There were three people sitting in the mosque, one praying and the other praying. Friday prayer according to the madhhab of Imam Abu Hanifa. Van crashes into crowd outside north London mosque, killing one

All praise be to Allah.

There are cases in which it is permissible to hold a second congregational prayer and cases in which it is not permitted.
It is prohibited when people agree in advance to come to the mosque after the imam has performed the first joint prayer. It is also prohibited when the second prayer in the mosque turns into something permanent, systematic, such as when it is established that the first joint prayer will be at a certain time, and the second at another time.
This is clearly prohibited because it leads to disunity among Muslims and people stop seeking the first prayer.

But if the second congregational prayer is performed in the mosque unintentionally, without any agreement, such as when a group of people enters the mosque after the imam has finished praying and they pray together, then there are different opinions regarding this. The correct view is that this is permitted and mustahab because it brings a reward for praying together.

Shaykh ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) said, describing the case of the second prayer in the mosque: Regarding the first scenario, when two joint prayers are constantly performed in the mosque, then this is undoubtedly makruh, if not haram, because it is a bid'ah (innovation) and was not known from The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions.
Another example is al-Masjid al-Haraam, until the Saudi government changed it, there were four jamaats each with an imam: the Hanbali imam led prayer for the Hanbalis, the Shafi imam led the Shafi'is, the Maliki imam led the Malikis, and the Hanafi The imam led the Hanafis. They said: This is the place of Shafi, this is the place of Maliki, this is the place of Hanafi and this is the place of Hanbali.
But King Abdul Aziz entered Mecca and said: “This divides the ummah, i.e. The Muslim ummah is divided in one mosque, and this is not permitted. Therefore, he united everyone behind one imam. And this was one of his good and worthy deeds (may Allah have mercy on him)
Division of the Ummah is prohibited.
Moreover, this leads to laziness, because people may say: If there is a second congregational prayer, then we will wait until the second group comes and people stop striving to participate in the first congregational prayer behind the imam.”

Then he mentioned the second incident and said:
“As for the second case, when this happens without prior agreement, i.e. There is a permanent imam in the mosque, but sometimes two or three people are late for a good reason, then scholars are divided on this issue.
Some scholars have said that congregational prayer should not be repeated, i.e. each should be done separately.
Firstly: the hadith of Ubay ibn Ka'b, according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A person praying with another is better than praying alone, and praying with two people is better than praying with one person. How more people, the more dear it is to Allah” Narrated by Abu Dawud (554) and an Nasai (843). This clearly states that it is better to pray with another person than alone. If we say that there should not be a second congregational prayer, then this means that we have chosen the less preferable choice, and this is contrary to the text.
Secondly: One day, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting with his companions, and one man came after they had finished praying together. He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) asked: “Who will give alms to this man and pray with him?” One of the people stood up and prayed with the man” Tirmidhi (220). This clearly shows that congregational prayer can be done after constant congregational prayer because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) condoned that someone should pray with that man. If someone says that this is charity, and when two men are late and perform the second prayer together in the mosque, then they are doing what they are obliged to do, then the answer can be that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ordered to perform this act of beneficence and pray with that man, to the one who has already performed the prayer, then is it not prescribed for the person who has not yet performed the prayer to pray with this man?
The third scenario is when the mosque is located in a market or on a road, etc. If it is a mosque in a market where people come and go, and two or three or ten men gather, pray and then leave, as happens in mosques in markets, then it is not makruh to repeat the prayer together. One of the scholars said: There is a consensus on this matter and there is no difference of opinion, because it is a mosque where people come and go. different groups, and there is no permanent imam behind whom people could unite. al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/227-231).
We can advise our brothers to reconcile and try to unite and put an end to differences and disunity and selfishness. One should try to maintain unity and harmony; can this be a reason for division and quarrels?
We have the example of Abdullah ibn Musud (Radia Allahu Anhu) who criticized Uthman (Radia Allahu Anhu) for performing the full prayer in Mina, but despite this, he also performed the full prayer. When asked about this, he said: “Division is evil” Abu Dawud (1960).
Among the indications of the importance of unity is that a large number of scholars said that it is permissible for the imam to omit certain types of sunnah in order to unite people, as Shaykh ul Islam ibn Taymiyyah said:

“If the imam thinks that an action is mustahab, but the people praying behind him do not consider it mustahab, and he skips it for the sake of unity and harmony, then that is better. An example of this is the Witr prayer, regarding which there are three opinions:
1. Witr can only be performed in three rak'ahs, like Maghrib, and this is the opinion of people from Iraq
2. Witr can only be performed in one separate rak'ah, this is the opinion of many people from Hijaz
3. Both opinions are acceptable, this is the opinion of Shafi, Ahmad and others and this is the correct opinion, despite the fact that they preferred one separate rak'ah.
If the Imam believes that it should be performed separately, and the people behind him believe that Witr should be performed as Maghrib, and he agrees with them in order to unite, then it is better, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Aisha : “If your people had not gotten rid of jahiliyya so recently, I would have destroyed the Kaaba and built it level with the ground and with two doors, one for entry and the other for exit.” But he refused what was in his opinion the best, so as not to alienate people. If a person believes that reading the basmala aloud is correct, but there are people behind him who do not think so, or vice versa, then if he agrees with them, then it is better.”
al-Fataawa al-Kubra (2/118).

We ask Allah to guide us on the right path.

Eleventh Foundation of Understanding

Innovation is a fallacy that must be fought

Every innovation in the religion of Allah that people unjustifiably introduced into Islam for the sake of their whim or passion, regardless of whether it added or subtracted something from the religion, must be eliminated by the best means, so that it does not lead to the worst.
This basis solves one of the most important issues of the system of protection of religion and the safety of people. In this topic, firstly, it is necessary to understand the concept of “innovation”, and, secondly, how to deal with it. “And [know] that this [path] is a straight road [showed] by Me. Follow it, and do not follow other paths, or you will be led astray from the path He has indicated” (Scotus 153).
The message with which the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, came is broad and flexible enough to satisfy all human needs and provide a person with everything necessary for a full life. For this purpose it is used simple circuit, in which religious matters are explained in detail while secular matters are left generalized. IN religious issues a Muslim is required to follow all the details and details revealed in the Qur'an and Sunnah; in worldly matters, Islam encourages development, renewal and progress. The Qur'an says "We have not missed anything in this book." A believer must do what the Messenger of Allah commanded him and beware of everything he forbade. “So take what the Messenger has given you and avoid what he has forbidden you,” (Collection 7).
The essence of religion lies in two things, worshiping Allah alone and worshiping Him as He has established. “For a believing man or woman there is no choice in any matter if Allah and His Messenger have decided. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger is in clear error” (Homma 36). And of course there are actions, customs and rules that people follow to achieve earthly goals, and these actions or customs can change depending on expediency. Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah wrote: “The affairs of people are divided into two types. These are either rituals of worship—necessary for religion, or customs and traditions—necessary for earthly life.”
Religious rites generally require obedience and performance. In ordinary matters, Islam has liberated people by limiting their choices to only certain prohibitions. “Say: “What do you say about the food that Allah has sent down to you, part of which you have declared forbidden and the other part lawful?” Ask: “Has Allah allowed you to do this, or are you making lies against Allah?” (Yunus 59). From here well-known rule which states that all things are permitted except those things that are prohibited. This raises the question, what is the innovation that Allah has so strictly forbidden?
IN Arabic, the word "bid-a" means inventing or creating something new, without a previous image. “Allah is the one who first created the heavens and the earth,” (Cow 117). As a term, innovation is defined as follows: it is an action that began to be observed after the message of Muhammad, peace be upon him, for the purpose of getting closer to Allah, and which has no basis in the orders, confirmations or actions of the Prophet or his companions, peace be upon them.
The hadith of Irbad ibn Saria is considered one of the main ones on the issue of innovation. He talks about the sermon of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, from which his eyes filled with tears. They felt that this was a farewell sermon and asked the Prophet to give them instructions. He said: “I command you to fear Allah, to obey and submit to your rulers, even if an Ethiopian slave is appointed over you. Whoever of you lives longer will see a lot of strife, so follow my sunnah and the sunnah of the righteous Rashid caliphs, stick to it with your teeth. Beware of innovations (mukhdas) in business, because every innovation is an innovation (bid-a), and every bid-a is a delusion.”
So, in this hadith, every “mukhdasa” (innovation) is called “bid-a” (innovation), and every “bid-a” is a delusion. From the point of view of language, the words “mukhdasa” and “bid-a” are very close in meaning, almost synonymous. A translator can translate the first word as innovation, and the second as innovation, or vice versa, and everything will be correct. Most likely, it seems to me, the first word, “mukhdasa,” came here in a linguistic meaning, and the second, “bid-a,” as a Sharia term that was already known among the listeners. And therefore “innovation” in the terminological sense is “misconception”.
It also becomes clear that in this hadith the innovation is initially associated with political strife. The hadith talks about innovations in business. Religion can be called works, as for example in the hadith, which says that “if someone brings into this our work, something that is not from it, it will be rejected.” Also, a matter can be called government and board. Thus, in other hadiths, the word “deed” came with precisely this meaning. In the hadith of Irbad we find that "deed" means power. The Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned strife, and then instructed to obey and submit to the legitimate ruler, even if he was an Ethiopian slave. Indeed, in the history of Islam, the first innovation was that of the Kharijites, who took up arms against the rulers and refused to recognize the legitimate authority, declaring the rest of the Muslims who did not support them as apostates.
Historically, the first innovation in Islam was the delusion of the Kharijites. And it became firmly established in the minds of Muslims that this was the first innovation, which, as we see, was predicted by the Messenger of Allah. Then, innovations of the Qadarites appeared, which introduced distortions into the doctrine of predestination, then the delusion of the Mu'athazilites appeared, who said that the Koran is a created word, etc. Now we need to understand this term.

The innovation, "bid-a", is strictly prohibited, and this is known from very much evidence. “Say: “Obey Allah, obey the Messenger,” (Light 54). Imam Muslim reports from Aisha that the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever does an act that does not correspond to our religion, this action will be rejected.” Also the hadith of Irbad ibn Sariya, who came above. Ibn Masud said: “Follow what is given to you and do not invent anything new.”
We will limit ourselves to these examples. Hence, Muslims believe that a prohibited innovation is an action that falls into the category of rites of worship, performed by a person with the goal of getting closer to Allah and which has no basis in Islam. If we specify the aspects of Islam in which a Muslim stops at the boundaries determined by Sharia, then these are the basics and details of doctrines, rituals of worship, what is prohibited and what is permitted. Thus, prohibited innovations include adding to the faith that which is not prescribed by the Quran or the authentic Sunnah as part of the faith (provided that this opinion has no basis in religion at all). So, in the hadith of Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said “The best words are the book of Allah, and the best path is the path of Muhammad, peace be upon him, the worst things are innovations, every innovation is “bid-a”,” Bayhaki ends with the words “a every error in Hell." As we see, the Prophet clearly indicated here that prohibited innovations are those that contradict the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
According to Imam Shatibiy in “Yatisam”: “bid-a” can be in rites of worship and religious institutions. And there is disagreement over whether business as usual is included in this. According to some scholars, ordinary things cannot be innovations at all. As for innovation, Shatibiy writes that this is “a path in religion, invented by man, which is similar to Sharia actions, with the help of which one strives to get closer to Allah by committing excess in worshiping Him.” Initially, Shatibiy indicated that this innovation is included in permitted matters in which there are no Sharia regulations, but the innovation establishes boundaries, conditions, forms, certain courses of action, temporary or local regulations, requiring constant compliance with these regulations. Shatibiy further adds that the very concept of innovation means that this action has no basis in Sharia and was created initially.
The condition here, as is already clear, must be that by this action a person intends to approach the worship of Allah with the conviction that this action complements religion.
An example of discrepancies in a relatively ordinary matter is wearing clothes of a certain color or material for the purpose of worshiping Allah. The question arises: is this an innovation or not? After all, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, did not do this. Also, scholars differed regarding some of the Prophet's actions, whether it was religion or common practice. For example, constantly wearing a hat. This may be sunnah, but it may also simply be the tradition of that time and place. If we consider this a common thing, then wearing a headdress specifically in rituals will be an innovation.
But if we find at least a weak hadith, or an interpretation of a Quranic verse acceptable in Arabic, and this opinion does not contradict stronger evidence, then this is no longer an innovation, but an opinion, even if very weak. Following a weak opinion is also not commendable and may be prohibited if the evidence for a strong opinion is clear and indisputable. The mistake of a mujtahid is excusable, but following this mistake is not justified if a person has learned about the weakness of this opinion by considering the evidence of both sides. Here, of course, young people should be warned about what happens when a person studies the evidence of one opinion, and has not made an effort to study the foundations of the second opinion, and believes that the second opinion is weak.
A clear innovation would be changes in the rituals of worship, when, for example, someone changes the number of rakats in prayer, or the amount of zakat, or the number of walks around the Kaaba, or cancels the obligation to read the Koran in prayer, or washes his hands up to the wrists, and not to the elbows. Many examples can be given. The condition here is the same - the action is performed as a ritual or part of it, and has no basis in the Koran or Sunnah. As for prohibitions and permissions, the innovation here is the prohibition of what is permitted and the permission of what is prohibited with the belief that this is religion and approaching Allah. “They follow only guesses and what their souls yearn for. But guidance on the straight path came to them from their Lord” (Star 23). Let us remember the story of the three companions who made it a religion for themselves to forbid marriage, obligatory fasting every day and praying all night long.
Of course, here we see examples of such innovations that are not only prohibited, but also lead a person out of Islam. Therefore, innovations in Islam are divided into two categories. The first of these includes innovations that contradict the clear, well-known foundations of Islam, unambiguous and indisputable evidence. And after explaining and establishing all the arguments, after refuting doubts and false evidence, either repentance or apostasy follows. But some innovations, even if they clearly relate to errors, do not lead out of Islam if they are innovations born of errors in the interpretations of complex texts.
As for worldly affairs, as has already been written, here man is given the freedom of invention, renewal and development, in order to improve his life and living conditions. Moreover, Islam encourages human progress if it is done for good purposes and for the benefit of the whole world. So, for example, the Messenger of Allah said to the farmers who were cultivating their palm trees, “You know best what to do in your affairs.” worldly life". He also happily accepted the advice of Salman Farisy to dig a defensive ditch around Medina, which the Muslims had not done before, and Omar ibn Khattab used the experience of neighboring states in organizing the structure public services, army and taxation. In this understanding, all Muslims are unanimous that innovation is prohibited and progress is necessary. Some scholars here recall the words of Ibn Masud: “Whatever Muslims consider good, it is good with Allah.” Some scientists use these words as evidence that some innovations can be good, as already discussed in this framework.
The duty of Muslims in our time is to cleanse their religious practice and faith from all innovations that have no basis in Islam and lead to distortions. But this should be done gradually and wisely. And it doesn’t matter that many Muslims have become accustomed to various innovations when following the right path seems strange or even reprehensible. Our Prophet predicted this when he said, “Islam came as strangers and will return as strangers as it came. I promise the Garden of Eden “Tuba” to strangers,” then the Companions asked what kind of strangers they were, he said, “Who correct when other people are corrupt,” (Ahmad). In Ahmad’s collection, “These are the exiles of the tribes.” Ibn Wahb says: “These are the ones who adhere to the book of Allah when people abandoned it, and observe the Sunnah when it is forgotten,” and also “These are the ones who revive my Sunnah, which people killed.” It would seem that the topic of innovation is a very simple and clear topic, then why are there so many disagreements between believers regarding what is considered an innovation and what is not. These disagreements have several reasons, but the worst reason, in my opinion, is that Muslims do not want to agree at all, or rather, they are spiritually and morally not ready to come to a common opinion. In other words, many wish to remain in conflict and division. Allah knows what is in the souls of these people... What is needed in order to find a common indicator? First, sincerity of intention. Second, overcoming your addiction, especially excessive love or dislike for someone. Third, the use of precise scientific judgments, and finally, fourth, do not equate the words of the great first scientists of Islamic times, such as the four imams, Shatibiy, Ibn Rajab, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Hajr, Nawawi, Bukhari or Muslim, Ghazali or Ibn Taymiyyah, with those who cannot hold a candle to them. And if someone allows himself to call something an innovation, then let him not allow himself to do this just because some yesterday’s university bachelor, who today became a sheikh in Russia or Ukraine, or heard the recording of some Saudi or Egyptian sheikh, to whom someone sponsors a TV show. Knowledge is taken from scientists, and not even from their books. Since words can be interpreted as you please, or quoted as convenient. Which is sometimes observed among people who call themselves “people of the Sunnah” or “Sufis”. These two directions, one might say, are opposite sides in the matter of innovation.
If we adhere to the four conditions that are given here, then, by the will of Allah, Muslims will be able to overcome differences in such an issue as excessively complicated in our times as innovation.
Controversial practices in innovation: classification of innovations
“Bid-a-idafiya”, whether innovations are divided into those that are prohibited and those that are permitted.
So, we understood what true innovation is – forbidden, delusion. Huzaifa ibn Yaman said about this: any worship that was not worshiped by the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, do not worship them either. After all, the first did not leave the last anything that needed to be supplemented. Also, we saw that there are discrepancies regarding some cases. As Shatibiy wrote, these are innovations in religious institutions that have a basis and evidence in Sharia, but the form, image, quantity, specific time and place were introduced without Sharia evidence. This innovation is called “idafiya”. This is what we will talk about.
Scientists differ on this innovation. Shatibiy classified it as a prohibited innovation. Ibn Abdussalam, Karafi and others believed that this does not apply to prohibited innovations. There may be a terminological disagreement here. For example, some scientists do not consider such actions prohibited, but do not call it an innovation at all. Others call it a good innovation, in the linguistic sense.
Thus, Imam Shafii writes about innovation “Bid-ah, this is everything new that was done without a previous example or image. There are two types of this. The first is innovations that contradict the Quran and Sunnah, or the legacy of the Companions or the unanimous decision of the Ummah. Such innovation is a delusion. The second type is something new that is good, without a previous example or image, and which does not contradict those named things.”
Ibn Hazm writes: “Everything that is not named in the Quran or Sunnah is an innovation. But innovation can be good, then the one who makes it receives a reward; such innovation always has a common basis in religion. Since it falls under the principle of general permissibility.”
Abu Hamid Ghazali writes: “When it is said that something was introduced as an innovation after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, then not all of it is prohibited. Innovation that contradicts what is established in religion is prohibited.”
Izuddin ibn Abdussalam writes “Innovation is an action that was not performed during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him. There are two types of innovation: prohibited, undesirable, permitted, desirable and obligatory.” Imam Ibn Abdussalam means that innovation necessarily falls under the action, if not of a specific law, then of a general basis in religion. And then the norm is determined in relation to this innovation.
Abu Shama writes: “Innovation is something that did not exist during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, confirmed by words or approval, or falls under the general rules of Sharia. If an innovation is permissible, then it cannot be condemned. Therefore, innovations are divided into two types - positive and negative."
Ibn Asir writes: “Innovation is of two types. Righteous innovation and errant innovation. What contradicts the commandments of Allah and His Messenger is innovation and delusion.”
Nawawi “Innovation is something that did not exist during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him. It can be praiseworthy or blameworthy.”
Badruddin Aini “Innovation is something that did not exist during the time of the Prophet. It comes in two types. What is subject to a positive norm is a positive innovation. And vice versa".
Ibn Taymiyyah “An innovation that contradicts the Koran, Sunnah and Ijma is a prohibited innovation. What does not contradict is not called innovation at all.”
Ibn Rajab said: “The innovation prohibited in the hadith is that innovation that does not have a common basis in the Shariah. An innovation that has a basis in Shariah is not an innovation at all.”
As we see, the words of scientists are unambiguous and clear that innovations are divided into two types. Even if the phrases and formulations are different, the point is that there are two conditions that must be present for an action to be considered an errant innovation. First, this innovation must contradict the unambiguous laws of the Koran, or the reliable Sunnah or Ijma. Secondly, this innovation cannot have a common basis in Shariah. If the action has a common basis and does not contradict the laws of Sharia, then the next question is only a question of terminology. Do not call this action a positive innovation or an innovation at all. But this is no longer important, since Sharia defines it by meaning, and not by name. We know that Shariah does not prohibit the use of the word “bid-a”. Even Allah has one of His beautiful names derived from this root.
Moving from theory to practice, we find that there are several illustrative examples of disagreement. And so that the reader does not decide that the author of the article wants to reinforce one of the opinions, I will immediately make a reservation. The purpose of the article is not to support one of the opinions, but to create tolerance and respect between the parties to these differences.
If we give examples of innovations made by the companions of the Messenger of Allah, there are many of them. For example, such innovations include restrictions on worship to a certain time and quantity where Sharia law has not established such restrictions. For example, dhikr is the remembrance of Allah. The Koran says “O you who believe! Remember Allah many times” (Hosts 41). How many times? When to commemorate? It is not defined, and can a believer determine for himself a specific time and number of commemorations? Here we can note that there are restrictions on the Messenger, peace be upon him, when he named the number one hundred, but this is rather a minimum. So the hadith says: “No one can do better only if he remembers Allah as much or more.”
Here is a story that Omar condemned a group of people who constantly sat in the mosque from morning prayer until sunrise, after which they read the prayer of the spirit. But we know that all this is conveyed in the sunnah. As some scholars explain, he condemned them not because they did this constantly or collectively, but because they abandoned their affairs and problems that should not be abandoned.
As for the amount of worship determined by a person at a time determined by him. Ibn Hajr in his book al-Isaba states that Abu Hurayra praised Allah (tasbih) twelve thousand times a day.
Imam Zahabi in “Siyar Yalamu”, when writing about Abdul Ganiy Maqdasiya, said that after each of his lessons he prayed three hundred reqaats.
Ibn Kathir writes in Bidayah wa Nihaya that Abu Hurayra made twelve thousand praises to Allah a day. He also cites that Zinul Abidin, the grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib, made two reqaats near each palm tree in his garden, and he had more than five hundred palm trees. And this is every day. All these examples relate to the issue of dividing innovations into prohibited and good. Some scientists said so. Others did not classify such actions as innovations at all. It can also refer to “bid-a-idafiyya.” Here, Sheikh Hasan Waladdiddu notes that if a person does it only individually, for himself, this does not apply to innovation at all. It becomes controversial when it is practiced continuously and collectively.
Thus, in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim it is stated that Belyal, after each ablution, read two recats of prayer. The Messenger, peace be upon him, praised him for this, but did not teach him to do it every time. And we know that if Belyal had done something wrong, the prophet would not have remained silent. So, for example, when three of his companions began to say that they fast every day, pray all night and do not sleep, and do not marry, he, the Prophet, reproached them and said that this was not his way. This is a reliable hadith, as well as the hadith in Bukhari, where it is reported that Abu Bakrat (not to be confused with Abu Bakr Syddiq), trying to make a bow in prayer, bent over even before he stood in a row. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “May Allah increase your efforts, but do not do this again.”
Other examples. It is reported by Bukhari and Muslim that Rifaa, after bowing from the waist, said the prayer “O our Lord, great praise is to You, in which is Your blessing.” The Prophet did not teach such a prayer to Muslims. And when the prayer ended, the Prophet, peace be upon him, highly praised Rifaa for such words. It is known that the Meccan pagans captured Khubayb ibn Adiy and decided to execute him. Before his death, he asked permission to read a prayer of two rekaats. This was reported by Abu Hurayrah. A listener asked him if this was Khubaib’s innovation, to which Abu Hurira replied, “Ibn Harith killed him, and Khubaib introduced two reqaats into Islam before his death for every Muslim who is executed,” (Bukhari). It is also reported in Bukhari that Abu Said Khudriy read Surah Fatiha to a sick person to cure him. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, learned this, he asked how Abu Said could know that reading Fatiha is a treatment with the Koran. He confirmed this action, which he had not previously taught to Muslims. Let us also remember that Abu Bakr and Osman collected the Koran into a single collection, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not do.
