النص المفهرس

Saying: jumu'ah mubārak
702
‘Īd Salāh
704
Performing 'īd salah in a park of a city
704
'Id salah in a small town
.709
Women going to the 'īd gah
...........
710
The status of the 'id gah in the light of Ahadith and the four
Imāms
710
Sajdah sahw in the 'id salah
713
A collective du'a after the 'īd salah.
714
The additional takbīrs for a masbūq
715
The extra takbirs when following a Shafi'ī imam.
716
The imam returning to the standing posture for the takbirs
717
Saying 'īd mubarak on the days of 'īd
....
718
Playing the tambourine on the day of 'īd ..
724
Going to the graveyard on the day of 'id.
.....
725
Performing the 'id salah in one country and leading
the
congregation of 'id salah in another country .
726
Saying the takbīrat in the 'īd khutbah
727
Saying the takbīrat-e-tashrīq three times
728
The status of the narration which makes reference to saying the
takbīrāt-e-tashrīq three times
731
The order to listen to the 'id khutbah
733
Shaking hands and embracing each other on the day of 'id
.735
Miscellaneous Rules Of Salah
743
The one who abandons salah
743
Performing salah inside the Ka'bah
749
Compelling students to perform salah as a form of punishment751
A doctor on call breaking his salah
.....
752
Vowing to perform two rak'ats as a fine ..
..........
753
Fidyah for a person who dies at the beginning of a salah time ... 754
Proof for fidyah for salah.
754
21

When a child reaches puberty at night.
757
Fidyah for missed salahs of a mentally ill person.
758
Performing salah with shoes
759
Folding one's pants before salah
763
DEATH AND THE DECEASED
765
The One Who Is Closte To Death
765
The method of laying a person who is about to die.
765
Gifting on one's deathbed
766
The definition of marad al-maut
767
The bequest of a sick person
767
Reciting the Qur'an near the deceased before giving him ghusl 768
A woman in her menses sitting near a deceased
769
Looking at one's wife's face after she dies
770
The Shar'ī ruling of a post mortem
770
Standing before the deceased and pardoning him or her
772
Removing the contact lenses of a deceased
773
Returning the estate of a deceased who comes back to life.
774
The wife of a deceased who comes back to life
775
Is it possible to come back to life.
......
775
When a company pays for the burial services of a person.
777
Bathing The Deceased.
779
Applying perfume to the shroud at the time of bathing the
deceased
779
Proof for plaiting the hair of a woman into two plaits.
781
When the body of a deceased is broken into bits.
784
When a shroud is messed with impurity
784
A non-Muslim bathing a Muslim corpse
785
When a deceased is buried without ghusl
786
The method of laying the deceased at the time of ghusl
787
Ghusl to a hermaphrodite
788
22

The Janazah Salah.
789
Performing the janāzah salah in a masjid.
789
The family of the deceased have the right over the janazah salah
790
Delaying the janazah salah to increase the number of congregants
793
The janazah of a hermaphrodite.
793
Having an odd number of rows for the janazah salah
794
Janāzah salāh for a drunkard
796
A woman leading the janāzah salah
796
Standing in line with the chest of the deceased.
.797
Janāzah salāh in abstentia
799
The method of performing janazah salah for several corpses ..
801
The order to read "Wa Jalla Thana'uka" in the thana'
802
Making additions to the durūd of the janāzah salah
803
Proof for turning to both sides when saying the salam
803
Making a collective du'a after the janazah salah.
805
The virtue of walking 40 steps with the janazah.
805
The Burial
.807
Attending the burial of an unbeliever
807
Placing a deceased in a coffin and burying him
809
Burying a deceased in the grave of a relative.
809
The husband lowering his wife in the grave.
810
When a pregnant woman passes away.
811
Pouring soil in the grave from the head-side
812
Removing a corpse because of flood waters
812
When there is a danger of a grave collapsing.
813
If money falls from one's pocket at the time of burying
814
Burying a corpse in the grave of another
814
Talqīn after the burial
815
23

Collective du'a after the burial
816
Facing the qiblah when making du'a in the graveyard.
817
Tying one's hands and standing in front of a grave
818
When graves of non-Muslims are in a Muslim graveyard
819
Writing Qur'anic verses on the shroud of the deceased.
821
Planting plants on a grave
822
Placing inscriptions on a grave
823
The Conveying Of Rewards
826
Proof for du'a for the deceased and conveying rewards
826
Conveying rewards to a live person and to a Prophet.
829
Conveying rewards to Rasūlullāh
830
Taking a payment for conveying rewards
834
Conveying rewards by broadcasting a Qur'an recitation on Radio
Islam ..
836
Offering Condolences
839
Essential guidelines for offering condolences.
839
Raising the hands in du'a when offering condolence.
843
The difference between ta'ziyat and janāzah salah
844
Condolence gatherings.
845
Walking with shoes in a graveyard
846
Women visiting a graveyard.
847
The Martyr ...........
854
When a person is killed unjustly
854
A person martyred in a tsunami.
855
A person who is killed by an unknown oppressor
857
Types of martyrs
858
The virtue of passing away in Makkah and Madinah
864
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
871
24

Kitab as-Salah
The Times of Salah
The proof for dividing the five salahs over different
times
Question
Why are the five salahs distributed over five different times? What is
the proof for the legality of these times? What is the wisdom behind
this distribution?
Answer
The legality behind these times is gauged from several verses of the
Qur'an. Furthermore, the Hadith which makes reference to Jibril
'alayhis salām leading Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam in salah
and other Ahādīth also prove its legality. Allah ta'ālā says:
أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلْكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ الَّليْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ، إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُوْدًا.
Establish the salah from the declining of the sun till the darkness of
night and [keep] the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn. Surely the
recitation of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed [by the angels ].1
Hadrat Muftī Muhammad Shafī Sahib rahimahullah says:
The vast majority of commentators are of the view that this verse is a
comprehensive ruling for the five salahs. The words "from the
declining of the sun till the darkness of night" encompass four salahs,
viz. zuhr, 'asr, maghrib and 'isha. The words "recitation of the Qur'an
at dawn" are taken to mean salah because the Qur'an is the most
important part of salah. Most commentators such as Ibn Kathir,
Qurtubī, Mazharī and others have given this meaning. This verse will
therefore mean that the words: "from the declining of the sun till the
darkness of the night" refer to the four salahs, and "recitation of the
Qur'an at dawn" refers to the fajr salah. The fajr salah is mentioned
separately to show its special importance and virtue.2
Allāh ta'ālā says:
1 Sūrah Banī Isrā'īl, 17: 78.
2 Ma'ārif al-Qur'an, vol. 5, p. 502.
25

فَسُبْحُنَ اللهِ حِيْنَ تُمْسُوْنَ وَحِيْنَ تُصْبِحُوْنَ. وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِيْنَ
تُظْهِرُوْنَ.
Glorify Allah when you enter the evening and when you rise in the
morning. Praise is due to Him alone in the heavens and the earth in
the afternoon and at noon.1
The following is stated in ad-Durr al-Manthūr.
أخرج عبد الرزاق والفريابي وابن جرير وابن المنذر وابن حاتم والطبراني والحاكم
وصححه عن أبي رزين قال: جاء نافع بن الأرزق إلى ابن عباس رضي الله عنه فقال: هل
تجد الصلوات الخمس في القرآن؟ قال: نعم، فقرأ: ﴿فَسُبْحُنَ اللهِ حِيْنَ تُمْسُوْنَ﴾ صلاة
المغرب، ﴿وَحِيْنَ تُصْبِحُوْنَ﴾ صلاة الصبح، ﴿وَعَشِيًّا﴾ صلاة العصر، ﴿وَّحِيْنَ تُظْهِرُوْنَ﴾
صلاة الظهر، وقرأ ﴿ومن بعد صلاة العشاء﴾. وأخرج ابن أبي شيبة وابن جرير وابن
المنذر عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه قال: جمعت هذه الآية مواقيت الصلاة ﴿فَسُبْحُنَ اللهِ
حِيْنَ تُمْسُوْنَ﴾ قال: المغرب والعشاء ... ؟
The 'ulama' state that this verse mentions the five salahs with their
times. Someone asked Hadrat Ibn 'Abbās radiyallahu 'anhu. "Does the
Qur'an make any explicit mention of the five salahs?" He replied:
"Yes." He then presented the same verse as proof. Hadrat Hasan Basrī
rahimahullah said: "The words 'when you enter the evening' includes
maghrib and 'ishā."3
عن ابن شهاب أن عمر بن عبد العزيز أخر الصلاة يوما فدخل عليه عروة بن الزبير
فأخبره أن المغيرة بن شعبة رضي الله عنه أخر الصلاة يوما وهو بالعراق، فدخل عليه أبو
مسعود الأنصاري رضي الله عنه فقال: ما هذا يا مغیرة؟ أليس قد علمت أن جبرئيل نزل
فصلى فصلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم صلى فصلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه
وسلم .. ثم قال: بهذا أمرت .. الخ.٤
The following is narrated in Tirmidhi.
1 Sūrah ar-Rum, 30: 17-18.
2 Ad-Durr al-Manthūr, vol. 6, p. 488.
Ma'ārif al-Qur'an, vol. 6, p. 729.
4 Bukhārī: vol. 1, p.75 and p. 515, Bāb Mawāqīt as-Salāh.
26

أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: أمني جبرئيل عند البيت مرتين فصلى الظهر في الأولى
منهما حين كان الفيء مثل الشراك. ثم صلى العصر حين كان كل شيء مثل ظله. ثم صلى
المغرب حين وجبت الشمس وأفطر الصائم. ثم صلى العشاء حين غاب الشفق. ثم صلى
الفجر حين برق الفجر وحرم الطعام على الصائم. وصلى المرة الثانية الظهر ... ثم التفت إلى
جبرئيل فقال: يا محمد هذا وقت الأنبياء من قبلك والوقت فيما بين هذين الوقتين.
Dars Tirmidhīstates:
This Hadith is known as Hadith-e-Imamat-e-Jibril and is the
fundamental source for the times of salah. Had Allah ta'ala willed, He
could have taught the times of salah verbally. However, He chose to
teach them practically via Jibrīl 'alayhis salam because this will have a
greater impact on the mind.2
The wisdom behind the different times of salah
Waking up at fajr time is synonymous to getting life after death. A
person therefore performs salah as a way of gratitude. The declining of
the sun after midday makes reference to the decline in man's life. He
must therefore occupy himself in preparing for death. It is as though
the time of 'asr is a sign of the approach of death in the sense that, like
the sun, the person is also to depart. The setting of the sun at maghrib
time is an indication of the setting of the sun of life. A person must
occupy himself in worship. At the time of 'isha, all signs of the sun
have disappeared. One day, all signs of the person's existence will also
disappear. He must make preparations for himself and perform the
'ishā salāh.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
Performing fajr salah at its earliest time in the
month of Ramadan
Question
In Ramadan, the Hanafis perform fajr salah at its earliest time whereas
it is desirable to perform it when there is a glow on the horizon. What
is the proof for performing it early in Ramadan?
Answer
Its proof is found in the Hadith as follows:
1 Tirmidhī, vol. 1, p. 38, Abwāb as-Salāh, Abū Dāwūd, vol. 1, p. 56.
2 Dars Tirmidhī, vol. 1, p. 393.
27

Hadrat Zayd ibn Thābit radiyallāhu 'anhu relates: "We partook of sehrī
with Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and then got up for the fajr
salah." The narrator asked him: "What was the gap of time between
the sehrī and the salah?" He replied: "The time which is taken to read
50 verses of the Qur'an."
The following narration is found in Tirmidhī Sharif.
عن زيد بن ثابت رضي الله عنه قال: تسحرنا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم قمنا
إلى الصلاة. قال: قلت: كم كان قدر ذلك. قال: قدر خمسين آية!
Hadrat Shah Sahib Kashmīrī rahimahullah explains this Hadīth as
follows:
لقد تحير الحافظ في هذا الحديث فإن قدر خمسين آية يمكن في أقل من أربع دقائق. ثم
قال: إن هذا التبيين من شأن النبوة لا يمكن لغيره وهو حقيقة الأمر. ودل الحديث على
تغليسه عليه الصلاة والسلام في رمضان وهو عمل قطان ديوبند.؟
'Allāmah Bannūrī rahimahullāh said the same thing in Ma'ārif as-
Sunan.3
Some commentators of Hidayah said that salah must essentially be
performed at its earliest time. The fajr salah is delayed to increase the
number of people in the congregation. And in Ramadan, this is
realized by performing fajr salah at its earliest time. If this was not
done, people would partake of sehrī and sleep away. They will miss
their salah. This is why it is better to perform fajr salah at its earliest
time in Ramadān.
‘Allāmah Shāmī rahimahullāh writes:
نعم ذكر شراح الهداية وغيرهم في باب التيمم أن أداء الصلاة في أول الوقت أفضل إلا إذا
تضمن التأخير فضيلة لا تحصل بدونه كتكثير الجماعة، ولهذا كان أولى للنساء أن يصلين
في أول الوقت لأنهن لا يخرجن إلى الجماعة. كذا في مبسوط السرخسي وفخر الإسلام.
والله أعلم.
1 Tirmidhī, vol. 1, p. 150, Bab Mā Jā'a fī Ta'khīr as-Suhūr.
2 'Arf ash-Shadhī, vol. 1, p. 151, Bab Mā Jā'a fi Ta'khīr as-Suhūr.
3 Ma'ārif as-Sunan, vol. 5, p. 362, Sa'īd.
4 Shāmī, vol. 1, p. 367, Sa'īd.
28

Salah, fasting and 'id in countries having abnormal
days
Question
The shafag' either does not set in countries which have very long days
or there is no time whatsoever. What is the ruling with regard to salah,
fasting and 'īd in such countries?
Answer
Countries which have abnormal days are of three types:
1.
The night and day are completed in 24 hours but some parts of
the day are missing. (For example, the shafaq does not set and so,
night does not set in. Or, the shafaq appears but the sun does not rise).
In such a case, the times will be estimated and salah will be performed
accordingly. There are three ways of estimation:
a) The calculation for the last day of the normal days of the year
will be applied to all the abnormal days. Salah and other acts
of worship will then be carried out accordingly. (However, it is
very difficult to do this. For example, there was an eight-
minute gap between the setting of the shafaq and the rising of
dawn. It is very difficult to keep waiting for eight minutes and
performing the salah within this time).
b) Follow the timings of the closest country where the shafaq sets
normally.
c) When the shafaq inclines towards setting, it will be the time
for maghrib and 'isha. The first half of this time will be for
maghrib and the second half for 'isha. When the shafaq
inclines towards the rising of the sun, it will be the time for
fajr.
Whichever of these three is easiest may be practised.
2.
The night and day are completed in 24 hours and all the [salah]
times are found. However, some of the times are extremely short.
Salah will be performed in its times even if the time is very short. If
there is no time to perform the Sunnat and optional salahs, they will
have to suffice with the compulsory salahs. The missed Sunnats may
be performed at other times as optional salahs.
1 The whiteness in the sky which is seen after sunset.
29

However, if the time is so short that it is not enough to perform four
rak'ats of a fard salah. Two options are available:
a) Perform the salah in that time even if it means completing it
after the expiry of the time.
b) Perform the salah by estimation.
3.
The night and day are not completed in 24 hours. Instead, the
night is either for six months and the day is for six months. The
timings of the nearest country will be taken into consideration for
regions of this nature.
Fasting
Where the day and night is of 24 hours but the night is extremely
short, it will be necessary to keep the fast for the entire day if it is
bearable. If it is not bearable, e.g. there is insufficient time to eat and
drink or eating just once in 24 hours is insufficient, then the timings of
the closest country will be taken into consideration.
Where the nights are of six months and days of six months, the
timings of the closest country will be considered. The commencement
and the end of the fast will be calculated accordingly.
Observing 'īd
The commencement of Ramadan and observing 'id will be gauged by
the sighting of the moon.
Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
صوموا لرؤيته وأفطروا لرؤيته
Commence the fast when you sight the crescent and end it when you
sight the crescent.1
If the crescent is not sighted, the month will be of 30 days. Rasūlullah
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said in this regard:
فإن حالت دونه غیابة، فأ کملوا ثلثین یوما
If it is overcast [and you cannot see the crescent], complete 30 days.2
This ruling applies to the first two types of regions where the day and
night is completed in 24 hours.
1 Tirmidhī, vol. 1, p. 147.
2 Tirmidhī, vol. 1, p. 148, Bab Mā Jā'a Anna as-Sauma Li Ru'yatil Hilal Wa al-
Iftār Lahu.
30

As for the regions where there is continuous night for six months and
continuous day for six months, the people will have to estimate. There
are two ways of doing this:
1. Count 24 hours as one day, and the month for 30 days.
2. Follow the closest country where there are normal days and
nights.
The proof for this ruling is the Hadith-e-Dajjal as related in Mishkāt
Sharīf.
عن النواس بن سمعان رضي الله عنه قال: ذكر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الدجال
فقال: إن يخرج وأنا فيكم فأنا حجيجه دونكم إلى قوله. قلنا يا رسول الله: وما لبثه في
الأرض. قال: أربعون يوما يوم كسنة، ويوم كشهر، ويوم كجمعة، وسائر أيامه كأيامكم.
قلنا يا رسول الله، فذلك اليوم الذي كسنة أيكفينا فيه صلاة يوم؟ قال: لا، أقدروا له
قدره .!
The following is stated in Tah-tāwī 'Alā ad-Durr al-Mukhtar.
(وفاقد وقتهما كبلغار فإن فيها يطلع الفجر قبل غروب الشفق في أربعينية الشتاء مكلف
بهما فيقدر لهما) اعلم أن التقدير له معنيان، احدهما: ما سيأتي تقريره في مسئلة الدجال
والثاني: فيه طريقتان: الأولى: أن يعتبر بأقرب البلاد إليهم كمل ذكره الشافعية .. والثانية:
أن ينظر إلى وقت العشاء في القريبة منها ماذا يكون من ليلهم فبقدر هذه النسبة يفعل
في هؤلاء فإن كان السدس جعلنا لهؤلاء سدسه وقت المغرب وبقية وقت العشاء وإن قصر
جدا، وكذا يقدرون في الصوم ليلهم بأقرب بلد يليهم ... (قوله واختاره الكمال) حيث قال:
ومن لم يوجد عندهم وقت العشاء أفتى البقال بعدم الوجوب عليهم لعدم السبب كما
يسقط غسل اليدين من والوضوء عن مقطوعهما من المرفقين ولا يرتاب متأمل في ثبوت
الفرق بين عدم محل الفرض وبين سببه الجعلي الذي جعل علامة على الوجوب الخفي الثابت
في نفس الأمر لجواز تعدد المعرفات للشيء فانتفاء الوقت انتفاء المعرف وانتفاء الدليل على
الشيء لا يستلزم انتفائه لجواز دليل آخر وقد وجد وهو ما توالت عليه أخبار الإسراء من
فرض الله تعالى الصلوات خمسا بعد أمر الله تعالى أولا بخمسين ثم استقر الأمر على
الخمس شرعا عاما لأهل الآفاق لا تفصيل فيه بين قطر وقطر وما روي أنه صلى الله عليه
1 Mishkāt, vol. 2, p. 473, Bāb al-'Alāmāt Bayna Yaday as-Sā'ah Wa Dhikr ad-
Dajjāl.
31

وسلم ذكر الدجال قلنا ما لبثه في الأرض قال: أربعون يوما يوم كسنة ويوم كشهر ... فقد
أوجب أكثر من ثلثمأة عصر قبل صيرورة الظل مثلا أو مثلين وقس عليه فاستفدنا أن
الواجب في نفس الأمر خمس على العموم غير أن توزيعها على تلك الأوقات عند وجودها
ولا يسقط بعدمها الوجوب ولذا قال صلى الله عليه وسلم خمس صلوات كتبهن الله على
العباد ... ( طحطاوي على الدر المختار: ١\١٧٥ - ١٧٦).
For further details refer to Takmilah Fath al-Mulhim, vol. 6, pp. 373-
382.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
Salah at the re-entry of its time
Question
A person performed jumu'ah salah at its earliest time. He then took a
quick plane to another region and found that the time for jumu'ah had
just commenced there. Does the jumu'ah salah become compulsory on
him again?
Answer
It is not necessary to repeat the fard salah; the person has fulfilled his
obligation. However, he must read it out of respect for the time and to
demonstrate agreement with the Muslims [who are performing it at
the time].
The following is stated in Fatawa Mahmūdīyyah.
Question: A person performs maghrib salah here and then boards a
plane to Makkah Mukarramah. Due to the different time zones, it is
the time of maghrib salah in Makkah Mukarramah. Is it necessary for
him to perform it again?
Answer: He must perform it out of respect for the time and to
demonstrate agreement with the Muslims even though his obligatory
duty has been fulfilled.1
Ahsan al-Fatāwā.
Question: A person performed his maghrib salah and boarded a plane.
The plane moved in a westerly direction with such speed that the
person saw the sun. Does the maghrib salah become compulsory on
him again?
1 Fatāwā Mahmūdīyyah, vol. 10, p. 37, Kitāb as-Saum, Jāmi ah Fārūqīyyah.
32

Answer: It is not obligatory to perform the maghrib salah again.
قال في شرح النتوير فلو غربت ثم عادت هل يعود الوقت؟ الظاهر نعم. قال ابن عابدين
رحمه الله تعالى: (قوله الظاهر نعم) بحث صاحب النهر حيث قال: ذكر الشافعية أن الوقت
يعود ... قلت: على أن الشيخ إسماعيل رد ما بحثه في النهر تبعاً للشافعية بأن صلاة العصر
بغيبوبة الشفق تصير قضاء ورجوعها لا يعيدها أداءً وما في الحديث خصوصية علي رضي
الله عنه كما يعطيه قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام: إنه كان في طاعتك وطاعة رسولك. قلت:
ويلزم على الأول بطلان صوم من أفطر قبل ردها وبطلان صلاة المغرب لو سلمنا عود
الوقت بعودها للكل. (رد المحتار: ١\٣٣٤)
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
The extent of the time-span between true dawn and
sunrise, and sunset and the commencement of
'ishā time
Question
The time-span between true dawn and sunrise, and sunset and the
commencement of 'isha is one hour or more. Some people are of the
view that the 18° angle must be taken while others say 15°. Which is
the correct view?
Answer
Most scholars have taken the time between these two and say that it is
between 1hour 20minutes and 1hour 38minutes. However, Hadrat
Muftī Rashīd Sahib rahimahullah, the author of Ahsan al-Fatawā, says
that it is 57minutes, but this is his view alone which is against that of
the majority. Most scholars have adopted the 18° view.
Kifāyatul Muftī.
This time does not remain the same all the time; it constantly changes
every few days. However, this gap is never less than 1hour 21minutes.
The maximum it goes to is 1hour 38minutes in the month of June, and
the minimum it goes to is 1hour 21 minutes in September.1
Fatāwā Dār al-'Ulum Deoband.
According to Imam Abu Hanīfah rahimahullah, the time of 'isha
commences when the whiteness on the horizon disappears. In some
1 Kifāyatul Muftī, vol. 3, p. 72.
33

seasons this is 1hour 24minutes, in some it is 1hour 27minutes, and
sometimes even more than that. Thus, the gap between sunset and
'isha should not be less than 1hour 30minutes. In fact, as a precaution
is should be 1hour 45minutes. The time for sunrise, sunset, true dawn
and so on can be obtained from the time tables.1
An investigation on the issue of true dawn which was made
about 100 years ago
A book on the issue of true dawn was compiled by Hadrat Maulana
Muhammad Lutfullah Sahib, the Muftī of Rāmpūr. This book is titled
Hull ad-Daqa'iq Fī Tahqīq as-Subh as-Sadiq. It was compiled in 1313
A.H./1896. He writes with reference to true dawn:
The time-span between true dawn and sunrise is about the same as the
time-span between sunset and the setting of the shafaq. The reason for
sameness in the two times is obvious. The other additional point to
this is that when the sun moves from beneath the earth in order to
rise, it continues until 18° remain from the horizon. From this time on,
a light appears horizontally on the horizon. This light is known as true
dawn and it continues increasing until the sun rises.
In the same way, when the sun sets and reaches a point of 18° towards
the earth, the whiteness which is seen after sunset - also known as the
shafaq - disappears.
It is clear that when it gives off light at 18° at the time of sunrise, its
light ought to disappear at 18° after sunset. The time of 'isha
commences once this shafaq disappears. This is what is generally
practised nowadays.2
During the same period, Munshi Muhammad A'la, a Ra'īs of Meerut,
wrote a book titled Subh Sadiq in which he too stated that the sun is
18° beneath the horizon at the time of true dawn.
These two books were attested to and confirmed by the following
elders of Dar al-'Ulum Deoband: Shaykh al-Hind Hadrat Maulānā
Mahmud al-Hasan Sahib, Hadrat Maulana Khalil Ahmad Sahib
Saharanpūrī (the author of Badhl al-Majhūd), Hadrat Maulānā Muftī
'Azīz ar-Rahman Sahib and Hadrat Maulānā Habib ar-Rahman Sahib
'Uthmanī. Furthermore, Hadrat Maulana Hafiz Ahmad the son of
Hadrat Maulānā Muhammad Qasim Sahib - the founder of Dar al-
'Ulum Deoband concurred with it and wrote a forward to it. May Allah
ta'ala shower His mercy on all of them.
1 Muftī 'Azīz ar-Rahman: Fatāwa Dar al-'Ulum Deoband, vol. 2, pp. 42, 46.
Hull ad-Daqāʼiq Fī Tahqīq as-Subh as-Sādiq, p. 32.
34

Proofs supporting the view of 18° for the beginning time of
true dawn
'Allāmah Ālūsī Baghdādī, the author of Rūh al-Ma'ānī, writes in his
commentary to the following verse of Sūrah at-Takwir:
وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا تَنَفَّسَ
By the morning when it breathes.1
إن تنفس الصبح وضياءه بواسطة قرب الشمس إلى الأفق الشرقي بمقدار معين وهو في
المشهور ثمانية عشر جزءا. (روح المعاني: ٣٠\٥٩).
The breathing and light of the morning is through the closeness of the
sun to the eastern horizon at a specific angle which, according to the
popular view, is 18°.
The word "morning" in this context has to mean true dawn because
Allāmah Ālūsī rahimahullāh says before this:
في الآية إشارة إلى الفجر الثاني الصادق وهو المنتشر ضوءه معترضا بالأفق.
This verse makes reference to the true dawn whose light spreads
horizontally in the horizon.
Rub' al-Mujīb.
وعلى قول أبي حنيفة المعتبر في الحصتين أن يكون الشمس منحطة (١٨ درجة) والدائرة
لإرتفاع ١٨ بدرجة النظير هو الحصة لك منهما فهما مستويان. (ربع المجيب: ٢٣).
The present day expert in the field of astronomy, 'Allamah
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab Marakishī writes in his book Idah al-
Qaul al-Haqq Fī Miqdār Inhitāt ash-Shams 'Inda Awwal Tulū' al-Fajr Wa
Ghurūb ash-Shafaq.
١. وقد عرف بالتجربة أن انحطاط الشمس عند أول طلوع الفجر ١٨ جزءا. (ص
١٠).
٢. وممن قال بالثمانية عشر أبو الحسن عبد الرحمن الصوفي البزاز المتوفى ٦٧٣.
٣. وممن قال بالثمانية عشر في الفجر وفي الشفق الأستاذ الرئيس أبو علي الحسن بن
عيسى المجاصي، فقد قال في رسالته تذكرة أولي الألباب في عمل صفة
1 Sūrah at-Takwīr, 81: 18.
35

الإصطرلاب، فصل في تخطيط أوقات الصلاة أما الفجر والشفق فإن خطيهما هو
مقنطرة ثمانية عشر في کل عرض وفي كل زمان. (ص ١٤).
٤. عمل طائفة من المتقدمين من فلكي الإسلام على أن حصتي الفجر والشفق
متساويان وأن ابتداء طلوع الفجر وانتهاء غروب الشفق يكونان عند انحطاط
الشمس عن الأفق ١٨ درجة. (ص ١٦)
About 60 years ago, Maulānā Muhammad 'Abd al-Wasi', the professor
of religious studies at Jāmi'ah 'Uthmānīyyah Hyderabad (India)
provided detailed clarifications on subh and the shafaq whiteness [of
the morning]. He then wrote: The beginning of subh and the end of the
shafaq occurs when the sun is 18° below the horizon.1
After going into a detailed investigation of the issue in his book,
Professor 'Abd al-Latif Sahib of Karachi writes with reference to the
salāh time tables of India and Pakistan:
According to the salah time tables which have been
printed in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent since many years,
(1) the time when the adhan of fajr is called out, (2) the
time which is referred to as true dawn, or (3) the time
which is referred to as the end of sehrī time - refers to
that specific moment when the sun reaches the limit of
18° on the horizon before sunrise. According to
astronomers
it
is the time when true dawn
commences ... 2
Hadrat Maulānā Sayyid Zawwar Husayn Shah Sahib writes in 'Umdatul
Fiqh.
Clocks and watches are common nowadays. Most
masājid have salāh time tables. To adhere to salāh times
according to these time tables is not only permissible but
preferable. The watches must be maintained to show the
correct time. In our country the time from true dawn to
sunrise is at least one hour and 18 minutes, while the
maximum is one hour and 35 minutes.3
1 Mi'yar al-Auqāt Li as-Siyam Wa as-Salawat, p. 150.
2 Extracted from Britaniyah Wa A'la 'Urud al-Bilad Par Subh Sadiq Wa Shafaq
Kī Tahqīq, pp. 73-78. Written by Hadrat Maulānā Ya'qub Qasimī, a member of
the board of Jami'ah 'Ulum al-Qur'an. Jambūsar and Britain, Dewsbury.
3 'Umdatul Fiqh. vol. 2, p. 126.
36

The view of 18° is the preferred and more reliable view. It is the more
popular one and has been confirmed by experience. Hadrat Muftī
Muhammad Farīd Sahib writes:
It should be clear that sunrise does not take place before
one and half hours from true dawn. The earliest is one
hour and 15 minutes. This is ascertained through
observation and mathematical calculations.1
Note: Hadrat Muftī Sahib must have said this with reference to certain
days because on certain days the time-span is more than one hour and
15 minutes.
Based on our observation, the time of fajr is at one hour
and 15 minutes. The same can be said for maghrib.2
When the sun definitely sets and one hour and 15
minutes pass, the time of 'isha commences. This is
proven from our observations and experience.3
Minhāj as-Sunan.
قلت: وصرح المشائخ بتفاوت الوقت بين طلوع الفجر الصادق وطلوع الشمس، وكذا بين
غروب الشمس وغيوب البياض بتفاوت المواسم والبلاد والمشاهد في ديارنا قدر ساعة وربع
ساعة. (منهاج السنن: ١٠١٢، باب مواقيت الصلاة).
As far as observations are concerned, a major proof in this regard is
the foreword of Maulana Nur Muhammad (the principle of Jāmi'ah Dār
al-'Ulūm Wazīrastan, Wānā) to the book, Tas-hil al-Falakīyyāt of
Professor 'Abd al-Latif Sahib. We have a photocopy of this foreword
which is quoted below:
Respected Janab 'Abd al-Latīf Sahib
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakātuh
I had sent an investigation with regard to the times which you had
requested. I now inform you that I appointed a committee of senior
'ulamā' of Dār al-'Ulum Wazīrastan Wana. They checked and observed
the true dawn and sunset times from the 13th of June 1988 to the 21st of
June. They then handed over their observations [which they had
recorded] to me. When I checked their observations against the times
which you had sent to me, I found them to be exactly the same
1 Fatāwā Farīdīyyah. vol. 2, p. 145.
2 Fatāwā Farīdīyyah. vol. 2, p. 151.
3 Ibid. p. 156.
37

although I did not show these 'ulama' the times which you had sent to
me. I therefore give you the good news that your time table for the
times for Wana are totally correct.
The names of the 'ulama' who were on this committee are as follows:
Maulānā 'Abd al-Warith Sahib, Maulānā 'Abd al-Majīd Sahib, Maulānā
Islah ad-Din Sahib and Maulānā Farīd Ahmad Sāhib.
Was salām
Nūr Muhammad
Principal of Dār al-'Ulūm Wazīrastan, Wānā
Khatīb of Markazī Jāmi' Masjid, Wānā, South Wazīrastan, district
Dherah Ismā'īl Khān.
It becomes clear from the above foreword that the time table of Janab
'Abd al-Latif Sahib is absolutely correct. It should be borne in mind
that his time table is based on the 18° angle.
A meeting was held in Britain on this issue. Hadrat Muftī Mahmud
Sāhib Gangohī rahimahullāh, the grand muftī of Dār al-'Ulūm
Deoband, passed the following decision in this regard.
There are constant disputes on the issues of true dawn and sighting of
the crescent in Britain. Each group has its own view and each one
insists on what it believes. When Hadrat Muftī Mahmud Sahib went to
Britain in 1403 A.H., the 'ulama' there reverted to him. After studying
their proofs and evidences, he wrote his response, the gist of which is:
The issue of true dawn and the whiteness which spreads
on the horizon has been a contentious one for a long
time. The times for the maghrib and 'isha salahs, the fajr
time, the end of sehrī time and the beginning of the fast
are all specifically related to this issue. I studied the
writings of the 'ulama' but I regretfully admit that I am
unable to come to an absolute decision on it.
Mahmud, may Allāh pardon him.
16 Sha ban 1403 A.H.
However, after this, all the 'ulama' concurred on applying the rule of
agrab al-ayyam and they all accepted it. Hadrat Muftī Sahib signed the
document and took back his previous written statement.
The unanimous decision
Today, 16 Sha'ban 1403 A.H. under the auspices of Jam'īyyatul 'Ulama'
Britain, the 'ulama' held a meeting in Bradford under the
chairmanship of Hadrat Muftī Mahmud Sahib. After lengthy
38

deliberations on calculating the true dawn in Britain, the 'ulama' who
were in attendance came to the following unanimous decision that
previously, the nautical twilight in Britain which was delineated at 12º
for the true dawn was absolutely wrong.
The days in which the true dawn is established in Britain - i.e. when it
goes below 18° - is termed as the astronomical twilight. The true dawn
will be considered at that time [18°] during those days because this is
the correct time of true dawn. However, as for the days when the sun
does not go below the horizon by 18°, the decision as regards the true
dawn for these days is that the time of true dawn on the last day will
be applied for these remaining days as well. The commencement and
end of sehrī will be laid down accordingly. [Noted by] Shabbir Ahmad.
Hadrat Wālā [Muftī Mahmud Sahib] applauded this decision,
congratulated the 'ulama', and asked for his previous written
statement to be returned to him.
Hadrat Muftī Sahib's statement
A meeting of Jam'īyyatul 'Ulama' Britain was held on 16 Sha ban 1403
A.H. to discuss the issue of true dawn, the whiteness which spreads on
the horizon and the final time of sehrī. This insignificant servant was
present in this meeting. Prior to this, I had studied several articles of
the 'ulama' on this subject, but it was difficult to give preference to
any specific view ... However, the 'ulama' re-discussed the issue among
themselves, concurred on one specific opinion, and no one considered
it incorrect. I then signed the declaration and asked for my previous
written statement which was then returned to me.1
Observe the following time-tables
Perpetual Time-Table For The District Of A'zamgarh
Date
True
Dawn
Sunrise
Intervening
Period
Sunset
‘Ishā
Interven
ing
Period
Jan
5: 17
6: 43
1: 26
5: 19
7:41
1: 22
Feb
5: 19
6: 41
1: 22
5: 42
7:01
1: 19
Mar
5: 01
6: 21
1: 20
6: 00
7:17
1:17
Apr
4: 30
5: 50
1: 20
6: 14
7:31
1: 17
May
3: 56
5: 23
1: 27
6: 28
7:50
1:22
June
3: 36
5: 08
1:32
6: 43
8: 13
1:30
July
3: 36
5: 11
1:35
6: 52
8: 22
1:30
Aug
3: 56
5: 25
1: 29
6: 43
8: 09
1: 26
Sep
4: 16
5: 39
1: 23
6: 17
8: 38
1: 21
1 Condensed from Hayat-e-Mahmud, pp. 201-205.
39

Oct
4: 29
5: 50
1: 21
5: 46
7: 01
1: 15
Nov
4: 42
6: 05
1: 23
5: 18
6: 36
1: 18
Dec
5: 00
6: 26
1: 26
5: 07
6: 28
1: 21
40