Hadith Qudsi

http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2011/11/29/what-is-the-difference-between-a-regular-hadith-and-a-hadith-qudsi/

Question: Assalamualaikum,
I never understood the nature of Hadith Qudsi and how it was different from the “regular” hadiths. Also, the “regular” hadiths are ‘traditions’ and narrations of the Prophet (peace be upon him) doing, saying, and instructing us to do many things. How did the Prophet (peace be upon him) receive this information from Allah relative to Qur’anic revelation and the Hadith Qudsi?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I hope you are in the best of health and spirits, insha’Allah.

A Sacred Narration (al-Hadith al-Qudsi) is a narration (hadith) which, from the perspective of its meaning, is from Allah, the Exalted, and from the perspective of its wording, from the Messenger of God (Allah bless him and give him peace). [Jurjani, al-Ta`rifat]

The Difference between the Regular Narrations (Hadith) and the Sacred Narrations (al-Hadith al-Qudsi)
The Sacred Narration (al-Hadith al-Qudsi) is attributed to Allah, Most High, and related from Him. The Messenger of God (Allah bless him and give him peace) would receive the meaning from Allah, by way of inspiration or dream, and then he (Allah bless him and give him peace) would inform his community of this in his own words.

This is contrary to the remaining narrations (hadith) as the Messenger of God (Allah bless him and give him peace) would not attribute them to His Lord, nor relate them from Him.

The Difference between the Sacred Narrations (al-Hadith al-Qudsi) and the Qur’an

There are many differences between the Qur’an and the Sacred Narration (al-Hadith al-Qudsi). Of the most notable of them are the facts that the Qur’an is miraculous in its wording and was revealed by the intermediary of the Angel Gabriel. A Sacred Narration (al-Hadith al-Qudsi), on the other hand, has neither of these qualities.

Other unique qualities which the Qur’an, alone, possesses are:

[1] The mass transmission (mutawatir) in all of its words and letters;

[2] The impermissibility of touching the Qur’an for the one in a state of minor ritual impurity (and reciting it for the one in a state of major ritual impurity);

[3] The requirement, and specification, of its recital in the prayer;

[4] It is called the Qur’an;

[5] It is an act of worship to recite the Qur’an and one is rewarded for each letter;

The Qur’an’s words, and meanings, are from Allah through manifest revelation; contrary to the narrations (hadith).

[`Ayni, `Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari; Siraj al-Din, Sharh al-Mandhuma al-Bayquniyya; al-Sayyid Muhammad bin `Alawi, al-Manhal al-Latif fi Usul al-Hadith al-Sharif]

This is something of what can be said about the difference between the

Sacred Narration (al-Hadith al-Qudsi) and the Qur’an.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

http://www.muftisays.com/blog/Seifeddine-M/3757_22-10-2014/hadith-qudsi.html

Qudsi hadith are those hadith that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم related from Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Mullah Ali al-Qaari رحمه الله has given the following excellent definition for hadith qudsi. He wrote, "It is that which is related by the foremost of relaters and the most reliable of authorities, the best of blessings and salutations be upon him, from Allah, may He be glorified, sometimes through the medium of Gabriel, upon whom be blessings and peace, and sometimes by revelation, inspiration and dreams. Allah having entrusted to him the expressing of it in such words as he wished. It differs from the Quran in that the revelation of the latter was only through the medium of the Upright Soul [Gabriel] and is restricted to the wording specifically revealed from the Preserved Tablet." [1]

Such hadith usually take one of the following forms:

(1) Some begin with, "The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says from among the sayings he related from his Lord..."

(2) Sometimes they begin with, "Allah the Almighty has said, from among the sayings related from Him by the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ... "

(3) Or, "The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that Allah سبحانه و تعالى has said..."

(4) The words of Allah سبحانه و تعالى may be referred to as written instead of spoken.

(5) Sometimes the words from Allah سبحانه و تعالى are between or introduced by a statement of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

(6) And, finally, an indirect but clear reference may be made to a statement of Allah سبحانه و تعالى in the words of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

The Customarily Given Differences Between Qudsi Hadeeth and the Qur'aan

One might ask what the differences between a qudsi hadith and the Quran are. Al-Qattaan رحمه الله has noted what is commonly considered the five differences between the two. They are:

(1) The Quran was revealed by Allah سبحانه و تعالى in both meaning and wording through the angel Gabriel عليه السلام to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. It was not received through any form of inspiration, such as a dream, vision and so forth. Hadith qudsi, on the other hand, may be received through any of those means.

(2) The Quran was established as a miracle and a challenge to all of mankind until the Day of Judgment. Hadith qudsi are not considered miraculous as such and are not a challenge to mankind.

(3) The Quran is only stated or related with reference to Allah سبحانه و تعالى. One can only say, for example, "Allah says in the Quran..." Hadith qudsi, on the other hand, are reports narrated by the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and, hence, are related from him from Allah سبحانه و تعالى.

(4) All of the Quran is mutawaatir and qati 'ee ath-thaboot. [2] The majority of the qudsi hadith do not meet the standards of mutawaatir. They are, therefore, subject to the rules and grading of hadith. Some such hadith are sahih, some are hasan, some are weak and others are fabricated.

(5) With respect to the Quran, both the wording and the meaning were revealed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from Allah. With respect to hadith qudsi, only the meaning was revealed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم while the wording came from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself. Therefore, it is allowed to narrate qudsi hadith according to their meanings only (for those who allow narration of hadith according to their meanings) but this is not allowed for the Quran.

(6) Finally, only the Quran is allowed for the recitation in the prayer. Furthermore, the one who recites it will receive ten rewards for each letter of the Quran that he recites. Hadith qudsi may not be recited as part of the prayer nor is there any special reward for reciting hadith qudsi. [3]

Critique of the Customary Approach

There does not seem to be any room for dispute concerning (1), (2) (3) and (6) above. However, (4) and (5) need some clarification or comment. It is not correct to say that one of the differences between qudsi hadith and the Quran is that all of the Quran is mutawaatir while qudsi hadith may be sahih, hasan, weak and so forth. Many scholars state that the conditions for a narration to be considered part of the Quran are three:

(a) it must be mutawaatir,

(b) it must be consistent with at least one of the copies of the Quran that Uthman رضي الله عنه distributed throughout the Muslims lands, and

(c) it must be consistent with the Arabic language.

However, if (a) is met, the other two conditions become redundant or superfluous. By definition, (a) implies that the report is such that it cannot be questioned or doubted. Hence, what is the need for the other two conditions? Some specialists in Quranic recitation state that the first condition is not that of being mutawaatir but only that the chain must be sahih. [4]

Indeed, an-Namlah states what the scholars mean when they that the recital be mutawaatir is simply that it has an authentic chain back to the Prophet (may Allah exalt his mention and grant him peace), [5] and not the usage of the term mutawaatir according to the scholars of hadith. In this way, the other two conditions become meaningful because they ensure that, although the chain might be sahih, that no mistake has been made in the transmission of the recitation.

Furthermore, there are recitations of the Quran that are considered rejected or shaadh ("irregular"), since they do not meet the conditions stated above for the Quran. This is no different from saying that there are qudsi hadith that are weak or rejected. Hence, (3) above cannot be considered a true difference between the Quran and qudsi hadith.

Finally, if one is talking about the essential difference between the Quran and qudsi hadith, it is irrelevant to discuss whether one is mutawaatir and the other is not. Obviously, the essential differences between them existed at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself narrated these statements. At that time, there was no concept of mutawaatir and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would sometimes send individual teachers to specific tribes to teach the Quran. Hence, the question of mutawaatir is completely irrelevant to the issue of the difference in nature between qudsi hadith and the Quran.

There is also a difference of opinion concerning the wording of qudsi hadith. Does that wording come from Allah سبحانه و تعالى or does it come from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم? As stated above in (4), al-Qattaan is of the view that its wording is from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. As-Sabbaagh is also of this opinion. He states that if the wording and meaning were both from Allah سبحانه و تعالى, then, from the shareeah point of view, it should be given the same status as the Quran. He claims that there would then be no reason to distinguish between the two wordings from Allah سبحانه و تعالى. He then argues that if that were the case, it would not be allowed to narrate a qudsi hadith according to its meaning (which the scholars say is acceptable). He also states that then it could be used in worship like the Quran, but no scholar says that.

