Q.1. One group in my home country encourages people to read the Qur’an, even though they do not understand any word of what they are reading. When they are told that we need to understand the Qur’an, they demand evidence, saying: “Quote a verse of the Qur’an saying that you should understand its meaning.” Please comment.
Q.2. Some of those who are known as mutawwi’ treat people roughly. We were once attending to a car breakdown and we stopped to pray individually. A few minutes later one of them came along and insisted that we offer the same prayer again with him as an imam. On another occasion, the imam in our nearby mosque finished the prayer quickly, reading only short surahs. As we left the mosque and were walking along the pavement, a mutawwi’ came along and forced us to join the prayer in another mosque which had not yet finished. He would not accept that we have already prayed. By the way, what is the status of this second prayer?
A. Karim
A.1. The very fact that the Qur’an is a book of guidance for mankind means that it must be understood. Scholars have always worked on explaining it and elucidating its meaning.
How else can people do what God wants them to do? Numerous are the verses that require us to think and reflect. How can we do so without understanding? Besides, the Qur’an is God’s message addressed to man. Therefore, it is expressed in human language. If we say that we cannot understand it, then we are saying that it is not meant to be implemented. How can anyone say so? Reading the Qur’an earns reward from God, even if we do not understand the meaning of what we are reading, because such reading is an act of worship, but definitely a reading coupled with reflection on the meaning is much better and more richly rewarded than parrot reading where the reader does not understand anything.
A.2. You have highlighted a definite problem. The task assigned to the mutawwi’ is to encourage people’s compliance with God’s orders and to discourage them from violating His teachings. But they should do so in a proper way that wins people over, not leaves them feeling hurt or unwilling to cooperate. In both cases you mentioned the man concerned should have accepted what you said. If you had prayed, then he cannot order you to pray again.
This you may decide to do, if you wish, in your own time. When each of the two men insisted that you repeat your prayer he was giving a clear indication that he did not believe your statement.
He did not have any indication to suspect you. As he asks you to pray again he goes well beyond his remit. He is no longer enjoining what is right. He is simply imposing his authority, which is not what he is required to do. Indeed, his action is counterproductive as he leaves you with an aggrieved feeling.
When you repeat a prayer for any reason, the first one counts as the obligatory one and the second a Sunnah, or voluntary prayer.
Unnecessary Practices
Q. Groups of ladies observe the following practice whenever any of them has some good turn, such as feeling that her prayers have been answered. They meet together and read what they call the ‘wazeefah’, which is a collection of stories from the lifetime of lady Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter. They insist that no man can hear what they read. This is strange as the collection is written by men. Please confirm whether this practice is correct.
Khalid Malik
A. No, it is not correct. It is a deviation from the Prophet’s way and as such it is a bid’ah, which is forbidden to practice. While Fatimah is loved by all Muslims since she was the Prophet’s daughter and he loved her dearly, she had no role in Islam. That she was God-fearing and a model of God’s faithful servants is certainly true, but that does not give her any special status. Reading anecdotes about her may be interesting and educative, but that is all there is to it.
If these ladies wish to thank God for answering their prayers, they should do so in the manner He prefers. This is to express their thanks verbally, praising and thanking Him. They should also be keen to do what pleases Him, including giving some charity to poor people.
