Certain Aspects of Worship Allowed to Prophet Only

Author: 
Adil Salahi, Arab News
Publication Date: 
Mon, 2004-08-16 03:00

Q. A Hadith mentions that the Prophet always prayed the Sunnah of Fajr, and two rak’ahs after Asr; but it is well known that there is no Sunnah to be offered after Asr.

Abd Al-Haiy

A. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had certain aspects of worship which were allowed for him only, even though he made it clear to his followers that they must not do them. The clearest example is fasting two days in succession without breaking his fast. He made clear that this must not be done by us. Yet it was allowed to him, and he explained that God gave him sustenance during such periods.

The voluntary prayer he did after Asr is another such example. It was permissible for him, but he made clear that we should not do it. The reason for this is that people would often delay their prayers and it becomes close to sunset. Since other communities worshipped the sun, we must try hard to show that our worship is unlike others who worshipped deities other than God.

Q. There are several contradictory reports about glorifying God aloud.

A. Glorifying God is recommended in all situations, whether in private, vocally, or aloud, provided that one does not raise his voice so loud that it disturbs others. However, the best and most rewarding method is to glorify and praise God privately, vocalizing the words. The reason is that since no one knows what we do, our action is more sincere and stems from pure feelings of love of God and being in awe of Him. What is objectionable is for a group of people to hold special sessions where they engage in a chorus-like glorifications. This is a deviation from the Sunnah, since it was not done by the Prophet or his companions, nor is there any statement by the Prophet recommending it.

Q. According to a Hadith in Al-Bukhari, when Abu Bakr rebuked his daughter Aishah for the singing and music he heard, the Prophet stopped him saying that it was the Eid. Yet we often hear that musical instruments are forbidden in Islam.

A. The Hadith you refer to is reported by Aishah who says: “The Prophet entered my home when I had two maidens singing some of Bu’ath songs. He reclined on the bed and turned his face away. Abu Bakr came in and rebuked me, saying: ‘What! Satan’s horn at the Prophet’s!’ The Prophet turned to him and told him to leave them alone. When he slept I signalled them to leave.”

The Hadith does not speak of musical instruments, but of the two maids singing. Abu Bakr used the word ‘horn’, which in Arabic refers to a wooden instrument like the oboe, but this may be figurative. Anyway, the Hadith is cited by scholars as evidence for the permissibility of singing, and some scholars cite it also in argument that musical instruments are allowed in Islam, except where the music is used for a purpose contrary to Islamic values and principles.

There is certainly no clear-cut, definitive statement by the Prophet that musical instruments are forbidden. Hence, the issue is controversial, with many scholars arguing for and against prohibition. I personally feel that the evidence of permissibility is stronger. But I value the opposite view supported by a number of highly respectable scholars.

Q. It is well known that the sermon is given after the Eid prayer. Yet it is mentioned in Al-Bukhari’s Sahih that Marwan, the governor of Madinah, did it before the prayer explaining this as necessary because people left without listening to the sermon. Can we do the same?

A. Marwan was the governor of Madinah when he did this. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, the reporter of this Hadith, was a learned companion of the Prophet. He objected to the action at first, telling Marwan, who was also a scholar, that he has changed the Prophet’s practice. Nevertheless, he stayed and offered the prayer with Marwan.

This means that there is no clear ruling by the Prophet making the khutbah or sermon a requirement after the prayer. It is certainly preferable that it should be so, because it would then be following the Prophet’s practice. However, Marwan used his discretion, opting for what is less preferable in order to serve what, to him, was a more important purpose, which was to ensure that people stayed to listen. This is up to the Imam to do.

Q. If someone lends another a large sum of money which the borrower does not repay for sometime, who is required to pay zakah for this amount. There are 4 different views in books of Islamic Fiqh. Can we apply any of these views?

A. If the loan is a short term one, and it is repaid on time, zakah is due on the amount of the loan normally, paid by the creditor who owns the money on his normal zakah date. If it is given for a long period, such as a couple of years or longer, and the borrower is of sound financial position and able to repay it on demand, at any time, then it is treated as if the amount is in the creditor’s keeping. In other words, he pays its zakah every year, in the normal way. If it is given for a long period, or it is originally for a short period but remained unpaid for sometime, and the owner is unsure that it will be paid in the near future, then zakah is paid for the amount when it is repaid, once only, even though the loan remained with the borrower for several years. In this last case, the creditor actually lost control and was unsure whether the money would be repaid, or when it will be repaid. He is not required to pay zakah for what he does not have under his control

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