As-Sabbaagh then poses the following question, "If the wording is not from Allah سبحانه و تعالى, why is the quote attributed to Allah?" As-Sabbaagh states that this is not problematic and is common in the Arabic language. It implies that what the quotation contains of meaning is from Allah سبحانه و تعالى and not that the exact words are from Allah سبحانه و تعالى. He argues that this is similar to Allah سبحانه و تعالى quoting the previous prophets in the Quran and saying, for example, "Moses said," while, in fact, Moses عليه السلام did not speak Arabic and those are not his exact words. [6]

Those quotes only contain the meaning of what Moses عليه السلام said. As-Sabbaagh then quotes Mustafa az-Zarqa as saying that qudsi hadith are like giving a person a text to translate. The translated text is still ascribed to the original speaker although the wording is not his. [7]

But that inevitably leads to the following question: If qudsi hadith are simply inspired by Allah سبحانه و تعالى and in the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم wording, what is the difference then between qudsi hadith and the remainder of the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم speech which was also inspired by Allah سبحانه و تعالى? The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم stated, "Certainly, I have been given the Book and what is similar to it with it." [8]

Furthermore, there are numerous verses in the Quran to the effect of the following verses,



"And Allaah has sent down to you the Book (The Qur'aan), and Al-Hikmah (the Sunnah), and taught you that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allaah unto you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him)." (Sooratun Nisaa', 4:113)



"He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book (the Qur'aan), and Al-Hikmah [9] (the Sunnah). And verily, they had been before in manifest error." (Sooratul Jumu'ah, 62:2)

Allah سبحانه و تعالى also says,



"And remember (O you the members of the Prophet's family عليهم الصلاة والسلام), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of Allaah and Al-Hikmah (the Sunnah). Verily, Allah is Ever Most Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things." (Sooratul Ahzaab, 33:34) [10]

Commenting on verses of this nature, Imaam ash-Shafi'ee رحمه الله stated, "I have heard from those with whom I am pleased of the people of knowledge of the Quran who said that the Hikmah is the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. This is the most likely opinion, Allah knows best. This is because the Quran has been mentioned and is followed by mention of the Hikmah. Allah also mentioned His bounties upon His creation by their being taught the Book and Hikmah. Therefore, it is not allowed, Allah knows best, to call the Hikmah here anything other than the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah exalt his mention and grant him peace)." [11]

In other words, the sunnah as a whole is considered a form of "inspiration" from Allah سبحانه و تعالى but in the wording of the Prophet (may Allah exalt his mention and grant him peace). [12]

What then would distinguish qudsi hadith from other hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم if the inspiration in both cases is from Allah سبحانه و تعالى and the wording from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم? In this case, also, there is no need for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to state, "Allah said," when, in fact, the words did not come from Allah سبحانه و تعالى.

Perhaps, this is an issue that cannot be resolved based on the information available. There is no strong evidence to definitively conclude that the wording of qudsi hadith comes from either Allah سبحانه و تعالى or the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Personally, this author leans toward the view that the wording comes directly from Allah سبحانه و تعالى.

The important point is that such qudsi hadith are known not to be part of the Quran. This is known from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would distinguish between the Quran and qudsi hadith. Whenever a verse of the Quran was revealed to him, he would call one of his scribes--and he had specific scribes for the recording of the Quran, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan, Zaid ibn Thaabit and others رضي الله عنهم. He would then tell the scribe to place that newly revealed verse in surah such and such. [13]

Furthermore, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never recited qudsi hadith in the prayers nor did he read them back to the Angel Gabriel عليه السلام when going over the Quran.

The important matter, then, is that the qudsi hadith were distinguished from the Quran by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself. This is how it is known that such statements from Allah سبحانه و تعالى do not form part of the Quran. However, this in itself does not rule out the possibility that the wording of qudsi hadith are from Allah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم narrated them as Allah's words and this is probably the strongest indication concerning this matter. This implies that they are words from Allah سبحانه و تعالى but it was made clear to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that they did not form part of the Quran. This direct inspiration of wording is what distinguishes them from the remainder of the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him). [14]

http://darulfiqh.com/what-are-the-differences-between-the-quran-and-a-hadith-qudsi/

Question:

What are the differences between the Qur’an and a Hadith Qudsi?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The Ulama have mentioned many distinctions between the Qur’ān and the Ahādīth Qudsīyyah.[1]  Below are a few: 

1)    The words and the meanings of the Qur’an are from Allah Ta’ālā.  Whereas a Hadīth Qudsī does not necessarily contain the exact words of Allah Ta’ālā. 

2)    The whole Qur’ān is decisive and definite in its transmission.  It is mutawātir.  Many of the Ahādīth Qudsīyyah are not mutawātir.  The authenticity will have to be analysed for each hadīth.

3)    The Qur’ān is a miracle and a challenge.  Allah Ta’ālā challenges us to bring a single verse similar to the verses of the Qur’ān.  The Ahādīth Qudsīyyah do not have such a level of miraculousness and challenge.

