Class 4
WIDESPREAD BIDAHS IN WUDOO & SALAH
The strength of Sunnah and the spread of bid‘ah are inversely proportional.
The lower the Sunnah goes, the higher the Bid'ah comes. If one practices all the prescribed daily Sunnahs, it is impossible that he finds time for additional Bid'ahs in his life. So the best and most effective way to tackle Bid'ahs is not argument — it is replacement. Replace innovations with authentic Sunnahs.
Since most of these are widely practiced acts, people will want to know solid justifications backed with authentic references which negate these acts. We have added the links to almost each of these which has more details than the notes.
WIDESPREAD BID‘AHS IN WUDŪ’
1. Reciting Du‘ās While Performing Wudū’
Bid‘ah
There is no authentic narration that the Prophet ﷺ recited specific du‘ās while washing each limb during wudū’.
Statements such as:
“O Allah, whiten my face…” when washing the face
“Give me my book in my right hand…” when washing hands
All such narrations are fabricated or baseless. The Prophet ﷺ neither practiced them nor taught them to the Ummah.
Sunnah
Saying Bismillah before starting. (Tirmidhi)
And after finishing – Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-allah wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu
The Prophet ﷺ said, “There is no one among you who does wudu and does it well, then says, (the above Dua) but the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he will enter through whichever one he wants.” (Sahih Muslim)
Al-Tirmidhi added: “Allahumm Aj’Alni Min Al-Tawwabeena Waj’Alni Min Al-Mutatahhireena.”
There is a difference of opinion about this addition, it was classed as da’if (weak) by al-Hafiz ibn Hajar but Sheikh Al-Albani classed it as sahih and Ibn al-Qayyim agreed. Allahu Alam.
And also authentically reported that can be said after Wudoo: “Subhaanaka Allaahumma Wa Bi Hamdika, Ashhadu An Laa Ilaaha Ill Anta, Astaghfiruka Wa Atoobu Ilayka” (An Nisaa’I, classed as sahih by Albani)
2. Wiping the Neck During Wudū’
Bid‘ah
There is no ṣaḥīḥ hadith showing that the Prophet ﷺ wiped his neck during wudū’.
Major scholars such as Mālik, ash-Shāfi‘ī and Aḥmad did not consider it recommended.
Reports supporting it are weak and unreliable.
Sunnah
Wiping the head only, from front to back and back to front.
The neck is not included.
Read detail Fatwa: https://islamqa.info/en/70120/
WIDSPREAD BID‘AHS IN SALAH
1. Kissing Fingers and rubbing eyes when hearing the Name of the Prophet ﷺ during Adhaan
Bidah
This act of kissing the thumbs and rubbing it on the eyes when people hear the name of the Prophet ﷺ during adhaan has no basis in the Sunnah and is a clear bidah. And as we have learnt, when there is Bidah, Sunnahs are abandoned, in this act also you will notice many people who do this act do not follow the Sunnah which is to repeat what the Muadhin say.
Sunnah
Repeat what the Muadhin says apart from when he says Hayya Alas Salah & Hayya Alal Falah we say Laa Howla Wa La Quwata Illa Billah.
Recite Durood after Adhaan
After Adhaan recite Allahumma Rabba hadhihi-d-da'watit-tammah, was-salaatil-qa'imah, 'aati Muhammadan al-waseelata wal-fadilah, wab'ath-hu maqaaman mahmoodan-il-ladhi wa'adtah, innaka laa tukhliful-mee'aad.
Make Dua between Adhaan & Iqaamah, The Prophet ﷺ said, "The supplication made between the Adhan and the Iqamah is not rejected" (Tirmidhi & Abu Dawood; Sahih)
And in General whenever we hear the name of the Prophet ﷺ we send peace and blessings (Durood). The Prophet ﷺ said, “May his nose be rubbed in the dust, a man in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send blessings upon me.” (al-Tirmidhi, sahih) and He ﷺ also said, “The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send blessings upon me”. (Tirmidhi, Sahih)
2. Uttering the Intention (Niyyah) Out Loud
Bid‘ah
The Prophet ﷺ:
Never verbalised intention
Never said: “I intend to pray four rak‘ahs Zohr/Isha…”
Never said: I am facing the Kabah (when in Makkah or Madinah)
Never taught this to the Companions
These are all bid’ahs which were not narrated by any scholar with any isnaad, be it saheeh, da’eef, musnad or mursal … Neither was this narrated from any of the Prophet’s companions, and none of the Taabi’een or the four imams described it as mustahabb.
Intention is in the heart, not on the tongue. It is connected to knowledge. If a person knows what he is doing then he has obviously made an intention.
Sunnah
Simply know what you are praying and say Allahu Akbar to start.
To read more…
3. Ṣalāt al-Istikhārah (Commonly Practiced Method)
Bid‘ah
Common innovations include:
Performing Istikhārah only before sleep.
Expecting a dream.
Avoiding conversation afterward.
Interpreting colours or symbols.
None of this is from the Sunnah.
Sunnah
Can be prayed at any permissible time. There are reports about the Sahaba doing it after Zohar and getting on with life after it.
The intention is to ask Allah to guide you to make the right decision, if one reads the translation they will notice we are asking Allah to take the thing away from us and replace it with something better; so there is no mention of a dream nor did the Sahabas relied on dreams, so we just get on with it having complete Tawakul, if Allah makes it happen than that is for the best and if not than that is also for the best InshaAllah!
For rulings and how to offer Salatul Istikhaara https://learn-islam.org/class5-istikhaarah
4. Ṣalāt an-Nāriyyah (Recited in Fixed Numbers)
Bid‘ah
Reciting a specific formula 4,444 times during calamities:
Has no basis in Sunnah
Fixes numbers without evidence
Introduces ritualised worship
Read detail Fatwa http://islamqa.info/en/ref/7505/
Sunnah
As per the Hadeeth in Sahih Muslim, during calamities, the Prophet ﷺ recited:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Innâ Li-llâhi Wa Innâ Ilayhi Râjioon. Allahumma 'Jurnî Musîbatî Wa Khluf Lî Khayran Minhâ.
A du‘ā’ of submission, patience, and hope.
5. Offering 4 Rakahs Sunnah prayer before Jumah
Bidah
It is commonly seen that after adhaan time is given for people to offer 4 Rakahs Sunnah before Jumu'ah Khutbah starts. At the time of the Prophet ﷺ, there was nothing apart from the Adhan just before the khutbah. Hence the majority of the imams (Malik, Shafi & Ahmed included) agreed that there is no sunnah to be done at a specific time before Jumu’ah with a specific number of rak’ahs.
Details : https://islamqa.info/en /181043/
Also saying/wishing Jumah Mubarak is not Sunnah. Details https://islamqa.info/en/answers/134741
Sunnah
You can perform other voluntary (Nafl) prayers if you wish, but they aren't a specific "Sunnah of Jummah" before the Fard prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever does Ghusl on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, uses (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the perfume of his house, then goes out (for the Jumu`ah prayer) and does not separate between two (persons sitting together in the mosque), then prays as much as is decreed for him, then remains silent whilst the Imam is speaking, his sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven for him.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
Sunnah after Jumah prayer, if he ﷺ prayed in the mosque, he ﷺ would pray four, and if he ﷺ prayed at home, he ﷺ would pray two.
6. Handshaking to the one on the right and left after Every Prayer
Bid‘ah
Making it a regular practice to:
Turn right and left and shake hands right after Salah.
Believe it is part of prayer completion or a Sunnah to do so.
This was not done by the Sahābah.
Sunnah
After prayer, the Prophet ﷺ:
Made specific adhkār (adhkaar after Salah)
Sought forgiveness
Did not greet or shake hands as a ritual
Shaking hands upon meeting someone is Sunnah, not as a post-prayer routine. So its ok to shake hands with someone after Salah but not as a ritual to be done.
7. Collective Du‘ā’ After Obligatory Prayers
Bid‘ah
Saying du’aa’ out loud after the five daily prayers or regular Sunnah prayers, or reciting du’aa’ in unison as a regular practice is an innovation (bid’ah), because it was not proven that the Prophet ﷺ or his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did anything like that. Whoever makes du’aa’ after the obligatory or regular Sunnah prayers in unison is going against the way of Sunnah.
Sunnah
There are many Duas and Adhkaar mentioned in the Sunnah to be recited after Salah which according to a Hadeeth will compensate of any mistae done in Salah. The Sunnah Adhkaar after prayer includes:
Astaghfirullāh (3x)
Tasbīḥ, Taḥmīd, Takbīr (33 each)
Āyat al-Kursī
Last three sūrahs
And there are more
Each person recites individually.
For details about Adhkaar after Salah please read : https://learn-islam.org/class-8-adhkaar-after-salah
8. Collective Du‘ā’ During Tarāwīḥ Breaks or at the end
Bid‘ah
There is no basis in the Sunnah for saying du’aa’ between one salaam and the other or after every 4 Rakahs during Taraweeh prayer by saying “Subhaanaka Rabbana wa bi hamdika Allaahumma ighfir lana (Glory and praise be to You our Lord; O Allaah, forgive us)”, and neither the imam or those praying behind him are obliged to do that, because worship is governed by the principle that nothing is permitted except that which was prescribed by the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ. Constantly doing a particular act of worship at a particular time without any evidence for that comes under the heading of bid’ah or innovation.
Sunnah
What is authentically reported:
Subḥān al-Malik al-Quddūs after Witr. Three times, raising his voice on the third time.
Recitation of Surah Al A’la in First Rakah, Surah Kaafiroon in Second Rakah & Surah Ikhlaas in the last Rakah of Witr
No fixed congregational du‘ā’ repeated regularly.
9. Placing hand on forehead after Salah
Bidah
There are some people who, after finishing the prayer, put their hands on their foreheads for a while and they say that this is Sunnah. There is no basis for this.
Sunnah
Doing Dhikr
Doing Dhikr on the fingers.
To conclude, remember:
Worship is not creativity
Love is shown through obedience
Sunnah is always sufficient
Bid‘ah adds nothing — it only replaces what was perfect
When the Sunnah fills your worship, there is no room left for bid‘ah.
Please join our free online certificate course(s) mentioned below , to learn to learn more about the Fiqh, rulings, pillars, waajibaat, Sunnahs of Salah and to learn about the spiritual side of each of the movements in Salah, to get out of Autopilot mode and make it more heartfelt. (available online now, register and learn).
Note these are not part of the ongoing course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.
“ESSENTIALS OF SALAH” : https://learn-islam.teachable.com/p/essentials-of-salah
“ENJOY YOUR SALAH” : https://learn-islam.org/enjoy-your-salah
TIPS OF TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the Sunnahs.
ASSIGNMENT
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2..Talk about any 3 topics/bidahs/Sunnahs covered in this week’s classes with atleast 3 people. 5 Marks.
3. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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