Part 36

It has been narrated that one of the governors wrote to ‘Umar ibn al-Khatrab, “There are a group of people here who come together, and make du’ a (in congregation) for the Muslims and the Caliph’. So ‘Umar ordered some of his servants to go with sticks, and beat them, and in fact he helped them in this!” This, despite the fact that they were actually making dua for him, as he was the Caliph at that time. This narration is clear proof that congregational dv’ a is an innovation that was strongly disapproved of by the Companions.

It should be mentioned that congregational du’ ds are permissible during certain occasions that the Sunnah has confirmed (such as during the khuthah on Friday, or during the Witr prayer when it is performed in congregation), but to make it a habit on other than

“4 Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah, # 6242. See Abu Zayd, p. 72.

such occasions makes it an innovation. Additionally, it directly contradicts many of the etiquettes of du’ a, and opens up the door for riya (showing off one’s deeds). Such congregational du‘ das make it easier for a person’s thoughts to wander, as concentration can only be perfected when one makes the dua oneself.

3. To Clasp One’s Hands to One’s Chest During Dua This is contrary to the proper manner of du @, as the Sunnah

is to ask with the palms outwards. In fact, this act resembles the -manner of prayer of the Christians.

4. Tawassul with the Status of the Prophet (3%)

The way that a person does this is that he prays: O Allah, I ask you by virtue of the status of Your Prophet (#%) that you grant me such and such. This concept has already been discussed previously.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote: “(Tawassul with the status of the Prophet (#%) is incorrect) despite the fact that the status of the Prophet (#%) is greater than the status of all prophets and messengers. However, the status of a created being with the Creator can never be compared with the status of a created being with another created being. None can intercede in front of Allah except with His Permission. Yet mortals can intercede on behalf of one another without any permission, so the intercessor becomes like a partner in attaining the goal”.*” This too has already been discussed in detail.

5. To Specify the Unspecified

What is meant by this is that a person specifies a certain time, or a certain place, ora certain dw’ 4, that is not specified by the Shariah, and believes that such an act will increase the chances of his du'z

** ALHalabi, p. 95.

being accepted. So, to make a habit of making du‘a on, say the twelfth of Rabi‘ al-Awal, or at a certain location, is an innovation. Likewise, to specify a particular du‘ a before or after doing an act is also considered an innovation (unless such a specification is found in the Sunnah). It is not allowed to add constraints or details that are not found in the Quran or Sunnah, believing that such acts will be more rewarded by Allah!

Another example that is common is that during the zawaf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah) many people read specific du’ as for each round, believing that this is part of the Sunnah. Yet, there is nothing specific of this nature found in the Qur’an or Sunnah, so if a person does this, believing that these specific du‘as are encouraged or more rewarding than others, then he has fallen into a did ah, or religious innovation.

Other examples of this include making a New Year’s wish, or doing the same while blowing out candles, or at the beginning of spring and autumn, or any other occasions that have not been speci-

fied by the Shariah.

6. The Statement “May Allah Establish it and Preserve it”

This statement is made by many people after the statement of the mu’adhin: “The prayer has been established (Qad gamat alsalah)”.

However, the basis of this is a weak narration, reported by Abu Dawéd and others.

SOME WEAK HapbiTH REGARDING Du’ 4

There are a number of weak or fabricated 2hadith that are, unfortunately, circulated amongst the masses as authentic traditions of the Prophet (#8). A Muslim should be cautious when he quotes any hadith or accepts them without verification. He must realise that a hadith is a statement attributed to the Prophet (3%), thus it is essential that this attribution be correct.

Some of the more common of these are as follows.

1. The First Hadith

“Du @ is the weapon of the believer, and the pillar of Islam, and the light of the heavens and earth”.

This hadith was narrated by al-Hakim (1/492), but as Ibn Adi and al-Haythami pointed out, it is fabricated. This is also the conclusion of al-Albani in his al-Da' ifah, # 179.

