Innovations by Khulafa
Question:
1.Tarawih has been practising since 1400 years by all sects of sunni Muslims from all part of world, this is consensus of umma, but reality that we know from hadith it was witar namaz (prayer) later formed as tarawih ,my question is which is important hadith or consensus? and how?
2. Do khulafa-e-rashedin had right to encourage the innovation in purely religious matter like tarawih
3. How about the second azan of jum'ah? Allso this innovation reveals on us through hadith not by consensus.
Hope to get your reply soon ,also
Answer:
1. There is in fact no consensus on tarawih. No Muslim who has the basis knowledge of Islam has ever believed that the prophet instructed people to read tarawih in the nights of the month of Ramadhan. The consensus that you are referring to is on the point that it is allowed to read it not that it was the Sunnah of the prophet (pbuh). Even there, the consensus is only within the limits of the feqhe of Ahlu Sunnah.
Please note that the consensus that I am referring to in this website (which is the method of delivering the Established Sunnah) is not about agreeing that a religious practice is allowed. Rather, it is about agreeing (through practical adherence to a religious practice) that the practice has been established as a religious act by the prophet (pbuh).
2. The khalifs that are known as Kulafaye Rashedin did not add anything to the corpus of religion in a way that it could be called Innovation (bid’ah). Note this is the definition of forbidden innovation in religion: “An unauthorised addition to the corpus of religion”.
The prophet (pbuh) had allowed reading tahajjud prayer after Isha, and he had also allowed reading non-obligatory prayers in congregation (although based on narration he advised that people read them on their own). Put these together and it will be the prayer that today is known as the prayer of tarawih. If you read the narration that reports Umar ibn al-Khattab putting people together to read tahajjud prayer after Isha in the month of ramadhan, you will notice the following points:
- The only reason he put together all with one leader was that people who did not know the Qur’an were staying with different Imams in the same place reading the prayer. It was obviously a mess. Umar ibn al-Khattab simply advised them to use one Imam.
- He did mention that what they were missing (i.e. reading Tahajjud individually at its original time) was better than what they were doing.
- He never made any instructions about the number of rak’ah (units) of this prayer and never advised that people should finish the whole Qur’an through it.
It is much better to read this prayer (as Umar ibn al-Khattab also advised) in its original form, that is, individually, after the midnight. However as long as tarawih is not considered to be the Sunnah of the prophet (pbuh), instituted by him, we cannot call it bid’ah (innovation in) in religion. Yes, like Umar ibn al-Khattab, we can literally call it innovation because this form of reading the tahajjud prayers was not normally practiced at the time of the prophet (pbuh).
3. Azan is simply a tool to call people to prayer. Just as today we use speakers and microphones to make sure people hear the azan in a large residential area, at the time of Uthman ibn Affan too a need was felt to make sure people would know the prayers are about to start (due to the development of the residential area in Medina, the highly crowded city and the highly crowded mosque of the prophet – pbuh – at the time). Accordingly, in the absence of the technology that we have today, the Khalifa of Muslims advised to give a second azan to make sure all will hear the azan on time.
It is of course incorrect to consider the second azan as part of Shari’ah. This will amount to innovation (bid’ah).
At the same time, if the only way to make sure all are given chance to attend the prayer in the mosque is to say azan it twice, then not saying it twice will defeat the very purpose of azan, that is informing about the start of the prayer.
Given the above answers, I don’t think your question on hadith versus consensus applies any more.
May God be satisfied with the family of the Prophet (pbuh) and his pious companions.
----------------
December 2013
1.Tarawih has been practising since 1400 years by all sects of sunni Muslims from all part of world, this is consensus of umma, but reality that we know from hadith it was witar namaz (prayer) later formed as tarawih ,my question is which is important hadith or consensus? and how?
2. Do khulafa-e-rashedin had right to encourage the innovation in purely religious matter like tarawih
3. How about the second azan of jum'ah? Allso this innovation reveals on us through hadith not by consensus.
Hope to get your reply soon ,also
Answer:
1. There is in fact no consensus on tarawih. No Muslim who has the basis knowledge of Islam has ever believed that the prophet instructed people to read tarawih in the nights of the month of Ramadhan. The consensus that you are referring to is on the point that it is allowed to read it not that it was the Sunnah of the prophet (pbuh). Even there, the consensus is only within the limits of the feqhe of Ahlu Sunnah.
Please note that the consensus that I am referring to in this website (which is the method of delivering the Established Sunnah) is not about agreeing that a religious practice is allowed. Rather, it is about agreeing (through practical adherence to a religious practice) that the practice has been established as a religious act by the prophet (pbuh).
2. The khalifs that are known as Kulafaye Rashedin did not add anything to the corpus of religion in a way that it could be called Innovation (bid’ah). Note this is the definition of forbidden innovation in religion: “An unauthorised addition to the corpus of religion”.
The prophet (pbuh) had allowed reading tahajjud prayer after Isha, and he had also allowed reading non-obligatory prayers in congregation (although based on narration he advised that people read them on their own). Put these together and it will be the prayer that today is known as the prayer of tarawih. If you read the narration that reports Umar ibn al-Khattab putting people together to read tahajjud prayer after Isha in the month of ramadhan, you will notice the following points:
- The only reason he put together all with one leader was that people who did not know the Qur’an were staying with different Imams in the same place reading the prayer. It was obviously a mess. Umar ibn al-Khattab simply advised them to use one Imam.
- He did mention that what they were missing (i.e. reading Tahajjud individually at its original time) was better than what they were doing.
- He never made any instructions about the number of rak’ah (units) of this prayer and never advised that people should finish the whole Qur’an through it.
It is much better to read this prayer (as Umar ibn al-Khattab also advised) in its original form, that is, individually, after the midnight. However as long as tarawih is not considered to be the Sunnah of the prophet (pbuh), instituted by him, we cannot call it bid’ah (innovation in) in religion. Yes, like Umar ibn al-Khattab, we can literally call it innovation because this form of reading the tahajjud prayers was not normally practiced at the time of the prophet (pbuh).
3. Azan is simply a tool to call people to prayer. Just as today we use speakers and microphones to make sure people hear the azan in a large residential area, at the time of Uthman ibn Affan too a need was felt to make sure people would know the prayers are about to start (due to the development of the residential area in Medina, the highly crowded city and the highly crowded mosque of the prophet – pbuh – at the time). Accordingly, in the absence of the technology that we have today, the Khalifa of Muslims advised to give a second azan to make sure all will hear the azan on time.
It is of course incorrect to consider the second azan as part of Shari’ah. This will amount to innovation (bid’ah).
At the same time, if the only way to make sure all are given chance to attend the prayer in the mosque is to say azan it twice, then not saying it twice will defeat the very purpose of azan, that is informing about the start of the prayer.
Given the above answers, I don’t think your question on hadith versus consensus applies any more.
May God be satisfied with the family of the Prophet (pbuh) and his pious companions.
----------------
December 2013