Regarding the use of rosaries. Ibn Kathir cites that Abu Hureyra had a rope with twelve thousand knots for the remembrance of Allah. Another version has a thousand nodes. Imam Sakhaviy in “Jawahirul Durar” cites that Ibn Hajr, if he sat in the assembly, remembered Allah, and his rosary was in his sleeve so that no one could see. Ibn Taymiyyah writes in Majmuah Fatawa that some people considered remembrance using beads not desirable, while others considered it permissible. And if you are sincere in remembering, then there is no harm in it.
Regarding the event dedicated to the birthday of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Inb Hajr, in his commentary on the hadith, which talks about the celebrations organized by the Jews on the day of Ashura, the day of salvation of Musa, peace be upon him, cites that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “We are closer to Musa than they are.” And he taught Muslims to fast on this day. From here, Ibn Hajr concludes that it is desirable to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday with some good deed or worship. Quoted by Imam Suyuti in the book “Khusnul Maqsad in Amal Mawlid”. Ibn Hajr writes that from this hadith, one should conclude that it is necessary to thank Allah for what he has given us or helped us on a certain day. You can give thanks different types worship. If mawlid is an innovation that did not exist in the first three centuries, then there are many different benefits in its implementation, and if one uses the benefits and avoids the forbidden, then this innovation will be positive.
Also, Abu Shama, who lived in the seventh century, cites that the ruler of the city of Arbil gathered people for a celebration on the day of the maulid and distributed alms to the poor. Also, other scholars cite many Muslim rulers who celebrated the maulid with various good deeds and worship. For example, Suyuti cites from Ibn Kathir the following story about the ruler Omar Jamia Migfani. Ibn Khalikan also reports from Ibn Khattat stories about many Muslim rulers who did this. Of course, history is not evidence of Sharia, much less the actions of individual rulers. But scientists give these examples without condemning such actions; also, scientists who lived in those places and witnessed such events did not classify this as a prohibited innovation.
Reading Surah Fatiha to deceased people. The recitation of the Qur'an and the subsequent prayer for the transfer of a reward to a deceased person is confirmed by Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qaym. This is reported by Abu Yual in "Tabakatul Khanabil". It is reported that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about the actions when visiting a cemetery. He said that you can read the “verse of Kursiy”, Surahs Fatiha, Ikhlas, Falyak and Nass three times, then ask Allah to transfer the reward for reading to the dead. And it will reach them. These are the words of Ahmad, which were not transmitted from the Prophet or Companions. As we see, on these issues there are opinions that claim that all this does not apply to prohibited innovations, since it does not contradict the prohibitions and has a basis in religion. The difference is rather verbal and not semantic, because if some scientists call such things a positive innovation, then Ibn Taymiyya and Shatibiy do not call them innovations. And even if they are called, then in a figurative sense in relation to the Sharia term, or in a literal sense in relation to the linguistic meaning. Also, Ibn Taymiyyah in “Ikhda Sawab Linnabiy” writes that after performing a certain worship, it is permissible to ask Allah to transfer the reward to the deceased Muslims. And this is the opinion of Ahmad, Abu Hanifa and some of the students of Malik and Shafi'i.
For example, blessing the Prophet, peace be upon him after the Ezan, is prescribed in religion, but the fact that the muadzin himself does this, in a loud voice in a chant, is not. Or, for example, the Prophet taught to read Surah Cave on Friday, but did not tell the imam to do it loudly in the mosque so that others would listen. Or, for example, the Prophet taught to remember Allah, but did not teach to do this, for example, after evening prayer on Mondays five thousand times. Many examples can be given. These are all controversial issues, and in principle a Muslim can follow the opinion that is closest to his heart. For example, Omar ibn Khattab introduced daily prayer taraweeh collectively in the mosque, in the month of Ramadan, although the Prophet did not do this. The Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed for a different number of reqaats and not only in the mosque. Or Abdullah ibn Omar introduced collective prayer of the spirit in the mosque, and called it a positive innovation.
As Shatibiy noted, such innovations are allowed if a person does not constantly comply with the newly introduced conditions. So, for example, in some Sufi tariqas it has been introduced as an obligation to perform a certain number of remembrances and prayers per day. To get out of disagreements with those who consider this an innovation, Sheikh Qaradawi invites our brothers in the Sufi tariqah to sometimes change the number and order of their duties, which he calls “wird”. This includes the verse in Surah Iron, 27. “They themselves invented monasticism, We did not prescribe it to them, unless they chose it to gain the favor of Allah. But they did not observe [the customs of monasticism] properly. Those of them who believed, We rewarded them according to their merits, but many of them are wicked.” From this verse it follows that the innovations that they came up with are not blameworthy, since “We rewarded those of them who believed according to their deserts.” Those who invented monasticism and did not comply with the conditions were condemned: “to gain the favor of Allah.” It follows from this that the innovation of those monks spoken of in this verse was the innovation of “idafiya”. Of course, relevant examples are from contemporary Muslims in our country. There are many innovations that were not made by the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he did not teach them. For example, holding various meetings where the Koran is read and dua is made for the deceased. This is done according to certain days. This is an innovation that has its basis in religion. It can be considered permissible, but strictly in accordance with the condition. First, this should be done only for the sake of Allah, second, all Sharia laws must be observed, third, the order should be gradually changed so that these meetings are not assigned to certain days. Third, Muslims who hold such meetings, called "dua", should not think that this exempts them from their duties to Allah on other days and times.
Or, for example, some Muslims carry prayer books, or rather a piece of paper on which surahs or verses of the Koran are written, sewn into fabric or leather. This is also an innovation that our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not teach. Such innovation has a basis in religion, but is permitted strictly in accordance with the conditions. The first condition is that a Muslim must firmly know that only Allah can help or protect him, and second, he must not think that this somehow exempts him from fulfilling his duties to the Almighty. Also, what is important is to know exactly what is written in these prayer books. Thus, practice has shown that in addition to the verses of the Koran and the prayers of the Prophet, peace be upon him, sometimes they write all sorts of witchcraft spells and distorted and incomprehensible words. This is strictly prohibited and cannot be justified. There are other examples, but the reader can solve them by analogy with what is given here.
As for words: innovation is doing something that the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not do. This is not the correct wording. The Prophet, the world did not do many things to him, but doing it is not prohibited. It would be more correct to add that this concerns rituals. And here we should distinguish between the case when the Prophet did not do something at all, and when he did it and then stopped. In the second case, there may be several cases. Stopped doing it because the norm was abolished, or so that it would not be prescribed as an obligation for Muslims, or to show Muslims that it is not obligatory. If this is a common thing, then the issue here will be moot. If this is a ritual and religious institution, the issue also requires study. But we know, and examples have already been given, that some companions themselves, on their own initiative, did in worship what the Prophet had not done before, and he praised some. This was in cases where the action does not contradict the provisions of Sharia.
As for the tacit consent of the Prophet, peace be upon him, there are two types: consent with a sign of contentment and praise. Or consent without showing any attitude.
Let us recall examples of how one companion read Fatiha to heal a sick person, another said the remembrance of Allah in prayer, which no one had said before. Tamim Dari illuminated the Prophet's mosque with lamps, Khubaib read two reqaats before his enemies executed him, one of the companions constantly read Surah Ikhlas in prayer because he loved it very much. In these cases, the Prophet not only agreed, but praised those who did it. But there was also simply tacit agreement, as in the case when Khalid ibn Walid ate lizard meat. Or, for example, when some people used the skills of determining paternity and kinship based on signs that not everyone will see - the story of Zeid and Osama. This is called “qiyafa”, and the Banu Madlaj tribe was distinguished by this ability. Also, the Prophet agreed when one of the companions read the missed sunnah after sunrise morning prayer.
Is excessive zeal in worship a forbidden innovation? The story is about three people, one of whom fasted every day, the second prayed all night and so on every night, and the third did not marry. We know that the Messenger of Allah forbade it. On the other hand, reliable information has come to us about the Prophet’s zeal in worship, about the zeal of the Companions, Tabi’een and Imams. This means that zeal in worship, when a person is capable of it, and it does not interfere with fulfilling duties, does not lead to prohibited consequences, cannot be an innovation.
Is zeal in worship an innovation?
Regarding zeal in worship, the Hanafi Imam Muhammad Abdulhai Leknevi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes that some call zeal in worship, like praying all night, or reading the Quran in one rekaat, or performing a thousand rekaats of prayer, excess and excessiveness, which are innovations. But if we collect evidence in this matter, we will find that there are hadiths that call not to exaggerate worship, other hadiths call to worship as much as possible. A simple explanation can bring this evidence together. The prohibition against exaggerating worship is addressed to those who are not capable of it. The call to worship more than usual is addressed to those who are capable of it.
And here, if we say that everything that was done during the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions, if it was not condemned by anyone, cannot be a prohibited innovation.
Also, what was done during the time of Tabiyin, or during the time of Tabiyy Tabiyin, if it was not condemned by the imams, cannot be a prohibited innovation. Saad Taftazani writes in Sherhu Maqasid: The learned Maturidites and Ash'arites did not accuse each other of committing innovations or delusions. Only fanatics who strayed from the path did this. Some fanatics accused of innovation even in controversial issues of fiqh, such as the opinion that the meat of an animal that is slaughtered without deliberately remembering the name of Allah is permissible, or the opinion that ablution is not disturbed by something that has come out through more than one of the two passages, or the opinion of the correctness of marriage without the participation of a guardian, or the correctness of prayer without fatiha.
They do not know that a forbidden innovation is anything that was invented in religion and did not take place during the time of the Companions, Tabiyin, and is not indicated by Sharia evidence. Also, if something did not exist during the time of the Companions, it is not a prohibited innovation until there is proof of the prohibition.
Further, Imam Leknevi writes: Hanafi sheikh Ahmad Rumi in “Majalisul Abrar” writes: innovation has two meanings. The first is general linguistic, the second is Sharia specific. The first meaning covers both religion and ordinary affairs. The second meaning indicates an addition or deletion in religion that occurred after the time of the Companions, who have no evidence, by words, deeds, directly or indirectly, or by hint. (Abbreviated).
Elsewhere he writes: Do not let the unanimity of people in approving a cause deceive you, if it was invented after the time of the Companions. You must study their deeds and qualities, because the most knowledgeable people that those closest to Allah are those who are most like them and know their path better than others.
In Shir-atul Islam, Hanafi Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, a famous Sufi scholar called Imam Zade Jogiy, writes: Sunnah - what happened during the time of the Companions, then Tabiyin, then Tabiyy Tabiyin. Everything that was invented after these three generations and contradicts their path is an innovation, and every innovation is a delusion. The Companions condemned those who invented something or brought something new that did not exist in prophetic times, whether it was numerous or small, whether it was large or small.
Another Hanafi sheikh, a Sufi scholar, Yaqub ibn Seyd Ali Rumi, writes in Mafatikhul Jinan: innovation is something that contradicts the path of the companions, it is a delusion. But scientists have proven that innovation can be laudable, such as learning and recording sciences that did not exist before. A condemned innovation is anything that contradicts the path of the Companions; this is a matter that if it became known to the Companions, they would condemn it.
In Tariqa Muhammadiyah, Imam Muhammad Efendi Birkili Rumi writes: If someone asks how one can combine the words of the hadith “all innovations are delusions” and the words of scholars who say that some innovations are not prohibited. Some refer to permissible things as using a sieve, constantly eating bread made from refined flour and eating it. Other innovations may be desirable, such as building schools, minarets, writing books, others may be obligatory, such as formulating evidence to refute the doubts and words of atheists and the lost?
Answer: Bid-a can have a general linguistic meaning, and these examples apply here. Also, bid-a can have a specific Shariah meaning, which is indicated by the hadith. This is the addition or removal of something in religion, after the time of the Companions, if there is no evidence for it, in words, deeds, direct or indirect. Innovation in this sense does not apply to ordinary matters, being limited only to certain questions of faith and forms of worship. We find all this in the hadiths “Follow my sunnah and the sunnah of the righteous Rashid caliphs”, “You know better what to do in the affairs of your worldly life”, “If someone brings our business into this, something that is not from it , it will be rejected."
Thus, if something happened during the time of the Companions, it is tabiin, or tabiy tabiin. And they did not condemn it, it cannot be an innovation, or is called an innovation in the general linguistic sense. Then it can be permissible, desirable or obligatory. We find this in the words of the Hanafi imam Abdulganiy Nablusi in “Hadiqa Nadiya”.
Here, Imam Leknevi provides a detailed explanation of the cases that can be considered in innovation.
Everything that the Prophet did or said, or his companions did and said, that was not condemned by them, cannot definitely be an innovation.
Innovations during the time of the Companions
If something was not practiced during the time of the Prophet, then it is called an innovation only in the linguistic sense. And here are two cases.
First: this case relates to ordinary cases; it cannot be a delusion if there is no evidence for it. The second case relates to rites of worship; there are several cases here.
If this happened during the time of the Companions, then there are two cases. They condemned this action, in which case it would be a forbidden innovation. Or they didn’t reproach.
Or it was during the time of the tabiyin. Or it was during the time of Tabiy Tabiyin. Or it was after these three generations.
For example, what was done during the time of the Companions, and they condemned it. Imam Bukhari reports: that Marwan ibn Hakam, when he was the emir of Medina, on holiday prayer went up to the minbar to read the khutbah before prayer. Abu Said Khudriy tried to stop him, who after the khutbah said: I swear by Allah, you have changed your religion. To this Marwan said: Abu Said, times have changed, and what you had is gone. But Abu Said said: what I know better than that, what I do not know.
Imam Muslim cites: when Bishr ibn Marwan began to raise his hands in dua on the minbar, in Friday prayer, Ammar reproached him and said that no one did this. May Allah punish these two hands, I saw the Messenger of Allah making dua on the minbar and he does not do anything more than that. Those. raised his index finger.
There were cases when the Companions did not condemn innovations. For example, Imam Bukhari and others quote from Saib ibn Yazid: the first Ezan is on Friday. This did not happen during the time of the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Omar, peace be upon them all. But when there were many people, this was done for the sake of need, during the time of Caliph Osman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him.
This includes many holiday prayers in one city. This did not happen during the time of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Omar and Osman. As Imam Ibn Taymiyyah writes in Minhaju Sunnah: more than one collective prayer with the imam in the same city, did Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him.
This includes the issue of the second Iqama and Ezan for collective prayer, if a collective prayer with Ezan and Ikam has already been held in the mosque. On this issue, as Imam Leknevi writes here, there are three opinions.
Some have mistakenly said that the second Ezan and Iqama for one prayer in one mosque is an innovation. But Imam Bukhari cites that Anas ibn Malik came to the mosque, where a collective prayer had already been held. He did Ezan and Iqamat and congregational prayer.
Also, here you can add stories that in our traditions are called “vaaz”. Taqiyuddin Ahmad ibn Ali Makrizi reports: Hasan al-Basri was asked: when did they first start telling the Prophet, peace be upon him, in the mosque? He said: during the time of Caliph Osman. Who was the first to start telling? He said: Tamim Dari.
First, he asked permission to give reminders and instructions to the people from Omar. But he refused him. Then, in the last days of Omar, he allowed him to do this on the Friday before Omar left. Then he asked permission from Osman, and he allowed him to do this two days a week.
This also includes spending the nights of Ramadan in a collective prayer of twenty reqaats, which Omar called a wonderful innovation. This includes the big issue of takbir and raising hands before kunut, after reading surahs in Witr prayer. Imam Leknevi considered this issue extensively and in detail, because some people also considered these actions to be an innovation. But here, we will not delve into every issue of fiqh in detail, since I only wanted to give some examples. For a detailed study of such issues, it is of course better to turn to special books of fiqh. In any case, if this action is not transmitted from the Prophet, then it is transmitted from some companions and tabiyin, as imams Ayni, Ibn Qudam and others confirm. And therefore, it cannot be a prohibited innovation.
Also, some companions could call something an innovation. But in some cases they condemned these innovations, in other cases they did not condemn them. For example, Abu Dawud quotes from Mujahid: we were with Ibn Omar. One person did taswib in the Ezan of the afternoon or evening prayer. Then Ibn Omar said: let's go out, because this is an innovation. It is also reported that Ali ibn Abi Talib also said that this is an innovation when he heard the muezzin pronounce “taswib” in the ezan of the night prayer. How can fiqh scholars affirm taswib in all prayers if these two sayings of the companions are reported?
On this issue, scientists have divided into three opinions. The first opinion says that based on the hadith from Abu Bakrat, from Abu Dawud, it is advisable to say taswib only in the ezan of the morning prayer, because this is the time of sleep and weakness.
Others said that it could be done for rulers and other people who are busy with Muslim affairs. As it is reported, Belal came to the door of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, between Ezan and Iqama, and called him to prayer. This is the opinion of Abu Yusuf.
Later fuqahas said that it is commendable to recite taswib in all prayers, except Magharib - Aksham prayer. In these times, people have become careless about prayer, and therefore call after call will be beneficial. In the early days there was no such slowness and laziness. So, they explain their opinion and why they contradict what was transmitted from Ibn Omar and Ali. This is a controversial issue on which Imam Leknevi has written a study.
Another example. Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah and Bayhaki, transmitted from the son of a companion Abdullah ibn Mughaffal. He says that his father heard him read “bemelya” out loud in prayer. Then he said, oh son, this is new. Beware of innovation. I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr and Omar, and none of them said “bemelya”. Start with the words “Elhamdulillahi rabbil alamin.”
No one in Islam was as resistant to innovation as my father. As we see, this companion calls the pronunciation of the words “bemelya” an innovation. But this is a controversial issue in fiqh. It has been proven that sometimes the Prophet, peace be upon him, said “bemelya” out loud, but reading it quietly, starting reading out loud with “alhamdulillah” is stronger, as confirmed by what is transmitted in the sunnah. On this issue, Sheikh Leknevi also wrote a separate study. May Allah reward the scholars of Islam for their works, which we can use in these times, times of laziness, weakness and slowness.
Also, Said ibn Mansur narrated from Abu Umam Bahiliya that Tarawih prayers in mosques were introduced with lobster, and he called it a good innovation. He said: Allah has prescribed fasting for you in the month of Ramadan, but He has not commanded you to maintain it in prayer. Collectively praying during Ramadan, in mosques, this is something that was invented later, continue to do it and do not abandon it. There were people from the people of Israel who invented an innovation to get closer to the pleasure of Allah, and then they gave up and did not continue this work. And he read the verse: “They themselves invented monasticism” (Iron 27).
Sheikh Abu Gudda writes: here, this companion, like Omar, calls terawih, which is performed collectively in mosques, an innovation in linguistic meaning. In the Sharia sense, as we have already written, innovation is a delusion. By this we can explain why some scholars limit the use of the word bid-a only to delusions, while others use the word innovation even regarding commendable deeds.
Ibn Abi Sheiba with an authentic chain reports from Hakam ibn Aaraj what Ibn Omar said about the spirit of prayer, and how people began to perform it in mosques: this is an innovation, and how good this innovation is. Imam Kastalyani writes: it means that the Messenger of Allah did not read the spirit of prayer with such constancy in the mosque, as people began to do in the time of Ibn Omar. Abdurrazzak reports with an authentic chain from Ibn Omar that this began after the assassination of Caliph Osman.
There are many proofs of the obligation to follow the path of the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon them. Imam Leknevi examined in detail in his study various evidences, which we will not delve into here. In any case, we can assert that if a matter is confirmed by the words or deeds of a companion, that matter will not be a fallacy, even if it was not known at the time of the Messenger of Allah himself.
If the matter did not take place during the time of the Messenger of Allah, but appeared during the time of his companions, which is better to follow?
Imam Leknevi answers this question and writes: Here we have three cases. If there is a text from the Koran or Sunnah that approves of this action, then there is no doubt that such an action is correct.
If there is a text of the Quran or Sunnah that contradicts the action of a companion, we can use interpretation to combine the text and the action of the companion so that this action does not contradict Sharia. If such an interpretation is not possible, we do not follow the action of the companion, but justify it by the fact that he might not have known about this text.
The third case is when we do not find a text that would confirm or contradict the action of the companion. In this case, it is better to follow the example of a companion than the opinion of another who was in subsequent centuries. In any case, if an action is transmitted from the companions, especially if these are righteous caliphs, then this is considered sunnah, provided that this action does not contradict the Quran and the sunnah. The Sunnah is not limited only to the actions or words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and covers what was transmitted from the caliphs, and in general from the companions, if the other companions did not condemn this action. We find confirmation of this rule in the works of the imams of usul fiqh. For example, in the Hanafi madhhab this is Ibn Humam in “Tahrirul Usul”, Aini in “Binaya Sherhu Hidaya”, Abdulaziz Bazdavi in ​​“Keshful Asrar”.
If the companions disperse, in this case, as the science of usul-fiqh says, we choose what is more correct and closer to the Koran and Sunnah.
Innovations that appeared during the time of Tabiyin and Tabiyy Tabiyin.
Here we say the same thing as we said in the previous paragraph.
If an innovation appears after these three generations, we compare this action with Sharia. If we find the basis for this action in the Sharia, and it does not contradict what came in the Quran and Sunnah, this innovation is considered good. If there is no basis for such an action, then it is a prohibited innovation.
As Imam Leknevi writes: in our time, those who divided into two groups made a mistake. Some consider everything that did not exist in the first three generations to be an innovation and error, even if this action is confirmed by the basis of Sharia. The second group calls a good innovation everything that is passed down from fathers or ancestors, or that is taught by sheikhs and mentors, without checking whether this action is confirmed by the basis of Sharia or contradicts one of the foundations.
Indeed, now times have not changed, and in practice, we can find that these two extreme approaches are common among Muslims, and therefore cannot meet and find common language. Here Muslims must turn to a moderate and balanced position that will allow them to reach agreement and get rid of internal hostility and accusations. As already revealed at the very beginning of this article, such types of bid-a as idafiyya and terkiya belong to controversial issues which should not lead to division or mutual accusations.
Returning to the question of diligence in worship, we will find dozens of examples among the Companions and Tabi'een who were diligent in worship at night, fasting, reading the Qur'an and dhikr. They did it for themselves, and did not teach that it was prescribed by religion in exactly the form they did. Therefore, we can say that zeal in worship is not an innovation, if a person follows it, when he is able to do it, if he does not harm himself, and does not weaken in the performance of duties. If a person tries to pray more than he is actually capable of, he will spend the prayer perhaps in a bad state of mind, and his heart will not understand the prayer. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: Pray when you feel active.
Here, we will find an explanation in the story cited by Imam Malik, from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Hasm, that one day Omar did not see Suleiman ibn Abi Hasm in the mosque during morning prayer. He met Seleyman’s wife and asked her why he was not in the mosque for morning prayer. She said that he prayed at night and was so tired that he slept through the prayer in the mosque. Then Omar said: I would rather perform the morning prayer in a group in the mosque than pray all night.
Abu Dawud reports from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: Take upon yourself the deeds that you are capable of doing, Allah will not tire of rewarding you as long as you do the deeds. And know that Allah loves regular activities, even if they are small. And if he does the job, he will strengthen it.
In this understanding, we must use the hadiths that talk about the zeal of the Messenger of Allah, miremu, in worship. Like the hadith in Tirmidhi in Mughir, which says that the Prophet prayed until his feet became swollen.
Thus, Ibn Battal in his interpretation says that a person can show zeal in worship, even if it brings him some harm. The Prophet did this, knowing that all his sins were forgiven, as should one who does not know whether he was saved from the fire or not.
How to combine these words with what we said: zeal in worship should not harm a person. Let us say that here we are talking about harm that does not lead a person to weakness in fulfilling his duties. Because any duty must carry with it some harm, such as fatigue and exhaustion, and even some weakness of the body. But each person has his own capabilities, the Messenger of Allah had a special and highest state for a person. Here we find confirmation in Ibn Hajr's commentary in Feth: if this does not lead to passivity and apathy.
Also, if there was any doubt about the reliability of some of the stories about the number of worship.
We can say that Muslim scholars and historians provide many amazing examples of worship among the Companions, the Tabiyeen, and those after them. If we have reliable chains, these stories are accepted as true, even if they look like miracles, because Allah can bestow His mercy on whomever He wants, especially those who are diligent in worshiping Him. Many famous scholars and historians of Islam cite these stories as reliable, among them imams Abu Naim, Ibn Kathir, Zahabi, Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Hajr, Nawawi, Samaani, Abdulwahhab Shaarani, Mulla Ali Qari, Suyuti and others. These scholars are recognized authorities in the transmission of hadith, and they would not cite stories as the basis for proving the merits of a person if they doubted the reliability of this information. Let's move on to the second type of innovation, regarding which there are differences.
“Bid-a terkiya” is an innovation in the refusal of what is permitted.
Imam Shatibiy added the concepts of “bid-a terkiya” and “bid-a idafiyya” to the classification of innovations. We discussed above what “bid-a-idafia” is. “Terkiya” is an innovation according to which a person prohibits for himself what is allowed to him in Sharia. Of course, this is not due to any natural or medical reasons. The condition here is that a person intends to approach Allah through such self-restraint. Also, the condition for the innovation of “terkiya” will be that a person, completely refusing what is permitted in Sharia, considers such a refusal to be part of religion, calls for it and spreads it. If someone refuses what is permitted, according to ijtihad, does not see it as prohibited, but believes that it will be useful for him and his religion to refuse what is permitted, then this is no longer an innovation. For example, some famous scholars such as Imam Nawawi and Imam Ibn Taymiyyah did not marry at all. They were confident in themselves that passion would not lead them to sin, and they believed that it would be more beneficial for religion if he did not marry. But they did this to themselves, without calling on others, and taught that from the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to marry.
When a person refuses what Allah has permitted as haram, calls others to do the same, and teaches that this is the way to approach Allah, an innovation is created. As a rule, such extremes are explained by righteous reasons. Thus, one man, when he was offered an apple, refused it, saying that he was not able to thank Allah for the apple. Hassan al-Basri said about him: this fool thinks he can thank Allah for a sip of cool water!?
For example, if a certain food is harmful to health or mind, or has an effect that interferes with worship, such as causing drowsiness and the like, then there is no problem. Or, for example, if a person refuses what is permitted, out of fear that this will lead him to sin. In the hadith: “There will not be a slave from the God-fearing people until he leaves something of what is permitted, out of fear of doing something that is sinful,” (Ibn Majah). If a person forbids something for himself without the specified Sharia reasons, this is already an innovation. Allah says in the Quran: “O you who believe! Do not forbid [eating] the pleasant foods that Allah has permitted you” (Meal 87). Most often, these are extremes that do not help faith, but on the contrary lead to the weakness of the believer and distort the path.
Ibn Jawzi in his book “Saydul Khatir” explains the problem of such extremes with examples. Proving how refusals of what is permitted and other innovations appear due to ignorance, and lead to various innovations. Thus, some, without Sharia reasons, completely refuse to eat meat, although the Prophet, his companions and all the imams ate meat. Explaining this with one or another judgment that is based on ignorance. A judgment cannot serve as a road if it contradicts what is transmitted in Shariah and examples the best people. A believer who gives up meat altogether will be weak, will first abandon additional worship, and then obligatory ones, not to mention the fact that he will not be able to fulfill other everyday duties.
Also, Ibn Jawzi writes that some extremes lead to sin. For example, some went on a long journey through the desert, where there are no known sources of food and water, without provisions, and called this true trust in Allah. Many of them died along the way. This is misconception and ignorance in understanding the degree of tawakkul, which contradicts what the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions taught us in practice. See in the same place, “Saidul Khatir”, or “Talbisu Iblis”.
This includes the prohibition of actions required by Sharia. If a person does not follow the instructions of religion, for example, the Sunnah, out of laziness and negligence, this is a sin, but if he does it as worship, thereby getting closer to Allah, then this is an innovation. Like someone who does not marry while worshiping Allah. But, as we know, there were direct instructions in Sharia to get married. Scientists have only disagreed whether this is permissible, desirable, or obligatory.
Maybe this way we will understand why some scientists, seeing patience in themselves, refrained from getting married. Therefore, they refrained from marrying in order to bring more to the sciences that Muslims need. Allah knows best.
We can say that here “bid-a terkiya” comes into contact with the issue of “uara”, which is translated from Arabic as increased caution in the forbidden or doubtful. These two things should not be confused. Caution is required when the action is questionable and there is a real possibility that it will lead to sin.
On the other hand, some scientists who have studied the issue of spiritual education may answer that the education of the soul requires the renunciation of what is permitted in order to accustom souls to obedience, patience, and satisfaction with little. These issues were studied in particular detail by “Khujatul Islam”, Imam Abu Hamid Ghazali. Here, we cannot go into the details of this issue.
There are many details and detailed additions here, in which we will find some differences in schools and methods. We can find that Imam Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, in Ihya Ulumuddin leans towards one direction, and Imam Shatibiy, may Allah have mercy on him, leans towards another direction. The question of bid-a-terkiya is not a simple question. And even if I or one of the readers is inclined to certain opinions, this question, in its various practical examples will be controversial among the great imams.

