Essays on islam
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1 There are some nafl rak'ats besides these, such as the tahayyatu'l-masjid, two rak'ats for the honour of the mosque. They should be said on entering it, according to the Tradition, "When any one of you enters a mosque, make two rak'ats before you sit down" (to say the regular prayers). (Sahihu'l-Bukhari, Kitabu's-Salat.) 2 The Muialli may say five or three witr rak'ats instead of seven. 3 The Prophet one night said this namaz in his own room, but in such a position that he could be seen by those who passed by. For two or three nights people stopped and said prayers after him. After this, he retired to a hidden part of his room where he could not be 310 THE FAITH OF ISLAM a congregation of three persons besides the Imam. The Shafi'ites say there should be at least forty worshippers. (6) The, adhan, or call to prayers, must be made to all without distinction of rank. Any person who is qualified to act as Imam at the other prayers can conduct this namaz. The Imam 1 (precentor) and Khatib (preacher) is usually, but not necessarily, one and the same person. The khutbas should not be long, for Muhammad said that long sermons and short prayers would be a sign of the degeneracy of the latter days. When two khutbas are said, the Imam sits down to rest before the delivery of the second. The worshippers may then offer up a du'a, or private prayer. Some, however, say that this practice is bid'at (innovation), and consider it a very bad act. According to the Traditionists Bukhari, Abu Da'ud, and Tirmidhi, it is a mustahabb act to wear clean clothes on Friday. The preacher, standing on the second step of the mimbar or pulpit, with a large club or staff in his
A SERMON IN PRAISE OF FRIDAY 311 hand, delivers his sermon.1 The following is a specimen:— SERMON ON THE EXCELLENCE OF FRIDAY. In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God, the King, the Holy, the Great, the Knower. He has opened our hearts through the blessing of Islam. He has made Friday the best of days. We testify that there is no god but God, the One without partner. This confession saves those who make it from danger and from darkness. We testify that our Lord Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle sent to all mankind. May the mercy and peace of God be on him, his descendants, and on his Companions. O men! O believers of God! I advise you and my own soul thus: "Obey God! Know, O servants of God! that when Friday commences the angels assemble in the fourth heaven, and Gabriel (on whom be peace) is Mu'adhdhin, Mika'il the Khatib, Israfil the Imam, and 'Izra'il the Mukabbir, 2 and all the angels join in the Namaz. When it is over Gabriel says: "I give the reward due to me as Mu'adhdhin to the Mu'adhdhins of the sect of Islam; Mika'il: "I give mine to the Khatibs;" Israfil: "I give mine to the Imams;" 'Izra'il: "I give mine to the Mukabbirs." The angels say: "We give ours to the company of the Muslims." The Prophet said: "The night and day of Friday last twenty-four hours, and each hour God releases a thousand souls from hell. Whosoever makes 'ghusl' on Friday, God will give him for every hair on his body the reward of ten good deeds. Whosoever dies on a Friday meets with the reward of a martyr." Certainly the best and most eloquent speech is the Holy Qur'an, the Word of God, — the King, the Great, the Knower. 1 In countries under Muslim rule he holds a wooden sword reversed. The position of standing is a sunnat order, based on a Tradition by Ibn 'Umar, recorded by Bukhari: "The Prophet delivered the khutba standing, then he sat down." 2 One who says, "Allahu Akbar — God is Great." 312 THE FAITH OF ISLAM His word is true and righteous. When thou readest the Qur'an say: "O God! protect me from cursed Satan." In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful When ye are summoned to prayer on the day of the assembly, haste to the commemoration of God and quit your traffic. This, if ye knew it, will be best for you. And when the prayer is ended, then disperse yourselves abroad and go in quest of the bounties of God; and that it may be well with you, oft remember God. But when they get a sight of merchandise or sport, then they disperse after, and leave thee standing alone. Say: "God hath in reserve what is better than sport or wares. God is the best provider" (lxii. 9-11). God by means of the Holy Qur'an will bless us and you. And by its verses and teaching will reward us and you. God is Almighty, Generous, Merciful, Eternal, Holy, Clement. Here ends the first sermon: after a short pause the preacher commences the second.1 In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God, the Creator of the earth and heavens, the Maker of light and darkness. I testify that there is no god but God. He is one. He has no partner. Know, O believers! that this confession will save you from trouble and calamity. I testify that Muhammad, who wipes out error and infidelity, is the servant and Apostle of God. The mercy of God be on our Lord Muhammad, the Lord of Creation; and on his descendants, and on his Companions be grace and honour. O servants of God! I advise you and my own soul thus: Obey God! Fear God, who created life and death and who scrutinises our good actions. O God! be pleased with Abu Bakr, the righteous, the Sahibu'l-Ghar, 2 and with 'Umar Ibnu'l-Khatab, the chief of the holy men, 1 The first part is called the khutbatu'l-wa'z, the sermon of admonition; the second, the khutbatu'n-na't, the sermon of praise. 