What Is the Name of the Father of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ?

Madani Muzakara

(1) Name of the Beloved Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم father

Q: What is the name of the father of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?

A: The name of his father is ꜤAbdullah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[1]

(2) Reading works of sīrah and other Islamic books

Q: Is reading a book of sīrah considered an act of worship?

A: Yes, one will be rewarded if they read a work of sīrah or any other Islamic book with good intentions, if it has been written by a Sunni scholar.^[2]

(3) Drinking goat’s milk

Q: Is it a Sunnah to drink goat’s milk?

A: Yes, drinking goat’s milk is Sunnah. Many narrations show the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم drank this. In fact, goats would often remain around him.^[3]

(4) Explanation of Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān’s رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه poetry

Q: The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was born in Mecca. Yet in one of his poems, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه makes reference to dawn breaking in Medina and light being distributed. Please explain this.

A: This poem of Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه is not in reference to the Greatest Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم sacred birth. This poem means: whenever dawn breaks in Medina, light is distributed and spread across the entire universe.^[4]

(5) Reciting istighātha in place of ṣalāt upon the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Q: Can we recite قَلَّتۡ حِیۡلَتِیۡ اَنۡتَ وَسِیۡلَتِیۡ اَدۡرِکۡنِیۡ یَارَسُوْلَ اللہ ^[5] in place of ṣalāt upon the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم?

A: This is not a form of ṣalāt upon the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; this is known as istighātha (i.e. an appeal for help). There is no harm in reciting this (but ṣalāt upon the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has its own virtue and blessing).

(6) Writing ṣalāt upon the Blessed Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in calligraphy

Q: Can ṣalāt upon the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم be written in different styles of calligraphy?

A: Using various scripts or styles of writing is an age-old tradition. If the letters of the ṣalāt are clearly visible, correctly written, and not in short form, then it is permissible to write ṣalāt in such calligraphic design. If written in short form this is not permissible, such as writing ص or صَلْعَم in place of صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.^[6]

(7) When is it necessary to grow a beard?

Q: Does it become necessary to grow a beard after 40 years?

A: As soon as a male reaches puberty, rules of Islamic law apply to him. According to lunar years, a boy can reach puberty between the ages of 12 and 15 years and a girl between the ages of 9 and 15, when signs of puberty become apparent. If no signs appear, a boy or girl will be considered at the age of puberty when they reach 15 years of age according to the Islamic calendar. When a boy reaches the age of puberty and his beard appears, it is wājib for him to grow it. He will not wait until the age of 40.^[7]

(8) Playing with the beard

Q: What is the ruling in relation to playing with the beard, and what are its harms?

A: It is makrūh taḥrīmī to play with the beard, clothes or body during salah, and a makrūh taḥrīmī act is impermissible and a sin.^[8] Some people have a habit of playing with the beard outside of salah, sometimes placing the hairs in their mouth, and other times twisting and moving them around, causing them to weaken and break. This is something which has no benefit and one should avoid this, as the beauty of a person’s Islam is in avoiding useless matters.^[9] If he placed the hairs in his mouth and cut them to less than fist length using his teeth he will be sinful, as whether a person cuts the hair using a scissor or with his teeth, it is still considered cutting.

(9) If someone comes by another person’s extra money, what should they do?

Q: I was on my way to Madrassat al-Madinah in a rickshaw. When I gave the driver 500 rupees, he took out his fee and gave me the change. When I checked later, I realised the rickshaw driver had given me 30 extra rupees, but I can no longer find him. What should I do with this money?

A: If you genuinely cannot locate the rickshaw driver, you should give this money to a needy person (as sanctioned by Islamic law), i.e. someone who is eligible to receive zakat. If you come across the rickshaw driver later and inform him that you gave away the extra 30 rupees to charity on his behalf, and he is fine with this, then you are freed of your responsibility. If, however, he says he wants the 30 rupees, you must give them to him.^[10]