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No. Time. The names of the time of prayer. The number of rak'ats said. Arabic. Persian. Urdu. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (a) Sunnat-i-ghair-maukadda'. (b) Sunnat-i-mau-kadda'. (c) Farz. (d)
Sunnat after Farz. (e) Nafl. (f) Witr. The five periods of prayer. 1 From dawn to sunrise. Salt-ul-Fajr. Namz-i-Subh. Fajr K Namz. 2 2 When the sun has begun to decline. Salt-uz-Zuhr. Namz-i-Peshn. Zuhr K Namz. 4 4 2 2 3 Midway between N and 4. Salt-ul-'Asr. Namz-i-Dgar. 'Asr K Namz. 4 4 4 A few minutes after sunset. Salt-ul-Maghrib. Namz-i-Shm. Maghrib K Namz. 3 2 2 5 When the night has closed in. Salt-ul-'Ish. Namz-i-Khuftan. 'Ish K Namz. 4 4 2 2 7 Three periods which are voluntary. 1 When the sun has well risen. Salt-ul-Ishrq. Namz-i-Ishrq. Ishrq K Namz. 8 2 About 11 o'clock A.M. Salt-uz-Zuh. Namz-i-Chast. Zuh K Namz. 8 3 After mid-night. Salt-ut-Tahajjud. Namz-i-Tahajjud. Tahajjud K Namz. 9 In addition to these there are several
kinds of Namaz which have to be said at different
times, or under special circumstances. (i). Salat-ul-Juma’ The
Friday Namaz. This is a farz duty. It has
the threefold authority of the Quran, the Sunnat,
and the Ijma’. Thus: “O ye who
believe! When ye are summoned to prayer on the
day of the assembly (Friday), haste ye to the
commemoration of God, and quit your traffic.”
(Sura lxi.) The Prophet also said: “Juma’
is farz,” and, “God will make a mark on
the heart of him who misses the Salat-ul-Juma’.”
There are, however, eight kind of persons on whom
it is not incumbent, viz: a traveller, a sick person, a slave, a
woman, a young child, a mad person, a blind or a lame person. The
conditions which make this Namaz obligatory are: (1). That the place in which
it is said be a town in which a Qazi (judge) dwells. (2). There must be in the town a ruler or his
deputy. (3). It must take the place of
the Salat-uz-Zuhr, with which it agrees, except
that two farz rak’ats instead of four are recited.
The nafl rak’ats are omitted. The four
sunnat rak’ats which precede, and the two which
follow the farz ones are said. (4). One, or according to the
followers of Imam Shafa’i two Khutbas, or sermons
are preached. These are delivered by the Imam
after the four sunnat rak’ats are recited, and
before the two farz ones. The Khutba should consist
of the praise of God, prayer and injunctions to piety. (5). There must be a congregation
of three persons besides the Imam. The Shafa’ites
say there should be at least forty worshippers. (6). The Azan, or call to prayers,
must be made to all without distinction of rank. Any person who is qualified to act
as Imam at the other prayers can conduct this Namaz.
The Imam and Khatib (preacher) is usually, but not
necessarily, one and the same person. The Khutbas
should not be long, for Muhammad said that long sermons
and short prayers would be a sign of the degeneracy
of the latter days. When two Khutbas are said,
the Imam sits down to rest before the delivery of
the second. The worshippers may then offer up
a Du’a, or private prayer. Some, however,
say that this practice is bid’at, (innovation)
and consider it a very bad act. According to the
Traditionists, Bukhari, Abu Daud and Tirmizi, it is
a mustahab act to wear clean clothes on Friday. The preacher standing on the second
step of the Mimbar, or pulpit, with a large club or
staff in his hand, delivers his sermon. The following is a specimen of the Khutbas. SERMON ON THE EXCELLENCE OF
FRIDAY. In the name of God, the Compassionate,
the Merciful. Praise be to God, the King, the Holy,
the Great, the Knower. He has opened our
hearts through the blessing of Islam. He has made
Friday the best of days. We testify that
there is no God but God, the One, without partner.
This confession saves those who make it from danger
and from darkness. We testify that our Lord
Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle sent to
all mankind. May the mercy and peace of God be
on him, his descendants and on his Companions.
O men! O believers of God! I advise
you and my own soul thus: “Obey God!”
Know, O servants of God! that when Friday commences
the angels assemble in the fourth heaven, and
Gabriel, (on whom be peace) is the Mu,azzin, Mika,il
the Khatib, Israfil the Imam and ’Izra,il
the Mukabbir and all the angels join in the
Namaz. When it is over Gabriel says: “I
give the reward due to me as Mu,azzin to the Mu,azzins
of the sect of Islam;” Mika,il: “I
give mine to the Khatibs;” Israfil:
“I give mine to the Imams;” ’Izra,il:
“I give mine to the Mukabbirs.”
The angels say: “We give ours to the company
of the Muslims.” The Prophet said:
“The night and day of Friday last twenty-four
hours, and each hour God releases a thousand souls
from hell. Whosoever makes ‘ghusl’
on Friday, God will give him for every hair on
his body the reward of ten good deeds. Whosoever
dies on a Friday meets with the reward of a martyr.” Certainly the best and most eloquent
speech is the Holy Quran, the Word of God, the
King, the Great, the Knower. His word is true
and righteous. When thou readest the Quran
say: “O God! protect me from cursed
Satan.” In the name of God the Compassionate,
the Merciful. “When ye are summoned to prayer
on the day of the assembly, haste to the commemoration
of God and quit your traffic. This, if ye knew
it, will be best for you. And when the prayer
is ended, then disperse yourselves abroad and
go in quest of the bounties of God; and that it may
be well with you, oft remember God. But when they
get a sight of merchandize or sport, they disperse
after, and leave thee standing alone. Say:
’God hath in reserve what is better than sport
or wares. God is the best provider.’”
(Sura lxi-11.) God by means of the Holy
Quran will bless us and you. And by its verses
and teaching will reward us and you. God
is Almighty, Generous, Merciful, Eternal, Holy,
Clement. Here ends the first sermon; after
a short pause the preacher commences the second. In the name of God the Compassionate,
the Merciful. Praise be to God, the Creator of the
earth and heavens, the Maker of light and darkness.
I testify that there is no God but God. He is
one. He has no partner. Know, O believers!
that this confession will save you from trouble
and calamity. I testify that Muhammad, who wipes
out error and infidelity, is the servant and Apostle
of God. The mercy of God be on our Lord Muhammad,
the Lord of Creation; and on his descendants;
and on his Companions be grace and honour. O servants
of God! I advise you and my own soul thus:
Obey God! Fear God, who created life and
death and who scrutinizes our good actions. O
God! be pleased with Abu Bakr, the righteous,
the Sahib-ul-Ghar, and with Omar Ibn-ul-Khattab,
the chief of the holy men; and with Osman the possessor
of two lights, who was martyred when reading the
Holy Quran, and upon ’Ali Murtuza, the destroyer
of infidels and sinners. O God! be pleased with
the great Imams Hasan and Husain. Be pleased
with their mother Fatimat-uz-Zuhra, the chief
of women, and with Hamza and ’Abbas, the uncles
of the Prophet. Also be pleased with all the Ashab
(Companions). O God! help those who help
the religion of Muhammad, and make us of their
number. Make those wretched who corrupt it, and
keep us aloof from all such. O believers!
truly God orders you to do justice and to show
kindness to your kindred. He orders you to abstain
from infidelity and from the greater and the lesser
sins. God warns you. God is the Most
High, the Most Glorious. God is Great!” The collection of Khutbas from which
the above have been translated contains a considerable
number on a variety of subjects, such as prayer, the
resurrection, worldliness, the various feast and fast
days, &c. The form in all is very similar.
The exordium and the conclusion are practically the
same. A few sentences in the middle refer to the
special subject of the sermon. The second of
the two sermons is always the same; it is practically
an invocation of blessings on certain persons.
Both are said in Arabic. What would answer to
our idea of a sermon, such as an explanation of some
doctrine, or an exposition of some passages in the
Quran, is not part of the public worship in the mosque,
but would be done in an ordinary assembly, in any
convenient place, by a Moolla, or any learned man
who could collect an audience. (ii). Salat-ul-Musafir. Prayers
said by a traveller. A person who makes a journey
which lasts three days or three nights is, for this
purpose, considered a traveller. The length of
a day’s journey is estimated at the distance
a camel can march in that period of time. If a
traveller intends to stay in a certain place fifteen
days, he must repeat the usual Namaz; if less than
fifteen days, or when actually on the journey, he can
shorten it. He is then permitted to say only two
farz rak’ats. He may omit the sunnat and
nafl rak’ats if he chooses; but the three witr
rak’ats he must recite at the Salat-ul-’Isha.
If a traveller passing through a place is, for the
time being, the most suitable person to act as Imam,
he being a traveller will only recite two rak’ats.
The rest of the worshippers then complete the Namaz.
In the case where a permanent resident of the place
is the Imam and the traveller only a worshipper, the
Imam is bound to recite the whole number of rak’ats
and the traveller must also repeat the whole after
him. The principle on which this is based is that
the worshippers must not recite less than the Imam. (iii). Salat-ul-Khauf. Prayers
of fear. This is a Namaz said during the time
of war. When there is imminent danger from the
approach of an enemy the Imam should divide the army
into two bodies; one of which should be placed in
a position towards the enemy, the other should recite,
if they are on the march, one rak’at; if stationary
in a place, two rak’ats. This division
will then march towards the enemy and the first division
will recite as many rak’ats as may be required
to complete the Namaz. The Salam (Ante.
will be recited by the Imam alone. The first division
of troops will not say the qir,at, i.e. the
Fatiha and the other verses of the Quran recited after
it (Ante. ; but the second division will supply
the omission. If the enemy are so near that the
cavalry dare not dismount, then each man will recite
a rak’at or rak’ats for himself, and make
the ruku’ and sijda by means of signs. If
he cannot turn towards the Qibla, he is, under the
circumstances, allowed to face any direction most
convenient. During the recital of the Namaz he
must not fight, or allow his horse to move, lest the
prayer should be rendered void. “When ye
go forth to war in the land, it shall be no crime
in you to cut short your prayers, if ye fear lest
the infidels come upon you. Verily, the infidels
are your undoubted enemies! And when thou, O
Apostle! shalt be among them, and shalt pray with
them, then let a party of them rise up with thee, but
let them take their arms; and when they shall have
made their prostrations, let them retire
to your rear: then let another party that hath
not prayed come forward, and let them pray with you.”
(Sura i, 103). (iv). Salat-ut-Tarawih. This
is a special set of twenty rak’ats recited every
night during the month of Ramazan. They must be
said after the farz and sunnat, and before the witr
rak’ats at the time of the Salat-ul-’Isha.
The Salat-ut-Tarawih is considered of sunnat
obligation. The practice dates from the time
of the Khalif Omar. Abd-ur-Rahman, a Traditionist,
states that one night in Ramazan he went with Omar
to the Mosque. They saw some persons saying the
Namaz alone and some reciting it in groups. Omar
said: “If I gather them all together, so
that they may recite it after one Imam it will be
good.” He did so, and the next night the
people of their own accord came in great numbers and
united together. Then said Omar: “this
bid’at is good.” This is good
authority for the institution, for the Prophet said:
“Follow my Sunnat and that of the Khulafa-i-Rashidin.”
There is also a Hadis-i-Sahih to the effect that “God
has made the fast of Ramazan farz, and its qiam
sunnat.” (Kutiba ’alaikum siamu Ramazana
wa sunna qiamuhu). The Prophet was anxious lest
the Tirawih Namaz should become farz and, therefore,
after going to the Mosque on two successive nights
in Ramazan, he stayed away on the third, giving as
his reason for so doing that he feared that, if he
went every night, it might be considered a farz and
not a sunnat duty. The number of rak’ats
is fixed at twenty, as that was the number recited
by Muhammad and by the Khalif Omar. The Shia’hs
do not say these prayers or even enter the Mosque on
such occasions, as after every four rak’ats
an eulogium is repeated on the four Khalifs the
first three of whom they hate. (v). Salat-ul-Kusuf and
Salat-ul-Khusuf Prayer said when an
eclipse of the sun, or of the moon takes place.
In the former case, the Imam recites with the congregation
in the Mosque two rak’ats. The Azan and
the Iqamat are both omitted. No Khutba is said.
In each rak’at one ruku’ is read.
The Shafa’ites read two. After the rak’ats
are completed those present remain in prayer (Du’a)
until the eclipse is at an end. The Namaz during
an eclipse of the moon is the same as that during
an eclipse of the sun, with this exception that the
rak’ats need not be recited in a congregation.
Each Muslim can say the Namaz privately in his own
house. The practice is founded on the Prophet’s
saying: “When you see an eclipse then remember
God, pray (Du’a) and recite the Namaz until it
becomes light again.” (vi). Salat-ul-Istisqa. Prayer
in time of drought. When there is a scarcity
of water each person should, with face Qibla-wards,
offer up prayer to God. They can be said at home
and in private. Care must be taken that no Zimmi
is present. The reason given is that this is a
prayer for a blessing; but God sends no blessing on
a company in which a Zimmi is present. These prayers are simple Du’a
and not a Namaz. There is no well-authenticated
Tradition to the effect that the Prophet ever said
Namaz on such an occasion; whilst there are many which
show that he made Du’a. This is a very
good example of the use of the term Salat as a
Mushtarik word, i.e. one which has several
significations. Its ordinary meaning is
Namaz; here it means Du’a. (vii). Salat-ul-Janaza. Prayers
at a Funeral. When a person is about to die,
the attendants should place him on his right side with
his face Qibla-wards. In that position he should
repeat the “Kalima-i-Shahadat,” the creed
of testimony: “I confess that God is one,
without a partner; that truly Muhammad is His servant
and His Apostle.” After death has taken
place, the corpse is laid out, incense is burnt, and
the shroud is perfumed an odd number of times.
A tradition states that an odd number is fixed upon,
because the number one which represents the unity of
God is odd and not even. The lesser lustration
(wazu) is then made. The head and beard are washed
with a decoction made of some flowers, after which
the greater lustration (ghusl) is made. The members
of the body used when making sijda (prostration) i.e.,
forehead, nose, hands, knees, feet, are then rubbed
with camphor. To recite the Salat-ul-Janaza
is a duty called Farz-i-kifaya, that is, if some few
persons in the assembly say it, all need not do so;
whilst if no one repeats it all will be guilty of
sin. To prove that this Namaz is farz the following
verse is quoted: “Take alms of their substance,
that thou mayest cleanse and purify them thereby,
and pray for them; for thy prayers shall assure their
minds: and God heareth, knoweth.” (Sura
i.) The proof that it is not Farz-i-’ain
(i.e., incumbent on all), but Farz-i-kifaya
is drawn from an account given in a Hadis, to the effect
that the Prophet one day did not recite the Namaz
over one of his deceased followers. Now, if the
Namaz had been Farz-i-’ain even the Prophet could
not have omitted it. His Sunnat, or practice,
has decided the nature of the farz command contained
in the verse of the Quran just quoted. The Namaz can only be said when the
corpse is present. It is recited in the open
space in front of the Mosque, or in some neighbouring
spot: never in the graveyard. When all are assembled the Imam or
leader says: “Here begins the Namaz for
the dead.” The company present then stand up in rows with faces turned
in the direction of Mecca. The Imam stands a little in front, near the
head or waist of the corpse according as it is that of a male or female.