4)    The recitation of the Qur’ān has quantified virtues and rewards.  Recitation is worship in itself.  Whereas, the recitation of Ahādīth Qudsīyyah although they are means of immense barakah (blessings), do not have any specific quantified virtue or reward attributed to them.  The recitation of Ahādīth Qudsīyyah is not worship in the strict sense and meaning of worship.  

The above contrasts and differences result in the following rulings:

1)    Only the Qur’ān can be recited in salāh and not the Ahādīth Qudsīyyah.

2)    The Qur’ān cannot be narrated or recited in one’s own meaning.  The Ahādīth may be narrated in words similar to the meaning of the actual wording for those who have profound mastery in the Arabic language.

3)    It is not permissible for a person without wudhū’ to touch the Qur’ān and nor can a person in the state of major impurity recite the Qur’ān.  In contrast, a person without wudhū’ may touch the books and writings of the Ahādīth Qudsīyyah.  Likewise, a person in the state of major impurity requiring a ghusl (bath) may recite the Ahādīth Qudsīyyah.  However, to do so is discouraged and against the sanctity of the Ahādīth.

4)    A person can lose his Imān by rejecting a word of the Qur’ān.  This is not true for the Ahādīth Qudsīyyahwhich are not mutawātir in transmission. 

And Allah Ta’ālā Knows Best

Mufti Faraz al-Mahmudi, 

Darul Iftaa

Dublin, Irelandwww.darulfiqh.com

The concept and classification of Bid’a in Islam.

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/8514/the-concept-and-classification-of-bida-in-islam

Could you kindly explain what is the correct opinion on the meaning and categories of bid’ah and whether according to the classical scholars a distinction was made between a good bida’h and an evil bida’h?

ANSWER

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

The word Bid’a (innovation) has two aspects to it, one being the linguistic definition, and the other, it’s meaning from a Shariah perspective.

Linguistically Bid’a means introducing something new, regardless of whether it is connected to religious affairs or other worldly matters, and regardless of whether one practices it considering it to be part of Deen or otherwise.

In the Shariah terminology, Bid’a means to introduce something in religion that was not done in the time of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), the rightly guided Khulafa (Allah be pleased with them all) and the early generations with the intention of gaining more reward, and despite being a need for it in the time of the Messenger of Allah and his Companions, it was not implemented verbally, practically, explicitly or implicitly. (Taken from Imam al-Barkawi’s al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya, Imam Shatibi’s al-I’tisam and Imam al-Lakhnawi’s Iqamat al-Hujjah).

From the above definition of Bid’a, it becomes clear that new practices that are not considered to be part of Deen, rather they concern our worldly affairs, such as modern technology, cars, planes, etc… can not be considered as Bid’a, for the fact that they are not introduced with the intention of worship and gaining more reward. Innovations with regards to worldly matters do not fall into the category of reprehensible and sinful innovation, thus they are totally permissible as long as they don’t contradict any other ruling of Shariah.

Similarly, acts and practices that were carried out (verbally, practically, explicitly or implicitly) in the time of the blessed Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace), his Companions (Allah be pleased with them all) and the early generation can also not be called an innovation.

Also, an act for which there was no apparent need in the time of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), his companions and the early generations, but later in order to attain a religious objective there rose a need to implement it, then this will also not fall within the definition of Bid’a. Examples of which are: building religious institutions, recording the research of Islamic schools of legal thought, writing books on beneficial subjects, establishing sciences in order to understand the Qur’an and Sunnah, using of modern weapons for Jihad, etc…

With the above definition of Bid’a, it also becomes clear that to innovate something in religion that had the same need in the early times, but was not carried out will be considered a Bid’a, thus unlawful.

Another aspect to remember with regards to Bid’a is that there are certain acts of worship which the Shariah has declared to be recommended (mandub) or highly encouraged (sunnah), but without specifying a particular procedure or method for it. Rewards have been promised for various types of worship, but the actual method of implementation has not been prescribed. This method of worship has been left to the convenience of the individual.

In such acts of worship, it is necessary to leave the general permission given by the Shariah. If a particular method is fixed or considered to be superior to other methods, then this will be impermissible and classed as Bid’a.

(This has been explained in a previous answer with examples. See the archives on this website.

Classification of Bid’a

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Beware of matters newly begun, for every matter newly begun is innovation and every innovation is misguidance.” (recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad 4/126-127, Imam Abu Dawud, Imam Tirmidhi & Imam Ibn Majah in their respective Sunan collections with an authentic chain of narrators).

