PRAYER
The Times of Prayer Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi, the mawla [1] of Abdullah ibn Umar, that Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to the governors, saying, "The most important of your affairs in my view is the prayer. Whoever protects it and observes it carefully is protecting his deen [2], while whoever is negligent about it will be even more negligent about other things." Then he added, "Pray Dhuhr [3] any time from when the afternoon shade is the length of your forearm until the length of your shadow matches your height. Pray Asr [4] when the sun is still pure white, so that a rider can travel two or three farsakhs [5]before the sun sets. Pray Maghrib [6] when the sun has set. Pray Isha [7] any time from when the redness in the western sky has disappeared until a third of the night has passed -- and a person who sleeps, may he have no rest. And pray Subh [8] when all the stars are visible and like a haze in the sky." *** Yahya related to me from Malik that Zayd ibn Aslam said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped for a rest one night on the way to Mecca and appointed Bilal to wake them up for the prayer. Bilal slept and everyone else slept and none of them woke up until the sun had risen. When they did wake up they were all alarmed. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to ride out of the valley, saying that there was a shaytan [9] in it. So the rode out of the valley and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to dismount and do wudu and he told Bilal either to call the prayer or to give the iqama [10]. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then led them in prayer. Noticing their uneasiness, he went to them and said, 'O people! Allah seized our spirits and if He had wished He would have returned them to us at a time other than this. So if you sleep through the time for a prayer or forget it and then are anxious about it, pray as if you were praying in its time.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned to Abu Bakr [11] and said, 'Shaytan came to Bilal when he was standing in prayer and made him lie down and lulled him to sleep like a small boy.' The Messenger of Allah may, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then called Bilal and told im the same as he had told Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr declared, 'I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.'" How to Do Wudu Yahya related to me from Malik from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini that his father once asked Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Asim, who was the grandfather of Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini and one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did wudu [12]. Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Asim agreed to do so and asked for water for wudu. He poured some out on to his hands and washed each hand twice and then rinsed his mouth and snuffed water up his nose and blew it out three times. Then he washed his face three times and both of his arms up to the elbows twice. He then wiped his head with both hands, taking his hands from his forehead to the nape of his neck and then bringing them back to where he had begun. Then he washed his feet. *** Yahya said that Malik was asked what a man should do if, when he did wudu, he forgot and washed his face before he had rinsed his mouth, or washed his forearms before he had washed his face. He said, "If someone washes his face before rinsing his mouth , he should rinse his mouth and not wash his face again. If someone washes his forearms before his face, however, he should wash his forearms again so he has washed them after his face. This is if he is still near the place of wudu." Yahya said that Malik was asked about what a man should do if he does not remember that he has not rinsed his mouth and nose until after he has prayed. He said, "He does not have to repeat the prayer, but should rinse his mouth and nose if he wishes to do any more prayers after that." *** Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say that men and their wives used to do wudu together in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Tayammum [13] Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that Aisha [14], Umm al-Muminin, said, "We went out on a journey with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and, when we came to Bayda or Dhat al-Jaysh, a necklace of mine broke. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped to look for it and the people stopped with him. There was no water nearby and the people were not carrying any with them, so they came to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and said, 'Don't you see what Aisha has done? She has made the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the people stop when there is no water nearby and they are not carrying any with them.'" Aisha continued, "Abu Bakr came and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had fallen asleep with his head on my thigh. Abu Bakr said, 'You have made the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the people stop when there is no water nearby and they are not carrying any with them.'" She continued, "Abu Bakr remonstrated with me and said whatever Allah willed him to say, and began to poke me in the waist. The only thing that stopped me from moving was that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had his head on my thigh. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, slept until morning found him with no water. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent down the ayat [15] of tayammum and so they did tayammum. Usayd ibn Hudayr said 'This is not the first baraka [16] from you, O family of Abu Bakr.'" Aisha added, "We roused the camel I had been on and found the necklace under it.'" Malik was asked whether someone who did tayammum for one prayer should do tayammum when the time of the next prayer came or whether the first tayammum was enough, He said, "No, he does tayammum for every prayer, because he has to look for water for every prayer. If he looks for it and does not find it then he does tauammum." Malik was asked whether a man who did tayammum could lead others in prayer if they were in wudu. He said, "I prefer that someone else should lead them. However, I see no farm in it if he does lead them in prayer." Yahya said that Malik said that a man who did tayammum because he could not find any water, and then stood and said the takbir and entered into the prayer, and then someone came with some water, did not stop his prayer but completed it with tayammum and did wudu for future prayers. Yahya said that Malik said, "Whoever rises for prayer and does not find water and so does what Allah has ordered him to do of tayammum has obeyed Allah. Someone who does find water is neither purer than him nor more perfect in prayer, because both have been commanded and each does as Allah has commanded. What Allah has commanded as far as wudu is concerned is for the one who finds water, and tayammum is for the one who does not find water before he enters into the prayer." Prayer in General Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ata ibn Yazid al-Laythi that Ubaydullah ibn Adi ibn al-Khiyar said, "Once when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting with some people, a man came to him and spoke secretly to him . Nobody knew what he had said until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, disclosed that he had asked for permission to kill one of the hypocrites. When he disclosed this, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Doesn't he testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?' the man replied, 'Of course, but he hasn't really done so.' He said, 'Doesn't he do the prayer?' and the man replied, 'Of course, but he doesn't really do the prayer.' He said, 'may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Those are the ones whom Allah has forbidden me (to kill).'" ZAKAT [17]
Things Subject to Zakat Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Sasaa al-Ansari from al-Mazini from his father from Abu Said al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There is no zakat on less than five awsaq [18] of dates, there is no zakat on less than five awsaq of silver and there is no zakat on less than five camels." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz wrote to his governor in Damascus about zakat saying, "Zakat is paid on the produce of cultivated land, on gold and silver, and on livestock." Malik said, "Zakat is only paid on twenty dinars (of gold coin) in the same way as it has to be paid on two hundred dirhams (of silver)." *** Malik said, "What we agreed upon (here in Medina) regarding income from hiring out slaves, rent and property, and the instalments received when a slave buys his freedom, is that no zakat is due on any of it, whether great or small, from the day the owner takes possession of it until a year has elapsed over it from the day when the owner takes possession of it." Non-Zakatable Fruits, Animal Fodder and Vegetables Malik said, "The sunna that we are all agreed upon here (in Medina) and which I have heard from the people of knowledge, is that there is no zakat on any kind of fresh (soft) fruit, whether it be pomegranates, peaches, figs, or anything that is like them or not like them as long as it is fruit." He continued, "No zakat has to be paid on animal fodder or herbs and vegetables of any kind, and there is no zakat to pay on the price realized on their sale until a year has elapsed over it from the day of sale when the seller receives the sum, as long as it reaches the nisab." [19] Zakat on Slaves and Horses Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Umar from Sulayman ibn Yasar from Irak ibn Malik from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A Muslim does not have to pay any zakat on his slave or his horse." FASTING
Kaffara (Making Amends) for Breaking the Fast in Ramadan [20] Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Hunayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf from Abu Hurayra that a man broke the fast in Ramadan and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered him to make kaffara by freeing a slave, or fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people, and he said, "I can't do it." Someone brought a large basket of dates to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "Take this and give it away as sadaqa." [21] He said, "Messenger of Allah, there is no-one more needy than I am." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laughed until his eyeteeth appeared and then said, "Eat them." The Fidya (Compensation) for Breaking the Fast in Ramadan from Weakness Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Anas ibn Malik used to pay fidya when he had grown old and was no longer able to fast. Malik said, "I do not consider that to do so is obligatory, but what I like most is that a man does the fast when he is strong enough. Whoever pays compensation gives one mudd [22] of food in place of every day, using the mudd of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Umar was asked about what a pregnant woman should do if the fast became difficult for her and she feared for her child, and he said, "She should break the fast and feed a poor man one mudd of wheat in place of every day missed, using the of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Malik said, "The people of knowledge consider that she has to make up for each day of the fast that she misses as Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, says, 'And whoever of you is sick or on a journey should fast an equal number of other days,' and they consider this pregnancy as a sickness, in addition to her fear for her child." The Fast in General Yahya related to me from Malik from Abuz-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "By the One in Whose hand my self is, the smell of the breath of a man fasting is better with Allah than the scent of musk. Allah says, 'He leaves his desires and his food and drink for My sake. Fasting is for Me and I reward it. Every good action is rewarded by ten times its kind, up to seven hundred times, except fasting, which is for Me, and I reward it.'" [23] HAJJ
