RECITING YASIN AT THE ONE NEAR DEATH OR DECEASED

[ مسائل معتمدة في مَذْهَبُ الحَنَابِلَةِ اعتقد البَعضُ أنَّها مِنْ البِدَعِ أو محرمة ]

Depended upon things in the Madhhab that are thought by others to be innovations or impermissible

مُعْتَمَدُ مَذْهَبِ الحَنَابِلَةِ استحباب قراءة سورة ( يس ) عند المحتضر

The depended upon ruling in the madhhab of the Hanbalis is that it is praiseworthy to recite Surah Yasin in the presence of the one near death.

مما انتشر على أنه مذهب الإمام أحمد والحنابلة رضي الله عنهم ، القول ببدعية قراءة سورة ( يس )  .

It has come to be widely believed that the madhhab of the Imam, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and the Hanbalis, may Allah be pleased with all of them, is the statement that it is impermissible or an innovation to recite Yasin in the presence of the one near death or at the gravesite.

والمعتمد عن أحمد رضي الله عنه ، وعلماء المذهب الاستحباب .

The depended upon ruling from Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, and the scholars of the madhhab is that it is praiseworthy.

وسنقدم قول الإمام قبل أقوال العلماء تفنيدًا لشبهة من قال بأن المتأخرين يخالفون الإمام أحمد رحم الله الجميع .

So we will put forward the statement of the Imam before the statements of scholars in in to lift the doubt from the statement that the latter day scholars opposed and contradicted the Imam, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

قول إمام المذهب :

The statement of the Imam of the Madhhab is next.

قال الموفق  رحمه الله في المغني ( 2 / 161 ) كتاب الجنائز :

Imam Muwaffaq ud-Din Ibn Qudamah (d.620), may Allah have mercy upon him, in Al-Mughni, vol.2, p.161 in the Book of Al-Jana’iz stated:

قال أحمد : ويقرءون عند الميت إذا حضر ، ليخفف عنه بالقراءة ، يقرأ { يس } ، وأمر بقراءة فاتحة الكتاب . وروى سعيد ، حدثنا فرج بن فضالة ، عن أسد بن وداعة ، قال : لما حضر غضيف بن حارث الموت ، حضره إخوانه ، فقال : هل فيكم من يقرأ سورة ( يس ) ؟ قال رجل من القوم : نعم . قال : اقرأ ، ورتل ، وأنصتوا . فقرأ ، ورتل . وأسمع القوم ، فلما بلغ { : فسبحان الذي بيده ملكوت كل شيء وإليه ترجعون } . خرجت نفسه . قال أسد بن وداعة : فمن حضر منكم الميت ، فشدد عليه الموت ، فليقرأ عنده سورة ( يس ) ، فإنه يخفف عنه الموت .

“Imam Ahmad said, ‘They recite in the presence of the deceased when the body is present and it lightens difficulties from him by reciting Yasin’. And he would also command them to recite Surat ul-Fatihah. It is narrated by Sa`id: It was narrated to us by Faraj ibn Fudalah from Asad ibn Wada`ah who narrated: When the Ghudaif ibn Harith was near death, his brothers attended him and he said to them, ‘Is there someone among you who will recite Yasin?’ One of the people said, ‘Yes’. He said to them, ‘Then recite and do so correctly and remain silent’. So the man recited and did so correctly and slowly. And the people sat and listened. When he reached the portion: Glorified is the One who has in His Hand the dominion of everything and they shall all return to Him. [Surah Yasin (36), ayah 83] Then Ghudaif died. Asad ibn Wada`ah then said, ‘Whoever among you attends to the deceased and the death is hard upon him, let him recite Yasin as it will ease death for him’.  

واختار التقي بن تيمية رحمه الله الاستحباب :ففي  الاختيارات  (ص 91) : والقراءة على الميت بعد موته بدعة ، بخلاف القراءة على المحتضر ، فإنها تستحب بياسين “.

The chosen position of Taqi ud-Din Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah be pleased with him, is that it is praiseworthy to recite Yasin as is discussed in Al-Ikhtiyarat, p.91: “So the qira’ah upon the deceased after death is innovation which is the opposite ruling of making qira’ah upon the one near death. Indeed the only thing praiseworthy is Yasin”.

قال المرداوي رحمه الله في الانصاف( 2 / 466):قوله ( ويقرأ عنده سورة يس ) ، قاله الأصحاب ، وكذا يقرأ عنده سورة الفاتحة ونص عليهما واقتصر الأكثر على ذلك ، وقيل : يقرأ أيضا سورة تبارك . وجزم به في المستوعب .

Imam `Ala’ ud-Din Al-Mardawi (d.885), may Allah have mercy upon him, states in Al-Insaf, vol.2, p.466: “So he recites Yasin in the presence of the one near death as was said by the companions of the School. And likewise he recites Al-Fatihah (1) in his presence. Both of these have been mentioned by the Imam and most of the companions of the School limit the matter to this. It has also been said that he recites Surat ul-Mulk (67) as well and this is specifically mentioned in Al-Mustaw`ib”.

قال دقائق أولي النهى لشرح المنتهى المعروف بشرح منتهى الإرادات ( 1 / 341) :يسن ( قراءة الفاتحة و ) قراءة ( يس عنده ) أي المحتضر لحديث ” { اقرءوا على موتاكم يس } ” رواه أبو داود وصححه ابن حبان ولأنه يسهل خروج الروح .

There is also the statement of Imam Mansur Al-Buhuti (d.1051) in Daqa’iq Uwl in-Nuha Li-Sharh il-Muntaha, also known as Sharh Muntaha Al-Iradat, vol.1, p.341: “It is the sunnah to recited Al-Fatihah (1) and Yasin (2) in the presence of the dying one based upon the hadith, ‘So recite Yasin to your deceased’ as collected by Imams Abu Dawud and declared sahih by Ibn Hibban. And this hadith is thought to refer to the one near death and beneficial as it eases the exit of the soul from the body”.

وكتب فارس بن فالح الخزرجي

١٩ ذو القعدة ١٤٣٨ هـ

And this was written by (Shaikh) Faaris ibn Faalih Al-Khazraji

19 Dhul Qa`dah 1438

THE CLEAR AND CONCISE WAY OF MUSLIM ORTHODOXY IN THEOLOGY

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وقال الإمام شيخ الإسلام موفق الدين ابن قدامة في قاعدة التفويض:

Imam Muwaffaq ud-Din Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said just this on the topic:

والصحيح: أن المتشابه: ما ورد في صفات الله سبحانه مما يجب الإيمان به ويحرم التعرض لتأويله كقوله تعالى:

“The authentic position is that the allegorical ayat are what was narrated about the Attributes of Allah, Glorified be He, in what is compulsory to believe in and it is impermissible to seek its meaning. This includes examples where the Exalted One has said:

) ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَىٰ)  (بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ( (لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْعَالِينَ) (وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو ٱلْجَلاَلِ وَٱلإِكْرَامِ) (تَجْرِي بِأَعْيُنِنَا) ونحوه.   

(The Most Merciful is above the Throne),[1] (But both of His Hands are outspread),[2] (to the one I created with My Two Hands),[3] (The Face of your Lord shall remain forevermore),[4] (They float under Our Gaze).[5]

فهذا اتفق السلف رحمهم الله على الإقرار به وإمراره على وجهه وترك تأويله.

“And this is what the First Three Generations – may Allah have mercy upon them – agreed in that they would affirm it, pass it by as it was and abandon seeking the meaning.

فإن الله سبحانه ذم المتبعين لتأويله وقرنهم في الذم بالذين يبتغون الفتنة وسماهم أهل زيغ.

“This was on account that Allah, Glorified be He, cast blame upon those who sought its meaning and joined between the blameworthiness of what they did with those who are seeking tribulation and he named them people of division and rancour.

وليس في طلب تأويل ما ذكروه من المجمل وغيره ما يذم به صاحبه بل يمدح عليه إذ هو طريق إلى معرفة الأحكام وتمييز الحلال من الحرام.

“And in seeking out the meaning of what they mentioned before of general ayat and others, there is no blame on someone doing that. In fact it is the opposite. When it comes to the decisive ayat, one is praised for seeking the meaning is this is a way to know the judgements set in the Revealed Law and distinguishing the permissible from the impermissible.

ولأن في الآية قرائن تدل على أن الله سبحانه منفرد بعلم تأويل المتشابه وأن الوقف الصحيح عند قوله تعالى:

“However in the allegorical, it is in this ayah indicators that establish that Allah only has knowledge of the meaning of the allegorical and that a complete stop should be exercised at the place where the Exalted One says:

(وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللهُ) لفظًا ومعنى.

And no one knows its meaning but Allah.[6] This means both the wording and the meaning.

أما اللفظ: فلأنه لو أراد عطف (وَالرَّاسِخُونَ) لقال: (وَيَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ) بالواو

“As for the wording, then if it was intended that those well grounded in knowledge [7]also knew the meaning, it would have mentioned and they say, ‘We believe in it’. [8]

وأما معنى: فلأنه ذم مبتغي التأويل ولو كان ذلك للراسخين معلومًا: لكان مبتغيه ممدوحًا لا مذمومًا.

“In terms of the meaning, this is on account of the fact that the one seeking the meaning is considered blameworthy. If the meaning of it had been known to those well grounded in knowledge, then seeking it would have been praiseworthy and not blameworthy.

ولأن قولهم: (آمَنَّا بِهِ) يدل على نوع تفويض وتسليم لشيء لم يقفوا على معناه.

“And also due to their statement (We have believed in it) proves this is a type of tafwid and submission to something that they did not know its meaning.

سيما إذا أتبعوا بقولهم (كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا) فذكرهم ربهم ههنا يعطي الثقة به، والتسليم لأمره وأنه صدره منه وجاء من عنده كما جاء من عنده المحكم.

“This is especially when the statement is followed up with their words (all of it is from our Lord). Thus their mentioning their Lord hear confirms trusting in Him, submission to him and that it came from Him, from His Presence just as the other decisive ayat had come.

ولأن لفظة (أَمَّا) لتفصيل الجمل فذكره لها في (الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ) مع وصفه إياهم بابتغاء المتشابه وابتغاء تأويله يدل على قسم آخر يخالفهم في هذه الصفة وهم (الراسخون) ولو كانوا يعلمون تأويله لم يخالفوا القسم الأول في ابتغاء التأويل.

“As for the statement (as far as) [9] this is to differentiate the sentences and He mentioned the matter regarding the others when he said (those who have a disease in their hearts) [10] with His Description of them in seeking the allegorical and seeking its meaning and that served as proof on another matter that He mentioned the well grounded in knowledge opposed those who had a sickness in their hearts. So if the well grounded in knowledge had known the meaning, they would not have been differentiated from the first group in their seeking the meaning.

وإذ قد ثبت أنه غير معلوم التأويل لأحد: فلا يجوز حمله على غير ما ذكرناه لأن ما ذكر من الوجوه لا يعلم تأويله كثير من الناس.

“Thus when it has been established that the meaning of it is not known to anyone, it is not permissible to bear the ayah on anything other than what we mentioned as it has not been mentioned that any narratives that many people do not know its meaning as has been said in some narratives.

فإن قيل: فكيف يخاطب الله الخلق بما لا يعقلونه أم كيف ينزل على رسوله ما لا يطّلع على تأويله؟

“If it should be said, “How could Allah speak to the creation in a way that they don’t understand? How could He send down on His Messenger something that one cannot ascertain the meaning?”

يجوز أن يكلفهم الإيمان بما لا يطّلعون على تأويله ليختبر طاعتهم كما قال تعالى: (وَلِنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّى نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ) (وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الْقِبْلَةَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ) الآية، (وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ)

“It is possible that He would make them responsible for having iman in what they don’t know its meaning in order for them to be tested in their obedience. Like when he said, (So that He might test you as We know the mujahidin from those among you that are patient) [11] (We did not make the Qiblah which you were upon except so that We might know) [12] and also (We did not make the vision which We showed you except as a test to the people). [13]

وكما اختبرهم بالإيمان بالحروف المقطّعة مع أنه لا يعلم معناها والله أعلم.

“And just as He can test them in iman regarding the surahs that begin with the disconnected letters while the fact is that none knows their meaning. And Allah knows best”. [14]

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[1] Surah TaHa (20), ayah 5

[2] Surat ul-Ma’idah (5), ayah 64

[3] Surah Sad (38), ayah 75

[4] Surat ur-Rahman (55), ayah 27

[5] Surat ul-Qamar (54), ayah 14

[6] Surah Ali `Imran (3), ayah 7

[7] Surah Ali `Imran (3), ayah 7

[8] Surah Ali `Imran (3), ayah 7

[9] Surah Ali `Imran (3), ayah 7

[10] Surah Ali `Imran (3), ayah 7

[11] Surah Muhammad (47), ayah 31

[12] Surah ul-Baqarah (2), ayah 143

[13] Surat ul-Isra’ (17), ayah 60

[14] Rawdat un-Nazir wa Junnat ul-Munazir, vol.1, pp. 213-217

BIOGRAPHY: SHAIKH MUHAMMAD ZANNUB AR-RUHAIBANI

محمد الشيخ زنوب

The Shaikh, Muhammad Zannub Ar-Ruhaibani

محمد حسن علي الشيخ الرحيباني الدمشقي الصيادي الرفاعي الحنبلي, ولد رحمه الله عام (1279هـ) في بلدة الرحيبة من أسرة

تعمل في الزراعة، عمل فيها أسوةً بأبيه وجده.

