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:

dear mr. Burhan

assalamo alaikum

thank you so much for all your questions & answers. your answers are in detail, satisfactory and convincing, it clears our doubt. and we gain so much true knowledge. may Allah reward you for this noble deeds and give you success.

mr. burhan, i would like to ask you ,some of my questions are ignored, in the last few years. why are they not answered? what is the reason. are the questions not appropriate? i have been in touch since your forum started.

could you pls. let me know regarding sajdah sahu: i went to mosque to pray the isha & taraweeq in a separate room for the ladies. instead of tasleem by mistake the imam stood up, (we could hear in the ladies` room as he said Allahu akbar) then he realised and he made 2 extra sajdahs. ( but we all ladies didnot get up, we were sitting for taslim) my question to you is do we have to follow the imam and do the sajdah sahu, as none of us did. and i went for the first time so i dont have any clue. so pls. explain in detail with reference to this. i will appreciate.

if a lady is in her menses, i know she has to fast for the missed days, after ramadan, but during menses can she be like a fasting person, i mean without eating & drinking, she gets up for suhoor and makes iftar with others, my question is: is it compulsory to eat or drink while you are in period or one can pretend that the person is fasting?

i have joined the classes for tajweed and translation, when a lady is in period what did she do? as she has to recite the quran and learn at home also. is this allowed during menses?

thanks a lot

a sister

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Answer:

Sajdah sahu correction

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.  If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause.  We 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.

Your Question: mr. burhan, i would like to ask you ,some of my questions are ignored, in the last few years. why are they not answered? what is the reason. are the questions not appropriate? i have been in touch since your forum started.

Dear and Beloved Sister in Islam, may Allah Subhanah bless and increase your quest for seeking and studying more of this Knowledge of Truth.  Beloved Sister, it is our earnest endeavor to try and address every single question we receive on our forum; but as much as we try, at times we are overwhelmed with so many questions from our beloved brothers and sisters, we find it beyond our capacity to respond to every question on time.  We sincerely seek your forgiveness and the forgiveness of Allah Subhanah for our shortcomings, and humbly seek your understanding towards our limitations. 

Dear and Beloved Sister, Islam is a deen where no question on any subject of life is considered inappropriate or insignificant; for it is indeed a complete and perfect way of life.  We do admit that sometimes preference is indeed given to questions regarding aqeedah, tawheed, shirk, major sins, repentance, etc. as compared to questions of Jurisprudence where one may need clarification of how to hold hands in one’s prayers, or whether or not it is permissible to say the ‘Ameen’ aloud in prayers, etc. 

Dear and Beloved Sister, we do indeed appreciate your support for our humble efforts, and sincerely and humbly seek your forgiveness and understanding concerning our shortcomings and limitations. 

Your Question: could you pls. let me know regarding sajdah sahu: i went to mosque to pray the isha & taraweeq in a separate room for the ladies. instead of tasleem by mistake the imam stood up, (we could hear in the ladies` room as he said Allahu akbar) then he realised and he made 2 extra sajdahs. ( but we all ladies didnot get up, we were sitting for taslim) my question to you is do we have to follow the imam and do the sajdah sahu, as none of us did. and i went for the first time so i dont have any clue. so pls. explain in detail with reference to this. i will appreciate.

In the case of forgetting the first tashahud or one of the other sunnah acts of the prayer, Ibn Buhainah narrates that the Prophet (saws) stood after two rak'at in a four rakah obligatory prayer. The people tried to correct him but he (saws) continued.  When he (saws) finished his salah, he made two sujjud (of sahu) and made the taslim. This is related by Bukarhi and Muslim.  This hadith shows that one who forgets the first sitting (in an obligatory 3 or 4 rakah prayer), is reminded of it and he recalls it before he completely stands, should return and sit; but if he is already completely standing, he should not sit down. This is supported by what Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah recorded from al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, that the Prophet (saws) said: "If one of you stands after two rak'at (in a 3 or 4 rakah prayer) and he has not completely stood, then he should sit. If he is already completely standing, he should not sit and he should make two sujjud of forgetfulness (sajdah sahu)."

