(Friday Sermon - March 29, 2019 )

Background

Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik belonged to the Banu Salim bin Auf branch of the Khazraj tribe. The Holy Prophet^(sa) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Hazrat Umar^(ra). Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. He began to lose his eyesight during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet^(sa) and passed away during the reign of Hazrat Muawiyyah^(ra). (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, pp. 415-416, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990)

Request to Host the Holy Prophet^(sa)

When the Holy Prophet^(sa) migrated to Medina, Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik, along with a few friends, went to see the Holy Prophet^(sa) and requested him to reside with him at his home. However, the Holy Prophet^(sa) said for his camel to be set free as it had been ordained, meaning that it would stop wherever God Almighty commanded for it to stop. (Sirat ibn Hisham, pp. 228-229, Dar ibn Hazam, Beirut, 2009) (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), pp. 267-268)

Taking Turns to Attain Knowledge

Hazrat Umar^(ra) narrates, “A friend from among the Ansar and I took up residence in Banu Umayyah bin Zaid (this was the name of a village near Medina and was situated at a height). We would take turns to visit the Holy Prophet^(sa). One day he would go, and I would go the following day. When I would return, I would inform him of any new revelation granted to the Holy Prophet^(sa) or of any other news, and similarly he would do the same when it was his turn.”

Hazrat Umar^(ra) further narrates, “One day, my Ansari friend went on his turn to meet the Holy Prophet^(sa). When he returned, he knocked on my door loudly and began to enquire about me. Worryingly, I went outside. He said: ‘Something dreadful has taken place.’” Hazrat Umar^(ra) states: “Upon hearing this, I went to Hafsa^(ra) and saw that she was crying. I asked her if the Holy Prophet^(sa) had divorced her? She said that she did not know. I then went to the Holy Prophet^(sa)and enquired whether he had divorced his wives. The Holy Prophet^(sa) replied in the negative. Upon this, I exclaimed ‘Allahu Akbar’ [God is the greatest].” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Ilm, Baab Al-Tanawub fi Al-Ilm, Hadith no. 89)

In some narrations there are more details regarding this incident, which is a lengthy account. For one month, the Holy Prophet^(sa) distanced himself not only from his wives, but also his companions. Owing to this, it was thought that perhaps he had divorced his wives. The Holy Prophet^(sa) had become displeased for some reason. Whatever the reasons may be, this was not one of them.

In his commentary of Bukhari, Hazrat Sayyid Zainul Aabideen Waliullah Shah Sahib^(ra) has mentioned this account in which Hazrat Umar^(ra) stated that one day he would go to see the Holy Prophet^(sa) and the following day his friend would go. Regarding this, he writes, “If someone cannot make himself available all the time to obtain knowledge, then one can take turns with another, just as Hazrat Umar^(ra) took turns with Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik. One can gauge the passion of the companions from this incident in that they would abandon their work and travel three or four miles and spend the entire day with the Holy Prophet^(sa).” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Ilm, Baab Al-Tanawub fi Al-Ilm, Hadith no. 89, Vol. 1, p. 165, Nizarat Ishaat, Rabwah)

However according to Allama Aini in his commentary of Bukhari, Umdatul Qari, he has written, “Although it is stated that the neighbour of Hazrat Umar^(ra) was Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik, however, the fact of the matter is that Hazrat Umar’s neighbour was Aus bin Khawali.” (Umdatul Qari, Vol. 20, p. 256, Kitab-ul-Nikah, Hadith no. 5191, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 2001)

Nonetheless, Hazrat Umar^(ra) stated the name of Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik in his account.

Conditional Permission to Offer Prayers at Home

According to one narration, when Hazrat Itbaan bin Malik^(ra) lost his eyesight, he sought permission from the Holy Prophet^(sa) to be excused from attending the mosque for congregational prayer. The Holy Prophet^(sa) asked him whether he could hear the Azan [call to prayer], to which he replied in the affirmative. The Holy Prophet^(sa) therefore did not grant him permission to be excused.

This is a very well-known Hadith and is often quoted, however there are some more details related to this account. According to a narration from Sahih Bukhari, the Holy Prophet^(sa) later granted permission to Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) to offer his prayers at home. Initially, the Holy Prophet^(sa) did not grant permission, but later permitted him to do so. The narration of Bukhari states that Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) bin Malik would lead the prayers for the people of his tribe and was blind. He submitted to the Holy Prophet^(sa): “O Messenger^(sa) of Allah! When the rain falls, it causes the valley to flood and it also gets very dark, I am a blind man and therefore ask you to kindly come to my house and so I may designate that area as a place of worship.” He said it was difficult for him to go to the mosque, therefore he had designated an area in his house and requested the Holy Prophet^(sa) to pray there. The Holy Prophet^(sa) visited his house and asked him where he would like him to pray. Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) pointed to a particular direction in his house and the Holy Prophet^(sa) performed his prayer there. (Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra li ibn Sa‘d, Vol. 3, p. 415, Itbaan bin Malik, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990) (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Adhan, Hadith no. 667)

Thus, as is proved from various other narrations as well, although he was given permission to offer his prayers in his home, he still led the prayers in congregation because everyone now gathered at his house. Owing to the extreme weather conditions and consequently the difficulties faced in reaching there, people could not go to the mosque. Thus, if permission was given, it was on the condition that the prayer should be offered in congregation and there was no excuse for this.

Further expounding on this, Hazrat Syed Waliullah Shah Sahib, in the book of Kitab-ul-Azan of Sahih Bukhari, regarding the chapter on permission to pray in one’s own home due to rain or any other circumstance, explains in its commentary:

“Imam Bukhari is mentioning the circumstances in which one can be exempted from offering the prayer in congregation. Even though the Holy Prophet^(sa), to whatever extent possible, would seek to create ease and comfort in the religious injunctions, but despite this he still did not grant Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) the permission to offer the prayer on his own in his house. Even when the Holy Prophet^(sa) did give permission, it was on the condition that he would still have to read it in congregation.”

He further writes:

“Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) was blind and a stream flowed close to the path that led to the mosque, and according to the narrations, he sought permission from the Holy Prophet^(sa) to offer his prayer at home. The Holy Prophet^(sa) granted him permission but on the condition that he would offer it in congregation.”

He further writes:

“If the obligatory prayer could be offered on its own, the Holy Prophet^(sa) would have certainly allowed Hazrat Itbaan^(ra) to do so, considering his disability.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, p. 66, Kitab-ul-Adhan, Hadith no. 667, Nizarat Ishaat, Rabwah)