#858: Ruling on reciting Sūratul `Asr at the end of Gatherings

858. QUESTION:

“As Salam Alaykum Waramatullah Wabaraktu, …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 Alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh

As for this matter, there has been an Athar from the Sahābah that this happened.

Imām Abū Dāwud recorded in his Book Az-Zuhd from Abū Madīnah Ad-Dārimī who said:

كَانَ الرَّجُلانِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا الْتَقَيَا لَمْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَقْرَأَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى الآخَرِ : ” وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ” ، ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى الآخَرِ

“Whenever any two of the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh salallāhu Alayhi Wasallam would meet, they would not depart you till one of them have read unto the other ‘Wa Al-‘Asr Inna Al-Insāna Lafī Khusri ‘. And then they would say the Salām unto one another.”

This Hadīth was recorded by Abū Dāwud in his book Az-Zuhd, At-Tabarānī in Al-Awsat and Al-Bayhaqī in Shu’ab.

Some of the Ulamā have considered the Hadīth to be Sahīh. Of them are Imām Al-Haythamī, the Shaykh ‘AbdulMuhsin Al-Abbād, Shaykh Muhammad Nāsiruddīn Al-Albānī.

Likewise, some of the Ulamā considered this Hadīth to be weak. Of them are Shaykh Abū ‘Abdullah Mustapha Al-‘Adwī and our Shaykh, the ‘Allāmah of Maghrib, Shaykh Umar Al-Haddūshī, hafidhahullāh.

Then, the Ulamā that considered it Sahīh also differed as to the practice. While some of them considered it a valid and encouraged practice, others considered it to be permissible only, and that practicing it as a tradition will be prone to Bid’ah.

As for us, we prefer to avoid the Hadīth altogether due to the differences of the Ulamā on it’s authenticity.

And, if Allāh grants us longer life, ability and soundness, we shall revisit this Hadīth and research it for the consumption of all.

And Allāh knows best

Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazakumullāhu Khayran

Abū ‘Āsim

28th Safar, 1441AH.

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