Hadiths regarding prohibiting excess in worship and how to understand them
On the one hand, we find hadiths prohibiting excessive zeal in worship or tightening in prohibitions and denying oneself worldly goods. On the other hand, we find that many of the “righteous selephs”, relative to other times, were strict in abstinence and were more zealous than was possible for us in worship. As already written above, this is due to the possibility of each individual person.
1. Hadith of Khawla Asadiya. Muslim reports that Khaula passed by the Messenger of Allah, and then Aisha said: this is Khaula bint Tuwait, they say that she does not sleep at night and prays. To this he said: Doesn't she sleep at night? Take as much as you can from cases. Allah will not stop rewarding you as long as you keep doing things.
2. Hadith Zeyneb. It is reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, entered the mosque and saw a stretched rope. He asked about it. They told him that this is Zeyneb, when he prays, if he gets tired, he holds on to the rope. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: untie the rope, and let any of you when he feels active and strong. And if he gets tired or feels lazy, he will sit down and rest.
3. Hadith Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Ass. Bukhari reports that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to him: I was informed that you pray all night and fast during the day? Yes, I do. Then he said: if you do this, otherwise your eyes will sink, and your soul will become tired and weakened. Your soul has a right, your family has a right. Fast and break your fast, pray and sleep.
Muslim also has this hadith, but in it also: the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: fast three days a month. For this you will be rewarded tenfold, as if you were fasting all the time. To which Abdullah said that he could do more. Then fast for a day, and not fast for two days. Abdullah said he could do more. Then the prophet said: fast every other day, this is the fast of Daud, this is the best fast. Abdullah said that he could do more, but the Prophet, peace be upon him, answered him that there was nothing better than this.
Also, Muslim says in his narration: your guests also have a right over you... read the Koran in a month. I told him: I can do more than this. Then he said: then read in twenty days. I can do more than this. He said: then in ten days. I said I can do more than this. Then he said: read in seven days and no more than that. There are other versions of this story.
Later, Abdullah will say: having reached old age and weakness, now I would give my property and family in order to then accept that relief (three days of fasting a month) from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, which he offered me.
4. Hadith of Abu Darda. Abu Naim from Salman Farisi that he came to the house of Abu Darda, he saw his wife in an unkempt state. He asked her how she was doing. She said: your brother is not interested in women, he fasts during the day and prays at night. Then Salman came to Abu Darda and told him: your family has a right over you, so pray and sleep, fast one day and not fast the next. When this conversation reached the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he said: Salman has knowledge. There are other versions of this story.
5. Hadith from Bukhari and Muslim, from Anas, about three who considered the worship of the Prophet, peace be upon him, small, and said that this was because all his sins were forgiven. One of them said that he prays all night, the second that he fasts all day, and the third refused to marry. When these words reached the Prophet, he said: you said these words, but I am more humble and fearful of Allah than you, but at the same time I fast and do not fast, I pray and sleep, and I get married. And if someone wants to move away from my path, then they are not from me.
It is also reported in Muslim's narration that some of them said that they do not eat meat, and others said that they do not sleep on the bed.
6. Hadith of Osman ibn Maz-un and Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ayat “O you who believe! Do not forbid [eating] the pleasant goods that Allah has permitted you,” (Meal 87), was revealed regarding Uthman ibn Maz-un and his friends who wanted to give up meat, women, and some even thought of removing their genitals. There are other narrations that provide additional information, but this is enough to convey the essence of the story.
As we see, in these hadiths there is a prohibition against excess, but on the other hand we find that the seleph showed amazing zeal in worship. The answer is here, as Imam Leknevi writes in the following:
In the hadith of Khawl, we find that the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not forbid her from worshiping a lot, but he forbade her to put on herself so much that she could not bear it, and in the end it would lead her to apathy.
In the hadith, Zeyneb the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade her to pray, holding on to the rope out of fatigue, there is no discrepancy in this at all, this cannot be done.
In the hadith, Abdullah the Prophet, peace be upon him, knew that he could not continue to do as much as he had committed himself to, so he showed him an easier path that suits him. This hadith also states that additional affairs should not violate the fulfillment of obligations.
The hadith of Abu Darda states that excessive worship should not lead to apathy and violation of the rights of others.
In the hadith about the three, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that it is not from him whoever thinks that the Prophet did not strive hard enough because his sins were forgiven. Also, it is not from him who thinks that taking on more than what Allah has prescribed is the right path. These erroneous beliefs were the reason for the censure of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
In the hadith of Osman ibn Maz-un we find that the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade them to introduce prohibitions and obligations into religion that the Almighty had not established in religion. As we can see, these hadiths do not prohibit zeal in worship, but guide and instruct towards moderate zeal, which may be different for each person. The condition here is that diligence should not lead to fatigue, apathy, weakness that causes violation of rights or failure to fulfill duties, or can destroy the person himself. Also, these hadiths prohibit the belief that one who is diligent in worship can be better than the Prophet, peace be upon him. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah came as a mercy for the worlds, and his path and example embrace all people, weak, strong, young and old, moderate and zealous in worship.
Also here, zeal in worship should not alienate a person from the spirit and inner content of worship, when the desire for quantity deprives such spiritual conditions as understanding and humility. We find a hint of this in the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he said: the one who reads it faster than three days will not understand the Koran. This hadith also applies to other rituals, such as prayer.
This includes the case when a person puts more on himself, and this pushes other people away from religion. Therefore, if a person, under all the conditions mentioned, is capable of excessive zeal, he should not impose this on others. It is reported that Muadh ibn Jabal recited long suras in congregational prayer, and then some people complained. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, became angry and said: among you there are those who push people away from religion. If someone conducts a collective prayer, let him shorten it, because among the people there are elderly, weak and those in need.
Thus we will find that in Islam the path embraces both moderation and zeal in worship, depending on the capabilities of the person. Both paths lead to the same result if a person chooses it. What for one will be salvation and education, for another can be destruction. In the Quran we find both instructions: “O you who believe! Fear Allah as you should” (Family of Imran 102) and “So fear Allah as much as you can” (Mutual deception 16).
As imams Ibn Hajr and Nawawi wrote, zeal in worship, in addition to the conditions that have already been given, is also permitted if a person does not have beliefs that contradict the ease and moderation of religion. For example, the belief that only excessive zeal and abstinence from what is permitted is the only correct path. You can see what Imam Nawawi writes in al-Adhkar regarding how the Quran was read from cover to cover in seleph. We will find that the differences are very large, from reading the Qur'an in two months, to reading the Qur'an four times in one day.
After this brief analysis, we can say that zeal in worship, subject to the above conditions, is not an innovation.
Useful additions
A useful addition: innovations, like sins, come in different degrees. There are small and large sins that relate to apostasy and those that do not. Also innovations. Therefore, not every innovation is worse or more terrible than sin. Here each individual case should be compared and weighed. For example, an innovation that does not lead out of Islam is easier than a sin that leads out of Islam.
A useful addition: scientists call a person a sinner or a follower of innovations, this is done only in limited specialized literature, which was called “jerha” books. This is done for use in checking the authenticity of hadiths, only when necessary. The scientists, who are called “jerkha” scientists, said that this is the only case when “gyba” is prohibited. They talked about sins or human vices only to verify the authenticity of the hadith; in other cases it was prohibited. Monitoring the shortcomings of Muslims, looking out for their mistakes or sins, in order to then report and make this public is strictly prohibited. Whoever does this, Allah will disgrace him in this life and the Hereafter, as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, warned in a famous hadith.
And here innovations should be clearly distinguished, as well as sins. There are sins that do not affect the authenticity of the hadith, just like innovations. It is known that Imam Bukhari transmits hadiths from the followers of some innovations and errant movements. His collection contains hadiths from Kharijites, Shiites and others. Here it was important to determine whether innovation or error would allow a person to lie in a hadith, or to invent a hadith. For example, the Kharijites believed that to lie in a hadith means to become an unbeliever. This means that the God-fearing Kharijites can be truthful transmitters of hadith. We bring this so that Muslims understand that it is not allowed to write or talk about someone that he is lost, or follows innovations, etc. without emergency. Also, if a person has misconceptions about certain matters, this does not mean that we are allowed to warn against that person in general, or publicly report it to people without a specific purpose.
It should be remembered that there is a strict prohibition on following innovations or inventing innovations. But what can be misleading is the prevalence of the innovation and its universal approval. It does not change anything. Fudayl ibn Iyad said: “Follow the right path, and the small number of those who follow it will not harm you. Beware of misconceptions, and do not be deceived by the large number of those who find themselves there.”
Thus, Muaz ibn Jabal said, “Beware of the troubles that await you and that will come after you. Then there will be a lot of wealth. And the Koran will be opened, and the believer and the hypocrite, the man and the woman, the adult and the child, the free and the slave, will read it. And someone will say: “Why don’t they follow me, because I read the Koran? They won't follow me until I come up with something new." Therefore, beware of innovations, because innovation is delusion. And beware of the delusions of a sage, for Shaitan may speak a word of error in the tongue of a sage, and perhaps a hypocrite will speak a word of truth” (Abu Dawud). We ask Allah Almighty to show us the truth and make us its followers.