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.52a

It is obligatory to follow the imam and forbidden to precede him

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The imam is selected to be followed; therefore, do not differ with him.  When he makes the takbir, make the takbir, when he goes into ruku', make ruku'. When he says 'Allah hears him who praises Him,' say 'O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs the Praise.' When he goes into sajdah, make sajdah. If he prays sitting, then all should be sitting."

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

Anas reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "O people, I am your imam, so do not precede me in ruku' or in sujjud or in qiyam or in sitting or in finishing."

Related by Ahmad and Muslim .

If one is offering one’s prayer in congregation, it is obligatory to obey the ‘imam’ chosen to lead the prayer.  If the ‘imam’ forgets or makes a slight mistake in prayer, the men praying behind should indicate the mistake to the ‘imam’ by simply declaring ‘Subhan-Allah’.  If the error of the ‘imam’ is forgetting one of the absolutely obligatory rites of prayer (takbir, recitation of Surah Fateha, sajdah, final tashahud, etc.), he has to immediately correct his mistake; but if the error of the ‘imam’ is amongst the ‘Sunnah’ or voluntary rites of the prayer, he may continue the prayer and perform the two prostrations of ‘Sajdah Sahu’ at the end of the prayer.  Regardless of whatever error or mistake the ‘imam’ chosen to lead the prayer makes, it is obligatory upon the believers praying behind him to follow him in all of his actions. 

Your Question: my question to you is do we have to follow the imam and do the sajdah sahu, as none of us did.

If the ‘imam’ stood up for the third rakah of the obligatory four-rakah Isha prayers without reciting the small tashahud, or if he stood up for a third rakah after completing two rakahs of the voluntary ‘tarawih’ prayers, etc. he made an error in one amongst the ‘Sunnah’ acts of prayer.  The believers praying behind him must indicate the error of the ‘imam’ by simply declaring ‘Subhan-Allah’, and follow precisely what the ‘imam’ does; ie. stand up with him and offer the third and forth rakah behind the imam; and when the ‘imam’ performs the ‘sajdah sahu’ after the completion of the prayers, all the believers praying behind him should do the same.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.663         Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If the Imam leads the prayer correctly then he and you will (both) receive the (full) rewards, but if the imam makes a mistake (in the prayer) then you will receive the (full) reward for the prayer, and the sin will be his."

Your Question: is it compulsory to eat or drink while you are in period or one can pretend that the person is fasting?

The monthly courses of the women are a natural process, and in His Sublime Mercy at the condition of the women, the Lord Most Merciful has excused the women from performing their fasts during their days of menstruation, and make them up later. 

There is absolutely no obligation on the believing woman experiencing her menstruation to abstain from food and drink when she is not fasting.  But if for any reason the believing woman, of her own free will and wish, wishes to abstain from food and drink during the fast hours to pretend to her family that she is fasting, although there is absolutely no obligation on her to do so, it is her wish and she may do as she pleases.  

It may happen that a women lives in a mixed family with her in-laws, and because of her bashfulness she is ashamed to announce her days of menstruation which would be indicated by her eating and drinking during the fast hours.  Although there is absolutely no obligation upon her to abstain from food and drink, or to hide her menstruation from her friends or family, if the woman of her own free will and because of her extreme sense of bashfulness wishes to pretend she is fasting, it is absolutely her decision and there is no harm.  She is under absolutely no obligation to either pretend she is fasting, neither is she under any obligation to eat and drink in front of others. 

Your Question: i have joined the classes for tajweed and translation, when a lady is in period what did she do? as she has to recite the quran and learn at home also. is this allowed during menses?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 56 Surah Waqiah verses 77-80:

77      That this is indeed a Qur'an most honorable

78      In a Book well-guarded

79      Which none shall touch but those who are clean (and pure):

80      A Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.

There is absolutely no harm or restriction if the women in menstruation recites or studies the Glorious Quran from memory during her days of menstruation; but the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that she should not physically touch the Quran during these days.

If the woman is studying or memorizing the Glorious Quran, and fears that she might forget if it not rehearsed, or is a Quranic teacher and needs to teach, etc.;  under these special circumstances the scholars are of the opinion that there is no harm if the woman in her menstrual period, touches the Quran, but she must wear gloves while doing so.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan