Darul Uloom Trinidad & Tobago

Q. Is the dua of Salaate hajat based on a weak hadith, so as we should not pray this salaah?

A. Hajat (Hajah) means a need and Salaah of Hajaah refers to Salaah which is read in order to ask Allah to fulfill the need of a person. This Salaah is evident from reliable traditions, and can be performed whenever one wishes for Allah to fulfill his need. The duas that are narrated in the traditions are also reliable and should be recited.

The tradition which speaks of Salaah Al Hajaah is that of Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (R.S) who says that the Prophet (S.A) said, ‘whoever has a need from Allah or from any of the children of Adam, then he should perform a good wazu, then perform two rakaat of Salaah, then praise Allah and send blessings upon the Prophet (S.A) and then say ‘La ilaha illalah Al Haleem Al Kareem —— (until the end)’. This hadith has been narrated by Imam Tirmizi who said that it was a ghareeb (uncommon) hadith. (A ghareeb hadith is one in which only a single reporter is found relating it at some stage of the Isnad. A hadith being ghareeb does not indicate to it’s weakness. In fact, there are a number of ghareeb ahadith that are Saheeh (sound).

Imam Tirmizi further states about the hadith of Salaah Al Hajah, ‘In the Isnad (chain of reporters) there is contention. Faa’id bin Abdur Rahman, (who is Abul Warqa) (one of the reporters in the sanad) has been considered weak. (Tirmizi)

This was the statement of Imam Tirmizi, on account of which some have said that the hadith of Salaah Al Hajaah is weak. This however, is opposing to the view of the majority of scholars, who hold that Salaah Al Hajaah is evident from the Prophet (SA) through acceptable traditions, and the duas contained therein are reliable. In support of this position, these scholars have cited the opinions of other great scholars of hadith regarding the above mentioned tradition of Tirmizi, and they have also produced other ahadith (traditions) which serve as a strong support for the tradition of Salaah Al Hajaah as narrated by Imam Timizi.

From among those traditions which endorse and give support to practice of Salaah Al Hajaah are:-

1) Huzaifa (R.A) states that whenever the Prophet (S.A) was confronted with any serious matter, he would turn to Salaah (that is he would perform Salaah and pray to Allah for assistance). This is a sound hadith which has been recorded by Ahmad and Abu Dawood. Hafiz Ibn Hajar has also stated that the Isnad is good.(Fathul Baari; Ila’us Sunnan vol. 7 pg.40)

2) Anas (R.A) reports that the Prophet (S.A) said on one occasion, ‘O Ali! Should I not teach you a supplication, that when you are affected with a grief or a worry, and you supplicate to your lord with these words, then your supplication will be answered and your problems will be removed? Perform wuzu and offer two rakaats of Salaah, then praise and glorify Allah. Send blessings upon your Prophet, seek forgiveness for yourself, the believing men and women and then say, ‘Allahumma Anta tahkumu baina ibadika ———— (until the end)’. (Hafiz Munzri has mentioned this in At Targheeb wat Tarheeb vol. 1 pg.477).

3) Uthman bin Hunaif (R.A) narrates that a blind man came to the Prophet (S.A) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah my blindness has become difficult please supplicate to Allah to remove the pain of my eye sight’. The Prophet (SA) said, ‘or should I leave you’. ( that is, should I leave it as it is ). The man said, ‘O Messenger of Allah losing my sight is severe upon me’. The Prophet (S.A) then said, ‘then go and perform wazu, perform two rakaats of Salaah and then recite (the following dua)   Allahumma inni As’aluka. ———— (until the end)’.

(Tirmizi has recorded it and said that it was a Hasan (good) hadith; recorded also by Nasai, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaima in his Saheeh. Hakim has also recorded it and said ‘this is Saheeh (sound) and is upon the conditions laid by Bukhari and Muslim’. (Ilaa’us Sunan vol.7 pg. 41; At Targheeb wat Tarheeb vol. 1 pg. 473).

All these traditions are sufficient evidences to authentically prove the establishment of Salaah Al Hajaah. We find that in each of the above traditions, the fulfillment of a need was the prime objective of the Salaah and the dua which has been mentioned.

It is on account of these strong supporting evidences, the great Fuqaha (expert jurists) and traditionists of the early centuries have accepted the practice of Salaah Al Hajaah, and have also recorded it in their respective books of Fiqh and hadith.

With respect to the hadith of Tirmizi which has been considered weak on account of the reporter Faa’id bin Abdur Rahman, other great scholars of hadith have accepted the tradition and have not considered him to be rejected in narrating ahadith. In this regard, the great scholar of hadith, Hakim has stated about Faa’id bin Abdur Rahman that, ‘he is upright, honest in hadith, and there are supporting evidence for his hadith. Hafiz Ibn Hajar has stated that although some scholars would not have narrated hadith from Faa’id, many sound and reliable scholars of hadith have transmitted hadith from him. The great scholar Ibn Addi has stated, ‘although he is weak, his hadith are written (that is, his hadith can be transmitted and narrated’. (Hafiz Munziri in At Targheeb wat Tarheeb vol.1pg. 275)

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Waseem Khan