10 Eminent Muslim Ancestors SALAT
- 1. Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (Rahmatullah alaih) is
the famous Imaam of one, of the four schools of
Muslim jurisprudence. Besides being engaged in
his usual work, he used to offer daily three hundred
rakaats of nafl salaat. After he was lashed by
the king for refusal to submit to the royal edict, he
became very weak and reduced his routine nafl
salaat to one hundred and fifty rakaats. We should
not forget that he was eighty at that time. 2. Imaam Shaafi’ee (Rahmatullah alaih) another eminent
Imaam of Muslim jurisprudence, used to
finish reciting the Qur’an sixty times in his salaat
during Ramadhaan. A person narrates, “I remained
with Imaam Shaafi’ee for several days and
found him sleeping only for a while at night.”3. Imaam Abu Haneefa (Rahmatullah alaih) is famous
for his vigil. It is said that for thirty, forty or fifty
years (according to the information of different
narrators) he offered his Fajr prayer with the
wudhu for Ishaa. He would go to sleep only for a
few minutes in the afternoon saying, “It is sunnat
to sleep in the afternoon.”4. It is said about Sa’eed bin Musayyab (Rahmatullah
alaih) that for fifty years he offered his Fajr salaat
with the wudhu performed at Ishaa.
Imaam Ghazzali (Rahmatullah alaih) on the authority
of Abu Taalib Makki reported the same practice
by no less than forty Taabi’ees, some of whom
had been doing it for forty years continuously.5. Muhammad bin Nasr (Rahmatullah alaih) is a
famous Muhaddith. His devotion to salaat had noparallel. Once while in salaat, he was stung on his
forehead by a wasp and though blood came out,
neither did he stir nor did he allow it to disturb
his devotion in salaat. It is said that in salaat, he
stood motionless like a stick planted in the
ground.6. It is reported about Baqi bin Mukhallid (Rahmatullah
alaih) that he used to recite the complete
Qur’an every night in thirteen rakaats of Tahajjud
and Witr.7. Hannaad (Rahmatullah alaih) is a Muhaddith. One
of his pupils narrates, “Hannaad used to weep
very much. One day after he had finished our
lesson in the morning, he continued to offer nafl
salaat till midday. He went to his place for a short
interval and then returned for his Zuhr. He again
engaged himself in nafl salaat till Asr. Between
Asr and Maghrib, he recited the Qur’an. I left him
after Maghrib. I said to one of his neighbours, ‘Our
Shaikh prays so much. It is really wonderful.’ He
said, “He had been doing this for the last seventy
years. You will wonder still more if you see his
prayers during the night.”8. Masrooq (Rahmatullah alaih) is another Muhaddith.
His wife narrates, “He used to offer such long
rakaats that his legs would get swollen and I sat
behind weeping in pity for him.”9. Abu Itaab Sulami (Rahmatullah alaih) is reported
to have been fasting during the day and weeping
during the night for full forty years.10. It is said about .a Sayyid that continuously for
twelve days he has been offering his salaat with
the same wudhu. For fifteen years, his back had
not touched the bed.