#StudyFiqh- Islamic Jurisprudence Part 9 IS WITR WAJIB? A Wajib, to Hanafis, is an obligation which is NOT the level of Fard in the directness of the order. There is some uncertainty due to conflicting evidence about whether it is obligatory or desirable. To the HANAFIs: In terms of acting upon the instruction, WAJIB is treated like a fard, in that it is not be deliberately discarded, and it must be made up if it was missed for some reason and denying it is sinful. Case Study: Witr Prayer Evidence indicating the Importance of the Witr prayer (all from Bukhari (Authentic) Narrated Aisha: Allahs Apostle offered Witr prayer at different nights at various hours extending (from the Isha prayer) up to the last hour of the night. Narrated Aisha : The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to offer his night prayer while I was sleeping across in his bed. Whenever he intended to offer the Witr prayer, he used to wake me up and I would offer the Witr prayer too. Narrated Abdullah bin Umar: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, Make witr your last prayer at night. Narrated Ibn Umar: The Prophet used to offer (Nawafil) prayers on his Rahila (mount) facing its direction by signals, but not the compulsory prayer. He also used to pray Witr on his (mount) Rahila (camel back). Imam Abu Hanifah refrained from pronouncing witr as fard, due to the existence of counter-evidence, such as the hadith reported by Bukhari and others, about the Bedouin who asked the Prophet about the 5 pillars of Islam. When the Prophet told him about the 5 daily prayers, he asked, is there anything in addition to this? and the Prophet said, No, unless you wish to do something optional. For the Hanafis Witr is necessary and a person who leaves it off will be punished because it was a worship never left off by the Prophet sala Allahu alihi and was something he would wake his family to pray even though he would let them sleep through the night prayers, and he would pray it even on camel back when traveling and in his illness. Further, leaving this, is abominable and denying it is sinful. The Majority say that it is the most confirmed Sunnah of the Prophet sala Allahu alihi was Salaam and the one who abandons it totally is in error, but missing it is not punishable if undenied although it is undesirable. They use in evidence that Ali bin Abu Talib radiyAllahu anhu said, The Witr prayer is not required like your obligatory prayers but Mohammad sala Allahu alihi would perform the Witr prayer and say, O you people of the Quran, perform the Witr prayer, for Allah is One and He Loves the Witr. This is related by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Nasai, Abu Dawud, ibn Majah and Tirmidhi, who calls is hasan, and Al-Hakim who grades it sahih. So who is right? Both.How can that be? Why? Keep reading the next instalment to find out how that is and the BEAUTY of our study of Islam and the search for Truth!
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 09:00:00 +0000
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