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Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother in Islam, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we implore Allah to guide the baffled Muslim Ummah to the Right Path, and to redress the balance of power and restore sovereignty to Muslims in the near future, in sha’ Allah.
It is well known that after storm comes sunshine. This very fact is confirmed by Allah’s saying in the Qur’an: “ But lo! with hardship goeth ease. Lo! with hardship goeth ease.” (Ash-Sharh: 5-6)
Prayer is one of the matters to which a Muslim resorts in times of distress. So, if a Muslim was afflicted with a misfortune, he hastens to prayer asking the help of Allah. It is related that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was stricken by any grievous matter, he hastened to prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say to Bilal: “Relieve us with it (prayer), O Bilal.”
Thus, offering prayer for spreading peace on the oppressed, helpless and persecuted and warding off aggression and the oppression of war is legalized on the basis of the following evidence:
1- Prayer is resorting to Allah seeking His protection to remove oppression and aggression against those who are oppressed.
2- It is a symbol of submission to Allah the All-Mighty, Who can change matters to the best of conditions.
3- Muslims are ordained to offer Salat al-Hajah (two voluntary rak`ahs) for fulfilling any kind of need. So, if offering prayer for a personal need that belongs to one person is legitimate, then with greater reason people can gather to offer Salat al-Hajah for a matter that belongs to the whole Ummah. It is reported on the authority of Abu ad-Darda’ that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If any one of you performs the ritual ablution and offers two voluntary rak`ahs consciously, then Almighty Allah will fulfill his/her need either instantly or later.” (Reported by Ahmad)
After offering two rak`ahs, one should praise Allah, invoke His blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and say the following du`a’:
“There is no god but Allah, the Ever-Clement, the Most Generous. I celebrate the Glory of Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I beseech You seeking that which will draw me closer to Your mercy, and that which will make certain for me Your Forgiveness. O Allah, grant me protection against any sin, and a share of every virtue. Do not leave me a sin without forgiving it, a worry without relieving me of it, or a need that meets with Your pleasure without providing for it, O Most Merciful Lord.”
4- Public du`a’ is legalized in times of trials and calamities so that Allah may remove the calamity from the Muslims.
Focusing more on the question in point, the eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states:
“Du`a’ is legalized for trials and misfortunes afflicted on the Ummah. So Muslims are allowed to invoke Allah to remove their calamities and to grant them victory over their enemies. We have Salat al-Hajah that is legalized in such cases and conditions, so people are allowed to gather and to offer prayer and make du`a’ in critical situations. Almighty Allah says: “Seek help in patience and prayer…” (Al-Baqarah: 44)
However, Muslims are ordained not to be only satisfied with du`a’. They are required to deny aggression and to declare their stance against the US and Britain. Furthermore, they should not spare any efforts in warding off the aggression. It stands to reason that making du`a’ and offering prayer along with taking the necessary measures for achieving this goal is a duty upon the Ummah.”
Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustapha, professor of Fiqh and Its Principles, International Islamic University, Malaysia, states:
“What is called Salat al-Hajah is a controversial issue among Muslim scholars. The majority of verifiers of Hadith classify hadiths related in this regard as da`if (weak). Nevertheless, I see that there is nothing wrong in such prayers and other devotional acts that draw us near to Allah in times of need and crises. In such times, we can implore Allah earnestly to remove the trial and to hasten victory of the Ummah and to protect it against all plots, destruction, occupation and aggression. In this way, we follow the sound opinion of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), who views the permissibility of acting according to da`if hadiths in virtuous matters. Also, it is known that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to resort to prayer whenever he was afflicted by any worry or trial or when the Ummah faced any misfortune. Based on this, I opine that there is nothing wrong in people gathering to establish such prayers in these days and to increase our qunut (du`a’) in all prescribed prayers so that Allah may remove misfortunes and protect the Ummah against trials and challenges that threaten its existence. It is clear for all nowadays that the Muslim Ummah is passing by the gravest and the most effective misfortune in its present and future phase and that no one but Allah will grant it victory over the enemies. Thus, increasing qunut in prayers, du`a’, invocation and supplication to Allah in the present time is a religious obligation upon every Muslim.”
Moreover, Sheikh Muhammad Husain Fadl Allah, the well-known Shi`ite Jurist, Lebanon, states:
“It is clear that Islam and the Muslim world are passing through a critical phase in all levels. This phase compels us Muslims to mobilize all our capabilities that may motivate feelings, open minds, and contribute to the planning for backing the causes of the Ummah and mobilizing all energies in this regard.
In light of this, the spiritual part represented in prayer, fasting, asking Allah for forgiveness, and du`a’ may arouse feelings in a spiritual atmosphere to implore Allah to make our feet firm and to grant us plans that contribute to our victory over the disbelievers.
Thus, we prefer every spiritual initiative on condition that it integrates with the other initiatives on which Muslims meet in order to mobilize all energies for backing jihad of our Palestinian brothers to restore their usurped rights.”
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