Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw)

In the name of Allaah, Most Compassionate Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the ‘Aalamiin (mankind, jinn, etc).

Glory be to Allaah, the Most High. We seek His Forgiveness and Guidance on all things. May He make us steadfast on the Straight Path.

Peace and blessings be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw). Amma ba’du…

My brothers and sisters, presently we live in a world full of confusion. This confusion has been made to exist by the Shaythaan who whispers doubts and encourages human desires. It has been to an extent that even in our worship to Allaah, we are confused as to which path to follow as there are many ways. Some say this way is the best, some say that way is the best but which way is the RIGHT way?

The lines have been blurred and now it is getting harder to distinguish between what is haq (truth) and what is baathil (falsehood). However, for the true believer, the truth has always been clear as Allaah said in the Glorious Qur’an :

“There is no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.”
[Qur’an 2:256]

As to the answer as to which path to follow in terms of worship or everything else, who is more qualified then to tell you the answer if not Rasulullah (saw) himself when he said in a hadeeth :

The Prophet (saw) said,” I have left with you two things that if you adhere to them, you will never go astray : the Qur’an and my Sunnah.”
[Bukhari]

Therefore, let us look at the way our Prophet Muhammad (saw) practised the dzikr after shalat. Let us observe and practise what he (saw) taught his Shahabah by referring to the various Hadeeth regarding the matter. Any matter that has not been enjoined by the Prophet (saw) should not be practised for fear of bid’ah (innovation).

Seeking Forgiveness :

After finishing the prayer (ie: after saying the salaam), the Prophet (saw) seek forgiveness from Allaah three times. Evidence shows in the hadeeth of this Sunnah :

Thauban reported:
When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) finished his prayer, he begged forgiveness three times and said: O Allah ! Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee; Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of Glory and Honor. Walid reported: I said to Auza’i: How Is the seeking of forgiveness? He replied: You should say: I beg forgiveness from Allah, I beg forgiveness from Allah, I beg forgiveness from Allah (Astaghfirullaah 3 X)."
[Sahih Muslim Kitab as-Shalat]

From the above hadeeth, we also know that after seeking forgiveness, the Prophet (saw) also said,”… O Allah ! Thou art Peace, and peace comes from Thee; Blessed art Thou, O Possessor of Glory and Honor…” (Allaahumma antas-Salaam wa minkas-Salaam wa ilayka ya’udus-Salaam tabaarakta rabbanaa wa ta’alayta ya dzal-jalaali wal-ikraam)

Dzikr & Du’a:

After that, there are a number of adzkaar (dzikr) that we can make. Below are evidences and references to the Hadeeth of Rasulullah (saw) :

Reported by Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“Whoever glorifies Allaah (says Subhaan Allaah) thirty-three times immediately after each prayer, and praises Allaah (says Al-hamdu Lillaah) thirty-three times, and magnifies Allaah (says Allaahu akbar) thirty-three times, this makes ninety-nine, then to complete one hundred says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god except Allaah Alone, with no partner, His is the power and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things) – his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.”
[Muslim, 939].

The hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
‘There are two qualities, no Muslim man acquires them but he will enter Paradise, and they are simple and easy. He should glorify Allaah (say Subhaan Allaah) ten times immediately after each prayer, and praise Him (say Al-hamdu Lillaah) ten times and magnify Him (say Allaahu akbar) ten times.’ I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) counting this on his fingers. He said: ‘That makes one hundred and fifty on the tongue, and one thousand five hundred (hasanaat) in the scales. [Translator’s note: each of three phrases repeated ten times makes thirty; multiplied by the number of daily prayers, which is five, makes one hundred and fifty. Each of these good deeds of the tongue will be rewarded with ten hasanaat which will be added to the total of good deeds to be weighed in the balance or scales on the Day of Judgement]. When you go to bed, glorify Him and praise Him and magnify Him one hundred times: that will be one hundred on the tongue and a thousand in the scales. Who among you does two thousand and five hundred sayi’aat (bad deeds) in one day?’ They said: ‘How could we not count (our sins)?’ He said: ‘The Shaytaan comes to any one of you whilst he is praying and says, Remember this, remember that, until he finishes his prayer and does not do (this dhikr), or he comes to him when he is lying down and makes him sleepy, until he falls asleep (without doing this dhikr).’”
[Abu ‘Eesaa said: This is a hasan saheeh hadeeth. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3332].

