New Trend Magazine (www.newtrendmag.org)

[Biggest Islamic web site in the U.S.]
P.O. Box 356, Kingsville, MD 21087.
Phone: 410-435-5000.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are not necessarily shared by editorial committee.
Responses (positive or negative) up to 250 words are welcome.
Names will be withheld on request.
--------------------------------------------
MANY WHO EMBRACE ISLAM IN U.S. PRISONS write to NEW TREND

New Trend receives a steady stream of mail from America's prisons. It comes from people who have embraced Islam, mostly African-Americans, followed by Hispanics, and even some Whites. Most of them ask for New Trend, the Qur'an, Hadith and a variety of Islamic literature. Some of them ask interesting, sometimes difficult, questions.

A recent letter from Oakdale, Louisiana, from a long time African-American correspondent told us that a number of Guatemalan, Salvadoran and Mexican prisoners have embraced Islam. As result the Spanish translations of the Qur'an we got from Br. Solano in Texas, have been sent to Oakdale.

Recently, one of our advisors, Dr. Alauddin Shabazz of Chicago, received a letter from Damien Michael (Abdul-Haqq), an inmate in the San Luis Obispo, California area. The brother wrote that the Imam of the prison community had decided to hold the Juma' (Friday) prayer at 10.30 in the morning because that was the time when all the 50 Muslims there could attend. If Juma were held at the regular Zuhr time, most inmates are at work and would not be able to attend.

The Imam based his ruling on a Hadith in Bukhari which says: "Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (pbuh) used to offer the salat earlier if it was cold, and if it was very hot, he used to delay that salat, i.e. the Jumu'a prayer. [2:29-O.B] He combined the Hadith with Maslahah (the good of the community) to hold the prayer at 10.30. The brother wanted to know : "Is the Jumu'a prayer that we are having in the morning acceptable? If the answer is no, I would like to know if it is permissible to participate in the congregational two rakats of what we refer to as Salat-ul-Jumua."

Dr. Shabazz asked Br. Siddique to answer.
Here is the answer:

Dear brother Abdul-Haqq, asalamu alaikum. The "jumua prayer" you are referring to is not Jumua prayer at all. It is a Bid'a or innovation which is not permitted in Islam.

The Imam who tried to use the Hadith you have quoted, did not understand the Hadith. In prayers, there are starting times and ending times for each prayer. That's the flexibility which can be used in hot and cold weather. However, the flexibility does not have scope for going altogether outside the prayer time schedules. The following Hadith indicates the flexible timings which are permitted:

"Abu Musa Ash'ari narrates from his father:
A person came to the messenger of Allah, peace be on him, and asked him about the timings of prayers. The Prophet, pbuh, did not answer him but when it became dawn, the Prophet led the people in prayer. It was so dark that people could not recognize each other. During the day, after the sun declined from the zenith, he led them in Zuhr prayer. People were saying it is mid-day though they knew better. When he led them in ‘Asr prayer, the sun was still high. When the sun set, he led them in maghrib prayer. When the twilight after sunset disappeared, he led them in ‘Isha prayer. The next day he led them in fajr prayer so late that after prayers, people said, the sun has risen or is about to rise. Then he led them in Zuhr prayers so that it was almost as late as the start of Asr prayer the previous day. Then he led ‘Asr prayer so late that people said, the sun is covered by the redness of sunset. Then he delayed Maghrib so much that the light of dusk had almost disappeared. Then he put off ‘Isha till one third of the night had passed. The next morning he called the questioner and said, the correct time is between those two times. [Hadith in Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nasai and Baihaqi.]

The 10.30 morning "juma" does not fit in that picture. The Muslims in San Luis Obispo should petition the authorities to let them pray Jum'a at the appropriate slot for Zuhr.

In the meantime, the 10.30 time can be used for T'alim and study of the Qur'an. Nafl prayers can be said, but not in congregation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2003-07-26 Sat 19:07ct