Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer

That one who does not pray
will be with the leaders of the unbelievers in the Hereafter makes it
evident that such a person is an unbeliever. Says Ibn al-Qayyim, "The
one who does not pray may be preocied
with his wealth, kingdom, position or business. If one is kept away
from his prayers by his wealth, he will be with Qarun. One whose kingdom
keeps him away from the prayers will be with Haman, and one whose
business keeps him away from the prayers will be with Ubayy ibn Khalf."

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
Who Must Pray :
Prayer is obligatory upon every sane, adult Muslim




. 'Aishah related that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "The pen is raised for three (meaning: there is no obligation upon three): one who is sleeping until he wakens, the child until he becomes an adult, and one who is insane until he becomes sane."

As to the authenticity of this report, it is recorded by Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim, who grades it
sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari and Muslim. At-Tirmizhi
classifies it as hassan.
Although it is not obligatory for a child to pray, it is a must that his guardian order him to do so when he is seven, and he should beat him if he does not pray after he reaches the age of ten. A
minor should practice praying until he reaches puberty. 'Amr ibn
Shu'aib related from his father on the authority of his grandfather that
the Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "Order your children to pray when they reach
the age of seven. Beat them (if they don't pray) when they reach the age
of ten. And have them sleep separately."


The hadith is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and al-Hakim. The latter grades it sahih according to Muslim's criteria.







The Number of Obligatory Prayers




The number of prayers
prescribed by Allah is five. Ibn Mahyraiz narrated that al-Makhdaji,
from the tribe of Kananah, heard Abu Muhammad--a man in
ash-Shams--saying, "The witr prayer is obligatory." He said he went to
'Ubadah ibn as-Samit and informed him of this. 'Ubadah corrected him,
saying, "Abu Muhammad is mistaken. I heard the Messenger of Allah, upon
whom be peace, say 'Allah has laid five prayers upon His slaves. Whoever
fulfills them and does not miss any of them will have a pact with Allah
that He will let him enter Paradise.
Whoever does not come with them will have no pact with Allah. If He
wishes, He may punish him, and if He wishes, He may forgive him."
(Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) In one version
it states, "Or one who comes with a deficiency in them or who degrades
their duties." Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullah narrated that a bedouin with
unkempt hair came to the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, and
said, "O Messenger of Allah, inform me of what Allah has made obligatory
on me as regards praying." He said, "Five prayers, unless you do others
voluntarily." He asked the Prophet to inform him about fasting, and he
said, "The fast of Ramadan, unless you do others voluntarily." Then he
asked him about charity...and the Messenger of Allah informed him of the
Islamic legislations. The bedouin then said, "By the One who has
honored you, I shall not voluntarily add anything to it, nor shall I be
deficient in what Allah has ordered me to do." The Messenger of Allah,
upon whom be peace, then said, "He will enter Paradise if he is truthful (to what he said)." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)



NEXT ....

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
The Times of the Prayers
:








Each prayer has its own
particular time at which it must be performed. Says Allah, "Prayer at
fixed hours has been enjoined upon the believers" (an-Nisa' 103).



The Qur'an itself points to these different times


Allah says, "Pray at the two
ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! Good deeds annul
evil deeds. This is a reminder for the mindful" (Hud 114). Surah
al-Isra' states, "Establish prayer at the setting of the sun until the
dark of the night, and (the recital) of the Qur'an at dawn. Lo! The
recital of the Qur'an at dawn is ever witnessed" (al-Isra' 78), and
"Celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and
before its setting. Glorify Him some hours of the night and at the two
ends of the day, that you may find acceptance" (Taha 130). This verse
specifically refers to the dawn prayer and the afternoon prayer, as it
is recorded in the two Sahihs. Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali reported,
We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah and we looked at the moon on
a clear night. The Prophet said, 'You will see your Lord as you see
this moon, and you will not be harmed by seeing Him. So, if you can, do
not let yourselves be overpowered in the case of prayer before the
rising of the sun and its setting,' and he recited the above verse."


Those are the times of the prayers that the Qur'an mentions. From the sunnah, we have the following:


'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "The time of the noon
prayer is when the sun passes the meridian and a man's shadow is the
same length as his height. It lasts until the time of the afternoon
prayer. The time of the afternoon prayer is until the yellowing of the
sun (during its setting). The time of the evening prayer is as long as
twilight. The time of the night prayer is to the middle of a night of
medium duration. And the time of the morning prayer is from the
appearance of the dawn until the time of sunrise. When the sun rises,
abstain from praying, as it rises between the horns of Satan." (Related
by Muslim. )


Jarir ibn 'Abdullah narrated
that the angel Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah and said to him,
"Stand and pray," and they prayed the noon
prayer when the sun had passed its meridian. He then came to him for
the afternoon prayer and said,"Stand and pray," and they prayed the
afternoon prayer while the length of a shadow of something was similar
to the length of the object. Then he came a t sunset and said, "Stand
and pray," and they prayed the sunset prayer when the sun had just
disappeared. Then he came at night and said, "Stand and pray,"and they
prayed the night prayer when the twilight had disappeared. He cameagain
when dawn broke (and they prayed the morning prayer). Then Gabriel came
on the next day at noon and said (to the Messenger of Allah), "Stand and pray," and they prayed the noon
prayer when the length of the shadow of something was close to the
length of the object. Then he came for the afternoon prayer and said,
"Stand and pray," and they prayed when the shadow of something was twice
as long as the length of the object. Then he came at the same time (as
the previous day) for the sunset prayer, without any change. Then he
came for the night prayer after half of the night had passed ("or," he
said, "one-third of the night"). Then he came when the sky was very
yellow and said, "Stand and pray," and they prayed the morning prayer.
Then Gabriel said, "Between these times are the times for the prayers."


As to the authenticity of the
report, it is recorded by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi. Al-Bukhari
observes, "It is the most authentic report concerning the prayer times."











The Time for the Noon Prayer (Zhuhr










The previous two hadith make it clear that the noon
prayer begins when the sun passes its meridian and it continues until
an object's shadow is approximately the same length as the object
itself. If it is extremely hot, it is preferred to delay the noon
prayer until it is cooler. This is done in order to retain the humility
and awe of the prayer. If this is not the case, it should be prayed
early in its time. This opinion is based on the following hadith:
Reported Anas, "If it was extremely d,
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would pray early. If it was extremely
hot, he would wait for it to cool down." (Related by al-Bukhari.) Abu
Zharr relates, "We were with the Prophet, upon whom be peace, on a
journey. When the caller to prayer wanted to give the azhan, the Prophet
said 'Let it cool down.' This happened two or three times, until we saw
the shadows of the hills. Then the Prophet said, 'The extreme heat is
from the fragrance of Hell. If the heat becomes extreme, delay the
prayer until it becomes cool." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
However, this delay does have a limit. According to Ibn Hajr's Fath
al-Bari, "The scholars differ over how long one may wait to let the
temperature cool. Some say, 'Until the shadow of an object becomes an
arm's length,' or 'Until the shadow becomes one-fourth of one's height.'
Others say one-third or one-half, and so on. Its ruling is according to
its basic principle, and it changes with different circumstances,
provided that the prayer is not delayed until the end of its time."







The Time for theAfternoon Prayer ('Asr





This prayer begins in the
afternoon when the shadow of an object is of the same length as the
object itself, and continues until the sun sets. Abu Hurairah reported
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever catches one rak'ah
of the afternoon prayer before the sun sets and then prays the remainder
of the prayer after the sun has set has not missed the afternoon
prayer."


The best and most preferred
time to pray the afternoon prayer ends when the sun becomes yellowish on
the horizon. This is implied by the preceding hadith of Jabir and
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar. To delay the prayer until the sun becomes
yellowish, although it is permissiable, is greatly disliked, unless
there is some need to do so. Anas reported that he heard the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, say, "The following is the prayer of the hypocrite:
he waits until the sun is between the horns of Satan, then he gets up
and prays four quick rak'ah, and he does not remember Allah therein save
a little bit." (Related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari and Ibn
Majah.)


Says an-Nawawi in his
commentary on Sahih Muslim, "Our companions (the Shafiyyah) hold that
the afternoon prayer time can be divided into five categories: the most
virtuous time, the preferred time, the allowable time in which there is
no disliked aspect, the allowable time that contains some aspect of
dislike, and the time that is due to some excuse or necessity. The most
virtuous time is at the beginning of the permissible time. The preferred
time is until the shadow of an object is twice the length of the object
itself. The permissible time without any aspect of dislike is from the
time the sun becomes yellowish. The permissible time with some aspect of
dislike is from the time the sun becomes yellowish until the setting of
the sun. The time of excuse or necessity begins, in fact, at the time
of the noon prayer for one who is to combine the noon
and afternoon prayers, due to travelling or rain. If the afternoon
prayer is made during any of those times, it has been fulfilled
properly. If all of those times pass and the sun has set, then one must
make up the prayer."


On a cloudy day, it should be
prayed earlier in its time. Buraidah al-Aslami reported, "We were with
the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, during a battle and he said,
"Hasten in praying on a cloudy day, for one who misses the afternoon
prayer has destroyed all of his works." (Related by Ahmad and Ibn
Majah.)


Of the subjecat, Ibn al-Qayyim
says, "Leaving the prayer is of two types: leaving it completely and
never praying it (which destroys all of one's deeds), and leaving it
during a particular day, which destroys all of the deeds of that day."



The Afternoon Prayer isthe "Mid-most" Prayer


Says Allah in the Qur'an,
"Observe and guard the prayers and the mid-most prayer, and stand with
total submission to Allah. Authentic hadith have made it clear that the
afternoon prayers is the "mid-most" prayer.


'Ali reported that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said on the day of al-Ahzab (the battle of
the clans), "May Allah fill their graves and houses with fire, as they
kept us preocied
from the "mid-most" prayer until the sun had set." (Related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim. Muslim, Abu Dawud and Ahmad have "the afternoon
prayer" inserted after "the mid-most" prayer.")


Explaining the context of this
hadith, Ibn Mas'ud said, "The idol-worshippers kept the Prophet from
the afternoon prayer until the sun had become reddish and yellowish. The
Messenger of Allah said, "They kept us preocied
from the "mid-most" prayer, the afternoon prayer--may Allah fill their
bellies and graves with fire."' (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, and Ibn
Majah.)



The Time for the Sunset Prayer (Maghrib







The time for the sunset prayer
begins with the disappearance of the sun and lasts until the red
twilight ends. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet, upon whom
be peace, said, "The time for the sunset prayer is when the sun has
disappeared and the twilight has not gone." (Related by Muslim.) Abu
Musa related that a man asked the Prophet about the prayer times, and he
mentioned the hadith which states that he ordered the sunset prayer
when the sun had set and, on the next day, he prayed it when the red
twilight was ending and he said, "The time (for the sunset prayer) is
between these two times."



An-Nawawi says in his
commentary on Sahih Muslim, "It is the opinion of the research scholars
of our companions (the Shaf'iyyah) that ... it is allowed to delay it as
long as it is twilight. It is allowed to begin the prayer at any time
during that period. There is no sin in delaying it from its earliest
time." Concerning the earlier quoted hadith in which Gabriel led the
prayers and prayed the sunset prayer at the same time on both days, it
only shows that it is greatly preferred to perform the sunset prayer as
early as possible. This point is made clear by some other hadith:


As-Sa'ib ibn Yazid related
that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said, "My nation will
always be along the natural path as long as they pray the sunset prayer
before the appear." (Related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani).


In Ahmad's Musnad it is
related from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari that the Prophet said, "Pray the sunset
prayer when the fasting person breaks his fast and when the are about to appear."


In Sahih Muslim it is related
from Rafa' ibn Khadeej that "We prayed the sunset prayer with the
Messenger of Allah, and one of us would leave (afterwards) and would
still be able to see where he shot his arrow, (because there was still
so much light left in the sky)."


In Sahih Muslim it is recorded
from Salamah ibn al-Aku' that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, would pray the sunset prayer when the sun had set and disappeared
( behind the horizon).









