Safeguarding Congregational Prayers
The great Mujaddid, Imam of Ahle Sunnat, A'ala Hazrat Sayyedina Imam Ahmed Raza 'Alaihir Rahmah was extremely punctual in performing Salaah with the congregation. Even when he was extremely ill, he performed prayers with the congregation until it was physically impossible and he strongly disliked it when anyone missed the congregational prayers without a valid Islamic reason. Not only this, but if a person was punctual with his Fasting and his Salaah but he missed the congregational prayers, A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah would scold and show contempt for such a person. We see an example of this in one of the religious rulings (Fatwa) that he gave to a person who performed the Zuhr, 'Asr, and Maghrib prayers with the congregation, but would perform the Fajr and 'Isha prayers at home. The reason the person gave for performing the morning and late night prayers at home was that the incantations (Wazeefas) that he used to pray after the Salaah were quite lengthy. A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah stated, "It is compulsory (Waajib) to perform all five prayers with the congregation in the Mosque, and it is a sin to miss any of the congregational prayers without a valid Islamic reason. Reciting incantations is not a valid reason for missing the congregational prayers. Pray the congregational prayer in the Mosque and then recite the incantations or recite the Qur'an at home, otherwise the previously mentioned example you have stated is transgression and is a major sin. (He ended the ruling with) The incantations and recitation that keeps you away from the congregational prayers are an unlawful sin. Allah Ta'ala knows best."
In the same way, in relation to one who performs Salaah alone and leaves the Mosque before the call to prayer (Adhaan) and the congregation, he provided a detailed answer from the books of Jurisprudence and also quoted the following Hadith:
"Ibn Majah reports that Ameer ul Mo'mineen Hazrat 'Uthmaan Radiallaho Ta'ala 'Anhu narrated that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said, "The person who is present in the Mosque when the Adhaan is called, then leaves before the congregational prayer without any reason, and has no intention of returning, is a hypocrite."
In a similar manner, a question was asked to A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah about two people. The first would perform 'Isha Salaah before the Adhaan and Jama'at and the reason he gave was that he feared he would not be able to get up for the pre-dawn prayer (Tahajjud) if he waited and prayed with the congregation. The second person would pray the Zuhr Salaah at the earliest time on his own (before the congregational time) and would then take a siesta (afternoon nap). His reason was also that if he did not take that afternoon nap he feared that he would not be able to get up to pray the Tahajjud prayer. A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah wrote a very detailed ruling (Fatwa) with many proofs about such people and at one point writes:
"The correct answer to the above mentioned question and issue is that this kind of a question is useless and futile. The people mentioned are performing the Sunnah of Tahajjud, and this is becoming a means of them missing the congregation, which is Waajib. The people mentioned should realise that the Sunnah acts must be performed whilst safeguarding the Waajib acts, not forsaking them. Allah Ta'ala states in the Holy Qur'an, 'Undoubtedly, the prayer forbids one from indecency and evil things.' (After this, he mentions a Hadith) in which Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said, 'Perform Tahajjud Salaah regularly and hold onto it firmly because this (standing in Salaah during the night) instils a habit for doing goodness and earning rewards. It is a means for attaining closeness to Allah Ta'ala, staying away from sins, is compensations for sins, and keeps illnesses at bay.'
Therefore, to blame Tahajjud for missing the congregational Salaah is against the commands of the Qur'an and Ahadith. If this action is looked at through the eyes of Islamic law and rules, then it is evident that the blame belongs to the person himself. He has made the decision himself to perform Tahajjud and take an afternoon nap, so why is he making that an excuse for forsaking an order of Islam? If he states that we are told to pray Tahajjud and to take an afternoon nap by Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam through his blessed words and actions, then show me where does he show us or tell us to do these things and miss our congregational prayers? Do the Qur'an and Hadith teach us to do these things and miss our congregational prayers? Did our pious predecessors stand in the night like this and miss their congregational prayers?
O Bedouin I fear you will not reach the Ka'aba
Because the road you are on goes to Turkey
If you want to perform Sunnah acts then perform them as Sunnah, but it is not correct that compulsory (Waajib) acts are forsaken for Sunnah acts. Please listen carefully, even if the truth is bitter and not what you want to hear. The one who whispers in our ears has taught you to present this excuse to various Scholars so that those who are inclined towards standing in the night will give you the order to miss the congregational prayers, and those who insist on congregational prayers will give you the order to miss the pre-dawn prayer because 'The person who is in a predicament should choose the easier of the two options.' In any case, the order to miss one of them has been given by many other Scholars, but May Allah Ta'ala Protect! This attendant and slave of the Qur'an and Hadith will not give you the order to give up a compulsory act, nor will he give you an order to give up the practice and habit of praying the pre-dawn prayer, because doing so would be against the words of our beloved Prophet Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam, who has said, 'O slave of Allah Ta'ala! Do not be like the person who used to stand for prayer in the night and then gave it up.' (A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah then quoted some Ahadith about Tahajjud Salaah) in which he states that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said, 'Some of you think that Tahajjud is only completed if you wake up in the night and pray Salaah until the morning; this is not the case. Tahajjud means to wake after sleeping for some time and to perform Salaah.' Tibraani has narrated this on the authority of Hajaaj bin 'Umar Radiallaho Ta'ala 'Anhu with an authentic chain of narrators.
