The Practice of Reciting Eighty Durood after Asr on Friday

The practice of reciting eighty durood after Asr on Friday is established in Deen. This practice is established from the following Hadith of Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu):

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who performs Asr Salaah on Friday and thereafter recites eighty times before standing up from his place اللهم صل على محمد النبي الأمي وعلى آله وسلم تسليماً, eighty years of sins are forgiven for him and eighty years of (nafl) ibaadat are written for him”.

Allaamah Sakhaawi (rahimahullah) quoted this Hadith in his famous book, القول البديع, and did not declare it to be unworthy for practise (as is his style in his book regarding Ahaadith which are not worthy for practise). Therefore, we understand that this Hadith is worthy for practise as Allaamah Sakhaawi (rahimahullah) clearly mentioned in the introduction of his book القول البديع, that he will only include such Ahaadith in his book which are worthy for practise.

Allaamah Sakhaawi (rahimahullah) mentioned at the end of his book that he had personally examined the chains of the Ahaadith which he had quoted from Allaamah Ibnu Bashkuwaal in his book, (and among these Ahaadith is the Hadith which establishes the practice of eighty durood after Asr on Friday). Therefore, when this great Muhaddith, who was an expert in the science of authenticating Ahaadith, included this Hadith in his book on durood and regarded it worthy of practise, one may practise upon it.

Many of our Akaabir and Buzrugaan-e-Deen used to diligently recite the eighty durood after Asr on Friday. Among them were the likes of Hazrat Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya (rahimahullah), Hazrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi Saheb (rahimahullah) and Hazrat Moulana Yusuf Motala Saheb (rahimahullah).

In reply to a query regarding the practice of eighty durood after Asr on Friday, Hazrat Moulana Aaqil Saheb (rahimahullah) (a senior Muhaddith of India) had prepared a detailed response, establishing the practice of eighty durood after Asr on Friday.

Shaikh Muhammad Awwaamah حفظه الله, a senior ranking Muhaddith of this era, has also approved of this practice and regarded it to be established.

From among the senior ranking Muhadditheen and Ulamaa of the past and present who encouraged this practice or included it in their compilations are:

1. Allaamah Ibnu Bashkuwaal (rahimahullah), a Muhaddith of the sixth century (d.578), mentioned the above practice in his book,

2. Allaamah Abu Muhammad Jabr bin Muhammed bin Jabr bin Hishaam al-Qurtubee (rahimahullah), an Aalim and Faqeeh of the seventh century (d.630), the student of Allaamah ibnu Bashkuwaal, mentioned the above practice in his book,

3. The author of al-Qaamus, Allaamah Majdud-Deen Fayruz-abadee (rahimahullah), a Muhaddith of the ninth century (d.817), mentioned the above practice in his book,

4. Allaamah Alamud-Deen Saalih bin Umar al-Bulqeenee (rahimahullah), a Muhaddith of the ninth century (d.868) mentioned the above practice in his book, التذكرة البلقينية صـ 44.

5. Allaamah Sakhaawi (rahimahullah), a Muhaddith of the tenth century (d.902), mentioned the above practice in his book, القول البديع صـ 399

6. Allaamah Ibnu Hajar Makki (rahimahullah), a Muhaddith of the tenth century (d.974) mentioned the above practice in his book,

7. Allaamah Muhammad Khalil al-Muraadee (rahimahullah) mentioned in his book,

regarding Allaamah Ahmad al-Jibaali (d. 1147) (rahimahullah) that he would advise his disciples to recite the eighty durood after Asr on Friday.

8. Allaamah Yusuf bin Ismaeel Nabhaani (rahimahullah), an Aalim of the fourteenth century (d.1350) mentioned the above practice in his book,

9. Shaikhul Hadith Moulana Muhammad Zakariyya Khandelwi (d.1402) (rahimahullah) mentioned the above practice in his book, 70 فضائل درود صـ

10. Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi Saheb (d.1417) (rahimahullah). Hazrat Mufti Saheb would recite the eighty durood after Asr on Friday and encourage others to do so as recorded in Hayaat-e-Mahmood 1/411.

11. Moulana Yusuf Motala Saheb (d.1441) (rahimahullah). Hazrat Moulana would encourage people to practise on this and he himself remained committed to it until the end of his life.

12. Shaikh Muhammad Awwaamah حفظه الله, a senior ranking Muhaddith of this era, has also approved of this practice.

13. Hazrat Moulana Aaqil Saheb (rahimahullah), a senior Muhaddith of India, had prepared a detailed response, establishing the practice of eighty durood after Asr on Friday.

Alhamdulillah, with the grace of Allah Ta'ala, we have prepared a book on this topic titled "The Practice of Eighty Durood After Asr on Friday".

The kitaab provides insight into this issue and expels the doubts that people have regarding the practice of reciting eighty durood after Asr on Friday being an innovation in Deen.

The kitaab may be obtained from the Al-Haadi Online Bookshop or it may be downloaded from: http://ihyaauddeen.co.za/?p=10118