Then all assume the Qiam, or standing position, and recite the Niyyat as
follows: “I recite Namaz for the sake
of God, and offer prayers (Du’a) for this deceased
person, and I follow the Imam (who is about to officiate.)” Then all at the first Takbir
put the hands to the lobe of the ears and say:
“God is Great!” Then they say the Sana (Ante, .): “Holiness to Thee O God!
And to Thee be praise! Great is Thy Name!
Great is Thy greatness! Great is Thy praise!
There is no God but Thee!” Then follows the second Takbir: “God is
Great!” Then all say the Darud-i-Ibrahim: “O God! have mercy on Muhammad
and upon his descendants, as Thou didst bestow mercy,
and peace, and blessing, and compassion, and great
kindness upon Abraham and upon his descendants.”
“Thou art praised, and Thou art Great!”
“O God, bless Muhammad and his descendants as
Thou didst bless, and didst have compassion and great
kindness upon Abraham and upon his descendants.” Then follows the third Takbir: “God is
Great!” The Dua is then repeated: “O God, forgive our living and
our dead, and those oL us who are present, and those
who are absent, and our children and our full grown
persons, our men and our women. O God, those
whom Thou dost keep alive amongst us, keep alive in
Islam, and those whom Thou causest to die, let them
die in the Faith." Then follows the fourth Takbir: “God is
Great!” Then all say: “O God, give us good in this
world and in the next, and save us by Thy mercy from
the troubles of the grave and of hell.” Then each one in a low voice says the Salam, as in
an ordinary Namaz.
(Ante, .) The Namaz is now over and the people make another Dua thus: “’O our Lord! suffer not
our hearts to go astray after that Thou hast once
guided us; and give us mercy from before Thee; for
verily Thou art He who giveth.’ (Sura ii.)
O God, Thou art his Master, and Thou createdst
him, and Thou didst nourish him, and didst guide him
toward Islam, and Thou hast taken his life, and Thou
knowest well his inner and outer life. Provide
intercessors for us. Forgive him, for Thou art
the Forgiver, the most Merciful.” Then going towards the head of the corpse, they say: “No doubt is there about this
Book (Quran.) It is a guidance to the God-fearing,
who believe in the unseen, who observe prayer
(salat), and out of what we have bestowed on them,
expend (for God), and who believe in that which hath
been sent down to thee (Muhammad), and in what hath
been sent down before thee; and full faith have they
in the life to come: these are guided by their
Lord; and with these it shall be well.” (Sura
i-4). Then coming towards the feet of the corpse, they say: “The Apostle believeth in that
which hath been sent down from his Lord, as do the
faithful also. Each believeth in God, and His
angels, and His Books and His Apostles: we make
no distinction between any of His Apostles. And
they say: ’We have heard and we obey. (We
implore) Thy mercy, Lord; for unto Thee must we return.’
God will not burden any soul beyond its power.
It shall enjoy the good which it hath acquired, and
shall bear the evil for the acquirement of which it
laboured. O our Lord! punish us not if we forget,
or fall into sin; O our Lord! and lay not on us a load
like that which Thou hast laid on those who have been
before us; O our Lord! and lay not on us that
for which we have no strength: but blot out our
sins and forgive us, and have pity on us. Thou
art our protector; give us victory therefore over
the infidel nations.” (Sura i, 286). The chief mourner then gives the Izn-i-Amm, that is, he says: “All have permission to depart.” Some then proceed homewards, others go with the corpse to the
graveyard. When the bier is lifted up, or when it is placed down near the
grave, the people say: “We commit thee to earth in
the name of God and in the religion of the Prophet.” If the ground is very hard, a recess (lahad) is dug out in
the side of the grave. This must be high enough to allow the corpse to sit
up when Munkir and Nakir come to interrogate it. If the ground is soft a
small grave is excavated at the bottom of the larger one. The corpse is
then placed in the lower one. The idea in both cases is that the corpse
must be in such a position that it can have free movement. The body is
placed with the face towards Mecca. When the bands of the shroud have been
loosened the people say: “O God deprive us not of the
heavenly reward of the deceased, place us not in trouble.” Each person then takes seven clods
of earth, and over each clod says; “Bismillah”
(in the name of God), and the Surat-ul-Iklas (Sura
cxii) and then places each clod by the head of the
corpse. Unburnt bricks, bamboos or boards having
then been placed over the smaller grave, the persons
present with both hands throw clods of earth three
times into the grave. The first time they say:
“From it (earth) We created you”; the second
time, “and into it will We return you;”
the third time, “and out of it will We bring
you a second time.” (Sura x. Then they say this Du’a:
“O God I beseech Thee for the sake of Muhammad
not to trouble the deceased.” When the attendants are filling up the grave they say: “O God, defend the deceased
from Shaitan (devil) and from the torments of the
grave.” When the grave is completely filled
up, one man pours water three, or five, or seven
times over it and then plants a green branch on it. One of the mourners then draws near the middle of the grave
and recites the Talqin (instruction): “O servant of God, and child of a female servant
of God. O son of (such an one), remember
the faith you professed on earth to the very last;
that is, your witness that there is no God but God,
and that certainly Muhammad is His Apostle, and that
Paradise and Hell and the Resurrection from the dead
are real; that there will be a day of judgment, and
say: ’I confess that God is my Lord, Islam
my religion, Muhammad (on whom be the mercy and peace
of God) my Prophet, the Quran my guide, the K’aba
my Qibla, and that Muslims are my brethren.’
O God, keep him (the deceased) firm in this faith,
and widen his grave, and make his examination (by
Munkir and Nakir) easy, and exalt him and have mercy
on him, O Thou most Merciful.” The other persons present then offer a Fatiha. After this, they may, if they like
to do so, read the Surat-ul-Ya Sin (xxxvi) and the
Surat-ul-Mulk (lxvii.) It is not common to do so.
Then retiring forty paces from the grave they again
offer a Fatiha, for by this time the examination of
the deceased has commenced. The first night is
one of great trouble to the deceased, so alms should
be given liberally that night in his name. In
order to relieve him as much as possible, two nafl
rak’ats of a Namaz should be said. After
the Fatiha in each rak’at the worshipper should
repeat the Ayat-ul-Kursi (Throne-verse)
three times; then the Surat-ut-Takisur (102)
eleven times; then the Surat-ul-Iklas (112) three
times. After the Salam and the Darud the
worshipper lifts up both hands, and with great humility
prays that the reward of the service just concluded
may be bestowed on the deceased. (viii). Salat-ul-Istikhara. This
is a Namaz said before undertaking any special work.
The person recites two rak’at prayers. After
each rak’at he says the following Du’a:
“O God, make me know what is best for me, and
keep me from evil, and bestow good upon me, for I
have no power to know what is best for me.”
He then goes to sleep, during which period be expects
to receive a special inspiration (Ilham) which will
give him the needed directions and guide him aright
as to the matter in hand. (ix). Salat-ut-Tarawih. This
consists of twenty rak’ats recited each evening
during the month of Ramazan. An account of these
will be given in the next chapter when the ceremonies
connected with the Ramazan fast are described. 3. ROZA, THE THIRTY DAYS’
FAST OF RAMAZAN. Fasting is defined to be
abstinence from food, drink and cohabitation from sunrise
to sunset. There must also be in the mind the
intention of keeping a fast. The person should
say: “O Lord, I intend to fast to-morrow
for Thy sake. Forgive my past and future sin.”
When the fast is ended he says: “O God I
fasted for Thy sake and had faith in Thee, and confided
in Thee and now I break (iftar) the fast with the
food Thou givest. Accept this act.” It is a farz duty to keep the fast
during the thirty days of the month Ramazan.
This is laid down in the words: “O believers!
a fast is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you.” “As to the month
Ramazan, in which the Quran was sent down to be man’s
guidance, and an explanation of that guidance, and
of that illumination, as soon as any one of you
observeth the moon, let him set about the fast.”
