Question:
It has been observed that some people place their right hand on their forehead immediately after completing the obligatory prayers and recite a supplication. Is there any evidence from the Quran and Sunnah for this practice? Please provide a researched answer. Jazakum Allahu Khairan.
Answer:
Salam al-Tawil al-Mada'ini narrates from Zayd al-Ami from Mu'awiya bin Qurra from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
↰ This narration's chain of transmission is severely weak.
➊ Salam al-Tawil al-Mada'ini:
He is considered abandoned (matruk).
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"He is abandoned."
[Kitab al-Du'afa with my verification: Tuhfat al-Aqwiya p. 51 No. 155]
◈ Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri said:
"He narrated fabricated (mawdu') hadiths from Humayd al-Tawil, Abu Amr ibn al-Ala, and Thawr ibn Yazid."
[Al-Madkhal ila al-Sahih p. 144 No. 73]
◈ Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"There is consensus on his weakness."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 1/212]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The hadith is very weak due to him."
[Natijat al-Afkar 2/301]
➋ The second narrator in this chain, Zayd al-Ami, is weak.
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib No. 2131]
He is considered weak by the majority of scholars.
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 10/110, 260]
◈ Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote: "The rest of the narrators in one of Al-Tabarani's chains are trustworthy, but there is some dispute regarding some of them."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 10/110]
Al-Tabarani's second chain could not be found. It is likely that Hafiz al-Haythami referred to Al-Bazzar's chain of "Hadathana al-Harith bin al-Khidr al-Attar: Thana 'Uthman bin Farqad from Zayd al-Ami from Mu'awiya bin Qurra from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)..."
[See Kashf al-Astar 4/22 Hadith 3100]
It appears that Al-Harith bin al-Khidr al-Attar is unknown in the books and might have dropped Salam al-Tawil al-Mada'ini between Uthman bin Farqad and Zayd al-Ami. Even if not, this chain is rejected due to his anonymity.
Second Narration:
It is narrated from Kathir bin Sulaym from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
↰ Regarding Kathir bin Sulaym, Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"He is munkar al-hadith."
[Kitab al-Du'afa with my verification: Tuhfat al-Aqwiya: 316]
When Imam Bukhari labels a narrator as "munkar al-hadith," he considers it impermissible to narrate from them.
[See Lisan al-Mizan 1/20]
Imam al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "He is abandoned in hadith."
[Kitab al-Du'afa wa al-Matrukin: 506]
A narration from an abandoned narrator is not valid even for corroborations and supporting evidence.
[See Mukhtasar 'Ulum al-Hadith by Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) p. 38, al-Naw' al-Thani, Ta'rifat Ukhra lil-Hasan]
Summary of Research:
These narrations with their chains are severely weak. Sheikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) also declared them as "very weak."
[Al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah 2/114 Hadith 660]
Note:
Al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) also declared it weak.
[Al-Jami' al-Saghir: 6741]
Muhammad Irshad Qasmi Deobandi quoted it with reference to Al-Jami' al-Saghir and Majma' al-Zawa'id, mentioning "with a weak chain" but did not translate the Arabic text that contains the criticism of the narration.
[See Al-Du'a al-Masnun p. 212 approved by Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai Deobandi]
Deobandi and Barelvi scholars present severely weak and rejected narrations to the public, misleading them. Are they not afraid of Allah's punishment?
There is no evidence from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), or the followers (tabi'in) for placing the hand on the forehead and making dua after prayers. Therefore, this practice should be completely avoided.
It has been observed that some people place their right hand on their forehead immediately after completing the obligatory prayers and recite a supplication. Is there any evidence from the Quran and Sunnah for this practice? Please provide a researched answer. Jazakum Allahu Khairan.
Answer:
Salam al-Tawil al-Mada'ini narrates from Zayd al-Ami from Mu'awiya bin Qurra from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) when he finished his prayer, would touch his forehead with his right hand and then say: 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. O Allah, remove from me the anxiety and sorrow.'"
