✨ `ASHURA

Meaning: 'The tenth'
It is the 10th of Muharram

History:

In the Pre islamic period, the Jews used to fast on the day of 'Ashura.

Why?
Because on this day, Allah saved Hazrat Musa علیہ السلام and Bani Israel from Fir'awn and Allah drowned the Fir'awn and his people.
And Musa علیہ السلام observed fast out of Shukr (gratitude).

Why do we fast?

When Muhammad ﷺ came to Madinah and saw Jews fasting on the day of 'Ashura, He ﷺ said:

We have more rights, and we have a closer connection with Moses than you(jews) have; so Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) observed fast (on the day of 'Ashura), and gave orders that it should be observed.

[Sahih Muslim 1130 c, Sahih Al-Bukhari 2004] -Muttafaq 'Alaih

→ It is also said that it was Wahy(divine revelation) from Allah Azzawajal.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ fasted on this day in three stages:
[Sahih Bukhari 2002, Sahih Muslim 1125c] - Muttafaq 'Alaih

Narrated Aisha:
Quraish used to fast on the day of 'Ashura' in the Pre-Islamic period, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) too, used to fast on that day. When he came to Medina, he fasted on that day and ordered others to fast, too. Later when the fasting of the month of Ramadan was prescribed, he gave up fasting on the day of 'Ashura' and it became optional for one to fast on it or not.

1. Muhammad ﷺ used to fast on Ashura in Makkah before Hijrah without commanding others to fast.

2. It became Wajib (obligatory) as Muhammad ﷺ ordered it when he arrived in Madinah and saw jews observing it.
And Sahabas observed fast and even encouraged their children to fast.

[Sahih Muslim 1136 a, Sahih Al-Bukhari 1960] -Muttafaq 'Alaih

3. When fasting in Ramadān became Wajib, he gave people the choice (fasting on Ashura became optional)

Muhammad ﷺ used to fast-
[Sahih Muslim 1129a, Sahih Al-Bukhari 2003] -Muttafaq 'Alaih

But not fardh anymore and people had the choice-

So he who amongst you likes to observe fast should do so, and he who does not like it should abandon it.

[Sahih Muslim 1126c]

Virtue of observing fast on the day of Ashura-

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

It expiates the sins (minor sins) of the preceding year.

[Sahih Muslim 1162b]

When to fast?

1. Best:
On the day of Tashu'a (9th of Muharram) and 'Ashura (10th of Muharram)
As Muhammad ﷺ intended to fast on Tashu'a to differ from the Jews.
[Sahih Muslim 1134 a]
[Abu Dawud 2445 (Sahih by Al-Albani)

2. If one is unable to fast on Tashu'a (9th) then fasting on 10th and 11th or fasting only on 10th is also permissible (as there's ikhtelaaf among the people of knowledge)

However fasting on the 9th and 10th remains the best choice.

3. Fasting on 9th, 10th and 11th
There is no issue with fasting the 9th, 10th, and 11th of Muharram, for indeed frequent fasting in the month of Allah al-Muharram is recommended ;
And fasting the 9th and 10th are at the best rank when it comes to fasting Ashura, and fasting the 11th [is done] on the basis that it is from Muharram [ie. generally], and this has been proven from the Salaf.

Al-Tabari narrated in Tahdheeb Al-Āthār with an authentic isnād (chain of transmission) that Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allāh be pleased with them both, used to fast one day before ‘Ashura and one day after it.
- by Sulayman Al Ruhayli حفظه الله

The day `Ashura and it's significance

→'Ashura is one of the days of Allah
[Sahih Muslim 1126]
→ It is the day of great significance
→Allah rescued Musa علیہ السلام and Bani Israel from Fir'awn and his people [Sahih Al-Bukhari 2004]
→ Jews treat this day as 'Id [Sahih Muslim 1131]
→ Musa علیہ السلام observed fast out of Shukr (gratitude)
→The Kaba used to be covered with a new cloth on this day [Sahih Al-Bukhari 1592]
→Prophet Muhammad ﷺ observed fast on this day and encouraged us to fast too.
→It expiates the sins (minor sins) of the preceding year. [Sahih Muslim 1162b]

But,
The Ahlul Bid'ah introduced many false narrations and fabricated hadiths regarding this day.

There are two types of misguided groups here:

One group imitated the Jews and made it a festival of joy, beautifying, wearing kohl and cooking various types of special dishes.
And another group made it a day of mourning over the killing of Hazrat Husayn رضي الله عنه. They beat themselves, cry and spread false tales, this combining ignorance and bid'ah.

Some Innovations-

→ Preparing special foods like Muharram ka khichda, Chonga, sharbat etccc as religious practices.
→ Believing that applying kohl on ‘Ashura will protect one’s eyesight for the whole year. (Shu'ab al Imaan 3797- Da'if hadith)
→ Believing that spending on one’s family on ‘Ashura will definitely increase rizq, based on weak narrations.
(Da'if hadith - by Imam Taymiyyah)
→ Believing that making ghusl on ‘Ashura will prevent sickness for the whole year. ( Da'if hadith)
→ Believing that stroking an orphan’s head on ‘Ashura has a special reward based on weak narrations.

