02.16.09
Answering Salam During Wudu
It is recommended to give salam even to people who are making wudu and it is obligatory for the person making wudu to respond to such salams : Fatawa of Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari. Hasyiah Ibnu Qasim on the Tuhfah ( 9:227 )
However if that person is making wudu in a place that contains a toilet then it is offensive for that person to respond: Hasyiah Ibnu Qasim on the Tuhfah ( 9:228 )
Read the full article here
01.15.08
Does Touching the Privates Nullify One’s Wudhu? A Detailed Answer by the Mālikis, Shafi’is & Hanbalis.
Research Compiled by Abul Layth
The Shafi’i jurist and judge, Qadhi Safadi stated regarding this issue,
“They all agree that touching the genitals with something other than the hand does not break wudu’. They disagree about touching the penis with the hand. ( Imam ) Abu Hanifah says that it absolutely does not break wudu’ however you do it. ( Imam ) Ash-Shafi’i and ( Imam ) Mālik say that Wudu’ is broken by touching skin to skin with the front of the hand but not the back. The well-known position of ( Imam ) Ahmad is that either the front or back of the hand breaks it. They agree that someone who touches his testicles, even without a covering, does not have to do wudu’. They disagree about touching the opening of the anus. ( Imam ) Abu Hanifah and ( Imam ) Mālik say that touching it does not break wudu’. ( Imam ) Ash-Shafi’i and ( Imam ) Ahmad say that it does. There is, however, one position from ( Imam ) ash-Shafi’i and one transmission from ( Imam ) Ahmad that it does not break wudu’
>> Read further on SeekingIlm
12.24.07
Doubts about passing gas
Question: If I am afraid that I have passed gas, does that invalidate my prayers? I’m always leaving salah and doing wudu because I fear I my prayer to be invalid.
Answer: Your wuduu’ does not break unless you are sure that gas actually came out. If you are in prayer, you do not interrupt praying unless you actually hear yourself passing gas or smell it. This is because satan has the ability to make you feel as if you passed gas even if you did not.
>> Answered by Abu Adam Al-Naruujiy ( The Shafi’i school says so too )
Taghyir al-Niyya from Fasting
Q: “I was fasting and I passed through a restaurant and as a result of looking at the succulent and luscious (yum-yum) food on offer, it resulted in me having an unstoppable craving for the food itself and I felt then that I couldn’t keep my fast any longer. I ended up making the intention to break my fast there and ordered the food but I stopped short of eating it because I felt guilty. Is my fast broken because I intended to break the fast just as it definitely would in the case of the Salah according to the Shafii school? Must I now make qada of this fast day? Have I sinned?”
A: “
Al-hamdulillah alladhi farada al-sawm li-jihad al-nafs wa-s-shaytan wa-s-salat wa-s-salam ‘ala sayyidina Muhammad azka l-anam sharafan.
Allahumma hidayatan li-s-sawab!
To intend leaving the fast [siyam] or intending to break the fast wilfully and consciously, will not invalidate [mubtil] the fast. The fast is only invalidated when the person fasting [sa'im] does one of the ten acts that breaks the fast [muftirat; such as performing sexual intercourse or in your case, eating that irresistible food]. This is different from the case of prayer [Salat], for the person who is in prayer [musalli] could vitiate the prayer by merely intending to leave his or her prayer (although it is Haram to do so if there is no valid excuse ['udhr]). This is because the act of praying is more exact and limited in its scope and form, than any other acts of ‘ibada and worship. To merely intend leaving the act of fasting or I’tikaf [spiritual retreat] or Hajj or ‘Umra, without it being followed by some other extrinsic factor that invalidates that particular act, does not invalidate it.
This is made clear by Imam al-Bajuri (may Allah be pleased with him!) in his Hashiya of the Fath al-Qarib:
“Qadi Abu Shuja’: [Among the 11 things that invalidate the prayer is] to change one’s intention (Ibn Qasim: such as to intend to leave the prayer). ((al-Bajuri: Ibn Qasim’s [exact] words, “the prayer” [indicates that this] is contrary to the case when someone intends to leave either the fast or the I’tikaf or the Hajj or the ‘Umra, for neither of them can be invalidated [by changing one's intention]. This is because the prayer is a more restricted type [of 'ibada] than any of them.))” [al-Bajuri, Hashiya, 1:179].
