Fasting on Fridays (Ahadith 1700 – 1702)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 31, Number 205:

Narrated Muhammad bin ‘Abbas:

I asked Jabir (radiallaahu `anhu) “Did the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) forbid fasting on Fridays?” He replied, “Yes.” (Other narrators added, “If he intends to fast only that day.”)

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Volume 3, Book 31, Number 206:

Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu):

I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saying, “None of you should fast on Friday unless he fasts a day before or after it.”

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Volume 3, Book 31, Number 207:

Narrated Abu Aiyub (radiallaahu `anhu) from Juwairiya bint Al-Harith (radiallaahu `anhaa):

The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) visited her (Juwairiya) on a Friday and she was fasting. He asked her, “Did you fast yesterday?” She said, “No.” He said, “Do you intend to fast tomorrow?” She said, “No.” He said, “Then break your fast.” Through another series of narrators, Abu Aiyub (radiallaahu `anhu) is reported to have said, “He ordered her and she broke her fast.”

Ibn Qudaamah said:

It is makrooh to single out the day of Friday for fasting, unless that coincides with a fast which one usually observes, such as a person who fasts alternate days, and a day that he fasts coincides with Friday, or a person who has the habit of fasting on the first or last day of the month, or the middle day of the month.
(al-Mughni, vol. 3, p. 53)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

As for Friday, it is not Sunnah to fast on this day, and it is makrooh to single it out for fasting.
(See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, vol. 6, p. 465)

Excluded from this prohibition is one who fasts the day before or after, or if it coincides with days that he habitually fasts, such as one who fasts al-Ayyaam al-Beed (the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th of each hijri month), or who has the habit of fasting a specific day such as the Day of ‘Arafat, and it coincides with a Friday. From this it may be understood that it is permissible for a person who has vowed to fast on the day when so and so returns, for example, or the day when So and so recovers from sickness, to observe that fast if that day happens to be a Friday. (See Fath al-Baari by Ibn Hajar).

The same applies to one who has fasts to make up from Ramadaan. “It is permissible for a Muslim to fast on a Friday to make up a day from Ramadaan, even if he fasts the Friday on its own.” (Fatwa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, vol. 10, p. 347)

Similarly, if ‘Ashoora’ or Arafaat coincides with a Friday, he may fast, because his intention is to fast ‘Ashoora’ or ‘Arafaat, not to fast on a Friday. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

[Taken from IslamQA]

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Du`a for Rain: Misc. (Ahadith 824 – 833)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Hadith no. 822 and 823 are repeats. Read them here and here.

Volume 2, Book 17, Number 824:

Narrated Sharik bin ‘Abdullah bin Abi Namir:

I heard Anas bin Malik saying, “On a Friday a person entered the main Mosque through the gate facing the pulpit while Allah’s Apostle was delivering the Khutba. The man stood in front of Allah’s Apostle and said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.’ ” Anas added, “Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) raised both his hands and said, ‘O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!’ ” Anas added, “By Allah, we could not see any trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the mountains of) Sila.” Anas added, “A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Sila’ Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained.” Anas further said, “By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person entered through the same gate and at that time Allah’s Apostle was delivering the Friday’s Khutba. The man stood in front of him and said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to with-hold rain.’ ” Anas added, “Allah’s Apostle I raised both his hands and said, ‘O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.’ So the rain stopped and we came out walking in the sun.” Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know.

Hadith no. 825 is same as above.

Dua for Rain

Volume 2, Book 17, Number 826:

Narrated Qatada:

Anas I said, “While Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) was delivering the Friday Khutba (sermon) a man came and said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Rain is scarce; please ask Allah to bless us with rain.’ So he invoked Allah for it, and it rained so much that we could hardly reach our homes and it continued raining till the next Friday.” Anas further said, “Then the same or some other person stood up and said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Invoke Allah to withhold the rain.’ On that, Allah’s Apostle I said, ‘O Allah! Round about us and not on us.’ ” Anas added, “I saw the clouds dispersing right and left and it continued to rain but not over Medina.”

Volume 2, Book 17, Number 827:

Narrated Anas:

A man came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and said, “Livestock are destroyed and the roads are cut off.” So Allah’s Apostle invoked Allah for rain and it rained from that Friday till the next Friday. The same person came again and said, “Houses have collapsed, roads are cut off, and the livestock are destroyed. Please pray to Allah to withhold the rain.” Allah’s Apostle (stood up and) said, “O Allah! (Let it rain) on the plateaus, on the hills, in the valleys and over the places where trees grow.” So the clouds cleared away from Medina as clothes are taken off.

Hadith no. 828 is the same as above.

Volume 2, Book 17, Number 829:

Narrated Anas bin Malik

A man complained to the Prophet about the destruction of livestock and property and the hunger of the offspring. So he invoked (Allah for rain. The narrator (Anas) did not mention that the Prophet had worn his cloak inside out or faced the Qibla.

Hadith no. 830 is the same is 827.

Hadith no. 831 is a repeat. Read it here.

Volume 2, Book 17, Number 833:

Narrated Anas:

Allah’s Apostle was delivering the Khutba (sermon) on a Friday when the people stood up, shouted and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! There is no rain (drought), the trees have dried and the livestock are destroyed; Please pray to Allah for rain.” So Allah’s Apostle said twice, “O Allah! Bless us with rain.” By Allah, there was no trace of cloud in the sky and suddenly the sky became overcast with clouds and it started raining. The Prophet came down the pulpit and offered the prayer. When he came back from the prayer (to his house) it was raining and it rained continuously till the next Friday. When the Prophet started delivering the Friday Khutba (sermon), the people started shouting and said to him, “The houses have collapsed and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah to withhold the rain.” So the Prophet smiled and said, “O Allah! Round about us and not on us.” So the sky became clear over Medina but it kept on raining over the outskirts (of Medina) and not a single drop of rain fell over Median. I looked towards the sky which was as bright and clear as a crown.