Due to the above Hadith, scholars say that from a perspective of the Shariah definition of Bid’a, every type of Bid’a is reprehensible and sinful. When an act is determined to fall into the abovementioned Shariah definition of Bid’a, then it can never be termed as good or lawful. All innovations are reprehensible and misguidance, thus unlawful.

Imam Malik (Allah be pleased with him) said:

“Whosoever innovates an innovation believing it to be good (hasana) has indeed claimed that the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) breached the trust of Prophethood, because Allah Almighty says: “This day I have perfected your religion for you”. Anything that was not part of religion on that day, can not be a part of religion today.” (al-I’tisam, 1/48).

However, Bid’a can be divided into various categories when considering the linguistic definition. As mentioned earlier, linguistically, Bid’a means to introduce something, thus any thing that is introduced will (from a linguistic point of view) be termed as Bid’a.

These innovations may be obligatory, recommended and unlawful. When scholars categorize innovations, this is the aspect they are referring to.

Therefore, innovations such as the study of the disciplines of Arabic that are necessary to understand the Qur’an and sunnah (grammar, syntax, etc), Hadith classification to distinguish between genuine and spurious prophetic traditions, modern technology like electricity, car, plain, light, building of Islamic schools, etc… despite being considered a Bid’a linguistically, will not be considered a Bid’a with regards to the Shariah definition, thus they are lawful.

Imam al-Lakhnawi explains this by quoting from al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya of Imam al-Barkawi:

“If it is said that how can we reconcile between the Messenger of Allah’s statement “Every innovation is misguidance” and the Fuqaha’s classification of Bid’a into the lawful, recommended and the obligatory?

We will say: Bid’a has a linguistic meaning that is general, which is to introduce, regardless of whether it is considered worship or is related to personal habits. It (Bid’a) also has a Shariah definition that is more specific, which is to add or remove in religion in a way that it was not done in the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) and his Companions, verbally, practically, explicitly or implicitly. Therefore, (the Shar’i Bid’a) does not include habits (worldly matters), rather it is restricted to certain beliefs and practices” (Iqamat al-Hujjah, P. 21-22).

Therefore, the classification of Bid’a in various categories is from a linguistic point of view that does not include the Shar’i definition of Bid’a. It is from this, Sayyiduna Umar al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said regarding the performance of Tarawih prayer in congregation “This is a good innovation.”

Also, practices that do not fall into the Shariah definition of Bid’a such as building of religious schools will still be considered a Bid’a linguistically, but not all linguistic innovations are reprehensible.

Finally, it should also be remembered that practices carried out in the time of the rightly guided Khalifas, other Companions and their followers (Allah be plesed with all) can not be considered a Bid’a. The great Hanafi jurist and Hadith scholar, Imam Abd al-Hay al-Lakhnawi dedicated a whole chapter in support of this in his famous treatise titled ‘Iqamat al-hujjah ala an al-ikthar fi al-ta’abbud laysa bid’a’.

He states:

“Practices that were carried out with the approval of the Companions (Allah be pleased with them all) but were not done in the time of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), such as the introducing of the first Adhan for Jumu’ah prayer, twenty Rak’ats of Tarawih prayer, etc…can not be considered a Shar’i Bid’a.

There are many evidences for this, just to mention a few:

1) The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Hold fast on to my ways and the ways of the rightly guided Caliphs.” (Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others with an authentic chain of narrators).

2) The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “follow in the footsteps of the two after me, Abu Bakr and Umar.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah with a sound chain of narrators).

(See for more details: Iqamat al-Hujjah by Imam al-Lakhnawi with notes by Shaykh Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda, P.25-58).

And Allah Knows Best

[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK

Sha'ban & 15th night in a nutshell

https://www.central-mosque.com/index.php/Soul/shaban-merits-dos-and-donts.html
https://www.albalagh.net/general/shaban.shtml

Shaykh (Mufti) Taqi Usmani (HA)

Sha'ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find some particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. It is reported in the authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast most of the month in Sha'ban. These fasts were not obligatory on him but Sha'ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan.

Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Some of these are given below:

1The blessed companion Anas, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Shaban in honor of Ramadan."

2The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam: "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha'ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, replied: "That (Sha'ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."

3Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, says, "Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast the whole of Sha'ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha'ban your most favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting."

4In another Tradition she says, "Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha'ban."

5In another report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha'ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."

6Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah, Radi-Allahu anha, says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha'ban and Ramadan."

These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha'ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, did not like to miss it.

But it should be kept in mind that the fasts of Sha'ban are for those persons only who are capable of keeping them without causing deficiency in the obligatory fasts of Ramadan. Therefore, if one fears that after fasting in Sha'ban, he will lose strength or freshness for the fasts of Ramadan and will not be able to fast in it with freshness, he should not fast in Sha'ban, because the fasts of Ramadan, being obligatory, are more important than the optional fasts of Sha'ban. That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself has forbidden the Muslims from fasting one or two days immediately before the commencement of Ramadan. The blessed Companion Abu Hurairah, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to have said, "Do not fast after the first half of the month of Sha'ban is gone."

According to another report Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has said: "Do not precede the month of Ramadan with one or two fasts."

The essence of the above-quoted ahadith is that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself used to fast most of the month of Sha'ban, because he had no fear of developing weakness or weariness before the commencement of Ramadan. As for others, he ordered them not to fast after the 15th of Sha'ban for the fear that they would lose their strength and freshness before Ramadan starts, and would not be able to welcome the month of Ramadan with enthusiasm.

The Night of Bara'ah

Another significant feature of the month of Sha'ban is that it consists of a night which is termed in Shariah as "Laylatul-bara'ah" (The night of freedom from Fire). This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha'ban. There are certain traditions of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to prove that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine mercy. Some of these traditions are quoted as follows:

1Ummul-Mu'mineen 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, is reported to have said, "Once Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, performed the Salah of the night (Tahajjud) and made a very long Sajdah until I feared that he had passed away. When I saw this, I rose (from my bed) and moved his thumb (to ascertain whether he is alive). The thumb moved, and I returned (to my place). Then I heard him saying in Sajdah: 'I seek refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your annoyance, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as fully as You deserve. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.' Thereafter, when he raised his head from Sajdah and finished his salah, he said to me: 'Aishah, did you think that the Prophet has betrayed you?' I said, 'No, O Prophet of Allah, but I was afraid that your soul has been taken away because your Sajdah was very long.' He asked me, 'Do you know which night is this?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'This is the night of the half of Sha'ban. Allah Almighty looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but keeps those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they relieve themselves from malice).'"

2In another Tradition Sayyidah' Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, has reported that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said, "Allah Almighty descends (in a manner He best knows it) in the night occurring in the middle of Sha'ban and forgives a large number of people more than the number of the fibers on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb." Kalb was a big tribe the members of which had a very large number of sheep. Therefore, the last sentence of the hadith indicates the big number of the people who are forgiven in this night by Allah Almighty.

3In yet another Tradition, she has reported Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to have said, "This is the middle Night of Sha'ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from Fire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb. But He does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who nourishes malice in his heart (against someone), or at a person who cuts off the ties of kinship, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who has a habit of drinking wine."

4Sayyidna Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said: "Allah Almighty looks upon all those created by Him in the middle Night of Sha'ban and forgives all those created by Him, except the one who associates partners with Him or the one who has malice in his heart (against a Muslim)".

Although the chain of narrators of some of these traditions suffers with some minor technical defects, yet when all these traditions are combined together, it becomes clear that this night has some well founded merits, and observing this night as a sacred night is not a baseless concoction as envisaged by some modern scholars who, on the basis of these minor defects, have totally rejected to give any special importance to this night. In fact, some of these traditions have been held by some scholars of hadith as authentic and the defects in the chain of some others have been treated by them as minor technical defects which, according to the science of hadith, are curable by the variety of their ways of narration. That is why the elders of the ummah have constantly been observing this night as a night of special merits and have been spending it in worship and prayers.

What Should be Done in this Night?

In order to observe the Night of Bara'ah, one should remain awakened in this night as much as he can. If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if one cannot do so for one reason or another, he can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose, and should perform the following acts of worship:

1Salah. Salah is the most preferable act to be performed in this night. There is no particular number of Rak'at but preferably it should not be less than eight. It is also advisable that each part of the Salah like qiyam, rukoo' and sajdah should be longer than normal. The longest surahs of the Holy Qur'an one remembers by heart should be recited in the Salah of this night. If someone does not remember the long surahs, he can also recite several short surahs in one rak'ah.

2Tilawa. The recitation of the Holy Qur'an is another form of worship, very beneficent in this night. After performing Salah, or at any other time, one should recite as much of the Holy Qur'an as he can.

3Dhikr. One should also perform dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) in this night. Particularly the following dhikr is very useful:

aOne should recite Salah (durood) on Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as many times as he can. The dhikr can also be recited while walking, lying on bed and during other hours of work or leisure.

4Dua. The best benefit one can draw from the blessings of this night is prayers and supplications. It is hoped that all the prayers in this night will be accepted by our Lord, insha-Allah. Prayer itself is an 'Ibadah, and Allah Almighty gives reward on each prayer along with the fulfillment of the supplicator's need. Even if the purpose prayed for is not achieved, one cannot be deprived of the reward of the prayer which is sometimes more precious than the mundane benefits one strives for. The prayers and supplications also strengthen one's relation with Allah Almighty, which is the main purpose of all kinds and forms of worship.

aOne can pray for whatever purpose he wishes. But the best supplications are the ones made by Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. These are so comprehensive and all-encompassing prayers that all the human needs, of this world and the Hereafter, are fully covered in the eloquent expressions used in them. Actually, most of the prophetic prayers are so profound that human imagination can hardly match their greatness.

bSeveral books in various languages are available which provide these prophetic prayers, and one should pray to Allah Almighty in accordance with them, whether by reciting their original Arabic text or by rendering their sense in one's own language.

5There are some people who cannot perform any additional Salah or recitations for any reason, like illness or weakness or being engaged in some other necessary activities. Such people also should not deprive themselves completely of the blessings of this night. They should observe the following acts:

aTo perform the Salah of Maghrib, 'Isha' and Fajr with Jama'ah in the mosque, or in their homes in case of their being sick.

bThey should keep reciting the dhikr, particularly the one mentioned in para (c) above, in whatever condition they are until they sleep.

cThey should pray to Allah for their forgiveness and for their other objectives. One can do so even when he is in his bed.

dThe women during their periods cannot perform salah, nor can they recite the Qur'an, but they can recite any dhikr, tasbeeh, durood sharif and can pray to Allah for whatever purpose they like in whatever language they wish. They can also recite the Arabic prayers mentioned in the Qur'an or in the hadith with the intention of supplication (and not with the intention of recitation).

eAccording to a hadith, which is relatively less authentic, Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, went in this night to the graveyard of Baqi' where he prayed for the Muslims buried there. On this basis, some of the fuqaha hold it as mustahabb (advisable) in this night to go to the graveyard of the Muslims and recite Fatihah or any other part of the Qur'an, and pray for the dead. But this act is neither obligatory nor should it be performed as regularly as an obligatory act.

What Should Not be Done in This Night?

1As mentioned earlier, the Night of Bara'ah is a night in which special blessings are directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night should be spent in total submission to Allah Almighty, and one should refrain from all those activities, which may displease Allah. Although it is always incumbent upon every Muslim to abstain from sins, yet this abstinence becomes all the more necessary in such nights, because committing sins in this night will amount to responding to divine blessings with disobedience and felony. Such an arrogant attitude can invite nothing but the wrath of Allah. Therefore, one should strictly abstain from all the sins, particularly from those mentioned in the Hadith No. 3 quoted earlier in this article, because these sins make one devoid of the blessings of this night.

2In this night some people indulge in some activities which they regard as necessary for the celebration of the Night of Bara'ah, like cooking some special type of meal, or illuminating houses or mosques, or improvised structures. All such activities are not only baseless and innovated in the later days by ignorant people, but in some cases they are pure imitation of some rituals performed by non-Muslim communities. Such imitation in itself is a sin; performing it in a blessed night like the Night of Bara'ah makes it worse. Muslims should strictly abstain from all such activities.

3Some people spend this night in holding religious meetings and delivering long speeches. Such activities are also not advisable, because these acts can easily be performed in other nights. This night requires one to devote himself for the pure acts of worship only.

4The acts of worship like Salah, recitation of the Qur'an and dhikr should be performed in this night individually, not collectively. The Nafl Salah should not be performed in Jama'ah, nor should the Muslims arrange gatherings in the mosques in order to celebrate the night in a collective manner.

On the contrary, this night is meant for worshipping Allah in solitude. It is the time to enjoy the direct contact with the Lord of the Universe, and to devote one's attention to Him and Him alone. These are the precious hours of the night in which nobody should intervene between one and his Lord, and one should turn to Allah with total concentration, not disturbed or intermitted by any one else.

That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, observed the acts of worship in this night in total seclusion, not accompanied by anyone, not even by his favorite life companion Sayyidah 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, and that is why all forms of the optional worship (Nafl Ibadah), are advised by him to be done in individual, not in collective manner.

Fast of the 15th Sha'ban

On the day immediately following the Night of Bara'ah, i.e. the 15th of Sha'ban, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep fast. Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have recommended this fast emphatically. Although the scholars of hadith have some doubts in the authenticity of this report, yet it is mentioned earlier that the fasts of the first half of Sha'ban have special merits and Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast most of the days in Sha'ban. Moreover, a large number of the elders (salaf) of the Ummah have been observing the fast of the 15th of Sha'ban. This constant practice indicates that they have accepted the relevant hadith as authentic.

