Sermon Details
Answer to ISLAM QA Regarding their Opinion Joining Prayer
ABOUT SERMON: Joining Salat
Answer to ISLAM QA Regarding their Opinion Joining Prayer
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ.
Dear Brothers and Sisters …
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Today I have been contacted to answer the following article regarding Joining prayers.
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/102505/putting-two-prayers-together-when-not-travelling
Alhamdulillah, being the Imam of Cadishead & Irlam Islamic Centre, my first priorities are to educate The Ummah in the light of Authentic hadith to follow the footstep of Rasool Allah ﷺ (s.a.w).
Alhamdullillah, every day my efforts are to learn the Deen and provide the best answers in the light of Authentic hadith like other prominent scholars. I pray to Allah that this post will be beneficial to you and May Allah open your heart towards the teaching of Rasool Allah ﷺ (s.a.w).
To start with first I would like to appreciate the work done by ISLAM QA in various matters under the supervision of Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid for always providing authentic hadith. But in this matter, it really surprised me how the Shaykh totally ignored the evidence of authentic hadith and jumped to the “Muaddal” Hadith from Ibne Shaybah and ignored Ibne Shaybah’s first degree hadith in the same chapter. But mistakes can be made by anyone. We are not here to Win or lose but to gain the correct knowledge.
I would like to mention here regarding the writer of Musanaf Ibne Shaybah Imam Abu Bakar Abdullh bin Muhammad bin Abi Shaybah who also wrote a specific chapter providing 487 authentic hadith in reply/rejection to Imam Abu Hanifa’s opinion against the Sahih Hadith. So, mistakes happen.
The reason behind this is because the Islam QA Team is “Salafi” who do not endorse any matter if it is carried out by Shia even if it is proven from authentic hadith, in fact the Shia people make this an everyday practice which is also incorrect, but it should not cause anyone to have a grudge to the extent that you deny the Sunnah of Rasool Allah ﷺ (s.a.w) completely.
To explain this ISLAM QA article and provide the best answers, I will copy and paste the context of ISLAM QA website and then provide answers paragraph by paragraph, hadith to sahih hadith in more detail.
Only thing in the article I would not be able to attach is the Ibne Shaybah’s English PDF evidence as I do not have English book or PDF, but Hadith number in the Book are crystal clear with the Chapter, and easy to find in any language. So references will be in Urdu book Vol 3 Musanaf Ibne Shyabah.
Question
I live in Britain and I pray in a mosque that is near where I live, but the congregation in this mosque puts Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers together at the time of Maghrib. The reason they give for that is that the time period between ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayer is very short and is not sufficient for rest. Please note that the imam of the mosque gives as evidence for that the fact that according to the report of Ibn ‘Abbaas, the Prophet (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) put together Zuhr and ‘Asr, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’, in Madinah with no excuse.
The person who asked the question he/she quoted the Sahih Hadith from Sahih Muslim 705b. https://sunnah.com/muslim:705b
The below is the Answer from ISLAM QA.
Praise be to Allah.
The shar‘i texts clearly indicate that it is obligatory to offer the five daily prayers at the specified times, and that it is not permissible to put together Zuhr and ‘Asr, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’, without any excuse such as sickness, travelling, rain and the like which would make it difficult to offer each prayer at its own time. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [an-Nisa’ 4:103], i.e., the prayer is obligatory at specific and known times.
Answer: First there is no doubt about Surah Nisa 4:103 “Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [an-Nisa’ 4:103], i.e., the prayer is obligatory at specific and known times.
Before the Sura Nisa verse, Shaykhy started with Shari Text indications. What is Shari Text indication? Proof from Quran regarding fixed timing of 5 daily prayers. Let see below:
Point 1. So, there are around 67 verses in the Quran about Salat timing.
Point 2. Now a question arises: What timing and how many prayers are mentioned in the Quran 3 or 5?
Explanation: In the Quran, there’s is no direct naming of the five prayers. It does not say pray Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha salah. Nowhere in the Quran does it say this explicitly. All ayah is referring to as it is just referring to three distinct time periods. All Scholars are agree on this.
Dawn – Noon – Night
Which can further define as follows:
Dawn – Fajr
Noon – Zuhr and Asr
Night – Maghrib and Isha
Point 3. So, according to Surah Nisa 4:103 fixed hour prayers with in three timing, so in that case there is nothing wrong with praying jointly without any excuse, so whoever is following Rasool Allah ﷺ (s.a.w) by offering praying jointly without Fear, journey or rain or to avoid hardship are very well under this Quranic Ayat and fixed hour definition.