What do we learn from the Ahadith mentioned above?

1. Drought is a form of punishment that Allah (SWT) inflicts upon the disbelievers or the ungrateful.
2. Istisqaa’ (the two rak`ah-prayer and du`a) can be offered in a mosque.
3. Imaam/Khateeb can pray for rain during the Friday sermon (without offering the two rak`aat beforehand).
4. One may pray for rain facing a direction other than the qiblah.
5. One may invoke Allah for rain on the pulpit.
6. If it rains too much, it is Sunnah to ask Allah to stop the rain or take the clouds somewhere else.
   The words: “around us and not on us”.
   اللهم حوالينا ولا علينا
7. If people request the Imaam to invoke Allah for rain, the Imaam should not refuse.
   Read more here.

Wassalam.

Afternoon Nap on Friday (Ahadith 758 – 761)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Last post from Kitaab-ul-Jumu`ah [Book of Friday]. Alhamdulillah.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 758:

Narrated Sahl bin Sad:

There was a woman amongst us who had a farm and she used to sow Silq (a kind of vegetable) on the edges of streams in her farm. On Fridays she used to pull out the Silq from its roots and put the roots in a utensil. Then she would put a handful of powdered barley over it and cook it. The roots of the Silq were a substitute for meat. After finishing the Jumua prayer we used to greet her and she would give us that food which we would eat with our hands, and because of that meal, we used to look forward to Friday.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 759:

Narrated Sahl:

As above with the addition: We never had an afternoon nap nor meals except after offering the Jumua prayer.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 760:

Narrated Anas:

We used to offer the Jumua prayer early and then have the afternoon nap.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 761:

Narrated Sahl:

We used to offer the Jumua prayer with the Prophet and then take the afternoon nap.

• Silq, the vegetable, is the beetroot (chiqandar).
• Companions used to go to the woman’s place every Friday, just to enjoy the meal. And they looked forward to Friday for this very reason. Haha. Food! :D
• They used to offer Jumu`ah, then eat and then take the afternoon nap.
  Actually, the afternoon nap is very good for one’s health. But there’s some things you should know about it. For example, napping for 20-30 minutes and falling asleep for 2-3 hours are two different things. :P
  And check this out. They say the best time to nap is between 1 PM – 3 PM = right after Jumu`ah/Dhuhr Salah. (y)
  See? Sunnah is cool.

Hehe. Loved this one!

 

Wassalam.

Two Rak`aat after Jumu`ah Salah (Hadith No 757)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 757:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Umar:

Allah’s Apostle used to pray two Rakat before the Zuhr prayer and two Rakat after it. He also used to pray two Rakat after the Maghrib prayer in his house, and two Rakat after the ‘Isha’ prayer. He never prayed after Jumua prayer till he departed (from the Mosque), and then he would pray two Rakat at home.

1. Don’t miss the Sunnah prayers:
   2 rak`aat before Fajr
   4 before Dhuhr, 2 after it
   2 after Jumu`ah
   4 (optional*) before `Asr
   2 after Maghrib
   2 after `Ishaa’
   It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays twelve rak’ahs during the night and day, a house will be built for him in Paradise: four before Zuhr and two after, two rak’ahs after Maghrib, two rak’ahs after ‘Isha’ and two rak’ahs before Fajr prayer.”

   Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 380; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6362.

2. Pray the Sunnah prayers at home (for men). Especially the 2 rak`aat after Jumu`ah. Prophet (SAW) never prayed after Jumu`ah till he departed from the Mosque. So make it a point.

*Prophet (SAW) sometimes prayed these rak`aat, and sometimes he didn’t. The other Sunnah prayers were offered regularly by him. He never missed them unless an exceptional situation came up.

Wassalam.

What Good is there in Distraction? (Hadith No. 756)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 756:

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:

While we were praying (Jumua Khutba & prayer) with the Prophet (p.b.u.h), some camels loaded with food arrived (from Sham). The people diverted their attention towards the camels (and left the mosque), and only twelve persons remained with the Prophet. So this verse was revealed: “But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave you standing.” (62.11)

وَإِذَا رَأَوْاْ تِجَـرَةً أَوْ لَهْواً انفَضُّواْ إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَآئِماً قُلْ مَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَـرَةِ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الرَزِقِينَ

But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, “What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers.” [Qur’an 62: 11]

To get some detail on this incident, read it in Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

Some important points:

• Companions were humans. They did commit mistakes and errors in their lives, NOT due to weakness in Iman, but general lack of training. This does not lower their rank or status in our eyes whatsoever because of Allah’s statement:
  Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Such people are the party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah who are successful. (Surat al-Mujadala,  22)
•  Whenever something went wrong, Prophet (SAW) corrected it, and/or Allah (SWT) sent down revelation regarding it. All such incidents have been recorded in the books of Ahadith and history. It’s a blessing for us, because we can derive great benefit from them. We must learn from these incidents, teach others and make sure not to repeat those mistakes again.
• We must never come to any conclusions before knowing the background or both sides of the coin, to be more precise.
• When in a halaqah of Quran/Hadith/knowledge, NEVER be distracted. It is Shaytaan who wants to distracts you and does not want any good to come to you. No matter what comes up, the knowledge you’re gaining in that halqah is far more better and way more important than any worldly thing. So FOCUS!
• Generalize this rule: focus on what you’re doing. What good is there in distraction after all?
• Trust Allah when He says this:
  “What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers.“
• Obey Allah. Follow the Sunnah. Be cool.

Be cool! B)

Wassalam.