Q.
A colleague of mine says that the way Shiites render the adhan is correct,
and claims that the Sunnis have made innovations in the adhan. He argues that “hayya ala khayr il amal” was said by the
Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr
(ra), but that it was stopped by the order of the Khalifa Omar (ra), since
according to his Ijtihaad, he was afraid that saying it in the adhan or iqaama would
discourage the Muslims from emphasizing Jihad
(Sahih Muslim, 1:48). [Also, Al-Bahr Al-Zaakhir, Vol. 1, Page 192. Also, Al-Muhalla,
Vol. 3, page 160. Out of curiosity, I checked on the Internet, and the above
books are authored by reputable Sunnis, especially Ibn
Hazm, who is regarded as one of the foremost experts
on hadiths].
Apparently,
'Umar ibn al-Khattab is reported to have said: "O people, three
things existed during the time of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
that I prohibit and make unlawful and will punish for: mut'at
al-hajj, mut'at al-nisa,
and 'hayya 'ala khayr al-'amal'." (Sharh al-Tajrid, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 1:49)
Also,
it is claimed that the phrase “salat is better than sleeping” in the Fajr
prayer was introduced by Khalifa Omar (see Mu’watta by Ibn Malik ibn Anas,
in Masabih Al-Sunnah, Al-Baghwi, vol. 1, page 37). [Of course you know who Malik ibn Anas
is!]
Additionally,
my colleague claims that Malik ibn
Anas narrates that once the mu'adhdhin came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab
to announce the morning prayers and found him asleep, so he said to him: "Al-salat khayrun min al-nawm."
("Prayer is better than sleep") 'Umar
liked this sentence, so he ordered that it be put in the adhan for the morning prayers. (Sharh al-Tajrid, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 1:49). Imam Muslim (Sahih
Muslim, 1:48) and Abu Dawud concur that this sentence
was not part of the adhan
during the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), and Tirmidhi asserts that 'Umar was
the one who added it. [Sunan al-Tirmidhi,
1:64]
So,
what would be an appropriate response to these points?
Furthermore, an
even more perplexing claim was made concerning what was termed “the innovations”
of Khalifa Omar (ra), which
I have to admit frustrated me, since I wasn’t sure about how to go about
answering it.
Here’s
the complete quote from Sahih al-Bukhari
Hadith 3.227 [Pub: Dar El Fiker,
Beyrouth, Liban, 1993] (I
have found that because of different editions, different publishers, and
translation into English, it is possible that any two sets of volumes may not
be congruous, particularly with regards to the hadith numbering and pages,
although the contents are the same. Anyway, I can assure you that I checked and
can confirm this hadith
in the volumes displayed at the library of Masjid Ibrahim, in Newark, Delaware, where I live: 31 – The Book
of Tarawih Prayers, 1- Chpt
– The Superiority of Praying….”, #2010, page 161,):
Narrated
Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever
prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping for
a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven." Ibn Shihab (a sub-narrator) said,
"Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing that (i.e., Nawafil offered
individually, not in congregation), and it remained as it was during the
Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's Caliphate." 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Abdul Qari said,
"I went out in the company of 'Umar bin al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the
people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a
man praying with a little group behind him. So 'Umar
said, 'In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership
of one Qari (Reciter). So
he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai
bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in his
company and the people were praying behind their reciter.
On that, 'Umar remarked, 'What an excellent Bid'a this is;
but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than
the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of the night.
In those days people used to pray in the early part of the night."
What
is your take on this hadith? If true, I am perplexed that Khalifa Omar (ra) would actually
say something is an excellent Bid’a! Please help
me understand this. Maybe, there is something I am missing!
Finally, before
I take any more of your time, I would like to get your view on one last issue,
which is their belief in the “12 Imams”. Of course, my colleague (we are
pharmaceutical research scientists by the way!) had a perfect retort when I
asked him to explain/defend the concept of Ahlul Bayt according to Shi’sm.
He gave me references to not one, or two, but six references from Sahih al-Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad, Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawood, Sahih al-Nisa’i (from all the Sahih Sitta!). Of course, I was
convinced that this was all made up, but lo and behold, I was able to confirm
all the ones from Bukhari and Muslim, which I had
access to. Please read them and let me know what you think, because I’m
speechless here, not knowing how to respond. If true, they are real conundrums,
unless you can explain them for me, insha Allah!
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith:
9.329 (The Book of Ahkam), Chpt.
52: “There will be twelve…..” [by Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Pub: Kitab Bhavan,
Narrated Jabir Ibn Samura:
I heard the Prophet saying, "There will be twelve commanders (Amir)." He then said a sentence which I did not hear.
My father said, the Prophet added, "All of them will be from Quraish."
In Musnad Ahmad, the tradition is as follows: The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "There shall be twelve Caliphs for
this community, all of them from Quraish."
Reference:
Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v5, p106
In Sahih Muslim, the traditions are as follows:
Narrated
Jabir Ibn Samura: The
Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The matter (life)
will not end, until it is passed by twelve Caliphs." He then whispered a
sentence. I asked my father what the Prophet said. He said, the Prophet added:
"All of them will be from Quraish."
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab
al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV
(titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish
and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3,
p1009, Tradition #4477, or Book of Emritage 33, Chpt. 1: The people are subservient to Quraish…”
Page 235 – 236, # 1821 [Pub: Dar El Fiker, Beyrouth, 1993]
The
Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The affairs of
people will continue to be conducted (well) as long as they are governed by the
twelve men."
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab
al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV
(titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish
and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3,
p1010, Tradition #4478, or Book of Emritage, 33,
Chpt.1, “The people are subservient….”, # 1821R1, Page 235 – 236 [Pub: Dar El Fiker, Beyrouth, 1993]
The
Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The Islamic religion
will continue until the Hour (day of resurrection), having twelve Caliphs for
you, all of them will be from Quraish."
- Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab
al-Imaara, 1980 Edition Pub. in
- Sahih Muslim, English version, Ch! apter
DCCLIV (titled: The People are subservient to the Quraish and the Caliphate is the Right of the Quraish), v3, p1010, Tradition #4483, or Book of Emritage, 33, Chpt.1, “The people are subservient….,” #
1821R2, and also 1821R3, 1821R4, 1821R5, Page 235 – 236 [Pub: Dar El Fiker, Beyrouth, 1993]
Also
in another wording, the Messenger of Allah uses the word "Imam" instead of "Caliph". It is widely
narrated that: The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said:
"The Imams are from Quraish."
Sunni
references:
- al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v3, p149; Musnad
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal; Sahih al-Nisa'i, from Anas Ibn Malik;
Sunan, by al-Baihaqi; al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, by Ibn Hajar al-Haithami,
Ch. 11, section 2, p287.
A. Regarding
the question that you asked, there are several issues that are of concern. In
the first place, some of the references that you have provided are unusable to us
without further information on edition, etc. Next is that the Musnad of Hanbal is what we
would use as evidence of Sunni Hadith, not the Sharh al Tajrid by Qawshaji, a Shi’ite polemist. Now to the matter of the adhan: it is not mawqoof. In all of the major Sunni
collections on the issue, you will find that there was consultation by the
Prophet (s) with his companions as to the best way to summon people to the
prayer. And then Bilal was ordered to call the people
to prayer. Unless we assume that there was some osmotic transfer of thought
from the Prophet (s) to Bilal, or that Bilal was divinely inspired -- and none has to my knowledge
made either claim -- the evidence indicates that the adhan was a matter of taqrir of sorts. Bilal said what was to his mind okay, and the Prophet (s)
did not correct or object. This makes the adhan open to some adjustment.
And it is why the Shias have added parts to it: "ashhadu ana Ali wali ullah"
certainly could NOT have been said at the time of the Prophet (s), but it is
rather evidence that the Shi'ite scholars knew that
the adhan
was an issue that could have additions to it. It is why too, on a rainy day,
the mu'adhin
can add "Pray in your houses." We do acknowledge the presence of hadith that
indicate that a companion had a dream in which he was taught the words of the adhan, and that the Prophet said that it was
a "true vision." We feel that this is just to add some strength to particular
versions of the adhan.
Did Umar add "al
salatu khayrun min al nawm? It is possible. But here is a hadith from Bulugh
al Maram, reported from Nas'ai
in his Sunan al Kubra: From Sufyan,
from Abu Ja'far, from Abu Sulayman,
from Abi Mahdhura: I used to give the adhan
for the Messenger of God, and in the fajr I used to
say: "Come to prayer, Come to success, Prayer is better than sleep, Prayer
is better than sleep." Interestingly, Ibn Hazm
(whom you referred to as a great muhaddith) said that the sanad was authentic. And Bayhaqi reports that "Prayer is better than
sleep" was not in the adhan, but then
adds that this is NOT among the words of the stipulated adhan, but rather among words that can be added to rouse the sleeper,
much like the words of glorification that the people of "this
time" have added. All of this indicates that there are conflicting reports
on the issue, but in the final analysis, we can see that the scholars justify
additions to the adhan. If your original assumption then was
that there was one canonical adhan, then that
is incorrect according to our research. Polemics may cause Shias
and Sunnis to opine differently, but we do not subscribe exclusively to any one
school, since our positions are taken on the basis of investigation and truth
rather than creedal or madhabic
bias.
On the use of the term "bid'a", we have explained its connotation in an article at this website. A quick review: the term only became a specific one with connotations long after the time of Umar. If he did use it, we can assume it was in a linguistic sense, i.e., something new. In a linguistic sense, the commitment of the Qur'an to a mushaf is a bid'a -- for it was not done
during the time of the Prophet (s), but we benefit from it. So it is not even
deemed a bid'a, when in fact it is. Note too that this
term is used only by certain people, and not by all. For Muslims have always
known that we cannot stick to an unchangeable form of religious expression, as
time and place changes, so too do certain things, even if we do NOT want to
acknowledge this. This is why the fuqaha had to make the rule about change of rulings for time
and place, EXCEPT for Qur’anically mandated ones (and
even for this there is debate which we will not discuss now). Bid'a has come to
mean that which is introduced into the religion without any precedent and is
clearly against the teachings of Islam. We all agree that the companions were
those who lived with the Prophet and as such, we base a lot of practice on their
actions. What we call "sunna" is not restricted to that which only the Prophet
(s) did, but as the Hanafi school teaches, that
which the respected companions also did, for when they did things, people
copied them.
We do share the belief about the tarawih that you have expressed: since it is an "optional" prayer, we
can do it as we choose, individually or together. But if we are doing it in a
mosque, the leader of the Muslims has the right to tell us that if we pray
loudly and in several separate groups, it could be distracting. Is he allowed
to ask us to make a single group? Certainly he is. Umar
did NOT make the tarawih
mandatory; he just made the discipline in the mosque one that allowed for
uniformity, and in doing so, acted full well within the parameters of what a
leader of an umma
is supposed to do. To do any less would have meant laxity in his duties.
On the issue of the twelve Imams, the matter is rather simple. The
Prophet (s) was NOT a fortune teller, and did NOT foretell any events. The
Qur'an tells us that the end is near, and all the early Muslims were obsessed
with -- if we may use that term -- was the proximity of the Final Hour. Shi'ite teachings introduced the concept of the twelve Imams. Since Sunnis follow the concept
of "isnad",
any hadith
that has a good isnad
would be accepted. And so Bukhari and others accepted
these hadiths. Ibn Khaldun, in speaking of the Mahdi, noted that the hadith was from Shi'ite sources.
The Qurayshite status of the leaders was a well-known
argument for Qurayshite and Arab supremacy,
eschewing the Qur'anic teachings that tell us that no
people are chosen because of their race to be leaders (hence the polemic
against the Jews), and that the most honored of us with God is the most God-conscious. It is for this reason that we don't accept the polemical teachings
of Sunnis against Shias, and vice versa.
Just for the record, Ibn Hazm was NOT one of the
foremost experts in ahadith, but was a faqih whose works were largely
discredited by many scholars. This does not mean that we disagree with what was
imputed to him. But even if it is possible, the question as to whether Umar was doing something wrong in taking the "hayya ala Khar al amal" from the adhan is one of
personal opinion, since we have already indicated that one can change the adhan. In fact, as you may well know, the
four major schools of Sunni Islam differ on aspects of how the adhan and iqama are to be
given, in terms of the times the different sentences are said. May God guide us
to that which is right, for He knows best.
Posted January 23, 2006