Moderation in Worship

Allah Almighty said: .

And: .

Moderation is about keeping a person in the middle between excess and omission. This is required of a person in all situations. Allah Almighty said: “When they donate, they are neither wasteful nor stingy, but stay in the middle between these extremes.”

A person must adhere to moderation in submission to Allah, not placing on his soul what is beyond his strength. One day, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was informed about three, one of whom said: “For me, I will pray every night.” Another said: “I will begin to fast constantly.” The third one said: “And I will avoid women and never marry.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “So it was you who said such and such? I swear by Allah, I fear Allah more than you and fear Him more than you, but on some days I fast and on others I do not, I pray (at night) and sleep, and also marry women, and whoever does not wish (following) my sunnah has nothing to do with me!” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, renounced those who do not want to follow his sunnah, and places on his soul what is beyond his strength.

Allah Almighty said: “Tha. Ha. We did not send down the Qur'an to you to make you unhappy."

“Tha. Ha"- these are two letters of the Arabic alphabet. Some people think that this name is from the names of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but this is not so. Allah Almighty began some of the noble surahs of the great Quran with the letters of the Arabic alphabet. These letters great value. Allah Almighty challenged those who accused the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) of lying. He challenged them to try to bring something similar to this Quran, at least a surah, at least one verse. Indeed, Allah Almighty showed them that this Quran consists of the same letters from which they compose words, but at the same time, they cannot compose something similar to the Quran.

Therefore, if you see suras starting with letters, then after the letters there immediately comes a mention of the Koran. Allah Almighty said: “Alif. Lam. Mime. This Scripture, of which there is no doubt, is a sure guide for the God-fearing.” And: “Alif. Lam. Mime. Allah - there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Living, the Sustainer of life. He sent down to you the Scripture with the truth to confirm what was before Him.” And: “Alif. Lam. Mime. Sod. The Scripture has been revealed to you, which should not weigh on your chest, so that you can exhort and instruct the believers with it.” And: “Alif. Lam. Ra. These are the verses of wise Scripture." And so every time we find letters of the alphabet at the beginning of a sura, after them comes a mention of the Koran. This is an indication that the Koran consists of letters from which the Arabs compose their speech, but at the same time they cannot compose anything like that. This is the most correct explanation of why these letters appear in the Qur'an.

“We did not send down the Quran to you to make you unhappy.”- that is, Allah Almighty did not send down this Quran so that the prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would become unhappy. On the contrary, through the Qur'an he should find happiness, goodness and success in both worlds. Therefore, Allah Almighty says in the same surah: “If correct guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My correct guidance will not be lost and unhappy. And whoever turns away from My Reminder, a hard life awaits him, and on the Day of Resurrection We will raise him blind. He will say: “Lord! Why did You raise me blind, if before I was sighted?” He (Allah)will say: “That’s it! Our signs came to you, but you consigned them to oblivion. In the same way today you yourself will be consigned to oblivion.” Thus We reward those who overindulged and did not believe in the signs of their Lord. And the torment in Last life will be even more severe and lengthy.” Therefore, when the Islamic community held fast to the Quran, it was majestic and exalted above all other communities. In those days, the Islamic community discovered both the east of the earth and its west. And when the community turned away from the Koran, the greatness went away, the support went away, the honor went away.

And: “Allah desires ease for you and does not desire difficulty for you.”

Allah Almighty, establishing something in religion, wishes us relief. This verse was revealed after the verses about fasting, so that a person would not think that fasting is something difficult and unbearable. Allah Almighty clarified that He wishes people only relief, not difficulties. Therefore, the traveler is not obliged to fast during the journey, but can make up for it on other days. Also, a sick person is not obliged to fast during illness, but can make up for it on other days.

142 – It is narrated from ‘Aisha that one day the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who came to her at a time when she had one woman, asked (her): "Who is this?" ('Aisha) said: “So-and-so”, - and began to talk about how she prays, as for the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he said: “Stop it! You should only do what you can do! I swear by Allah, Allah will not become tired until you are tired.” And most of all (the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), loved such religious (deeds) that the one who performs them does it constantly.

In this story, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded this woman not to perform so much worship, because it was difficult for her and in the future could weaken her so much that she would stop worshiping altogether. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded to do what we can. He said: “You should only do what you can do!”

'Aisha also mentioned that most of all the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) loved such religious deeds that the one who performs them does it constantly. Even if the act is small, if it is done constantly, it will be better for the person. A person will do such an act with joy, without abandoning it. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I swear by Allah, Allah will not get tired until you get tired.” That is: Allah Almighty will give you a reward depending on your deeds, and so on as long as you perform them.

Benefits from the Hadith:

1 - An indication that a person who sees that a person has come to his family should ask who this person is. It is necessary to ask so that your family is not visited by someone with whom you are dissatisfied. After all, there are women who can come to your family and talk sinfully in your house, for example, slander someone behind their back. Maybe a woman will start asking your wife about you and then say: “Does your husband really not give you anything other than this?!” Why are there so few clothes?" and so on. And as a result, a woman may begin to treat her husband poorly. Therefore, if a person sees guests in his home, he must find out who they are.

2 - An indication that a person should not overwork his soul with worship. Truly, if a person puts too much on himself, he may get bored and give up this activity. It is better to perform a certain action constantly, even if it is not enough. It is reported that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As said: “At one time, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was told that I said: “I swear by Allah, I will certainly fast during the day and pray at night for the rest of my life!” - and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked me : “So that’s what you say?” I answered: “I really said this, may my father and mother be a ransom for you, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Truly, you cannot stand this, so fast and break your fast, pray and sleep at night. Fast three days a month, because for every good deed you will be rewarded tenfold, and it will be like continuous fasting.” I said: He said: “Then fast once every three days.” I said: “Truly, I am capable of something better!” He said: “Then fast every other day, for this was the fast of Dawud (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and this is the most just fast.” I said again: “Truly, I am capable of something better!”, - and then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exclaimed: “Nothing better than this!” ».

In his old age, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said: “And, truly, if I had agreed to those three days that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) spoke about, (now) it would be more valuable to me than my family and my property!”

3 - An indication that a person should perform worship in moderation, neither excessive nor careless. It is necessary to worship in this way in order to perform worship constantly, for the most beloved deed for Allah is that which is performed constantly, even if it is small.

143 ― Anas is reported to have said: “Once upon a time, three people came to the houses of the wives of the prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and began asking about how the prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) worshiped Allah, and when they were told about it, they obviously thought that it was not so much, they said: “How far are we from the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to whom both his past and future sins were forgiven!” Then one of them said: “As for me, I will pray every night.” Another said: “And I will constantly fast.” The third said: “And I will avoid women and never marry.” And after some time, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approached them and said: “So you said such and such? I swear by Allah, I fear Allah more than you and fear Him more than you, but on some days I fast and on others I do not, I pray (at night) and sleep, and also marry women, and whoever does not wish (following) my sunnah has nothing to do with me!” "

It is about three men who came to the house of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to ask his wives about how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) behaved at home. Most of the companions knew how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) behaved in the mosque, in the markets, in the company of people, since it was obvious. But no one knew about how he behaved at home except the inhabitants of his house.

Therefore, these three came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to ask about how he worshiped Allah while at home. They were told about this, but they thought that it was not so much. After all, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sometimes fasted and sometimes not, sometimes he prayed and sometimes he slept. He also married women. And it seemed to them that this was not entirely sufficient. These three had a love for good. They were active, but activity is not a criterion, the criterion is what Sharia came with.

Then one of them said: “As for me, I will pray every night.” Another said: “And I will constantly fast.” The third said: “And I will avoid women and never marry.” And after some time, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approached them and said: “So it was you who said such and such?”

Without a doubt, their words contradicted the Sharia, for they tried to impose on themselves what their souls could not bear. Of course, it will be very difficult for the soul if a person prays all the time and hardly sleeps. This will cause the person to become tired and dislike this worship. Also, if a person fasts constantly, in summer and winter, it will be very difficult for the soul. The third of them was going to never marry at all, and this is very difficult for the soul, especially in his youth. Moreover, it should be noted that abandoning women is prohibited in Islam! It is reported that Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade ‘Uthman bin Maz’un to refuse marriage, and if he had allowed him (to do this), we would certainly have castrated ourselves.”

In general, this worship that these three wanted to do was very difficult and contrary to the sunnah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them: “I swear by Allah, I fear Allah more than you and I fear Him more than you, but on some days I fast and on others I do not, I pray (at night) and sleep, and also marry women, and the one who does not desires (to follow) my sunnah has nothing to do with me!” That is: anyone who does not want to follow my path and wants to shoulder heavier worship has nothing to do with me.

This hadith indicates that a person should practice moderation in matters of worship and other matters. If a person is careless, he will lose a great benefit. If a person overindulges, he will soon become tired and weak, and then give up worship altogether.

Moderation in worship is the sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. You should not, O man, burden your soul! Truly, the most beloved deed for Allah is that deed that is performed constantly, even if it is small.

أسأل الله أن يجعلني وإياكم من متبعي هديه الذين يمشون على طريقته وسنته

144 – It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ud that (once) the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: , - repeating this three times.

We are talking about those who show excessive severity in matters of religion and in worldly matters.

Look at the children of Israel, when a man was killed among them, and trouble began. Musa, peace be upon him, said to them: "Allah commands you to slaughter the cow." That is, it was necessary to kill a cow and hit the dead person with part of its carcass so that he would tell about who killed him. The Children of Israel replied: “Are you really mocking us?” That is, are you really saying that we should take a cow and hit the dead man with part of its carcass, and then he will report who killed him?! If they had obeyed the command of Allah and slaughtered any cow, this would have happened, but they became excessive and suffered a loss. They said: “Pray to your Lord for us, that He may make clear to us what she is like.” Then they said again: “Pray to your Lord for us, that He may clarify to us what color it is.” And so, they began to ask different questions, that is, they began to complicate things for themselves. They then stabbed her to death, although they came close to not doing so.

The same applies to strictness in matters of worship, when a person complicates prayer, fasting, and so on. Whoever begins to complicate what Allah has made easy will perish! An example is what some sick people do during the month of Ramadan. It is known that Allah Almighty allowed the sick not to fast, because they may need food and drink. But they make it difficult for themselves and continue to fast. This hadith can also be applied to such people: “Those who show excessive severity will perish!”

An example can also be given to some students studying monotheism who strive to delve deeper when it comes to the attributes of the Almighty. They ask questions that the salaf of this community have not asked. We tell them: “If what was enough for the Companions is enough for you, then refrain from asking such questions.”

For example, some of them say: ″Verily, Allah the Almighty has fingers, as it came in the hadith: “Verily, all the hearts of the sons of Adam are between two fingers from the fingers of the Merciful, like one heart, and He directs them as He wills.” I wonder how many fingers He has? and start asking different questions.

Or, for example, there is a hadith: “In the last third of every night, the Good and Most High Allah descends to the lower sky.” They start asking: ″How does He descend? How does He descend in the last third of the night, if the last third of the night occurs differently everywhere on earth?, and so on. For such questions a person will not receive a reward; on the contrary, he will be closer to sin and condemnation.

A person should not burden himself with these questions, for they concern the innermost. These questions were not asked by those who were better than us. These questions were not asked by those who strived more than us to know Allah, to know His names and attributes. Therefore, refrain from these questions!