Therefore, it is advisable to fast the 15th of Sha'ban as an optional (nafl) fast. One can also keep a fast of qada on this day and it is hoped that he can also benefit from the merits of this fast.

Fast of the 15th Sha'ban being Mustahab?

Shaykh (Mufti) Taqi Usmani (HA) further writes in Discourses on Islamic way of life (Volume 4) :

There is another question asked about fasting on the day following the Shab-e-bara'at. viz., the fifteenth of Sha'ban. It should be noted that among the entire collection f the Ahadith, one narrative is a weak one. On this account some Ulama do not regard it an act of Sunnah or even a Mustahab (desirable) act to fast on the fifteenth Shabaan. It is, however, proved that it is an act of excellence to observe fasting during the period from the first to the twenty-seventh of Sha'ban. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has forbidden to fast on the 28th and 29th days of Shabaan, so that a man may remain well prepared and energetic for fasting in the month of Ramazan. it is, however, meritorious to observe fast on days in the period from the first to the twenth-seventh day of Shabaan. Moreoever, this fifteenth day of Sha'ban is one of the three days of Ayyam Beez (the white days). i.e. the 13th. 14th and 15th of each month. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) used to observe fasts frequently on these three days. If a man fasts on the 15th day of Shabaan because firstly it is a day of the month of Shabaan and secondly because this day is one of the three days of Ayyam Beez (the white days), he will, God willing, be granted recompense for his fasting. It is, however, not right, in the opinion of some Ulama. to regard fasting on this day as Sunnah, only because it is a day of the month of Shabaan. While mentioning the Mustahab (desirable) days of fasting, most Ulama have included for fasting the 10th of Muharram and the day of Arafah, but they have not said anything separately about fasting on the 15th of Shahan. All that they have said is that it is meritorious to fast on any day in the month of Sha'ban. If anyone observes fast on this day from this angle of vision he will be entitled to reward. Except for this, no other day has any importance.

Is baby vomit impure?

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/8446

What is the Islamic ruling on the vomit of babies? Do the cloths become impure with it?

ANSWER

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Vomit, including baby vomit is considered impure (Najis) when it is mouthful. Mouthful will be defined as that which the mouth of the person vomiting can not hold except with difficulty. Therefore, if the baby vomits and it is mouthful for the baby, then this vomit will be considered as impure.

If this vomit gets on to the body or cloths and it is to the amount of a Dirham (equivalent to about 4 or 5 grams of solid filth and around 5 cm in diameter), then the body and cloths will become impure. One must purify the area before performing Salat.

If it is less than the amount of a Dirham, then one is excused. However, it is recommended to remove it before one prays. (See: Fatawa Mahmudiyya, V: 17, P: 30 & Radd al-Muhtar of Ibn Abidin, 1/137)

And Allah Knows Best

[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK

http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2011/07/08/is-baby-vomit-impure/

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Is baby vomit considered najasah, if they are only taking milk and no real food, can i pray in the clothes they spit up on?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam,

1. Vomit, including baby vomit, is only considered filthy if it is more than a mouthful, with a mouthful being defined as that which the mouth (of the one vomiting) would not be able to hold in without undue difficulty.

Imam `Ala’ al-Din al-Haskafi stated in his Durr al-Mukhtar Sharh Tanwir al-Absar, the most important commentary in Hanafi fiqh for relied upon rulings and all the conditions and details related to them, and amazing in its conciseness:

(And) it is nullified (by vomit that fills the mouth) such that it could only be kept in with difficulty.

This was confirmed by Ibn Abidin in his Radd al-Muhtar, where he cited several authorities who chose this definition.

2. If the baby vomits more than a mouthful, and it gets on the clothes, note that a small amount of it is excused for the purposes of prayer. It is recommended, whenever reasonably possible to remove such an amount before one prays, but if one does not remove it the prayer is still valid. It is neither blameworthy nor sinful not to remove a small amount of filth before prayer, though one would have left that which is best. This is a great dispensation for many, especially mothers with small children.

The amount excused is the equivalent of about 4 or 5 grams of solid filth, or the extent of the area of the inner palm (around 5 cm in diameter) for liquid filth. Note that it is not needed to measure this; one’s judgment is enough. Eventually, of course, one needs to remove the filth, so it does not spread…

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani