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:

A/A Brother

Q1. I want to know Saying Lahilaha-Illallaho 3times after every namaz is permissable and whether it was practised by the prophet (saw)?

Q2. Are we as muslims suppose to say subhan-allah, alhumdulilahi 33 times and Allah-O-Akbar 34 times after every namaz?

Q3. Every time the Prophets (saw) name is mentioned are we suppose to kiss our thumbs and then touch our eyes with one`s thumbs? did the prophet (saw) encourage this act?

The Imam I know told me we do this to say his name is the coolness of our eyes, is this true?

Q4. I wanted to know if the duaa`s after the namaz are compulsory for one to read?

Q5. In Ishaa namaz are we suppose to read long surah`s or we can read any?

Q6. Do the surah`s have to be read in order of length and order in any namaz?

i.e. in the first rakah are we suppose to read a surah, which is longer and comes before the surah that will be read in the second rakah?

plz reply soon as possible

Thank you. 

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Answer:

Prayer issues

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.

Q-1: I want to know Saying Lahilaha-Illallaho 3times after every namaz is permissable and whether it was practised by the prophet (saw)?

To the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would declare the phrase of ‘Laa Ilaaha illalaah’ (There is no god but Allah) three times specifically after his prayers.

Beloved brother, this statement of Tauheed and faith ‘Laa Ilaaha illalaah’ is the back-bone and pivot of the deen of Islam and there is absolutely no harm if one wishes to declare this phrase as often and whenever one wills.

Q-2: Are we as muslims suppose to say subhan-allah, alhumdulilahi 33 times and Allah-O-Akbar 34 times after every namaz?

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1499 Narrated by AbuHurayrah

AbuDharr said: “O Prophet of Allah, the wealthy people have all the rewards; they pray as we pray; they fast as we fast; and they have surplus wealth which they give in charity; but we have no wealth which we may give in charity.” The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “O AbuDharr, should I not teach you phrases by which you acquire the rank of those who excel you? No one can acquire your rank except one who acts like you.” He (AbuDharr) said: “Why not, O Messenger of Allah (saws)?” The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Exalt Allah (say: Allah is Most Great) after each prayer thirty-three times; and Praise Him (say: Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; and Glorify Him (say: Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times, and end it by saying, "There is no god but Allah alone, there is no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due and He has power over everything". His sins will be forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea.”

In light of the above narration of the Prophet (saws) it is a preferred Sunnah for the believers to Exalt, Praise, and Glorify Allah Subhanah thirty-three times each after their obligatory prayers and end the tasbih with the phrase: ‘Laa ilaaha illalaaho wahdahu laa-shareeka lahu, lahul Mulk, wa lahul Hamd, wa Howa ala kulle shayyin Qadeer.’ (There is no god but Allah alone, there is no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due and He has power over everything".)

The above tasbih is a Sunnah and thus voluntary; if one does this tasbih after his/her obligatory prayers he/she will be following and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, and they will earn a huge reward from the Lord Most Gracious. If one does not do so for any reason, there is no sin upon them; the absolutely maximum one can say of one who does not observe this tasbih is that they missed an excellent opportunity to earn rewards from their Lord Most High.

Q-3: Every time the Prophets (saw) name is mentioned are we suppose to kiss our thumbs and then touch our eyes with one`s thumbs? did the prophet (saw) encourage this act?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 56: Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him and salute him with all respect.

Hadrat Abu Dharr al-Ghaffari related that the Prophet (saws) said, 'The most miserly among people is the one who fails to invoke blessings upon me when my name is mentioned in his or her presence.’

Hadrat Abu Hurairah, relates that the Prophet (saws) said, "May the nose of the person in whose presence I am mentioned be covered with dirt if he does not invoke blessings upon me. And let the nose of that person be smeared with dust who finds the month of Ramadan but lets it come to an end without securing pardon for himself. And may the nose of the person be smeared wlth dust whose aged parents, both of them or one of them, are still living, and who fails them (i.e. by serving them) to enter Paradise."

Related by Tirmidhi.

Allah Subhanah has Commanded the believers to invoke blessings of the Prophet (saws); thus it is obligatory for the believers to invoke blessings upon the Prophet (saws) whenever his name is mentioned in their presence.

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely nothing in the authentic and established Sunnah, whereby the Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded or guided the believers to kiss their thumbs, or touch their eyes with their thumbs, or do any thing other than invoke blessings upon him when his (saws) name is mentioned. Neither the noble companions, nor the Prophet’s family, nor the believers who came after them ever kiss their thumbs or touched their thumbs to their eyes or did anything other than invoke blessings and salutations upon the Prophet (saws) when his name was mentioned.

To make it a rite and ritual, or to believe that it is a part or requirement of the deen in any way, or to believe that it is appropriate in Islam to kiss one’s thumb or touch their thumbs to their eyes or do any other thing than invoke blessings and salutations upon the Noble Prophet (saws) when his name is mentioned would be deemed an innovation and a ‘bida’ in Islam; and every innovation in the perfect deen of Islam is a clear and manifest error and sin and should be rejected by the believers.

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘If somebody innovates something which is not present in our religion, then that thing will be rejected.’

Related by Bukhari.

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.”

Your Question 3A: The Imam I know told me we do this to say his name is the coolness of our eyes, is this true?

Ask the brother Imam to either present the proof and evidence for his statement from either the Quran or the Sunnah; and if the brother Imam cannot present the proof, then know with conviction that his this statement is self-invented and man-made and has absolutely nothing to do with the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws) or Islam.

Q-4. I wanted to know if the duaa`s after the namaz are compulsory for one to read?

The five prayers that are enjoined by Allah Subhanah upon the believers at the appointed times of the day and night are absolutely compulsory; and if one does not pray these five prayers, it would be a grave sin.

The dua or supplications one makes to Allah Subhanah after prayers is from amongst the preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws); and although it highly recommended and preferred to make supplication to the Lord Most Gracious and ask Him for forgiveness and whatever else one wishes to ask, it is not compulsory or obligatory.

The absolute maximum one can say of one who does not make supplication after one’s prayers is that they missed a great opportunity to seek something for themselves from their Lord.

Q-5. In Ishaa namaz are we suppose to read long surah`s or we can read any?

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.723 Narrated by Ubada bin As Samit

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Whoever does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid."

In any rakah of any prayer, it is the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatihah which is absolutely obligatory; for if one does not recite the Surah Al-Fatihah in the rakah, their prayer is not valid nor accepted; and the person would have to repeat his prayer.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.739 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Qur'an is recited in every prayer and in those prayers in which Allah's Messenger (saws) recited aloud for us, we recite aloud in the same prayers for you; and the prayers in which the Prophet (saws) recited quietly, we recite quietly. If you recite "Surah Al-Fatiha" only it is sufficient, but if you recite something else in addition, it is better.

It is the preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to recite a few verses of the Quran after the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah in the first two rakahs of every prayer; but this is not a compulsory or obligatory condition of prayer. If one, for any reason, forgets to recite other verses of the Glorious Quran after Surah Al-Fatihah in the first two rakahs of the prayer, his prayer will still be regarded as valid.

If one is offering one’s Isha or any other prayer by himself, there is absolutely no condition or restriction regarding the length of the verses or Surahs one may recite after the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah. One may recite as long a Surah or several verses if one wishes, or one may recite a short Surah if one wishes.

If one is leading or is the ‘imaam’ of an obligatory congregational prayer, the Messenger of Allah (saws) guided them to recite a relatively short Surah or only a few verses as opposed to lengthy Surahs.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.672 Narrated by Abu Masud

A man came and said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! I keep away from the morning prayer because so-and-so (Imam) prolongs it too much." Allah's Messenger (saws) became furious and I had never seen him more furious than he was on that day! The Prophet (saws) then said, "O people! Some of you make others dislike the prayer, so whoever becomes an Imam he should shorten the prayer, as behind him are the weak, the old and the needy.''

Praise be to Allah Subhanah that He and His Messenger (saws) made the following of the deen easy and not a burden upon the believers.

Q-6. Do the surah`s have to be read in order of length and order in any namaz?

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.743 Narrated by Abdullah bin Abi Qatada

My father said, "The Prophet (saws) used to recite Surah Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two Rakat of the prayer and used to recite only Surah Al-Fatiha in the last two Rakat of the Zuhr prayer. Sometimes a verse or so was audible and he used to prolong the first Rak'a more than the second. and used to do the same in the 'Asr and Fajr prayers."

It is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that he would recite a slightly lengthier recitation in the first rakah of the prayer as compared to the second; and it is recommended that one recite the Surahs or verses in the order in which the Quran is compiled.

If one for any reason, without the intention to specifically disobey the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), happens to recite a lengthier Surah in the second rakah as compared to the first, or recites the Surahs or verses against the sequence or order in which they are compiled in the Glorious Quran, their prayer is still valid and there is absolutely no sin or harm.

Q-6A: i.e. in the first rakah are we suppose to read a surah, which is longer and comes before the surah that will be read in the second rakah?

There is absolutely no harm if the two Surahs recited in the first and second rakah after the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah in prayer are immediately after each other in the Quran or a distance apart. For example if one wishes to recite the 103rd Surah Al-Asr in the first and the 104^th Surah Al-Hamaza in the second, or if one wishes to recite the 103^rd Surah Al-Asr in the first and 114^th Surah An-Naas, etc. both are fine and acceptable and in accordance with the Sunnah.

Although it is permissible, it was not the general practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and thus not preferred that one intentionally recites the Surahs in the reverse order of their compilation; for example recite the 114^th Surah An-Naas in the first Rakah and the 103^rd Surah Al-Asr (or any other Surah) in the second, etc. The general practice and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was to recite the Surahs in prayer in the sequence or order that is found in the Glorious Quran.

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 in Islam,

Burhan