#851: Ruling on Opening and Closing Prayers at Events

851. QUESTION:

“As Salam Alaykum Waramatullah Wabaraktu, trust you’re doing well in all forms. May Allah grant us strength and keep us guided. Someone asked about evidence on why we shouldn’t indulge in opening and closing prayers at gatherings of Muslims. I gave him the response that it’s not a practice from the sunnah. I told him the prophet started his speech with khutbatu hajjah and ended it with “subhanakallahuma wa buhamdik ash hadu an lailla illa anta astagfiruka wa’ tuubu ileik.” He also brought up the recitation of suratul asr at the end of gatherings which I’m aware the Hadith is classified unauthentic. Please can you help with a detailed response with evidences on why it’s not from the sunnah to recite opening and closing prayers. What’s the alternative instead. Jazakallah khayr!”

ANSWER:

Wa alaykumu salām wa warahmatullāh wabarakātuh

Alhamdulillāh.

May Allāh accept your Du’ā and grant peace to the heart, amīn

Alhamdulillāh

What should be known, and to Allāh goes all Praises, is that the Ulamā are at a consensus that Du’ā is a form of Ibādah in accordance with the Hadīth in which the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

الدعاء هو العبادة

“Du’ā is ‘Ibadah”

As was recorded by Imām At-Tirmidhī from Nu’man bn Bashīr radiyallāhu ‘anhu.

For this, the Allāmah Hāfidh Al-Hakami – rahimahullāh – said:

وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ مُخُّهَا الدُّعَاءُ خَوْفٌ تَوَكُّلٌ كَذَا الرَّجَاءُ

وَرَغْبَةٌ وَرَهْبَةٌ خُشُوعُ وَخَشْيَةٌ إِنَابَةٌ خُضُوعُ

وَالِاسْتِعَاذَةُ وَالِاسْتِعَانَهْ كَذَا اسْتِغَاثَةٌ بِهِ سُبْحَانَهْ

وَالذَّبْحُ وَالنَّذْرُ وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكْ فَافْهَمْ هُدِيتَ أَوْضَحَ الْمَسَالِكْ

وَصَرْفُ بَعْضِهَا لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ ** شِرْكٌ وَذَاكَ أَقْبَحُ الْمَنَاهِي

“And in the Hadīth, Du’ā is it’s Brain…”

The “it’s” here refers to Ibādah
He said this in Sullamu Al-Wusūl.

His reference is the Hadith in which the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

الدعاء مخ العبادة

“Du’ā is the Brain/Main Point of ‘Ibadah”

If it is confirmed to you, beloved brother that Du’ā is an ‘Ibadah, it becomes apparent to you that Allāh has not left us to ourselves when it comes to the matters of Ibādah. For everything in this world and everything man can ever do is either done as a direct relationship with Allāh (Physical Worship) or it is a direct relationship between fellow humans.

As for that which is done as a Worship to Allāh, the Ulamā are agreed that it is not permissible to do a thing in this sphere unless you have been sanctioned or ordered by Allāh to do it. This means that everything of it is Harām by default except that which has been sanctioned. So you don’t wake up one day and choose to observe seven Raka’āt for Sub’h.

Of them is Du’ā. You cannot choose to make Du’ā to Allāh in the way and manner you want to.

As for that which is done in a direct relationship with a fellow human or other than Allāh, the default Ruling is Permissibility except that which evidence has proven to be impermisible.

For this reason, the general ruling for Du’ā is to make Du’ā to Allāh in the manner with which the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – asked us to. For places where he used a particular Du’ā, we stick to that. For places where he made Du’ā in different ways in different times, we are required to do same in the respective manners he did them.

An example of this is the opening of events. It is known that the Rasūl -salallāhu alayhi wasallam – never opened his sittings with any Du’ā except the Du’ā Al-Istiftāh in which case he didn’t stick to one. Sometimes he recited the Khutbatu Al-Hajah. Sometimes he began his writings of letters with Bismillah only. Sometimes he began his speech with Alhamdulillāh.

And the Khutbatu Al-Hajah itself has variants.

Having said that, it is imperative to note that it hasn’t been recorded of him that he had opening prayers as it is done in events today.

Rather, he did the Tahmīd and sought Allah’s blessings with particular wordings of the Du’ā like that in the Khutbatu Al-Hājah. Therefore this is what is Sunnah. The same can be said of the Closing Prayers.

And Allāh knows best.

As for the recitation of Sūratu Al-‘Asr, we shall treat it in another Question Allāh willing.

Bārakallāhu Fīkum

Jazākumullāhu Khayran

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