The Mahdi Times August 2011 | Page 46

In the school of companions it is known that after completion of the obligatory prayer of Asr, there is no suggested or Sunnah prayer to be performed afterwards. And perhaps this is evidence enough that it be so. Sahih Bukhari narration 1.561 Narrated Muawiya: You offer a prayer which I did not see being offered by Allah's Apostle when we were in his company and he certainly had forbidden it (i.e. two rak`at after the `Asr prayer). As well as Sahih Bukhari 1.562: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle forbade the offering of two prayers: −1. after the morning prayer till the sunrises. −2. after the `Asr prayer till the sun sets. However, this hadith indicates otherwise Sahih Bukhari 1.564: Narrated `Aisha: By Allah, Who took away the Prophet. The Prophet never missed them (two rak`at) after the `Asr prayer till he met Allah and he did not meet Allah till it became heavy for him to pray while standing so he used to offer most of the prayers while sitting. (She meant the two rak`at after `Asr) He used to pray them in the house and never prayed them in the mosque lest it might be hard for his followers and he loved what was easy for them. So for a people whose aim it is to follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw), this creates a problem. This is a very important matter; it is the acts of worship which there are now clear differences in opinion about. Are we to make the prayer or are we not to make the Prayer? Which of these two acts would be closer to the Sunnah i.e. the way of life of the Prophet (saw)? Is this not the same as those who claim to be following the bible, and say with their mouths that Jesus is the son of God, yet nowhere in the book is it ever mentioned from Jesus (as), that he was God and that he was to be followed in such