Question:
Salaam, I have 3 questions: 1.Who are imams of Makkah and Medina and what Madhab they follow?
2.What is the Yemaani stone in the Ka’bah for?
3.Why do the Hanafi people delay the Asr prayer?
Answer:
1) According to our knowledge, the Imams of the Haram follow the Hanbali school of thought and in some Masaail they practice according to their own research.
2) The southern corner of the Ka’bah which is in the direction of Yemen is called Rukn-e-Yamaani. This can be recognized by the one beginning his Tawaaf from Hajr-e-Aswad going towards the Hateem. The Hateem stretches from one corner of the Ka’bah to the other. After the person has passed the Hateem, the Rukn-e-Yamaani can be found at the third corner. The corner that follows after that contains the Hajr-e-Aswad.
3) The shadow of all objects found at the time of midday, is the objects actual shadow. Besides this actual shadow, when the objects shadow doubles its (objects) size, then according to Imam Abu Hanifah (R.H.) the time of Asr Salaah has set in. In the narration of Muslim, it is mentioned that Rasoolullah (S.A.W.) performed the Zuhr Salaah when an objects shadow is equal to its size. In the narration of Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi, it is mentioned that the Nabi (S.A.W.) performed the Asr prayers when the shadow of the object was doubled in size.
It is apparent that the shadow of an object becomes doubled in the latter part of the afternoon. It is for this reason that the Ahnaaf perform delay in performing their Asr Salaah.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
08 September 2005
04 Sha’baan 1426