Should Tahajjud Be Offered First or the Remainder of Isha?

Madani Muzakarah

(1) Should Tahajjud be offered first or the remainder of ꜤIshāˈ?

Q: If someone offered only the farḍ units of ꜤIshāˈ and then offers the remaining units at the time of Tahajjud, should they offer Tahajjud first or the remainder ꜤIshāˈ first?

A: The sunnah units that follow the farḍ of ꜤIshāˈ should also be offered and not left. If a person knows that they can wake up, it is better for them to sleep and then wake up and offer Witr at the time of Tahajjud. Such a person should offer Tahajjud first and then Witr.^[1]

(2) The name of Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī’s mother

Q: What was the name of Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī’s blessed mother?

A: The name of Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī’s noble mother was Fāṭimah, and her teknonym was Umm al-Khayr” رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْها.^[2]

(3) Can Ghiyārwī be commemorated on any day?

Q: If a person did not prepare food and convey reward on the 11^th of RabīꜤ al-Ākhir, can he do it on any other day of the month?

A: Yes, this can be done, in fact it can be commemorated throughout the year. It is not necessary to do it on the 11^th of RabīꜤ al-Ākhir, but it is common practice among the Muslims and the righteous to convey reward on a specific date, as there are special blessings associated with this. It is more appropriate to do it on the specific day, but if a person was unable to, he can arrange it whenever he wishes. It is not necessary that one cook large amounts of food for this, rather a person can convey reward with the food that is already prepared at home. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه You will gain blessings.^[3]

(4) The souls of the deceased coming to their homes

Q: Do the souls of the deceased come to their homes after their death?

A: Yes, the souls of the Muslims come to their homes on specific days, such as Thursday nights and Laylat al-Barāˈah, and request the conveying of reward from their families.^[4] The disbeliever’s soul is imprisoned and cannot roam around.^[5]

Some fake spiritual practitioners sometimes make claims that, “So-and-so’s soul is causing trouble,” but this is baseless; the souls of disbelievers are confined so they cannot come to cause any trouble, and if the soul of a believer is basking in the delights of Paradise and its grave is a garden of Paradise, then it will also not come to cause trouble. Likewise, if, Allah Almighty forbid, the soul of a Muslim is being punished, it also cannot cause any trouble.^[6]

(5) Standard for the acceptance of charity

Q: What is the criterion for charity to be accepted?

A: The benchmark is sincerity; whenever giving in the way of Allah Almighty, do so with sincerity, for it is the key to acceptance. If you give with the intention of ostentation and to show others, you will be sinful.^[7]

(6) Eating duck eggs

Q: Can duck eggs be eaten?

A: Duck is a lawful bird; its meat can be eaten and so too can its eggs.^[8]

(7) A sinner conveying the call to righteousness

Q: If a person does not carry out any righteous deeds himself, can he invite others towards goodness?

A: If a person does not perform good deeds himself, it is permissible for him to invite others towards righteousness, in fact it can even become wājib in some cases. For example, if he is sinful himself but he sees another person committing a sin and is almost certain that he will stop sinning if he advises him, then it will become wājib upon him to advise and prevent the other person from that sin.^[9]

If he does not advise him, he will also incur the sin of not forbidding evil. Thus, he will be sinful two-fold; once for engaging in his own sin and the other for not preventing evil.^[10]

(8) Paring nails before an obligatory ghusl

Q: Can nails be cut before an obligatory bath?

A: It is disliked to pare nails before an obligatory bath. ^[11] Nails should be cut after it.^[12]

(9) Will the imam say رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْد?

Q: When the imam stands after rukūꜤ, he says  سَمِعَ اللہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَہ. Will he say رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْد after this or remain silent? Will the followers recite رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْد ? Please answer.

A: The followers will say رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْد, not the imam. Even if the imam does say it, the prostration of forgetfulness does not become wājib upon him and the prayer is valid. However, if a person is praying alone, he will say both statements.^[13]

(10) What should be written in the dowry section on a marriage contract?

Q: When a marriage takes place, a marriage contract is usually filled out. Sometimes, the bride’s family write gold or silver in the dowry section. Can gold or silver be written as the dowry on the marriage contract or is it essential to write down a cash amount. Also, if gold or silver is written, how much should be mentioned?

A: The minimum amount of dowry stipulated by Islamic law is 2 tolas and 7.5 māshas (30.618 grams) of silver, and this is wājib. It is not necessary to write only a cash amount on the marriage contract, rather gold, silver, land, clothes, grains, etc., can also be written down, but their value should not be less than 2 tolas and 7.5 māshas of silver, and there is no upper limit for the dowry.^[14]