The Time of the Night Prayer ('Isha





This prayer begins when the
red twilight disappears and continues up to half of the night. Reported
'Aishah, "They used to pray the night prayer between the disappearance
of the twilight and the final third of the night's beginning." (Related
by al-Bukhari.) Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon
whom be peace, said, "If it were not to be a hardship upon my nation, I
would order them to delay the night prayer until a third or a half of
the night had passed." (Related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi, who
said it is sahih.) Reported Abu Sa'eed, "Once, we waited for the
Messenger of Allah to lead the night prayer until half the night had
passed, at which time he came and prayed with us. He said, 'Stay in your
places of sitting while the people have gone to their places of lying
down (for sleep), for you are in prayer as long as you are waiting for
the prayer. If it were not for the weakness of the weak, the illness of
the ill and the need of those who have needs, I would have delayed the
time of this prayer to a half of the night."



As to the authenticity of this
report, it is recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, an-Nasa'i and
Ibn Khuzaimah. Its chain is sahih). The hadith describes the best time
to pray. As for the allowable time and the time due to need, it lasts
until dawn. Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom
be peace, said, "There is no negligence in sleeping, but the negligence
lies in not praying a prayer until the time of the next prayer has
come." (Related by Muslim.) This hadith shows that the time of every
prayer continues until the beginning of the time for the next prayer,
except for the morning prayer, as all scholars agree that its time lasts
only until sunrise.


TO BE CONTINUED

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
Opinions of the Jurists Concerning Prayer After the Morning and Night Prayers :



Most scholars agree
that one can make up missed prayers after the morning or afternoon
prayers. This is based on the Prophet's words, "If someone forgets the
prayer, he should pray it when he remembers it." (Related by al-Bukhari
and Muslim.)
Concerning
voluntary prayers, the following companions disliked such prayers
during those times: 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Hurairah and Ibn 'Umar. 'Umar
used to beat those who offered two rak'ah after the afternoon prayers
(in the presence of other companions), and was not rebuked. Khalid ibn
al-Waleed also used to do this. Those tabi'een who disliked such prayers
were al-Hassan and Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyab. Abu Hanifah and Malik also
hated such prayers. Ash-Sahf i reasoned that prayers at such times are
allowable if the person has a reason for that prayer (the prayer of
salutation to the mosque, or the prayers after one performs the
ablution, and so on). He uses as a proof the fact that the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, prayed the two noon
sunnah rak'ah after the afternoon prayers. The Hanbaliyyah say that it
is forbidden to pray during such times even if one has a reason to do
so, except in the case of the two rak'ah for the circumambulation of the
Ka'bah. This is based on the hadith from Jabir ibn Mut'am that the
Prophet said, "O tribe of 'Abd Manat, do not prevent anyone from
circumambulating this house (the Ka'bah) or from praying therein at any
time they wish."
As to the authenticity
of thie report, it is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmizhi and
Ibn Majah. At-Tirmizhi and Ibn Khuzaimah called it sahih.





About Praying at Sunrise, Sunset and While the Sun is at its Meridian



The Hanifiyyah are of
the opinion that prayer during such times is not valid, regardless of
whether the prayer was obligatory or voluntary, or if one was making up a
prayer or fulfilling a requirement. But, they make an exception for the
afternoon prayer of that particular day and the funeral prayer (if the
funeral is at any of these times, the funeral prayer is still to be
made). They also permit the prostration in response to Qur'anic
recitation if the respective verses were recited at such times. Abu
Yusuf also makes an exception for voluntary prayers on Friday while the
sun is at its meridian. The Shariyyah say that voluntary prayers which
are not offered for a particular reason are disliked at such times.
Obligatory prayers, voluntary prayers because of some occasion,
voluntary prayers on Friday when the sun is at its meridian and the
prayer of the circumambulation of the Ka'bah are all permissible at such
times without any disliked aspects. The Malikiyyah say that voluntary
prayers during sunrise and sunset are forbidden, even if there is some
occasion for them. The same applies to a prayer that was vowed,
prostration owing to Qur'anic recitation, and the funeral prayer (unless
they fear some decay or alteration in the deceased). But they always
allow prayer, voluntary or obligatory, at the time when the sun is at
its meridian. Al-Baji wrote in his commentary to alMuwatta, "In
al-Mubsut it is related from Ibn Wahb that Malik was asked about praying
at mid-day and he said, 'I found the people praying at mid-day of
Friday. Some hadith do not consider it desirable (to pray at such
times), but I do not stop the people from praying. I do not like to pray
at that time because it is not desirable to do so." The Hanbaliyyah say
that no voluntary prayers should be made during such times, regardless
of whether or not there is a reason for such prayers, and regardless of
whether it is Friday or not, save for the prayer of salutations to the
mosque on Friday (they allow this without any disike for it while the
sun is at its meridian or while the imam is making his address). They
also say that the funeral prayer is forbidden at that time, unless there
is a fear of alteration or decay in the corpse. They allow the making
up of missed prayers, the vowed prayers and the prayer of the
circumabulation of the Ka'bah (even if it is voluntary) at any of these
three times.




Voluntary Prayer at Dawn Before the Morning Prayer



Yasar, the client of
Ibn 'Umar, said, "Ibn 'Umar saw me while I was praying after the dawn
had begun, and he said, 'The Messenger of Allah came to us while we were
praying at this time and he said, 'Let your witness reach those who are
absent that there is no prayer after (the beginning of) the dawn except
two rak'ah."
As
to its place in the corpus of hadith, it is recorded by Ahmad and Abu
Dawud. Although the hadith is weak, its numerous chains strengthen each
other.
We can conclude from
this that it is disiked to make voluntary prayers beyond the two sunnah
rak'ah after the dawn has begun. This was stated by ash-Shaukani.
Al-Hassan, ash-Shaifi, and Ibn Hazm say voluntary prayers are
permissible at that time without any aspect of dislike. Malik openly
allowed prayers during that time for those who missed the voluntary
prayers during the night due to some excuse. It is mentioned that it
reached him that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, and
'Abdullah ibn 'Aamar ibn Rabi'ah would pray the witr prayer after the
dawn had begun. Said 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, "It does not bother me if
they make the iqamah (the second call) to prayer while I am praying
witr." Yahya ibn Sa'eed reported, " 'Ibadah ibn as-Samit was the imam
for the people. One day he went to the morning prayer and the caller to
prayer made the iqamah for the prayer. 'Ibadah kept quiet until he
prayed the witr prayer and then he led them in the morning prayer."
Sa'eed ibn Jubair reported that Ibn 'Abbas slept (one night), woke up
and told his servant, "Look to see what the people are doing." (By that
time he had lost his eyesight). The servant returned and told him that
they were dispersing from the morning prayer. Ibn 'Abbas then stood,
prayed witr and prayed the morning prayer.