2 A reference to his presence with Muhammad in the cave (ghar) when they fled from Mecca to Madina. See Sura ix. 40. SALATU'L-MUSAFIR 313 and with 'Uthman the possessor of two lights, who was martyred when reading the Holy Qur'an, and upon 'Ali Murtada, the destroyer of infidels and sinners. O God! be pleased with the great Imams Hasan and Husain. Be pleased with their mother Fatimahu'z-Zahra, the chief of women, and with Hamza and 'Abbas, the uncles of the Prophet. Also be pleased with all the Ashab (Companions). O God! help those who help the religion of Muhammad, and make us of their number. Make those wretched who corrupt it, and keep us aloof from all such. O believers! truly God orders you to do justice and to show kindness to your kindred. He orders you to abstain from infidelity and from the greater and the lesser sins. God warns you. God is the Most High, the Most Glorious. God is Great!" The form in all Khutbas, whatever may be their subject matter, is very similar. The exordium and the conclusion are practically the same. A few sentences in the middle refer to the special subject of the sermon. The second of the two sermons is always the same; it is practically an invocation of blessings on certain persons. Both are said in Arabic. What would answer to our idea of a sermon, such as an explanation of some doctrine, or an exposition of some passages in the Qur'an, is not part of the public worship in the mosque; but is done in an ordinary assembly, in any convenient place, by a Mulla, or any learned man who can collect an audience. (ii) Salatu'l-Musafir. — Prayers said by a traveller. Should he stay in any one place fifteen days, he must say the usual namaz; if less, he may say as few as two fard rak'ats. He may omit all others, except the three witr rak'ats at the salatu'l-'isha. 1 1 Some persons once said to the Khalifa 'Umar: "we find the prayer of fear and the prayer of residence written in the Qur'an, but not the prayer of the traveller" 'Umar replied: "God sent to us Muhammad when we did not know anything about religion, we do what we saw him do" (Kashf i, 197, quoted by Klein, Religion of Islam, p. 143). This is a good illustration of a sunnat obligation. 314 THE FAITH OF ISLAM (iii) Salatu'l-Khauf. — Prayers of fear. When there is imminent danger from the approach of an enemy, the Imam should divide the army into two bodies; one of which should be placed in a position towards the enemy; the other should recite, if they are on the march, one rak'at; if stationary in a place, two rak'ats. This division will then march towards the enemy, and the first division will recite as many rak'ats as may be required to complete the namaz. The first division of troops will omit the fatiha and the other verses of the Qur'an recited after it, but the second division will supply the omission. If the enemy are so near that the cavalry dare not dismount, then each man will recite a rak'at or rak'ats for himself, and make the ruku' and sijda by means of signs. If he cannot turn towards the Qibla, he is, under such circumstances, allowed to face any direction most convenient. During the recital of the namaz he must not fight or allow his horse to move, lest the prayer should be rendered void. It is written in the Qur'an, "When ye go forth to war in the land, it shall be no crime in you to cut short your prayers, if ye fear lest the infidels carne upon you. . . . And when thou, O Apostle! shalt be among them, and shalt pray with them, then let a party of them rise up with thee, but let them take their arms; and when they shall have made their prostrations, let then retire to your rear: then let another party that hath not prayed come forward, and let them pray with you" (iv. 102, 103). (iv) Salatu't-Tarawih. 1 — This is a special set of twenty rak'ats, of sunnat obligation, recited every night during the month of Ramadan. They must be said after the fard and sunnat, and before the witr rak'ats at the 1 Also called prayer of pauses, because each worshipper rests awhile after each tarwiha prayer which consists of four rak'ats; the twenty rak'ats, or five tarwiha prayers, give the plural name tarawih to the whole prayer-service. SALATU'T-TARAWIH 315 time of the salatu'l-'isha. 