Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

What opinion do you have about our azan in which we include '' ashadwana maulana aliun wali ullah'' and '' moahammed wa aliun khairul bashar''. Also let me  know, why do we club up zohar and asar namaz, magrib and isha namaz. And why we dont pray the friday khutbah?

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Answer:

Azaan-Namaaz-Khutbah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Brother, you have asked for my opinion, but I always try to restrict my opinion, and will thus give you the answer based on the guidance received from the Holy Quran, the authentic traditions of our beloved Prophet (saws).  Also you have asked why do we ‘include’ extra statements in the ‘adhaan’ or why do we join ‘fard’ prayers together or we do not pray the Friday ‘Khutbah’?   Brother, I really would not know why these are done!  What I do know in light of the Quran and traditions of the Prophet (saws) is, what was done.  I will try to ascertain the facts of what was done, and then you decide what should not be done.  As to why are they done, it would be best to ask the scholars of the sects who have introduced or propagate these innovations in Islam.

What opinion do you have about our azan in which we include '' ashadwana maulana aliun wali ullah'' and '' moahammed wa aliun khairul bashar''

When the Prophet (saws) reached Medina, Hadrat Jibrael himself taught the Prophet (saws) the call to prayer or ‘adhaan’ as we call it today.    That identical ‘adhaan’ was used literally thousands of times in front of thousands of people for the ten years that the Prophet (saws) lived in Medina and continued verbatim after his (saws) death.   No changes were made in it.

Regarding the statement ‘ash hado anna Maulana Ali ann Wali ullah’ (meaning, We bear witness that Maulana Ali (r.a.) is the friend of Allah”, there is no doubt about the truth of the statement.   Ali (r.a.) is indeed the friend of Allah, and so are the other true believers in Islam, as said by Allah in the Holy Quran.  

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 257:Allah is the ‘wali’ of the believers.

Regarding the statement,  ‘Muhammed unn wa Ali unn khairal bashar’ (meaning, Mohamed (saws) and Ali (r.a.) are the best of men), again there is nothing wrong with the statement.   Mohamed (saws) and Ali (r.a.) were indeed amongst the best of mankind!

The following statement of the ‘adhaan’, “wa itra tohoma khairul itar” (meaning their descendants are the best of descendants), is not completely correct. Yes, some of the descendants of Prophet Mohamed (saws) were definitely the best of mu’mins, but the general statement would not be absolutely correct.  Simply because, not all the descendents of the Prophet (saws) were true believers.  The rulers of Jordan are proven to be descendents of the Prophet Mohamed (saws), but are they the best of believers?   The Aga Khan claims to be a direct descendant of Prophet Mohamed (saws), but is he the best of believers?  

The issue is not that the statements are correct or incorrect, but the issue is if the ‘adhaan’ as taught by Hadrat Jibrael (a.s) to the Prophet (saws) has been changed or had things added in it.  No one who adds these two statements can claim that this was the ‘adhaan’ that was repeated for 10 years in the mosques in Medina or beyond, during the lifetime of our beloved Prophet (saws). Even when Hadrat Ali (r.a.) became the Ameer ul Mu’mineen, the same exact original ‘adhaan’ was proclaimed for prayer. These innovated statements were added about 330 years after the death of Prophet Mohamed (saws) when the Fatimid government was established in Cairo, Egypt.   

And when something is changed in the rites of Islam it is called an innovation or ‘bida’a’.  The Holy Quran, all the rites of Islam, and the complete deen of Islam were all completed during the lifetime of the Prophet (saws) himself.  Thus nothing could be added or subtracted from the deen in the least. The Prophet (saws) condemned any innovation in the deen of Islam in the least, as evident from several of his authentic narrations.   We are commanded to follow the example of the Prophet (saws) in the Holy Quran, and any changes in the way or tradition of the Prophet (saws) are termed ‘bida’a” or innovation in Islam.

It has been reported by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.) that the Prophet (saws) said: If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it.   If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.

It has been reported by Jabir ibn Abdullah (r.a.) in another authentic narration that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon:  “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws).  The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

It has been reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said:  “Whoever introduces a ‘bida’ (innovation) in this deen brought by me (saws), it will be rejected.”

Thus, it is evident that these extra statements that were added in the ‘adhaan’ after the death of the Prophet (saws), are clear innovations, and innovations or ‘bida’a’ have no place in Islam, and should be rejected.

Why do we club up zohar and asar namaz, magrib and isha namaz?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 103:Indeed,  ‘salaah’ is a prescribed duty that should be performed at appointed times by the believers.

The Prophet (saws) himself led the five ‘fard’ or obligatory prayers at their appointed times, thousands of times in Medina in his lifetime, and thousands of believers prayed behind him.  And this exact system of prayers of praying the five ‘fard’ prayers were and are still prayed at their appointed time by the believers.   The only times the Prophet (saws) joined the ‘zuhr and asr’ prayers,  and the ‘magrib and isha’ prayers,  was when he was travelling, and when there was extreme rain.   At other times, the Prophet (saws) always prayed the five ‘fard’ prayers at their separate appointed times during his lifetime.  The joining of ‘fard’ prayers by some sects of Islam is again a clear innovation in Islam, and should be rejected.   

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:There is indeed the best example for you to follow,  in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

We are commanded to follow the example of the Holy Prophet(saws) in the Holy Quran,  and whoever guides us to do something different to what our beloved Prophet (saws) used to do,  should not be accepted.

And why we don’t pray the friday Kuthbah?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 62 Surah Jumu’ah verse 9:O you who have believed!,  when the call (adhaan) is made to the Friday Prayer,  hasten to the ‘dhikr’ of Allah,  and leave off your trading.   This is best for you, only if you knew.

It is evident from the above aayah of the Holy Quran that Allah is exhorting the believers to hasten to the Friday Prayer and listen to the ‘dhikr’ of Allah.  

Again, it is proved beyond any doubt in the many authentic traditions of the Prophet (saws) that during his lifetime he delivered a sermon or ‘khutba’ and then prayed 2 rakah prayers instead of the ‘zuhr’ prayers on Fridays.   This tradition carried on after the death of the Prophet (saws) and is still followed by the believers today all over the world.  Almost all the sects of Islam (including the Shia sect) pray the Friday prayers identical to how the Prophet (saws) conducted the Friday prayers during his lifetime.   The only people who do not follow this tradition of Jumuah ‘khutba’ followed by prayers, and pray the regular ‘zuhr’ prayers are the community of Dawoodi Bohras, for reasons best known to their scholars and leaders.

‘Jumuah’ literally means gathering and the importance of this day (Friday) for muslims is evident from the fact that a whole Surah in the Holy Quran is named after this day.   Friday was a day of gathering for the muslims, where the leader of the believers would give a sermon and guide the believers to the deen of Islam and talk about the subjects which effected their lives and their hereafter.    During the lifetime of Prophet Mohamed (saws) he always led the prayers himself, including 'Jumu’ah' prayers, whereby he delivered a sermon or ‘khutbah’ before the prayers. 

Why and when the innovations of adding statements to the ‘adhaan’, or joining ‘fard’ prayers, or not praying ‘Jumuah’ khutba were introduced in Islam, Allah Alone knows best.

May Allah guide us to come back to the true deen of Islam, and follow it exactly as the Prophet (saws) followed it.  May Allah guide us to read and understand the Holy Quran so that we can distinguish between the deen of Islam brought by Mohamed (saws), and the innovations  created by man in the name of Islam.   May Allah guide you and all of us to the Straight Path of Islam.  Ameen.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan