The Prophet’s Personality
Commentary by Sayyid Qutb


In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent


They also say: “What sort of messenger is this, who eats
food and goes about in the marketplaces? Why has not an
angel been sent down to him to give warning alongside him?

“Or why has not a treasure been granted to him? Or he
should have a garden to provide his sustenance.” The
wrongdoers say: “The man you follow is certainly
bewitched.”

See to what they liken you. They have certainly gone astray
and are unable to find a way back.(The Standard, Al-Furqan:
25: 7-9)

The first point the unbelievers make concerns the status of
Muhammad (peace be upon him): They wonder why he eats food
and goes about in the streets and market places. Why is he
an ordinary human being, doing what humans do? This is an
objection all communities made against every messenger God
chose to send them. How could such a person, raised by such
a family, living with them and behaving like them in all
respects, be a messenger from God, receiving revelations
from on high? How could he have contacts with another
world, receiving knowledge that is unavailable to them when
he is just one of them, while they receive no such
revelations and know nothing about this other world?

From this angle, the whole idea seems unlikely. However,
taken from another angle, it seems perfectly natural. God
has breathed of His own spirit in man, and with this breath
man has become distinguished among all God’s creation, and
placed in charge of the earth. Yet human knowledge,
experience, and abilities remain limited and inadequate.
God would not leave him without support and guidance to
show him the way to fulfill his trust. Hence, He has given
him the potential to be in contact with Him through the
breath of the divine spirit that distinguishes him. It is
no wonder that God should choose a human being who has the
spiritual potential to receive His message and impart to
him what guides him and his fellow humans along the right
way whenever they are lost, giving them the support they
need.

This is an aspect of the grace God bestows on man, which
appears amazing in one way and perfectly natural in
another. But those who do not know the value of this
creature and the true nature of the honor God has bestowed
on him deny that a human being should be in contact with
God through divine revelations.

They refuse to acknowledge that such a person should be
chosen by God as His Messenger. They think that angels are
better placed to have such a role: “Why has not an angel
been sent down to him to give warning alongside him?” But
God had ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before
man as He granted him superior qualities associated with
the breathing of God’s spirit in him.

It is divine wisdom that determines sending a human
messenger to a human community. Such a messenger shares
their feelings, experiences, hopes and sorrows. He knows
their aspirations, needs and limitations. Thus, he
understands their weaknesses, taps their strengths, and
leads them along the way, step by step, knowing their
motivations and reactions. After all, he is one of them,
guiding them toward gaining God’s pleasure, supported by
His revelation and guidance.

On their part they find in God’s human messenger an easy
example to follow. He is one of them who takes them
gradually along the road to a sublime standard. He lives
among them implementing the moral standards, the actions
and the duties God requires them to observe and fulfill.
Thus, he personally serves as a practical implementation of
the faith he preaches. All his life and behaviour is
presented to them so that they take every detail of it and
aspire to follow his example, knowing that it is within the
capability of man. Had God’s Messenger been an angel, they
would not think about his actions and behavior, and would
not even attempt to follow his suit. They would feel that
since he has a nature different from theirs, they could not
aspire to reach his standard or follow his example.

We see how God’s infinite wisdom, which ordains all things
in due proportions, has determined that His Messenger
should be a human being so that he could fulfill the role
of leading mankind along the way He has laid down for them.
To object to this choice is to betray ignorance of such
wisdom and the honor God has granted to mankind.

Another absurd objection points out that God’s Messenger
walks about in the marketplaces to earn his living. His
position would have been recognized had he been granted
great wealth to save him the trouble of working for his
living: “Or why has not a treasure been granted to him? Or
he should have a garden to provide his sustenance.”

But God has willed that His Messenger should not have a
treasure or a garden, because He wants him to be a perfect
example to be followed by his community. He should fulfill
the great tasks of delivering his message while he works at
the same time to earn his living. Thus, none of his
followers could argue that the Prophet was freed from the
responsibility to work, and thus was able to devote all his
time to his message. None will take this as an excuse for
not fulfilling his duty toward the divine message. We see
clearly that the Prophet worked for his living while he
also worked for his message. It is right, then, that
everyone of his followers should do the same, so as to
fulfill his own task toward the divine faith.

Wealth was later given in abundance to the Prophet so as
the first experience should be completed and the example he
provided should be perfected. He did not allow such wealth
to become his preoccupation, preventing him from the
fulfillment of his task. Indeed, his generosity was so
superior that it was likened by his companions to
unrestrained wind. He showed a perfect example of resisting
the lure of wealth so as to enable his followers to look at
it in the proper perspective. Thus, no one could say that
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was able to fulfill the duties
of his message because he was poor, having no
preoccupations of wealth, free of the task of looking after
it. He indeed fulfilled his duties in both situations of
poverty and riches.

Besides, what value is wealth, treasures and gardens when
compared with contact between man, a weak mortal, and God
the Eternal? What significance has this earth and all that
it contains, or indeed this whole universe, when compared
to contact with God the Creator who grants everyone all
that they have? But unbelievers appreciate nothing of this.


   Equal Treatment for Sons and Daughters

Q. What does Islam say about the treatment of daughters? I
am referring here to the numerous cases where daughters are
ill treated,given a position inferior to that of their
brothers,degraded in front of others,forced into marriages
which they do not accept,thought of as a burden,and made to
feel at every turn that their birth was an accident of
ill-luck for the family.

A. Islam treats men and women equally. There are
differences in Islamic rules that apply to men and women,
but these are generally in favor of women,even when they
appear to be the other way.This equality appears basically
in the fact that men and women have the same duties and
stand to earn the same reward for their good deeds, and
incur the same punishment for their sins.

However,Islam recognizes that women are liable to be at the
receiving end of ill treatment,abuse and other forms of
injustice.It started in a community that treated women as
physically,mentally and intellectually inferior to men.
Hence, the Qur’an and the Prophet (peace be upon him)
stress the equality of the two sexes in clear terms.The
Qur’anic address always applies to men and women equally.
At no instance is there any address to men only.Yet there
are instances where women are addressed in the Qur’an on
their own,with matters that apply to them only. We do not
find in these any instance where women are told that their
position is inferior or subordinate to that of men.

On the contrary,Islam stresses equality of treatment of
sons and daughters.When a woman told the Prophet that her
father forced her into a marriage with a cousin of his,
hoping to achieve a better social position for himself,the
Prophet made it clear that this was wrong and nullified the
marriage.The woman then declared that she approved what her
father had done,but she wanted to make clear to all Muslims
that men have no power over women.

If a father marries his daughter to someone without her
consent,the marriage must be nullified by a Muslim judge if
she puts the case to him.

In treating our children,the Prophet makes clear that
giving precedence to daughters is encouraged. This must
remain within the overall requirement of equality. It is to
redress the long entrenched outlook of treating girls as
inferior.Moreover,the Prophet stresses the importance of
taking good care of one’s daughters. He says: “Whoever has
two daughters and brings them up well, and treats them
kindly,will be my companion in heaven,like these two
(pointing with his two fingers).” His companions say that
they understood that this also applies to a man with one
daughter.

Numerous are the Hadiths that stress the importance of
taking good care of women. The Prophet says: “Take good
care of women.” When he did his pilgrimage,he delivered a
speech in which he outlined the basic principles of Islam.
Kindness to women, particularly to one’s wife, is
emphatically stressed.On his deathbed,the Prophet kept
repeating three injunctions of great importance. He said:
“Attend to your prayers. Be kind to your slaves and never
assign to them tasks that they cannot cope with. Fear God
in your treatment of women.”

As you see,from start to finish,in legislation and
recommendation,Islam stresses women’s equality with men and
the need to be kind to them.

The Prophet Changed Names When Necessary
The Prophet (peace be upon him) showed considerable
interest in names. This is not surprising because a name is
often the first thing that gives an impression of a person.
If you have a good name,or one that invites optimism,
people feel pleased to address you and speak to you. By
contrast, a person with a bad name may invite bad
associations and create a negative impression. Hence the
Prophet made it clear to all his followers in all
generations that choosing good names for their children is
a duty of every parent.

At the time of the Prophet, the Arabs did not seem to give
names much attention. It was the case with some of them
that when a child was born, the father would go out in the
desert, and if he sees an animal,he would call the child
after that animal.Hence, some Arabian names of the time
could mean, fox, lizard, dogs, etc. This is in marked
contrast to the Prophet’s practice. When he saw a newly
born child,he would pray for him or her and ask about his
or her name.If he did not like it,he would change it. This
was the case with boys and girls alike.

A Hadith mentions that a child born to Abu Ussayd was
brought to the Prophet who took him and placed him on his
thigh.Then the Prophet was distracted by something.The
father told someone of his folk to take the child away,but
its removal alerted the Prophet who immediately asked:
“Where is the child?” The father told him that he was taken
away.The Prophet asked what was he named.When he was told
of the child’s name, he said: “No! His name is Al-Munthir.”
(Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

In this instance,we note that the name given originally to
the child is not mentioned.We realize that the Prophet
disliked it for some reason.He gave him a new name,which
means “the warner”, and the child was known by that name
ever since. His original name was forgotten.Needless to
say, the Prophet would not have changed the child’s name
for no reason. His practice is to change only those names
which either gave a bad impression, or were unacceptable
from the Islamic point of view.

Another Hadith quotes the Prophet as saying: “The worst
name in God’s view is that of a man who calls himself ‘king
of kings’.”(Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and
Al-Tirmithi). Here the case is very clear. This title
belongs to God alone. No one can call himself by such a
title, even though he may be an emperor who rules over a
vast kingdom, in which many regions enjoy some autonomy and
each of which has its king or president who defers to that
emperor. This used to be the case in old empires, but even
then, the overall lord of such an empire may not call
himself king of kings, or by any similar title in any
language. Anyone who rules over a kingdom or a state of any
size must realize that being in such a position is an honor
given to him by God and a great responsibility, as he will
be accountable to God for his conduct. He should be
grateful to God for the honor and privilege he has been
given, and must do his best to ensure justice to all his
people. If he calls himself “king of kings,” he only
betrays his arrogance,and arrogant people are disliked by
God.

We mentioned that the Prophet changed names only when
necessary, and he did this with both boys and girls, men
and women. A Hadith reported by Abdullah ibn Umar mentions
that the Prophet changed a woman’s name who was called
Aassiyah. He said to her: “You are Jameelah.” Here the need
for the change is quite obvious. Aassiyah is the female
version of Aassi, both of which mean “disobedient.” The
Prophet points out here that such a name is unacceptable
because it stresses a quality which is associated with
rejecting the faith or being rebellious. The Prophet gave
her the name Jameelah, which means “pretty.”

One of the girl names the Prophet consistently changed was
Barrah, which apparently was very common among the Arabs.
The name means “righteous or dutiful”. So, there is nothing
bad about the name, but what the Prophet seemed to dislike
is that it asserts something that no one can confirm. It is
a sort of a claim that cannot be substantiated. We note
this from the following incident.

Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Ata, who belonged to the tabi’een
generations, i.e. the generation that succeeded the
Prophet’s companions, visited Zainab bint Abu Salamah, the
Prophet’s foster daughter. She asked him about the name of
a sister (or a daughter according to some versions) of his.
He said that her name was Barrah. Zainab told him: “Change
her name. The Prophet married Zainab bint Jahsh whose
original name was Barrah and he changed it to Zainab. He
also came into Umm Salamah’s room when he married her and
he heard her calling me by my name, Barrah. He said to my
mother: ‘Do not commend yourselves. God knows best which of
you is the righteous one and which is a sinner. Call her
Zainab.’ (My mother) said to him: ‘She is Zainab.’ Muhammad
ibn Amr said: ‘I will change her name.’ She said to him:
‘Change her name to that which the Prophet used. Call her
Zainab’.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad,
Muslim, Al-Darimi, and others).

In this story we have the reason for the change of the name
stated by the Prophet. He disliked that a girl’s or a
woman’s name should assert that she was righteous. In fact,
the Prophet has consistently highlighted the fact that a
Muslim must not praise himself. If a woman is asked her
name, and she says, “I am Barrah,” this may be construed as
a pretense to purity or righteousness, when God states
clearly in the Qur’an: “Do not pretend to purity. He knows
best who is truly God-fearing.” (53: 32)

In this story, the Prophet is said to have changed the name
of one of his wives and the name of his stepdaughter, both
of whom were called Barrah. In each case, he called the
woman or the girl concerned Zainab, which is made up of two
words Zain and Abb, which mean respectively, adornment or
beauty and father. This makes the name Zainab akin to ‘her
father’s darling.”

When the Prophet’s stepdaughter hears the name Barrah given
to a young girl, she tells her father or brother to change
her name. She gives her reason and recommends very strongly
that the girl be given the name the Prophet used in her own
case. This is an exemplary case of following the Prophet’s
lead.

What is also amazing is that we have reports mentioning
that two more of the Prophet’s wives were originally called
Barrah. He changed the name of one of them to Juwairiyyah
and the other to Maymoonah.


Should she refuse marriage to someone who has a bad past?

Question :
I am a moderate muslim, I practise my faith to the best of
my ability, which means no drink, smoke, drug, clubbing,
freely socialising with the opposite sex... I am a stage my
parents want me to get married. But I am finding it
difficult to say yes to anyone of the proposals because
they have all had some kind of relationship or been
clubbing etc in the past.....
Most people say they have changed and so forth, but i tend
to think, these actions have ramifications in the
future.....

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Islam is all moderation. Adherence to the teachings of
Islam, doing the obligatory duties and avoiding the things
that are forbidden are not optional for the Muslim, because
these are things that Allaah has enjoined upon him. There
is so much confusion nowadays that a person who avoids some
haraam things and does some obligatory duties is regarded
as being over-strict and stubborn. Undoubtedly this is
because the people have deviated from correct understanding
of Islam and because they indulge so much in sin and
neglect the obligatory duties prescribed in sharee’ah.

We appreciate your keenness to adhere to the teachings of
Islam in a society such as the one in which you are living.
You should note that what you are doing is an action that
is beloved by Allaah and by His believing friends, and that
it is something which is hated by the devils among mankind
and the jinn.

Your keenness to find a righteous husband is in accordance
with teachings of Islam on choosing and marrying a spouse,
but you should not reject a person who is known for his
good character and religious commitment because of his
past. If a person has repented, his past should not be a
source of shame and he should not be rejected if he comes
seeking marriage. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who repents from sin is
like one who did not sin at all.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi
and classed as hasan by al-Albaani. But if he has a past
record of sin and it is not known whether he had given it
up,in such a case you cannot be sure of his morals or
religious commitment,so he cannot be accepted as a marriage
partner.

It is not enough for a person to tell his fiancée or her
guardians that he has changed and has given up the bad and
immoral things that he used to do; his word cannot be
accepted and believed until there is the certainty that he
is telling the truth or that he has definitely given up
those bad things.

Strive to choose a righteous man even if he has a past and
do not reject him. Reject everyone who is known to have a
bad past and has not given it up, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told men: “A
woman may be married for four things: her wealth, her
lineage, her beauty, or her religious commitment. Choose
the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be
rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5090; Muslim, 1466).

This applies also to women, i.e., a woman should not accept
anyone but a man who is religiously committed and of good
character. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “If there comes to you to marry (your
daughter) one who with whose religious commitment and
character you are pleased, then marry (your daughter) to
him, for if you do not do that, there will be fitnah
(tribulation) in the land and widespread corruption.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1084; classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 866.

It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: The phrase “if there comes to
you to marry (your daughter)” means if he comes to ask to
marry a woman from among your children or relatives. “One
with (whom) … you are pleased” means you think well of him,
and are pleased with his religious commitment. “His
character” means his attitude and how he deals and
interacts with others. “Then marry (your daughter) to him,
for if you do not do that” means, if you do not marry (your
daughter) to one with whose religious commitment and
character you are pleased, and you are only concerned with
lineage, beauty and wealth, “there will be fitnah
(tribulation) in the land and widespread corruption” i.e.,
great corruption, because if you will only marry her to
someone who is wealthy or of high status, most of your
womenfolk may remain without husbands, and most of your men
will remain without wives, so there will be a lot of
temptation to commit zina, and perhaps the guardians may
feel that their honour has been violated (because of zina),
so there will be a lot of tribulation and corruption, which
will result in illegitimacy and a lack of righteousness and
chastity.

Some of the Sahaabah were mushriks, then they entered Islam
and became good Muslims, and they got married, and were not
rejected because of what they had done in the past.

What matters is what a man is adhering to now, so long as
he has repented from whatever he has done in the past.

We ask Allaah to make it easy for you to find a righteous
husband and have righteous children.

Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds.


Virtue Of reciting Surat al-Kahf(Surat 18) on Friday?


Question :
According to the Sunna, when is the correct time to recite
surat Al Kahf on Friday?  Should be recited after Fajr and
before Jumaa Prayer or anytime on Friday?  Also, is it from
the Sunna to recite Surat Al-Imran on Friday?  And if so,
when is the correct time to do so?

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

There are saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the virtues of
reciting Soorat al-Kahf during the day or night of Jumu’ah
(Friday). These include:

(a)From Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: “Whoever reads
Soorat al-Kahf on the night of Jumu’ah, will have a light
that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the
Ka’bah).”

(Narrated by al-Daarimi, 3407. This hadeeth was classed as
saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6471)

(b)“Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah,
will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday
to the next.”

(Narrated by al-Haakim, 2/399; al-Bayhaqi, 3/249. Ibn Hajar
said in Takhreej al-Adhkaar that this is a hasan hadeeth,
and he said, this is the strongest report that has been
narrated concerning reading Soorat al-Kahf. See: Fayd
al-Qadeer, 6/198. It was classed as saheeh by Shaykh
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6470)

(c)It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever reads
Soorat al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, a light will shine
for him from beneath his feet to the clouds of the sky,
which will shine for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he
will be forgiven (his sins) between the two Fridays.’”

Al-Mundhiri said, this was narrated by Abu Bakr ibn
Mardawayh in his Tafseer, with an isnaad with which there
was nothing wrong.

(al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/298)

The soorah may be read during the night or the day of
Jumu’ah. The night of Jumu’ah starts from sunset on
Thursday, and the day of Jumu’ah ends at sunset. Therefore
the time for reading this soorah extends from sunset on
Thursday to sunset on Friday.

Al-Mannaawi said:

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in his Amaali: “In some reports it
says ‘the day of Jumu’ah’ and in some reports it says ‘the
night of Jumu’ah’. They may be reconciled by saying that
what is meant is the day which includes the night and vice
versa.” (Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/199)

Al-Mannaawi also said:

“It is recommended to read it during the day or night of
Jumu’ah, as al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him)
stated.” (Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/198)

There are no saheeh ahaadeeth concerning reading Soorat Aal
‘Imraan on Friday. All the reports that have been narrated
concerning that are either da’eef jiddan (very weak) or
mawdoo’ (fabricated).

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever recites
the soorah in which the family of ‘Imraan (Aal ‘Imraan) are
mentioned on Fridays, Allaah and His angels will send
blessings upon him until the sun sets.’”

(Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat, 6/191; and
al-Kabeer, 11/48. This hadeeth is da’eef jiddan (very weak)
or mawdoo’ (fabricated)).

Al-Haythami said, “This was narrated by al-Tabaraani in
al-Awsat or al-Kabeer, and it [its isnaad] includes Talhah
ibn Zayd al-Riqqi, who is da’eef (jiddan) ((very) weak).”
(Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 2/168).

Ibn Hajar said: Talhah is very weak, and Ahmad and Abu
Dawood accused him of fabricating reports. (See Fayd
al-Qadeer, 6/199)

Shaykh al-Albaani said: (it is) mawdoo’ (fabricated). See
hadeeth no. 5759 in Da’eef al-Jaami’.

And al-Taymi narrated in al-Targheeb that “Whoever recites
Soorat al-Baqarah and Soorat Aal ‘Imraan on the night of
Jumu’ah will have reward like that which is between the
seventh earth and the seventh heaven.”

Al-Mannaawi said, it is ghareeb da’eef jiddan (strange and
very weak).(Fayd al-Qadeer, 6/199)

And Allaah knows best.

When does the time for Witr end?

Question :

When does the time of Witr end? Should I deliberately delay
it until the time of Fajr?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

The time for Witr prayer lasts from after ‘Isha’ prayer
until the dawn begins.

Once dawn begins, the time for Witr is over, based on the
words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): “Pray Witr before morning comes.” Narrated by Muslim,
754.

Muslim also narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Hasten to pray witr before dawn.”

And Muslim narrated (752) that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Witr is
one rak’ah at the end of the night.”

Al-Tirmidhi narrated (469) from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “When dawn comes, all the night
prayers and Witr are over, so pray Witr before dawn comes.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Al-Bukhaari (472) and Muslim (749) narrated that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The night prayers are two (rak’ahs) by two, then when you
think that morning (dawn) is about to begin, pray one
(rak’ah) and it will make what you have prayed Witr
(odd-numbered).”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

This indicates that the time for Witr ends when the dawn
comes, because it is a prayer with which the night prayers
are concluded, so it cannot be done after the night has
ended.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 14/115

Some of the scholars are of the view that the time for Witr
lasts after the dawn comes, until one has prayed Fajr, and
they quoted as evidence the report narrated about some of
the Sahaabah, that they prayed Witr after dawn had come and
before the iqaamah was said for Fajr prayer.

Ibn Rushd al-Qurtubi said:

With regard to the time for Witr, the scholars are
unanimously agreed that the time for it is from after
‘Isha’ prayer until dawn begins, because that was narrated
through numerous isnaads from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). One of the strongest such
reports is that narrated by Muslim from Abu Nadrah
al-‘Awfi, which says that Abu Sa’eed told them that they
asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) about Witr and he said: “Witr comes before dawn.” They
differed as to whether it is permissible to pray it after
dawn. Some of them said it is not allowed, and others said
that it is allowed so long as one has not yet prayed Fajr.
The first view was expressed by Abu Yoosuf and Muhammad ibn
al-Hasan, two companions of Abu Haneefah, and Sufyaan
al-Thawri, and the second was expressed by al-Shaafa’i,
Maalik and Ahmad. The reason for their difference of
opinion was the actions of some of the Sahaabah which
differed from what is mentioned in the reports.

My view concerning this matter is that what they did does
not contradict the reports that have been narrated
concerning that – I mean the reports which say that they
allowed praying Witr after dawn. Rather they allowed it in
cases where it needs to be made up, not as a regular
practice. Their view would only contradict the reports if
they said that this prayer could be offered after dawn on a
regular basis. Think about it.

Bidaayat al-Mujtahid, 1/147, 148

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There are many ahaadeeth on this topic, which indicate that
the time for witr ends when dawn begins.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/306.

Du'aa(Supplication):-
Al-Bara’ ibn Azib, a companion of the Prophet, said: “When
the Prophet went to bed, he would lie on his right side and
say: ‘My Lord, to You I turn my face, and to You I
surrender my soul, and to You I turn for protection, in
hope and fear of You. With You alone safety and refuge from
Your anger is sought.I believe in Your book which You have
bestowed from on high,and I believe in Your Prophet whom
You have entrusted with a message.’ Whoever says this
supplication and dies that night, he is sure to die holding
to the true faith.” (Related by Al-Bukahri, Muslim, Abu
Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi)

To use the Arabic wording we say: “Allahumma wajjahtu wajhi
ilayk, wa aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa alja’tu zahri ilayk,
rahbatan wa raghbatan ilayk. La manja wa la malja minka
illa ilayk. Amantu bikitaabika alladhi anzalt, wa
binabiyyaka alladhi arsalt.”

This is a highly authentic Hadith, which is reported in
different versions with some change in the order of its
phrases. But the supplication it includes is one of the
most expressive of self-surrender to God in all situations.


Hence the comment that if one dies after having said this
supplication, he is deemed to have died as a believer in
the true faith. Needless to say, nothing ensures
forgiveness of sins and admission to heaven more than sound
and pure faith. To say this supplication before going to
sleep is one way of ensuring that one finishes the day
holding to the right faith.

Indeed the Prophet used to say several prayers and
supplications before going to bed. He may change and say
some of them on certain days and other prayers on other
days. But the central point in them all is the same: total
self-surrender to God in all situations. Let us look at
this supplication which Abu Hurayrah says that the Prophet
used to say as he got into bed: “My Lord, the Lord of the
heavens, the earth and everything, who causes the grain and
the fruit-stone to split, and who revealed the Torah, the
Gospel and the Qur’an! I seek refuge with You from the evil
of everything you hold by the forelock. You are the First
before whom there was none, and You are the Last after whom
there will be none. You are the Outward above whom there is
none, and You are the Inward under whom there is none.
Repay my debts and relieve my poverty.” (Related by
Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi, Abu
Dawood, Al-Nassaie and Ibn Majah). To give the Arabic text:
“Allahumma rabba al-samaawaat wal-ard, wa rabba kulli
shay’, faaliq al-habbi wal-nawa, munzil al-Tawrah
wal-Injeel wal-Qur’an! A’oozu bika min kulli dhee sharrin
anta aakhidhun binasiyatih. Anta al-awwal falaysa qablaka
shay, wa anta al-aakhiru falyasa ba’adaka shay, wa anta
al-zaahiru falaysa fawqaka shay, wa anta al-baatinu falaysa
doonaka shay. Iqdi anni al-dayn wa aghnini min al-faqr.”

As this Hadith is related in all six anthologies, it is
highly authentic and very inspiring. Like other
supplication by the Prophet, it starts with statements of
God’s glory, stressing first that God is the Lord of the
universe and all it contains. It then highlights an
important aspect of creation, which is the splitting of
grains, seeds and fruit-stones to bring from them new
shoots and trees. It also mentions divine guidance to
mankind throughout history, represented in the revelation
of the three main books of His guidance, the Torah, the
Gospel and the Qur’an. When all this has been acknowledged,
the supplicant appeals to God the Creator of all and the
provider of guidance for protection from the evil caused by
anyone, re-stating that all are within God’s control. Again
the Prophet stresses some of the most important attributes
of God before requesting Him to help him with his debt and
to relieve him from poverty.

Another Hadith explains why the Prophet was so keen to
stress remembering and glorifying God before going to bed
and first thing in the morning. Jabir reports: “When a man
enters his home or goes to bed an angel and a devil come
straight to him. The angel says to him: ‘Finish with
something good,’ while the devil says: ‘Finish with
something evil.’ If the man praises God and glorifies Him
(the devil) is driven away and the angel stays to watch
over him. When he wakes up an angel and a devil come
quickly to him and say something similar. If he glorifies
God and says: ‘Praise be to God who has returned my soul
after it was gathered and has not caused it to die while
asleep. Praise be to God who upholds the celestial bodies
and the earth, lest they deviate. For if they should ever
deviate,there is none that could uphold them after He will
have ceased to do so.

He is ever-forbearing, much forgiving. Praise be to God who
holds the celestial bodies, so that they may not fall upon
the earth except by His leave. Most compassionate is God,
and merciful to mankind.’ If he should die, he is a martyr,
and if he lives and rises to pray, he prays in an excellent
way.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and
Al-Nassaie).

Having discussed the other Hadiths and explained why the
Prophet was keen to say such supplication in the morning
and evening, and before going to bed, I think this Hadith
does not need further explanation, except to say that if
the one who says this supplication and dies during the
night receives the reward of one who sacrifices his life
for the cause of Islam. That is a rich reward, because
martyrs are certain to be admitted to heaven.

We also need to mention the Arabic wording of the
supplication which says: “Al-hamd lillah alladhi radda
ilyya nafsi ba’da mawtiha, wa lam yumitha fi manaamiha.
Al-hamd lillah alladhi yumsiku al-samaawaati wal-ard an
tazoola, wa la’in zaalata in amsakahuma min ahadin min
ba’dih. Innahoo kana haleeman ghafoora. Al-hamd lillah
alladhi yumsiku al-samaa’ an taqa’a ala al-ard illa
bi’idhnih. Innahoo kana haleeman ghafoora.” Ameen.













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