(Sura i-181). The Ijma’ is also unanimous
on this point. Young children and idiots are
excused. Sick persons and travellers may postpone
the fast to another time. “He who is sick,
or upon a journey, shall fast a like number of other
days. God wisheth you ease, but wisheth not your
discomfort, and that you fulfil the number of days.”
(Sura i. This is called a qaza fast, that
is, a fast kept at another time in lieu of one which
has been omitted. If a person makes a vow that, if God
grants a certain request, he will fast (roza-i-nazr),
or if he fasts by way of atonement for some sin committed
(roza-i-kafara), in both cases it is a wajib duty
to keep the fast. Some hold that the former is
a farz duty and base their assertion on the verse:
“Let them bring the neglect of their persons
to a close, and let them pay their vows.” (Sura
xxi. All other kinds of fasts are nafl,
a term already explained . Such are the
fasts kept on the 10th day of Muharram, on the Aiyam-i-Biz
(bright days) the 13th, 14th and 15th day
of any month, on the 15th of Sh’aban, that is,
the day following the night called Shab-Barat, and
on the 30th of each month in which there are thirty
days. A nafl fast may be broken if the person
who intended to keep it receives an invitation to a
feast. According to Bukhari, a woman may not
make a nafl fast without the consent of her husband.
The reverse is not the case, for “Men are superior
to women on account of the qualities with which God
hath gifted the one above the other, and on account
of the outlay they make from their substance for them.”
(Sura i. It is said that one day a woman
came to the Prophet and said that her husband had
slapped her. The Prophet wished to punish him
for doing so improper an act, but he was prevented
by the descent from heaven of the verse just quoted,
which is held to be conclusive evidence of the inferiority
of women. The verse also contains the words “chide
those (wives) for whose refractoriness ye have
cause to fear; remove them into beds apart, and scourge
them.” It is mustahab to fast some days
in the month Shawwal, for Muhammad is reported to
have said: “Whosoever keeps the fast of
Ramazan and some seven days in the preceding month
of Shawwal, it is as if his whole life were a fast.” If on account of dull weather, or
of dust storms the new moon is not visible, it is
sufficient to act on the testimony of a trustworthy
person who declares that Ramazan has commenced.
Imam Shafa’i requires two, but the following
Tradition is quoted against him: “An Arab
came to the Prophet and said: ‘I have seen
the new moon.’ His Excellency said:
’Dost thou believe that there is no God but
God? Dost thou confess that Muhammad is His Apostle?’
‘Yes,’ replied the man. The Prophet
calling Billal, the Mu,azzin, said: ‘Tell
the people to commence the fast.’” This
proves that the evidence of one good Muslim is sufficient
testimony in the matter. The fast is destroyed in the following
cases: if when cleansing the teeth a little
water should pass into the throat, if food is eaten
under compulsion, if an enema is used, if medicine
is put into the ears, nose or a wound in the head,
if a meal has been taken on the supposition that it
was night when it was really day, if the niyyat (intention)
in the Ramazan fast was not properly made, if after
a meal taken during the night a portion of food larger
than a grain of corn remains between the teeth or in
a cavity of a tooth, lastly, if food is vomited.
In each of these cases a qaza fast must be kept in
lieu of the one thus broken. In the case where the fast is deliberately
broken, the person must atone for his sin by setting
a slave at liberty; if from any cause that cannot be
done, he must fast every day for two months; if that
cannot be done, he must give sixty persons two full
meals each, or give one man such meals daily for sixty
days. The fast is not broken by merely tasting
anything, by applying antimony to the eyes,
and oil to the beard, by cleansing the teeth, or by
kissing a person; but it is considered better not to
do these things during the day-time. The Imam
As-Shafa’i declared that it was very wrong indeed
to do either of these actions after noon. He
used to repeat the following Tradition handed down
by Tabrani. “The Prophet said: ’when
you fast, cleanse the teeth in the early morning,
because when the lips of him who fasts become dry
and parched, they will be for him a light in the day
of judgment.’” If a person through the infirmity
of old age is not able to keep the fast, he must perform
sadqa, that is, he must feed a poor person. This
opinion is based on a sentence in the Quran, which
has caused a good deal of dispute: “As
for those who are able (to keep it and yet break
it), the expiation of this shall be the maintenance
of a poor man.” (Sura i. This seems
to make fasting a matter of personal option, and some
Commentators admit that at first it was so, but they
say that the words have been abrogated by the
following sentence which occurs in the next verse:
“As soon as any one of you observeth the moon,
let him set about the fast.” Others say
that the negative particle “not” must be
understood before “able,” in which case
the words in italics must be omitted. Others explain
the expression “those who are able” as
equivalent to “those who have great difficulty
therein,” such as aged and infirm persons.
This seems to be the best interpretation and is the
one which practically is acted on. In the case of women with child, mothers
giving suck to their children, sick persons whom fasting
at this particular time might injure, it is sufficient
if they keep it at another time; that is, they must
when convenient make a qaza fast. In these cases
the sadqa or feeding of the poor is not required.
Thus Abu Daud says: “The Prophet said, ’God
allows travellers to shorten the Namaz and to postpone
the fast. Women also are allowed to fast another
time.’” The Quran is also clear on the
point: “He who is sick or upon a journey,
shall fast a like number of other days.”
(Sura i. There are five days in the year
in which it is unlawful to fast. These are, ’Id-ul-Fitr,
Baqr-’id and the three following days, viz:
the 11th, 12th and 13th of Zu’l-Hajja. If
during the month of Ramazan, a person arrives at maturity,
or an Infidel becomes a Muslim, each must keep the
fast during the remaining days of the month. To take the Sahra, or meal taken just
before sunrise in the month of Ramazan, is a Sunnat
act. The great Traditionists, Bukhari, Muslim
and Tirmizi, all agree that the Prophet said:
“Eat Sahra because there is a blessing in it.
The difference between our fast and that of the men
of the Book (Christians) is the partaking of Sahra.” The meal eaten immediately after sunset
is called Iftar, or the breaking of the fast.
In India it is the custom to eat a date first, or if
that fruit is not procurable to drink a little water.
In Turkey an olive is chosen as the fruit with which
the fast should be broken. The distinctive feature of a Muhammadan
fast is, that it is a fast during the day only.
The rich classes by turning day into night avoid much
of its rigour. They, however, frequently break the
fast, though any such action must be done in secret,
for popular opinion all over the Musalman world is
strongly against a man who does not outwardly, at
least, observe the fast of Ramazan. In this matter
it may be said “Pecher en secret, n’est pas
pêcher,
Ce n’est que l’eclat
qui fait lé crime.” Those who have to work for their living
find the observance of the fast very difficult, for
however laborious may be their occupation they must
not swallow any liquid; yet as a rule the lower
classes observe it strictly. In hot climates
this is often exceedingly distressing. In such
circumstances the evening twilight is anxiously looked
for, as then the Iftar can be commenced. The
month of Ramazan brings with it other duties than
that of fasting. These will be described in the
next chapter. 4. ZAKAT. There are
two terms in use to express almsgiving. The first
is Zakat (literally, “purification”) or
the legal alms due, with certain exceptions, from
every Muslim. The second is Sadqa, or offerings
on the feast day known as ’Id-ul-Fitr, or alms
in general. It is the first of these that has
now to be considered. On the authority of the Quran and
the Ijma’-i-Ummat it is declared to be a farz
duty for every Muslim of full age, after the expiration
of a year, to give the Zakat on account of his property;
provided that, he has sufficient for his subsistence
and is a Sahib-i-Nisab, or one who possesses an income
equivalent to about L5 per annum. The Quran says:
“Observe prayer (Salat) and the legal impost
(Zakat).” (Sura i. The Khalif ’Umr
Ibn ’Abd-ul-’Aziz used to say: “Prayer
carries us half way to God, fasting brings us to the
door of His palace, and alms procure us admission.”
The three conditions without which Zakat would not
be compulsory are Islam, Hurriat (freedom) and Nisab
(stock). The reason for this is, that Zakat is
said to be a fundamental part of ’Ibadat (worship),
and that, as the Infidels cannot perform acceptable
worship, they have nothing to do with Zakat.
Freedom is necessary, for slaves hold no property.
Nisab is required, for so the Prophet has decreed.
When the Nisab is required for daily use the zakat
is not taken from it; such as a slave retained for
personal service, grain for food, weapons, tools, books,
household furniture, wearing apparel, horses for riding,
&c., for one Tradition records that the Prophet specially
exempted all these, whilst another given on the authority
of Bukhari states that for slaves employed in domestic
service only the Sadqa-i-fitr should be given.
If a person owes a debt, the amount necessary for
its liquidation must be deducted from his property
and the Zakat given on the balance. If it is a
debt due to God, such as an offering due on a vow
or to be given in atonement for the neglect of some
religious duty, it must not be so deducted from the
property on which Zakat is due. The amount of gold which constitutes
a Nisab is 20 miskats, or of silver 200 dirhems
(=L5 4s.). Whether these metals are in coin or
not, one-fortieth part is due. Some say that
gold and silver ornaments are exempt, but Imam Shafa’i
does not admit this, and quotes from Abu Daud the
following Tradition: “A woman with a child,
on whose arms were heavy golden bracelets, came to
the Prophet. He enquired if the Zakat had been
given for them. On receiving a reply in the negative
he said: ’It is easy for God in the day
of judgment to make thee wear bracelets of fire.’
The girl then took them off and said: ’These
are for the service of God and of His Prophet.’”
On all treasure known as rikaz, that is, buried treasure
found by any one, and on valuable metals extracted
from mines, one-fifth of the value must be paid, whether
the land be Khariji, rented at its proper market value;
or ’Ushari possessed by the payment of a tithe.
If the rikaz is found in Dar-ul-Harb, a country under
a non-Muslim Government, the whole belongs to the
finder, if it is on his own land, or if on unclaimed
land he must pay the one-fifth. If the
coins found bear the mint stamp of a Musalman Government,
the finder must, if he can, find the owner and return
them to him; if they were coined in a mint belonging
to the Infidels, after having given one-fifth as Zakat,
he may retain four-fifths for himself. Pearls, amber and turquoise are not
subject to any deduction, for the Prophet said:
“There is no Zakat for stones.” As regards cattle the following rules
have been laid down. For sheep and goats nothing
is given when the number is under forty. The owner
must give one for one hundred and twenty, two for
the next eighty and one for every hundred after.
The scale for buffaloes is the same as that for sheep. For camels the rule is as follows:
from 5 to 24 in number, one sheep or goat must be
given; from 25 to 35, one yearling female camel (bint-i-mukhaz);
from 36 to 45, one two-year old female camel (bint-i-labun);
from 46 to 60, one three-year old female camel (hiqqah);
from 61 to 75, one four-year old female camel (jaz’ah);
from 76 to 90, two bint-i-labun; from 91 to 120, two
hiqqah; and from 121 upwards, either a bint-i-labun
for every forty or a hiqqah for every fifty. Horses
follow this scale, or two and a half per cent on the
value may be given instead. For 30 cows a one-year
old female calf (tabi’a) must be given; for 40,
a two-year old female calf (musinna), and after that
one calf for every ten cows. Donkeys and mules are exempt, for
the Prophet said: “No order has come down
(from heaven) to me about them.” If a stock of merchandize exceeds
the Nisab (L5 4s.), Zakat must be given on it and
on the profits at the rate of one in forty, or two-and-a-half
per cent. The Hanifites do not count a fraction
of the forty. The Shafa’ites count such
a fractional part as forty and require the full Zakat
to be paid on it. Honey, fruit, grain, &c., although
less than five camel loads, must according
to Imam Abu Hanifa pay one-tenth; but the Sahibain
and Imam Shafa’i say that if there is less than
the five camel loads no Zakat is required. The
Prophet said: “If produced on land naturally
watered one-tenth is due, if on land artificially
irrigated one-twentieth.” As he said nothing
about the quantity, the Hanifites adduce the fact of
the omission as a proof on their side. The Zakat should be given to the classes
of person mentioned in the following verse. “Alms
are to be given to the poor and the needy, and to
those who collect them, and to those whose hearts
are won to Islam, and for ransoms, and for debtors,
and for the cause of God, and for the wayfarer.”
(Sura i. The words italicised, according
to the Tafsir-i-Husaini, are now cancelled (mansukh).
The reference is to the Arab Chiefs who were beaten
by the Prophet at the battle of Honein (A..
This victory is referred to in the 25th verse of this
Sura. “God hath helped you in many battle
fields, and on the day of Honein.” Abu Bakr
abolished this giving of Zakat to converts, and the
Khalif Omar said to these or similar persons:
“This Zakat was given to incline your hearts
toward Islam. Now God has prospered Islam.
If you be converted it is well; if not, a sword is
between us.” No Companion has denied this
statement, and so the authority for the cancelling
of this clause is that of the Ijma’-i-Ummat
(unanimous consent). It is well that an appeal
to unworthy motives should be abolished, but no commentator
so far as I know makes that a reason for the cancelling
of this order. It is always placed on the ground
of the triumphant nature of Islam which now needs no
such support. Contemptuous indifference, not
any high moral motive was the cause of the change. In addition to the persons mentioned
in the verse just quoted, Zakat may be given to assist
a Mukatib, or slave who is working in order to
purchase his freedom. Persons who are too poor
to go on a Jihad or to make the Hajj must be assisted. The Zakat must not be given for building
mosques, for funeral expenses, liquidating the
debts of a deceased person, or to purchase a slave
in order to set him free. It is not lawful to
give the Zakat to parents or grand-parents, children
or grandchildren; or for a husband to give it to his
wife, or a wife to her husband; or a master to his
slave. The Sahibain maintain that a wife
can apply the Zakat to her husband’s wants and
quote this Tradition: “A woman asked the
Prophet if she could give the Zakat to her husband.
He answered ’give; such an act has two rewards,
one for the giving of charity and one for the fulfilment
of the duties of relationship.’” It should
not be given to a rich man, nor to his son, nor to
his slave. The descendants of Hasham and the descendants
of the Prophet should not be the recipients of the
Zakat. The Prophet said: “O Ahl-i-Beit
(men of the house), it is not lawful for you to receive
Zakat, for you get the one-fifth share of my fifth
portion of the booty.” So some say that
Syeds are excluded; but they demur and reply that they
do not now get a portion of the spoil of the Infidels.
Zakat must not be given to a Zimmi (a non-muslim subject). In Muhammadan countries there are
officers whose duty it is to collect the Zakat; in
India the payment is left to each person’s conscience.
Whilst there is not much regularity in the payment,
due credit must be given for the care which Musalmans
take of their poor. The Sadqa (charitable offerings) form
a different branch of this subject. A full account
of it will be given in the section of the next chapter
which treats of the ’Id-ul-Fitr. 5. THE HAJJ. The Hajj,
or pilgrimage to Mecca, is a farz duty, and he who
denies this fact is considered to be an infidel.
“The pilgrimage to the temple is a service due
to God from those who are able to journey thither:
and as to him who believeth not verily God
can afford to dispense with all creatures.”
(Sura ii, 92.) On the authority of Ibn ’Abbas
the following Tradition has been handed down.
“The Prophet said: ’God has made
the Hajj farz.’ Then Aqra’ bin Habis,
standing up, said: ’O Prophet is it to
be made every year?’ His Excellency said:
’If I say yes, it will be a wajib
duty to do it annually; but that ye are not able to
bear, so the Hajj is necessary only once; whatever
pilgrimage may be made to Mecca in addition is nafl.’” The Hajj must be made by every free
Muslim, who is sound in body, and of full age, when
he has sufficient means to pay his expenses, after
duly providing for the support of his household till
his return. If a slave, or a child should make
the Hajj, the former on attaining freedom, and the
latter on coming of age must again go on pilgrimage.
