When I go to the mosque on Friday

Ref no: 0232#

Date: Sunday, June 12, 2011

Category

Salaat

Title

When I go to the mosque on Friday

Question

When I go to the mosque on Friday the athaan is pronounced, then everyone prays 2 or 4 rakaat.Then the athan is again pronounced and immediately after it iqamah .Having prayed 2 Jum’ah rakaat people pray again 2 or 4 rakaat.Besides,the imaam when supplicating raises hands then wipes his face and everyone follows him. Is it bid’ah? If so,what should I do (just look at others?)

Answer

Muhtaram / Muhtaramah

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāh wa-barakātuh.

 

Your query consists of the following two issues:

· Ruling regarding the sunnah salat performed before the Khutbah of the jummu’ah

· Ruling regarding wiping the face upon the completion of dua

1. Four rakats salat before the Friday Khutbah

We stated in our previous correspondence that the issue of four rakats before Khutbah is well substantiated from the books of Ahadith. The Muhaditheen (experts in the science of Hadith) have written many chapters in this regard. Amongst these Muhaditheen were Ibn Abi Shayba and Abdur Razzaaq (rahimahumaallah). In fact, the great Muhaddith and Shafi’ee scholar, Ibn Al-Mulaqqin has compiled an entire book in this regard.

We will first narrate the Ahadith pertaining to salat before the jummu’ah khutbah and thereafter respond to the issues raised by the respected Shaykh, Shaykh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid.

1.1.

كان يصلي قبل الجمعة أربعا وبعدها أربعا

“Ali (radiyallaahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to perform four rakaats salaah before and after the jummah salaah” ( Al-Awsat of Tabrani / Nasb Al-Rayah, vol 2, pg 206, Ilmiyya /I’laus Al-Sunan, vol 7, pg 13, Idaratul Al-Quran)

The chain of narrators in the above narration is sound. (Tarhut Al-Tathreeb, vol 3, pg 36, Ilmiyya)

1.2.

عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما أنه كان يصلي قبل الجمعة أربعا ، لا يفصل بينهن بسلام ، ثم بعد الجمعة ركعتين ، ثم أربعا

“Abdullah Bin Umar(radiyallaahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to perform four rakats of salat before the jummu’ah salat and would not separate them with a salaam; then he would perform two rakats of salat after jummu’ah followed with another four rakats of salat” (Sharh Ma’ani Al-Aathaar, vol 1, pg 233, Haqqaniyya)

The chain of narrators in the above Hadith is sound (Aathaar Al-Sunan, pg 302, Imdadiyya)

1.3.

عن عبد الله قال كان يصلي قبل الجمعة أربعا

“Abdullah (bin Mas’ood) reports that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to perform four rakaats before the jummah salaah” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba, vol 4, pg 114, Al-Majlis al-Ilmi)

1.4.

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :  من كان مصليا ، فليصل قبل الجمعة أربعا ، وبعدها أربعا

“Abu Hurairah (radiyallaahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Whoever intends to perform salat, then he should perform four rakats salat before the jummu’ah salat and four rakats after jummu’ah salat”.(Sharh Mushkil Al-Aathaar,#4108, vol 10, pg 298, Muassasah Al-Risalah)

1.5.

عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلمي قال : كان عبد الله يأمرنا أن نصلي قبل الجمعة أربعا ، وبعدها أربعا

Abu Abdir Rahman Al-Sulami reports: “Abdullah (bin Mas’ood) used to command us to perform four rakaats salaah before the jummah salat and four rakats salat after the jummah salaah” (Musannaf Abdir Al-Razaaq, vol 3, pg 247, Idaratul Quran)

The chain of narrators in the above Hadith is authentic. (Athaar Al-Sunan, pg 303, Imdaadiyya)

1.6.

عن صافية ، قالت : رأيت صفية بنت حيي رضي الله عنها ، صلت أربع ركعات قبل خروج الإمام للجمعة ، ثم

صلت الجمعة مع الإمام ركعتين .

Saafiyah (radiyallaahu anha) reports: “I saw Safiyyah Binti Huyay (radiyallaahu anha) performing four rakaats of salaah before the Imaam came out for jummah salat , then she performed two rakaats of jummah salaat with the Imaam” (Nasbur Al-Raayah, vol 2, pg 207, Makkiyya)

1.7.

