Adil Salahi

Arab News

Islam gives us guidance in all aspects, even those where social custom directs people’s actions. Such guidance, however, is not intended to restrict people and make them behave in a certain manner from which they cannot digress. On the contrary, it aims to make things easier and more pleasant for both the individual and the community. Thus, it improves people’s manners, approving what is good correcting what is wrong, and adding an element of refinement wherever it is needed. In all its teachings, Islam aims to make things easier for us. Hardship is to be avoided in every respect. Even where people’s behavior does not seem to involve any inconvenience, Islam improves it so as to make it more convenient and pleasant. We only need to look at the Prophet’s reported statements to realize that he took care to set people’s social behavior on the course that ensures closer ties within the community.

The Prophet’s companions realized this, because they were aware of the wide gulf that separated their social manners before and after Islam. They realized that Islam approved every good thing in their customs, amended what needed to be amended and discarded what is wrong or unsocial. Hence they were keen to demonstrate the proper Islamic manners, pointing out the Prophet’s teaching wherever needed, so that the following generations could consolidate these manners.

Abu Saeed Al-Khudri was a young companion of the Prophet who reported a large number of Hadiths. He lived long after the Prophet and he was received everywhere with the respect due to one of the Prophet’s companions who was at the same time a fine scholar. “One day he was informed of a funeral. Apparently he was delayed and came only when people had already taken their places where the funeral was to start. When he came and people saw him they welcomed him. Some of them stood up to give him their places. He said to them: Do not do that. I heard the Prophet say: ‘The best meeting place is the one most accommodating.’ He moved aside to sit in a place where there was plenty of room.”(Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)

We see in this Hadith that many people were keen to show their respect of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, for his position as one of the Prophet’s companions, giving up their places so that he would sit in a better position. But we see also that he would not accept this, explaining that it is not right for a latecomer to displace some of those who have arrived before him. In our societies we see this happening all the time, with young people moving toward the end of a large room, because of the arrival of a person who is highly placed in society. While this is a good sign of respect, the proper manner is that shown by Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, where the latecomer sits at the end so as to give the least disturbance to the people attending. In this instance, Abu said had plenty of room and he was able to sit comfortably.

It is also preferable to sit facing the qiblah if possible. The qiblah refers the Kaaba, the black building in Makkah which Muslims must face in prayer wherever they happen to be, and it also means the direction leading to the Kaaba. Thus, we have a Hadith stating: “Abdullah ibn Umar would mostly sit facing the qiblah. Once as he was sitting, Yazeed ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt recited a passage of the Qur’an containing a prostration when the sun had just risen. When he read the prostration verse, he and everyone else prostrated themselves except Abdullah ibn Umar. Later when the sun had risen well in the sky, Abdullah ibn Umar untied his top robe and prostrated himself. He then said to the reciter: ‘Have you not seen how your friends prostrated themselves at a time when prayer may not be offered.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.)

The first point in this Hadith is the desirability of facing the qiblah wherever we sit. This is to be encouraged, but it is by no means required. Had it been so, it would cause people much inconvenience. Hence, when it is feasible, without causing any inconvenience, it becomes preferable. If it causes inconvenience to oneself or to others, then it need not be done. We see the reporter of this Hadith making clear that Abdullah ibn Umar mostly sat facing the qiblah. This means that he did not insist on doing so, but did it wherever possible.

Secondly, we learn that if a group of people are listening to someone reading the Qur’an and he reads a verse where it is recommended to offer a prostration, the reader and the audience should prostrate themselves. There are 14 or 15 verses in the Qur’an in this category, each of them contains a reference to prostration as a mark of true submission to God alone. Hence, offering a prostration when such a verse is mentioned indicates compliance with this universal requirement. The Prophet made it clear that this is to be done, even when we are reading these verses in prayer. Hence, everyone listening to the recitation in this instance prostrated themselves.

The last point to make is that concerning Abdullah ibn Umar’s delayed prostration. This is concerned with the times when prayer is discouraged. There are certain times in the day when we should not offer any prayer, and this includes the prostration offered at reading, or listening to, any of the verses containing a prostration. These times are as follows: 1) after we have offered Fajr prayer until the sun has risen well into the sky; 2) at the time when the sun is at its highest point in the sky until it starts to move down; and 3) after we have prayed Asr until the sun has completely set. The reason for discouraging prayer in these times is that Islamic worship should never be thought of as associated with the sun and its position in the sky.

This is due to the fact that in certain communities, the sun was worshipped as a deity. Hence, it is important that our worship should not be confused with the worship of those communities.

In the case described in this Hadith, Abdullah ibn Umar was the only one who noted the time when the reciter read the relevant verse. It was just when the sun had appeared. As such, it was the wrong time for prayer. Therefore, he delayed his prostration for something like 20 minutes or half an hour and offered it then. This is the proper practice.

