The of to make Istighfar at Suhur

The Sunnah of Salaf to make Istighfar at Suhur

ﺑﺴﻢ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ

:said ( ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ)

ْ ْ اﻟﺼَّﺎﺑِﺮِﻳﻦ َ وَاﻟﺼَّﺎدِﻗِﻴﻦ َ وَاﻟ ﻘَﺎﻧِﺘِﻴﻦ َ وَاﻟ ﻤُﻨﻔِﻘِﻴﻦَ ْ َ وَاﻟ ﻤُﺴْﺘَﻐْﻔِﺮِﻳﻦَ ﺑِﺎﻷ ﺳْﺤَﺎرِ

(They are) those who are patient ones, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [give the Zakat and alms in the Way of Allah] and those who pray and beg Allah’s Pardon in the last hours of the night. [ 3:17]

:said (ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ) Allah

َ وَﺑِﺎﻷ ﺳْﺤَﺎرِ ﻫُﻢْ ﻳَﺴْﺘَﻐْﻔِﺮُونَ

And in the hours before dawn they would ask .[51:18]

These two verses establish the legislated act to ask Allah for forgiveness in the last hours of the night before dawn or the last 6th of the night.[1] Include in these verse is time of .Sahr( ﺳﺤﺮ) comes from) ﺳﺤﻮر) Suhur .The word Suhur

Allah said: And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness.” This means that during those hours of night they ask Allah for his forgiveness. The salaf used to wake up at night regularly to offer prayer then afterwards they would seek Allah’s forgiveness and pardon.[2]

Hasan Al-Basri said: The (Salaf) wouldn’t sleep much at night. In fact they were active in worship and sometimes this would extend to until the last 6th of the night; and then they would complete those acts of worship by making Istighfar.[3]

.to be blessed [ﷺ]The Suhur has been mentioned by the Prophet said [ﷺ] He

ﺗَﺴَﺤَّﺮُوا ﻓَﺈِنَّ ﻓِﻲ اﻟﺴَّﺤُﻮرِ ﺑَﺮَﻛَﺔً

“Take Suhur as there is a blessing in it.”[4]

Imam Al-Iyyad mentioned what blessings come from Suhur in his explanation of Sahih Al-Muslim.

· Help the fasting person fast easier.

· Adds to the Iftar meal

· Add blessing to the time that it’s consumed and this is at the pre-dawn. The word Suhur comes Sahr which is eaten at that time. Actions and supplications done during those hours are accepted.

· During Suhur Allah’s Mercy descends to Earth.[5]

When looking and reflecting over the verse Al-Imran the ( تعالى) description fits the people who are fasting. Allah said:(They are) those who are patient ones, those who are true (in Faith, words, and deeds), and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah. Those who spend [give the Zakat and alms in the Way of Allah] and those who pray and beg Allah’s Pardon in the last hours of the night. [ 3:17]

They are patient, true in faith, devote in their worship, pray and beg Allah’s Pardon. Al-Qurtubi said: “The people having Suhur for Allah’s pleasure stand up praying the night prayer, and in most cases when a person is praying he’s making dua, and seeking Allah’s forgiveness, all which take place in Ramadan.[6]

Imam Al-Qurtubi in his mentioned that Sayyidul Istighfar should be said during the last hours of the night. [7]

So during this blessed month let’s make istighfar to fill in the gaps where we might haave fallen short in worship during the fast. Allah knows best.

Prepared by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle

Ramadan 1441© please contribute to the production of this content by leaving a ‘tip’ below.

[1] Tafsir Hada’iqul Ar-Ruh, Shiekh Muhammad ibn Ameen Al- Ethipio(May Allah have mercy on him) vol28/pg226

[2] Ibid vol 27/pg 513

[3] Tafsir Al-Baghawi /vol 7,pg 239

[4] Sahih al-Bukhari 1923

[5] Ikmal Mu’alim vol 4/pg 17

[6] Al-Mufhim vol9/118

[7] Tafsir 4/210 The Weakness in the for the Dua said after breaking Fast

The Weakness in the Hadith for the Dua said after breaking Fast

ﺑﺴﻢ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ َّ ﻋَﺒْﺪُ اﻟﻠ ﻪِ ﺑْﻦُ ﻣُﺤَﻤَّﺪِ ﺑْﻦِ َ ﻳَﺤْﻴَﻰ أ ﺑُﻮ ﻣُﺤَﻤَّﺪٍ ﺣَﺪَّﺛَﻨَﺎ َ ﻋَﻠِﻲُّ ﺑْﻦُ اﻟْﺤَﺴَﻦِ أ ﺧْﺒَﺮَﻧِﻲ اﻟْﺤُﺴَﻴْﻦُ ﺑْﻦُ وَاﻗِﺪٍ ﺣَﺪَّﺛَﻨَﺎ ﻣَﺮْوَانُ – ﻳَﻌْﻨِﻲ اﺑْﻦَ ﺳَﺎﻟِﻢٍ – َ اﻟْﻤُﻘَﻔَّﻊُ – ﻗَﺎلَ رَأ ﻳْﺖُ اﺑْﻦَ َ ﻋُﻤَﺮَ ﻳَﻘْﺒِﺾُ ﻋَﻠ ﻰ ﻟِﺤْﻴَﺘِﻪِ ﻓَﻴَﻘْﻄَﻊُ ﻣَﺎ زَادَ ﻋَﻠَﻰ اﻟْﻜَﻒِّ وَﻗَﺎلَ ﻛَﺎنَ رَﺳُﻮلُ اﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ َ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ إ ذَا أ ﻓْﻄَﺮَ ﻗَﺎلَ “ ِ ُ ذَﻫَﺐَ اﻟﻈَّﻤَﺄ وَاﺑْﺘَﻠَّﺖِ اﻟْﻌُﺮُوقُ َ َ َ َّ وَﺛ ﺒَﺖَ اﻷ ﺟْﺮُ إِنْ ﺷ ﺎءَ اﻟﻠ ﻪُ ” ‏.‏

Marwan ibn Salim al-Muqaffa’ said:

I saw Ibn Umar holding his beard with his hand and cutting what exceeded the handful of it. He (Ibn Umar) said that the said when he broke his fast: Thirst has gone, the (ﷺ) Prophet arteries are moist, and the reward is sure, if Allah wills.

Which books of hadith collected this hadith

Ibn Al-Mulaqqin said this hadith is collected by;

Abu Dawud in Sunnan [2349]

An-Nisa’I in Al-Kubara [3329,10131]

At-Tabarani in Al-Kabeer

Al- in Mustadark [422]

Ad-Daraqutni [2279]

Then he mentions that Imam Ad-Daraqutni graded the isnad as being Hasan and that Hakim said the hadith met the conditions of Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim.i.e the men in the isnad are from the narrators Al-Bukhari and Muslim relied on their Sahih.[1]

Here the statement of Al-Hakim leads us to say the hadith is Sahih because Bukhari and Muslim both used reliable trustworthy narrators and their Sahih and Imam Ad-Daraqunti graded it as Hasan. For that reason, people trusted that assessment of the hadith act by it.

Which narrator does the chain revolve around ?

Returning back to Ad-Daraqutni’s judgment in his sunnan he also mentions that Al-Hussain ibn Waqid solitary narrated this hadith.

Scholars of Hadith who differed on the status of this hadith.

Imam Al-Albani and Imam Muqbil differed on this hadith. Imam Al-Albani considered it Hasan and Imam Muqbil considered it weak. May Allah shower his mercy on these two scholars .

The issue of differing is connected to the narrator in the chain named Marwan ibn Salim Al-Muqanna’.

Imam Al-Albani in Irwa Al-Ghalil [4/40] mentioned that two people narrated on him;

1-Al-Hussain ibn Waqid

2-Azratu ibn Thabit

And that no one grade him as being a trustworthy and reliable. Ibn Hibban mentioned in his book At-Thiqat. Moreover Al- Daraqutni graded him as being Hasan while Al-Hakim said he was from the narrators of Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Marwan ibn Salim isn’t from the narrators in Sahih Al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim. Imam Ath-Thahabbi mentioned that Marwan ibn Salim was from the men found in Abu Dawud and An-Nisa’i.

Al-Hafith ibn Hajr in At-Tahtheeb said perhaps Marwan ibn Salim confused Al-Hakim him with Marwan Al-Safr.

So Imam Al-Albani mentioned everything he found on Marwan ibn Salim

Imam Al-Muqbil in [At-tatabu’ #1536] mentioned that Marwan wasn’t from the men found in Al-Bukhari and Muslim and only 2 narrators narrated hadith from him. Also no one graded him as being reliable and trustworthy among those we can depend on. Following this Imam Muqbil concluded that Marwan ibn Salim is Majhoul Hal [ His status and condition remains unknown] Looking at the speech of both of these it appears that the reality about this hadith is that it is weak in its chain due the condition of Marwan ibn Salim, an unknown narrator. Al-Hafith Ibn Hajr explained the misunderstanding of Al-Hakim. And the mystery remains how did Imam Ad-Daraqutni miss this? Is there another Marwan ibn Salim that shared the same? Yes, there is another Marwan ibn Salim. However he isn’t from same era, nor did Ad-Darqutni grade him as being Hasan. His complete name is Marwan ibn Salim Al-Ghifari not Al- Muqanna’.[2]

Go back and look at the chain yourself and invite others to do the same. This is the blessing of this ummah;the Isnad. It allows us to verify reports, even after great scholars err.

Since the hadith is weak can we act by it?

Although the hadith is weak there’s no harm in saying these words sometimes as a dua after breaking the fast.[3]

Ibn Rslan said: This Dua should be made after drinking and not after eating dates.[4]

Compiled and prepared by

Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle

Doha,Qatar,1438H©

Academic/Khateeb for the Ministry of Awqaf in Qatar.

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vol 5/pg 711/ اﻟﺒﺪر اﻟﻤﻨﻴﺮ [1]

اﻟﻀﻌﻔﺎء و اﻟﻤﺘﺮوﻛﻴﻦ /529# [2]

[3] Refer to the Explanation of Umdatul by Shaykh Abdul Aziz Ar-Rajhi/ under the section of relieving oneself

[4] Sharhus Sunnah Abu Dawud,vol 10/pg 361