[Amal al-Yaum wa al-Layla by Ibn al-Sunni: Hadith 112 and its wording, Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat 3/243 Hadith 2520 second copy: 2499, Kitab al-Du'a by Al-Tabarani 2/1096 Hadith 659, Al-Amali by Ibn Sam'un: Hadith 121, Natijat al-Afkar by Ibn Hajar 2/301, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani 2/301-302]
↰ This narration's chain of transmission is severely weak.
➊ Salam al-Tawil al-Mada'ini:
He is considered abandoned (matruk).
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"He is abandoned."
[Kitab al-Du'afa with my verification: Tuhfat al-Aqwiya p. 51 No. 155]
◈ Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri said:
"He narrated fabricated (mawdu') hadiths from Humayd al-Tawil, Abu Amr ibn al-Ala, and Thawr ibn Yazid."
[Al-Madkhal ila al-Sahih p. 144 No. 73]
◈ Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"There is consensus on his weakness."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 1/212]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The hadith is very weak due to him."
[Natijat al-Afkar 2/301]
➋ The second narrator in this chain, Zayd al-Ami, is weak.
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib No. 2131]
He is considered weak by the majority of scholars.
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 10/110, 260]
◈ Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote: "The rest of the narrators in one of Al-Tabarani's chains are trustworthy, but there is some dispute regarding some of them."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id 10/110]
Al-Tabarani's second chain could not be found. It is likely that Hafiz al-Haythami referred to Al-Bazzar's chain of "Hadathana al-Harith bin al-Khidr al-Attar: Thana 'Uthman bin Farqad from Zayd al-Ami from Mu'awiya bin Qurra from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)..."
[See Kashf al-Astar 4/22 Hadith 3100]
It appears that Al-Harith bin al-Khidr al-Attar is unknown in the books and might have dropped Salam al-Tawil al-Mada'ini between Uthman bin Farqad and Zayd al-Ami. Even if not, this chain is rejected due to his anonymity.
Second Narration:
It is narrated from Kathir bin Sulaym from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) when he finished his prayer, would touch his forehead with his right hand and then say: 'In the name of Allah, who there is no god but Him, O Allah, remove from me the anxiety and sorrow,' thrice."
[Al-Kamil by Ibn 'Adi 7/199, Kitab al-Du'a by Al-Tabarani 2/1095 Hadith 658, Al-Amali by Al-Shajri 1/249, Tarikh Baghdad 12/480, and Natijat al-Afkar 2/301-302]
↰ Regarding Kathir bin Sulaym, Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"He is munkar al-hadith."
[Kitab al-Du'afa with my verification: Tuhfat al-Aqwiya: 316]
When Imam Bukhari labels a narrator as "munkar al-hadith," he considers it impermissible to narrate from them.
[See Lisan al-Mizan 1/20]
Imam al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "He is abandoned in hadith."
[Kitab al-Du'afa wa al-Matrukin: 506]
A narration from an abandoned narrator is not valid even for corroborations and supporting evidence.
[See Mukhtasar 'Ulum al-Hadith by Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) p. 38, al-Naw' al-Thani, Ta'rifat Ukhra lil-Hasan]
Summary of Research:
These narrations with their chains are severely weak. Sheikh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) also declared them as "very weak."
[Al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah 2/114 Hadith 660]
Note:
Al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) also declared it weak.
[Al-Jami' al-Saghir: 6741]
Muhammad Irshad Qasmi Deobandi quoted it with reference to Al-Jami' al-Saghir and Majma' al-Zawa'id, mentioning "with a weak chain" but did not translate the Arabic text that contains the criticism of the narration.
[See Al-Du'a al-Masnun p. 212 approved by Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai Deobandi]
Deobandi and Barelvi scholars present severely weak and rejected narrations to the public, misleading them. Are they not afraid of Allah's punishment?
There is no evidence from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), or the followers (tabi'in) for placing the hand on the forehead and making dua after prayers. Therefore, this practice should be completely avoided.
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