Imam Malik has quoted in his Muwatta and Abu Dawood in Nisaa'i that Mother of Believers Hazrat 'Aisha Siddiqua Radiallaho Ta'ala 'Anha narrates that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said, 'Everyone who intends to perform the pre-dawn (Tahajjud) prayer, but then sleep overcomes him, Allah Ta'ala grants him the reward for performing the Salaah and the sleep is charity for him.'"
A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah quotes a Hadith in relation to those who hear the Adhaan being called from the Mosque but do not go to the Mosque to join in the congregational prayers, which is narrated by Hazrat Mu'aadh bin Anas Radiallaho Ta'ala 'Anhu. In the hadith, the actions of the person who hears the call for the prayer and does not go to the Mosque have been called cruel, hypocrisy and infidelity. Tibraani has quoted that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said, "It is very pitiful, wretched and very unfortunate if a believer hears the call to prayer and does not come to the Mosque for prayer." Additionally, it states that if a person hears the call to prayer (Adhaan), but waits for the second call (Iqaamah) before entering the Mosque, then he is a sinner.
In Mujtaba's Kitaabus Shahadah, it states that the testimony of a person who hears the Adhaan but remains in his house until the Iqaamah is said is not acceptable.
Therefore, the above narrations prove that those who hear the call to prayer (either the first or second), yet still do not come to the Mosque for prayers are described as wretched, cruel and hypocrites. Is the Iqaamah calling only to that congregation and saying join only this congregation? Is it allowed to join any congregation? Do the words "Come for Salaah" and "Come for Success" mean that come here if you desire or pray on your own if you want? Maybe the words "Salaah is starting" means that this Salaah has started and you should start your own Salaah somewhere else, may Allah Ta'ala Protect. This is not the case; rather, the call to prayer is calling towards that particular congregation, and staying absent from it results in one being called wretched, cruel and a hypocrite. It is therefore obvious and evident, that where the order is specifically given in the blessed Ahadith and traditions to attend the congregation, the same order would be given against one who does not attend then.
If one does not attend the congregations after knowing all of this, the wrath of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam is illustrated in the following incident:
Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam used to come out of his blessed home and come into the Mosque to lead Salaah. One day, when he came to lead 'Isha Salaah he saw that there were many people missing, and not as many people as normal were present for the congregational prayer. The signs of anger and wrath were visible on the blessed face of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam and he said, "I swear by Allah that I want to order the Mu'azzin to say the Iqaamah, and then tell someone else to lead the prayer. Then I want to take lit torches (of fire) and burn down the houses of those people who heard the call to prayer but did not leave their homes to come to the Mosque."
After this, A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah presented a narration from Bukhari Shareef in which Hazrat Abu Hurairah Radiallaho Ta'ala 'Anhu narrates that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said, "There are no Salaah's which are heavier (more difficult to pray) on the hypocrites than Fajr and 'Isha prayers. If they were to realise the reward and blessings of them, they would come crawling on their hands and knees to pray them. I want to order the Mu'azzin to say the Iqaamah, and then tell someone else to lead the prayer. Then I want to take lit torches (of fire) and throw them on those people who heard the call to prayer but did not leave their homes to come to the Mosque."
A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah goes on to say that this Hadith proves beyond a doubt that not entering the Mosque until the second call (Iqaamah) is made is such a despicable sin that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam expressed a desire to burn down the houses of and destroy the people who commit this act. Scholars state that the fact that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam said that he would order to call the Iqaamah first and then order someone else to lead the prayer is so that the non-attendance of those who did not come would be explicitly proven.
