Mu'meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear brother May Allah give you long and healthy life to continue the

honourable job you giving the muslim Ummah.Brother please answer these

questions jazak Allah.

1-Is there salatul haajat if not how to convince people that it is a biddah?

same for salatul shukhrana?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Salaat haajat and shukrana

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. We humbly hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

The Criterion for declaring an act a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) or a ‘bidah’ (innovation in the deen), is to determine whether:

the act was done by the Messenger of Allah (saws),

or was it recommended by the Messenger of Allah (saws),

or was it practiced by the noble companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) in front of him, and he (saws) did not object to it.

If the act conforms to even one of the above three criterias, then it will be considered a Sunnah; and if the act does not conform to any of the above three criterias, then it will be deemed a ‘bida’ or an innovation in the deen.

If one studies the traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) there is absolutely no mention of the Salaat-e-Haajat or the Salaat-e-Shukrana! Thus it does not behove the believers to give names to a particular prayer, or perform the prayer at a particular time and invent or innovate their own names for these prayers! No one who ever walked on this planet earth worshipped Allah Subhanah in a better or more perfect manner than the noble self of the Last Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws). If the Messenger of Allah (saws) performed or recommended any act of worship, the believers should do it without hesitation; and if the Messenger of Allah (saws) neither did, nor recommended the specific act of worship, it does not behove the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, to start inventing their own forms, rituals, and names of worship in the deen of Islam.

If one wishes to do a good deed before submitting his supplication to Allah Subhanah, there is absolutely no harm if he gives sadaqa, or performs a prayer, or does any other good deed; but he should abstain from making this act of worship a ritual, or inventing a name for this act, etc. That would be considered as starting an innovation or bida in the deen of Islam.

Similarly if one has blessed with some good or bounty from his Merciful Lord, and he wishes to show his gratitude by giving sadaqa, or offering nafl prayers, or doing any good deed, there is absolutely no harm. But it would be wrong to make it a ritual, and/or to give his self-invented ritual a name, etc. That would be considered starting or following an innovation in the deen of Islam.

It has been reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “Whoever introduces a ‘bida’ (innovation) in this deen brought by me (saws), it will be rejected.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan