Posts

Is it necessary to make up prayers that were prayed before the time entered?

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Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
May Allah, Most High, reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge.
You must repeat the prayers which you are certain that you prayed before the time entered.
The entering of the prayer time is a condition for the prayer’s validity, just like ablution is. If it is absent, the prayer is invalid and must be made up.
(Shaybani, Kitab al-Asl)
Remember, the time you spend in remembering which prayers they were, scheduling when you are going to make them up, and actually making them up is all considered Worship!
Don’t let yourself feel burdened, but rather consider this an amazing opportunity to increase in Worship.
And Allah alone knows best,
[Ustadh] Omar Popal
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Fasting, Prayer, Qur’an, Ihsan: A Ramadan Reader

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In the Name of Allah, the Benevolent, the Merciful. The Seekers’ theme for this Ramadan is Hope and Closeness. This Ramadan Reader has been compiled for your benefit and in the hope that it may strengthen your hope, your closeness to Allah, and help make the blessings of this Ramadan sweet and lasting.

 

Fasting:

A Complete Guide To Fasting (Hanafi)

A Complete Guide To Fasting (Shafii)

Breaking One’s Fast Due to Weakness

Does Watching Pornography While Fasting Break One’s Fast

Worship in Ramadan For a Menstruating Woman

Overview of the Fidya Payment

Applying Medicine to Teeth While Fasting

Types of I’tikaf

Can I Pray Eight Rakats for Tarawih

When is Laylat al-Qadr

Worship During Laylat al-Qadr

Preparing for Ramadan

40 Hadiths on Ramadan

Fasting Its Principles and Virtues: Imam Ghazali from al-Arba‘in

Inner Dimensions of Fasting: Imam Ghazali

Practical Tips to Fasting

Prayer

Illuminating the Heart in Prayer

The Prayer of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him

Nine Keys to Prayer

The Power of Prayer

Transformative Effects of Prayer

Virtues of the Prayer

Qur’an

Our Relationship with the Qur’an

Can I Touch my Iphone Without Ablution

Touching the Qur’an and Menstruation

Placing the Qur’an on the Floor: Not Permissible

Rights of the Qur’an and Completing It in 40 Days

Beautifying One’s Voice When Reciting the Qur’an

Ihsan or Works of the Heart

Marvels of the Heart

What Does it Mean to be Sidq (True)

The Path of Taqwa

Good-Character is not Becoming Angry

Thankfulness

The Sound Heart

 

 

Ten Steps to Allah. Step 7: Remembrance

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As we get closer to Ramadan, focusing on what we are seeking through our devotions is ever more crucial. The ultimate aim of any Muslim is to gain the closeness of Allah Most High. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani gives us clear guidelines with 10 key steps on the path to Allah Most High elucidating for us how to get closer to Allah.

The seventh step is the remembrance of Allah. In this episode, Shaykh Faraz discusses how we can make our lives, lives of remembrance.

Step 7: Remembrance

Our beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) tells us, “Should I not tell you about the best of your actions? And the most beloved of them to your Lord? More precious for you than to spend gold and silver, more rewarding for you than to meet your enemy and to smite their necks and for them to smite yours?” The Companions said, “Do tell us O Messenger of Allah.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.”

It is enough to know about the greatness of remembrance that Allah Most High said, “Remember Me, and I will remember you.” [Qur’an 2:152]

And Allah Most High says, “Indeed, the remembrance of Allah is greater.” [Qur’an 29:45] Greater than what? Greater than anything else whatsoever because anything done with the remembrance of Allah is incomparably greater than the same thing done without the remembrance of Allah. 

It is the remembrance of Allah that is the purpose of life. Humans and Jinns were created only so they may be devoted to Allah. Ibada arises from recognition, devotion begins with recognition of the One worthy of devotion. That recognition is remembrance. The expressions of devotion are all acts of remembrance. Faith itself is an act of remembrance. Prayer is an act of remembrance. Fasting, charity, dhikr itself are acts of remembrance.

This is why the counsel of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when people came to him for advice was: “Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.”

If you want to change your life, uphold the counsel of Ibn Ata’illah. Do not leave the remembrance of Allah even if you have a lack of consciousness of Allah in your remembrance because your heedlessness of remembering Allah is worse for you than your heedlessness during the remembrance of Allah. You are saying  Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar. You’re engaged in remembrance but your mind is drifting. Through remembrance your mind may wake up at some point and start reflecting and then the meanings may start creeping into your consciousness, permeate your heart, wake your soul, and make you go from heedlessness to consciousness, from consciousness to presence, and from presence to absence from other than Allah Most High.