2. The Second Hadith

“When Adam did the sin that he did, he said, ‘O Allah! I ask you by the right of Muhammad that you forgive me’. Allah said, ‘O Adam! And how do you know Muhammad and [ have still not created him?’ He replied, ‘O Allah! When you created me with Your hands, and blew into me Your spirit, I lifted my head, and saw written on the pillars of the throne, ‘La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad Rasal Allah,’ And I knew that You would not link with Your name except the most beloved of creation to You’. So Allah said, ‘You have told

the truth O Adam! He is the most beloved of creation to me, so make du‘ a to Me by his rights, and I have forgiven you. And were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created you.”

This hadith is narrated by al-Hakim (2/615), and al-Dhahabi said of it, ‘It is fabricated!’ This was also the opinion of Ibn Hajr, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Kathir and others. (See al-Da'ifah of al-Albani,

3. The Third Hadith

“When matters overwhelm you, then seck help from the people of the graves.”

This is another hadith whose fabrication can be detected immediately from its contents. This because it is commanding the believers to commit shirk by asking the dead to fulfil their needs!

In fact, this hadith does not even have an isnad (chain of narrators) to it, so it has no basis whatsoever. (See al/-Tawassul of Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 25.)

4. The Fourth Hadith

“Perform tawassul with my status, for verily my status in the sight of Allah is exalted.”

This hadith too has no :smad to it, nor is it narrated in any of the source books of the Sunnah. Despite this fact, it is used by many people in order to justify zawassul through the status of the Prophet

There is no doubt that the status of the Prophet (#%) is higher than the status of any other person, but this does not necessitate performing tawassul through him, as tawassul is an act of worship

which cannot be based on desires or logic, as has already been stated. (See al-Da' ifah, # 22.)

5. The Fifth Hadith

“When Ibrahim was thrown into the Fire, Jibril asked him, ‘Do you need any help?’ He replied, ‘From you, no!’ So Jibril said, ‘Ask your Lord’. Ibrahim replied, ‘It is sufficient asking that my Lord knows my situation’””.

Again, this hadith has no basis to it, as it is not found with any isnad in any of the books of the Sunnah. On the contrary, it is based on Judaeo-Christian narrations, and its meaning contradicts the Shariah. The Quran is replete with the du‘ as of the prophets and believers, so how can it be claimed that dua is not required just because Allah knows the situation of the servant? Of course Allah is aware of the situation of His slaves, but this does not give the slave an excuse not to make du’ @ to Him! The evidences for all this have also already been documented above. (See also: Majmiai' al-

6. The Sixth Hadith

“When one of you leaves his house to go to the masjid, and says, ‘O Allah! I ask You by the right that those that ask have over You, and I ask You by the right (that I have over You) because of this walk of mine... (to the end of this long hadith).””

This hadith is narrated by Ibn Majah (# 778) and others. However, its isnad is extremely weak, and therefore al-Busayri said, ‘It is full of weak narrators,’ and Ibn Taymiyyah, Ahmad Shakir and alAlbani all agreed with him. (See al-Da' ifah, # 24.)

This hadith contains an inappropriate meaning, and that is that the one who asks has a right over Allah that He respond to the du‘ a. No one has any right over the Creator; it is only Allah that can

legislate any rights upon Himself! Yes, it is true that Allah has promised that He will respond to the dua of a person (as long as it is performed properly), but this is a promise that Allah has given, and not a right that creation has over Him, and the difference between these two concepts is clear.

7. The Seventh Hadith

It is narrated that the people of Madinah, after the death of the Prophet (2%), were afflicted with a severe drought. So they complained to ‘A’ishah, the Prophet's (#%) wife, about it. She said, “Look at the grave of the Prophet (#%), then place a window (in the roof) facing the sky, so that there is no cover between it and the sky”. This they did, and it rained so plentifully that the plants sprouted forth, and the camels became fat.