Clothes Forbidden in Ihram [24] Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that a man once asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, what clothes someone in ihram could wear, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not wear shirts, turbans, trousers, burnouses, or leather socks except if you cannot find sandals. In that case you can wear leather coks, but cut them off below the ankles. Do not wear any clothes that have been touched by saffron or yellow dye." Veiling the Face in Ihram Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say that a woman in ihram should wear neither a veil nor gloves. Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that Fatima bint al-Mundhir said, "We used to veil our faces we were in ihram in the company of Asma bint Abi Bakr as-Siddiq." Wearing Perfume during Hajj Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I perfumed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for his ihram before he entered ihram, and when he came out of ihram before he did tawaf of the House." [25] *** Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Aslam, the mawla of Umar ibn al-Khattab, that Umar ibn al-Khattab noticed the smell of perfume while he was at ash-Shajara, and he asked, "Who is this smell of perfume coming from?" Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan answered, "From me, Amir al-Muminin." Umar said, "From you? By the life of Allah!" Muawiya explained, "Umm Habiba perfumed me, Amir al-Muminin." Umar then said, "You must go back and wash it off." Things that someone in Ihram Is Allowed to Do Yahya related to me from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi from Rabia ibn Abr Abdullah ibn al-Hudayr that he saw Umar ibn al-Khattab taking the ticks off a camel of his at as-Suqya while he was in ihram. Malik said that he disapproved of that. Yahya related to me from Malik from Alqama ibn Abi Alqama that his mother said, "I heard Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being asked whether someone in ihram could scratch their body or not, and she said, "Yes, he can scratch it and do so as hard as he pleases. I would scratch even if my hands were tied and I could only use my feet." *** Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Maryam once asked Said ibn al-Musayyab about (what to do with) one of his nails that had broken while he was in ihram and Said said, "Cut it off." [26] Malik was asked whether someone in ihram who had an ear complaint could use medicinal oil which was not perfumed for dropping into his ears, and he said, "I do not see any harm in that, and ever if he were to put it into his mouth I still would not see any harm in it." Malik said that there was no harm in someone in ihram lancing an abscess that he had, or a boil, or cutting a vein, if he needed to do so. Doing Hajj for Somebody Else Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Sulayman ibn Yasar that Abdullah ibn Abbas said, "Al-Fadl ibn Abbas was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a woman from the Khathama tribe came to him to ask him for a fatwa. [27] Al-Fadl began to look at her, and she hat him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned Fadl's face away to the other side. The woman said, 'Messenger of Allah, Allah's making the hajj obligatory finds my father a very old man, unable to stay firm on his riding-beast. Can I do hajj for him?', and he said, 'Yes.' This was during the Farewell Hajj." [28] |
Notes:
1. A freed slave. 2. The contract between Allah and His believers. 3. The noon prayer. 4. The afternoon prayer. 5. One farsakh is about three miles. 6. Maghrib means "the West," or the direction in which the sun sets. It is the prayer just after sunset. 7. The evening or night prayer. 8. The morning prayer, which is offered between false dawn (first light) and sunrise. 9. A satan, or devil. 10. The call announcing that prayer is about to begin. 11. Muhammad's close friend and Islam's first caliph (r. 632-634). 12. Ritual purification before prayer with water. 13. Purification before prayer with clean earth or stone, if water is not available or is polluted and detrimental to health. 14. The third and favorite wife of Muhammad, she was born ca. 614 and was married in 623 or 624. 15. A sign or revelation. 16. A beneficial or spiritual energy that flows from a person, place, or thing. 17. Two and one-half percent of a Muslim's income that is annually given for charity and support of the umma. 18. An awsaq equaled 124 grams of silver. 19. The minimum amount of wealth subject to zakat. 20. The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims must abstain from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset. 21. A gift given in the name of Allah. 22. A measure of volume, approximately one double-handled scoop. 23. Its rewards are unlimited. 24. The state of consecration of a pilgrim on hajj; its external signs include ritual cleansing of the hair and body, wearing a special garment, and restrictions on behavior. 25. The circumambulation (walking around) of the Kaaba (also known as the House of God) at the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. On two separate occasions pilgrims walk around it seven times in a counterclockwise manner. Aisha refers to the second time. 26. Normally the pilgrim cannot cut hair or nails while in ihram. 27. An authoritative legal opinion. 28. The Prophet's last hajj, at which he gave a farewell sermon. |
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Questions to consider
a. According to this lawbook, what above all else identifies a person as a Muslim?
b. What is the difference between wudu and tayammum?
c. Why is wudu important to Muslims?
d. What is the goal of zakat?
e. What is expected of a person during Ramadan? What happens if they cannot fulfill that expectation?
f. Describe as many details you can of the hajj.
g. What is a fatwa?
h. What is so special about the Five Pillars of Islam? What do they collectively tell us about the religion and its ideals?
i. "Sharia law exists to aid imperfect people in becoming holy." Comment on this statement in light of this source. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
j. "Sharia law demands nothing impossible or unreasonable." Comment on this statement in light of this source. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
k. Why do you think this work is known as The Smoothed Path?
b. What is the difference between wudu and tayammum?
c. Why is wudu important to Muslims?
d. What is the goal of zakat?
e. What is expected of a person during Ramadan? What happens if they cannot fulfill that expectation?
f. Describe as many details you can of the hajj.
g. What is a fatwa?
h. What is so special about the Five Pillars of Islam? What do they collectively tell us about the religion and its ideals?
i. "Sharia law exists to aid imperfect people in becoming holy." Comment on this statement in light of this source. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
j. "Sharia law demands nothing impossible or unreasonable." Comment on this statement in light of this source. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
k. Why do you think this work is known as The Smoothed Path?