Voluntary Prayers while the Iqamah Is Being Made



If the prayer has already started, it is disliked to preocy
one's self with voluntary prayers. Abu Hurairah reported that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "If the prayer is beginning, there is
no prayer save the obligatory one." In another narration it states,
"Save for the one for which iqamah has been made." (Related by Ahmad,
Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.)
Reported
'Abdullah ibn Sarjis, "A man entered the mosque while the Prophet was
leading the morning prayer. The man prayed two rak'ah at the side of the
mosque and then entered (the congregation) behind the Messenger of
Allah. When the Prophet had finished the prayer he said, 'O so and so,
which of the two prayers do you count --the one you prayed by yourself
or the one you prayed with us?" (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud and
an-Nasa'i.) The Messenger objected to this act, but he did not order him
to repeat his prayer. This shows that such a prayer is valid but
disliked. Reported Ibn 'Abbas, "I was praying while the caller to prayer
was making the iqamah. The Messenger of Allah pulled me and said, 'Do
you pray four rak'ah for the morning (obligatory) prayer?" The hadith is
related by al-Baihaqi, at-Tabarani, Abu Dawud, at-Tayalisi and
al-Hakim, who said it is sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari
and Muslim. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari related that the Prophet saw a man
praying two rak'ah of the morning prayer while the caller to prayer was
making the (second) call. The Prophet touched his elbow and said,
"Shouldn't this be before that?" (Related by at-Tabarani. Al-'Iraqi says
it is good.)




NEXT



Prerequisites of the Prayer ( shorot Al-Salah)

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
Prerequisites of the Prayer ( shorot Al-Salah)

Knowledge that the time for prayer has begun


If one is certain or fairly certain that the time has begun, he may pray. How he reached his decision is not important.



Purity From Major and Minor Impurities


Says Allah in the Qur'an, "O
you who believe, when you rise for the prayer, wash your faces, your
hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your hands and (wash) your feet
up to the ankles. If you are unclean, purify yourselves." Ibn 'Umar
reported that the Prophet said, "Allah does not accept any prayer that
was not performed while in a state of purity, nor does he accept charity
from what has been stolen from booty." (Related by "the group.")



Purity of the Body, Clothes and Place


Such objects should be clean of physical impurities as much as possible. If one can not re
them, he may pray with the impurities present and does not have to
repeat the prayer later. Concerning bodily purity, Anas related that the
Prophet upon whom be peace, said, "Stay clean of urine, as the majority
of punishment in the grave is due to it." This is related by
ad-Daraqutni, who said it is hassan.
Reported 'Ali, I used to have a great deal of prostatic fluid flowing,
so I asked a man to ask the Prophet about it (as I was shy to ask him,
due to my relationship with him through his daughter). He asked him and
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Make ablution and wash your
penis." (Related by al-Bukhari and others.)
'Aishah also related that the Messenger of Allah said to women with a
prolonged flow of blood, "Wash the blood from yourself and pray . "
Concerning purity of clothing, we have the following: Says Allah, "And
purify your raiment" (al-Muddathir 4). Jabir ibn Sumrah reported that he
heard a man ask the Prophet, "May I pray in the same clothes that I had
on during intercourse with my wife?" He said, "Yes, but if you see some
stains on it, you must wash it." This hadith is related by Ahmad and
Ibn Majah. Its narrators are trustworthy. Reported Mu'awiyyah, "I asked
Umm Habibah, 'Did the Prophet pray in the same clothes that he wore when
he had intercourse?' She said, 'Yes, if there were no stains on
it."'(Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) Abu Sa'eed
reported that the Prophet red his shoes and the people behind him did likewise. When he finished the prayer, he asked, "Why did you re your shoes?" They said, "We saw you re
yours." He said, "Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was
some filth on them. Therefore, when one of you comes to the mosque, he
should turn his shoes over and examine them. If one finds any dirt on
them, he should rub them against the ground and pray with them on." The
hadith is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Hakim, Ibn Hibban and Ibn
Khuzaimah. The latter grades it as sahih.
This hadith shows that if one enters the mosque (with his shoes on) and
is unaware of some impurity or has forgotten it, and he suddenly
remembers it during the prayer, he must try to re it and proceed with the prayer. He does not have to repeat it later on.
Concerning the purity of the place where one is praying, Abu Hurairah
said, "A bedouin stood and urinated in the mosque. The people got up to
grab him. The Prophet said, 'Leave him and pour a container full of
water over his urine. You have been raised to be easy on the people, not
to be hard on them." (Related by "the group," except for Muslim.)
Commenting on this subject, ash-Shaukani says, "If what has been
produced of proof is firmly established, then one would know that it is
obligatory to have one's clothes free of impurities. Whoever prays and
has impurities on his clothing has left one of the obligations of the
prayer. But his prayer would not be voided." In ar-Rauzhat an-Nabiyyah
it states, "The majority of scholars are of the opinion that it is
obligatory to purify three things: the body, the clothes, and the place
of prayer. Some are of the opinion that this is a condition for the
soundness of the prayer, and others say that it is just a sunnah. The
truth of the matter is that it is obligatory. Whoever intentionally
prays with impurities on his clothing has left one of the obligations
(of the prayer), but the prayer is still valid."



Covering the 'Aurah


Says
Allah in the Qur'an, "O Children of Adam, take your adornment (by
wearing proper clothing) for every mosque" ( al-A'raf 31). The meaning
of "adornment" here is the covering of the 'aurah. The meaning of
"mosque" is "prayer." Therefore, it means "Cover your 'aurah for every
prayer." Salamah ibn al-Aku' said to the Prophet, "O Messenger of Allah,
may I pray in a long shirt?" He said, "Yes, but button it, even with
just a thorn." (Related by al-Bukhari in his Tareekh.)



A man must cover the front and back of his pubic region


There
is disagreement about the navel, thighs and knees. The reports seem to
contradict each other. The following hadith are used to prove that such
parts are not part of the man's 'aurah:



Exposing a man's thigh
Says
'Aishah, "The Prophet was sitting with his thigh exposed when Abu Bakr
asked, and received, permission to enter. The same thing happened with
'Umar. However, when 'Uthman sought permission to enter, the Prophet
covered himself with his clothes. When they left, I said, 'O Messenger
of Allah, you permitted Abu Bakr and 'Umar to enter while your thigh was
exposed. When 'Uthman asked permission to enter, you covered yourself
with your clothes.' He said, 'O 'Aishah, should I not be shy of a man
who, by Allah, even the angels are shy of'?" (Related by Ahmad and
al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form.)
Says Anas, "During the battle of Khaibar, the Prophet's gown was
withdrawn from his thigh until I could see its whiteness." (Related by
Ahmad and al-Bukhari.)
Says Ibn Hazm, "It is correct to say that the thigh is not part of the
'aurah. If it were so, why would Allah allow His Prophet, who is
protected (from sin), to uncover his so that Anas and others could see
it? Allah would have kept him from doing this. According to Jabir as
recorded in the two Sahihs, when the Prophet was young (before his
prophethood), he was one time carrying the stones of the Ka'bah, wearing
only a loincloth. His uncle al-'Abbas said to him, 'O nephew, why don't
you untie your waistcloth and put it on your shoulder for padding?' The
Prophet did so and fell unconscious. He was never seen naked again
after that."'
Muslim records from Abu al-'Aliya that 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit struck his
thigh and said, "I asked Abu Zharr, and he struck my thigh as I struck
yours, and he said, 'I asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace,
and he struck my thigh as I have struck yours and said, 'Perform the
prayer in its time..." Ibn Hazm said, "If the thigh was 'aurah, why
would the Messenger of Allah touch it?" If the thigh was 'aurah
according to Abu Zharr, why would he have struck it with his hand? The
same can be asked for 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit and Abu al-'Aliya. It is
not allowed for a Muslim to strike with his hand another man's pubic
area, or the clothes over the pubic area. Nor can a man touch the
clothing over a woman's 'a urah .
Ibn Hazm mentions that Hubair ibn al-Huwairith looked at Abu Bakr's
thigh when it was uncovered, and that Anas ibn Malik came to Qas ibn
Shamas when his thigh was uncovered.
However, the following hadith are used to show that the thighs and so on are part of the 'aurah:
Reported Muhammad iben Jahsh, "The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, passed by Ma'mar while his thighs were uncovered. He said, to
him, 'O Ma'mar, cover your thighs, for they are (part of the) 'aurah."
This is related by Ahmad, al-Hakim and al-Bukhari in Tareekh and in
mu'allaq form in his Sahih.
Reported Jurhad, "The Messenger of Allah passed by me when the cloak I
was wearing did not cover my thigh. He said, 'Cover your thigh, for it
(is part of the) 'aurah." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and
at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan, and by al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form in
the Sahih.



Woman's aurah & hijab
There
is no such dispute over what constitutes a woman's 'aurah. It is stated
that her entire body is 'aurah and must be covered, except her hands
and face. Says Allah in the Qur'an, "And to display of their adornment
only that which is apparent (do not expose any adornment or beauty save
the hands and face)." It has been authentically related from Ibn 'Abbas,
Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah that the Prophet said, "Allah does not accept the
prayer of an adult woman unless she is wearing a headcovering (khimar,
hijab)." This is related by "the five," except for an-Nasa'i, and by Ibn
Khuzaimah and al-Hakim. At-Tirmizhi grades it as hassan.
It is related from Umm Salamah that she asked the Prophet, "Can a woman
pray in a long shirt (like a night shirt) and headcovering without a
loincloth?" He said, "If the shirt is long and flowing and covers the
top of her feet." This is related by Abu Dawud. The scholars say it is
sahih in mauqoof form (as a statement of Umm Salamah and not that of the
Prophet.)
It is also related that 'Aishah was asked, "In how many garments is a
woman to pray?" She answered, "Ask 'Ali ibn Abu Talib and then return to
me and tell me what he said." 'Ali's answer was, "In a headcover and a
long flowing shirt." This was told to 'Aishah and she said, "He has told
the truth."
The clothes worn must cover the 'aurah, even if they are tight enough to
highlight those features. If the clothes are so thin that one's skin or can be seen, they are not suitable for prayer.



Preferred to wear two garments in salat
It is
preferred for a person to wear at leat two garments, but he can wear
just one if that is all he has. Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, said, "If one of you is going to pray, he should
wear two garments, for Allah has the most right that you should look
good for Him. If one does not have two garments, he shoud cover himself
with a cloak when he prays, but not like the Jews do." (Related by
at-Tabarani and al-Baihaqi.)
'Abdurazaq related that Ubayy ibn Ka'b and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud had an
argument. Ubayy thought it was permissible to pray in one garment, while
Ibn Mas'ud said that that was allowed only if one had no other clothes.
'Umar mounted the pulpit and said, "The correct position is: If Allah
gives you more provisions, you should wear more clothes. A man can
gather his clothes about him, or pray in a waist cloth and a cloak, or
in a waist cloth and a shirt, or in a waist cloth and a caftan, or in
trousers and a cloak, or in trousers and a shirt, or in trousers and a
caftan, or in leather trousers and a caftan, or in leather trousers and a
shirt.' And I (a narrator) think he said, 'Leather trousers and a
cloak."
Buraida reported that the Prophet forbade one to pray using an
improperly-affixed sheet to cover his 'aurah, and to pray in trousers
while not wearing a cloak. (Related by Abu Dawud and al-Baihaqi.) It is
related that when al-Hassan ibn 'Ali prayed, he would wear his best
clothes. He was asked about that and he said, "Verily, Allah is
beautiful and He loves beauty, so I beautify myself for my Lord." Such a
view is in accord with Allah's words, "And wear your adornment for
every prayer."



Uncovering the Head During the Prayer
Ibn 'Asakir related that the Prophet would sometimes re
his cap and place it in front of him as a sutrah. According to the
Hanifiyyah, one can pray with his head uncovered. In fact, they prefer
this if it is done out of a sense of humility and awe.'�
There is no evidence whatsoever that it is preferred to cover one's head
while praying.



