TREASURY OF BLESSED KNOWLEDGE

Is there such a prayer (salat), by having performed which, you can atone for prayers that have been missed for forty years?

A prayer, which has to be performed in due time, cannot be replaced by anything other than its compensation.

The meaning of the above is that Allah ﷻ redeems the prayers for forty years (that is, forgives them) of whoever performs after the obligatory evening prayer two additional raka’at, while reading each time after the sura "Al-Fatiha" the ayah "Al-Kursi" once and the sura "Al-Ikhlas" [1] three times. However, this does not mean that this includes prayers that have been missed for forty years. In this case, we mean prayers performed in due time but in bad faith with mistakes and with a heart distracted from Almighty Allah ﷻ. Thus, this prayer cleanses errors and inaccuracies made in the performance of obligatory prayers for forty years. At the same time, you need to know that if you perform this additional prayer, like those performed for forty years, these two raka’at will be similar to them. For example, this can be compared to a vegetable garden that in two years makes a profit equal to that which it brings in forty years. It is no secret that in order to receive a profit of forty years in two years, certain knowledge obtained from specialists in this field is required. May the Almighty ﷻ help us to worship Him with knowledge, for a fork made with knowledge for khinkal with knowledge is better than a large vessel made without proper knowledge and skill!

According to Sharia law is smoking forbidden (haram) or permissible (halal)?

For those who understand, there are many compelling arguments confirming that smoking is offensive because it harms religion, harms family finances and has detrimental effects on human health. And this is not a secret or a new discovery for anyone.

In many ayat of the Holy Quran, the Almighty ﷻ teaches us, just as parents teach their children about everything that brings harm to health, the family or the community, which is unclean in nature and provides no benefit. That which benefits a person is permitted. This is what the Creator ﷻ commands, "Do not doom yourself to destruction, do not kill yourself!" Do not the above confirm that smoking is a slow death and suicide? It is impossible for a person to live without food and drink but what will happen to him if he gives up tobacco? Did Allah ﷻ create a person in order for him to amuse himself and to console himself with this? It is also enough that the harm tobacco causes to religion as it distracts a person from the Creator ﷻ. It is difficult for a person who smokes to worship the Almighty ﷻ. Smoking draws him away from communion with well-behaved people and they will gradually become alien to him. Such a person will become attracted to an environment where they freely smoke, drink and conduct empty conversations. He will make acquaintances and be friends only with people like him. Tobacco causes great harm to health: with its use, physical strength decreases, vision deteriorates, heart rate increases and a cough appears. Smoking provokes the onset of cancer. Smoking also shortens life and negatively affects a person's material well-being, leading him towards poverty. It is not for nothing that doctors urge people not to smoke. Among the prophets, imams, awliya, sheikhs and scholars, there is not a single one who would have smoked or allowed smoking. These people have followed and are following all that is good, and there is nothing that they have neglected of the precepts of Islam. What are the arguments in favor of the permissibility of tobacco? If we simply say that smoking is undesirable (makruh), then it is definitely undesirable and close to unlawful (karahat tahrim). And if you commit something undesirable three times, that is, repeat the same undesirable action three times, then it becomes a minor sin. If you commit a minor sin three times, it turns into a major one. Now count how many cigarettes are smoked per day and how many major sins does this result in. And how many months in a year and how many days in a month?! How many cigarettes are smoked during this time? May Allah ﷻ give strength to smokers to quit this addiction! Tobacco grew where Iblis relieved a small need. There is no worse innovation in Islam than smoking. It is said that smoking first appeared among infidels in the year 999 CE.

In previous times, when people observed unworthy actions on the part of theologians (‘ulama or people zealous in the worship of Allah ﷻ), they tried to avoid them, for they possessed intelligence, knowledge and understanding of Islam. Now everything happens differently. Now people say, “If it were not permissible, they would not do it either,” and they happily imitate what they have seen.

Theologians say that anything that harms a person's body, be it food or drink, is forbidden (haram) for him.

Is it necessary to perform the midday prayer additionally after the collective Friday prayer (salat ul-juma’a)?

This is a controversial question and is asked often and by many, while giving rise to many disagreements and different answers. I am one of those who believe that after Friday prayer, the midday prayer should also be performed. If asked why, I will answer this way: because I do not have sufficient knowledge to override people who gave me their knowledge, because our ancestors and those who taught them were true Shafi'ites. Rather than following those who today say that three people are enough for Friday prayers, so as not to perform the midday prayer afterwards, I see more reasons to follow those I have named above.

All good and useful lies in following our ancestors and all bad and harmful comes from following people who introduce unlawful innovations. In the book “Fatawil Chokhi” [2] many controversies on this issue are addressed, but in the end the following solution is presented.

Anyone who is not sure that he has performed the Friday prayer with forty Muslims who can read the sura "Al-Fatiha" and at-tahiyat correctly and without errors should the midday prayer additionally. At the same time, he will be as someone who did not perform the Friday prayer, because the relevant conditions for them were not met. In the book "Sharh al-Mahfuz" it is said:

The main meaning of the above is as follows: following the initial (kadym) decision of Imam ash-Shafi'i, according to which three people are enough to perform Friday prayer, and the opinion of theologians, who believe that the presence of forty people who read sura “Al-Fatiha” without errors and at-tahiyat is not a prerequisite, we perform Friday prayer. Also, guided by the last (jadid) decision of Imam ash-Shafi'i and other theologians confirming that for the Friday prayer it is necessary to have forty people living in a given area and who can read the sura "Al-Fatiha" and at-tahiyat according to the rules of tajwid and makhraj, we also perform midday prayer after the communal Friday prayer. We do not perform this prayer as a sixth obligatory one but we perform it only for confidence and exclusion of any doubts.

To be continued…

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[1] Quran; sura 112.

[2] Book of fatwas by Abdul-haji Chokhsky.

TREASURY OF BLESSED KNOWLEDGE