Q. When I read verse 55 of Surah 7, I had some doubts as to the practice of saying prayers, or supplication, in congregation, as happens in my home country when the Imam finishes a congregational obligatory prayer, or during the Friday khutbah, or in witr prayer when offered in congregation. Please clarify.
Ataurrahman
A. Let us first of all look at the verse in question, together with the one that precedes it. They may be translated as follows: “Your Lord is God who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne. He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit. The sun, the moon and the stars are made subservient to His command. Surely all creation and all authority belong to Him. Blessed is God, the Lord of the worlds. Call upon your Lord with humility, and in the secrecy of your hearts. He does not love those who transgress the bounds of what is right.”
The first of these two verses gives us a clear vision of God’s greatness and His control of the universe and all creation. When we take all this in consideration, we experience a feeling of awe, which brings up our own humility in front of God. This is a suitable time to address God with our prayers or supplication, requesting Him to accomplish what we need. Let us now look at what the late Sayyid Qutb says in his commentary on verse 55, starting with “call on your Lord with humility.”
“This directive is made at the most appropriate point, with human beings in the proper frame of mind. They are directed to call upon their Lord and address Him with humility and submission. They should also call on Him in the secrecy of their hearts, not making loud noises. A secret appeal to God is much more befitting because it affirms the close relationship between man and his Lord. Muslim, the renowned Hadith scholar, relates this authentic Hadith on the authority of Abu Musa who reports: “We were with God’s Messenger on one of his travels — in one version it is stated that this took place when they were on a military expedition — and people started to glorify God out loud. God’s Messenger said to them: O you people, gently and quietly. Your are not calling on someone who is deaf or absent. You are calling on the One who hears all and is close at hand. He is indeed with you.”
“The Qur’anic drift stresses the consciousness that God, in His Majesty, is so close to man. This is described here in its practical form as we make our supplication to God. A person who is conscious of God’s majesty feels too modest to appeal to Him in a loud voice. If we realize that He is so close to us we can have no reason for appealing to Him loudly. Along with this scene of sincere supplication to God and complete humiliation before Him, an order is issued not to try to usurp His authority as the Arabs used to do in their days of ignorance, when they claimed sovereignty for themselves, while all sovereignty belongs to God alone. They are further commanded not to spread corruption in the land by following their capricious desires, after God has set the earth in proper order and laid down the law to govern both the earth and human life. A believing soul, which calls on its Lord with humility and in secrecy, feeling His closeness and ready response, is not given to aggression and corruption. The two attitudes are closely related in the depth of the human soul and feelings. In its approach, the Qur’an touches on those feelings. It is an approach designed by the Creator who knows His creation and is fully aware of everything.
“Call on Him with fear and hope,” (Verse 56), fearing to incur His anger and punishment, and hoping to earn His pleasure and reward. “Truly God’s grace is ever near to the righteous,” (Verse 56), who worship God as though they actually see Him. If they do not see him, they are fully aware that He sees them. This is the attitude defined by the Prophet as belonging to the righteous.
This is what Sayyid Qutb wrote. As you see, there is no contradiction between this and the Imam offering supplication in witr prayer or during the Friday sermon. This is not the type the Prophet criticized. Thus, there is nothing wrong with the situations you have mentioned, but the best prayer is that said in humility, and in secrecy, when one feels one’s need of God’s help.
Praying with shoes on
Q. My father reported that he saw some soldiers entering a mosque and offering their prayers without taking off their shoes. Like him, I am disturbed to hear of this. Please comment.
Nishat
A. This is disturbing because we are used to take off our shoes when we go into a mosque, or use a prayer mat. The fact is that there is nothing wrong with wearing our shoes when praying, provided that we are sure that no impurity has fallen on them. At the Prophet’s time, his companions offered their prayers wearing their shoes. This was not merely at the time of war, or in travel. If it is more convenient, there is nothing wrong with it.
Having said that, I should add that it is a duty to keep the mosque clean. In these days when mosques are covered with clean carpets, it is not right to go over these carpets with one’s shoes. It is right to take off our shoes so that we do not disturb other worshippers or bring dirt into the mosque. But if we envisage a situation where military personnel are wearing shoes that are inconvenient to take off, and they offer their prayer at a place in the mosque where they stand to one side, using a rug while their shoes are on the bare ground, this is perfectly acceptable.
A period too long
Q.1. If a woman’s period lasts 20 days, followed by only one week before the next period, what should she do regarding her prayers?
Q.2. What is the zakah liability of a woman who has around 500 grams of gold jewelry?
Q.3. If a man puts aside a percentage of his salary for the purpose of his parents’ pilgrimage, is this amount liable to zakah?
M. Saleem
A.1. This is the case known as istihadhah in Fiqh terminology. If this lady used to have a normal period of no more than 10 days, then she applies that norm to her present condition, which is an abnormal condition. Suppose that she used to have her period lasting 7 days, like most women do, then she takes a bath after seven days and treats the rest of the days as days of cleanliness. However, she needs to have a fresh ablution, or wudhu for every prayer. Before she performs her ablution, she should wash her genital area, and replace her sanitary napkin, so that she lessens to the minimum any bleeding. She should also perform her ablution after the prayer is due, not before it.
For all intents and purposes, she is not in menstruation after her nominal period of 7 days. This means that she may have intercourse with her husband.
If this situation started right at the time when she attained puberty, and she is unaware of what her normal period is like, then she applies the normal standard that prevails in her community, which is in most cases 6 or 7 days. If her sisters have a 6-day period, then she applies the same, and if they have 8-day period, she adopts that. But she may also apply what prevails with most women.
A.2. If the jewelry is for the woman’s personal use, and not intended as a form of investment, business or saving, there is no zakah liability, provided that the amount is reasonable for women in similar social status.
A.3. This remains a form of saving, which is liable to zakah until it is used. The son may, if his parents are poor, allocate this amount to his parents as a gift, and agrees with them not to use until they make their pilgrimage. If they are not zakah payers, then the amount saved would not be liable to zakah.