Some Bid'ah by Shia:

→ Cursing Sahabas Nauzubillah
→ Beating the chest, face, tearing clothes
(Muhammad ﷺ said whoever does this is not from us - Sahih Al-Bukhari 1297)
→ Beating themselves with chains
→ Reciting Noha or Nawha as a ritual
→ Wearing black clothes as a sign of mourning
→ Walking kn coal
→ Setting up stalls of Milk, Syrup and water
→ Taziya, Juloos, Horse procession, Hazrat Qasim ki Mehendi and similar other practices

May Allah protect us from innovation and make us among the people who follow Salaf as Saliheen


JazakAllahu Khairan Kaseera
@soul_to_sajdah

Dua e Ashura & 4 Rakah Nafl

You'll see one or both of these duas forward in WhatsApp today and tomorrow.
While their wording is beautiful, it is crucial to understand their actual origins.

1. The Two Versions of "Dua-e-Ashura":

Version 1: The "Subhanallah" Dua

> سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مِلْءَ الْمِيزَانِ، وَمُنْتَهَى الْعِلْمِ، وَمَبْلَغَ الرِّضَا، وَزِنَةَ الْعَرْشِ، لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا إِلَيْهِ

> Translation: "Glory be to Allah, as much as the Scale can hold, to the limit of knowledge, to the extent of His pleasure, and to the weight of the Throne. There is no refuge and no safety from Allah except in Him."
>
Version 2: The "Prophetic Events" Dua

> يَا قَابِلَ تَوْبَةِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، يَا فَارِجَ كَرْبِ ذِي النُّونِ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، يَا جَامِعَ شَمْلِ يَعْقُوبَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ، يَا سَامِعَ دَعْوَةِ مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ

Not full dua, I'll post image in comment.
> Translation: "O Accepter of Adam’s repentance on the day of Ashura, O Reliever of the distress of Jonah on the day of Ashura, O Reuniter of Jacob on the day of Ashura, O Hearer of the prayer of Moses and Aaron on the day of Ashura..."
>
Origin and Rulings on These Duas:
• The Source: Neither of these duas is found in the Sihah Sittah (the six authentic books of Hadith) or any early authoritative Hadith collections. They emerged centuries later in books of wazaif (litanies) and Sufi manuals like Nuzhat al-Majalis.
• The Meaning: The meanings of both duas are perfectly sound. Praising Allah by His attributes and making dua through the reference of His Prophets is permissible and a good practice but attaching it to a day with virtues/reward reported for these duas without any connection to the messenger of Allah ﷺ is biddat
• The Fabricated Virtues: Many pamphlets claim that whoever recites these duas "will not die that year" or "their life is guaranteed for a year." This claim is completely fabricated (Maudu). There is zero authentic proof from Prophet Muhammad ﷺ making such a guarantee.
• Conclusion: You may recite these duas after reading the event analysis below because their meanings are good, but you must not believe they are an established Sunnah of Ashura, nor should you believe the fabricated guarantees of prolonged life attached to them.

2. Analysis of the Events Mentioned in the Dua:

The second version of the dua mentions several Prophets being saved or forgiven specifically on Ashura. There are some authentic and some debated reports @salaf2khalaf provided a report on that (I'll attach the image in comment):
• Moses (Musa) & Pharaoh: Authentic. Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim confirm that Allah saved Musa (AS) and parted the Red Sea, drowning Pharaoh, on the 10th of Muharram.
• Noah (Nuh) & The Ark: Authentic/Hasan basis. Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that the Ark of Nuh (AS) safely rested on Mount Judi on the day of Ashura, and Nuh fasted that day in gratitude.
• Adam's Repentance, Jonah (Yunus) exiting the whale, Jacob (Yaqub) reuniting with Joseph (Yusuf): Unverified/Weak. While these massive events did happen in Islamic history, the claim that they happened specifically on the 10th of Muharram comes from weak (Da'if) narrations and historical traditions (Isra'iliyat). Classical scholars note there is no rigorous Sahih evidence to prove they occurred on Ashura.

3. Nafl Salah Specific to Ashura:

Many cultural traditions dictate praying a specific number of Nafl (voluntary) Raka'at on the night or day of Ashura (e.g., praying 4 Raka'at with Surah Ikhlas recited 50 times).
• Authenticity: Completely Fabricated.

• Scholarly Consensus: Renowned Hadith scholars, including Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, and Mulla Ali al-Qari, have unanimously stated that every single hadith detailing a specific prayer for Ashura is a forgery.
• What you should do: If you wish to pray, offer standard Tahajjud or general Nafl prayers without attaching a special "Ashura format" to them.

4. Spending Extra on Family on Ashura:

There is a famous Hadith regarding providing well for one's family on this day:

> "Whoever expands his expenditure on his family on the day of Ashura, Allah will expand his sustenance for the rest of the year."

>
Analysis of the Grading:
This Hadith has been a subject of intense scholarly debate.
• Some strict scholars, like Ibn al-Jawzi, declared it fabricated.
• However, major Hadith masters—including Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Iraqi, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and As-Suyuti—conducted deeper analyses. They found that while individual chains of this narration are weak (Da'if), there are multiple different chains transmitted through companions like Jabir, Abu Huraira, and Ibn Mas'ud.
• The Verdict: Because of the multiple chains supporting each other, the Hadith is elevated to the rank of Hasan li ghairihi (acceptable due to corroboration). Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, a great early scholar, said, "We have tested this for fifty years and found nothing but good."
• Therefore, bringing home nicer food or spending a little extra on your dependents on Ashura is a valid, recommended practice. BUT DO NOT MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A CELEBRATION, DO NOT FORGET THE TRAGEDY OF KARBALA.

