عربي
Home


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(220): "Ruling on the Permissibility of the two Athans for the Friday Prayer"

Date Added : 21-12-2015

Resolution No.(220)(10/2015) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on the Permissibility of the two Athans for the Friday Prayer"

Date: 24/Thulhijjah/1436 AH, corresponding to 8/10/2015 AD.

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
On the above given date, the Board reviewed the question sent by some citizens, and it reads as follows:

Nowadays, some students of Islamic Sharia argue that the Sunnah is to have one Athan (Call for prayer) for Friday prayer and it should be pronounced  after the Imam sits on the pulpit (Mimbar),  and not two Athans as the Sunnah which used to be practiced by the Caliphate Othman Bin Affaan (May Allah be pleased with him). As a result, this matter has led to dispute in some mosques. Would you kindly clarify the ruling of Islamic Sharia on this issue and issue a Fatwa in this regard in order to settle the dispute and  to ward off the trial?

After researching and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:
 In the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), the Athan for Friday prayer used to be pronounced after the Imam sat on the pulpit , and there is no dispute about its permissibility, as stated by Ibn Qodamah: "There is no dispute about the permissibility of the Athan for Friday prayer which is pronounced after the Imam sat on the pulpit, as it used to be in the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH)." As-Saa`b Ibn Yazeed said: "In the lifetime of the Prophet, Abu Bakr and `Umar, the Adhan for the Jumua prayer used to be pronounced when the Imam sat on the pulpit." (Bukhari).
As regards pronouncing the Athan before the Imam sat on the pulpit, it is the Sunnah of Uthman Bin Affaan and it was approved by the Prophet`s companions, so this proves that it is permissible. The wisdom behind this Athan is to remind the people to get ready for the Friday prayer, one hour before its due time. As a result, this Athan remained until present, following the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs (May Allah be pleased with them). The Messenger (PBUH) said: "So you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Caliphs Ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar teeth]. " {Mosnad ahmad}.

Nowadays, although the time between the two Athans for Friday prayer is short, it fulfills the essential purpose observed in the Sunnah of the Caliph Uthman Bin Affan (May Allah Be Pleased with him), giving prayer performers extra minutes to reach the mosque before the Imam sits on the Pulpit.

There is no sound reason for denying this Athan (the one pronounced before the Imam sits on the pulpit), nowadays, as it fulfills the aim of the Sunnah which used to be practiced by Uthman, 
and since its permissibility is based on the fact that the Prophet`s companions approved it. This is despite the fact that some traditions describe this Athan as one of the newly invented matters (in religion), as reported by Ibn Rajab in his book [Fateh Al-Bari, vol.8/pp.218-220]. It is considered newly invented (Mohdath) in the sense that it wasn`t pronounced in the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), and it isn`t intended for banning and forbidding. In fact, the companions invented as well as sanctioned it, and since there is no Sharia-approved evidence that it is forbidden, the four juristic schools have agreed that it is lawful as follows:

[Hashyat Ibn Adeen], a Hanafte book, stated: "The second Athan for Friday prayer is pronounced after the Imam sits on the pulpit, as a Sunnah."

[Manh Al-Jaleel], a Malikite book, stated: "The first Athan for the Friday prayer is a Sunnah."

[E`anat At-Talibeen], a Shafite book, stated: "The two Athans for the Friday prayer are permissible."

[Kash-shaaf Al-khina]," a Hanbalite book, stated: "The first Athan for the Friday prayer is recommended because Uthman has kept it as Sunnah and was observed by the Muslim Nation."

Pronouncing the Athan for the Friday prayer twice is effective in Jordan as determined by the Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and the Holy Sites. It is also adopted in the rest of  the Muslim World. Therefore, those who have a different opinion in this regard based on their Ijtihad (independent reasoning) aren`t allowed to create dispute and conflict in mosques to impose their view. In addition, they aren`t allowed to criticize others for not following suit. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti of Jordan: Sheikh AbdulKareem al-Khasawneh
Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel
Prof. Abdulnasser Abulbasal / Member
Dr. Yahia al-Botoosh / Member
Sheikh Sae`id Hijjawi / Member
Prof. Mohammad al-Qhodat / Member
Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh / Member
Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esa / Member
Dr. Mohammad  al-Z`obi / Member

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for a praying person to make supplication in each Sajdah (a prostration) of obligatory prayer?

It is permissible for a praying person, whether praying individually, or in congregation, to make supplication during Sujood (prostration) in obligatory, or voluntary prayers. However, it is disliked for the Imam to do so since he is required to spare the prayer performers any sort of hardship, unless he is leading a certain group who don`t mind him extending the prayer.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law if the follower (maʾmūm) stands up for the third rakʿah out of forgetfulness while the imam has sat for the middle tashahhud?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If the imam sits for the tashahhud while the follower (maʾmūm), out of forgetfulness, stands up for the third rakʿah, he is obliged to return to his sitting position, since following the imam is obligatory. In this case, no prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) is required of him. If, however, he fails to return, his prayer is rendered invalid.
Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "If the follower stands up alone out of forgetfulness, he is obliged to return, since following the imam is obligatory... If he does not return, his prayer is rendered invalid, due to his departure from what is obligatory." [Asnā al-Maṭālib,Vol.1/P.190] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the expiation for perjury?

One who commits perjury should repent, seek Allah`s forgiveness and offer an expiation which is: feeding ten indigent persons, or clothing them, or giving a slave his freedom, but if that is beyond his means then, he should fast for three days. Allah, The Almighty, Says in this regard (What means): "Allah will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth Allah make clear to you His signs, that ye may be grateful." [Al-Ma`idah/89].

See More