Category: Hadith (Prophetic traditions)

The Counsel of Jesus [Part 1]

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Imam Malik relates that Jesus, the Son of Mary—peace be upon him—said:

Do not speak much without remembering God, for in not doing so, your hearts will harden. Surely, a hard heart is far from God, and you are not even aware. Moreover, do not look at the sins of others as if you are masters, but rather look at your own sins as if you are servants. For, surely, humanity is of two types: those afflicted with sins and those who are not. So have mercy on those afflicted with sins, and praise God if you are free of them.

Az-Zurqani comments:

“Looking at our own sins as if we were servants” means to fear that our masters will come to know of the sins. Humanity is either sinful, and thus in tribulation, or sinless, and thus in an innocent state. Having mercy on those tribulated with sin means to pray for them (that their sins are removed), neither to examine their sins nor to expose them, and to counsel them with gentleness and kindness.

Delaying The Prayers Beyond Their Prescribed Times

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Allah says in the Qur’an
“…there came after them generations who neglected prayer and were driven by their own desires. These will come face to face with their evil (Ghayya), but those who repent, who believe, who do righteous deeds, will enter Paradise. They will not be wronged in the least…” [Surah Maryam 19:59-60]
Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
The meaning of ‘neglected’ here does not imply complete abandonment of the prayer but delaying it beyond it time.
Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab, the Imam of the Tabi‘un, said:
It means not praying Zuhr until the time of ‘Asr; not praying ‘Asr until the time of Maghrib; not praying Maghrib until the time of ‘Isha; not praying ‘Isha until the time of Fajr, and not praying Fajr until the sun has risen. If someone dies persisting in this state without repenting, Allah has promised him Ghayy, which is a deep valley in Hell whose food is disgusting.
Sa‘d b. Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about ‘those who are forgetful of their prayer‘ (107:4-5), and he said, ‘It means delaying it’ – in other words, delaying it beyond its time.
[al-Bazzar]
Ibn Hazm [d. 465AH] said:
After Shirk, there are no wrong actions greater than delaying the prayer beyond its time and killing a believer without right.
Lastly, Imam adh-Dhahabi says, we find in a hadith:
Whoever presevers in the prescribed prayers, Allah Almighty will grant him five honours:
  1. He will release him from straitened circumstances,
  2. protect him from the punishment of the grave,
  3. give him his book (of deeds) in his right hand,
  4. let him pass over the Sirat (The Bridge over hellfire) like lightning, and
  5. admit him to Paradise without reckoning.

May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings and grant us the strength to worship Him in accordance with the Sunnah of our Master Muhammad ﷺ.

[Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi, al-Kaba’ir]

 

Recommended Adhkar upon the completion of Friday prayer

On By splendidpearlsIn Adhkar (Words of rememberance) and Awrad (Litanies), Hadith (Prophetic traditions), Tasawwuf (Spirituality)Leave a comment

After one makes the Salam from the Jumuʿah prayer and before he changes his position—and in another narration ‘before he speaks’—he recites Surah Al-Fatihah, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas each seven times. It has been related that whoever recites these will be forgiven for the past and future sins, and will be given in reward according to the number of those who believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. [Fath Al-Muʿin]

The commentary on this is given by ad-Dimyati in Iʿanat ut-Talibin:

It has also been narrated that whoever recites them, Allah will protect his religion, worldly affairs, family and offspring. Our Lady ʿAishah narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever recites Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and an-Nas seven times each, Allah will protect him by them from evil until the next Jumuʿah.”

Ibn Masʿud, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“After reciting what has been previously mentioned, whoever says:

اللهم يا غني يا حميد، يا مبدئ يا معيد، يا رحيم يا ودود، اغنني بفضلك عمن سواك، وبحلالك عن حرامك
Allāhumma  Yā Ghaniyyu Yā Hamīd, Yā Mubdiʾ Yā Muʿīd, Yā Rahīm Yā Wadūd, Ighnini bi-Fadhlika ʿAmman Siwāk wa bi-halālika ʿan Harāmik
[O Allah! O Self-Sufficing One! O Praiseworthy One! O Initiator! O Restorer! O Compassionate One! O Ever-Loving One! Make me independent, by Your Grace, from everyone apart from You. And (Suffice me) by Your lawful sustenance, whilst excluding that which is unlawful in Your sight.]

…Allah will make him not need to rely on others and provide for him from where he knows not.”

Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“Whoever, on the day of Jumuʿah, says the following 70-times:

اللهم اغنني بفضلك عمن سواك، وبحلالك عن حرامك
Allāhumma Ighnini bi-Fadhlika ʿAmman Siwāk wa bi-halālika ʿan Harāmik
[O Allah! Make me independent, by Your Grace, from everyone apart from You. And (Suffice me) by Your lawful sustenance, whilst excluding that which is unlawful in Your sight.]

…two Jumuʿahs will not pass him except that Allah will be sufficient for him.”

Ibn ʿAbbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ:

“When the Jumuʿah prayer is finished, whoever says the following 100-times:

سبحان الله العظيم وبحمده
SubhānAllāhiʾl-ʿAzīm wa bi-Hamdih
[Transcendent is Allah, the Supreme, and His is the Praise]

…will have 100,000 sins forgiven and his parents will have 24,000 sins forgiven.”