If a woman, whose residence is at a distance of more
than three days’ journey from Mecca, goes on
pilgrimage, she must be accompanied by her husband
or by a near relative. Imam As Shafa’i
denies the necessity of such attendance, stating that
the verse already quoted makes no such restriction.
His objection is, however, met as usual by a Tradition.
“A certain man came to the Prophet and said:
’My wife is about to make the Hajj, but I am
called to go on a warlike expedition.’
The Prophet said: ’Turn away from the war
and accompany thy wife in the Hajj.’”
Imam Abu Yusuf considered that a man who possessed
the means should go to Mecca, and held that if he delayed
more than a year in making the Hajj he was a sinner.
Imam Muhammad, and most others think that a person
may postpone the Hajj for some years, but if death
should overtake the man before he has made the
pilgrimage, he will be accounted a sinner. So
practically all agree that delay is dangerous. Connected with the Hajj there are
three actions which are farz, and five which are wajib;
all the rest are sunnat or mustahab. The farz
requisites are: (1) to wear no other garment
except the Ihram, two seamless wrappers, one
of which is worn round the loins, the other thrown
over the shoulder; (2) to stand in ’Arfat; (3)
to make the Tawaf, that is to go round the K’aba
seven times. The wajib duties are: (1) to
stay in Muzdalifah; (2) to run between Mount Safa
and Mount Marwah; (3) to perform the Rami-ul-Jamar,
or the casting of the pebbles; (4) if the pilgrims
are non-Meccans they must make an extra Tawaf; (5)
to shave the head after the pilgrimage is over. The Hajj must be made at the appointed
season. “Let the pilgrimage (Hajj) be made
in the months already known.” (Sura i.
These months are Shawwal, Zu’l-q’ada,
and the first ten days of Zu’l-Hajja. The
actual Hajj must be in the month Zu’l-Hajja,
but the preparations for, and the niyyat, or intention
of the Hajj can be made in the two preceding months.
The ’Umrah, or ordinary pilgrimage, can be done
at any time of the year except on the ninth, and four
succeeding days of Zu’l-Hajja. On each of
the various roads leading to Mecca, there are at a
distance of about five or six miles from the city
stages called Miqat. The following are the names.
On the Madina road, the stage (manzil) is called Zu’l-Halifah;
on the ’Iraq road, Zat-i-’Arq; on the
Syrian road, Hujfah; on the Najd road, Qarn; on the
Yaman road, Yalamlam. The Hajis from all parts of the Muslim
world at length arrive weary and worn at one of these
stages. They then divest themselves of their ordinary
clothing, and after a legal ablution, and after saying
a Namaz of two nafl rak’ats they put on the
Ihram. The Haji, having now really entered upon
the Hajj, faces Mecca and makes the niyyat (intention),
and says: “O God, I purpose to make the
Hajj; make this service easy to me and accept it from
me.” He then says the Talbiyah:
“Here I am! O Allah! Here I am!
Here I am! There is no God but Thee! Truly,
praise and bounty, and the kingdom are to Thee!
No partner hast Thou! Here am I!” The persons who reside permanently
in any of these Miqat can assume the pilgrim’s
garb in a place called Hal, near to Mecca, or in the
city itself; whilst the inhabitants of Mecca can put
on the Ihram in the precincts of the temple. The Haji having assumed the Ihram
must now abstain from worldly affairs, and devote
himself entirely to the duties of the Hajj. He
is not allowed to hunt, though he may catch fish if
he can. “O Believers, kill no game while
ye are on pilgrimage.” (Sura . The
Prophet also said: “He who shows the place
where game is to be found is equally as bad as the
man who kills it.” The Haji must not scratch
himself, lest vermin be destroyed, or a hair be uprooted.
Should he feel uncomfortable, he must rub himself with
the open palm of his hand. The face and head
must be left uncovered, the hair on the head and beard
unwashed and uncut. “Shave not your heads
until the offering reach the place of sacrifice.”
(Sura ii, 192). On arriving at an elevated place,
on descending a valley, on meeting any one, on entering
the city of Mecca or the Musjid-ul-Haram the Haji
should continually repeat the word “Labbaik,
Labbaik.” As soon as he sees the K’aba
he must say the Takbir and the Tahlil. The Traditionist
’Ata says that at this stage the Prophet used
to lift up his hands and pray. On entering the enclosure, the Haji
says the Labbaik, Takbir and the Tahlil, then a Du’a.
A Namaz of two rak’ats is then said at the station
of one of the four great Imams. On arriving
near the Hajr-ul-Aswad (black stone) the Haji again
says the Takbir and the Tahlil, after which he kisses
the stone. If, on account of the crowd, he cannot
get near enough to do this, he must touch it with
his hand or with a stick, and kiss that with which
he has thus touched the stone. At the same time
he says: “O Allah, (I do this) in Thy belief,
and in verification of Thy book, and in pursuance
of Thy Prophet’s example may Allah
bless and preserve him. O accept Thou my supplication,
diminish my obstacles, pity my humiliation and graciously
grant me Thy pardon.” Then he again repeats
the Takbir and the Tahlil, the Darud and the
Tahrif (prayer for, and praise of Muhammad). He
then encompasses the K’aba seven times, in accordance
with the niyyat he had made, thus: “In
the name of Allah, and Allah is Omnipotent! I
purpose to make the circuit seven times." This
is called the Tawaf. The Haji runs round three
times at a rapid pace (Tarammul), and four times he
proceeds slowly (Taammul). A permanent resident
in Mecca will not perform the Tawaf. The Haji
then presses his stomach, chest and right cheek against
the portion of the K’aba wall, called Al-Multazim,
and raising up his arms on high says: “O
Allah, Lord of the Ancient House, free my neck from
hell-fire, and preserve me from every evil deed; make
me contented with that daily bread which Thou hast
given to me, and bless me in all Thou hast granted!”
He then says the Istigfar “I beg pardon
of Allah, the Most High, the Living, the Eternal,
and to Him I repent.” The Haji next proceeds to the Maqam-i-Ibrahim
(place of Abraham) and then recites two rak’ats
called Sunnat-ut-Tawaf. Some water from the
sacred well Zemzem is then drunk, after which the Haji
returns to the Hajr-ul-Aswad, and again kisses it. Haji Burton thus describes one shaut or circuit: “We began the prayer ’O
Allah (I do this) in Thy belief and in verification
of Thy Book, and in faithfulness to Thy covenant and
after the example of Thy Prophet Muhammad.
May Allah bless and preserve him!’ till
we reached the place Al-Multazim, between the corner
of the black stone and the K’aba door.
Here we ejaculated, ’O Allah, Thou hast rights,
so pardon my transgressing them.’ Opposite
the door we repeated, ’O Allah, verily the
house is Thy house, and the sanctuary Thy sanctuary,
and the safeguard Thy safeguard, and this is
the place of Him who flees to Thee from (hell)
fire.’ At the building called Maqam-i-Ibrahim,
we said: ’O Allah, verily this is the place
of Abraham, who took refuge with, and fled to
Thee from the fire! O deny my flesh and blood,
my skin and bones to the (eternal) flames.’
As we paced slowly round the north or Irak corner
of the K’aba we exclaimed, ’O Allah,
verily I take refuge with Thee from polytheism, and
disobedience, and hypocrisy, and evil conversation,
and evil thoughts concerning family, and property
and progeny.’ When we passed from the Mizab,
or spout, we repeated the words, ’O Allah, verily
I beg of Thee faith which shall not decline, and
a certainty which shall not perish, and the good
aid of Thy Prophet Muhammad may Allah bless
and preserve him! O Allah, shadow me in Thy
shadow, on the day when there is no shadow by
Thy shadow; and cause me to drink from the cup of Thy
Prophet Muhammad may Allah bless and
preserve him that pleasant draught, after
which is no thirst to all eternity, O Lord of honour
and glory.’ Turning to the west corner,
or the Rukn el Shami, we exclaimed: ’O
Allah, make it an acceptable pilgrimage, and a
forgiveness of sins, and a laudable endeavour,
and a pleasant action (in Thy sight), and a store
which perisheth not, O Thou Glorious, O Thou Pardoner!’
