Wednesday, October 25, 2006

On not neglecting one's household responsibilities

Abu Said recorded that an aggrieved woman came to the Prophet (pbuh) expecting him to support her against her husband. She said: 'Messenger of Allah (swt), my husband Safwan ibn al-Muattal beats me when I pray, and makes me break my fast when I keep fast, and he doesn't offer dawn prayer until the sun rises'.
He asked Safwan, who was present there, about what she said. He replied: 'Messenger of Allah, as for her statement 'he beats me when I pray', she recites two surahs and I have forbidden her' The Prophet (pbuh) said: If one surah is recited, that is sufficient'. Safwan continued: 'As regards her saying 'he makes me break my fast', she (will) keep fasting; I am a young man, I cannot withold myself'. The Prophet (pbuh) said on that day: 'A woman should not fast except with the permission of her husband.' Safwan said: ' As to her statement that I do not pray until the sun rises, we are a people belonging to a ( certain) class, and (our profession of supplying water) is already known about us. We do not awake until after sun-rise'. The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Offer your prayer when you awake'. (Abu Dawud 2453)
[Water carriers supplied people until almost the end of the night, and therefore found it impossible to rise for prayer before sunrise).

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