145 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Truly, this religion is easy, but if someone starts to fight with it, it invariably defeats him, so stick to what is right, at least approximately, and rejoice, and turn (to Allah) for help in the morning (al-ghadua), in the evening (ar-rawha) and (for some time) at night (ad-dulja).”

In (another) version of this hadith, also reported by al-Bukhari, it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “...so adhere to what is right, and draw near, and rejoice and (ask Allah for help) in the morning, in the evening and (for a while) at night, and so little by little you will reach (the goal).”

The words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “...she always defeats him...”, - mean that religion defeats him, and those who enter into a fight with it find themselves unable to resist it due to the fact that there are many of its paths.

The word “al-gadua” means movement at the beginning of the day, the word “ar-rawha” means movement at the end of the day, and the word “ad-dulja” means movement at the end of the night. Here these words are used as a metaphor and comparison. This means: ask for help in demonstrating obedience to the Almighty and Great Allah, which will be expressed in deeds, while you are cheerful and your hearts are free. So that you may enjoy worship without becoming bored with it, and so that you may reach your goal, acting like an experienced traveler who moves during these periods of time, and at other times rests with his mount and reaches his goal without getting tired, and Allah knows this better.

“Truly, this religion is easy...”- this refers to the religion with which Allah Almighty sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and greet him. Allah Almighty said: “Allah desires ease for you and does not desire difficulty for you.” And: “Allah does not want to create difficulties for you.” And: “Be zealous in the path of Allah in the right way. He chose you and did not make any difficulty for you in religion.” All Sharia texts indicate that religion is easy.

In addition to the fact that Sharia in itself is easy, and when a need arises, a person is given other relief. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to 'Imran ibn Husayn: “Perform prayer while standing, but if you cannot, pray while sitting, and if you cannot (do this, then pray lying) on ​​your side.”

"...but if anyone starts to fight with her, she invariably defeats him..."- that is: if a person tries to complicate religion by placing something on himself, he will get tired, and then completely leave this matter. As stated in the previous hadith: “Those who show excessive severity will perish!” , - repeating this three times.

“...so stick to what’s right, at least approximately...”- that is: carry out religious instructions in the right way. But if you can't do everything the right way, then at least do it approximately.

"...and rejoice..."- that is: rejoice that you will receive a reward if you adhere to religion properly, or at least try to do so. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used this expression very often. He told his companions what made them happy. Therefore, every person should try to please his brothers as much as possible.

For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) once told his companions the following story: “On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will say: “O Adam!” Adam will respond: “Here I am before You and ready to serve You, and (all) good is in Your hands! Allah will say: “Bring out those who are destined to be in the Fire!” Adam will ask: “How many are there?” Allah will say: “Bring out nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand,” and after that the little ones (children) will turn grey, and every pregnant woman will lay down her burden, and you will see people (as if) drunk, although they will not be drunk, but Allah’s punishment will be severe! » The Companions became afraid when they heard this, and they asked: “O Messenger of Allah, which of us will be the only one who will be saved from the Fire?” To this the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) replied: “Rejoice, for one will be from you, and a thousand will be from (the peoples of) Yajuj and Majuj!” - after which he said: “I swear by Him in whose hand my soul is, verily, I hope that you will constitute a quarter of the inhabitants of paradise!” The Companions exclaimed: “Allah is great!” “I hope that you will make up a third of the inhabitants of heaven!” The Companions exclaimed: “Allah is great!” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I hope that you will be half the inhabitants of heaven!” The Companions exclaimed: “Allah is great!” And then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “But compared to other people, you are like just a black hair on the skin of a white bull, or a white hair on the skin of a black bull.”

Therefore, a person should try to please his brothers as much as possible. However, sometimes it may be that caution is better for your brother. For example, your Muslim brother is careless about the obligatory requirements of religion and commits forbidden things. It is better to warn and intimidate such a person using a wise approach. But in most cases you should still please people. For example, a person will come to you and say: “I have committed many sins and wanted to know if repentance would help me?” You should say: "Rejoice! If you repent, then Allah Almighty will accept your repentance.” This way you can make this person happy.

«… and turn (to Allah) for help in the morning (al-ghadua) , In the evening(ar-rawha) and (for a while) at night(ad-dulja) » - here the prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, compared worship to the path of a traveler. A traveler during his journey usually moves at the beginning of the day, then at the end of the day, and a little at night, since at these times it is cool and the journey will not be difficult. As for worship, at the beginning and at the end of the day one should do tasbih, as the Almighty said: “O you who believe! Remember Allah many times and praise Him in the morning and before sunset.” As for some part of the night, this is the time to perform the night voluntary prayer.

أعانني الله وإياكم على ذكره وشكره وحسن عبادته

146 ― Anas is reported to have said: “One day, the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), entering the mosque, saw a rope stretched between two pillars and asked: “What kind of rope is this?” (The people) said: “This is the rope of Zainab, who holds on to it when she gets tired (of prayers).” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Untie (this rope), and let each of you pray while he remains cheerful, and sleep when he becomes tired.”

This hadith indicates that a person cannot be excessive in worship, burdening his soul with what it is incapable of. Let a person perform additional prayers while he is alert, and when he is tired, let him lie down and sleep. If a person continues to pray, being very tired, he will not be able to concentrate on prayer, he will quickly get bored, and maybe even the worship will become unpleasant for him. Maybe he will want to ask Allah Almighty for something for himself, but in fact he will begin to ask against himself. For example, a person will bow to the ground because of fatigue instead of saying: ″O Allah! I'm sorry", will say: ″O Allah, don’t forgive me″. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded everyone to pray while he remains alert and to sleep when he is tired.

Although the hadith came regarding prayer, this command also covers all other types of worship. Do not lay on your soul what it cannot bear! Handle your soul gently, using wisdom.

As an example, we can cite some people who require knowledge, who continue to read their lessons, already being sleepy. They tire their souls without getting any benefit. After all, if a person repeats lessons while sleepy, he will not benefit. Therefore, if a person is reading a book and is overcome by sleep, then let him close the book and sleep.

This rule covers all times of the day. For example, if a person is overcome by sleep after afternoon prayer ('asr), then he can lie down and rest, and there is nothing to worry about. The same applies to the time after morning prayer (fajr). No matter what time you feel sleepy, get some sleep. When you are cheerful, then perform deeds. Allah Almighty said: “Therefore, as soon as you are free, be active and strive for your Lord.”

It should be noted that this rule applies to voluntary actions. As for the mandatory instructions of religion, they must be fulfilled at a strictly defined time for them.

نسأل الله أن يعيني وإياكم على ذكره وشكره وحسن عبادته

147 – It was narrated from ‘Aisha that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If any of you begins to feel drowsy while praying, let him sleep until his sleep passes, for, truly, if any of you begins to pray while falling asleep, he will not know (what he is saying), and may it may happen that (wishing) to ask forgiveness from Allah, he (instead) begins to curse himself.”

The wisdom of this command is that the soul has a right to man. If a person forces his soul to do something beyond its capabilities, he thereby causes injustice to it. Therefore, my brother, do not be careless in your worship, but do not be excessive!

148 ― It is reported that Abu ‘Abdullah Jabir ibn Samura said: “I often prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), whose prayers and sermons were (never) too short or too long.”

From the hadith we can conclude that we are talking about Friday prayers. The prayers of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his sermons were moderate. They weren't too short, but they weren't too long either. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Verily, the length of the prayer and the brevity of the sermon testify to a person’s understanding (of religion).”

149 ― It is reported that Abu Juhaifa Wahb ibn ‘Abdullah said: “At one time, Salman and Abu d-Darda became brothers with each other thanks to the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and when Salman came to visit Abu d-Darda and saw Umm ad-Darda in shabby clothes, he asked her: “ What happened to you?" She said: “Your brother Abu-d-Darda does not need (the benefits of) this world.” (Meanwhile) Abu d-Darda himself came and prepared food for (Salman). (Salman) said: “Eat.” (Abu-d-Darda) said: “Verily, I am fasting.” (Salman) said: “I will not eat until you eat!” And he ate, and when night came, Abu d-Darda stood up to pray. (Salman) said (to him): “Sleep,” and he went to bed, but (after some time again) stood up to pray. (Salman again) said: “Sleep,” and at the end of the night Salman said: “Now get up,” and they prayed, and then Salman said to him: “Verily, your Lord has a right over you, and your soul has a right to you, and your family has a right to you, so give to everyone who has a right what rightfully belongs to him!” And then (Abu-d-Darda) came to the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and told him about this, and the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Salman told the truth”».

The hadith says that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, made Salman and Abu ad-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, twin brothers. It is known that the Muhajirs, having arrived in Medina, fraternized with the Ansars, thanks to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. After this, the Muhajirs became like siblings to the Ansars. They even received inheritance from each other until Allah Almighty revealed: "However, relatives closer friend to friend. This is the order of Allah."

One day, Salman came to visit Abu d-Darda and saw Umm ad-Darda in shabby clothes, that is, her clothes did not look like clothes married woman, who decorates her clothes for her husband. Salman asked her: "What happened to you?" She said: “Your brother Abu-d-Darda does not need (the benefits of) this world.” That is: he has turned away from this world, and no longer needs a family, or food, or anything else.

Meanwhile, Abu d-Darda himself arrived and prepared food for (Salman). (Salman) said: “Eat.” Abu d-Darda said: “Verily, I fast”. Salman said: “I won’t eat until you eat!” Salman said this because he already understood from the words of Umm ad-Darda that her husband Abu ad-Darda constantly fasts and has renounced this world and his family.

And when night came, Abu d-Darda stood up to pray. Salman told him: “Sleep”, - and he went to bed, but after a while he got up to pray again. Salman said again: “Sleep”, - and at the end of the night Salman said: “Now get up”, - and they prayed.

And then Salman said to him: “Truly, your Lord has a right over you, and your soul has a right over you, and your family has a right over you, so give to everyone who has a right what rightfully belongs to him!”

This hadith indicates that a person should not burden his soul with as many fasts and prayers as it cannot bear. He must fast and perform as many prayers as will lead him to good. There is no need to bring yourself to exhaustion and heaviness.

150 ― It is reported that Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As said: “(At one time) the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was told that I said: “I swear by Allah, I will certainly fast during the day and pray at night for the rest of my life!” - and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked me: “So is that what you say?” I replied: “I (really) said this, may my father and mother become a ransom for you, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Truly, you cannot stand this, so fast and break your fast, pray and sleep at night. Fast three days a month, because for every good deed you will be rewarded tenfold, and it will be like continuous fasting.” I said: “Truly, I am capable of something better!” He said: “Then fast once every three days.” I said: “Truly, I am capable of something better!” He said: “Then fast every other day, for this was the fast of Dawud (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and this is the most just fast.” (In another version of this hadith it is reported that the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “... and this is the best fast”) - I again said: “Truly, I am capable of something better!” - and then the messenger Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exclaimed: “There is nothing better than this!” 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “And, verily, if I had agreed to those three days about which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) spoke (now) it would have been dearer to me than my family and my property!”

In (another) version of this hadith it is reported that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As said: “One day, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “O ‘Abdullah, I was informed that you fast during the day and pray at night.” I said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Do not do (so, but) fast, and do not observe fasting, pray at night and sleep, for, verily, your body has a right over you, and your eyes have a right over you, and your wife there is a right to you and your guest has a right to you, and, truly, it will be enough for you to fast for three days a month, because for every good deed you will be rewarded tenfold, and this (will be equivalent to) continuous fasting.” However, I insisted and was later punished for it. I said: “O Messenger of Allah, truly I feel strong in myself!” He said: “Then fast as the Prophet of Allah Daoud, peace be upon him, fasted, but no more!” I asked: “How did Allah’s prophet Daoud, peace be upon him, fast?” He replied: “In a day.” And when ‘Abdullah grew old, he often said: “Oh, if only I had accepted the permission of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace!”

In the (third) version of that hadith it is reported that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “I was informed that you constantly fast and read the entire Koran at night, (is this so)?” I replied: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah, but I strive only for good!” Then he said: “Fast the same way as the prophet of Allah Daud, who worshiped Allah more than any other person, did, and read the Quran in a month.” I said: “O Prophet of Allah, verily, I am capable of something better!” He said: “Then read it (once) every twenty days.” I said: “O Prophet of Allah, verily, I am capable of something better!” He said: “Then read it (once) every ten (days).” I said: “O Prophet of Allah, verily, I am capable of something better!” He said: “Then read it (once) every seven (days), but no more!” However, I began to insist, and then I was punished for this, because then the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “You don’t know, maybe you will live a long time!” And it turned out exactly as the prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told me, and when I grew old, I regretted that I did not agree (to act as the prophet, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, allowed me to do.”

The (fourth) version of this hadith reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “...and, verily, your children have a right over you...”

The (fifth) version of this hadith reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said three times: “He who fasts continuously does not fast at all.”

It's cold and raining on the first day of fall in Toronto. pouring rain, but the weather isn't stopping Muslims from gathering at the Unity Mosque, a makeshift prayer space in the women's area medical center. This mosque is attended by LGBT Muslims who have recently immigrated to Canada, young LGBT Muslims born in this country, people who have recently converted to Islam, and allies. Many of those present were able to find their community only here: some are rejected in their countries for their sexual orientation and gender identity, some are looked down upon in the LGBT community in Canada.

El-Farouq Khaki is a supportive father figure that young LGBT Muslims turn to. In his sermons, he does not list what is possible and what is not. Instead, he talks about self-care, about healing - themes important to members of the community, most of whom have been traumatized by the rejection of family and conventional mosques. One of the people who approached El-Farouq talks about the halal nail polish she uses. Some brands have begun to produce varnish that allows water to pass through, especially for Muslim women - the usual one does not allow them to perform ritual cleansing before prayer.

Khaki wonders whether such polish is really necessary: ​​“Are your nails dirty when you apply polish? It’s unlikely that anyone would paint dirty nails with polish.”

In the Unity Mosque, everything can be discussed, everything can be argued with. Conversations about personal religious experiences are encouraged here. Personal experience Haki himself explains why he decided to create a mosque that would be a safe space for anyone who feels insecure: he grew up in Tanzania, where he was one of the few people with brown skin in the black majority. After that, he moved with his family to Canada. He felt like a minority everywhere. Khaki's parents grew up in the Shia community, but when Khaki was a child, they became Sunnis - as a result, he himself feels like an outsider in both directions. He tried to be a Sunni, but realized that this did not suit his relationship with Islam.

“I think a lot of people understand this, especially new converts,” Haki explains. - “The Prophet Muhammad was not a Sunni, he was not a Shiite. These words mean nothing to me."

Khaki is skeptical about strict rituals such as reading the Koran or praying, which are mandatory in most mosques, without understanding the meaning of these rituals. The Unity Mosque has a unique approach to prayer: in traditional mosques, women and men pray separately, but here everyone sits together.

You can immediately notice that the people in the Unity Mosque are dressed in absolutely any way: some Muslim women wear hijabs, others are covered with tattoos and pray with their heads uncovered.

“A good imam will not reduce a person’s spiritual identity to clothing,” says Khaki. - "My the main role- this is counseling. Everything else is a ritual, and ritual has no meaning in itself. Is fear really all a community needs? What about integrity and love? This is the main role of the religious community.”

Perhaps a focus on health and spiritual well-being communities are what attract allies, who like to identify with a mosque where everyone is welcome.

“The mosque is taking on this role because the world is abandoning it. It is not enough to simply say that “Islam” translates to “peace.” People are just trying to calm themselves down. If Islam meant peace, then one and a half billion Muslims would change the planet for the better. But they don't do that,” says Khaki.

The need for self-reflection and reflection on how mosques are meeting the needs of communities is something Haki reflected on, along with many other LGBT Muslims who were interviewed in the weeks after Orlando.

Among the days of the week, Friday occupies a special place among Muslims. On this day, a general movement begins, preparation for something special, significant. This is especially noticeable in Muslim countries. People dressed in festive clothes, clean, with glowing faces, joyfully go to Friday prayers, giving this day special significance.

The obligation of Friday prayer is established in the Koranic verse, the meaning of which is as follows: “O you who believe! When you are called to prayer on Friday, strive for the remembrance of Allah and leave trading. It's better for you. Oh, if you only knew! And when the prayer is over, then disperse throughout the earth, and seek the mercy of Allah, and remember Allah often; maybe you will be happy!” (62:9–10).

How highly the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) valued this day can be seen from the hadiths: “Friday is the most blessed day! It is more majestic than the day of the holiday of Breaking the Fast (Uraza Bayram) and the day of the holiday of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayram), since on this day our forefather Adam, peace be upon him, was created, on the same day he was lowered from Paradise to earth, on this day his soul was taken, and the Day of Judgment will also take place on Friday.” It is also necessary to remember the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): “ Whoever leaves Friday prayer three times in a row, neglecting it, his heart will be sealed by the Almighty, that is, true faith will not enter his heart».

Friday prayer is obligatory:

1. For residents of a given city or locality. And also for those who live within one farsakh (5544 meters).

Those who are outside this territory are obliged to attend prayer if they heard a call in a high voice from the minarets. In a word, Friday prayer is obligatory for residents of the city and the suburbs associated with it, and is not obligatory for those who live in a settlement separate from the city (in a village or village). Anyone who is passing through the city and is not a resident is obliged to perform Friday prayer if he intends to stay there for 15 full days. Friday prayer is not obligatory for travelers.

2. For those who are healthy. For the sick and those who cannot leave the sick alone, prayer in the mosque is not obligatory.

3. For free people. Work or study is not a valid reason for missing prayer more than 3 times in a row. There are various forms of agreements with both employers and teachers. True, here too there are cases when it is simply impossible to reach an agreement. Then these people become unfree.

4. For men. For women and children, Friday prayer is not obligatory.

5. For adults and capable.

6. For sighted people. For blind people, even if they have a guide, Friday prayer is not obligatory.

7. Having the ability to walk. For those who are legless, wheelchair-bound or paralyzed, Friday prayer is not obligatory.

8. Mandatory for those who are not in prison, are not afraid of persecution by the authorities, are not afraid of being captured, attacked by robbers, etc.

Not required in case of natural disasters ( very coldy, threat of avalanches, heavy rains, etc.).

Those for whom Friday prayer is not obligated perform lunch prayer at home alone without adhan and iqama, and if they suddenly go to Friday prayer, then performing it instead of lunch prayer is enough.

Seven conditions for Friday prayer to be considered valid

1. The prayer must be read in a fairly large populated area with a representative of the authorities. Scientists say: “This is locality, where the main mosque does not accommodate the entire jamaat.” In large cities where there are several mosques, Friday prayers can be performed in several places if they think that this is necessary in order not to lead people to problems and difficulties, especially in large cities where it is sometimes difficult to get to the center from the outskirts.

2. The imam must have permission from the local authorities. Or the prayer can be led by a person authorized by this imam. If the prayer is led by a person who has not received permission, but this Friday prayer is read behind him by someone who has the authority to do so, then the prayer is valid. The exceptions are those cases when neither government officials nor people who have received permission from them go to the mosque. Then the Friday prayer can be led by an imam elected by the jamaat.

3. Performed during midday prayer.

4. Reading a sermon before the obligatory Friday prayer. 5. In this case, the presence of at least one man of sound mind is necessary. If only women and children listened to the sermon, then such a khutba is invalid.

6. Reading Friday prayers by the jamaat. In addition to the imam, there must be a jamaat of three adult, intelligent and religiously observant Muslim men, even if they are sick or travelers.

7. The doors of the mosque where prayer is held must be open to everyone. You cannot let some people into the mosque and prohibit others from entering.

Circumstances under which you can skip Friday prayers
In the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the following categories of people are given for whom the Friday prayer is not obligatory: a slave, a woman, a child and the sick. For them, performing the Friday prayer is not obligatory, therefore, they can skip it while performing the regular lunch prayer. And the rest must carry it out strictly and in the best possible way.

If Friday prayers are missed without good reasons– this is prohibited. The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are known: “Either people will stop leaving Friday prayers, or Allah will put a seal on their hearts, and after that they will be among those who show negligence.”

Desirable actions for Friday

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said about Friday: “Truly, Friday is both a holiday and a day dedicated to the mention of Allah.” In another hadith: “On this day, Allah Almighty forgives six hundred thousand sinners at his discretion, freeing them from hell.” But in order to become one of Allah's chosen ones, certain conditions must be met. This is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) says about this: “If a Muslim, having cleansed himself to the best of his ability, perfumed himself with incense, comes to the mosque and, without disturbing anyone, fulfills the prescribed duties, and does not talk or look around, and listens to the sermon in silence and humility, then from this until next Friday all his mistakes will be forgiven.” When going to the mosque, you should not eat garlic, onions and other foods with a pungent odor.

Before Friday prayers, it is advisable for a Muslim to take a bath, cut his nails, put on clean and smart clothes, use the most pleasant scent, and come to the mosque as early as possible. There, repent for voluntary and involuntary sins committed during the week, read the Koran, remember the beautiful names of Allah and glorify Him, the Almighty and All-Powerful (say dhikr). On Friday, angels sit at the entrance to the mosque and note: “So-and-so Muslim came first, so-and-so came second, so-and-so came third...”.

As soon as the imam begins his sermon, the angels stop recording and the book closes.

Before the sermon, it is advisable for the imam to sit on the minbar, facing the jamaat. It is advisable to pronounce the second azan to the muazzin before him. The khutbah first begins with the praise of Allah Almighty, then with the recitation of both testimonies and the recitation of salawat to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also advisable to read several verses from the Koran and Hadith and explain their meaning. Then read a sermon, the topic of which should be relevant to the region and useful for strengthening the fear of God in the hearts and deeds of Muslims.

During the second sermon, it is advisable to make dua for Muslims. Since they are delivering two sermons, it is advisable to sit between them.

It is also advisable to read the tasbihi together with the imam, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is especially desirable in modern Russia, where Muslims have little opportunity for frequent meetings and are in great need of joint (in jamaat) prayers and duas, especially on such a great day as Friday. Having performed tasbih together, believers get up at the same time and greet each other, communicate, and share joys.

Unwanted Friday activities

1. It is undesirable, close to a prohibited action, to step over other believers in order to get into the front rows of the mosque, since by doing this you bring them some harm. Arriving at the mosque, you should not walk between the rows and, unceremoniously pushing people apart, disturbing them, try to take a place in the front rows.

Of course, the front rows are very honorable. But they are for those who came earlier. After adhan or iqamat, when people stand closer together for prayer, the empty seats in the front row will be taken by those standing behind. For those who arrived later, it is best to take any free place so as not to fall into sin while making your way forward.

By getting to the front of the line and touching others, you distract them, disturb their concentration, hurt their feelings, and incur the wrath of Allah. The hadith says: “If anyone, coming to Friday prayers, bothers people and makes his way to the front rows, then let him know that he is building a bridge straight to hell for himself.”

2. It is undesirable for the imam to greet the jamaat while going out to read the khutbah, since by doing this he forces them to respond to him, and this is disgraceful for them.

3. It is also blameworthy, close to forbidden, to sell something or buy something after Friday adhan, and also blameworthy, close to forbidden things, are all actions that distract a person from prayer.

4. It is undesirable to eat or drink in the mosque during the khutbah.

5. It is undesirable to lift another person to sit in his place, since the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Let none of you lift another from his place on Friday to sit there, but let him say that they gave him a place.”
6. It is also forbidden to perform namaz or dua, greet and talk while the imam has climbed onto the minbar to deliver a sermon, since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When any of you enters the mosque at that time, When the imam makes a khutbah, let him not perform salaam or speak until the imam has completed his khutbah, and let him also not respond to salam.” From the moment the imam ascends the minbar until the end of two rakats of fard prayer, all people in the jamaat must strictly remain silent, especially during the sermon itself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned: “If during Friday sermon If you tell your neighbor, “Shut up,” then your coming to the mosque for the Friday sermon will be in vain.” “Whoever during a Friday sermon only says to another “be quiet” has blabbed, and whoever blabbed has no Friday.” Theological scholars, commenting on what was said, clarified: “The reward for participating in Friday prayer, even with a minor conversation during the sermon, will not be complete.” But all theologians, without exception, agree that obligatory prayer counts to this person, that is, it is canonically valid, and there is no need to reread it.

According to the two mentioned and several other authentic hadiths, during the Friday sermon it is necessary to listen to the imam and strictly maintain silence. Otherwise, we leave Friday prayers without the reward (sawab) that we so badly need, especially today.

May the Almighty accept our prayers, be merciful to us and protect us from mistakes!

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