A'ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza 'Alaihir Rahmah did not only stress the importance of attending the Mosque regularly and praying with the congregation with his tongue and in his writings, rather, he acted upon this himself very strictly and punctually. If we study his life and his actions, a shining example of the lives of the blessed Companions is presented before us, and we will see and feel the light of guidance that he obtained from the teachings of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam glowing brightly in him. In his latter years, he was extremely busy in his religious work, lots of issues were before him, he was sick, his strength was leaving him, he was extremely weak and it was very difficult for him to walk even a short distance; yet even in this state of illnesses and difficulties, his steadfastness and dedication was such that he was prepared to withstand all these problems and struggles and walk towards the Pleasure of his Lord, and he says:
I accept I am weak but O cruel heart
Do not get tired on the path to His Pleasure
The path to His Pleasure is the path to the Mosque, where his true obedience to Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam was taking him. Let us read a little about that true obedience in the words of A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah himself:
"It has been four months less five days that my eyes have been afflicted with various ailments and infections, and infirmity is now permanent. My eyes remain moist almost all of the time. I was not able to read or write anything at first for months, and now the state is that if I look down at something for more than a few minutes my eyes get very heavy, and weakness sets in. For five months, all the questions / issues that needed responding to have been answered verbally and all articles that are needed are given verbally and others write them down. On the evening of 12th Rabi ul Awwal, I was afflicted with an illness that I have never had before, and may Allah Ta'ala not afflict anyone with this illness. My bowels did not move for 75 hours and neither was I able to pass water. Allah Ta'ala's blessings forever rain down on us, and I consider weakness and feebleness as a favour from the Lord. It is the ninth day that I have had a fever and the weakness and frailty has got worse. My experience has been that everyday, when I walk to the Mosque and walk back, the fever gets worse. For some days now, I have been forced to sit on a chair and four people carry me to the Mosque and bring me back home. I go at Zuhr time and come back after Maghrib Salaah. I request you to supplicate for me."
We see from his letter how keen and enthusiastic A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah was to follow in the Sunnah of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam. He was a true devotee and was always in a frenzied state in his zest to follow the blessed Sunnahs of our Beloved Prophet Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam. He was weak and his body did not possess any strength, but he was restless to join in the congregational prayers because he knew that Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam did not accept staying away from the congregation under any circumstances. Therefore, he would sit on a chair and use the help of others and be carried to the Mosque, even though his state was that coming and going was very troubling and painful for him. All this was done with keenness and enthusiasm because the Companions of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam would use the help and support of two men to help them get to the Mosque, and even Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam himself came to the Mosque like this. Without a doubt, this act of A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah was a desire to copy the actions of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam and his blessed Companions. However, this did not emulate the Sunnah of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam, which was to use the support of two people and walk to the Mosque. Therefore, on occasions, A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah would use the support of two men and would walk to the Mosque so that he could act upon that blessed action of his beloved. There is much more pleasure and contentment that a devotee and lover feels in copying exactly the actions of his beloved, as opposed to simply acting upon the teachings.
A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah passed away on 25th Safar 1340 A.H. He was ill for months before that and was so ill that he did not have the strength to get up and move around. In this instance, Islamic law allows a person to perform his Salaah at home, A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah was so punctual in performing his prayers with the congregation that he would use the support of four men and be carried on a chair to the Mosque. As long as it was humanly possible for him to do so, he attended the Mosque for Salaah in this manner.
Allahu Akbar! What enthusiasm he had for performing his prayers with the congregation. Undoubtedly, in order to invite the Mercy of Allah Ta'ala and the graces of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam and make them rain down on us, it is absolutely necessary for us to obey the orders and commands of Allah Ta'ala and His beloved Prophet Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam.
Hazrat Allama Muhammad Ahmed A'azmi Misbahi states that, "I have written in the commentary of 'Jumalun Noor Fee Nahyin Nisaa 'An Ziyaaratil Qaboor' on the authority of my respected teacher, Huzoor Hafiz e Millat Maulana Shah 'Abdul 'Aziz Muradabaadi 'Alaihir Rahmah (1312-1394 A.H.):
'One time, there was no one available to take A'ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan 'Alaihir Rahmah to the Mosque. The time for the congregation arrived and he was very worried and anxious. Somehow, he dragged himself on his own to the Mosque and performed his Salaah with the congregation. In this day and age of missing and not attending the congregational prayers in spite of good health and wellness, this incident is a great example and a lesson for us all.'"
If Imam Ahmed Raza 'Alaihir Rahmah wanted, he could have prayed his Salaah at home in a congregation with his students. However, he was more concerned with the pleasure of Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam and ignored his own troubles and pains and proceeded to the Mosque. The reason for this is that love and devotion requires one to make sacrifices, to give evidence and proof of that love, and desires to please the beloved at all times. O Imam Ahmed Raza 'Alaihir Rahmah, may we be sacrificed on your status and exalted stature; the evidence and testimony of love and devotion to Rasool Allah Sallallaho 'Alaihi Wasallam that you provided leaves no room for debate or doubt. If we start to spend our lives according to the example and teachings that were provided by A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah, then I have no doubt that all those with false beliefs will be defeated and the status of the Ahle Sunnah will be elevated, Insha Allah.
May Allah Ta'ala enable us all to emulate the actions of A'ala Hazrat 'Alaihir Rahmah and act upon the teachings that he has provided with his actions and his deeds, Aameen.
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