Giving and taking untimely prompt during Salah

Giving and taking untimely prompt^[1] during Salah

Question 1: What have respected Islamic scholars and Muftis ruled on the following issue? During Salat-ul-Maghrib, the Imam forgets to sit in the first Qa’dah and stands erect. After he stands, a person gives a prompt which the Imam takes and sits down as a result. The Imam performs the Sajdah Sahw in the last Qa’dah and completes the Salah. The question is, will the Salah of the Imam as well as that of other Muqtadis including the prompt-giving one be valid or not?

Questioner: Naeem Attari (Islamia Park, Lahore)

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ  ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: In the situation mentioned in the question, the Salah of the Imam as well as that of all Muqtadis have become invalid. After the Imam stands erect, it is not needed to give him a prompt for the reason that standing erect makes Sajdah Sahw Wajib. If there were a risk of any bigger defect in the Salah, it would be permissible to give a prompt in order to avoid the bigger defect but there is no risk of any bigger defect in the above case and hence it is not permissible to give a prompt. Therefore, it is untimely and unnecessary for the Muqtadi to give a prompt in this case. And the Salah of the person who gives such a prompt becomes invalid. Moreover, if the Imam takes this prompt, his Salah will also become invalid. Obviously, when the Salah of the Imam becomes invalid in consequence of taking an unnecessary prompt, the Salah of all Muqtadis following him will also become invalid.

وَاللہُ  اَعْلَمُ   عَزَّوَجَلَّ   وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم   صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Copy of Quran in front of or behind the Salah-offering person

Question 2: What have respected Islamic scholars ruled on the following issue? If a closed copy of the Holy Quran is in front of or exactly behind the back of the Salah-offering person, will his Salah be valid?

Questioner: Haji Rahmat Ali, Lahore

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ  ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: If a copy of the Holy Quran is in front of or behind the back of the Salah-offering person, his Salah will be valid because this is not a reason for the invalidation of Salah. However, if the copy of the Holy Quran is kept in front of the Salah-offering person who is maintaining the humility of the heart and the body and is focusing his eyes on the place of Sajdah in the state of Qiyam and his eyes fall on the designs and writing, etc., distracting his attention from the Salah; then this is Makruh. Similarly, having one’s back towards the Holy Quran is also contrary to the manners.

وَاللہُ  اَعْلَمُ   عَزَّوَجَلَّ   وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم   صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Funeral rites of stillborn baby

Question 3: What have respected Islamic scholars and Muftis ruled on the following issue? If the baby of a Muslim person dies inside the womb of the mother and is born dead, will he be given the funeral bath and be wrapped in the shroud? Will his funeral Salah be offered? Is it right to bury him in the graveyard?

Questioner: Ahmad Ahsan Attari (Daroghawala, Lahore)

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ  ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: If a baby is born dead from the mother’s womb, it is not necessary to give him the funeral bath and to wrap him in the shroud according to the Sunnah-complying method. Nor will his funeral Salah be offered. Instead, he will be given a bath normally, wrapped in a piece of cloth and be buried. It is right to bury him in the graveyard. However, if most part of his body comes out of the womb and any sign of it being alive is found; for example, moving any part of the body or making any sound, etc., then the baby will be given the funeral bath and wrapped in the shroud according to the Sunnah. His funeral Salah will also be offered in this case. Most part of his body means up to the chest from the head and up to the back from the feet.

وَاللہُ  اَعْلَمُ   عَزَّوَجَلَّ   وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم   صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Beginning time of Maghrib Azan

Question 4: What have respected Islamic scholars and Muftis ruled on the following issue? When does the time of Maghrib Azan start? Should Azan be called immediately after the sunset or after some minutes? Please provide guidance on it.

Questioner: Haji Allah Ditta (Safdarabad, Sheikhupura)

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ  ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: The time of Maghrib Salah starts as soon as the sun sets. And if it is certain that the sun has set, Maghrib Azan should be called without any delay. To delay Maghrib Azan without a Shari’ah-accepted reason is contrary to [i.e. against] Sunnah. However, in the present age, it is very difficult for public to make an accurate estimate of the sunset time due to residence in high-rise buildings and unawareness of the science of timings. Therefore, it is appropriate for the people of every locality to follow the Salah timetables prepared for their locality by trustworthy Sunni scholars. The timetables published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah are useful and reliable to a very great extent.

وَاللہُ  اَعْلَمُ   عَزَّوَجَلَّ   وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم   صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Wage for shaving beard

Question 5: What have respected Islamic scholars and Muftis ruled on receiving wage for shaving a beard? Is it Halal or Haraam?

Questioner: Nazim Ali (Jami’ah Hajwayriyah, Lahore)

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ  ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: It is Wajib to grow a beard at least up to a fist-length. Shaving it or having it shaved are both Haraam. Since it is impermissible and a sin to employ anyone to do a Haraam work, wage for such a work is also Haraam. This money must be returned to the person it was taken from. If the person is no longer alive, then give it to his heirs. If their whereabouts are not known, give it to [Shari’ah-declared] destitute people as Sadaqah.

وَاللہُ  اَعْلَمُ   عَزَّوَجَلَّ   وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم   صَلَّی اللّٰہُ عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم