters concerning which people differ is to
refer to the Qur'an and Sunnah in order to find out what is right and
what is wrong. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah
and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allah and in the Last
Day.That is better and more suitable for final determination"
[an-Nisa' 4:59].
As this issue is one that issubject to ijtihaad, it is not permissible
to denounce those who differed concerning it (on either side),
becausethey are not going against a definitive text or well-known
scholarly consensus.
Based on that, if an individual is not qualified to determine which
scholarly opinion is more correct, and he follows one of the two
groups, trusting in their knowledge or because they are the majority,
heis not to be denounced.
Similarly, if a person is qualified to decide which opinion is more
correct, and he favours one of the two opinions based on the evidence
he has, he is not to be denounced for that either.
With regard to these matters that are subject to ijtihaad, each Muslim
should act upon what appears to him to be correct, as one of the early
generation said: "The one who adheres to the scholarly view that
reached him has done well." These matters should not be a cause of
conflict and disputes. People should not join gatherings to dispute
about such matters and to denounce one another and challenge one
another.
There is nothing wrong with talking about and discussing the matter in
a calm and gentle manner, with the aim of finding out the correct view
and following it.
See the answer to question no. 70491
2.
Some of what you have quoted of differences does not come under
theheading of specious arguments; rather it is evidence that was
quoted by leading scholars, such as the hadeeth of Abu Bakr (may Allah
be pleased with him). Specious arguments are not like that; rather
they have nobasis in the Qur'an or Sunnah.
Secondly:
We shall refer – as much as we can – to what the brother who differs
mentioned, and we ask Allah, may He be exalted,to enable us to attain
beneficial knowledge and help us to understand our religion.
1.
With regard to the first hadeeth that he quotes as evidence, it is a
da'eef(weak) hadeeth. There follow its text and the scholars' verdict
on it.
It was narrated from al-Ash'ath, from his paternal aunt Ruhm, from her
paternal uncle 'Ubaydah ibn Khalaf, who said: I came to Madinah when I
was a young man wearing a fine burdah of mine around my waist that I
let drag (on the floor). A man caught up with me and poked me with a
stick he had in his hand, then he said: "If you pull up your garment
it will last longer and be cleaner." I turned around and saw that it
was the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
I said: O Messenger of Allah, it is just a cheapburdah. He said: Even
if it is just a cheap burdah; do you not have an example in me? I
looked at his izaar and saw that it came above the anklesand beneath
the muscle.
Narrated by Ahmad, 22577
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This is a da'eef isnaad. The paternal aunt of al-Ash'ath was called
Ruhm bint al-Aswad. Al-Haafiz said: She is not known.
As-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah, 4/336, 337, hadeeth no 1867
Shaykh Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot said in Tahqeeq al-Musnad: Its isnaad is
da'eef because of the weakness of Sulaymaan ibn Quram. End quote.
Even if the hadeeth weresaheeh, it could not be used as evidence for
the one who differs; rather the opposite is true. The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked the Sahaabi in his
actions and words for letting the garment come below the ankle, and
theSahaabi looked at the garment of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) and saw that it came to mid-calf. So where in
thehadeeth – if it were saheeh – is there anything to support the view
of the one who differs?
2.
The one who differs quoted two reports, from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be
pleased with him) and from Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaani (may Allah have mercy
on him). The former is one of the Sahaabah and thelatter is one of the
Taabi'een.
(a)
With regard to the report of Ibn Mas'ood, it was narrated from Abu
Waa'il, from Ibn Mas'ood, that he used to let his izaar hang low. When
something was said to him about that, he said: I am a man with thin
legs.
Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 5/166.
Its isnaad is jayyid, as weshall see below in the comment of al-Haafiz IbnHajar.
With regard to its meaning, it is – first of all – a report from a
Sahaabi; it is not a hadeeth narrated from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). The words ofa Sahaabi can only be taken
as evidence to support an opinion if they do not contradict a text
from the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Moreover, there is nothing in it to suggest that he used to let his
izaar hang below the ankles; rather it may be that he let it come
lower than was customary among them.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the report narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah from Ibn Mas'ood
with a jayyid isnaad, according to which he used to let his izaar hang
low, and when something was said to him about that he said, I have
thin legs, it may be understood as meaning that he let his izaar hang
lower than is recommended, which is mid-calf. It should not bethought
that he went beyond that and let it come below the ankles, and the
reason he gave may indicate that. Moreover, perhaps the story of 'Amr
ibn Zaraarah had not reached him. And Allah knows best. End quote.
Fath al-Baari, 10/264
The story of 'Amr ibn Zaraarah (may Allah be pleased with him) was
narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (17817). It says that he had thin
legs and he let his izaar hang low, then the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked him and told him to pull up his
izaar, and he said to him: "Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
has made beautiful everything that He has created."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, 2682 and
by Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot inTahqeeq al-Musnad.