This was repeated thrice, till we arrived at the
Yemani, or southern corner, where the crowd being
less importunate, we touched the wall with the right
hand, after the example of the Prophet, and kissed
the finger-tips. Between the south angle
and that of the black stone, where our circuit
would be completed, we said: ’O Allah, verily
I take refuge with Thee from infidelity, and I
take refuge with Thee from want, and from the
tortures of the tomb, and from the troubles of life
and death. And I fly to Thee from ignominy
in this world and the next, and implore Thy pardon
for the present and the future. O Lord, grant
to me in this life prosperity, and in the next
life prosperity, and save me from the punishment
of fire.’” The next important step is the running
between the Mounts Safa and Marwah. Starting
from the former, the Haji runs seven times between
the two summits. He runs, moving the shoulders,
and with head erect, like soldiers charging in battle.
The reason for this is, that the infidel Meccans mocked
the Companions of the Prophet, and said that the climate
of Madina had made them weak. This bold way of
running was adopted to disprove the calumny
and so has become a Sunnat practice. The prayer
to be said during the S’ai (running) is:
“O my Lord, pardon and pity, and pass over that
(sin) which Thou knowest. Verily Thou knowest
what is not known, and verily Thou art the most Glorious,
the most Generous. O, our Lord, grant us in both
worlds prosperity, and save us from fire.”
The Haji should also quote passages from the Quran.
This S’ai must be done after an important Tawaf,
either the first, or a later one. On the seventh
day the Imam must preach in Mecca, and instruct the
pilgrims in the ritual of the Hajj. He preaches
again on the ninth and eleventh days. On the eighth day, (Ruz-i-Tarwiah),
the Haji goes to Mina, a place three miles distant
from Mecca, where with all the other Hajis he says
the usual Namaz, and there spends the night.
This is a sunnat observance. On the morning of
the ninth day, starting after the Salat-ul-Fajr,
the Haji goes to ’Arifat. On arriving there
he says: “O God, I turn to Thee, I put
my trust on Thee, I desire Thee, pardon my sin, accept
my Hajj, show mercy to me, supply my need in ’Arifat,
Thou art powerful over all.” He then says
Labbaik, the Takbir and the Tahlil. The noontide, and the afternoon Namaz
are said together there: they are thus shortened.
This done he should stand upon the mountain, if possible
at or near the place the Prophet is said to have
occupied. This is called the Wukuf or (standing),
a necessary part of the Hajj. He must also listen
to the sermon delivered by the Imam, explaining what
still remains of the ritual of the Hajj, i.e.,
how the Hajis are to stand in Muzdalifah, to throw
the stones in Mina, to make the sacrifice, &c. All the time the Haji should constantly
shout out the Talbiyah, and the Tahlil, and weep bitterly. The Haji then proceeds to Muzdalifah,
a place situated about half-way between Mina and ’Arifat,
where he should pass a portion of the night.
After a visit to the Mosque Mashar al Haram, he
should collect seven pebbles and proceed to Mina. When the morning of the tenth day,
the ’Id-ul-Azha arrives, he again goes to Mina,
where there are three different pillars, called respectively
the Jamrat-ul-Akabah, commonly known as the Shaitan-ul-Kabir
(great devil), the Wusta, or middle pillar, and the
Al Ula, or first one. Holding the jamar,
or pebble, between the thumb and forefinger of the
right hand, the Haji throws it a distance of not less
than fifteen feet and says: “In the name
of Allah, and Allah is Almighty, (I do this) in hatred
of the Fiend and to his shame.” The remaining
six stones are thrown in like manner. The object
is to confound the devils who are supposed to be there.
The stones are small lest the pilgrims should be hurt.
Before each stone is thrown the Takbir must be said.
This ceremony is called Rami-ul-Jamar, the throwing
of stones. It is also known as Hasal Khazaf.
It is said that this ceremony has been performed since
the time of Abraham, and that the stones are miraculously
removed. Ibn ’Abbas, a Companion, says that
if the pilgrimage of a Haji is approved of by God,
the stones are secretly removed. Mujahid, a well
known Traditionist, says that he put a mark
on his stones and afterwards searched, but found them
not. The pilgrim then returns to Mina, and there
offers the usual sacrifice of the ’Id-ul-Azha.
An account of this will be given in the next chapter.
This act strictly speaking, concludes the Hajj.
The Haji can now shave his head, pare his nails and
remove the Ihram. The remaining three days, the 11th,
12th and 13th of Zu’l-Hajja are called the Aiyam-ut-Tashriq
“days of drying flesh” because now the
pilgrims prepare provisions for the return journey,
by cutting slices from the victims offered in sacrifice
and drying them in the sun. The Haji should spend
this time at Mina, and each day throw seven pebbles
at each of the pillars. This ceremony duly over,
he returns to Mecca and makes the Tawaf-ul-Wida’
(circuit of farewell). He should also drink some
water from the well of Zemzem. Tradition says
that when Ishmael was thirsty Gabriel stamped with
his foot and a spring gushed forth. This is now
the far-famed well Zemzem. Finally, the Haji
kisses the threshold, and then, with hands uplifted
laying hold of the covering of the K’aba, and
weeping bitterly, he prays most humbly, and expresses
regret that he will soon have to depart from a place
so dear as the sacred K’aba. Retiring backwards,
he makes his exit and the Hajj is complete. The
Umrah or little pilgrimage can be made at any time
except the eighth, ninth and tenth of Zu’l-Hajja.
It is usually done before pilgrims start homewards.
Its ceremonies differ but slightly from the Hajj.
The Ihram must be put on, and the obligations
of abstinence which it entails must be observed. The usual course is then to make the
Ziarat, or visit to the tomb of the Prophet at Madina.
Henceforth the pilgrim assumes the honorable title
of Haji and so is, ever after, a person of some consequence
among the community in which he dwells. The Hajj
cannot be performed by proxy, though it is esteemed
a ‘good work,’ if someone who can afford
it, sends a pilgrim who otherwise could not go. This account of the Irkan-i-din, or
five pillars of religion, must now draw to a close.
They illustrate well the fixed and formal nature of
Islam, whilst the constant reference to the Prophet’s
sayings and practice, as an authority for many of
the details, shows how largely Islam is based on the
Sunnat. With regard to the differences of opinion
which the great Imams hold on some of the details,
it is most difficult to decide which side holds the
correct view. Such opinions are always based on
some Tradition, the value of which it is impossible
to determine. The opponent says it is a weak
(z’aif) Tradition a statement it would
puzzle any one to prove or to disprove. It is
sometimes said in praise of Musalmans that they are
not priest-ridden; but no people in the world are
so Tradition-ridden, if one may use such an expression.
Until this chain of superstition is broken there can
be no progress and no enlightenment; but when it is
so broken Islam will cease to be Islam, for this foundation
of the Faith and the edifice erected on it are so
welded together that the undermining of the one will
be the fall of the other. NOTE TO CHAPTER V. The following Fatva was
publicly given in the Great Mosque,
Triplicane, Madras, February
13th, 1880. In the name of God, the Compassionate,
the Merciful. QUESTION. O Ulama of the religion, and Muftis of the enlightened Law, what
is your opinion in this matter? A person having translated a juz
(one-thirtieth part) of the noble Quran into the Hindustani language has
printed it. The translation is defective: moreover the Arabic text is not
given. In order to give the translation the same authority as the original,
he has retained the usual signs and marks of the Arabic editions; such as toi, qif, jim, la, mim, and
(.). At the end of the juz he has added a
translation of the Tashshahud, Qanud, Sana, Ta’awwuz,
Tasmi, Tashibat, ruku’ and Sujud, and has said
that all these must be read in Hindustani.