He is Muhammad Hasan `Ali Ar-Ruhaibani Ad-Dimashqi As-Siyadi Ar-Rifa`ii Al-Hanbali. He was born in the year 1279[1] in the town of Ruhaibah into a family that worked in agriculture, the same agriculture done by his father and grandfather.

Early life

– تعلم القرآن على الشيخ حسين محمد المصري في بلدة الرحيبة.

He began by learning the Qur’an with the Shaikh, Hussain Muhammad Al-Masri while in the town of Ar-Ruhaibah.

– وتعلم العربية والتفسير على الشيخ هاشم رباطة.

He also made a detailed a study of the Arabic language and tafsir literature under the tutelage of the Shaikh, Hashim Ribatah.

– وتلقى علم التجويد على يد المقرئ المعروف في عصره الشيخ حسين قداحة من بلدة الرحيبة .

In addition to this, the Shaikh also came to study tajwid of the Qur’an with the well known Shaikh, Hussain Qudaahah.

– ثم تلقى علوم الحديث والفقه ومعظم علومه على الشيخ محمد حسين أبو زيد: وهو من أهم شيوخه.

Then the Shaikh also exerted himself in the sciences of hadith, fiqh and most of this was done with the Shaikh, Muhammad Hussain Abu Zaid, who was one of the most important of Shaikh Zannub’s influences.

لازم الشيخُ محمد زَنُّوب شيخَهُ الشيخَ محمد أبوزيد فترة طويلة من الزمن حتى أصبح زميلاً له وتلميذاً في وقت واحد، وقد منحه إجازة بقراءة الدرس من كل علم نقلي أو عقلي كما تلقى ذلك عن مشايخه.

Shaikh Zannub kept the company of this teacher for a long time until he became a successor to him in knowledge and a student assistant to him. He was given a license to teach every science they had learned together with chains that had gone back to his teachers previously.

بعد أن تلقى الشيخ (زَنُّوب) علومه بدأ بنشرها في مساجد الرحيبة وفي بيته وتخرج على يده نخبة من العلماء منهم:

After completion of this heady task, the Shaikh and now Faqih, Zannub went about teaching and expounding his lessons in the masjids of Ar-Ruhaibah and his house and a number of scholars would benefit from this teaching.

Scholarly career and students

– الشيخ عبد اللطيف سويدان

The Shaikh, `Abdul Latif Suwaidan[2]

وهو أكثر طلاب الناظم ملازمة له حيث لازمه قرابة عشرين عاماً ونقل معظم علوم الشيخ زَنُّوب حفظاً وتدويناً.

Shaikh Suwaidan was the most regular student of Shaikh Zannub, who accompanied him for some 20 years and narrated most of the sciences of the Shaikh, whether this was by memorisation or written text.

– الشيخ أحمد أبو زيد (ابن شيخه) وإمام وخطيب جامع (زيد بن حارثة) الجب سابقاً.

Shaikh Ahmad Abu Zaid[3] (the son of his shaikh). He was the imam and khatib of the Zaid ibn Harithah Central Masjid.

– ومنهم ولداه الشيخ عمر والشيخ عبد القادر.

Shaikh `Umar Zannub and Shaikh `Abdul Qadir Zannub, the two sons of the Shaikh.

– ومنهم الشيخ قاسم إدريس والشيخ صالح جريش والشيخ حسن دبين والشيخ محمد عباس عليان والشيخ محمد دبين إمام وخطيب بلدة (البحارية) والخطيب المتجول الشيخ محمود دعاس شحادة

Others students to Shaikh Zannub include, the Shaikh, Qasim Idris, the Shaikh, Salih Jarish, the Shaikh, Hasan Dabbain, the Shaikh Muhammad `Abbas `Ulayyan, the Shaikh, Muhammad Dabbain (who was the imam and khatib of the town of Bayariyyah) and finally the Shaikh Mahmud Da`as Shahadah

. – ومنهم الشيخ عبد الحميد شريف الشيخ.

And there was also the Shaikh `Abdul Hamid Sharif Ash-Shaikh[4] also being from their ranks.

Respect shown to him by scholars

كانت تربط الشيخ (زَنُّوب) ببعض علماء عصره الكبار صداقة ومودة، ويأتي في مقدمتهم:

Shaikh Zannub had the respect and love of numerous senior scholars of his time, the most foremost of them being:

الشيخ المحدث بدر الدين الحسني: المحدث الكبير في دمشق، الذي ألبس الشيخ (زَنُّوب) العمامة بيده، وخلع عن رأسه العقال والحطة- اللباس التقليدي لأهل البلد- بعد أن التقاه وتناظر معه وعرف غزارة علمه.