See: Fath al-Baari by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, 3/7-8
Ibn Abi Shaybah (2/346) narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) that they said: “Putting prayers together without any excuse is a major sin.”
Critical Point 1. In Musanaf Ibne Shaybah there are two chapter regarding this.
- The people who used to pray jointly.
- The people who consider this as Makrooh without any excuse.
In the first Chapter he starts with Authentic hadith of Messenger of Allah ﷺ (s.a.w) of offering prayer jointly without any excuse. Same reference to the Sahih Muslim & Sahih Bukhari.
In second chapter the people who consider this as Makrooh and “Kabirah Gunah” Major Sin without “any excuse” without any valid reference and mostly is from Taba Tabian and unverified.
So in simple words
The Sunnah/Permisison of Messenger of Allah ﷺ (s.a.w) is declared as Makrooh even Kabirah Gunnah “Major Sin” if without any Excuse.
“Without any Excuse” I will explain this point next.
Point 2: Also reference from Abu Moosa Al – Ash’ari and Umar Ibn al Khattab is not authentic and “Muaddal” hadees. In which it is mentioned as Major Sin (Kabira Gunnah).
Point 3. Islam QA straight way jumped to “Muaddal” hadith ignoring all the 42 Authentic hadith in the same chapter in Musanaf ibne Shaybah and even ignored Saheehan books regarding Rasool Allah ﷺ (s.a.w) praying jointly without fear, Travelling, rain or without any excuse. So, this is very unfair and inappropriate to use “Muaddal”hadith and then on the top declare sunnah as Kabirah Gunnah.
For your convenience I have attached the screen shot of starting chapter from page 49, and I have attached separately whole chapter from Musanaf Ibne Shayba from page no 49 to 55.
With regard to the report narrated by Muslim (1/489) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put together Zuhr and ‘Asr, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’, when there was no fear and he was not travelling and it was not raining – this does not mean that he put prayers together without any excuse. Rather it was said to Ibn ‘Abbaas concerning that: What made him do that? He said: He wanted not to make things difficult for his ummah. In other words, he did not want to cause them hardship and difficulty. This indicates that there was an excuse for putting prayers together in this hadeeth and were it not for putting the prayers together it would have caused hardship for the people.
Answer: Now regarding above Sahih hadith from Sahih Muslim, first I would like to present the hadith correctly and without adding any comment/wording in the hadith.
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the noon and afternoon prayers together in Medina without being in a state of fear or in a state of journey. (Abu Zubair said: I asked Sa’id [one of the narrators] why he did that. He said: I asked Ibn ‘Abbas as you have asked me, and he replied that he [the Holy Prophet] wanted that no one among his Ummah should be put to [unnecessary] hardship.) ”Sahih Muslim 705b https://sunnah.com/muslim:705b
Point 1. In the hadith Actions of Rasool Allah (ﷺ) are clear regarding praying together noon and afternoon prayers and similarly in few hadith under same chapter praying together Maghreb and Isha Without any Fear, Travelling or raining or excuse. Moreover, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned that he did this so no one among his ummah should be put to unnecessary hardship.
Point 2. In the commentary of the hadith ISLAM QA Sheikh added the “indication of Excuse”. Before explaining this, I have given the clarity that this practice is without any excuse and providing facility to the person or Imam to judge himself his comfort to conduct the joint prayers.
Point 3. Now let’s focus on the ISLAM QA Sheikh’s saying, “indicate that there should be excuse”.
If we accept his point which is irrelevant according to sahih Hadith, then people living in UK and other countries have a valid excuse of exceptional prayer timings , especially Isha with Maghreb in Britain as compared to Arab or Asian countries timing.
Examples. In Arab/Asian countries the timings are very much perfect all year round where Isha prayer never falls beyond 8:45 pm but remember Rasool Allah (ﷺ) still left for ummah this facility to pray jointly without any excuse in the Arab without Fear, Travelling or rain or under unnecessary hardship.
In Britain the scenario is that Maghreb Prayers starts from 9:47 pm and then Isha goes on to 10:50 pm and similarly Fajar prayer start around 3:10 AM. So, if you consider there is only 3 to 4 hours’ time between Isha & Fajar, which leads to serious hardships as there is a lot of activities in the day.
For regular Namazi this is very hard and very much a valid excuse to making decision for offering prayer jointly Isha with Maghreb jointly. Which is very Valid Excuse!
So even if according to Abu Mossa Ashari RA and Hazrat Umer’s RA Hadith we got the valid excuse in the Britain and we are doing the right thing.
Also, I never witness in Britain people start praying Zuhr and Asr prayers together. No Masjed does this neither the individuals because it is easy to catch the Zuhr and Asr prayer because of long timing approx. 8 hours. So, no one is abusing the system.
FOR BEST EXAMPLE FOR WITHOUT ANY EXCUSE, PLEASE SEE BELOW HADITH
‘Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: Ibn ‘Abbas one day addressed us in the afternoon (after the afternoon prayer) till the sun disappeared and the stars appeared, and the people began to say: Prayer, prayer. A person from Banu Tamim came there. He neither slackened nor turned away, but (continued crying): Prayer, prayer. Ibn ‘Abbas said: May you be deprived of your mother, do you teach me Sunnah? And then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) combining the noon and afternoon prayers and the sunset and ‘Isha’ prayers. ‘Abdullah b. Shaqiq said: Some doubt was created in my mind about it. So I came to Abu Huraira and asked him (about it) and he testified his assertion. Sahih Muslim 705g. https://sunnah.com/muslim:705g
VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND THAT NAMAZ DELIBRATEY DELAYED THEN OFFER JOINTLY DUE TO BAYYAN/SERMON, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE WERE CRYING FOR SALAT ON TIME AND THEY RECEIVED A VERY BITTER RESPONSE FROM HAZRAT ABBAS RA.
But more interestingly ISLAM QA conflicts own article and comes with the IDEA of excuses separate to travel sickness and rain for joining the prayer, please must read this article on ISLAM QA, specially how they allowed the Maghreb and Isha.
I CAN PROVIDE MORE HADITH WITH ACTIONS OF SAHABA TO PROVE THIS BUT I WANT TO KEEP THIS SHORT.
Al-‘Allaamah Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his comment on Fath al-Baari (2/24): The correct way to interpret the hadeeth mentioned is that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put together the prayers mentioned because of some difficulty that occurred on that day, such as widespread sickness, severe cold or mud and the like. This is indicated by the fact that when he was asked about this putting the prayers together, Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “so that he would not make things difficult for his ummah.” This is a clear answer which indicates that there was an excuse. End quote.
Answer: According to Allaamah Ibne Baaz comments on Fath al Baari, this is just his opinion using Dhaif “Muaddal” Hadith against Authentic hadith of Rasool Allah (ﷺ)and actions of Sahaba.
Now this interpretation gone to another side like sickness and illness which is totally incorrect as all number of hadith in Sahih Muslim, Sahih Bukhari books clearly mentions without any Fear, Travelling, or Rain and without any excuse. Also, Ibne Baaz before referring to the weak hadith from Ibne Shaybah ignores Ibne Shaybah’s 42 Authentic Hadith starting from 8311. Please see these hadith number 8337 and 8339.
Both these hadith are without any chain and so challenging the authenticity, I believe ISLAM QA’s answer is totally incorrect and misinterpreted by quoting Dhaif and Muallaq hadith.
Based on that, quoting this hadeeth as evidence is not appropriate. What is required is to offer each prayer at the time specified for it in sharee‘ah. If there is an excuse or reason for putting prayers together, such as sickness or rain, then there is nothing wrong with putting prayers together in that case.
Answer : Quoting from Dhaif “Muaddal” hadith as compared to Authentic hadith from Saheen books offering prayers jointly is very inappropriate. Also, I Imam Cadishead & Irlam Islamic Centre strongly reject the opinion which goes against the sahih Hadith of Rasool Allah (ﷺ) as Musanaf Ibne Shaybah did.
Anyone who wants to pray jointly with or without excuse there is nothing wrong and permission granted from Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) without any if and buts. But we need to make sure it should not be misused or making permanent habit even when there is facility available to carry on 5 times prayer every day.
In the same Chapter Abu Moosa Asahrai himself Used to pray together when travelling between Madina to Moutain Uhad after remove from Governorship.
So, there is question regarding hadith no. 8320 about Abu Musa Ashari himself used to offer prayer jointly with in very small distance, so according to Abu Musa Ashari he considers this is as a Valid Excuse to join the prayers. “Allah knows Best. So, this reflects the problem of “Muaddal” Dhaif Hadees and relying on these as compare to Sahih Hadith.
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our Prophet as your Lord commanded:
Allahumma Sallai Al’a Muahmmad’n wa’aila Muhammad
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Imam Mahboob Rasool