5. The Authentic Sunnah Deeds of Ashura:

If you want to observe Ashura exactly as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did, focus on these established practices:
1. Fasting the 10th of Muharram: The Prophet ﷺ said, "For fasting the day of Ashura, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the sins committed in the previous year." (Sahih Muslim)
2. Fasting the 9th along with the 10th: Before his passing, the Prophet ﷺ expressed a desire to fast the 9th as well, to differentiate the Islamic practice from the Jewish tradition. (Fasting the 10th and 11th is also acceptable if the 9th was missed).
3. Repentance and Good Deeds: Muharram is one of the four Sacred Months. General good deeds, seeking forgiveness, and giving charity carry immense weight during this time.

Waliullah Arbaeen Four🍀
الْمُسْتَشَارُ مُؤْتَمَنٌ
Someone who is Consulted for Advice is Trustworthy
al-Mustasharu Mu'taman

Sunan Abu Dawood 5128

Explanation :
✦ Consult with them about matters, and after decision, put your trust in God [Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:159]

Key Takeaways from the Ayah

→ Consultation is 'Protection against Regret'
→ Even Allah doesn't ask us to blindly take decisions, rather Consultation is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ as evident from Seerah
→ The Hadith about "Tying Camel before Having Tawakkul" explains this Verse
————————————
✦ Deen is Sincere Advice [Sahih Muslim 55a]
————————————
✦ One Cannot be Mo'min until he desires for his Brother what he desires for ownself [Sahih Bukhari 13]
→ Person is ought to give Good Advice that he would like to accept himself!
————————————
✦ Other Variants of ts Hadith add :
"So if one of you is consulted about something, let him advise."
→ Thus, Giving Advice, unless it's Harmful, is Necessary.
————————————
✦ Hiding Beneficial Knowledge = Collar of Fire in Afterlife [Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2649]
→ Whoever has Good Advice yet refrains or hide it, will be Sinful.
————————————
@salaf2khalaf
Jazakallah Khair

Waliullah Arbaeen Five 🕔
الدَّالُّ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ كَفَاعِلِهِ
One who guides to a good deed will have Reward like the one who does the good deed.
ad-daalu 'alal khayri kafa'ilih

Sahih Muslim 1893a

Explanation :
•Opposite of this Hadith is Fabricated.
→ "Whoever consoles a person in affliction/trial will have a reward equal to his."

Sunan Ibn Majah 1602- Jhoot

————————————
•Reward for Teaching/Calling Towards Good is Immense!

→ Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2685

^ "Indeed Allah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the skies & the lands, even the ant in his hole, even the fish in the ocean, send Blessings upon the One who Teaches the people to do Good."
————————————
•Even Without Intention, Actions that lead others to Good, will be Rewarded.

→ Sahih Muslim 1017e

^ Ansari simply donated, which motivated others to donate and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said : "Whoever starts a Good thing will have Reward equal to the One who follows it, without reduction in either!"
^^ Ansari Man didn't have any intention to call towards Good, he was just fulfilling RasoolAllah's Command yet he got reward for others who followed him!
————————————
•Someone may ask "How can be Action by Hand (Doing Good) equal to Action by Tongue (Calling to Good) ?
→ The Answer to that is that the Rewards are Similar in Number, Not in Weight!

Example : I tell Virtue of 6 Fasts of Shawwal to 2 People and they do so... That doesn't mean I'll get Reward equal to 2 Years of Fasting (even more than those 2 who actually did the action, meanwhile i only spoke stuff)
→ I get 2 Rewards for both of their Fasts, although those Rewards might be Less in Weight.
————————————
@salaf2khalaf

Majmu' al-Fatawa Vol 18 Page 16-22 of Ibn Taymiyyah
————————————
Chapter : Is a Sahih Hadith Necessarily True?
————————————
There are Many Types of Sahih Hadith and them being True is of 2 types :
•Mutawatir bil Lafz = Even Wording is Preserved by Many Independent Asaneed just like Qur'an
^ denying this = kafir
Example :

Sahih Bukhari 106

"Whoever lies against me (Muhammad ﷺ) intentionally is in Hell"
————————————
•Mutawatir bil Ma'na : Meaning is Preserved by Many Independent Chains
^ denying it's wording ≠ kafir
^^ denying it's meaning = kafir
Examples :

Sahih Bukhari 335

Hadith of Intercession of Muhammad ﷺ on Qiyamah

Sahih Bukhari 806

Hadith of Seeing Allah in Afterlife

Sahih Bukhari 1196

Hadith of Hauz al-Kausar

Sahih Bukhari 169

Hadith of Water coming out of the Prophet's Fingers
and so on…
————————————
•Mutawatir bil Amal : Hadiths that Muslims accept and act on them
Example :

Sahih Bukhari 5759

Hadith of Bloodmoney for Abortion

Sahih Bukhari 2214

Hadith of Preemption of Undivided Land

Sahih Bukhari 6051

Hadith of Sajdah as-Sahu

✦ Authenticity of these Hadiths reach the Level of Mutawatir due to Collective Amal of Muslims (Ijma')
————————————
→ I, Obaid adds : There exists a 4th Type of Mutawatir as well!
•Mutawatir bila Hadith : Action of Ummah that is not found in any Hadith or found only in Weak Hadith is True & 100% Sahih

