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Glimpses on the Birth of Brightness
Author : An Article by the Secretary General Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassanat
Date Added : 19-11-2018

Glimpses on the Birth of Brightness

 

Allah, The Almighty has ordained sending Prophets and Messengers for all mankind to lead them to the righteous path where He, The Almighty, Said (What means): "Apostles who gave good news as well as warning, that mankind, after (the coming) of the apostles, should have no plea against God: For God is Exalted in Power, Wise." [An-Nisa/165]. He, The Exalted, also Said (What means): "nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning). [Al-Isra'/15].

 

Moreover, those Prophets (PBUT) are the best of the best when it comes to manners or shapes, and this enables them to keep up with the noble task entrusted to them and that is calling people to the way of Allah, The Exalted.

In addition, Allah sent to every nation a Prophet of their own in order for them to accept and understand his message easily. However, the end of that Prophet`s message and life were inseparable.

Therefore, a continuous message to the end of days(Judgment day) was a pressing need; thus Allah chose for this great message a great man who had favors upon all Prophets to the end of days; Mohammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdulmattalib Ibn Hashim Ibn Abdmanaf  whose lineage extends to Prophet Ismaiel (PBUT).

The period of sending Prophets to people/nations was somehow specified, but the period before the birth of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) till the beginning of his message was the longest compared to other Prophets. Allah, The Exalted, used to send one Prophet after the other and, sometimes, more than one were sent at the same time and He, The Almighty, has never took a Prophet's soul without replacing him with another one.

Further, during the long period before sending Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), humanity has encountered many negative aspects namely intellectual, religious and behavioral corruption. As a result, injustice, classism and the breaking of kinship ties have prevailed, in addition to the fact that humanity was lacking in societies.

Therefore, Allah sent His Prophet (PBUH) to correct humans` way of life, and be a safe haven to humankind by preventing injustice, putting an end to slavery, restoring the sense of humanity to people and revealing the divine mercy on his hands. Allah, The Most Exalted, Said (What means): We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." [Al-Anbiya'/107].

The face of the world has changed when the Prophet (PBUH) was born. The throne of Anushirvan cracked, the Magians` fire extinguished and the lake of Sawa dived deeper. Amina, the mother of Prophet (PBUH), narrated: "When she was pregnant with him she dreamed that a great light came out of her and illuminated all the castles in Al-Sham." [Mosanaf Abdel-Razaq]. This shows that his reign is going to reach Al-Sham, so his birth was not a normal one; rather it was a sign for a nation's birth. Further, he (PBUH) was divinely raised and disciplined; he had neither a father, a mother nor a grandfather.

He (PBUH) was sent as a Seal of Prophets and a guidance to all mankind since Allah, Said (What means): "We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin)." [Saba/28] and He, The Exalted, Said (What means): "but (he is) the Apostle of God, and the Seal of the Prophets." [Al-Ahzab/40].

Indeed, he had to be the Seal of all Prophets and Messengers since no other Prophet or Messenger had his shape or manners. His shape was perfect and his mercy has encompassed all creatures for Allah, The Most Exalted, Said (What means): "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures." [Al-Anbiya/107] and He Said (What means):" to the Believers is he most kind and merciful." [Al-Tawbah/128]. 

Besides, he (PBUH) has transferred the Arab nation from the state of illiteracy to literacy by urging them to seek knowledge, castaway myths and use their minds. He made seeking knowledge incumbent upon every Muslim where He (PBUH) said (What means):" Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim." [Sunn Ibn Majah].This is because it is only through knowledge that societies could flourish and prosper.

Therefore, it is imperative that we adhere to good character as basis for our religion, since the Prophet (PBUH) said (What means): "I was sent to perfect good character." [Musanaf Ibn Shyiba]. In fact, nations will never be able to achieve prosperity, unless they abide by good character and seek knowledge.

Nowadays; Muslims are in desperate need to follow the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) in dealing with others regardless of their cultural background and ways of thinking. This is because winning people's hearts and minds is far more important than conquering fortresses and castles.

In conclusion, we do need to follow the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) in everything, since Allah, The Exalted (What means): "And know that among you is God’s Apostle." [Al-Hujurat/7]. Further, when Muslims celebrate his birth, they show gratitude to Allah, The Exalted, for His endless generosity that lies in choosing and allocating them to be the best to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. He, The Almighty, Said (What means): "In the bounty of God. And in His Mercy, - in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard." [Yunus/58].

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on praying alone (munfaridan) in a row, and what should I do if I enter the mosque together with another person, and there is only a single gap in the first row with no second row present — should I fill that gap in the first row, or should I stand together with him in a new second row?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person enters [the congregation] and finds no space available in the row, it is recommended for him — after making his opening takbīr for the prayer — to gently pull someone from the row in front of him to pray alongside him, provided he senses that this person would be agreeable to it. If that person does not agree, then he prays alone, and there is no dislike attached to his doing so in that case.
If he ends up praying alone [behind the row], it is sunnah for him to stand directly behind the imam. Then, if someone else arrives, that person stands to his right; and whoever comes after them stands to his left — and so on — such that the imam remains centered in the middle of the row. This is done so that everyone attains the reward of congregational prayer.
As for the case where two people enter the prayer together, and there is a gap in the row wide enough for only one person, then the two of them should pray together in a new row [of their own], and whoever arrives after them should fill that original gap. This is because if only one of the two fills the gap, the other would end up praying alone [which is to be avoided when it can easily be prevented].
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/P.494): "If he does not find space, then it is recommended for him, while still standing, to gently pull a single person from the row toward himself after making his opening takbīr — out of caution, so as to avoid the position held by some scholars that a person's prayer standing alone behind the row is not valid.
Az-Zarkashī and others said: this should only be done if it seems he would agree to it; otherwise, he should not pull anyone — indeed, doing so becomes impermissible, out of fear of causing discord (fitnah). It is recommended for the person being pulled to cooperate and agree, so that he may attain the reward of assisting in righteousness and piety (al-birr wat-taqwā). However, he should not pull one of two people [praying together] from the row, since this would cause one of them to end up praying alone. This is why the 'pulling' described here takes place only after the opening takbīr [i.e., once the person doing the pulling has already validly begun his own prayer]."
Accordingly: it is sunnah for you to pray alongside the person praying alone, and then, if someone else arrives afterward, you may go and fill the gap in the original row. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on praying while wearing shoes?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.

There is no sin for a Muslim to perform prayer while wearing their sandals or shoes, provided they are free from any impurities (najasa). It was narrated that Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: 'Did the Prophet ﷺ pray in his sandals?' He replied: 'Yes.'" (Related by Al-Bukhari).

It is stated in Fath al-Bari (Vol.1/P.494) by Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him): "Regarding the phrase 'praying in his sandals,' Ibn Battal said: 'This is understood to apply as long as there is no impurity on them; furthermore, this is considered one of the legal concessions (rukhas)." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is the niṣāb calculated based on the price of 21-karat gold, or 24-karat gold?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh is obligatory on cash and on gold designated for saving or for trade, provided the total reaches the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah), and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has elapsed over it. The niṣāb is (85) grams of 24-karat gold; for 21-karat gold, the niṣāb equals (97) grams; and for 18-karat gold, it equals (113) grams.
The relied-upon position is to calculate the zakāh based on the buying price [i.e., the price the gold merchant would pay the owner to purchase the gold from him] on the day the zakāh obligation is due.
The one paying zakāh may assess/calculate the niṣāb using any of the aforementioned gold karats [i.e., he may choose whichever karat standard he wishes for the purpose of the calculation]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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