The Shaikh, the Hadith scholar, Badr ud-Din Al-Hasani.[5] He was a major hadith scholar in Damascus and he took the Shaikh, Zannub by the hand, removed his `iqal and Hattah – as was traditionally worn in his land – and dressed him in the `imamah with his own hands out of respect. This happened after they had met discussed some matters of difference of opinion in fiqh and Shaikh Al-Hasani saw the depth of knowledge of Zannub.

كما التقى الشيخين حسن الشطي وجميل الشطي مفتي الحنابلة بدمشق، وتناظر معهما وأهدياه كتاب كشاف القناع إثر حادثة طريفة.

He met and sat in many meetings with the two shaikhs, Hasan Ash-Shatti[6] and Jamil Ash-Shatti[7] (who was the mufti of the Hanbalis in Damascus). He debated with them in fiqh matters and on account of his knowledge they gifted him the book, Kash-shaf ul-Qina`[8] written out and with a new print.

وممن التقاهم أيضا الشيخ عبد القادر القصاب الديرعطاني: وكان بينهما لقاءات متعددة وتزاور وشهد كل منهما بعلم الآخر وفضله.

And among those who he also met was the great scholar and Shaikh, `Abdul Qadir Al-Qassab Ad-Dair `Attani[9] and there were a number of meetings between them as well as visits and each before witness to the knowledge and virtue of the other.

Later life and death

وكانت وفاته في ليلة النصف من شعبان عام 1362هـ

The death of the great Shaikh Zannub would come on 15 Sha`ban 1362. He would be gathered to his people and buried. And may Allah envelop him with encompassing mercy.

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[1] AD 1861

[2] 1321-1393 (AD 1903-1974). He is `Abdul Latif ibn `Abdu ibn `Abud As-Suwaidan Ar-Ruhaibani. Referred to as “the scholar, the Zahid, the doctor, the righteous and the scholar of inheritance law”, he took from the premier scholars of his time in Ar-Ruhaibah such as Shaikh Muhammad Abu Zaid Ar-Ruhaibi, Shaikh Muhammad Hasan Zannub as well as his father, Shaikh `Abdu As-Suwaidan. He is the successor to the knowledge of Shaikh Zannub and was made the imam and khatib of Masjid As-Sahah in Ar-Ruhaibah, where he taught until his death. He went through many trials in his life, fought against the French invasion of Sham in a great jihad and also had many students. cf. Ash-Shatti’s Tarikh A`lam Dimashq

[3] 1322-1406 (AD 1904-1987). He is Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hussain Abu Zaid Ar-Ruhaibani Al-Hanbali. Coming from a family of deep knowledge and insight, the Shaikh grew up under the watchful eye of his father, learning the early sciences of the Religion from him. After the death of his father, he would go on to learn from Shaikh Zannub, also visit Damascus and learn from the great scholar, Muhammad Jamil Ash-Shatti (d. 1379). Attempts were made to poison him with Salafiyyah but they failed miserably as he referred back to the earlier books in which the scholars answered the cult in responsa literature. cf Ash-Shatti’s Tarikh A`lam Dimashq.

[4] 1338-1429 (AD 1919-2007). He is `Abdul Hamid ibn Sharif Ash-Shaikh.

[5] 1267-1354 (AD 1850-1935). Famous hadith scholar and fiqh specialist of Damascus.

[6]  1296-1381 (AD 1879-1962). Fiqh scholar and son of the great marja`, Hasan Ash-Shatti (d. 1274), he was one of the great scholars of Syria at the time.  

[7] 1300-1379 (AD 1882-1959). Muhammad Jamil ibn `Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn `Umar Ash-Shatti. Scholar of his time and one of the great muftis of his age, he has a separate biography that has been covered.

[8] This text is Imam Mansur Al-Buhuti’s (d. 1051) monumental commentary on the original work Al-Iqna` by Imam Musa Al-Hajjawi (d. 968) and is one of the authoritative commentaries in the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

[9] 1264-1360 (AD 1845-1941). He is `Abdul Qadir ibn Muhammad ibn Hussain ibn Isma`il ibn Ibrahim Al-Qassab. Major and high ranking Hanbali jurist, poet and also teacher of inheritance law, he left behind a large rhyming text of fiqh that summarised Al-Karmi’s classic text Dalil ut-Talib.