Project "Revive a Sunnah" Re-Launch!
Abu Nûh Al-Bosnawi
Alhumdulillah, Project "Revive a Sunnah" is back. And now, it's also available on YouTube!
In order to jump start the project back, we will first review the previously-covered 25 weeks.
The review will take 5 weeks to complete, moving at a rate of 5 sunnahs per week.
The e-mails will continue to be sent out, insha Allah.
YouTube Link: www.youtube.com/ReviveASunnah
Week 1:
The "forgotten sunnah" for this week is related to Prayer (Salah). It has been reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam)
used to take a break in-between each of the rakah's by sitting for a brief moment. This action is known in Arabic as "jalsah al-istiraahah".
For more information, visit the following link:
http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=3491&dgn=4
Week 2:
The sunnah to be revived this week is "Al-I'tikaf". The meaning of "Al-I'tikaf" can be roughly translated as "retreat for the purpose of worship".
I'tikaf is to be done in the Masjid during the last ten days of Ramadan. From what I have seen, this sunnah is only practiced by a handful of
people in our community. Hence, we conclude that I'tikaf is in definite need of revival, insha Allah. As we shall see, I'tikaf is something the
Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) never abandoned.
From the Ahadith:
1. `Aishah
(May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) used to
engage himself in I`tikaf (seclusion for prayers) in the mosque
during
the last ten nights of Ramadan till he passed away; thereafter, his
wives followed this practice after him.
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
2. Ibn
`Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(PBUH) used to observe I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
3. Abu
Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH)
used to observe I`tikaf every year (during Ramadan) for ten days;
in
the year in which he passed away, he observed I`tikaf for twenty days.
(Al-Bukhari)
4. Narrated 'Aisha: Allah's
Apostle used to practice Itikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and
used to say, "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last
ten nights of the
month of Ramadan." (Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 32, Number 237)
5. 'Aa'ishah said: The
Sunnah is for the person in i'tikaaf not to visit the sick or attend
funerals, or to be intimate with his wife. But there is nothing
wrong
with his going out for essential needs. (Abu Dawood, 2473)
- Being alone with Allaah and cutting oneself off from people if possible, so that one may focus completely on Allaah
- Renewing oneself spiritual by focusing totally on Allaah
- Cutting oneself off completely in order to worship Allaah with prayer, du'aa', dhikr and reading Qur'aan
- Protecting one's fast from everything that may affect it of whims and desires
- Reducing permissible worldly pleasures and refraining from many of them even though one is able to enjoy them
Week 3:
'Eid al-Fitr is only days away, hence the sunnah to be revived this week is related to the day of 'Eid. It is reported that on the day of 'Eid, the Prophet
(sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would take a different route going to and coming back from the 'Eid prayer.
From the Ahadith:
Jabir (May
Allah be pleased with him) reported: On the occasion of the `Eid, the
Prophet (PBUH) would proceed to the prayer place taking one route
and
returning from another.
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
From the Scholars:
Ibn al-Qayyim (raheemullah) said:
"He
(sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) would take different routes on the day of
the `Eed, going one way and returning another one. It has been said
that
the wisdom behind this is:
- to greet the people of both routes,
- so that the people of both routes will receive blessings from him (through his supplication, salaam, etc),
- to fulfil the needs of the needy on both routes,
- to display (by the Takbeer, etc.) the Islaamic rites,
- (and the best opinion of all:) for all of these reasons, in addition to other aspects of wisdom that are always associated with his (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) actions."
(Zaad ul-Ma`aad)
After mentioning the above opinions, Imaam an-Nawawee (raheemullah) said:
"Even if the reason were not known, it would still be absolutely recommended to follow his (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) example; and Allaah ('azza wa jall) knows best."
(Rawat ut-Taalibeen 2:77)
Week 4:
Picture this. You have just finished praying the 'Isha prayer at the Masjid. Since you are doing your best to follow the Sunnah, you remain seated to finish
the adhkar. After the adhkar, you get up from your place, and start walking towards the back of the Masjid to pray your Sunnah. You look up casually to see
the way, and Behold! You make eye-contact with a person who is praying his two rakahs of Sunnah. I'm sure many of you have been in this situation
before (hopefully you were not the one in prayer!)
What is wrong with this situation? The problem is that the praying person's gaze is wandering around, and it should rather have been fixed at the place of prostration.
However unfortunate it may be, today, many of the people's eyes just keep wandering and wandering during prayer. Hence, this is a problem that has to be addressed.
And, hence, it is the topic of this week's "Revive a Sunnah".
From the Ahadith:
1.
It was reported from 'Aa'ishah that
"the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
pray with his head tilted forward and his gaze lowered,
looking at the ground."
(Reported by al-Haakim: 1/479)
2.
When the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered the Ka'bah, his eyes never left the
place of his prostration until he came out again.
(Reported by al-Haakim in
al-Mustadrak: 1/479.)
3.
The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allah does not cease
to turn to a slave in his prayer as long as he is not looking around; when he
turns his face away,
Allah turns away from him." (Sahih - Abu Dawood and
others)
4.
The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam)
said, "People must refrain from looking up at the sky in prayer, or their
sight will not return to them
(and in one narration ... or their sight will be
plucked away)." (Sahih - Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Siraaj)
Week 5:
We all sneeze from time to time. What did the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) teach us about sneezing? He taught us exactly what to say to the one who sneezes,
and also how to follow-up with a reply. There are those who practice this sunnah strictly, and there are others who seem to be totally alienated from it. But what I have
personally seen is that most people practice this sunnah with a slight error. This will be explained shortly, insha Allah. Therefore, it is time to revive the sunnah pertaining
to sneezing, bi idhnillah!
Firstly, let's extract this sunnah from the Ahadith.
From the Ahadith:
1.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him)
reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Allah likes sneezing and dislikes
yawning. When any one of you sneezes and says
`Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to
Allah)', it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim who hears him to respond with
`Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)'.
Yawning is from the devil. When
one of you feels like yawning, he should restrain it as much as possible, for
the devil laughs when one of you yawns.''
[Al-Bukhari]
2.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him)
reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When one of you sneezes he should say:
`Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah),' and his
brother or his companion should
say to him: `Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you).' When he says this
he should reply: `Yahdikum-ullah wa yuslihu balakum
(may Allah guide you and
render sound your state of affairs).'''
[Al-Bukhari]
These ahadith are very straight-forward, and from this we can
deduce the encouraged sunnah to be practiced at the time of sneezing. However,
the mistake that I feel
most people make is that as soon as someone sneezes,
they say "Yarhamuk-Allah". Clearly, from the ahadith, the Prophet (sal Allahu
alayhi wa sallam) told us to say
"Yarhamuk-Allah" to the one who sneezes AFTER
he/she has praised Allah by saying "Al-hamdu lillah".
This is proven in the following hadith:
Narrated Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him): Two men sneezed before the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam)
said to one of them, "Yarhamuk-Allah (May Allah bestow His Mercy on you)," but he did not say that to the other. On being asked (why), the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam)
said, "That one praised Allah (at the time of sneezing), while the other did not praise Allah."
[Al-Bukhari]
Praise be to Allah and may the blessings be upon His Final Messenger Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam).
And Allah knows best.
Project "Revive a Sunnah"
© 2010