Question
What is the status of the four raka'ts Sunnat Salaat before the Jumuah Fardh Salaat? Also, how important is Tahyatul Musjid on Fridays? It is observed that most of the Musjids nowadays delay the 4 raka'ts Sunnat until after the talk. Tahyatul Musjid is completely abandoned since listening to the talk has become obligatory by force of custom. After the talk, all stand up in exactly the same way as all stand up to perform Fardh in Jamaat. About 5 minute leeway is allowed for a rushed performance of the 4 Sunnats. With this new style and only a 5 minutes allowance, the musallis are constrained to rush through the Salaat. Sometimes while musallis are still engaged in the Salaat, the Muath-thin recites the Athaan and the Imaam begins the khutbah. However, when a prominent Aalim is present, the Khutbah is delayed to allow him to complete his Salaat. I have also noticed that some musallis ignore the talk. They engage in chatting either inside the Musjid or outside. Some are busy with their cellphones. Please comment on this situation.
Answer
This new style is another accursed bid'ah which the short-sighted Ulama and Imaams have introduced. They consider their talks and lecture to be of greater importance than the acts of Ibaadat ordained by the Shariah. Thus they dwell in self-deception, duping themselves to hallucinate that their 'awe-inspiring' lecture/bayan has captured the hearts of the half-sleeping musallis. Meanwhile they are stupidly unaware of the Deeni harm and damage caused by their act of bid'ah which prevents the Musallis from the Sunnatul Muakkadah ibaadat of Tahyatul Musjid and from the proper acquittal of the four raka'ts Sunnatul Muakkadah.
Even sincere Ulama are acquitting themselves with short-sightedness. They fail to understand that any act regardless of its outward deeni or ibaadat appearance, is condemnable and not permissible when it interferes with acts of ibaadat ordained by the Shariah and which has been adhered to by the Ummah since the age of the Sahaabah. They fail to understand that the Tahyatul Musjid and the Sunnatul Muakkadah Salaat by far surpass whatever merit there may be in the talk innovated recently at a juncture for which the Shariah has ordained specific acts of ibaadat. Most of the hardcore bid'ah practised by the Barelvis and others were initiated by sincere persons with altruistic motives.
Since the new style of talk/bayan interferes with Shar'i acts of ibaadat, it has attained bid'ah status. This ruling does not mean that giving a bayaan before the Khutbah is bid'ah. The manner of acquittal is bid'ah. The 5 minute leeway is a silly mockery of the Sunnatul Muakkadah Salaat. Precluding the musallis from Tahyatul Musjid is haraam. The calamity of this haraam settles on the one delivering the bayaan.
Musallis should ignore the new custom which indirectly constrains them from executing the acts of Shar'i ibaadat. They should engage in Tahyatul Musjid and thereafter perform the 4 raka'ts Sunnatul Muakkadah without waiting for the bayaan to terminate. The 4 raka'ts should not be hinged on to the bayaan or the ending of the bayaan.
The reason why people of bid'ah fail to understand their sins of bid'ah, is deprivation of hidaayat by Allah Ta'ala. In this regard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
"Verily, Allah deprives every man of bid'ah from making Taubah."
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- Awake! 2014 Ramadaan 1435 Jun Jul 2014
- PDF page
- 26
Appears under THE DESTRUCTION OF MUSAAJID.