Facing the Qiblah
All
scholars agree that one must face the Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah) during
every prayer. Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Direct your face to the Masjid
al-Haram. Wherever you may be, turn your faces to it" ( al-Baqarah
144).
Reported al-Barra', "We prayed with the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, for about sixteen or seventeen months towards Jerusalem, after which time he turned towards the Ka 'bah." (Related by Muslim.)
If one can see the Ka'bah, he must face that particular direction
If he
can not see it, he must turn in its direction, as this is all that he
is able to do. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "The qiblah
is between the East and the West." This is related by Ibn Majah and
at-Tirmizhi. The latter considers it hassan sahih. This hadith refers to
the people of Madinah and whoever has a position similar to them (i.e.,
the people of Syria, the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. For the people of Egypt, the qiblah is between the East and the South.)



If one can not determine the direction of the qiblah
He
should ask one who knows. If he finds no one to ask, he should try his
best to determine it. In such a case, his prayer will be valid, and he
need not repeat it even though he discovers later on that he had faced
in the wrong direction. If it is made clear to him while he is praying
that he is facing the wrong direction, he need only turn in the proper
direction without stopping his prayer. This is based on the following
incident: Ibn 'Umar reported that the people were praying the morning
prayer in the Quba' mosque when a person came to them and said, "Allah
has revealed some of the Qur'an to the Prophet in which we have been
ordered to face the Ka'bah, so face it." They immedately turned their
faces from Syria to the Ka'bah." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
If one prays according to what he determined and then wants to make
another prayer, he should again try to determine the qiblah's direction.
If it turns out to be different from what he had determined earlier, he
should pray in the new direction without repeating his earlier prayer.



Two cases in which one doesn't have to face the Ka'bah
The
first one is performing voluntary prayers while riding (an animal, car
and so on). The rider may bend his head slightly for the bowings and
prostrations of the prayer, but he should bend a little bit lower for
the prostrations. He may face in whatever direction his ride is going.
Reported 'Amr ibn Rabi'ah, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, pray while riding, and he faced the direction in which he was
going." This hadith is related by Muslim, at-Tirmizhi and al-Bukhari.
The latter added that "he bent his head slighty."
He did not, however, do this for the obligatory prayers. Ahmad, Muslim
and at-Tirmizhi recorded that he would pray on his mount while
travelling from Makkah to Madinah, facing away from Makkah. Upon this,
Allah revealed, "Wherever you turn, you will find Allah's face." Says
Ibrahim an-Nakha'i, "They would pray on their mounts and animals in the
direction in which they were facing." Ibn Hazm comments, "This has been
related from the companions and those of the following generation,
during travel and residence. "
The second case is praying while having to deal with forced conditions,
illness and fear. Under such circumstances, it is allowed to pray
without facing the qiblah. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "If I
order you to do something, do what you are capable of doing." Says
Allah, "If you go in fear, then (pray) standing or on your mounts..."
(al-Baqarah 239). Ibn 'Umar added, "Facing the qiblah or not facing it."
(Related by al-Bukhari.)
The state of prayer, salah
There
are many prophetic hadith on this topic. Here, we will mention just two
of them, one describing his actions and other quoting his statements.
'Abdullah ibn Ghanam related that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari gathered together
his people saying, " O Tribe of Ash'ari, gather together, and gather
your women and children to teach them how the Messenger of Allah, upon
whom be peace, prayed with us in Madinah." They all gathered to watch
him perform ablution. After it, he waited until the sun had just passed
the meridian and there was some shade, and then he made the azhan. He
put the men in the row closest to him, the children in a row behind the
men, and the women in a row behind the children. After the iqamah, he
raised his hands and made the takbir, silently recited Surah al-Fatihah
and another surah, repeated the takbir and bowed while saying, "Glory be
to Allah and Praise be to Him" three times, after which he said, "Allah
hears him who praises Him" and stood straight. He then made the takbir
and prostrated, made another takbir, raised his head (and sat), repeated
the takbir and prostrated again, after which he said the final takbir
and stood up. In the first rak'ah he made six takbir, and he made
another one when he stood for the second rak'ah. When he finished the
prayer, he turned to his people and said, "Guard the number of my takbir
and learn my bowings and prostrations, for this is how the Prophet
prayed with us during this part of the day." (Then he said) when the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, finished the prayer, he turned toward the
people and said, "O people, listen and understand. Allah has slaves who
are neither prophets nor martyrs, but both the prophets and martyrs envy
them for their closeness to Allah." A bedouin stepped forward, pointed
to the Messenger of Allah and said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about
these people." The Prophet was pleased with the bedouin's request and
said, "They are from various peoples and tribes who have no ties of
relationship between them. They love each other purely for the sake of
Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will present them pulpits of
light for them to sit on. Their faces will be light and their clothes
will be light. The people will be scared on the Day of Resurrection, but
they will not be scared. They are the friends of Allah who will not
have any fear upon them nor will they grieve.
As to the authenticity of this report, it is related by Ahmad and Abu
Ya'la with a hassan chain. Al-Hakim says its chain is sahih.
Reported Abu Hurairah, "A man entered the mosque and, after praying,
went to the Prophet, upon whom be peace. The Prophet, upon whom be
peace, responded to his salutations and said, 'Return and pray, for you
have not prayed.' This happened three times, and the man finally said,
'By the One who sent you with the Truth, I do not know any better than
that, so teach me.' He said, 'When you stand for the prayer, make the
takbir and then recite what you can from the Qur'an. Then bow until you
attain calmness and then come up again until you are standing straight.
Then prostrate until you attain calmness in your sitting, and prostate
until you attain calmness in your prostration. Do that during all of
your prayer." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim and al-Bukhari.)
These are general hadith that describe how the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, prayed or what he said about its performance. Now we shall
discuss those acts of the prayer which are obligatory and those which
are sunnah.














