Saturday, June 20, 2015

Iftār: A Time for Duʿā, Not Just Dining

All we worry about is eating!

Dear fasting Muslims! Congratulations to you all! There’s glad-tidings that your every prayer will be answered at the time of Iftār, but unfortunately, our present condition is very sad. At the time of Iftār we face a very tough trial as we usually have a great variety of fruits, fried items and drinks in front of us. As we are extremely hungry and thirsty we start to devour the food as soon as the sun sets getting heedless of Du’ā. Many of us miss Rak’āt of the Maghrib Jamā’at due to excessive eating, and some are so lazy that, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ forbid, they even miss the whole Jamā’at and offer Maghrib Ṣalāh at home!

O seekers of Heaven! Do not be so heedless! Offering Ṣalāh with Jamā’at has been greatly stressed by Sharī’ah. Always remember! It is a sin to miss the Jamā’at of Ṣalāh without a Shar’ī exemption.

Iftār precautions

It is better to do Iftār with one or a half date then clean mouth properly and offer Ṣalāh with complete Jamā’at. These days people eat fruits, fried things etc. in the Masjid and join Jamā’at without cleaning their mouths properly, whereas there shouldn’t be a single bit of food or taste in the mouth (when offering Ṣalāh).

The Prophet of Raḥmah, the Intercessor of Ummah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ has said, ‘Nothing is more troublesome for Kirāman Kātibīn (the two angels that record deeds) than seeing their companion offer Ṣalāh in such a condition that something is stuck between his teeth.’ (Mu’jam Kabīr, pp. 177, vol. 4, Ḥadīš 4061)

A’lā Ḥaḍrat رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہ has stated, ‘Several Aḥādīš state that when a man stands to offer Ṣalāḥ, an angel places its mouth onto his mouth and whatever he recites, comes out of his mouth and enters the angel’s mouth. If anything is stuck between his teeth, the angels are so distressed by it that nothing else distresses them to such an extent. The Prophet of mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the most Generous and Kind صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ has said, ‘When any of you stands to offer Ṣalāḥ at night, he should clean his teeth using a Miswāk because when he recites the Holy Quran an angel places its mouth on his mouth and whatever comes out of his mouth, enters the angel’s mouth.’ (Kanz-ul-‘Ummāl, pp. 319, vol. 9)

In his ‘Kabīr’ Imām Ṭabarānī has quoted Sayyidunā Abū Ayyūb Anṣārī رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہ as saying, ‘There is nothing more troublesome for the two angels than seeing their companion offer Ṣalāh with bits of food stuck between his teeth.’ (Fatāwā Razawiyyah (Jadīd), pp. 624-625, vol. 1)

It is usually hard for people who do Iftār in the Masjid to clean their mouths properly because if they try to do so they may well lose Jamā’at or at least some Rak’āt. It is, therefore, suggested to do Iftār with just a date or two and some water and move the water properly inside the mouth so that the sweetness and bits of the date are washed away into the stomach. If necessary, use a tooth pick. If there’s no time to clean mouth properly, then it’s safer to do Iftār with water only.

I appreciate those fasting Muslims who sit in the first row of the Masjid before sunset with a date and some water taking no interest in delicious food. In this way, they will not only be able to clean their mouth easily but also succeed in offering Ṣalāḥ at the first row of the Masjid without missing the first Takbīr.

Du’ā at Iftār

Do Iftār with one or two dates and then make a Du’ā; at least recite one Māšūr Du’ā (the supplications that have been mentioned in the Quran and Aḥādīš are called ‘Māšūr’). Learn at least one of the supplications that were made by Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ at various occasions. One well known Du’ā to be recited after Iftār has already been mentioned, here is another one:

The narration mentioned in ‘Abī Dāwūd’ states that the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ used to make the following supplication at the time of Iftār:

اللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ صُمْتُ وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ أَفْطَرْتُ

Translation: Yā Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I fasted for You and did Iftār with sustenance given by You. (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, pp. 447, vol. 2, Ḥadīš 2358)

Dear Islamic brothers! The Ḥadīš mentioned earlier states that ‘supplications made at the time of Iftār are not rejected.Sometimes, a question arises as to why the effect of our prayers being answered has not yet taken place whereas many Aḥādīš affirm it.

Dear Islamic brothers! Don’t worry in case of apparent delays. The respected father of Sayyidī A’lā Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā Naqī ‘Alī Khān رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہ has stated on page 7 of ‘Aḥsan-ul-Wi’ā li Ādāb-id-Du’ā’:

Three advantages of Du’ā

The Noble Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ has said that every Du’ā contains at least one of the following three advantages:

1.      Either his (the one who makes supplication) sin is forgiven or

2.      He gets benefit or

3.      He will get its reward in the afterlife. In the afterlife when man sees the reward of his prayers that were not answered in the world, he will wish that none of his prayers would be answered in the world and all would be stored for the afterlife. (Attarghīb Wattarhīb, pp. 315, vol. 2

No comments:

Post a Comment