'Abdu'r-Rahman, a Traditionist, states that one night in Ramadan he went with the Khalifa 'Umar to the mosque. They saw some persons saying the namaz alone, and some reciting it in groups. 'Umar said, "If I gather them all together, so that they may recite it after one Imam, it will be good." He did so, and the next night the people of their own accord came in great numbers and united together. Then said 'Umar, "This bid'at is good." This is good authority for the institution, for the Prophet said, "Follow my sunnat and that of the Khulafa'u'r-Rashidun." There is also a Hadithu's-Sahih to the effect that "God has made the fast of Ramadan fard, and its qiyam l sunnat." The Prophet was anxious that the tirawih namaz should not become fard, and therefore, after going to the mosque on three successive nights in Ramadan, he stayed away on the fourth, giving as his reason for so doing that he feared that, if he went every night, it might be considered a fard, and not a sunnat duty. The number of rak'ats is fixed at twenty, that being the number recited by Muhammad and by the Khalifa 'Umar. The Shi'ahs do not say these prayers, or even enter the mosque on such occasions, as after every four rak'ats an eulogium. is repeated on the four Khalifas, the first three of whom they hate. (v) Salatu'l-Kusuf and Salatu'l-Khusuf. — Prayer said when an eclipse of the sun or of the moon takes place. In the former case, the Imam recites with the congregation in the mosque two rak'ats. A Tradition recorded by Bukhari and related by 'Abdu'llah bin 'Amru states that "in the time of the Prophet, when there was an eclipse of the sun, it was notified that certainly the namaz was to be said in the congregation." In this 1 Qiyam is one of the positions in a namaz, and is here used by synecdoche for it. In Mecca the salatu't-tarawih is called with reference to this Tradition the salatu'l-qiyamiah. 316 THE FAITH OF ISLAM salat the adhan and the iqamat are both omitted. No khutba is said. After the rak'ats are completed those present remain in prayer (du'a) until the eclipse is at an end. The namaz during an eclipse of the moon is the same as that during an eclipse of the sun, with this exception, that the rak'ats need not be recited in a congregation. The practice is founded on the Prophet's saying, "When you see an eclipse, then remember God; pray (du'a) and recite the namaz until it becomes light again." (vi) Salatu'l-Istisqa'. — Prayer in time of drought. Each person should then, with face Qibla-wards, offer up prayer to God. This can be said at home and in private. Care must be taken that no Dhimmi 1 is present, for this is a prayer for a blessing; but God sends no blessing on a company in which a Dhimmi is present. These prayers are simple du'a and not a salat. There is no well-authenticated Tradition to the effect that the Prophet ever said salat on such an occasion, whilst there are many which show that he made du'a. This is a very good example of the use of the term salat as a mushtarak word, i.e., one which has several significations. Its ordinary meaning is namaz, here it means du'a. (vii) Salatu'l-Janaza. — Prayers at a funeral. When a person is about to die, the attendants should place him on his right side with his face Qibla-wards. In that position he should repeat the " kalimatu'sh-shahadat," the creed of testimony: "I confess that God is one, without a partner; that truly Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle." After death has taken place, the corpse is laid out, incense is burnt, and the shroud is perfumed an odd number of times. An odd number of prayers is fixed upon because the number one,
SALATU'L-JANAZA 317 which represents the unity of God, is odd and not even. The lesser lustration (wadu') is then made. The head and beard are washed with a decoction made of some flowers, after which the greater lustration (ghusl) is made. To recite the Salatu'l-Janaza is a duty called fardu'l-kifaya, that is, if some few persons in the assembly say it, all need not do so; whilst if no one repeats it, all will be guilty of sin. To prove that this salat is fard the following verse is quoted: "Take alms of their substance, that thou mayest cleanse and purify them thereby, and pray for them; for thy prayers shall assure their minds: and God heareth, knoweth" (ix. 104).1 The proof that it is not fardu'l-'ain (i.e. incumbent on all), but fardu'l-i-kifaya, is drawn from an account given in a Hadith to the effect that the Prophet one day did not recite the salat over one of his deceased followers. Now, if the salat had been fardu'l'ain, even the Prophet could not have omitted it. His sunnat, or practice, has decided the nature of the fard command contained in the verse of the Qur'an just quoted. This salat can only be said when the corpse is present. It is recited in the open space in front of the mosque, or in some neighbouring spot: never in the graveyard. When all are assembled the Imam or leader says "Here begins the salat for the dead." The company present then stand up in rows with faces turned in the direction of Mecca. The Imam stands a little in front, near the head or waist of the corpse, according as it is that of a male or female. Then all assume the qiyam or standing position, and recite the niyyat as follows: "I recite salat for the sake of God, and offer prayers (du'a) for this deceased person, and I follow the
Then they say the thana: "Holiness to Thee, O God! and to Thee be praise! Great is Thy Name! Great is Thy greatness! Great is Thy praise! There is no God but Thee! Then follows the second takbir: "God is Great!" Then all say the salatu'l-Ibrahim:2 "O God, have mercy on Muhammad and upon his descendants, as Thou didst bestow mercy, and peace, and blessing, and compassion, and great kindness upon Abraham and upon his descendants." "Thou art praised, and Thou art Great!" "O God, bless Muhammad and his descendants, as Thou didst bless, and didst have compassion and great kindness upon Abraham and upon his descendants." Then follows the third takbir: "God is Great!" The du'a is then repeated: "O God, forgive our living and our dead, and those of us who are present, and those who are absent, and our children and our full-grown persons, our men and our women. O God, those whom Thou dost keep alive amongst us, keep alive in Islam, and those whom Thou causest to die, let them die in the Faith."3 Then follows the fourth takbir: "God is Great!" Then all say: "O God, give us good in this world and in the next, and save us by Thy mercy from the troubles of the grave and of hell." Then each one in a low voice says the salam, as in an ordinary salat. 4
SALATU'L-JANAZA 319 The salat is now over, and the people make another du'a thus: "'O our Lord! suffer not our hearts to go astray after that Thou hast once guided us, and give us mercy from before Thee; for verily Thou art He who giveth' (iii. 6). O God, Thou art his Master, and Thou createdst him, and Thou didst nourish him, and didst guide him toward Islam, and Thou hast taken his life, and Thou knowest well his inner and outer life. Provide intercessors for us. Forgive him, for Thou art the Forgiver, the most Merciful." 1 Then going towards the head of the corpse, they say: — "No doubt is there about this Book (Qur'an). It is a guidance to the God-fearing, who believe in the unseen, who observe prayer (salat), and out of what We have bestowed on them expend (for God), and who believe in that which hath been sent down to thee (Muhammad), and in what hath been sent down before thee; and full faith have they in the life to come: these are guided by their Lord; and with these it shall be well" (ii. 1-4). Then coming towards the feet of the corpse, they say: — "The Apostle believeth in that which hath been sent down from his Lord, as do the faithful also. Each believeth in God, and His angels, and His Books and His Apostles: We make no distinction between any of His Apostles.1 And they say: 'We have heard and we obey. (We implore) Thy mercy, Lord; for unto Thee must we return.' God will not burden any soul
The chief mourner then says: "All have permission to depart." Some then proceed homewards, others go with the corpse to the graveyard. When the bier is lifted up, or when it is placed down near the grave, the people say: "We commit thee to earth in the name of God and in the religion of the Prophet." If the ground is very hard, a recess (lahd) is dug out in the side of the grave, high enough to allow the corpse to sit up when the angels Munkar and Nakir come to interrogate it. If the ground is soft, a small grave is excavated at the bottom of the larger one. The corpse is then placed in the lower one. The corpse must be in such a position that it can have free movement. The body is placed with the face towards Mecca. When the bands of the shroud have been loosened the people say: "O God, deprive us not of the heavenly reward of the deceased, place us not in trouble." Each person then takes seven clods of earth, and over each clod says "Bismillah" (in the name of God), and the Suratu'l-Ikhlas (cxii.), and then places each clod by the head of the corpse. Unburnt bricks, 1 That is, the Jews and Christians, on whom, it is said by the Muslim commentators, many strict ceremonial observances were incumbent. The word often used to express the idea of the burdensome nature of ceremonial observance is taklif, trouble. Practically, Muslims are not free from these "loads," a fact which finds expression in the word used for a pious man — a mukallaf, one who has to take trouble in the way of performing religious duties. SALATU'L-JANAZA 321 Yüklə 1,67 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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