عن إبراهيم قال كانوا يصلون قبلها أربعا.

“Ibrahim (Al-Nakha’ee) reports that the Sahaba used to perform four rakaats of salaah before the jummah salaah” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol 4, pg 114, Al-Majlis al-Ilmi)

1.8.

عن عبد الله بن مغفل المزنى أن رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قال بين كل أذانين صلاة…….

“Abdullah Bin Mughaffal (radiyallaahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Between every two azans (ie: azan and iqamah) there should be salat” (Sahih Al-Bukhari #624)

The above Hadith teaches us that between azan and iqamah, it is encouraged to perform salat. Therefore, to perform salat between the azan of jummu’ah and the iqamah, as long as the Imam is not delivering the khutbah, will be in conformance to Hadith.

It is clear from the above mentioned Ahadith, that sunnah salat before the Khutbah cannot be denied. This was the practice of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and his Sahaba.

Response to the respected Shaykh, Shaykh Al-munajjid

During the time of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) the sunnah salat was performed before Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) stepped on the mimbar. This can be understood from the Ahadith stated above.

The Respected Shaykh stated:

“If there were any Sunnah prayer to be done before the jummu’ah, he (peace be upon him) would have told them about it and directed them to do it after Adhaan, and he would have done it himself”

Response:

Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) did encourage the Sahabah to perform salat before the commencement of the Khutbah and he himself performed salat before the commencement of the Khutbah, as it is abundantly clear from the above mentioned Ahadith. Thus, salat before the khutba is the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).

The Respected Shaykh stated:

“Al-Iraqi said: I have not seen anything to indicate that the three imams recommended praying Sunnah before it (Jummu’ah)”

Response:

This was probably due to Al-Iraqi not having easy access to books of the Fuqahaa from the different mazhaahib. However, the truth is that the Hanafi Fuqahaa are of the view that it is sunnah to perform salat before jummu’ah salat. Since we are not acquainted with the Maaliki nor Hambali mazhhab, we have no right to state the rulings of there mazhhab.

However, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Dijwi (r.a.) a renowned Maliki scholar of Egypt had also written an article on this issue, at the end of which he states “despite the fact that according to the Maliki Madhab the four rak’aats before jummu’ah is not accepted, however I was forced by the proofs provided, to accept the establishment of these four rakats before jummu’ah as the great leaders of the ummah had done so”. (Maqaalat Dijwi, vol.4 pg.1370, Dar Al-Basaair)

Imam Al-Nawawi, a Shafi’ee scholar, was also of the view that it is sunnah to perform four rakats salat before jummu’ah salat. ( Tuhfah Al-Muhtaj, vol 1, pg 374, Maktaba Al-Thiqafa al-Deeniyya)

In fact, Al-Iraqi himself states that to reject the proofs regarding four rakats before jummu’ah salat is a weak standpoint. (Tarh Al-Tathreeb, vol 3, pg 36, Ilmiyya)

The Respected Shaykh stated:

Muhaddith al-Albani commented: “……Those who pray this sunnah are not following the Messenger or imitating any of the Imams”

Response:

With all respects to Muhaddith al-Albani, it was definitely incorrect for him to mention that those who perform four rakats before jummu’ah salat are not following the way of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). The Ahadith mentioned above are clear evidence that this was the sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), as well as his Sahaba.

Wiping the face upon the completion of Dua

It is not Bid’ah to wipe the face upon the completion of du’a. This was the sunnah and practice of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and we are encouraged to do so.

عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال : كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إذا رفع يديه في الدعاء لم يحطهما حتى يمسح بهما وجهه

“Umar Bin Khattab (radiyallaahu anhu) reports: When Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) would to raise his hands in du’a, he would not lower them until he passed them over his face” (Sunan Al-Tirmizhi, #3386)

Ibn Hajr Asqalani has classified the above Hadith as sound. (Bulugh Al-Muraam, pg 264, Dar Al-Fikr)

 

And Allah knows best
Darul Iftaa

Madrasah Inaa’miyyah