Example :

•Different Prayer Style of Women
•Running between Safa'-Marwa only for Men, Women will walk
•Hadith of Ijma' itself i mentioned below is Daeef but Ummat acts upon it, so it is True but not Sahih!
✦✦✦
Imam Maturidi, Taweelat Ahlus Sunnah 2/18 says :
"Muttasil Amal is the Highest Form to act upon, since it is something people acted upon, Generation After Generation, only because of its clarity, and its clarity makes it Meaningless to Narrate it as Hadith."
→ it'd be like narrating a hadith that there are 5 prayers in 1 day lol, so they didn't narrate Common Stuff like this.
✦✦✦
Daleel of Ijma'

Surah Nisa, 4:115

"Whoever follows a Path other than that of Muslims, We will leave him on his path and burn him in Hell"

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2167 - Daeef

"Indeed Allah will not gather my Ummah upon deviation, Allah's Hand is over the Jama'ah, and whoever deviates, he deviates to the Fire. "

✦ All Muslims can not gather on Falsehood. Thus their Actions are True with Weak or even without Hadiths!
————————————
✦ 4 Categories mentioned till now are All True as well as Sahih.
————————————
5th : Ijma' of Muhaddiseen ↓
Hadiths on which All Scholars are in agreement to be Sahih.
^ They're True & Sahih as well.

Example : Majority of Sahihayn

————————————
6th : Disputed Hadiths↓
Hadiths about which Some Hadith Scholars using Ijtihad say it's Sahih while Others say it's Daeef.
^ Their Truth depends on Daleel/Evidence.

Examples of Hadiths from Sahihayn (Bukhari&Muslim) that Ibn Taymiyyah & Muhaddiseen considered Weak :
•When the skin is tanned it becomes purified [Sahih Muslim 366]
✦✦
•Muhammad ﷺ prayed Eclipse Prayer with 3/4 Rakah [Sahih Muslim 904c]
✦✦
•Paraphrasing : God created such&such in 7 days overall [Sahih Muslim 2789]
→ Imam Bukhari said : Ka'ab al-Ahbar narrated this Israeliyat, not the Prophet.
→ Yahya ibn Main, Bayhaqi & Ibn Taymiyyah called this hadith 'Daeef' since it contradicts Qur'an
✦✦
•Hasan will make peace between TWO AZEEM GROUPS of Muslims [Sahih Bukhari 2704]
→ Ibn Taymiyyah considers it Authentic saying Hasan had Sima' with Abu Bakra but I consider it Inauthentic because of Abul Walid al-Baji al-Maliki & Qawl of Aimmah that Muawiya has No Virtue.
✦✦
•The Imam is appointed only to be followed so… [Sahih Muslim 411]
→ Ahmad&Muslim says Sahih but Bukhari says Daeef. (maybe due to Ta'assub)
————————————
End of Ibn Taymiyyah's Excerpt discussing 5 Types of Relations between Sahih & Sidq (Truth)
✦✦✦
@salaf2khalaf

Why Did Muhaddiseen Write Weak Hadiths if they're not true ?
•Spinoza's Dictum states : Determination is Negation
•Usool : تعرف الأشياء بأضدادها
^ "Things are Known by their Opposites"

✦ To Separate Sahih Hadiths from Weak&False Hadiths, Muhaddiseen jotted down All the Content they had whilst highlighting Weak Narrators in it
————————————
✦ Sometimes Weak Hadiths due to Many Independent Chains can become Hasan li Ghayrihi (Good due to external evidence)
→ So, they wrote for the sake of Mutabi'at (Supporting Evidence but chain is initially same) & Shawahid (Supporting Evidence but different chain entirely)
————————————
✦ Many Scholars accept Weak Hadiths in Virtues as well, so yeah...

Majmu' al-Fatawa 18/65 by Ibn Taymiyyah

Ahmad ibn Hanbal said : "When it comes to Halal and Haram, we are strict about the sanad/chains of narration, and when it comes to Targhib wa Tarhib (Reward & Punishment), we are lenient about the chains of narration."
————————————
✦ To Judge a Narrator's Strength

→ If Someone is narrating many things that none other than him narrates, he's deemed weak

→ If a Narrator narrates something weak and all students of his say exact same, then the narrator is found to be weak.
However, if he narrates something but some students copy it and some don't, the student who differs from the rest is found to be weak.
and so on…
————————————
Story :

Jami' Al-akhlaq 2/192 by Khateeb al-Baghdadi

"Ahmad bin Hanbal saw Yahya bin Ma'in writing a scripture of "Ma'mar on authority of Aban on authority of Anas" at a small mosque in San'a and if anyone tried to look at it, he hid it. Ahmad bin Hanbal said to him: Why do you write a scripture which is fabricated as you know yourself? If someone says to you : You always criticise Aban, then why do you write his Ahadith?
Ibn Main replied : Ya Abu 'Abdullah, I write the scripture from 'Abd al-Razaq -- Ma'mar -- Aban -- Anas and learn it by heart and know that it is fabricated. But I write it, so that if anyone inserts Thabit (truthful) in place of Aban (weak) and reports it by this Isnad : an - Ma'mar -- Thabit -- Anas, I would be able to tell him : You are lying. Aban is there and not Thabit."

@salaf2khalaf

Genres of Hadith Books
Meeting on 17 July, 7PM IST (tentative)
Google Meet this time for ease

•History : How Hadith Books came into being
•Why So Many Different Types of Books
•25 Types of Book Patterns
•What are the Benefits of Specific Patterns
•Examples for Each Type + 4 Main Isnad for remembrance (I'll explain this in meeting)
•Details of Sahihayn (Bukhari&Muslim)
•Sharait of Sahihayn
and so on

→ Last Time, Feedback was that the Meeting's Environment is infested with Free Mixing because i forgot to turn off chat between members. So we'll improve that!

Community Link
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BBhLKZqYagUJW6Ro5O2We0

@salaf2khalaf

Women's Prayer : Is It Different?
There are 2 Gangs on the issue of Men&Women's Prayer :
(1) No Difference
(2) Difference exist

•There is NO Sareeh Nas (Clear Proof which leaves no doubt) in this matter. Therefore, both opinions are valid due to Ijtihad and criticising others is dumb.

✦Evidence for 'No Difference'

Sahih Bukhari 631

•Prophet said : "Pray as you've seen me praying"
•He said to Malik bin Huwayris to teach his family (including his wife) the prayer he taught to him.

Sahih Bukhari 827, Tarikh al-Awsat 906

Umm Darda was a Jurist and she used to sit in Tashahud (Attahiyat) like Men.
————————————
✦Critique
•Hadith of Malik bin Huwayris to establish 'No Difference' is Invalid.
→ We don't know how the Prophet prayed. Let alone prayer, we don't even know how he read the Qur'an (Qir'ah).
→ However, 2nd Point about Malik's Family is Strong!

•There exists 2 Umm Darda. One of them is a Sahabiyah, Other is a Tabiyah.
•Isnad for Umm Darda Hadith is present in Tarikh of Bukhari.
•Makhul (died 112Hijri) is narrating from Umm Darda (d81) Tabiyah, not Umm Darda (d34) Sahabiyah!
•Action of Tabiyah is NOT a Hujjah (Proof) on us. Imam Ahmad rejected her action as well.

✦Why Umm Darda prayed like Men?

Siyar Alam Nubala 4/278

Uthman ibn Abi Atika (although himself criticised) said : "Umm Darda was an Orphan and she sat with Abu Darda in Men's Row."
————————————
✦Evidence for 'Difference'
•Ijma' carried through Tawatur (even if no hadith present)
→ Ijma' : All Sahaba, Tabieen, 4 Schools of Thought, Laymen Muslims and Many Muhaddiseen are agreed on 'Difference'.
→ Tawatur : from the time of Sahaba Females prayed differently.

Imam Maturidi, Taweelat Ahlus Sunnah 2/18
"Tawatur is the Highest Form to act upon, since it is something people acted upon, Generation After Generation, only because of its clarity, and its Clarity & Commonness makes it Meaningless to Narrate it as Hadith."

•Modesty requires Change in Way!

Sahih Muslim 441

→ Due to Shortage of Cloth, Men had less Lower Garment to cover themselves, So Women delayed raising their heads from Sajdah till Men sat.

•Ibn Umar says Do Not Sit Cross-Legged to his Son.

Sahih Bukhari 827

•"Safiyyah bint Abi Ubayd, Umar's Wife used to sit cross-legged in prayer."

Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 2784, Musannaf Abdur Razzaq 5219

•"All Wives of Ibn Umar used to sit cross-legged in prayer."

Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah 2789

→ Hence, Ibn Umar considered there's a Difference between Male&Female Prayer.

•Countless Aqwal (sayings) of Tabieen but I'm not discussing them here for consistency because we dismissed Umm Darda's Amal.
→ I'll mention only 1 Qawl that I like :
Ata, Shabi & Qatadah said : "Woman can sit any way which is easy for her."
————————————
✦Precautions
Although, we find Hadiths about How Women should Shrink their Body in Sajdah but those Hadiths are Weak.

→ So, to not oppose clear words :
•Don't Touch Elbow to Ground, Just lift them a few inches but not like men. [Sahih al-Bukhari 822]
•Don't Touch Bicep part of Arm to Ribs [Bukhari 390]
•Don't Touch Stomach with Thighs [Abu Dawood 735]
————————————
✦Reconciliation
•Pray with Difference' whenever Modesty is compromised.
•Pray as you like (with or without difference) when alone.

I've left a lot to address because telegram had a text limit.

@salaf2khalaf
Jazakallah Khair

Biddat or Not?

Drinking water before eating is sunnah?

No, actually you may even find weak narrations ⁰ saying it's forbidden. But both points are wrong, it's your wish.

Sleeping between the time of Asr & Maghrib is Makrooh Tanzihi?

Yes and no, some scholars say it's Makrooh-e-Tanzihi (mildly disliked) based on ijtihad such as the short window between Asr and Maghrib that leaves one vulnerable to missing prayer, it's a blessed time on the day of Jumuah, it's filled with time to do dhikr etc...
Other's say it's Mubah(permissible) because the narration ¹
"Whoever sleeps after ‘Asr and loses his mind, let him blame no one but himself."
is really weak and it cannot be used to extract a ruling. And there are narrations of Ali عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ taking nap on that time.

