Witr - Timing (Hadith No. 808)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.
When to pray witr? Should I offer it right after `Ishaa' or delay it? And how far can I delay it? Is there an ending time for witr?


Well, you know how it goes. Please keep reading..

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 808:
Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle offered Witr prayer at different nights at various hours extending (from the 'Isha' prayer) up to the last hour of the night.

Time for witr starts with `Ishaa' and ends when dawn begins. More on it here.

The Timing of Witr:

It starts when a person has prayed ‘Isha’, even if it is joined to Maghrib at the time of Maghrib, and lasts until dawn begins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has prescribed for you a prayer (by which He may increase your reward), which is Witr; Allaah has enjoined it for you during the time between ‘Isha’ prayer until dawn begins.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 425; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Is it better to offer this prayer at the beginning of its time or to delay it?
The Sunnah indicates that if a person thinks he will be able to get up at the end of the night, it is better to delay it, because prayer at the end of the night is better and is witnessed (by the angels). But whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night should pray Witr before he goes to sleep, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, but whoever thinks that he will be able to get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better.” Narrated by Muslim, 755.
Al-Nawawi said: This is the correct view. Other ahaadeeth which speak of this topic in general terms are to be interpreted in the light of this sound, specific and clear report, such as the hadeeth, “My close friend advised me not to sleep without having prayed Witr.” This is to be understood as referring to one who is not sure that he will be able to wake up (to pray Witr at the end of the night). Sharh Muslim, 3/277.
[IslamQA]
Some additional 'fiqh' points:
What if..
  • you forgot to pray witr, or kept sleeping till Fajr? Read answer here.
  • you were praying witr right before dawn, and Fajr adhaan was called. Read answer here.
Wassalam.

Quick Fajr Sunnahs (Hadith No. 807)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 807:
Narrated Anas bin Sirin:
I asked Ibn 'Umar, "What is your opinion about the two Rakat before the Fajr (compulsory) prayer, as to prolonging the recitation in them?" He said, "The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to pray at night two Rakat followed by two and so on, and end the prayer by one Raka Witr. He used to offer two Rakat before the Fajr prayer immediately after the Adhan." (Hammad, the sub-narrator said, "That meant (that he prayed) quickly.)"

Similar Hadith here.
  1. Prophet (SAW) used to pray two rak`aat (Sunnah) before Fajr prayer right after the Adhaan.
  2. He prayed them quickly or lightly, meaning he did not prolong recitation in them.
  3. We get to know from other narrations that he used to recite Surah al-Kafiroon in the first rak`ah and Surah al-Ikhlaas in the second rak`ah of the Fajr Sunnah prayers.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) recited in the two supererogatory Rak`ah of the Fajr prayer Surat Al-Kafirun (No. 109) [in the first Rak`ah], and Surat Al-Ikhlas (No. 112) [in the second rak`ah].
[Muslim]
Gets interesting:
He [SAWS] heard a man reciting the former soorah in the first rak’ah (Surah Kafiroon), so he said, “This is a slave who believes in his Lord.” Then the man recited the latter soorah in the second rak’ah (Surah Ikhlas), so he said, “This is a slave who knows his Lord.”
[Al-Albani in "The Prophet's Prayer Described"]
And here's a nice relative blog post I came across. :)
Wassalam.

Sajdah of the Prophet [SAW] (Hadith No. 806)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 806:
Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle used to pray eleven Rakat at night and that was his night prayer and each of his prostrations lasted for a period enough for one of you to recite fifty verses before Allah's Apostle raised his head. He also used to pray two Rakat (Sunna) before the (compulsory) Fajr prayer and then lie down on his right side till the Muadh-dhin came to him for the prayer.

