Dought & clear, - Qunoot during salaah.

I would like to about the Qonute in Salat(raising hand after rukoo)
was that the common practice of Prophet Salalaho Alehy Wasalm or was
it exceptional as the situation arouses. Please respnod me cause Ameer
of our masjid said Prophet (pbuh) once asked which of the salat is
best He (pbuh) replied the one which has longer Qonute.
Praise be to Allaah.
Qunoot, according to the definition of the fuqaha', "is the name of a
du'aa' (supplication) offered during prayer at a specific point while
standing." It is prescribed in Witr prayer after the rukoo' (bowing),
according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions.
If a calamity (naazilah) befalls the Muslims, it is prescribed to say
Du'aa' al- Qunoot after standing up from rukoo' in the last rak'ah of
each of the five daily obligatory prayers, until Allaah relieves the
Muslims of that calamity.
(SeeTasheeh al-Du'aa'by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, p. 460).
With regard to saying Du'aa' al-Qunoot in Fajr prayer all the time, in
all circumstances, there is no saheeh report that the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) singled out Fajr for Qunoot, or
that he always recited it in Fajr prayer. Rather what is proven is
that he(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said Du'aa'
al-Qunoot at times of calamity with words that were appropriate to the
situation. He said Du'aa' al-Qunoot in Fajr and in other prayers,
praying against Ra'l, Dhakwaan and 'Usayyah for killing the
Qur'aan-readers whom the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) had sent to them in order to teach them their religion. And it
was proven that he prayed in Fajr prayer and other prayers for the
weak and oppressed believers, that Allaah would save them from their
enemies. But he did not do that all the time. The Rightly-Guided
khaleefahs after him followed the same practice. It is better for the
imam to limit Qunoot to times of calamity, following the example of
the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as
it was proven that Abu Maalik al-Ash'ari said: "I said to my father,
'O my father, you prayed behind the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and behind Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmaan
and 'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them). Did they used to say
Du'aa' al-Qunoot in Fajr?' He said, 'O my son, this is a
newly-invented matter.'" (Narrated by the five, apart from Abu Dawood;
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inal-Irwa', 435). The best of guidance
is the guidance of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.
(al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wa'l-Iftaa', 7/47)
If you ask, is there a specific wording for Qunoot during Witr prayer,
or Qunoot at times of calamity?
The answer is: for Du'aa' al-Qunoot in Witr prayer a number of
wordings have been narrated, including the following:
1 – The version which the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) taught to al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (may Allaah be pleased
with him), which is:
"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 la munji minka illa ilayk
(O Allaah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among
those whom 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. There is no place of safety from
You except with You)."
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1213; al-Nasaa'i, 1725; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inal-Irwa', 429).
It was narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say at the end of Witr:
"Allaahumma inni a'oodhu bi ridaaka min sakhatika wa bi mu'aafaatika
min 'uqoobatika wa a'oodhu bika minka, la uhsi thana'an 'alayka anta
kama athnayta 'ala nafsika(O Allaah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure
from Your wrath and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I cannot
praise You enough; You are as You have praised Yourself."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1727; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inal-Irwa', 430; Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1282).
Then he should send blessings upon the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) as it was narrated that some of the Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) – including Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Mu'aadh
al-Ansaary (may Allaah be pleased with them) – did that at the end of
Qunoot al-Witr.
(SeeTasheeh al-Du'aa'by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, p. 460).
Qunoot at times of calamity (Qunoot al-Naazilah)
When praying Qunoot at the time of calamity, one should make
supplication as is appropriate to the situation, as it was narrated
that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed
some Arab tribes who had betrayed his companions and killed them, and
he prayed for the weak and oppressed believers in Makkah, that Allaah
would save them. It was narrated that 'Umar prayed Qunoot with the
following words:
"Allaahumma inna nasta'eenuka wa nu'minu bika, wa natawakkalu 'alayka
wa nuthni 'alayka al-khayr, wa laa nakfuruka. Allaahumma iyyaaka
na'budu wa laka nusalli wa nasjudu, wa ilayka nas'aa wa nahfid. Narju
rahmataka wa nakhsha 'adhaabaka, inna 'adhaabaka al-jadd bil kuffaari
mulhaq. Allaahumma 'adhdhib il-kafarata ahl al-kitaab alladheena
yasuddoona 'an sabeelika
(O Allaah, verily we seek Your help, we believe in You, we put our
trust in You and we praise You and we are not ungrateful to You. O
Allaah, You alone we worship and to You we pray and prostrate, for
Your sake we strive. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment,
for Your punishment will certainly reach the disbelievers. O Allaah,
punish the infidels of the People of the Book who are preventing
others from following Your way)."
(Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, 2/210; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inal-Irwa', 2/170. Al-Albaani said: This was reported from 'Umar
concerning Qunoot in Fajr, and it seems that this Qunoot is Qunoot
al-Naazilah (Qunoot at times of calamity) as is indicated by his
praying against the kuffaar).
If you ask, can we make du'aa' using words other than those mentioned here?
The answer is:
Yes, that is permissible. Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo'(3/497): "The
correct view which was stated definitively by the majority of scholars
is that there are no specific words, rather any du'aa' may be said."
The version narrated from 'Umar is not something that we have to
follow, and the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
not pray using these words, so there is nothing wrong with adding more
to them. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "There
is nothing wrong with adding more to this, cursing the infidels and
sending blessings upon the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), and praying for the Muslims."
(Qiyaam Ramadaanby al-Albaani, 31).
We still have an important question which is: should Du'aa' al-Qunoot
be said before rukoo' (bowing) or after?
The answer is: Most of the ahaadeeth and the opinion of most of the
scholars state that Qunoot comes after rukoo', but if you say Qunoot
before rukoo' that is acceptable. So you have the choice of doing
rukoo' when you have finished reciting Qur'aan, then standing up and
saying "Rabbana wa laka al-hamd" then saying Qunoot… or saying Qunoot
when you have finished reciting Qur'aan, then saying "Allaahu akbar"
and bowing. Both of these were narrated in the Sunnah.
(Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him),al-Sharh al-Mumti', 4/64)
Note: The questioner says that the best of prayer is that which has
longer Qunoot. Perhaps he is referring to the hadeeth narrated by
Muslim (1257) from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him), which says
that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
best of prayer istool al-qunoot(the longest in standing)."
Al-Nawawi said: "What is meant byqunoothere is the standing,
according to the consensus of the scholars, as far as I know."
So the hadeeth is not referring to Qunoot in the sense of the du'aa'
said after standing up from rukoo', rather it is referring to standing
for a long time.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - She prayed naafil after Fajr and it was said to her that this puts one beyond the pale of Islam.

I often used to pray half an hour after Fajr prayer, after reading
Qur'aan, feeling that I wanted to pray to Allaah. But I got a shock
when I was talking to my friend and she said that it is not
permissible to pray after Fajr and that this puts one beyond the pale
of Islam. Is this true? How can that be when I am praying to Allaah?
Please explain that to me.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
One of the greatest acts of worship that a Muslim can do and draw
close to Allaah is prayer. The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Prayer is the best thing prescribed, so whoever
can do a great deal of it, let him do that." Narrated by al-Tabaraani
and classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami'(3870).
But the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us
to offer naafil prayers at certain times. For more details please see
the answer to question no. 20013.
These times include the period from after Fajr prayer until the sun
has risen and become high, which is until approximately fifteen
minutes after sunrise.
InSaheeh Muslim(832) it is narrated that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to 'Amr ibn 'Abasah (may Allaah
be pleased with him): "Pray Fajr, then refrain from praying until the
sun has risen and become high". The prayer that is forbidden at these
times is naafil prayer for which there is no reason, which the
scholars call al-nafl al-mutlaq (general naafil prayer), such as that
which is mentioned in the question, where a person stands and offers a
voluntary prayer to Allaah after Fajr. This kind of prayer is
disallowed (at this time).
As for prayers for which there is a reason, such as greeting the
mosque, the Sunnah prayer after wudoo', two rak'ahs following tawaaf
and so on, these may be done when the reason for them is present, even
if that is at a time when other naafil prayers are forbidden. See the
answer to question no. 306.
Secondly:
As for your friend's saying that praying at this time puts one beyond
the pale of Islam, this is not correct, and it is speaking about
Allaah without knowledge. It is not permissible for anyone to say
anything about the religion of Allaah that he does not know. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden
are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual
intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all
kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with
Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about
Allaah of which you have no knowledge"
[al-A'raaf 7:33]
So she has to repent to Allaah.
Offering naafil prayers at this time is not allowed, and the one who
does that is sinning, because he is doing something that the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade, but that
is not kufr as your friend claims.
And Allaah knows best.

Hatred in Islam, Diseases of the Soul, Islam and Hate, Human Vices, Hatred (Nafrat)