Dhikr is the purpose of existence because by remembrance you can be with the one Remembered. “Truly it is by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest. ” [Qur’an 13:28]

It begins with an act of remembrance of Allah, then to be in a state of consciousness of Allah, but the goal of remembrance is to be with the One remembered. So let’s move our tongues, let’s move our hearts, and let’s strive for that presence. He is with you wherever you may be.

How can we do that practically? Say Subhan Allah: Glory is to Allah. Try to move your heart with it. Mean it then say it. Alhamdulillah: All praise is for Allah. Mean it then say it. La ilaha illa Allah: There is no God but Allah. There is none free of need of any other whom all are in need of but Allah. Allahu Akbar: Allah is absolutely great and there’s no one great besides Him. Repeat these and say, Astaghfirullah: I seek Allah’s forgiveness. This is asking Allah to cover your shortcomings and manifest all that is pleasing to Allah. Istighfar has a meaning of covering over the unbecoming and manifesting what is pleasing to Allah. This is between fear and hope, between the admission of shortcomings and recognition of Divine generosity. 

Go from remembrance of the tongue to waking your heart up to that remembrance. Seek the presence of Allah, the closeness of Allah, seek to see Allah, and to worship Allah as though you see Him.

May Allah make us go from the stages of remembrance to Him. May He grant us that by His grace and grant that we remain in remembrance. 

The episode can be found on this link Ramadan 2020 Reminders | Episode 26: Ten Steps to Allah – 07 – Remembrance | Shaykh Faraz Rabbani – YouTube

About the Author

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age.

He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.

 

Placing forehead on ground in sujud

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Question: Assalamu alaykum.In the book “Ascent to Felicity,” it is said regarding making prostration in prayer on p. 77 (note 220): “It is mandatory (wajib) to place most of the forehead, the hard part (bone) of the nose… on the ground”.
Is it really wajib to place, not merely the tip but the bone of the nose on the ground?
If so, what is the source of this rule?
I’m asking because it seems strange and probably can even harm the person if done fast when the surface (ground) is hard.
Thank you.
Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Assalam’aleykum, I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Jazakum Allah khayr for your question!

Yes, it is necessary (wajib) that the hard part of the nose touches the ground during the prostration. Thus, it is not permissible to suffice oneself during the prostration with having only the soft part of the nose to touch the ground. [Radd Al-Muhtar]

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani mentions in his lessons that one shouldn’t be excessive about it, and one should definitely not press on the ground with one’s nose to the point of hurting oneself.

Allah, Most High, has said: “Allah intends (to provide) ease for you and does not intend (to create) hardship for you.” [2.185]

May  Allah Most High grant you the best of this world and the next. Please keep us in your du’as!

Wassalam

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

If I Stop Praying Am I Still Considered To Be Muslim?

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Question:
If I stop praying am I still considered to be Muslim?
Answer:
Dear questioner,
May Allah bless you and increase you in beneficial knowledge.
Prayer Is a Pillar of Our Faith
It is required for a Muslim to consider prayer as one of the most critical aspects of our faith. It is an entire pillar.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer (salah), zakat, hajj to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Abandoning the Prayer
If a person does not pray but believes that prayer is a pillar of the faith, then they are still considered Muslim, even if they are lazy or weak in faith.
Abandoning the prayer is a major sin and is warned about both in the Quran and the Sunna of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily between man and between associating partners with Allah and unbelief is the negligence (or abandoning) of prayer.” [Muslim]
 There are no “three strikes” rules or “three days to make up all your prayers,” or anything like that.
Making Up Prayers
One is required to make up the prayers that were missed. Furthermore, they should repent to Allah Most High for failure to pray them. Make a firm resolve not to commit the same sin again. Repentance is a great gift for us.
Do Not Lose Hope in the Mercy of Allah
When repenting, have a good opinion that Allah will forgive you. Do not despair.
Allah Most High states, “Say: ‘O My servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: indeed He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'” (Qur’an 39:53)
Finally, do not become too dependent upon His mercy at the expense of abandoning the prayer. Act, and do good; after you do that, then trust in Him.
I hope this helps, dear brother.
[Imam] Yama Niazi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Is It Enough for the Imam To Whisper Aloud During the Prayer?

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Question:

Is it sufficient for an imam to recite the Qur’an in loud prayers in a style of loud whispering?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

Reciting out loud is defined as reciting loud enough that someone close by would hear the recitation. If the whispering is like that, it will suffice. [Shurunbulali, Imdad al-Fattah]

Reciting in a lower voice is probably closer to the desired adab if the circumstance requires it. It would also be easier for those praying with the imam to make out the words.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

Do the Make-Up Prayers for ’Isha and Witr Have To Be Performed in Sequence?

