Abu Zakariyya Ahmed Al-Hudaydi

Do Not Abandon Islamic Clothing for an Imagined Fear of Libās al-Shuhrah (Garment of Fame) Imam Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani رحمه الله

The Noble Character of Mercy Shaykh Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “The Prophet ﷺ encouraged adopting the noble character of mercy. The elder shows mercy to the young, the wealthy shows mercy to the poor, and the scholar shows mercy to the ignorant by teaching him and being patient with him. In this manner, a person extends mercy according to the need for it and according to the circumstances that call for and require it. So he should not be harsh and hard-hearted, nor tyrannical and stubborn, nor one who insults and abuses people, turns away from them, looks down upon them, or mocks them. These are all harmful traits that are incompatible with the presence of mercy—the mercy which the Prophet of mercy ﷺ encouraged in these aḥādīth and others like them. All of them encourage the servant to adorn himself with the quality of mercy: ‘Show mercy to those on the earth, and the One above the heavens will show mercy to you.’” 📚 ʿAwn al-Aḥad al-Ṣamad Sharḥ al-Adab al-Mufrad, p. 120.

Mothers Are Full of Mercy Shaykh Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “A mother may stay awake so that her child can sleep. She may go hungry so that her child can eat his fill. She may be afflicted by anxiety and fear while he remains safe. And there are many other examples of a mother preferring her child over herself. She may even wish that she herself would become ill rather than her child. This is an instinctive quality placed within the hearts of mothers, and likewise fathers, although it is stronger and more apparent in mothers. The Sharīʿah came affirming and strengthening this natural instinct, and how immense is the reward attached to it. It has been authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ that if a woman loses two children, they will be a barrier and protection for her from the Fire. That is only due to the great right she has, and because of what her heart contains of love and self-sacrifice for her child over herself.” 📚 ʿAwn al-Aḥad al-Ṣamad Sharḥ al-Adab al-Mufrad, vol. 1, p. 114.

The Ruling on Performing Wudu Without Observing the Proper Order Question: A person made a mistake in the order of wudu. For example, he wiped his head before washing his arms, while knowing what he was doing. Is his prayer valid with this wudu? Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, answered: His prayer is not valid, because this wudu is not valid. He began by wiping his head before washing his arms, whereas Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ﴾ “O you who believe! When you rise to perform the prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe over your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles.” [Sūrah al-Māʾidah: 6] And the Prophet ﷺ performed wudu in this prescribed order. So if a person reverses the order of his wudu, he has performed an action that is not in accordance with the command of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. It is authentically established that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our matter, it is rejected.” Meaning: it is rejected and returned to him. So if the wudu is rejected, then it is invalid. And if he prays with that wudu, then he has prayed with an invalid state of purification, so his prayer is not accepted, due to the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: “No prayer is accepted without purification.” 📚 Liqāʾāt al-Bāb al-Maftūḥ (p. 35).

Is Wearing a Thobe in Non-Muslim Countries Considered a Garment of Fame (Libās al-Shuhrah)? Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan حفظه الله

The Necessity of Avoiding Waswasah and Turning Away from It Question: When a person performs wudu, waswasah comes to him and says: “You did not wash your fingernails,” or, “You did not wash your ankles or feet.” Is it permissible for him to ignore these thoughts and leave them? Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, answered: Some people experience frequent doubts. Every time one of them performs wudu, he doubts: did I complete washing this limb or not? A person like this should not pay any attention to such doubts, because if he were to take account of them while they are frequent, he would exhaust himself. However, if we suppose that the doubt is a genuine one and does not occur frequently, then that doubt is taken into consideration, and certainty is used to remove the doubt. But if a person does not even know how many times he has repeated something, then this means that he is suffering from waswasah. In this case, he should not continue remaining in doubt. Some people may recite al-Fatihah more than once, and likewise repeat the Tashahhud. Such a person is suffering from waswasah. What I hold is that he should abandon this waswasah, because if he opens the door of waswasah upon himself, he will become exhausted. Shaytan will come to him and make him doubt his prayer, and may even make him doubt matters concerning Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. His condition may even reach the point where he doubts concerning Allah, or Shaytan may make him doubt regarding his wife: “Did I divorce her or did I not divorce her?” and other similar matters. Therefore, a person must leave this and turn away from it. Meaning: if he doubts, he should not pay any attention to that doubt. He should not repeat the verse and should not recite it again at all. If he has recited it once, that is sufficient. Even if he then doubts whether he recited it correctly, he should turn away from this doubt. 📚 Liqāʾāt al-Bāb al-Maftūḥ (p. 22).