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. The
kindergarten teacher told each child in the class to bring along a
plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a
name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of
people he/she hates. So when the day came, every child brought some
potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2
potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
The kindergarten teacher then told the children to carry with them the
potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for
one week. Days after days passed by, and the children started to
complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes.
Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After
1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
The kindergarten teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the
potatoes with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations
and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. Then
the kindergarten teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
The kindergarten teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you
carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
one week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
in your heart for your lifetime?"
Moral:Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you
will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best
attitude to take. "Learn to Forgive and Forget."
Remember what Allah (SWT) teaches us in Surah Al-Araf (7:199-200):
"Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the
ignorant (don't punish them). If a suggestion from Satan assails your
mind, seek refuge with Allah; surely He is Hearing, Knowing (all
things)."
In these verses of Noble Qur'an, Allah (SWT) comforts the Prophet
Muhammad (saw) and directs his mind to three Precepts:
1.To forgive injuries, insults, and persecution.
2.To continue to declare faith that was in him, and not only to that
was in him, and not only to declare it, but to act up to it in all his
dealings with friends and foes.
3.To pay no attention to ignorant fools, who raised doubts or
difficulties, hurled taunts or reproaches, or devised plots to defeat
the truth: they were to ignored and passed by, not to be engaged in
fights and fruitless controversies, or conciliated by compromises.
Of all the things we can give other people in life, forgiveness is one
of those that require the most effort. This phrase seems to make the
process of forgiving easier for me: "To bear a grudge against someone
is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat."
People say or do things often inadvertently and mostly out of personal
insecurity or ignorance. You may be just the punching bag for the day.
Maybe the other person is envious or afraid of you. Most of the time,
these people have their own demons to grapple with.
Don't let their words and actions wear you down. They can only have a
moment's effect on you. Then, depending on how you deal with the
situation, they can continue to haunt you, or vanish like ashes in the
wind.
But only you can make that decision. Discouraging and spiteful words
and actions from other people can only have the desired effect if you
want them to. Give yourself the pleasure of a free spirit.
Forgiveness is something we "give other people", but forgiveness,
really, is a gift to ourselves.
When we wreak vengeance on people whom we think have done us an
injustice, we invariably end up bitter and resentful. Worse still, if
our vindictiveness provokes retaliation, we might start a cycle of
vengeance. And when you bear hatred within your heart, what you're
essentially doing is destroying your own state of mind and potential
to be happy.
Each day yields opportunities for us to let go of or hold on to
grudges, although the severity of each situation may vary. Are you
better off holding on to them, or letting go?

Hatred in Islam, Diseases of the Soul, Islam and Hate, Human Vices, Moral Virtues and Vices

Hatred is an emotion of intense revulsion, distaste, enmity, or
antipathy for a person, thing, or phenomenon, generally attributed to
a desire to avoid, restrict, remove, or destroy the hated object.
Hatred is also among the most common emotions that human's experience.
It can be based on fear of an object or past negative consequences of
dealing with that object. Hatred is often described as the opposite of
love or friendship.
Often the verb "to hate" is used casually to describe things one
merely dislikes, such as a particular style of architecture, a certain
climate, one's job, some particular food, or people who claim to hate
something when they in fact merely dislike it.
"Hatred" is also used to describe feelings of prejudice, bigotry or
condemnation against a person, or a group of people, such as racism,
and intense religious or political prejudice. The term hate crime is
used to designate crimes committed out of hatred in this sense.
Religion Islam has been accused unjustly of being a religion of hate
by those who never made a true effort to understand even the basic
teachings of Islam. We all know that ignorance is the worst enemy of
the truth, and Allah (SWT) asked us to learn the truth as there is
nothing after the truth except falsehood.
This then is Allah, your true Lord; and what is there after the truth
but error; how are you then turned back? Noble Qur'an (10:32)
Let us present the simple truth about Islam and the Noble Qur'an that
proves that Islam is not a religion of hate but rather a religion of
love, tolerance, understanding, and social justice.
Many people are not aware that Islam is the religion of Prophet
Abraham, not the religion of Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Abraham, being
the founder of Islam, with all its beautiful and peaceful teachings
and rituals, passed his religion to all the prophets who came after
him, including all the Israeli prophets, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus
and Prophet Muhammad. Those attacking Islam, out of ignorance, or
deliberately, are attacking Prophet Abraham who is their prophet as
much as the prophet of the Muslims.
Noble Qur'an explains clearly this fact,
And strive hard in (the way of) Allah, (such) a striving a is due to
Him; He has chosen you and has not laid upon you an hardship in
religion; the faith of your father Abraham; He named you Muslims
before and in this, that the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to
you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people... Noble Qur'an
(22:78)
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright
(man), a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. Most surely
the nearest of people to Abraham are those who followed him and this
Prophet and those who believe and Allah is the guardian of the
believers. Noble Qur'an (3:67-68)
Then We revealed to you (O Muhammad): Follow the faith of Abraham, the
upright one, and he was not of the polytheists. Noble Qur'an (16:123)
In that simple sense, how can Islam which is the religion of Abraham
promote hate when it is the same religion passed down to the Jews and
Christians before reaching Muslims? How can the Jews and Christians
claim different standard when we are talking about the same religion
with different names but all go back to Abraham.
Noble Qur'an, the final Testament, made a special mention of the
relationship that controls the social and daily life with other people
including but not limited to Jews and Christians. In it Noble Qur'an
urges the Muslims to be loving, caring, friendly, patient, tolerant,
advocates of freedom, democracy, and social justice. Islam never
advocated hate or promoted it. People, who promote hate, do so on
their own terms and misunderstanding. By doing so they do not
represent Islam or the teachings of Islam in the scripture.
We need to remember that hate is a man made crime that we should not
blame on any religion. Any claim of hate in a religion is no more than
man made innovation that has nothing to do with God or His scripture.
Planting hate only produces hate. Planting love, will produce love.
Our God is Almighty, all loving.