__________________

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer

It is preferred that he meet the following conditions:
-1- It is a must that he make the azhan for Allah's sake and not for
wages. 'Uthman ibn Abu al-'Aas asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom
be peace, to appoint him as the imam of his people. He replied, "You are
their imam. Be careful about the weak amongst them, and appoint a
caller to prayer who does not accept wages for his azhan.
This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and
at-Tirmizhi, with a slightly different wording, who called it hasan. He
also said that the scholars agree with this, and that they hate to see
the caller receive wages for the azhan.
-2- He should be clean from major or minor impurities. Al-Muhajir ibn
Qanfazh reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said to him,
"Nothing prevented me from returning (your salutations) except that I
dislike to mention the name of Allah when I am not clean. This report
has come from Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaimah.
The latter grades it sahih.
According to the Shafiyyah, making the call while one is not in a state
of cleanliness is permissible although disliked. According to Ahmad, the
Hanafiyyah and others, it is permissible and is not disliked.
-3- He should be standing and facing the qiblah (the direction of the
Ka'bah). Said Ibn al-Munzhir, "There is agreement that it is sunnah for
the caller to be standing, for then he can be heard far away. It is also
sunnah that he face the qiblah while making the azhan. If he turns away
from the qiblah, his azhan will be sound, but the act will be disliked.

-4- He should turn with his head, neck and chest to the right upon
saying "Hayya 'alas-salah" and to the left upon saying Hayya
'alalfalah." Says an-Nawawi, "It is the most authentic form."
Reported Abu Juhaifah, "Bilal made the azhan, and I saw the ment
of his mouth from this side to that side upon saying "Hayya
'alas-salah" and "Hayya 'alal-falah." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)
According to al-Baihaqi, this turning is not documented through sound
chains. In al-Mughni, it states from Ahmad that the caller should not
turn to the left or to the right unless he is at the top of a minaret,
so that the people on both sides can hear him.
-5- He should insert his index fingers into his ears. Talking of his
practice, Bilal said, "I put my index fingers into my ears and made the
azhan. (Related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban.)
Says at-Tirmizhi, "The scholars prefer the callers to put their index fingers into their ears while making the azhan."
-6- He should raise his voice for the call, even if he is alone in the
desert. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdurahman related from his father that Abu
Sa'eed al-Khudri said to him, "I see that you love the sheep and the
desert. If you are with your sheep or in the desert, then raise your
voice while making the call to prayer, for any jinn, human or thing
within hearing distance of your voice will be a witness for you on the
Day of Resurrection...I heard the Messenger of Allah say that." (Related
by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.)
-7- He should pause between each phrase during the azhan and be quick in
making the iqamah. Many narrations have reported that this act is
preferred.
-8- He should not speak during the iqamah. Some scholars dislike that he
should even speak during the azhan, although al-Hasan, 'Ata and Qatadah
permit it. Says Abu Dawud, "I asked Ahmad, 'May a man speak during his
azhan?' He said, 'Yes.' 'May he speak during the iqamah?' He said, 'No,'
and that is because it is preferred that he make it quickly."

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
Obligatory acts of prayer
For it to be acceptable, the method of prayer must conform to the norms spelled out in the Islamic law.
: Obligatory acts of prayer, Intention
Says Allah, "And We
did not command them save to worship Allah, making the religion
sincerely for Him" (al-Bayinah 5). The Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "Every action is based upon intention. For everyone is what he
intended. Whoever made the migration to Allah and His Prophet, then his
migration is to Allah and His Prophet. Whoever's migration was for
something of this world or for the purpose of marriage, then his
migration was to what he migrated to." (Related by al-Bukhari.)
In Ighatha al-Lufan, Ibn al-Qayyim states, "The intention is the aim and
purpose of something. It is a condition of the heart, and it does not
come from the tongue. For that reason, the Prophet and his companions
never spoke their intentions. What has been introduced into this matter
during the actions of purity and the prayer comes from Satan and is a
trap for those who are unsure about how to make it. You will find them
repeating it over and over, but that is not part of the prayer at all."
Obligatory acts of prayer, Saying the Opening Takbir and Beginning the Prayer
Ali reported that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The key to prayer is purity. What
puts one into its inviolable state is the takbir, and the tasleem
releases one from it."
As to the authenticity of the report, it is related by ash-Shai'i,
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi, who called it the most
authentic report on this topic. Al-Hakim and Ibn as-Sakin consider it as
sahih. The takbir consists of saying Allahu akbar. Abu Hameed reported
that when the Prophet stood for prayer, he would stand straight, raise
his hands and say, "Allahu akbar."
This is related by Ibn Majah, and in the Sahihs of Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn
Hibban. Al-Bazzar related something similar to it, but with a chain
that is sahih according to Muslim's criterion. 'Ali and others also
reported this.
Standing During the Obligatory Prayers
One must stand during
the prayer, if at all possible. Says Allah, "Guard and preserve the
prayers and the mid-most prayer, and stand for Allah with devotion."
Reported 'Umar ibn Hussain, "I had some physical problem, so I asked the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, about the prayer, and he said, 'Pray
standing; if you are not able to; pray sitting, if you are not able to;
pray (while lying) on your side." (Related by al-Bukhari.) Most scholars
say that one should not put his feet together while standing in prayer.