Islam gives us guidance in all aspects, even those where social custom directs people’s actions. Such guidance, however, is not intended to restrict people and make them behave in a certain manner from which they cannot digress. On the contrary, it aims to make things easier and more pleasant for both the individual and the community. Thus, it improves people’s manners, approving what is good correcting what is wrong, and adding an element of refinement wherever it is needed. In all its teachings, Islam aims to make things easier for us. Hardship is to be avoided in every respect. Even where people’s behavior does not seem to involve any inconvenience, Islam improves it so as to make it more convenient and pleasant. We only need to look at the Prophet’s reported statements to realize that he took care to set people’s social behavior on the course that ensures closer ties within the community.

The Prophet’s companions realized this, because they were aware of the wide gulf that separated their social manners before and after Islam. They realized that Islam approved every good thing in their customs, amended what needed to be amended and discarded what is wrong or unsocial. Hence they were keen to demonstrate the proper Islamic manners, pointing out the Prophet’s teaching wherever needed, so that the following generations could consolidate these manners.

Abu Saeed Al-Khudri was a young companion of the Prophet who reported a large number of Hadiths. He lived long after the Prophet and he was received everywhere with the respect due to one of the Prophet’s companions who was at the same time a fine scholar. “One day he was informed of a funeral. Apparently he was delayed and came only when people had already taken their places where the funeral was to start. When he came and people saw him they welcomed him. Some of them stood up to give him their places. He said to them: Do not do that. I heard the Prophet say: ‘The best meeting place is the one most accommodating.’ He moved aside to sit in a place where there was plenty of room.”(Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood)

We see in this Hadith that many people were keen to show their respect of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, for his position as one of the Prophet’s companions, giving up their places so that he would sit in a better position. But we see also that he would not accept this, explaining that it is not right for a latecomer to displace some of those who have arrived before him. In our societies we see this happening all the time, with young people moving toward the end of a large room, because of the arrival of a person who is highly placed in society. While this is a good sign of respect, the proper manner is that shown by Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, where the latecomer sits at the end so as to give the least disturbance to the people attending. In this instance, Abu said had plenty of room and he was able to sit comfortably.

It is also preferable to sit facing the qiblah if possible. The qiblah refers the Kaaba, the black building in Makkah which Muslims must face in prayer wherever they happen to be, and it also means the direction leading to the Kaaba. Thus, we have a Hadith stating: “Abdullah ibn Umar would mostly sit facing the qiblah. Once as he was sitting, Yazeed ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt recited a passage of the Qur’an containing a prostration when the sun had just risen. When he read the prostration verse, he and everyone else prostrated themselves except Abdullah ibn Umar. Later when the sun had risen well in the sky, Abdullah ibn Umar untied his top robe and prostrated himself. He then said to the reciter: ‘Have you not seen how your friends prostrated themselves at a time when prayer may not be offered.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.)

The first point in this Hadith is the desirability of facing the qiblah wherever we sit. This is to be encouraged, but it is by no means required. Had it been so, it would cause people much inconvenience. Hence, when it is feasible, without causing any inconvenience, it becomes preferable. If it causes inconvenience to oneself or to others, then it need not be done. We see the reporter of this Hadith making clear that Abdullah ibn Umar mostly sat facing the qiblah. This means that he did not insist on doing so, but did it wherever possible.

Secondly, we learn that if a group of people are listening to someone reading the Qur’an and he reads a verse where it is recommended to offer a prostration, the reader and the audience should prostrate themselves. There are 14 or 15 verses in the Qur’an in this category, each of them contains a reference to prostration as a mark of true submission to God alone. Hence, offering a prostration when such a verse is mentioned indicates compliance with this universal requirement. The Prophet made it clear that this is to be done, even when we are reading these verses in prayer. Hence, everyone listening to the recitation in this instance prostrated themselves.

The last point to make is that concerning Abdullah ibn Umar’s delayed prostration. This is concerned with the times when prayer is discouraged. There are certain times in the day when we should not offer any prayer, and this includes the prostration offered at reading, or listening to, any of the verses containing a prostration. These times are as follows: 1) after we have offered Fajr prayer until the sun has risen well into the sky; 2) at the time when the sun is at its highest point in the sky until it starts to move down; and 3) after we have prayed Asr until the sun has completely set. The reason for discouraging prayer in these times is that Islamic worship should never be thought of as associated with the sun and its position in the sky.

This is due to the fact that in certain communities, the sun was worshipped as a deity. Hence, it is important that our worship should not be confused with the worship of those communities.

In the case described in this Hadith, Abdullah ibn Umar was the only one who noted the time when the reciter read the relevant verse. It was just when the sun had appeared. As such, it was the wrong time for prayer. Therefore, he delayed his prostration for something like 20 minutes or half an hour and offered it then. This is the proper practice.