Principles & Benefits
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Sending Salat and Salam on the Prophet
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Part Eight
The Obligation of Remembering Allaah & Sending Salat upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in Every Gathering
Translated & Compiled
By
Abbas Abu Yahya
A series on issues regarding sending the Salat and the Salam upon the Prophet.
The Obligation of Remembering Allaah & Sending Salat upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in Every Gathering
Taken from a piece of research on the Ahadeeth from ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ Shaykh Albaani quotes:
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
ما جلس قوم مجلسا لم يذكروا الله فيه ولم يصلوا على نبيهم إلا كان عليهم ترة فإن شاء عذبهم وإن شاء غفر لهم
‘There is no group of people who sit in a gathering where they do not remember Allaah and do not send Salat upon their Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–, except that their gathering is deficient. If Allaah wants, He will punish them and if He wants He will pardon them.’[1]
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
ما جلس قوم مجلسا يذكرون الله فيه إلا حفتهم الملائكة وتغشتهم الرحمة ونزلت عليهم السكينة وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده
‘There is no group of people who sit in a gathering remembering Allaah in that gathering, except that the Angels surround them, and mercy encompasses them, tranquility descends upon them and Allaah mentions them to [the Angels] who are near Him.’[2]
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
ما قعد قوم مقعدا لم يذكروا فيه الله عز وجل ويصلوا على النبي صلى الله
عليه وسلم إلا كان عليهم حسرة يوم القيامة وإن دخلوا الجنة للثواب
‘There is no group of people who sit in a gathering, where they do not remember Allaah –Azza wa Jal- in that gathering or send Salat upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–, except that it will be regret for them on the Day of Judgement, even if they enter Paradise due to their reward.’[3]
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
ما من قوم يقومون من مجلس لا يذكرون الله فيه إلا قاموا على مثل جيفة حمار وكان عليهم حسرة يوم القيامة
‘There is no group of people who rise from a gathering in which they do not remember Allaah in that gathering except that they will rise from sitting around the corpse of a donkey and it will be regret for them on the Day of Judgment.’[4]
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
من قعد مقعدا لم يذكر الله فيه كانت عليه من الله ترة ومن اضطجع مضجعا لا يذكر الله فيه كانت عليه من الله ترة
Whoever sits in a sitting and did not mention Allaah in that sitting, Allaah will make that sitting deficient for him. Whoever lies down and does not mention Allaah while lying down, Allaah will make that rest whereby his laying down will be deficient for him.’[5]
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
ما جلس قوم مجلسا فلم يذكروا الله فيه إلا كان عليهم ترة وما من رجل مشى طريقا فلم يذكر الله عز وجل إلا كان عليه ترة وما من رجل أوى إلى فراشه فلم يذكر الله إلا كان عليه ترة
‘There is no group of people who sit in a gathering and do not mention Allaah in it, except that the gathering will be deficient for them. There is no man who walks on a pathway without mentioning Allaah –Azza wa Jal- except that it will deficient for him. There is no man who goes to lie down on his bed, and does not mention Allaah, except that it will be deficient for him.’[6]
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
ما من قوم جلسوا مجلسا لم يذكروا الله فيه إلا رأوه حسرة يوم القيامة
‘There is no group of people who sit in a gathering in which they do not mention Allaah except that they will see it as regret for them on the Day of Judgment.’[7]
The Fiqh of the Ahadeeth:
Indeed this noble Hadeeth – and those which have the same meaning – show the obligation of remembering Allaah –Glory be to Him– and likewise sending Salat upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in every gathering. The evidence for this point is as follows:
1 – The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– saying: ‘If Allaah wants, He will punish them and if He wants, He will pardon them.’ Indeed, this is not said except for an action which is obligatory and leaving that action would be sinful.
2 – The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– saying: ‘even if they enter Paradise due to their reward.’ Indeed this Hadeeth is clear that the person who abandons the remembrance of Allaah and sending Salat upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– deserves to be sent into the Fire and even if his path is towards the Paradise due to the reward of his Eemaan.
3 – The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– saying: ‘except that they will rise from sitting around the corpse of a donkey.’ Indeed this is a similitude which means that their action is utterly disgusting. This similitude is only for – In-shaa-Allaah Ta’ala –that which has clearly been prohibited. And Allaah knows best.
Therefore, it is obligatory for every Muslim to take notice of this and not to be negligent of the remembrance of Allaah –Azza wa Jal- and sending Salat upon His Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in every gathering that takes place. Otherwise, it will be deficient for that person and regret on the Day of Judgement.
Al-Manawi said in ‘Faydh al-Qadeer’:
‘One should make sure that they have remembered Allaah and sent Salat upon His Messenger if they intend to rise from a gathering. The Sunnah can be achieved by using any different wordings of the Dhikr and the Salat, however the most complete is: ‘SubhanakAllaahumma wa Bihamdika, ash-Shadu an la illaha illa Anta, wa Astaghfiruka wa Atoobu ilayk.’ (O Allaah far are You from imperfection and praise be to You. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except You, and I seek forgiveness from You and I repent to You.) And sending the Salat upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– from that which is said in the final Tashhaud.’
I (Albaani) say: The Dhikr which al-Manawi refers to is well-known as the ‘Kaffaatul Majlis’ (the expiation for a gathering). There are many Ahadeeth which mention it, I will mention one of them, and it has the most complete wording; which is:
The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
من قال: سبحان الله وبحمده سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت أستغفرك وأتوب إليك، فقالها في مجلس ذكر كانت كالطابع يطبع عليه ومن قالها في مجلس لغو كانت كفارة له
‘Whoever says: ‘SubhanakAllaahumma wa Bihamdika, ash-Shadu an la illaha illa Anta, wa Astaghfirooka wa Atoobu ilayk.’ (O Allaah far are You from imperfection and praise be to You. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except You, and I seek forgiveness from You and I repent to You.) and says this in a gathering of remembrance, it will be like a stamp/seal upon that gathering, and whoever says it in a gathering of ill speech then it is an expiation for the gathering.[8]’
[1] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No.74 [Collected by Tirmidhi, Isma’eel al-Qadi in ‘Fadl as-Salat ala Nabi –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam’, Ibn as-Sunni in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa Layla’, at-Tayyalisi, Ahmad, Tabrani in ‘ad-Dua’, al-Bayhaqi in ‘Sunnan’ & Abu Na’eem in ‘al-Hileeyah’ from Abu Hurairah.]
[2] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 75 [Collected by Muslim, Tirmidhi & this wording is from Ibn Majah.]
[3] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 76 [Collected by Ahmad, Nisa’ee in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa Layla’, Ibn Hibban in ‘Saheeh’ & al-Khateeb in ‘al-Faqeeh al-Mutafaqee’ from Abu Hurairah & its Isnaad is Saheeh.]
[4] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 77 [Collected by Abu Dawood, Nisa’ee, Tahawee, Abu Shaykh in ‘Tabaqat al-Asbahani-yain’, Ibn Bashraan in ‘al-Amaali’, Ibn as-Sunni, al-Hakim, Abu Na’eem, Bayhaqi in ‘Shu’ab’ & Ahmad. From Suhayl bin Abi Saleh from his father with this wording. Al-Hakim said: ‘It was authentic upon the condition of Muslim’ & Dhahabi agreed with him & it is as they said, and Nawawi also authenticated it.]
[5] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 78 [Collected by Abu Dawood, Nisa’ee, Bayhaqi in ‘Shu’ab’, al-Humaidi in ‘Musnad’ the first sentence, and by Ibn as-Sunni the second sentence, only from Muhammad bin ‘Ajlan from Sa’eed bin Abi Sa’eed al-Maqbaree. I say: and this Isnaad is Hasan, like Nawawi said.]
[6] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 79 [Collected by Ahmad, Nisa’ee, Ibn as-Sunni & al-Hakim from Abu Ishaaw Mawla al-Harith.]
[7] ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’ No. 80 [Collected by Ahmad with a Hasan Isnaad from Ibn ‘Amr]
[8] [Collected by Nisa’ee in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa Layla’, Tabrani in ‘Mu’ajm al-Kabeer’, & in ‘Dua’ & by Hakim from Nafia’ bin Jubayr bin Mut’im from his father. Hakim said: ‘It is Saheeh upon the conditions of Muslim’ & Dhahabi agreed with him, and it is as they said.’]