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Question:

Do the make-up prayers for ‘Isha and Witr have to be performed in sequence?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

If you have missed more than a day’s worth of prayers in the past, there is no need to make them up in order. This applies to all the prayers. So, you could make up a year’s worth of ‘Isha prayers and then the Witr prayers for them.

If you have less than a day’s worth of prayers to make up, then you have to make them up in the proper order. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Try to see the make-up prayers as a fresh opportunity to get closer to Allah, instead of a burden that you need to set aside. They could make all the difference in your relationship with God.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

Is It Permissible To Pray in a Moving Car?

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Question:

As salamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabaraktuh,

1) Can we pray in a moving car?

2) If we break an optional fast, do we have to make up for it, and can we break an optional fast if we want to?

3) Is it permissible for girls to wear fake eyelashes, and is it permissible for them to sell them?

4) Is it better to pray sunna and nafl prayers at home and only fard prayers in the mosque?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

 

Can We Pray in a Moving Car?

One can pray sunna and voluntary prayers sitting in a moving car if one is outside of a town or city. Otherwise, you would have to get out and pray. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

 

Do I Have To Make Up a Voluntary Fast I Broke?

Yes, if you break a voluntary fast, you would have to make it up. The intention would have to be made at night.

One can break a voluntary fast at the insistence of a friend roughly an hour and a half before zuhr and up until ‘Asr time at the insistence of one’s parents. Another position of the Hanafi school permits this even without a reason up until the former time. [Ibid]

 

Can I Wear and Sell Fake Eyelashes?

Yes, it is permissible to wear and sell fake eyelashes. You should, however, be conscious of them affecting the validity of your wudu. Also, anything made from pig or human hair is impermissible. [al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]

 

Is It Better To Pray the Non–Fard Prayers at Home?

Yes, it is superior for men to pray the fard at the mosque and the rest of the prayers at home. This also acts as an encouragement for other family members. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

What Are the Differences Between Men and Women in Prayer?

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Question:

Are there any authentic hadiths that say that a woman, unlike a man, should pray with her feet together and her body as close together as possible?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

No, there are no authentic hadiths to my knowledge that say that a woman should pray with her feet together and her body as close together as possible. [al-Sunan al-Kubra, Bayhaqi; al-Majmu’, Nawawi]

However, there are a number of weak hadiths that indicate that. [al-Sunan al-Kubra, Bayhaqi] Furthermore, they are countless fatwas from the Companions and Followers (Allah be pleased with them) clearly stating this. The likes of Sayyidna Ali, Ibn Abbas, Hasan al-Basri, Ibrahim al-Nakha’i besides many more have all expressed this opinion. [al-Sunan al-Kubra, Bayhaqi; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba, Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq al-Sa’ani]

Although it would be difficult to claim scholarly consensus that women pray differently to men and bring their body together as much as possible, after a careful look at the works that gather the fatwas of the Companions and Followers, it is hard to find any scholar having any other opinion. (One notable exception is that Imam al-Bukhari was keen to show that women sat in the same way that men sat. Besides that, it is not something very obvious at all.) That said, to claim that it is a baseless innovation would be to accuse the majority of the Early Muslims (the Salaf) of innovation, which is impossible.

Furthermore, the mere fact that there are not any sound hadiths to establish the case does not in itself form any significant counter-argument against the apparent consensus of the Companions and Followers. The great jurists among the Early Muslims frequently relied on weak hadiths along with a general agreement of most of the Companions and Followers to establish a point of halal and haram, let alone a point of mere recommendation. [al-Umm, Shafi’i; al-Risala, Shafi’i; al-Muwatta, Malik; Risalat Abi Dawud ila Ahl Makkah; al-Muhalla, Ibn Hazm]

One should study the fiqh of the Salaf as organised and detailed in the books of the Four Schools of fiqh and trust that it is a true representation of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught.

 

Please also see:
https://seekersguidance.org/?p=238561&preview=true
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hadith/is-this-hadith-authentic/

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

What Is the Ruling of Remaining Motionless Between the Integrals of the Prayer?

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Question:

What is the ruling of remaining motionless between the integrals of the prayer? What is meant by ‘motionless?’

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Remaining still (motionless as you referred to it) in the integrals of the prayer is necessary. Remaining still in the standing position after the bowing and the sitting position between the two prostrations is an emphasized sunna. [Shaykhi Zada, Majma’u al-Anhur]

What is meant by remaining motionless is a pause of stillness for the length of time it takes to say SubhanAllah, once. The purpose of the pause is to ensure the completion of the integrals. [Ibid.]

I hope this helps,
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.