Some also say don't sleep after Maghrib?

This comes from an actual hadith though not exactly fits the popular saying and is considered highly disliked(i.e. sleeping before Isha is highly disliked), Makrooh-e-Tahreemi.

Narrated by Abu Barza: "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disliked to sleep before the `Isha' prayer and to talk after it."
Sahih al-Bukhari 568

Exact wordings say before Isha prayer.

It's better to not sleep during such prayer time when there's is small window between two prayers

What about sleeping after Fajr?

Disliked by scholars but no specific ruling found, this dislike comes from this hadith ² that mornings are blessed for us by dua of prophet Muhammad ﷺ

"O Allah, bless my Ummah in their early mornings."
(اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لأُمَّتِي فِي بُكُورِهَا)

Still, it is allowed to sleep and not sinful but it's missing out on barakah.

Any other time to manage sleep?

Yes, it's called Qailoolah [ قَيْلُولَة ] (a short nap on the time span of dhuhr which lasts 15-30 minutes)³

As long as you don't miss or delay any prayer/congregation, sleeping is valid anytime of the day though you may miss out on barakah on first part of the day that is after Fajr till Dhuhr.
والله أعلم
@URCommonMuslim

references in comments [⁰, ¹, ², ³]

Is Prayer Not Accepted If Nails Are Not Cut Within 40 Days?
quite a popular line in the subcontinent huh

"Cutting Nails is from Fitrah (Natural Disposition)"

Sahih Muslim 261

————————————
"Deadline for Cutting Nails was 40 Days for Sahaba"

Sunan Nasai 14

→ this depends on the growth rate of nail

Majmu' Sharh al-Muhazzab 1/337

•Nawawi says : "Time for trimming nails depends on length, this varies acc to individuals & environment"
————————————
✦Reason For Deadline : Unhygienic people
RasoolAllah said : "You ask me about news from Heaven while your Nails are like Bird's Claws having Impurity and Filth."

Musnad Ahmad 23542 - Extremely Weak, corroborated by Aql

————————————
✦ Growing Nails for >40Days
•Majority view : Makrooh (Disliked)
•Minority view : Haram (Forbidden)
————————————
✦ Effect on Wudu
•Nails can trap substances that prevent water from reaching the skin such as a piece of food.
•I'm of the opinion that Wudu is Okay. Other opinions exist as well. See for yourself.
•If you're an OCD freak, toothpicks or nail cutters aren't expensive dude...
•Furthermore, Usool in Fiqh is that "Certainty is not removed by Doubt"
————————————
✦ Effect on Prayer

Surah Maidah, 5:6

Physical Purity of the Body is required for Prayer.

→ Nails can accumulate Impurity (Najasah, check your respective fiqh books for things that come under Najasah).
→ However, Impurity in less amount doesn't invalidate prayer, rather it only makes it Makrooh.
=> Thus, Long Nails have 0 Effect on Prayer.

@salaf2khalaf

Verify Before You Share

A small reminder to myself first, then to everyone else.

Not everything we hear in lectures, read in books, or see in Islamic posts is necessarily authentic. Even if it is widely practiced or taught, we should make it a habit to verify it with the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah.

Allah ﷻ says:

"O you who believe! If a sinful person comes to you with news, verify it..."

(Qur'an 49:6)

https://quran.com/49/6⁠

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it is rejected."

Sahih al-Bukhari 2697

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2697⁠

Sahih Muslim 1718

https://sunnah.com/muslim:1718⁠

Dua Part 1 : Virtue
Methodology :
•Multiple References for each hadith exists but I will include only 1 Main Reference unless needed otherwise, due to the text limit.
→ You may find a hadith graded weak somewhere but I've only added the ones that are acceptable, either due to being Sahih in another book or having supporting evidence. Whenever it's not acceptable, I've mentioned.
^↑^
Check Mustadrak 1843 for view of Hakim and Ibn Mahdi on Leniency in accepting Hadiths on Fadhail wa Amal.
————————————
"God is the friend of believers, He brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light."

Surah Baqarah, 2:257

★
Allah says : "If My servants ask about Me, then I Am Near. I answer those who make Dua, so let them respond to Me..."

Surah Baqarah, 2:186

↑
Allah is closer to us than our imagination, he's with us when we make dua even if we remember him in our heart.

Sahih Muslim 2675

★
Allah says : "Call on Me and I will answer you; those who are too arrogant to Worship Me (make dua) will enter Hell in humiliation."