From the Legislated Adhkar Before Sleeping Question: What should a person say from the legislated adhkar when going to sleep? Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, answered: It is authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ that when he went to sleep, he would blow lightly into his hands while reciting: ﴿قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ﴾ “Say: He is Allah, the One.” [Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ: 1] ﴿قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ﴾ “Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak.” [Sūrah al-Falaq: 1] ﴿قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ﴾ “Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.” [Sūrah al-Nās: 1] Then he would wipe his face and as much of his body as he was able to reach with his hands. This is authentically established from him every night, whenever he intended to sleep. He also instructed ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fāṭimah, may Allah be pleased with them both, to say Subḥān Allāh thirty-three times, Al-ḥamdu lillāh thirty-three times, and Allāhu akbar thirty-four times before sleeping. He said: “Indeed, this is better for the two of you than a servant.” This was because they had asked the Prophet ﷺ for a servant, so he said: “Shall I not direct you to something better for the two of you than that?” Then he mentioned the Tasbīḥ. Likewise, a person should recite Āyat al-Kursī and should also recite whatever he is able to from the adhkār authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ, such as: بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ “In Your Name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and by You I raise it. If You take my soul, then have mercy upon it, and if You release it, then protect it with that by which You protect Your righteous servants.” 📚 Liqāʾāt al-Bāb al-Maftūḥ (p. 19).

The Permissible and Impermissible Cases of Changing One’s Intention During the Prayer Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Changing the intention during the prayer is of three types: It may be from one specific prayer to another specific prayer, or from a general voluntary prayer to a specific prayer. These two are not valid. But if it is from a specific prayer to a general voluntary prayer, then there is no problem with that. An example of changing from one specific prayer to another specific prayer is this: A person intends to change from the Duha prayer to the regular Sunnah prayer of Fajr which he wishes to make up. He begins the prayer intending to pray the two Rakʿahs of Duha, then remembers that he did not pray the regular Sunnah of Fajr, so he changes his intention and makes it the Sunnah of Fajr. This is not valid, because the two Rakʿahs of the Sunnah of Fajr must be intended from the very beginning of the prayer. Likewise, if a man begins the ʿAsr prayer and, during the prayer, remembers that he did not pray Dhuhr, so he changes his intention and makes it Dhuhr, this is also not valid. This is because a specific prayer must be intended from its beginning. As for changing from a general voluntary prayer to a specific prayer, an example is a person who is praying an unrestricted voluntary prayer, then remembers that he has not prayed Fajr, or has not prayed the Sunnah of Fajr, so he changes the intention of that prayer and makes it the Fajr prayer or the Sunnah of Fajr. This is also not valid. As for changing from a specific prayer to a general voluntary prayer, an example is a person who begins the prayer intending it to be the Sunnah of Fajr, having forgotten that he had already prayed it. Then, during the prayer, it becomes clear to him that he had already performed it. In this case, he may change from his original intention to the intention of merely performing a voluntary prayer. Another example is a person who begins an obligatory prayer on his own, then a congregation arrives. He wishes to change the obligatory prayer into a voluntary prayer so that he may restrict it to two Rakʿahs as a Nafl prayer, then join the congregation. This is permissible because he has changed from a specific prayer to a general voluntary prayer. So this is the principle: From one specific prayer to another specific prayer: not valid. From a general voluntary prayer to a specific prayer: not valid. From a specific prayer to a general voluntary prayer: valid. 📚 Liqāʾāt al-Bāb al-Maftūḥ (p. 27).

A Warning Against the Destructive Movement of Feminism: The Call to “Freedom” or the Ruin of Homes and Families? Shaykh Ali bin Zayd al-Madkhali حفظه الله

