to give life to the dead?’, he would say: ‘Glory be to you! Yes, indeed’. Those who heard him say so inquired about that. He said: ‘I heard the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) say that’. (1)
[8/ 40] The fourth: One of the Ma’m?m’s mistakes is to intentionally hawk in Sal?t unnecessarily (2) just to attract the Im?m’s attention that his recitation is too long. This misdeed is only done by the ignorant -as Ibn Rushd stated- (3) but no sin is incurred on oneself for hawking is not of speech.
[Regarding this point], Ibn Qud?mah said: ‘Different narrations were related from Im?m Ahmad regarding hawking in Sal?t; one of which states the impermissibility to hawk in Sal?t depending on the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) had?th: ‘If the Im?m forgets in the Sal?t, men could recite Tasb?h [loudly] and women may clap [to attract his attention]’. Al-Marwaz?, however, related a different narration that Im?m Ahmad stated that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to hawk to inform others that he is engaging in Sal?t; as Al?’s ( - رضي الله عنه -) (4) narration affirms. Accordingly, the latter narration specifies the former.
The Jumh?r; however, rejected Al?’s ( - رضي الله عنه -) narration for it is a shaky one that does not hold water’. (5)
(1) Narrated by Ab? D?w?d through an authentic chain of narrators traced back to this man, who is one of the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) companions and so is reliable. See: “Tam?mul Minnah” (p. 186).
(2) If hawking is done for a dire need or excuse or when one is sick or wants to clear one’s throat to be able to recite the Qur’?n more beautifully, then it is permissible. All?h ( - عز وجل -) knows best.
(3) See: “Al-Bay?n Wat Tahsil” (vol. 1 / pp. 337 - 8).
(4) Al?’s narration states: ‘ I used to enter the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) home twice: once at night and once in the day time. When I used to enter at night, he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to hawk’. It is narrated by An-Nas?’? in “Al-Majtab?” (vol. 1 / p. 178).
(5) “Al-Mugn?” (vol. 1 / p. 710) and “Z?dul Ma‘?d” (vol. 1 / p. 270). Al?’s narration is related by: An-Nas?’? in “Al-Mujtab?” (Vol. 3 / p. 12) and in “Khas?’is ‘Al?” (pp. 117 - 8), Ahmad in “Al-Musnad” (no. 647), Ibn Khuzaimah in “As-Sah?h” (no. 902),At-Tah?w? in “Al-Mushkil” (vol. 2 / p. 306), Al-Baihaqi in “As-Sunnan Al-Kubr?” (vol. 2 / p. 247) from Abdull?h Ibn Naji from ‘Al?. This chain of narrators is disconnected; some sources, however, provide a connected one which includes Abdull?h Ibn Naji from his father from ‘Al?. Naji is an unknown narrator.