Surah Ghafir, 40:60

↑
Dua is Worship

Sunan Abu Dawood 1479

Best Worship is Dua

Mustadrak lil Hakim 1800

Nothing is more honorable to Allah than Dua

Musnad Ahmad 8748

★
Ask Big because nothing is big for Allah to give

Bukhari 6339

If you make dua, ask too much, because you're asking your Lord

Ibn Hibban 889

God is modest and feels shy in returning the Supplicant empty handed when he makes Dua

Musnad Ahmad 23714

Best Dua is Dua for yourself

Adab al-Mufrad 715

★
Dua can change Taqdeer/Decree

Tirmidhi 2139-Weak

•Doors of Dua = Doors of Mercy
•Allah loves being asked for Good Health
•Dua helps against what has befallen and prevents what is yet to come

Tirmidhi 3548-Weak

Be frequent in dua, for one who knocks frequently on the door gets the door opened

Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah 29170

Dua prevents Calamities (Bala)

Targheeb wat-Tarheeb 1478-Rejected

★
Allah descends to lowest heaven and accepts Duas in last part of night

Sahih Muslim 758

There's a Time of the day when Allah accepts whatever Dua is made

Muslim 7515

Every Muslim has 1 Answered Dua every day and night

Musnad Ahmad 7450-Sahih due to external support

Allah sends winds of mercy during the day and if touched by one of you, his Dua will be accepted

Tabarani's Mu'jam 19/233-Weak

★
A time will come when no one will be saved except the one who makes Dua like he's drowning

Shuaib al-Iman 1078

Don't neglect Dua because One who makes Dua will never perish (fana)

Sahih Ibn Hibban 871

Whoever wants Allah to accept his dua in hard times should make dua in easy times as well

Tirmidhi 3382

Quickly Accepted Dua is the one that's made by Stranger/Distant Muslim

Abu Dawood 1535-Weak

★
Allah gets angry with the one who doesn't make Dua

Tirmidhi 3373

Most Incapable is the one who's Incapable to make Dua

Musnad Abu Ya'la 6649

Ibrahim ع said : Allah's knowledge of my present state is enough of a Dua for me.

Majmu al-Fatawa 8/539-Fabricated

→ this hadith is the basis for fools who claim "to ask something from Allah is to demean his All-Knowing Attribute "
•However what I have been yapping in the text I've written so far clearly establishes that "Verbalisation of the Need is not a Slander on Allah's knowledge rather it is Worship"
•a Weak hadith explains the concept beautifully
↓
Allah delays fulfillment of a needy servant's dua, because Allah loves to hear his voice. And when the hated servant makes Dua, Allah orders Jibreel to fulfill the need quickly because Allah hates hearing his voice.

Mu'jam al-Awsat 8442

★
Asking people won't fulfill needs but Asking Allah will fulfill the need.

Abu Dawood 1645

Asking 3 times for Paradise makes Paradise itself make dua for the person to enter it and vice versa with Hell

Ibn Majah 4340

Rizq doesn't decrease due to sins or increase with good acts. And not supplicating to Allah is a sin.

Mu'jam as-Saghir 726-Rejected

→ Rizq increases by doing good to your relatives (Bukhari 2067)

Dua is the Weapon of the Believer, the base of religion and the light of sky and earth

Musnad Abu Ya'la 439-Fabricated

————————————
@salaf2khalaf

Hijrah
Today is the 1st of Rabi al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar.
It is the month when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated from his homeland, Makkah to a foreign land, Madinah (then known as Yathrib) and arrived at the destination
————————————
Origin
The Sahaba did not take as a starting date for the Muslim calendar, the day, the Prophet ﷺ had been sent as an Messenger or the day of his death, but the day of his arrival at Medina (Hijrah)

Sahih al-Bukhari 3934

Umar رضي الله عنه gathered the people and asked them "From which day the calendar should be written?"
Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه said : “From the day RasoolAllah did Hijrah and left the land of polytheism"
So Umar used that date.

Mustadrak lil Hakim 4287, Imam Zahabi agrees with Imam Hakim's Ruling that Hadith is Sahih on level of Bukhari Muslim

————————————
Why Discuss?
History is people's memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.

Malcolm X in June 1964s Speech

————————————
Hijrah
Hijrah means "to leave"

Qamus al-Muheet Page 637

RasoolAllah said about Makkah : How sweet of a land you are and how dear you are to me, and if it were not that my people expelled me from you, I would not have lived in other than you."

Jami at-Tirmidhi 3926, Albani says Sahih

"Abu Zar asks : Which Hijrah is Best? RasoolAllah said : Abandonment of Sins."

Sahih Ibn Hibban 807

•These Hadith are an indication that Hijrah is not necessarily changing physical location but can be leaving the attachments behind.
————————————
Command to Emigrate
RasoolAllah said : "I am ordered to migrate to a town called Yathrib and that is the City (Medina) which will dominate other cities."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1871
————————————
Brief History of Hijrah
Muhammad ﷺ ordered Ali عليه السلام to stay in Makkah in his place to return back deposits of people from Prophet's Bank.

Sunan Kubra lil Bayhaqi 12697 - Albani says Hasan, Ibn Hajr says Qawi

Then Prophet Muhammad ﷺ took Abu Bakr Siddiq with him and went out to Cave of Sawr in the opposite direction of Medina, to hide from disbelievers temporarily.

Surah Tawbah 9:40

there, Allah revealed : "When the two of them were in the cave, he (Muhammad) said to his companion (Abu Bakr), Do not worry, God is with us."

Abu Bakr's daughter, Asma supplied food to the cave but couldn't find a bag, so she split her belt in 2 and tied the food in it. She got the nickname "Dhat an-Niqatain" (2 belted woman).

Sahih al-Bukhari 2979

After the threat was over, they proceeded towards Medinah.

Many miracles took place during the journey, one of which is when the Prophet rubbed Udders of a Sheep with no milk, which overflowed with milk afterwards. So The Shepherd, Abu Ma'bad accepted Islam.