(b)
With regard to the report of Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaani, the Prophet's
Sunnah takes precedence over the view of anyone else, andthe words of
anyone may be accepted or rejected except the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him).
Moreover, it may be that Ayyoob made his garment longer than mid-calf
but not so long as to come below the ankle, as was said about what Ibn
Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with him) did, as stated above.
3.
With regard to the opinion of those who say "How can isbaal be equated
with drinking alcohol, for example, in the sense that they are both
major sins?" the response is: that sins andacts of disobedience
undoubtedly vary in degree; some of them are minor and some of them
are major, and some are grave major sins. Moreover, minor sins, major
sins and grave major sins may vary within each category. But this
variation does not indicate that something is not haraam. Drinking
alcohol is a major sin, zina (fornication or adultery) is a major sin,
and killing a believer wrongfully and unjustly is a major sin, but
these sins vary in degree one from another; that does not mean that
any of them are not haraam.
4.
With regard to his saying that the majority are of the view that it is
makrooh, yes, that is correct and we do not deny it. We stated this
atthe beginning of our answer. But the fact thatit is the view of the
majority does not necessarily mean that it is in accordance with what
is correct. We do not worship our Lord, may He be exalted, on the
basis of what the majority of scholars say. Allah, may He be
exalted,has commanded us in the case of differences of opinion to
refer to the Qur'an and Sunnah, not to the opinion of themajority.
This is quite clear, praise be to Allah.
5.
With regard to his quoting as evidence the fact that 'Umar ibn
al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuked the one whose
garment was hanging below his ankles when he was in pain after he had
been stabbed, this isan argument against them, not for them, because
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) only rebuked this young man when
he was in that state (between life and death)because he knew that what
this young man was doing was something that it was not appropriate to
keep quiet about, and was not an insignificant matter. The fact that
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuked him indicates that this
action is reprehensible according to Islam. But from wheredid this one
who differs get the idea that it is makrooh and not haraam?
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) could not see what is in
people's hearts, and there is nothing in the story to suggest that he
saw in the case of the young man that which was mentioned by this one
who differs; rather it is mere speculation that needs evidence to
prove it.
6.
With regard to what he mentioned about the virtue of the martyr and
that he is in Paradise, and his thinking that this contradicts the
punishment for the one who lets his garment come below his ankles,
this is unacceptable. If he thinks that this proves that isbaal is not
haraam, then let him saythe same with regard to lying, severing ties
of kinship, drinking alcoholand other major sins that bring the
warning of Hell. How can we reconcile between the warning for his sins
and the promise of Paradise for the martyr who commits these sins or
some of them?
The warning for committing sin may be retracted for reasons that we
cannot go into here.
7.
With regard to what it says in the hadeeth of Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq
about one side of his garment slipping and how he used to pay
attention to that, and that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said to him: "You are not one of those who do that outof
pride," this does not give them any proof. Rather it counts against
them, not for them. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to
pull up his garment and not let it drag; rather it used to slip but he
did not ignore it; rather he used to pay attention to it. And one who
is like Abu Bakr is excused.
Al-Imam adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Similarly, you see the faqeeh who is living a life of ease, when he is
criticised for wearing a garment that comes below his ankles and it
issaid to him: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Whatever is below the ankles of the izaar is in the Fire," – he
says: He only said that concerning the one wholets his izaar drag out
of pride, but I am not doing that out of pride. So you see him showing
arrogance and defending his foolish action, taking a hadeeth that is
general in meaning and quoting another hadeeth so as tolimit the
meaning of the first one to pride, and hethinks that he can get away
with his isbaal on the basis of what (Abu Bakr) as-Siddeeq said: O
Messenger of Allah, my izaar slips, and the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said, "O Abu Bakr, you are not one of
thosewho do that out of pride." But we say: Abu Bakr did not put on
his izaar in such a way that it came below the anklesfrom the outset;
rather he put it on so that it came above the ankles, then after that
it slipped.And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "The izaar of the believer comes to mid-calf and there is no
problem with the area between that and the ankle." End quote.
Siyar A'laam an-Nubala', 3/234
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to those who quote to us the hadeeth of Abu Bakr (may
Allah be pleased with him), we say to him: You have no proof in this
hadeeth for two reasons:
(i)
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "One of the two sides
of my izaar drop unless I pay attention to it…" So he (may Allah be
pleasedwith him) was not letting his garment drag deliberately; rather
it used to loosen and drop,yet he would still pay attention to it.
Those who let the garment come below the ankles and claim that they
are not doing that out of pride are letting their garments hang low
deliberately.
(ii)
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praised Abu
Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and testified that he was not one
of those who did that out of pride. Have any of these people attained
such praise andsuch testimony? But the Shaytaan prompts some people to
follow ambiguous texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah so as to justify what
they are doing, and Allah guides whomever He will to the straight
path. We ask Allah to guide us and keep us safe and sound.
Majmoo' Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (12/question no. 223)
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah havemercy on him) said:
Withregard to the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) to Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allah bepleased with him),
whenhe said: O Messenger of Allah, my izaar slips unless I pay
attention to it, and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said to him: "You are not one of those who do that out of pride", what
the Prophet(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) meant is that
the one who pays attention to his garment if it slips, and pulls it
up, is not regarded as being one of those who let the garment drag out
of pride, because he did not let it hang low deliberately. Rather it
may slip, so he pulls it upand pays attention to it. Undoubtedly such
a person is excused. As for the one who deliberately lets it drag,
whether it is a (man's) abayah or pants or an izaar (waist wrapper) or
a thobe, he is included in this warning and he isnot excused for
letting his garment come belowthe ankles, because the saheeh hadeeths
that forbid isbaal include himin their meanings. What every Muslim
should do is guard against isbaal and fear Allah with regard to that;
he shouldnot let his garment hangbelow his ankles, following this
saheeh hadeeth and seeking to avoid the wrath and punishment of Allah.
AndAllah is the source of strength.
Majmoo' Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/383
With regard to their saying that the warning only applies to the one
who lets his garment hang below to the ankles out of pride, it does
not seem that it is correct, because there is a warning against merely
letting the garment come below the ankles, and there is another
warning againstletting the izaar drag out of pride. It is not possible
to interpret the general report in terms of the specific report in
this case because there are two different actionswith two different
punishments, and those whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) rebuked were not people of arrogance andpride.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
In these hadeeths we see that letting the garment come below the
ankles out of pride isa major sin; as for lettingthe garment come
below the ankles for a reason other than pride, the apparent meaning
of the hadeeths is that it is also haraam.
Fath al-Baari, 10/263
Ibn al-'Arabi al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is not permissible for aman to let his garment come past his ankle
and say, "I am not doing thatout of pride," because the prohibition on
that was clearly stated (in thehadeeth) and the reasonfor it was
stated. So he cannot say, "I am not among those to whom the hadeeth
refers because the reason for the prohibition does notapply to me,"
because this is going against sharee'ah and it is a claim that cannot
be accepted. Rather because of his pride he is making his garment and
izaar long, so he is definitely lying in his claim.
'Aaridat al-Ahwadhi, 7/238
This was quoted, with some slight differences in wording, by Ibn Hajar
(may Allah have mercy on him), who commented on it by saying:
The point is that isbaal implies letting the garment drag, and letting
the garment dragimplies pride, even if theone who is wearing it did
not intend it as such.This is supported by the report narrated by
Ahmad ibn Munayyi' via another isnaad from Ibn 'Umar in the hadeeth
which he attributed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him): "Beware of letting the izaar drag, for letting the izaar
dragis a sign of pride."
Fath al-Baari, 10/264
As-San'aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The hadeeths indicate that whatever is below the ankles is in the
Fire, which signals that it is haraam; they also indicate that the one
who lets his izaar drag out of pride, Allah will not look at him,
which also signals that it is haraam and that the punishment for pride
is a specific punishment, which is that Allah will not look at him.
This demonstrates that the view that it is not haraam unless it is
done out of pride is not valid.
Isteefa' al-Aqwaal fi Tahreem al-Isbaal 'ala ar-Rijaal, p. 26
This is a summary of the response to what you mentioned in your
question. What the Muslims should do is strive to reach the correct
conclusion with regard to matters concerning which the scholars
differed, by means of research and study if he is qualified todo that.
If he is not qualified to do that, then he should follow (a scholar)
whose religious commitment and knowledge he trusts, and he should
refrain from denouncing, debating, and arguing. We ask Allah to teach
us that which we do not know and to benefit us by means of what He
teaches us.
And Allah knows best.

Three imams reply to the atheists

- <pt - ▓███▓ - "Published by, M NajimudeeN Bsc - INDIA|®|-
- - - * - Translator:: http://translate.google.com/m/ -▓███▓ -
- - > - > "Is there any proof that God exists?" was
asked, by an atheist, of Imam Abu Hanifa and he replied, "Forget it!
At themoment, I am busy thinking about this ship. People tell me there
is a big ship, it contains
different goods on board. There is no one to steer it, no one
maintaining it. Yet, this ship keeps going back and forth; it even
traverses big waves on the oceans; it stops at the locations that it
is supposed to stop at; it continues in the direction that it is
supposed to head. This ship has no captain and no one planning its
trips."
The atheist who posed the question interruptedand exclaimed, "What
kind of strange and silly thought is this? How can any intelligent
person think that some thing like this can occur?"
Imam Abu Hanifa said, "I feel sorry about your state! You cannot
imagine one ship running without some one looking after its affairs.
