Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

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

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaam brother.Please answer my some of the Ques. asap.

1.Can the missed morning(fajr) prayer be prayed in the Zuhr time provided if it is prayed before the Zuhr prayer? And in case if prayed during Maghrib time, then should one pray first the missed fajr prayer then the zuhr and asr (even one has already prayed at the right time) and then the Maghrib prayer? If the fajr prayer time is 5 am then till what time is it ada? At 7 am it is almost bright, so does that mean the sun is rising?And should one avoid praying at that time ?Please answer this soon, as I’m not able to catch my prayers on time.

2.Please let me know how and when Hadrat Ali (r.a) died?

3.“While performing the ghusl Prophet Mohammed washed his head three times”said Aishah(r.a). Then how you said that one time pouring of water is enough.?

4 What are jinns?

5. Miladun Nabwi is celeberated all over the muslim countries.i.e in a form of a holiday.Is this not against the Sunnah?  

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Answer:

Various Questions

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.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 103:Indeed, the salaat is a prescribed duty that should be performed at the appointed times by the believers.

Al-Muwatta Hadith

Hadith 1.9

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ziyad that Abdullah ibn Rafi, the mawla of Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet (saws) asked Abu Hurayra about the time of the prayer. Abu Hurayra said, "Let me tell you. Pray dhuhr when the length of your shadow matches your height, asr when your shadow is twice your height, maghrib when the sun has set, isha in the first third of the night, and subh in the very first light of dawn," i.e. when the dawn has definitely come.

It is reported in an authentic narration that Hadrat Jibrael himself taught the time and the way to perform the salaah to the Prophet (saws). On the first day, Hadrat Jibrael came and led the Prophet (saws) at the beginning times of each prayer; and on the next day he led the Prophet (saws) at the end times of each prayer. And then Hadrat Jibrael told the Prophet (saws), that the prayers should be performed between these two times. But on both these days, Hadrat Jibrael led the Magrib prayers at the same time, which is immediately after the setting of the sun.

The prayer times are as follows:

Zohr: The time for zohr prayers starts immediately after ‘zawaal’ (when the sun moves in the west direction after the mid-day point). And zohr ends when the shadow of any object is twice the length of the object.

Asr: When the zohr ends, that is the beginning of Asr time, and Asr lasts till the sun begins to set.

Magrib: Starts immediately after the sun has set and lasts till the red-line disappears from the sky and it is dark.

Isha: Starts when the red-line from the horizon disappears and becomes dark. There are two opinion when Isha ends: One is uptil mid-night, and the other opinion is that Isha time ends before the advent of fajr time.

Fajr: Starts when the light of the sun is visible from the east and lasts until just before the sun is seen rising.

If the prayer is prayed between the two bands of beginning and end, it will be considered ‘ada’ prayers. But the Prophet (saws) said it is preferable to perform the prayers at the beginning time, and he himself led the believers in all the prayers at the beginning times in congregation.

Your question: Can the missed morning(fajr) prayer be prayed in the Zuhr time provided if it is prayed before the Zuhr prayer?

If for some genuine reason, one has missed his ‘fajr’ prayers, he should pray it as soon as he wakes up or remembers that he has missed his prayers. One should not wait for the zuhr time, but rather pray it as soon as he remembers that he has missed his prayers.

Your question: And in case if prayed during Maghrib time, then should one pray first the missed fajr prayer then the zuhr and asr (even one has already prayed at the right time) and then the Maghrib prayer?

It is preferred that if one, for some reason, misses a number of his prayers, he should pray the salaat in succession or chronology of the prayers. Thus if one has missed his fajr, zuhr and asr prayers and remembers it at magrib time…. He should first pray the fajr, then the zuhr, then the asr, and then the magrib prayers. Unless of course, if the believer is praying magrib in congregation; then he should pray the magrib (or whichever prayer is being prayed in congregation) and then pray his missed prayers in succession.

But if one has missed only his fajr prayers, but has prayed zuhr and asr on time; and realizes that he has missed his fajr prayers at Magrib; he should pray the fajr prayers first and then the Magrib prayers. Unless, one is praying Magrib (or any prayer) in congregation; then he should pray the prayer that is being prayed in congregation and then pray his fajr prayers.

Your question: If the fajr prayer time is 5 am then till what time is it ada?

The fajr prayer time is valid from the time of dawn until just before the sun is seen actually rising from the horizon. Thus if the fajr prayer time is 05:00 am in a particular place, the fajr time is valid approximately about an hour or hour and a half, after that time. When one sees the sun is about to rise from the eastern horizon, the time of fajr has come to an end.

Your question: At 7 am it is almost bright, so does that mean the sun is rising?

If the stated time of fajr is 05:00 am, chances are the sun has risen by 07:00am! The fajr prayer time is valid just before the sun is seen rising from the eastern horizon. As soon as one can actually see the first sign of the sun itself on the eastern horizon, the time of fajr is over.