Mu'jam al-Kabeer 18/343 - Haysami says Sahih

After a Long Journey, the Prophet ﷺ arrived. Bara says he never saw the people of Medina so pleased with anything as they were with his arrival, so much that even the little boys and girls were saying, "This is Allah's Messenger who has come."

Sahih al-Bukhari 4941

A False yet Popular Incident
Upon entering Madinah, Woman and Children greeted him by singing "طلع البدر علينا"

Fath al-Bari 8/129

————————————
Virtue
Anas bin Malik says "'I saw any day brighter than the one on which Muhammad ﷺ entered Madinah."

Musnad Ahmad 14063

The day is definitely blessed.
————————————
@salaf2khalaf

Dua Part 2 : Actions of Dua
•Making Wudu for Dua
•Facing the Qiblah in Dua
•Raising Hands in Dua✋🏻
•Dua after Prayer🛐→✋🏻
•Cupping them together 🤲🏻
•Rubbing them on Face 💆🏻‍♂️
•Other Sunnah Acts
→ I'll add few hadiths, otherwise each topic can be a different post altogether.

𒈔 Wudu for Dua
Prophet asked water to do Wudu and then raised his hands and said : "Allah! Forgive Abu Amir (the martyr)"

Sahih al-Bukhari 4323

𒈔 Facing the Qiblah
Daws Tribe didn't accept Islam so the Prophet faced Qiblah and raised hands to make dua for their guidance.

Bukhari 6397, Adab al-Mufrad 611 with additional wording about Qiblah - Albani graded Sahih

Before Surah Muminoon, 23:1-10 was revealed, Muhammad ﷺ faced the Qiblah and raised his hands making dua for blessing.

Jami at-Tirmidhi 3173, Musnad Ahmad 223 - Rejected Hadith because Yunus is Majhool al-Hal (we don't know the strength of his hadith)

Ibn Taymiyyah said : "Person should not face in Dua other than what he faces in prayer (Qiblah)"

Shawkani in Nayl al-Awtar which Albani copied in Adab al-Mufrad Page 315, I couldn't find Original Reference

𒈔 Raising Hands in Dua
When Khalid bin Walid killed innocent people, Prophet raised his hands and made dua that he's not to be blamed for Khalid's evil deed.

Sahih Bukhari 4339

When Zakat Scandal happened, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ raised his hands till the level of his face and said "He has conveyed Allah's Sharia."

Sahih Bukhari 7197

Muhammad ﷺ raised his hands and prayed for the Ummah like Abraham and Jesus.

Sahih Muslim 202

"Allah is generous and doesn't like returning the people empty handed when they raise hands to him."

Abu Dawood 1488, Tirmidhi 3556 - Albani said Sahih

and the hadiths don't stop at any point, they're abundant.
•Imam Suyuti has claimed Tawatur bil Lafdh on Raising Hands in Dua.

𒈔 Counter against Raising Hands in Dua
Anas bin Malik said : "The Prophet never raised his hands for any dua except for rain."

Bukhari 1031

RasoolAllah didn't raise hands but only 1 Finger.

Sahih Muslim 873

✦ Answer
•Hadith of Anas :
→ Usool of Deen : المثبت مقدم على النافي (Affirming > Negating)
→ It's possible Anas didn't see him raise hands for other duas.
→ Ibn Hajr presents another riwayat saying : He didn't raise hands for dua till his armpits were visible except in dua for Rain.
→ Thus, Anas is negating it about raising the hands higher, not raising altogether.

•Second Hadith is talking only about Khutbah, not Dua.

𒈔 Dua After Prayer
"When you get free from one task, turn to God wholeheartedly."

Surah Inshirah, 94:7-8

Ibn Abbas explains the verse as : "When you have finished prayer, then make dua to Allah."

Tafseer at-Tabari 24:497

•there are countless duas after prayer which i need not discuss here. we can make a separate post for that.

𒈔 Raising Hands in Dua After Prayer
Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr saw a man raising his hands in dua before he finished his prayer. When he finished, he said : “RasoolAllah did not raise his hands until he finished his prayer."

Mu'jam al-Kabeer 13/129 - Haysami says Sahih

Prayer is 2*2, with a Tashahhud for every 2 Rak`ah, you make dua with humility, peace and helplessness and raising your hand till face with palms towards your face making dua.

Tirmidhi 385, Ahmad 1799 - Ibn Hajr says Hasan Chain, although Criticised but Meaning-Wise supported by other weak hadiths.

𒈔 Cupping Hands together
The Prophet was riding at Arafat. He raised his hands in supplication, so his camel began leaning and he dropped her halter, so he took the halter with one of his hands while he was raising the other hand.

Sunan Nasai 3011

→ Camel wouldn't halter if it wasn't both hands raised together.

𒈔 Wiping Over Face
Abdullah ibn Umar and Abdullah ibn Zubayr used to rub their faces with their palms after Dua.

Adab al-Mufrad 609 - Weak but supported by other narrations, making it Hasan

Wiping the face is mentioned in weak ahadith, if one acts on them then there is no harm and if one doesn't, it's better.
Ibn Hajr in Bulugh al-Maram : it is proven by multiple weak hadiths strengthening e/o

Fatawa Ibn Baz 9/165-166

@salaf2khalaf