Friday, December 24, 2010

Fajr as a Lawyer?

I WAS going to write an article on the khutba I heard on friday, but unfortunately I can't actually find any information on it. :(


Our Imam was talking about the benefits of waking up to pray fajr, and one of the benefits he said which he read in a book (which caught me by suprise because I was expecting him to say something else) was that the fajr prayer will act as an intermediary between your soul and the angels of the grave. Quoting this book (I REALLY wish I remembered which one it was, I'll ask him when I get a chance), he said that after you're dead, and you've been put in your grave, and you can hear the footsteps of the people leaving, two angels will come to you (Munkar and Nakir):


Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "When a human being is laid in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their foot steps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask him: What did you use to say about this man, Muhammad ? He will say: I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle. Then it will be said to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell-Fire. Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' " The Prophet added, "The dead person will see both his places. But a non-believer or a hypocrite will say to theangels, 'I do not know, but I used to say what the people used to say! It will be said to him, 'Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Quran).' Then he will be hit with an iron hammer between his two ears, and he will cry and that cry will be heard by whatever approaches him except human beings and jinns."  (Bukhari, Book #23, Hadith #422)


but our Imam said (according to this book) that a very handsome man will also come to you (before these angels do), and he'll tell you to keep quiet and let him do the talking. After the interview, you'll ask this guy who he is and he'll respond by saying something like "don't you recognize me? I'm your fajr prayer which you would leave your sleep to do!". 


Now I've heard this, which I can't find in any book of hadith and I'm actually not going to repeat word for word because fake hadith's should roll over and die, but it says that the handsome man is instead one's Quranic recitation which they used to do throughout their life. 


If I read it online I'd be relatively skeptical of course, but this is the local Imam, and he has an enormous responsibility to transmit only true information. At any rate, if anyone has any information on this, or knows where I can find it or where it came from, please let me know. If I find anything I'll update this article, isA. 

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