Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, to the Questions of Visitors to his Facebook Page "Fiqhi"
Answer to a Question
To Abu Mahmoud Al-Maqdisi
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu,
It was mentioned in the book The Islamic State, at the end of page 11: "And when they prayed, they went into the mountain passes and hid their prayer from their people." This was during the secret stage of the Da’wah... What was the prayer that the Sahaba used to perform secretly from the eyes of their people, knowing that prayer was mandated on the night of Al-Isra’? And when the word "prayer" appears in the text, does it mean the prayer consisting of specific rituals and movements, and not just supplication (Du'a)?
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu,
There is a difference of opinion regarding the prayer that the Muslims used to perform before the event of Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi’raj... What we prefer is that the Messenger (saw) and the Muslims, before the five daily prayers were mandated during Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi’raj, used to pray two rak’ahs before sunrise and two rak’ahs before sunset. Evidence for this includes:
First: The reason for the revelation of the verses in Surah Al-Alaq, which was the first Surah revealed, was as follows:
- Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Abu Hurairah (ra), who said: Abu Jahl said, "Does Muhammad soil his face [in the dust] among you?" It was said, "Yes." He said, "By Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, if I see him doing that, I will surely step on his neck or soil his face in the dust." He said: So he came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) while he was praying, claiming he would step on his neck. He said: Nothing surprised them except him turning back on his heels and shielding himself with his hands. He said: It was said to him, "What is the matter with you?" He said, "Indeed, between me and him is a trench of fire, terror, and wings." The Messenger of Allah (saw) then said: "If he had come near me, the angels would have snatched him limb by limb." He [the narrator] said: Then Allah (swt) revealed—we do not know if it is in the Hadith of Abu Hurairah or something that reached him—:
كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَى * أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَى * إِنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَى * أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَى * عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّى * أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَى * أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَى * أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى * أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَى * كَلَّا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ * نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ * فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ * سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ * كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ
"No! [But] indeed, man transgresses, because he sees himself self-sufficient. Indeed, to your Lord is the return. Have you seen the one who forbids a servant when he prays? Have you seen if he is upon guidance or enjoins righteousness? Have you seen if he denies and turns away? Does he not know that Allah sees? No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock—a lying, sinful forelock. Then let him call his associates; We will call the angels of punishment. No! Do not obey him..." (Surah Al-Alaq [96]: 6-19) — meaning Abu Jahl — and Ahmad narrated similarly in his Musnad.
The author of Al-Bahr al-Muhit said: "Ibn Atiyyah said: None of the commentators differed that the 'one who forbids' was Abu Jahl, and the 'servant praying' was Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (saw)." [Al-Bahr al-Muhit (8/369)].
This Surah is the first Surah revealed, and in it is the mention of the prayer of the Messenger (saw) and the hostility of Abu Jahl. This was during the secret stage, which means there was prayer before Al-Isra’ and Al-Mi’raj.
Second: It is mentioned in the book Al-Rawd al-Unuf in the explanation of the Sirah of the Prophet by Ibn Hisham, by its author: Abu al-Qasim Abdul Rahman al-Suhayli (died 581 AH), in the chapter on the mandate of prayer, the following:
"(Al-Muzani mentioned that the prayer before Al-Isra’ was a prayer before sunset and a prayer before sunrise. This view is supported by the saying of the Almighty:
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكَارِ
'And glorify the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.' (Surah Ghafir [40]: 55). Yahya bin Sallam said the same)."
Abu Muhammad Mahmoud al-Ghaytabi al-Hanafi, Badr al-Din al-Ayni (died 855 AH) said in his book Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood: ("Indeed, the prayer before Al-Isra’ was a prayer before sunset and a prayer before sunrise, and this is supported by the saying of the Almighty: 'And glorify the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning'").
A similar statement appeared in the book Al-Bahr al-Ra’iq Sharh Kanz al-Daqa’iq wa Minhat al-Khaliq wa Takmilat al-Turi by its author Zayn al-Din bin Ibrahim, known as Ibn Nujaym al-Masri (died 970 AH):
("And the prayer before Al-Isra’ consisted of two prayers: a prayer before sunrise and a prayer before sunset. The Almighty said:
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِبْكارِ
'And glorify the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.' (Surah Ghafir [40]: 55)").
- This indicates that the Messenger (saw) and the Muslims used to perform a prayer before sunrise and a prayer before sunset.
Third: As for how many rak’ahs were in each of the two aforementioned prayers, there is a difference of opinion among the jurists on this matter as mentioned earlier. However, some narrations mention that they were two rak’ahs before sunrise and two rak’ahs before sunset. Among these narrations are:
- Al-Mawardi, Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Muhammad al-Baghdadi (died 450 AH), mentioned in his Tafsir "Al-Nukat wa al-Uyun":
("(And glorify the praise of your Lord) Mujahid said: And pray by the command of your Lord (in the evening and the morning). There are three opinions regarding this: ... The third: It is the prayer of Makkah before the five daily prayers were mandated, two rak’ahs in the morning (ghudwah) and two rak’ahs in the evening (ashiyyah), stated by Al-Hasan").
- Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah al-Tarabulsi al-Maghribi, known as Al-Hattab al-Ru’ayni al-Maliki (died 954 AH), mentioned in his book Mawahib al-Jalil fi Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil in the chapter "On the Legality of Prayer and its Ruling":
("Ibn Hajar said: There was disagreement regarding what was before that. A group went to the view that there was no mandatory prayer before Al-Isra’ except what was commanded regarding the night prayer without specification. Al-Harbi went to the view that prayer was mandated as two rak’ahs in the morning and two rak’ahs in the evening...") End quote.
- Abu al-Walid Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Rushd al-Qurtubi (died 520 AH) mentioned in his book Al-Muqaddimat al-Mumahhidat:
("The beginning of prayer before the five daily prayers were mandated was two rak’ahs in the morning and two rak’ahs in the evening. It was narrated from Al-Hasan regarding the saying of Allah (swt): 'And glorify the praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning' [Ghafir: 55], that it was his prayer in Makkah when the prayer was two rak’ahs in the morning and two rak’ahs in the evening. The mandate of prayer remained as such while the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Muslims were in Makkah for nine years...") End quote.
- These narrations indicate that the rak’ahs of the evening and morning prayers before Al-Isra’ were two rak’ahs in the morning and two rak’ahs in the evening.
Fourth: The above is an explanation of what we mentioned in the book The Islamic State, pages 12-13, and this is the text:
("And he used to call the people to Islam in Makkah openly in obedience to the command of Allah. The Almighty said: 'O you who covers himself [with a garment], Arise and warn.' He used to contact people, presenting his Deen to them and organizing them into a group (kutlah) on the basis of this Deen secretly. And when the Sahaba of the Messenger of Allah (saw) prayed, they went into the mountain passes and hid their prayer from their people...").
I hope this matter has become clear, by the will of Allah.
Your brother, Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
15 Rabi’ al-Akhir 1438 AH Corresponding to 13/01/2017 CE
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