+Fa’ida for students of fiqh+ The legal distinction between the prayer and other types of ‘ibada is that the latter acts could not be invalidated by changing one’s intention [taghyir al-niyya] (for example, of performing the fast to something else), because, unlike the prayer, to not change one’s intention of the ‘ibada is not stipulated as one of the conditions [shart] of the ‘ibada itself.
My dear brother, we humans are indeed weak creatures! Although fasting has been prescribed for us and for those before us so that we may discipline our egos and fight the devil, we are certainly not infallible like the prophets. For this very reason, we must take all the precautions available to us, whether necessary or suggestive ones, in order that we may achieve Ihsan and excellence in whatever ‘ibada we are performing. Alhamdulillah, in this particular case, your changing the intention did not lead to breaking the fast itself, but this was certainly a “near miss” incident, and again we thank divine protection for this mercy. Although you have managed to keep to the minimum fiqhi limits and although your fast was not invalidated by looking ‘lustfully’ or with shahwa [the "pleasure of the senses" or our "carnal appetites" (which incidentally is not limited only to the pleasures of our sexual organs but also to our digestive ones as you yourself garishly described it: "as a result of looking at the succulent and luscious (yum-yum) food on offer")], it nevertheless goes against the spirit and wisdom of the fast. The adab of this ‘ibada requires that we do not slobber over food and drool over the objects, sabab and causes of shahwa. The fiqhi ruling for looking at what gives rise to shahwa while fasting is Makruh [offensive], and it is more godfearing [Wara'] to avoid shahwa, even though they are Mubah [permissible] when not fasting. (That is why we learn from the science of Tasawwuf, the fast in fact makes things which are normally Halal, Haram–so how do we measure indulgence in Haram things during a fast?) Indeed, for our case, avoiding looking at the world with shahwa becomes a preventative measure for us, and by not breaking this rule (even when it is not Haram and by breaking it we are not sinning) it becomes a means for us to prevent the lower-half of our nafs getting the better of us……..”
>> Read the complete answer by Shaykh Muhammad Afifi al Akiti
11.07.07
Time Limit for the Sunna Prayer after Wudu
Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
If I do my wudu and want to pray two rak’ahs that are recommended after wudu, do I have to pray them immediately after wudu, or can I delay them? If delaying them is permissible, how long can I delay them for?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمالحمد لله رب العالمين و صلى الله على سيدنا محمد و على آله و صحبه و سلم أما بعد
You can delay as long as the delay is not considered “long” by common acknowledgment (‘urf). Otherwise, it’s time expires and it can’t be made up. The delay is considered “long” if it is longer than the time to pray two brief rak‘ahs after having read the sunnah dhikr [m: after wudu] and Surah Al-Qadr [m: surah 97] three times. (Bughya Al-Mustarshideen, p. 24)
Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
Amman, Jordan
(Translated by Shaykh Moustafa Elqabbany and Shaykh Hamza Karamali)
السؤال :إذا توضأتُ وأردت أن أصلي الركعتين التي هي سنةُ الوضوء هل عليَّ أن أصلي تلك الركعتين فوراً بعد الوضوء أم يجوز لي أن أأخرهما ، وإن كان التأخير جائزاً فما هي المدة التي يجوز التأخير له ؟ الجواب : يجوز لك التأخيرُ ما لم يكن طويلاً عرفاً ، وإلا فاتت ولا تُقضى ، وضابطُ طولِ الفصل هنا : أن يزيد الفصلُ على الذكر المأثور وقراءة ( إنا أنزلناه في ليلة القدر ) ثلاثاً بقدر ركعتين خفيفتين . كما في “بغية المسترشدين” ( ص 24 )
Should I perform Witr in congregation if I haven’t completed all 20 rakats of Tarawih prayers? Can Tarawih be completed after Witr has been prayed?
Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
Should I perform Witr in congregation if I haven’t completed all 20 rakats of Tarawih prayers? Can Tarawih be completed after Witr has been prayed?
Answered by Sidi Hamza Karamali
wa `alaykum as salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh Sidi
I pray all is well with you. Here are the answers to your questions:
(1) It is sunna to pray witr is congregation (during Ramadan) even if
one hasn’t prayed tarawih yet (although best, if possible to pray
witr in congregation after having prayed tarawih).
(2) It is valid to complete one’s tarawih after praying witr. The
time for tarawih is the same as the time for the witr prayer, meaning
that it enters after praying isha and exits at dawn.
Prostrations of Quran Recital in the Shafi`i School
Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
I have a few doubts concerning the sajdah tilawat (prostration of recital)
1. What are the criteria to determine that a verse of the Quran requires sajda when recited (sajda tilawat)?
2. Why do we (the Shafi’is) consider the verse in surah al-Hajj to be of this kind and others such as the Hanafis do not?
3. Why do we not consider the verse in surah Saad to be of sajda tilawat and others such as the Hanafis do?
4. During this Ramadhan, I prayed behind an Imam who missed or omitted deliberately (I’m not sure) quite a few sajdas of tilawat. He just carried on past the verse and went into ruku’ as normal after some verses. What should I do in such a situation? Do I make the sajdah tilawat after the taslim?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
assalamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh
Whether or not prostrations of Quran recital are legislated after certain verses–as you note in your question–are matters of scholarly disagreement. In this response, I will address your questions according to the Shafi`i school while acknowledging that those who disagree with the Shafi`is have their own proofs that lead them to different conclusions. All four schools of Sunni Islam have been accepted as valid and acceptable for Muslims to follow for centuries and intolerance of their scholarly disagreement is a blameworthy innovation (bid`a) of recent times.
According to the Shafi`is, the prostration of Quran recital is recommended, not obligatory. ( Imam al ) Bukhari relates from our master the Companion Ibn `Umar that he said, “We were commanded to prostrate [i.e. for Quran recital]: whoever prostrates has done the right thing, and whoever does not prostrate has not committed any sin.” So if your imam recites a verse of Quran recital and does not prostrate, your should continue to follow the imam in his prayer and your prayer remains completely valid.
There are fourteen verses of the Quran whose recital calls for a prostration. Most copies of the Quran mark fifteen verses as calling for prostrations.
Two of these fifteen are in Sura al-Hajj, and the Shafi`is hold both of these verses to call for a prostration. Abu Dawud and Hakim both relate that our master the Companion `Amr b. al-`As (Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught him to prostrate at fifteen places in the Quran, two of them in Sura al-Hajj. al-Khatib al-Shirbini classes this hadith as well-authenticated (hasan) in his Mughni al-Muhtaj.
One of these fifteen verses is in Sura al-Saad. According to the Shafi`is, this verse does not call for a prostration of Quran recital based on the statement of our master the Companion Ibn `Abbas that “[The prostration of Sura] Saad is not one of the emphasized prostrations.” (Bukhari) Because of this hadith and other evidences, the Shafi`is hold that the prostration that is legislated at this verse is a prostration of thanks, not a prostration of Quran recital. For more detail on this particular prostration, and what to do if an imam of another school prostrates when it is recited, please see the following answer:
Sura Sad: Prostration, Hanafis and Aqida
And Allah Most High knows best.
Shaykh Hamza.
Reference: al-Khatib al-Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1.326, Dar al-Ma`rifa, 1997.
What to do when one forgets the number of raka’ahs prayed
Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
Is it permissible to suffice with the forgetfulness prostrations when one forgets how many rakaats they have performed in prayer or does the prayer itself have to be repeated?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
wa `alaykum as salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh
Forgetting the number of rak`ahs that one has prayed does not automatically invalidate one’s prayer.
Rather, if one forgets how many rak`ahs one has prayed, one goes on the assumption that he has prayed the least number that he is certain of. For example, if I’m unsure whether I’ve prayed two or three rak`ahs, then I assume that I’ve only prayed two and then complete my prayer based on that assumption.
If one’s doubt persists until the end of the prayer, then it would be recommended (but not obligatory) to perform two prostrations of forgetfulness at the end of the prayer.
If one remembers the correct number of rak`ahs before the end of the prayer, then in certain cases, it would be recommended to perform the forgetfulness prostration whereas in other cases it would be forbidden to perform it. Because the rulings can get a bit complicated here, I would suggest that you not perform the forgetfulness prostration in this case unless you are sure that you understand exactly when it is recommended to perform it.
And Allah knows best.
Shaykh Hamza.
10.29.07
Nisf Sha’ban and Salat al khayr
Q: Was is the ruling according to the Shafi’i school concerning Salat al Khayr ( 100 rakaats with 10 ikhlas in each rakaat ) since some consider it to be baseless.
A: “There are three qawls [positions] in the school concerning the one performing Salat Laylat Nisf Sha’ban:
1. The Asl [original ruling] is that it is Makruh according to Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him!) and others, because it is a “Bid’a Qabiha” [blameworthy innovation]; and under this Tafsil only one qawl says it is Haram. (This position is, for example, mentioned in the text of the Fath al-Mu’in [I'anat, 1:270]; al-Nawawi’s position, for instance, is in the Majmu’ [4:61]; the qawl that it is Haram is in the Irshad al-’Ibad (which is not, note, a fiqh work) [al-Mallibari, Irshad, 24] (who is also the same author of the Fath al-Mu’in)).
2. The Asl is Mandub/Sunna according to Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him!) and others. (This position is also related in the fiqh manual I’anat al-Talibin (the commentary to the Fath al-Mu’in above) [I'anat, 1:271-2]; al-Ghazali’s own position is in the Ihya’ (which is not, note, a fiqh work) [Ihya', 1:203-4]) and this position is not brought up in his furu’ fiqhi works; the Wajiz or the Wasit.
3. The Asl is Jawaz/Mubah according to a SOLUTION provided by Imam Ibn Hajar (may Allah be pleased with him!) in the Tuhfa and others. This solution is by making a Qiyas to Imam Ibn Hajar’s own solution for the “Ishraq” prayer, which in the view of the Imam himself – like the Nisf Sha’ban prayer – has no legal status, or in other words, is Makruh to perform. (It goes without saying that although the Asl is Mubah for this qawl, and because if carried out using this method the act itself brings a reward, this can therefore be treated as a Fadila ‘Amal, making it Mandub in the end – since the hukm of the Nafl Mutlaq prayer is itself Mandub). (See below for details of the solution; technically however, this solution no longer makes it a “Salat Laylat Nisf Sha’ban”.)
Tartib al-Nawafil wa-l-Rawatib
Our scholars have divided Salat al-Nafl into two types.
1. Those which are recommended to be performed in a group [jama'a], such as the prayers of the two ‘Ids, the two Kusuf and Khusuf, the Istisqa’, and the Tarawih.
2. Those which are sufficient when performed indivdually [munfarid], such as the Rawatib, the Witr, the Duha, the Tahiyyat al-Masjid, the Istikhara, the prayers done in Mecca (Tawaf and Ihram), the Wudu’, the Awwabin between Maghrib and ‘Isha’, the Tasbih, the Tahajjud and the like.
All of the Nafila which are recommended to be performed in a jama’a are considered Mu’akkada [confirmed sunna], while all of the munfarid Nafila except for the Witr, a number of the Rawatibs, the Tahajjud, and the Duha, for example, are not Mu’akkada.
The Rawatib prayers (as they are originally called, “al-Sunan al-Ratiba ma’a al-fara’id”) are Nafila prayers that accompany the Fard prayers, whether offered before or after them. They are further divided into two types: the Rawatib Mu’akkada and the Rawatib Ghayr Mu’akkada.
>> More here