Yet you think that for this whole world, which runs exactly and
precisely, there is no one who looks after it, and no one owns it."
Hearing the reply, the atheist was left speechless but he found out
more about Haqq (The Truth) and proclaimed Islam.
Imam Shaa'fi replied to the question in the following way, "The leaves
of Toot (berries) are all but one. Each leaf tastes exactly the same.
Insects, honey bees, cows, goats, and deer live off of it. After
eating these the insects produce silk; bees produce honey; deer give
musk (a special kindof scent), cows and goats deliver off-springs.Is
this not clear evidencethat one kind of leaf has so many qualities,
and who created these qualities? It is the Khaliq (Creator) who we
call Allah (S.W.T.) Who is the Inventor and the Creator."
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal reflected on the question in the following way.
He said,"There is an incredibly strong fort, it has no doors, there is
no way toget in. In fact, there is not even a hole in it. From outside
it glows like the moon and from inside it shimmers like gold. It is
sealed from all sides, matter of fact it is air tight. Suddenly one of
its doors breaks down, a living thing with eyes and ears, a beautiful
looking animalappears yelling and wandering all over. So isnot there a
creator who made it possible for life to take place in this secured
and closed fort? And is not this Creator better than humans? This
Creator has no limit." Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was referring to an egg
which is closed from all sides but Allah (S.W.T.) The Khaliq (Creator)
puts life in it and a chick pops out.

Recognise the bountiesof Allah - story of three men

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http://translate.google.com/m/ -
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Islamic Stories, - Once Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam related
that there were three men from the Banu Isra'eel. One of them was a
leper, the other bald, and the thirdblind. Allah Ta'ala wanted to test
them, so He sent an angel to them. The angel first went to the leper
and asked him: "What would you like best?" He replied: "I would like a
nice complexion, a beautiful skin, and that this sickness goes away
from me whereby people do not allow me to sit with them and which they
hate." The angel passed his hand over the body of that person. He was
immediately cured and anice skin and beautiful complexion appeared.
The angel then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the most?"
He replied:"Camels." So he gave hima pregnant camel and told him: "May
Allah Ta'ala give you barakah in this."
The angel then went to the bald person and asked him: "What would you
like best?" He replied: "That my hair grows nicely and that this
sickness which people dislike goes away from me!" The angel passed his
hand over his head, he was immediately cured and beautiful hair began
to grow. He then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the
most?" He replied:"Cows." So he gave him a pregnant cow and toldhim:
"May Allah Ta'ala give you barakah in this."
Eventually, the angel went to the blind personand asked him: "What
would you like most?" He replied: "That Allah gives me back my sight
so that I may be able to see everyone." The angelpassed his hand over
his eyes and Allah gave him back his sight. He then asked him: "What
type of wealth do you like themost?" He replied:"Goats." So he was
givena pregnant goat. The animals of all three delivered their babies.
Ina short time, the jungle was filled with his camels, his cows, and
hisgoats.
Thereafter, under the orders of Allah Ta'ala, that angel went in his
previous form to the leper and said to him: "I am a poor person. All
myprovisions for my journey are finished. Today I have no means of
reaching home exceptthrough Allah and then through your help. In the
name of that Allah who has blessed you with a nice skin and a
beautiful complexion, I ask you for a camel which I could ride and
reach my home." He replied: "Get far away from here! I have a lot
ofother commitments to fulfil. I do not have anything to spare which I
could give you." The angel said: "I think I recognize you. Were younot
a leper, for which people despised you? Were you not very poor, and
then Allah blessed you with so much of wealth?" He replied:"What are
you talking? I inherited this wealth from my ancestors." The angel
said: "If you are lying, may Allah return you as you were before."
The angel then went to the bald person in his previous form and
askedhim the same questions and he also replied in the same way. So
the angel said to him: "If youare lying, may Allah return you as you
were before."
Eventually he went to the blind person in that same original form and
said to him: "I am a traveller and all my provisions are finished.
Today I have no means except Allah and then you. In the name of that
Being who returned to you your eye-sight, I ask you for a goat with
which I could do my work and complete my journey." He replied:"Without
doubt, I was blind. It was only out of His mercy that Allah Ta'ala
gave me back my eye-sight. Take as much as you want and leave behind
as much as you want. By Allah, I will not stop you from taking
anything." The angel replied: "Keep your wealth with you, I do not
want anything. I hadonly come to test you three. Now the test is over.
Allah is pleased with you and displeased with the other two."
Lesson: Just imagine, that because of the ungratefulness of those two,
all those bounties were taken away and they were left as they were
before. Allah became displeased with them and they are forsaken both
in this world and in the hereafter. Due to his gratefulness, that
person's bounties remained intact, Allah was pleased with him, and he
is contented bothin this world and in the hereafter.