Imam ʿAbdul Wahhab ash-Shaʿrani said:

“Whoever is consistent in reciting the following every Friday, Allah will take his life as a muslim without a doubt,

إلٰهي لَسْتُ لِلْفِرْدَوْسِ أهْلاً وَلا أقْوٰى عَلٰى نَارِ الجَحِيمِ فَهَبْ لي تَوبَةً، وَاغْفِرْ ذُنُوبي فَإنَّكَ غَافِرُ الذَّنْبِ الْعَظِيْمِ
Ilāhi Lastu lil-Firdawsi Ahlan wa Lā Aqwā ‘alā Nārʾl-Jahīm fa-Hab Lī Tawbatan wa-ghfir Dhunūbī fa-Innaka Ghāfir udh-Dhanbil-ʿAzīm
[O Allah, I am not worthy of being an inhabitant of Firdaws and I cannot bear the Fire of Hell. So grant me a repentance and forgive my sins as You are the forgiver of a major sin.]

Some have said that it should be said 5-times after Jumuʿah prayer.

ʿArak b. Malik is reported to have stood at the door of the mosque after he prayed Jumʿuah prayer and said:

اللهم أجبت دعوتك، وصليت فريضتك، وانتشرت كما أمرتني، فارزقني من فضلك وأنت خير الرازقين
Allāhumma Ajibtu Daʿwatik, wa Sallaytu Farīdatik, wan-tashartu kamā Amartanī, far-zuqnī min Fadhlika wa anta Khayr ur-Rāziqīn
[O Allah, I have answered Your call, prayed Your obligation and have spread in the land as You have commanded me to do so. So grant me from Your bounty and You are the best of providers.]

:وقد قلت وقولك الحق
يا أيها الذين آمنوا إذا نودي للصلاة من يوم الجمعة فاسعوا إلى ذكر الله وذروا البيع، ذلكم خير لكم إن كنتم تعلمون
فإذا قضيت الصلاة فانتشروا في الأرض وابتغوا من فضل الله، واذكروا الله كثيرا لعلكم تفلحون

[You said and Your Speech is the Truth: “O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know. And when the prayer has concluded, then disperse within the land and seek of Allah’s grace, and remember Allah much, that you may be successful” (al-Jumuʿah: 9-10).]

Translated by Sayyidi Mohammad Jamili 

The Significance of the Night of Emancipation—15th of Sha’ban

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Hadith on the virtue of this night:

Muʿaẓ ibn Jabal narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Allah pays special attention to his entire creation on the fifteenth night of Shaʿban and forgives all of them except one who ascribes partners to Him and one who harbours enmity in his heart.” [Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr vol.20 pg.108-109]
— Ibn Ḥibbān has classified this narration as Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) [Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Ḥibbān Vol.12 pg.482; Ḥadīth: 5665]
— Ḥāfiẓ Al-Haythamī has mentioned that all the narrators of this ḥadīth are reliable. [Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id Vol. 8 pg. 65]

ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar related that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“There are five nights on which duʿa is not turned back: Friday eve, on the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha‘ban, Laylat al-Qadr, and on the eve of the two Eids.” [Muṣannaf ʿAbd ar-Razzāq, Ḥadīth 7927; authenticity unverified]

Statements of the Scholars:

Imam ash-Shafiʿi states in al-Umm:

“It has reached us that it is said that there are five nights when the duʿas are accepted; the night of Friday, the night of Eid al-Aḍḥa, the night of Eid al- Fiṭr, the first night of Rajab and the 15th of Sha‘ban.”

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qadir al-Jilani states in Ghunya al-Ṭālibīn:

“Malik ibn Anas reports from ʿUrwah, from ʿAisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who said she heard the Prophet ﷺ state that: ‘There are four nights in which the gates of righteousness are opened; the night of Eid al-Aḍḥa, the night of Eid al-Fiṭr, the night of ʿArafa (9th Dhu ʾl-Hajj) and 15th of Shaʿban.'” [pg. 448]

Al-Ajhuri al-Maliki records in Ḥusnul Bayān:

“‘Aṭā ibn Yasār—the great Tabiʿi of Madinah—said: ‘After Laylat al-Qadr, there is no other night in the year that is more virtuous than the middle (15th) night of Shaʿban.’” [pg.11]

Ibn al-Ḥajj states in al-Madkhal:

“This night has great virtue and abundant good.” He further says, “The salaf (pious predecessors) would sanctify this night and prepare themselves for it in advance.” [1/299]

Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi states in Mukhtaṣar Minhāj al-Qāṣidīn:

“The most virtuous nights, that the devout servant of Allah should observe Qiyam al-Layl therein, are:
—The odd nights from the last ten nights of Ramaḍan,
—1st and 10th of Muharram,
—1st and 15th of Rajab,
—15th of Sha’ban…”

Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī states in Laṭāʾif al-Maʿārif:

“…There is nothing established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ nor from his companions with regard to spending the 15th night of Shaʿban in worship. But it is established that a group of Tābiʿūn —who were senior jurists of Shām—used to spend this night in worship.” He further says, “…It is thus the duty of every believer to free himself on the night for the remembrance of Allah and supplicating to Him for the forgiveness of sins, concealment of faults, and removal of hardships. And he should precede all this with repentance because Allah Almighty turns to the one who repents to Him on this night.” [pg. 264-265]

All of the above sufficiently confirms the significance of the 15th night of Sha’ban. As for a list of optional acts that can be performed on this night, see:
Optional Acts for the Night of Emancipation—15th of Sha’ban

May Allah ﷻ guide us all, and may He ﷻ allow us to maximise our benefit from the auspiciousness of this night.