Questions and Answers from Madani Muzakarah

Washing the ihram after Hajj and Umrah

Q: Is it necessary to wash the ihram after performing Hajj and Umrah? Some people say that it must be washed if it has hair on it. Is this correct?

A: It is not necessary to wash the ihram after performing Hajj or Umrah. If it is impure, it must be washed and made pure. If it is not impure but simply dirty, then it is advisable to wash it. If someone wants to do another Umrah and the ihram is not dirty, then it is not necessary to wash it. As human hair is pure, it is not necessary to wash the ihram if there is hair on it.^{^[1]}

Saying “May Allah grant you so much sustenance that you cannot manage”

Q: When meeting others, our elderly women often say, “May Allah grant you so much sustenance that you cannot manage.’’ Is this permissible?

A: This is a hyperbolic statement. There is nothing wrong with supplicating like this.^{^[2]}

Where will the spirits come in case of changing houses?

Q: It is said that souls visit the home. If a person changes home, where will the souls go?

A: The souls can locate the house where you live, and they will be able to locate the other house too, because Allah is the One who shows the way.^{^[3]}

Supplicating 20 times a day

Q: Is it necessary (wājib) to supplicate 20 times a day?

A: It is necessary to supplicate 20 times a day, (see Fazaail e Du’a, p. 237). Surah al-Fātiḥa is also a supplication. So the one who offers salah 5 times a day fulfils the obligation of supplicating 20 times daily.^{^[4]}

Recognizing others on the Day of Judgement

Q: Will we recognize each other on the Day of Judgement?

A: If we are not able to recognize each other on the Day of Judgement, how will we inquire about our rights from others, especially rights that were violated or infringed? Similarly, if we do not have recognition of one another, how will the intercessors intercede? These are clear indications that we will recognize each other on the Day of Judgement.^{^[5]}

Girls going outside with their hair open

Q: Is it permissible for girls to go out with their hair open?

A: A woman's hair is part of her reserved area (ʿawra).^{^[6]} Once a girl reaches the age of puberty, she must conceal her hair from non-mahram men. If she uncovers them before such men, she will be sinful.^{^[7]}

He is coming towards the orchard

Q: Please explain this couplet of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه:

Woh sūw e lālazār phirte hain

Tere din ay bahār phirte hain ^{^[8]}

A: From what I understand, lālazār is an orchard, and woh refers to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The couplet describes how the benevolent gaze of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم falls on an orchard, resulting in tere din ay bahār phirte hein, i.e., the fortune of spring itself begins to blossom.^{^[9]}

The nafl should also be offered whilst standing

Q. Why are the supererogatory units (nafl) at the end of the obligatory salah prayed sitting?

A: Supererogatory units should also be prayed standing; this earns full reward. Praying them while sitting, without a valid excuse, earns half the reward.^{^[10]}^{,^[11]}

It is permissible to sit and pray supererogatory prayers, despite having the ability to stand and do so. However, standing is superior, as the hadith states that the salah of the one offering it whilst sitting is equivalent to half of the one standing.^{^[12]} If you sit and pray them because of a valid reason, the reward will not be reduced. Due to common practice, people mistakenly think it is better to sit and pray them. The same ruling applies to the two supererogatory units after the Witr prayer; it is better to offer them standing. To infer the opposite of this from the hadith of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم which mentions that he performed the supererogatory units after Witr while sitting^{^[13]} is not correct, because this act was from the exclusive practices of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.^{^[14]}