The interesting thing is, even if I do one Sajdah in my whole Salah that long, I tell myself to feel good about it. Now reading this is sort of making me think how foolish I was. -_-
I need to take it a (big) step further. 
Ah, now I know. Supplication in sajdah will make it longer.
Note: you can make special du`a in sajdah and other positions in Salah.
The majority of Maaliki and Shaafa’i fuqaha’, and some Hanbalis, are of the view that it is permissible to say du’aa’ in prayer asking for various worldly needs, which the worshipper wants to ask for and that he needs, such as if he prays to get married or for provision or success and so on.
They quoted as evidence for that the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught the Sahaabah the Tashahhud, then he said at the end of it: “Then let him choose whatever supplications he wishes.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5876) and Muslim (402).
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in al-Musannaf (1/331) that al-Hasan and al-Sha’bi said:
Ask during your prayer for whatever you want. End quote.
It says in al-Mudawwanah (1/192):
Maalik said: There is nothing wrong with a man praying for all his needs in the prescribed prayers, for his needs in this world and in the Hereafter, when standing, sitting and prostrating. He said: Maalik told me that ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: I heard from him that he said: I ask Allaah for all my needs when praying, even for salt. End quote.
[IslamQA]
Further:
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (3/283):
...But the correct view is that there is nothing wrong with asking for things that have to do with worldly matters, because du’aa’ in itself is an act of worship, even if it is asking for worldly things, and man has nowhere to turn but to Allaah. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The closest that a slave is to his Lord is when he is prostrating” and he said, “As for prostration, say a great deal of du’aa’ in it, because it is more likely that you will receive a response.” And according to the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, when he spoke of the Tashahhud, he said: “Then let him choose whatever supplications he wishes.” A person is never turning to Allaah as fully as he is in prayer, so how can we say Do not ask Allaah, when you are praying, for anything that you need of worldly things! This is very unlikely.
So the correct view is undoubtedly that he may ask after the Tashahhud for whatever he wishes of good in this world and in the Hereafter. End quote.
[IslamQA]
Prolong your sujud. Get closer to Allah. <3
Wassalam.

The Night Routine (Ahadith 804 - 805)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 804:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
Once I passed the night in the house of Maimuna (his aunt). I slept across the bed while Allah's Apostle and his wife slept length-wise. The Prophet slept till midnight or nearly so and woke up rubbing his face and recited ten verses from Surat "Aal-Imran." Allah's Apostle went towards a leather skin and performed ablution in the most perfect way and then stood for the prayer. I did the same and stood beside him. The Prophet put his right hand on my head, twisted my ear and then prayed two Rakat five times and then ended his prayer with Witr. He laid down till the Muadh-dhin came then he stood up and offered two Rakat (Sunna of Fajr prayer) and then went out and offered the Fajr prayer.
(See Hadith No. 183, Vol. 1)

Another version (very interesting, in fact) here.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 805:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar :
The Prophet said, "Night prayer is offered as two Rakat followed by two Rakat and so on, and if you want to finish it, pray only one Raka which will be Witr for all the previous Rakat." Al-Qasim said, "Since we attained the age of puberty we have seen some people offering a three-Rakat prayer as Witr and all that is permissible. I hope there will be no harm in it."

Discussed in the previous post.

  • Prophet (SAW) sleeps after `Ishaa' prayer, without praying witr.
  • He (SAW) wakes up at around midnight, rubbing his eyes (very cool and important Sunnah - makes your sleep go away in a jiffy!)..
  • He recites ten verses from Surah Al-i-Imran. We get to know from other narrations that these are the last ten verses of Surah Al-i-Imran.
  • He performs ablution in the perfect way. Not lazily, or half sleeping.
  • He stands for prayer.. prays 10 rak`aat like this: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2.
  • He ends his prayer with witr (1 rak`ah), when it's almost time for Fajr.
  • He lies down to rest a while, waiting for the Mu'adhdhin to call the Adhaan.
  • He gets up, prays two rak`aat of Fajr sunnah prayers.
  • And he leaves for the masjid to offer the Fajr prayer.
That's as simply as I can describe the night routine of the Prophet (SAW). There's great benefit in following it, not just spiritually, but physically and mentally also. Your day starts early, you get plenty of time to do your work in peace and quiet, you're more productive, you get time to spend alone with yourself and Allah etc.

P.S. it's because of the curiosity of Ibn Abbas (RA) that we know of Prophet (SAW) night routine. May Allah exalt his rank in Jannah and give me the opportunity to meet and thank him there (say Ameen if you want it for yourself!). :D
Wassalam.

Witr (Hadith No. 803)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 803:
Narrated Ibn Umar:
Once a person asked Allah's Apostle about the night prayer. Allah's Apostle replied, "The night prayer is offered as two Rakat followed by two Rakat and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Raka and this will be a Witr for all the Rakat which he has prayed before." Nafi' told that 'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to say Taslim between (the first) two Rakat and (the third) odd one in the Witr prayer, when he wanted to attend to a certain matter (during that interval between the Rakat).
Witr prayer is one of the greatest acts of worship that draw one closer to Allaah. Some of the scholars – the Hanafis – even thought that it is one of the obligatory prayers, but the correct view is that it is one of the confirmed Sunnahs (Sunnah mu’akkadah) which the Muslim should observe regularly and not neglect.
Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Whoever neglects Witr is a bad man whose testimony should not be accepted. This indicates that Witr prayer is something that is confirmed. 
[IslamQA]

Night Prayer and Witr

Night prayer = Tahajjud = 2 + 2 + ... [+ 1 (witr)].
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
Witr is part of the night prayer, and it is Sunnah and it is the end of the night prayer, one rak’ah with which one concludes the night prayers at the end of the night, or in the middle of the night, or at the beginning of the night after ‘Isha’ prayer. You pray whatever you can, then you conclude it with one rak’ah. End quote.
Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 11/309
[IslamQA]
More on the difference between night prayer and witr here.
As for the if's and but's and how's etc., keep checking back. We'll be covering this topic called 'Witr' in detail iA.
Wassalam.

Eid - Misc. (Ahadith 789 - 802)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Most of the Ahadith in this post are repeats. Doesn't mean you can ignore it completely. Some are new as well. -_-
Also, this will be the last post from "Book of the Two Festivals". We'll start "Book of Witr" Prayer after this inshaAllah. 

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 789:
Narrated Muhammad:
Um 'Atiyya said: "Our Prophet ordered us to come out (on 'Id day) with the mature girls and the virgins staying in seclusion." Hafsa narrated the above mentioned Hadith and added, "The mature girls or virgins staying in seclusion but the menstruating women had to keep away from the Musalla."

Discussed under Eid - Women.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 790:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
I (in my boyhood) went out with the Prophet on the day of 'Id ul Fitr or Id-ul-Adha. The Prophet prayed and then delivered the Khutba and then went towards the women, preached and advised them and ordered them to give alms.

Discussed under Eid - Khutbah.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 791:
Narrated Al-Bara':
The Prophet went towards Al-Baqi (the grave-yard at Medina) on the day of Id-ul-Adha and offered a two-Rakat prayer (of 'Id-ul-Adha) and then faced us and said, "On this day of ours, our first act of worship is the offering of prayer and then we will return and slaughter the sacrifice, and whoever does this concords with our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before that (i.e. before the prayer) then that was a thing which he prepared earlier for his family and it would not be considered as a Nusuk (sacrifice.)" A man stood up and said, "O, Allah's Apostle! I slaughtered (the animal before the prayer) but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep." The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said to him, "Slaughter it. But a similar sacrifice will not be sufficient for anybody else after you."

Discussed under Eid-ul-Adha - Sacrifice.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 792:
Narrated 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Abis:
Ibn Abbas was asked whether he had joined the Prophet in the 'Id prayer. He said, "Yes. And I could not have joined him had I not been young. (The Prophet came out) till he reached the mark which was near the house of Kathir bin As-Salt, offered the prayer, delivered the Khutba and then went towards the women. Bilal was accompanying him. He preached to them and advised them and ordered them to give alms. I saw the women putting their ornaments with their outstretched hands into Bilal's garment. Then the Prophet along with Bilal returned home.

Discussed under Eid - Khutbah.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 793:
Narrated Ibn Juraij:
'Ata' told me that he had heard Jabir bin 'Abdullah saying, "The Prophet stood up to offer the prayer of the 'Id ul Fitr. He first offered the prayer and then delivered the Khutba. After finishing it he got down (from the pulpit) and went towards the women and advised them while he was leaning on Bilal's hand. Bilal was spreading out his garment where the women were putting their alms." I asked 'Ata' whether it was the Zakat of 'Id ul Fitr. He said, "No, it was just alms given at that time. Some lady put her finger ring and the others would do the same." I said, (to 'Ata'), "Do you think that it is incumbent upon the Imam to give advice to the women (on 'Id day)?" He said, "No doubt, it is incumbent upon the Imams to do so and why should they not do so?" Al-Hasan bin Muslim told me that Ibn Abbas had said, "I join the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Umar and 'Uthman in the 'Id ul Fitr prayers. They used to offer the prayer before the Khutba and then they used to deliver the Khutba afterwards. Once the Prophet I came out (for the 'Id prayer) as if I were just observing him waving to the people to sit down. He, then accompanied by Bilal, came crossing the rows till he reached the women. He recited the following verse: 'O Prophet! When the believing women come to you to take the oath of fealty to you . . . (to the end of the verse) (60.12).' After finishing the recitation he said, "O ladies! Are you fulfilling your covenant?" None except one woman said, "Yes." Hasan did not know who was that woman. The Prophet said, "Then give alms." Bilal spread his garment and said, "Keep on giving alms. Let my father and mother sacrifice their lives for you (ladies)." So the ladies kept on putting their Fatkhs (big rings) and other kinds of rings in Bilal's garment." Abdur-Razaq said, " 'Fatkhs' is a big ring which used to be worn in the (Pre-lslamic) period of ignorance.

SubhanAllah, check out the enthusiasm of these women. They're giving the jewelry that they're wearing. Big rings and what not. Like, whoa!

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 794:
Narrated Aiyub:
Hafsa bint Sirin said, "On Id we used to forbid our girls to go out for 'Id prayer. A lady came and stayed at the palace of Bani Khalaf and I went to her. She said, 'The husband of my sister took part in twelve holy battles along with the Prophet and my sister was with her husband in six of them. My sister said that they used to nurse the sick and treat the wounded. Once she asked, 'O Allah's Apostle! If a woman has no veil, is there any harm if she does not come out (on 'Id day)?' The Prophet said, 'Her companion should let her share her veil with her, and the women should participate in the good deeds and in the religious gatherings of the believers.' " Hafsa added, "When Um-'Atiya came, I went to her and asked her, 'Did you hear anything about so-and-so?' Um-'Atlya said, 'Yes, let my father be sacrificed for the Prophet (p.b.u.h). (And whenever she mentioned the name of the Prophet she always used to say, 'Let my father be' sacrificed for him). He said, 'Virgin mature girls staying often screened (or said, 'Mature girls and virgins staying often screened--Aiyub is not sure as which was right) and menstruating women should come out (on the 'Id day). But the menstruating women should keep away from the Musalla. And all the women should participate in the good deeds and in the religious gatherings of the believers'." Hafsa said, "On that I said to Um-'Atiya, 'Also those who are menstruating?' " Um-'Atiya replied, "Yes. Do they not present themselves at 'Arafat and elsewhere?".

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 795:
Narrated Um-'Atiya:
We were ordered to go out (for 'Id) and also to take along with us the menstruating women, mature girls and virgins staying in seclusion. (Ibn 'Aun said, "Or mature virgins staying in seclusion)." The menstruating women could present themselves at the religious gathering and invocation of Muslims but should keep away from their Musalla.

All of this discussed under Eid - Women.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 796:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to Nahr or slaughter sacrifices at the Musalla (on 'Id-ul-Adha).
There's something new! Animals were slaughtered on the Musalla - where Eid prayers were offered. It can be easily done if we take an open ground as Musalla, but if we pray on a marbled floor in a mosque, it might be a problem..


Volume 2, Book 15, Number 797:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
On the day of Nahr Allah's Apostle delivered the Khutba after the 'Id prayer and said, "Anyone who prayed like us and slaughtered the sacrifice like we did then he acted according to our (Nusuk) tradition of sacrificing, and whoever slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer, then that was just mutton (i.e. not sacrifice)." Abu Burda bin Naiyar stood up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Allah, I slaughtered my sacrifice before I offered the (Id) prayer and thought that today was the day of eating and drinking (non-alcoholic drinks) and so I made haste (in slaughtering) and ate and also fed my family and neighbors." Allah's Apostle said, "That was just mutton (not a sacrifice)." Then Abu Burda said, "I have a young she-goat and no doubt, it is better than two sheep. Will that be sufficient as a sacrifice for me?" The Prophet replied, "Yes. But it will not be sufficient for anyone else (as a sacrifice), after you."

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 798:
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah's Apostle offered the prayer on the day of Nahr and then delivered the Khutba and ordered that whoever had slaughtered his sacrifice before the prayer should repeat it, that is, should slaughter another sacrifice. Then a person from the Ansar stood up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! because of my neighbors (he described them as being very needy or poor) I slaughtered before the prayer. I have a young she-goat which, in my opinion, is better than two sheep." The Prophet gave him the permission for slaughtering it as a sacrifice.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 799:
Narrated Jundab:
On the day of Nahr the Prophet offered the prayer and delivered the Khutba and then slaughtered the sacrifice and said, "Anybody who slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the prayer should slaughter another animal in lieu of it, and the one who has not yet slaughtered should slaughter the sacrifice mentioning Allah's name on it."

Discussed under Eid-ul-Adha - Sacrifice.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 800:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
On the Day of 'Id the Prophet used to return (after offering the 'Id prayer) through a way different from that by which he went.

Another something new.
It was said that the reason for that was so that the two routes would testify for him on the Day of Resurrection, for the earth will speak on the Day of Resurrection and say what was done on it, both good and bad.
And it was said that it was in order to manifest the symbols of Islam on both routes, or to manifest the remembrance of Allaah (dhikr), or to annoy the hypocrites and Jews, and to scare them with the large number of people who were with him. And it was said that it was in order to attend to the people’s needs, to answer their questions, teach them, set an example and give charity to the needy, or to visit his relatives and uphold the ties of kinship.
 And Allaah knows best.
[IslamQA]
Volume 2, Book 15, Number 801:
Narrated 'Urwa on the authority of 'Aisha:
On the days of Mina, (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) Abu Bakr came to her while two young girls were beating the tambourine and the Prophet was lying covered with his clothes. Abu Bakr scolded them and the Prophet uncovered his face and said to Abu Bakr, "Leave them, for these days are the days of 'Id and the days of Mina." 'Aisha further said, "Once the Prophet was screening me and I was watching the display of black slaves in the Mosque and ('Umar) scolded them. The Prophet said, 'Leave them. O Bani Arfida! (carry on), you are safe (protected)'."


Volume 2, Book 15, Number 802:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
The Prophet went out and offered a two Rakat prayer on the Day of 'Id ul Fitr and did not offer any other prayer before or after it and at that time Bilal was accompanying him.

Discussed under Eid - Khutbah.

- End of Book of the Two Festivals (Eids) -

If you've gone through all the posts under this book, you must understand what Eid is, why we celebrate it, how we go about it etc. If not, then a detailed study is required.
May Allah increase us in knowledge - only that which is beneficial.
Wassalam.

Eid - Musalla (Ahadith 787 -788)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

 Volume 2, Book 15, Number 787:
Narrated Ibn Umar: On the day of 'Id-ul-Fitr and 'Id-ul-Adha a spear used to be planted in front of the Prophet I (as a Sutra for the prayer) and then he would pray.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 788:
Narrated Ibn Umar:
The Prophet used to proceed to the Musalla and an 'Anaza used to be carried before him and planted in the Musalla in front of him and he would pray facing it (as a Sutra).

Sutra is a screen that a person uses to define his prayer space, such as a wall, door etc. The bare minimum requirement for sutra is: that it should be as tall as the length of one hand.
There have been multiple posts on this topic already. Do go through them! Just to get the gist of it all:
  • `Anza (spear) can be used as sutrah.
  • Imaam's sutrah is enough for the whole congregation.
  • Prophet (SAW) and the companions used to offer the Eid prayers in an open ground.
  • Musalla, by the way, is any place that we offer Salah on. It can be a rug, a ground, a mountain, a rock, anything.

Did you know? The sin of crossing one's prayer space is so huge that Prophet (SAW) said:
If the person who passes in front of another person in prayer knew the magnitude of his sin he would prefer to wait for 40 (days, months or years) rather than to pass in front of him.
More on it here.
Wassalam.

Eid - Women (Hadith No. 786)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 786:
Narrated Um 'Atiya:
We used to be ordered to come out on the Day of 'Id and even bring out the virgin girls from their houses and menstruating women so that they might stand behind the men and say Takbir along with them and invoke Allah along with them and hope for the blessings of that day and for purification from sins.

Another post on the same topic.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: what is better for a woman, to come out to the Eid prayer or to stay at home?
He replied:
It is better for them to go out to Eid prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that the women go out to the Eid prayer, even the adolescent girls and virgins – i.e., women who do not ordinarily go out. He commanded them to go out, and he told the menstruating women to go out but to keep away from the prayer-place. So menstruating women should go out with other women for Eid, but they should not enter the place where the Eid prayer is offered, because the Eid prayer-place is a mosque and it is not permissible for a menstruating woman to stay there, but it is permissible for her to pass through or to take something she needs from it, without staying there. Based on this we say: women are commanded to go out to the Eid prayer and join the men in this prayer, because of the goodness, dhikr and du’aa’ they may experience there. 
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 16/210.
He also said:
But they must go out looking decent, not wearing adornment, makeup or perfume, so that they may combine following the Sunnah with avoiding fitnah.
What some women do of wearing adornment, makeup and perfume is because of their ignorance and negligence on the part of their guardians. This does not cancel out the general shar’i ruling, which is that women are commanded to go out to the Eid prayer.
[IslamQA]
Don't miss the Eid prayers this August, women! If you don't have to pray, join the Muslimeen in du`a. <3
Wassalam.

Eid - Takbir (Hadith No. 785)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 785:
Narrated Muhammad bin Abi Bakr Al-Thaqafi:
While we were going from Mina to 'Arafat, I asked Anas bin Malik, about Talbiya, "How did you use to say Talbiya in the company of the Prophet?" Anas said: "People used to say Talbiya and their saying was not objected to, and they used to say Takbir and that was not objected to either."

The Talbiyah is a Muslim prayer invoked by the pilgrims as a conviction that they intend to perform the Hajj only for the glory of God. Talbiyah is repeatedly invoked during the Hajj, or pilgrimage, upon putting on the Ihram, so the pilgrims can purify and rid themselves of worldly concerns. [Wikipedia]
The text of the talbiyah is:
Labbaika Allahomma Labbaik. Labbaik La Shareeka Laka Labbaik. Innal-Hamdah, Wan-Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareeka Laka. In Arabic لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، لَبَّيْكَ لاَ شَرِيْكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ، إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ لاَشَرِيْكَ لَكَ
Translated as:
"Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is All Praise and All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners."
The Takbīr or Tekbir (تَكْبِير) is the Arabic term for the phrase Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر). It is usually translated "God is [the] Greatest," or "God is Great". It is a common Islamic Arabic expression. It is used in various contexts by Muslims: in formal prayer, as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress, to express celebration or victory, and to express resolute determination or defiance (especially in politically charged contexts). [Wikipedia]
But here in this Hadith, Takbir refers to the "takbiraat" that we exclaim during Hajj and Eid days.
“(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allaah [i.e. to say Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar: Allaah is the Most Great)] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him”
[al-Baqarah 2:185] 
As for Eid-ul-Fitr and takbeer, read this. For Eid-ul-Adha and takbeer, read this.
Are there specific formats for saying takbeerat, or can we just magnify Allah in any way we want? Check this out.

We must memorize these takbeerat, so when the Eid time comes around, we can magnify and glorify as much as possible. <3
This version is the one I love best:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lps_hjCVsv4]

Wassalam.

First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah (Hadith No. 784)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Hadith no. 783 is a repeat. Read it here.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 784:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The Prophet said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja)." Then some companions of the Prophet said, "Not even Jihad?" He replied, "Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah's sake) and does not return with any of those things."

These days have great excellence and superiority over all other days. These are the days right before Eid-ul-Adha, or the Hajj days, as we know them. One should maximize their good deeds in these days to benefit most from them.
I've written a detailed post on it once before, taken from Dr. Farhat Hashmi's mind-blowing lecture on the subject. Do read! :)
Wassalam.

Weapons in Haram (Ahadith 781 - 782)


Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 781:
Narrated Said bin Jubair:
I was with Ibn Umar when a spear head pierced the sole of his foot and his foot stuck to the paddle of the saddle and I got down and pulled his foot out, and that happened in Mina. Al-Hajjaj got the news and came to enquire about his health and said, "Alas! If we could only know the man who wounded you!" Ibn Umar said, "You are the one who wounded me." Al-Hajjaj said, "How is that?" Ibn Umar said, "You have allowed the arms to be carried on a day on which nobody used to carry them and you allowed arms to be carried in the Haram even though it was not allowed before."

Volume 2, Book 15, Number 782:
Narrated Said bin 'Amr bin Said bin Al-'Aas:
Al-Hajjaj went to Ibn Umar while I was present there. Al-Hajjaj asked Ibn Umar, "How are you?" Ibn Umar replied, "I am all right," Al-Hajjaj asked, "Who wounded you?" Ibn Umar replied, "The person who allowed arms to be carried on the day on which it was forbidden to carry them (he meant Al-Hajjaj)".

As for the background of this particular incident, history books can shed some light on it iA. The crux is, Ibn Umar saw al-Hajjaj as a tyrant, and disapproved of him. He wasn't the only one, though.
At al-Hajjaj's death in ad 714, the people of Iraq rejoiced openly in the streets. Umar II (caliph, 717 - 720) thanked God for removing a "tyrant" and Hasan al-Basri said "O God, it is You who killed him; please, put an end to his habitual practices". [Wikipedia]
Ayyub said: “I asked Nafi’ how Ibn ‘Umar died, and he said: “He was injured between two of his fingers by a supporting beam in the middle of the crowd during the stone-throwing of the Hajj, and this made him sick. So, al-Hajjaj came to visit him, and Ibn ‘Umar closed his eyes. al-Hajjaj spoke to him, and he would not reply.””
No judgement intended.
Coming back to the the Ahadith mentioned above, it is not allowed to carry weapons in the vicinity of Haram, because that place is sacred, and anything that could potentially violate its sanctity is forbidden. If one wants to carry a weapon to protect himself, let him know that countless security guards are already doing that job. :)
See, these men have been appointed for our safety. ^_^
What's forbidden is forbidden. No one can make lawful what Allah made unlawful, not even scholars. So Ibn Umar was angry at al-Hajjaj because he had allowed people to carry arms in Haram, although it was forbidden to do so. Allahu A`lam.
Wassalam.

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