Do Not Let Your Night Pass Without Prayer — Allah Has Made the Night Prayer Easy! O Muslim, reflect upon the tremendous ease and mercy that Allah has placed within His legislation. How often do we tell ourselves that the night prayer is difficult—that we are too tired, that standing is too burdensome, or that we cannot manage a lengthy prayer—yet when we return to the Sunnah, we find that Allah has opened for us door after door of ease. The night prayer is not restricted to one rigid manner. If you have strength, pray standing, for this is better and carries the complete reward. Yet if you are tired and find standing difficult, you may pray sitting. And even if you have no excuse whatsoever, your voluntary prayer while sitting is still valid, though the one who sits without an excuse receives half the reward of the one who stands. Our Mother ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Prophet ﷺ would pray for a long time during the night standing, and for a long time during the night sitting. When he recited while standing, he would bow and prostrate while standing, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate while sitting.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 730] And if you do not wish to remain standing for the entire prayer, nor sitting for the entire prayer, combine between the two. Sit and recite, then stand shortly before the rukūʿ and complete what remains of your recitation while standing. ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray while sitting, and he would recite while sitting. Then, when there remained from his recitation approximately thirty or forty verses, he would stand and recite them while standing. Then he would bow, then prostrate, and he would do the same in the second rakʿah.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1119; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 731] And if you begin standing but become tired, sit down and continue. If you begin sitting and later find strength, stand and continue. If you pray sitting, you may sit in whichever position brings you comfort and allows you to concentrate upon your Lord, while sitting cross-legged (mutarabbiʿan) is preferable in the places mentioned. ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I saw the Prophet ﷺ praying while sitting cross-legged.” [al-Nasāʾī, no. 1661; al-Ḥākim, no. 947; authenticated by Shaykh al-Albānī] Look at the vastness of this legislation: stand if you can; sit if you wish; combine between standing and sitting if that is easier; and if sitting, sit in a manner in which you find comfort. Allah did not make drawing near to Him during the night dependent upon possessing extraordinary strength. And if you are genuinely unable to stand due to a valid excuse, you should not imagine that your reward is diminished. As for the one capable of standing who chooses to offer a voluntary prayer sitting, the Prophet ﷺ said: “The prayer of a man sitting is half of the prayer.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 735] So even the one who is healthy, but on a particular night finds himself overcome by tiredness, still has a door open before him. Rather than saying, “I am too tired to pray tonight,” sit down and pray. Rather than allowing the entire night to pass without a single voluntary rakʿah, offer what Allah has made easy for you. Two light rakʿahs are better than a night from which your share of voluntary prayer is nothing. Perhaps you return home exhausted from work or study. Pray sitting. Perhaps your body is tired but your heart still desires to stand before Allah. Begin sitting and stand when you find strength. Perhaps you begin standing with enthusiasm but fatigue overtakes you. Sit and continue. Perhaps you cannot manage lengthy recitation. Recite what is easy for you. The objective is not that every night must resemble the worship of those capable of standing for hours; the objective is that you do not abandon this tremendous door of drawing close to Allah merely because you cannot do the most complete form of it.

Three Destructive Dangers of Taking Knowledge From the People of Innovation Shaykh Abū al-ʿAbbās ʿĀdil ibn Manṣūr al-Bāshā حفظه الله

A Society Is Not Saved by Righteous People Alone: Righteousness Must Be Accompanied by Reform—Be Among the Reformers! Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan حفظه الله

Thereafter, whenever Jibrīl came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would listen, and when Jibrīl departed, the Prophet ﷺ would recite it just as he had recited it.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 5; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 448) Jibrīl would recite, and when he had finished, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite. This is far removed from transforming Qurʾān recitation into a synchronised collective performance in which voices are joined upon a single rhythm. And this exposes the weakness of the argument: “But it is Qurʾān!” Yes—it is Qurʾān. And precisely because it is Qurʾān, its recitation is an act of worship deserving the utmost adherence to the Prophetic guidance. Good intentions do not give us permission to devise new forms for acts of worship. Consider the remarkable ḥadīth of al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib رضي الله عنه. The Prophet ﷺ taught him a supplication before sleeping, ending with: «آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ» “I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.” When al-Barāʾ repeated it and said: «وَبِرَسُولِكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ» “And in Your Messenger whom You sent,” the Prophet ﷺ corrected him and said: «لَا، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ» “No; and in Your Prophet whom You sent.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 247; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2710) “Messenger” is undoubtedly a true description of Muḥammad ﷺ. Yet when a specific act of worship had been taught with a particular wording, the Prophet ﷺ corrected even this substitution. So what then of introducing an entire collective form and rhythm into the recitation of the Qurʾān and presenting it publicly as a religious gathering? This is the fundamental principle that must be understood: in worship, sincerity is not sufficient without conformity to the Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ» “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it is rejected.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 2697; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1718) The question, therefore, remains simple: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite the Qurʾān with his Companions collectively in one voice and one rhythm? Did Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān or ʿAlī رضي الله عنهم conduct Qurʾān gatherings in this manner? Did the Companions require a method of preserving and revising the Qurʾān that was unavailable to us today? If the reason for doing it existed in their time, and they possessed every ability to do it, yet this particular religious form was not transmitted from them, then why should Muslims generations later believe that introducing this form constitutes a “revival”? What, then, is the true revival? Revival is to return people to the Qurʾān upon the way of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Revival is to teach its recitation correctly. Revival is to memorise it, revise it and contemplate its meanings. Revival is for one to recite while others listen. Revival is to fill the masājid and homes with the Book of Allah according to the guidance transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. But attaching the noble word “revival” to a particular religious practice does not establish that practice as Sunnah. The Qurʾān does not need us to invent a new manner of honouring it. Allah perfected this religion before the death of His Messenger ﷺ: ﴿ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ﴾ “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islām as your religion.” [Al-Māʾidah 5:3] So let every Muslim who loves the Qurʾān ask himself before participating in any newly organised form of worship: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ worship Allah in this manner? Did his Companions do so? Where is the evidence for this particular description and form? For the greatest honour we can show the Book of Allah is not merely to recite it beautifully, but to recite it, teach it and worship Allah through it upon the Sunnah of the one to whom it was revealed ﷺ.

The Qurʾān Is Revived by Following the Sunnah — Not by Inventing a Manner of Recitation An event recently took place at East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre under the title “Recital Revival,” featuring ʿAbdulrashīd Sufi and his student, Jamal Abdinasir. Before them sat hundreds of attendees, gathered together and reciting the Qurʾān collectively in a single rhythm and unified voice. The issue here is not the recitation of the Qurʾān itself, nor its memorisation, revision, or teaching. All of these are tremendous acts of worship and among the greatest means of drawing close to Allah. The issue is the manner in which the worship is performed. A deed does not become Sunnah merely because its foundation is legislated. Reciting the Qurʾān is worship, but worship is restricted by the guidance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in its manner, description and form. Therefore, when a particular collective form is introduced—people gathering to recite simultaneously, with one voice and one rhythm—the question is not: “What is wrong with reciting Qurʾān?” Rather, the question is: Where is this particular manner of reciting it found in the guidance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions? The need to memorise, revise and preserve the Qurʾān existed more strongly in their time than in ours. The Prophet ﷺ himself commanded that the Qurʾān be continually reviewed, saying: «تَعَاهَدُوا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ، فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَلُّتًا مِنَ الْإِبِلِ فِي عُقُلِهَا» “Keep reviewing this Qurʾān, for by Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muḥammad, it escapes more quickly than camels from their ropes.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 791; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 5033) Yet despite this need being present, where is it authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ gathered his Companions and instructed them to recite the Qurʾān together in one voice and upon one rhythm as a means of preserving their memorisation? Rather, even when Jibrīl عليه السلام was conveying the Revelation to the Prophet ﷺ, Allah instructed His Messenger ﷺ: ﴿ لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ۝ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ۝ فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ ﴾ “Move not your tongue concerning (the Qurʾān, O Muḥammad ﷺ) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muḥammad ﷺ) the ability to recite it (the Qurʾān). And when We have recited it to you [O Muḥammad ﷺ through Jibrīl (Gabriel)], then follow you its (the Qurʾān’s) recital.” [Al-Qiyāmah 75:16–18] Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما said regarding these verses: «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُعَالِجُ مِنَ التَّنْزِيلِ شِدَّةً، وَكَانَ مِمَّا يُحَرِّكُ شَفَتَيْهِ - فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: فَأَنَا أُحَرِّكُهُمَا لَكُمْ كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُحَرِّكُهُمَا، وَقَالَ سَعِيدٌ: أَنَا أُحَرِّكُهُمَا كَمَا رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ يُحَرِّكُهُمَا، فَحَرَّكَ شَفَتَيْهِ - فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ۝ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ﴾، قَالَ: جَمْعُهُ لَكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ وَتَقْرَأَهُ، ﴿فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ﴾ قَالَ: فَاسْتَمِعْ لَهُ وَأَنْصِتْ، ﴿ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ﴾، ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ تَقْرَأَهُ، فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ اسْتَمَعَ، فَإِذَا انْطَلَقَ جِبْرِيلُ قَرَأَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ كَمَا قَرَأَهُ» “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to experience difficulty in receiving the Revelation, and he used to move his lips. Ibn ʿAbbās said: ‘I am moving them for you just as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to move them.’ And Saʿīd said: ‘I am moving them just as I saw Ibn ʿAbbās moving them,’ and he moved his lips. Then Allah Most High revealed: ‘Move not your tongue concerning it to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it.’ He said: ‘To collect it for you in your breast and for you to recite it.’ ‘And when We have recited it, then follow its recital.’ He said: ‘Listen to it and remain silent.’ ‘Then it is for Us to make it clear.’ Then it is for Us to enable you to recite it.

You Slept Through the Prayer—When Must You Pray It, and Is Any Further Delay Allowed? Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhayli حفظه الله

The Dangerous Innovation of So-Called “Islamic Nasheeds” — A Distraction from the Qurʾān and a Deception in Worship! Shaykh Abdurrahman Al-Umaysan حفظه الله