He further states that in the translation he has
retained the rhythm of the original, and that in eloquence
and style it is equal to the Arabic. He has
also added rubrical directions as to the ritual
of the Namaz, and has stated that to those who do not
know Arabic, it is a wajib and a farz duty to recite
the translation; otherwise they commit sin and
the Namaz is vain. As regards the past, he
considers that the ignorant are forgiven, but he maintains
that the ’Ulama of these days must answer
for the neglect they show in not telling the people
to use translations of the Quran. Further, in
support of his views he adduces a Hadis-i-Sahih,
according to which the Prophet said to a Companion,
Salman-i-Farsi: “Read a translation
of the Quran in the Namaz.” He claims,
as on his side, the four great Imams. He
himself understands Arabic, yet he says his Namaz in
Hindustani and influences others to do likewise.
He has been spoken to, but he takes no heed and
strives to spread his sect all over India. Now, what is the order of the noble
Law with regard to such a person, and what is
the decree in the case of those who follow him,
or who circulate his opinions, or who consider
him a religious man and a guide, or who consider
the translation to which reference has been made to
be the Holy Quran, or who teach it to their children?
O learned men, state the Law in this matter and
merit a good reward.” THE ANSWER. “After praising God, and after
imploring His mercy and peace on Muhammad, be
it known that the person referred to is an infidel,
an atheist and a wanderer from the truth.
He also causes others to wander. His assertion
that his opinions are in accordance with those of the
four Imams is utterly false, because
according to Imam Shafa’i, Imam Malik, and
Imam Hanbal it is illegal to use a translation of the
Quran when saying the Namaz, whether the worshipper
is ignorant of Arabic or not. Thus Imam Navari,
a disciple of Shafa’i says: “It is
unlawful in any case to use Persian in the
Namaz.” Faqi ’Ali, a disciple of
Malik says: “Persian is unlawful.”
To these opinions Kafi, a disciple of Hanbal adds
his testimony: “To recite in the Namaz from
a translation of the Quran is unlawful.”
Moreover from the Quran itself, the recital of
it in Arabic is proved to be a divine command (farz).
The term Quran, too, means an Arabic Quran, for
God speaks of it as a revelation in Arabic.
The words “recite so much of the Quran as may
be easy to you” prove the duty of reciting
it; whilst the words “an Arabic Quran have
we sent it down” show that the Quran to be used
is an Arabic one. Imam Abu Hanifa and his
disciples, the Sahibain (Imam Muhammad and Imam
Abu Yusuf), consider that, if a person can recite only
a short verse in Arabic, it is not lawful for
such an one to use a translation. If he cannot
read the Arabic character, he must learn by heart such
a sentence as “Praise be to God, Lord of
the people.” Until he learns this he
may use a translation. In the Tanwir-ul-Absar
it is written: “It is a farz duty to
read one verse, and to learn it by heart is farz-i-’ain”
(i.e., incumbent on all). In the Masih-ul-Azhar
it is written: “If a person says the
Namaz in a language other than Arabic, he is a
madman or an atheist.” With regard to the
statement made by Imam Abu Hanifa that a person
might use for a time a translation, it is
well known that he afterwards recalled that opinion.
The statement made by the person complained of
regarding Sulman-i-Farsi is not correct.
In the Nihayah (commentary on the Hidayah) it is written
that some Persians wrote to Sulman, and requested
him to send them a Persian translation of Surat-ul-Fatiha.
He complied with their request and they used it
in the Namaz, until they could pronounce Arabic
properly. The Prophet on hearing of this
circumstance made no remark. This account,
however, is not trustworthy; but granting that it is
true, all that it proves is that, until some Arabic
words can be remembered, a translation may be
used. No Imam has ever allowed that to read
a translation is farz or wajib. So if the person
referred to says that it is farz to read his own
translation, then it follows that to read the
original Arabic will not be farz, but will be unlawful.
Now such an opinion is infidelity. The person
is a Kafir, for he tries to make out that the
’Ulama of all preceding ages who have instructed
the people, from the days of the Prophet till
now, to read Arabic in the Namaz are sinners.
Further, he rejects the statement made by learned
canonists and listens now to no advice. He
reads his translation in the Namaz and causes
others to read it. He boasts that his translation
is equal in style to the original. He has
translated the Du’a-i-qunut, Sana, and the
Tasbihat of the ruku’ and Sujud, and has said
that these translations should be used in the
Namaz. Thus, it is plain that he wants to
abolish the use of Arabic in the prayers. The
result of such a course would be that soon a number
of different translations would be circulated,
and the text like that of the Taurait, and the Injil
would be corrupted. In the Fatawa-i-’Alamgiri
it is written: “Whosoever considers
that the unlawful is lawful or vice versa is
a Kafir.” “If any one without
apparent cause has enmity with one of the ’Ulama,
his orthodoxy is doubtful.” “A
man who after committing a fault declines to repent,
though requested to do so, is an infidel.”
In the Tahqiq-i-Sharh-i-Husaini it is written;
“To translate the Quran into Persian and
to read that is unlawful.” In the Fatawa-i-Matlub-ul-Muminin
it is said: “Whosoever intends to write
the Quran in Persian must be strictly forbidden.”
In the Itqan it is written: “According
to Ijma’, it is wrong to speak of the Quran as
having rhymes." In the Fatawa-i-Tatar Khania
it is said: “To translate the Arabic
into Persian is an act of infidelity.” Our decision then is that the usual
salutations should not be made to this person.
If he dies he must not be buried in a Musalman
cemetery. His marriages are void and his wives
are at liberty, according to the rule laid down
in the Miftah-us-S’adat. To doubt of the
infidelity of such a person is itself infidelity.
As by the proofs of the law here adduced, the
’Ulama have declared such a person to be an
infidel, it follows that all those who assist him or
who consider his claim just, or who circulate
his opinions, or who consider him to be a religious
person and a fit guide for men, are also infidels.
To send children to be taught by him, to purchase
newspapers which advocate his views, and to continue
to read his translation is unlawful. In the
Fatawa-i-’Alamgiri in the chapter entitled Murtad
it is written: “Whosoever has doubts
of the present infidelity and of the future punishment
of such an one is an infidel.” God says
in the Quran: “Be helpful to one another
according to goodness and piety, but be not helpful
for evil and malice; and fear ye God.” (Sura
. In another place God says: “Whosoever
acts not according to God’s order is an infidel.”
Now, what greater disobedience can there be than this,
that a person should say that the recital of the
Arabic Quran in the Namaz is not lawful, and that
the recital of his own Hindustani translation of it
is incumbent (farz). “Our duty is to give
information to Musalmans, and God is the best
Knower.” This was written by a learned
Moulvie, and signed by twenty-four other
leading Moulvies of the city
of Madras. This Fatva, an authentic copy of which
is in my possession, is of very considerable importance
as showing how unyielding the law of Islam is to
the varied circumstances of the countries in which
it exists. The law enjoining the Arabic language
as a medium of worship was suited for the Arab
people, and the principle involved would seem to be
that the vernacular language of a country should
be used by the Muslims of that country for the
purposes of devotion; but, as I have repeatedly shown,
precepts, not principles are the ruling power in
Islam. It further demonstrates that all such
matters must be regulated, not by the needs of
the age or country, but by an antiquated law which,
to say the least, is an anachronism in the world’s
history. The authority paid to the statements
made by the four chief Imams, and the fact that
the Fatva is based on their decisions, and on
previous Fatvas in which their authority has been
adduced, show how even to the present day they are
regarded as the Mujtahidin of Islam. The Fatva
is thus manifestly orthodox, and corroborates
most fully all I have said in the first chapter
on the “Foundations of Islam.”
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