Warrad, the scribe of Mughira b. Shu’ba, reported: Mu'awiya wrote to Mughira: Write to me anything which you heard from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). So he (Mughira) wrote to him (Mu’awiya):
I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) uttering (these words) at the completion of prayer: "There is no god but Allah. He is alone and there is no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and to Him is praise due and He is Potent over everything. O Allah ! no one can withhold what Thou givest, or give what Thou withholdest, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee."
(transliteration of the du’a in Arabic – Laa ilaaha illallaahu wahdahu laa syariikalahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wahuwa ‘ala kulli syai-in qadiir. Allaahumma laa maani’a limaa a’thaita wa laa mu’thiya limaa mana’ta wa laa radda limaa qadhaita wa laa yanfa’u dzal jaddi minkal jaddu )
[Sahih Muslim Kitab as-Shalat]

Glory be to Allaah!! These are some of the common dzikr and du’a of the Prophet (saw) after fard shalat. Be rest assured that if you follow these, you will not go astray for it is the Sunnah.



Ayaatul-Kursi :

“Allaahu laa ilaaha illa huwal hayyul qayyuum, laa ta`khudzuhuu sinatuw-walaa na-um, lahuu maa fis-samaawaati wa maa fil-ardh, man dzal-ladzi yasyfa’u ‘indahuu illa bi idznih, ya’lamu ma baina aidiihim wa maa khalfahum wa laa yuhiithuuna bi syai-im-min ‘ilmihii illa bi maasyaa`, wasi ‘a kursiyyuhus-samaawaati wal-ardh, wa laa ya-uuduhuhuu hifzhuhumaa wahuwal-‘aliyyul ‘azhiim”
[Suratul-Baqarah 2:255]

(translation -
Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory). )

Another Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) after fard shalat is the recitation of Ayaatul-Kursi. He (saw) had, a number of times, mentioned the benefits of this practice :

Hadhrat Anas (Radiahallahu Anhu) says: Rasulallaah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked; "Do you know which Ayat in the Qur'aan is most lofty? " I said, Allaah and his Rasul know more." Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said,” Ayatul Kursi “

Hadhrat Anas (Radiahallahu Anhu) said that Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, "The one who recites Ayatul Kursi after every fard Salaat will be protected until the next Salaat and this is constantly done by a Nabi or a Siddiq or a martyr.

Hadhrat Muhammad bin al Saumi bin Al Salsal bin Damasc narrates from his father, who in turn, narrates from his father that Rasulallaah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: " Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every fard Salaat, there is only death between him and Jannat", he will enter into Jannat immediately when he dies

Hadhrat Ibne Anas (Radiahallahu Anhu) says that Rasulallaah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The one who recites Ayatul Kursi after every Fard Salaat, Allaah Ta'aala will grant him a gratifying heart, actions of the truthful and reward like the Ambiyaa .Special mercies will descend upon him, and death is the only barrier from his entrance into Jannat. On dying he will enter Janaat".

In addition to the above, you can find numerous hadeeths about the benefits of reciting Ayaatul-Kursi in other situations and time. From blessing the food to protecting one’s property and wealth, this ayah is very beneficial to the believer.

The Prophet (saw) never raised his hands to make du’a after fard shalat :

There have been no reports in the sahih books of hadeeth to show that the Prophet (saw) did raise his hands to make du’a after fard shalat. Some scholars even pass fatwas categorising it as bid’ah to do so.

Although raising the hands to make du’a is one of the criterion for the supplication to be answered by Allaah at other times but not after the fard shalat because the Prophet (saw) never did it as such and neither did his closest Shahabah.

To raise our hands making du’a after fard shalat and considering it waajib to do so when the Prophet (saw) never did it is like showing that we have discovered a better way to worship than what the Prophet (saw) had taught us.

The Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) is the best of examples and no other example is better. We follow what he did and we ignore what he ignored and we leave what he left and so on and so forth.

The Sunnah is, however, to make du’a during the shalat itself when we are directly communicating with Allaah. This shall be further explained in another article.

May Allaah reward both you and me for our efforts in upholding the truth and may He grant us forgiveness and guidance in all that we do. Ameen ya Rabbal-‘Aalameen.



Jazak Allaahu khayr

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