Your question: And should one avoid praying at that time ?

The times when it is forbidden to pray is when the sun is actually rising till it has completely risen, at exact mid-day, and when the sun is actually setting till it has completely set.

But if the sun has completely risen and is visible in its entirety in the sky, one may pray the missed fajr prayers. Only when the sun is in the process of rising in the mornings, or at its zenith at mid-day, and when it is actually setting in the evenings; it is forbidden to pray any salaat at these precise times.

Your question: Please let me know how and when Hadrat Ali (r.a) died?

Ameer-ul-Mumineen, Hadrat Imam Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) was martyred in the mosque in Kufa by a stroke of the poisonous sword struck on his neck when the Imam was in his prostration while praying. This evil act was done by the Kharijite Abdal-Rahmaan ibn Muljim.

Following the battle of Nahrwan, the Khawarij had gone into hiding. Disgusted with the endless civil wars, they opposed the Khilaafah of Ameer ul Mumineen, Hadrat Imam Ali (r.a.), as much as they opposed Muawiyah; and they continued to work against them. To bring this state of affairs to an end, they devised a plan in which they would capitalize upon the differences between the muslims regarding Hadrat Imam Ali and Muawiya. They also wanted to do away with Amr ibn Al-Aaas, who they considered a chief planner for Muawiya. They decided, therefore, to assassinate all three of them on the same day.

Three persons amongst the Khawarij were appointed to assassinate Imam Ali (r.a.), Muawiya, and Amr ibn Al-Aaas; namely, Abdal Rahmaan ibn Muljim, Bakr ibn Abd-Allah, and Amr ibn Bakr respectively. The mission was to be accomplished in the early hours of the 17^th of Ramadan in the year 40 Hijri.

After the dawn prayers on the 17^th Ramadan, the three appointed Khawarij assasins struck the three targets. Muawaiyah escaped with a minor wound; Amr ibn Al-Aaas did not turn up for his dawn prayers that day because he was ill; but Ameer ul Mumineen Hadrat Imam Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) was mortally wounded with the poisonous sword of Ibn Muljim, and in the evening of the 20^th of Ramadan, he (r.a.) was martyred from this fatal wound.

Hadrat Imam Ali was sixty three years old at the time of his martyrdom, and he had reigned as the Ameer-ul-Mumineen for four years and nine months.

May Allah Subhanah reward and honor Imam Ali (r.a.) with the highest position in Paradise, and take full compensation and accounting from his murderer, Abdal Rahmaan ibn Muljim.

Your question: While performing the ghusl Prophet Mohammed washed his head three times”said Aishah(r.a). Then how you said that one time pouring of water is enough.?

Yahya related 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 (saws), if he could show him how the Messenger of Allah (saws), did wudu. Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Asim agreed to do so and asked for water to do wudu. He poured some out on to his hand 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 hisforehead to the nape of his neck and then bringing them back to where he had begun. Then he washed his feet.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 2.69

Yahya related from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from A'isha, umm al-muminin, that whenever the Messenger of Allah (saw), did ghusl for major ritual impurity, he would begin by washing his hands, and then do wudu as for prayer. He would then put his fingers in the water and rub the roots of his hair with them. Then he would pour as much water as two hands can hold on to his head three times, and over the entire surface of his skin.

When one does wudu or ablution, it would suffice if one wipes his head once. But when one is doing ghusl, it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he used to wash his head three times.

Your question: What are jinns?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 15 Surah Hijr verses 26-27:We created man from dried clay of rotten earth; and before him We had created the Jinn from the flame of heat.

Like the human race, the Jinns are a creation of Allah. They are born, they die, and spend their lives similar to ours in a sphere of their own. They have their own sets of trials and tribulations, worries and happiness, pain and relief, obedience and dis-obedience to Allah, etc. like the human beings. They too have a ‘free will’ to choose between obedience and dis-obedience, right and wrong, Truth and falsehood; and they too will be gathered by Allah on the Day of Judgment to give a full accounting of their deeds.

They are a distinct creation from the human race, and the human beings and jinns have very little or no real interaction between each other.

Your question: Miladun Nabwi is celeberated all over the muslim countries.i.e in a form of a holiday.Is this not against the Sunnah?  

Whether Miladun Nabi is celebrated all over the world in all muslim countries or not; the Messenger of Allah (saws) did not celebrate his birthday, nor did any of his Rightly Guided Companions after him. This celebration is a ritual that was invented many years after the death of the Prophet (saws); and has absolutely no basis and authority in Islam.

Miladun Nabi is an innovation and ‘bida’, and the believers, who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, must abstain from celebrating it in any form or manner.

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.”

It has been reported by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.) 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.”

It has been reported by Jabir ibn Abdullah (r.a.) in another authentic narration 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 in Islam,

Burhan