For voluntary prayers, one can pray sitting even if he can stand, but
one who stands receives a larger reward than one who sits. 'Abdullah ibn
'Umar related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The prayer
of one who sits is half of the prayer." (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)
If one can not stand, he may pray according to what he is capable of
doing, as Allah does not burden a soul beyond its ability. He will get a
complete reward for the prayer. Abu Musa reported that the Prophet
said, "If a slave (of Allah) is sick or travels, he will get a reward
for those acts similar to what he would get if he was healthy and at
home."
Obligatory acts of prayer, Reciting al-Fatihah in Every Rak'ah of the Prayer
There are many
authentic hadith which state that it is obligatory to recite al-Fatihah
in every rak'ah. Thus, there is no difference of opinion on this point.
Some of these hadith are:
'Ibadah ibn as-Samit related that the Prophet said, "There is no prayer
for one who does not recite the opening of the Book al-Fatihah)." This
is related by "the group."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "Whoever prays a prayer and
does not recite the opening chapter of the Qur'an has not prayed
correctly." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Ad-Daraqutni also
recorded a hadith with a sahih chain with almost exactly the same
wording.
Said Abu Sa'eed, "We were ordered to recite the opening chapter of the
Qur'an and what (else) was easy (for us)." This is related by Abu Dawud.
Al-Hafez and Ibn Sayyid an-Nass consider its chain as sahih.
In some of the narrations dealing with the prayer's incompleteness, it
states, "And then recite the 'Mother of the Book' (al-Fatihah)," and he
said, "And do that in every rak'ah."
It is confirmed that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recited al-Fatihah
in every rak'ah of every prayer, obligatory or superogatory. Since this
is an act of worship, we can only follow what he did. And the Prophet
said, "Pray as you have seen me pray." (Related by al-Bukhari.)
Obligatory acts of prayer, Bismillah
The scholars are
agreed that the bismillah (the words "In the name of Allah, the
Compassionate, the Merciful) is a verse in Surah al-Naml, but they
differ over whether or not it constitutes a verse of every surah. There
are three opinions on this point:
-1- It is a verse of al-Fatihah and of every surah of the Qur'an.
Therefore, it is to be recited with al-Fatihah during those prayers that
are said aloud or quietly. The strongest support of this opinion comes
from the hadith of Na'em al-Mujammir who said, "I prayed behind Abu
Hurairah and he recited, 'In the name of Allah...' and then he recited
al-Fatihah." At the end of the hadith, he is quoted as saying, "By the
One in whose Hand is my soul, I have done what resembles how we prayed
with the Messenger of Allah."
-2- It is a verse by itself and was revealed to demarcate different
surahs. It is allowed to recite it with al-Fatihah (in fact it is
preferred), but it is not sunnah to recite it aloud. Anas said, "I
prayed behind the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, and
they did not recite it aloud."
This hadith is related by an-Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban and at-Tahawi with a sahih chain according to the criterion of the two Sahihs.
-3- It is not a verse of al-Fatihah or of any other surah. It is
disliked to recite it aloud or quietly during the obligatory prayers,
but not for the superogatory prayers. This opinion, however, is not
strong.
Ibn al-Qayyim has reconciliated the first and second opinions by saying,
"Sometimes the Prophet would recite it aloud, but most of the time he
would say it quietly and not aloud."
Obligatory acts of prayer, One Who Cannot Recite Properly
Says al-Khattabi,
"Basically, one's prayer does not suffice if he does not recite
al-Fatihah. If one can recite neither al-Fatihah nor other portions of
the Qur'an, he should recite at least seven verses of a similar meaning
from the Qur'an. If he can not learn any part of the Qur'an (due to some
innate inability, poor memory, or because it's a foreign language), he
should say the tasbeeh (Subhaan Allah - Glory be to Allah), the tamheed
(al-Hamdu lillah - All praise is due to Allah), and tahleel (La ilaha
illal-lah - There is no God except Allah). It is related that he said,
"The best remembrance after the speech of Allah is Subhaan Allah,
al-Hamdu lillah, La ilaha illal-lah and Allahu akbar." This is supported
by Rafa'ah ibn Rafa', who narrated that the Prophet said, "If you have
something from the Qur'an, recite it. If not, then say the tamheed,
takbir and the tahleel and then bow."
This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i and al-Baihaqi. The former considers it as hassan.
Obligatory acts of prayer, Ar-Ruku' (Bowing Down)
There is a consensus
on the obligatory nature of the ruku'. Says Allah, "O you who believe,
bow down and prostrate yourselves.. ." The position of ruku' is
established by bending over, putting one's hands on one's knees, and
remaining in that position until he attains "calmness." In another
hadith the Prophet said, "Then bow until you attain calmness while your
are bowing." Abu Qatadah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "The worst pepole are the thieves who steal part of the prayer."
He was asked how this was done, and he replied, "He does not complete
his bowings and prostrations," or he said, "He does not straighten his
back during his bowings and prostrations."
As to its authenticity, the report is related by Ahmad, at-Tabarani, Ibn
Khuzaimah and al-Hakim, who consider its chain as sahih.
Abu Mas'ud al-Badri reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"The prayer of one who does not straighten his back in his bendings and
prostrations is not accomplished." This hadith is related by "the
five,'' and Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban, at-Tabarani and al-Baihaqi, who
consider its chain as sahih, while at-Tirmizhi grades it as hassan
sahih.
Knowledgeable companions act according to the principle that a person is
to make his back straight during his bowings and prostrations.
Huzhaifah saw someone who did not straighten his back during his bowings
and prostrations, and told him, "You have not prayed. And if you were
to die, you would not die in the way of Allah and His Messenger."
(Related by al-Bukhari.)
Obligatory acts of prayer, Standing Erect After the Bowing
This is based on Abu
Humaid's de******ion of the Prophet's prayer: "He would raise his head
from his bowing, then stand straight until all of his backbones returned
to their places." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
'Aishah related that when the Prophet raised his head from bowing, he
would not prostrate until his back was straight. (Related by al-Bukhari
and Muslim.)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "Allah does not look at the
prayer of a person who does not straighten his back between his bowings
and his prostrations." (Related by Ahmad. al-Munzhiri considers its
chain as good.)
Obligatory acts of prayer, Prostration
We have already stated
the Qur'anic verse dealing with this obligatory act. The Prophet
explained it in a hadith by saying, "Then prostrate until you attain
calmness in your prostration, then rise (and sit) until you attain
calmness in your sitting, and then prostrate until you gain calmness in
your prostration. The first prostration, sitting afterwards, the second
prostration and calmness during all of these acts are obligatory in
every rak'ah of every obligatory or superogatory prayer.
Obligatory acts of prayer, How to Attain Calmness
The "calmness" comes
from sitting in the position until the bones are set and still. Some
scholars say that, at a minimum, this would take as long as it takes to
say one Subhaan Allah.
Obligatory acts of prayer, Bodily Parts That Touch the Ground During Prostration
These parts are: the
face, hands, knees and feet. Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abdul-Mutallib reported that
he heard the Prophet say, "When a slave (of Allah) prostrates, seven
bodily parts prostrate with him: his face, his hands, his knees and his
feet." (Related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari.) Said Ibn 'Abbas,
"The Prophet ordered us to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to
fold back the hair or clothing: the forehead, the hands, the knees and
the feet." In another wording, the Prophet said, "I have been ordered to
prostrate on seven bodily parts: the forehead, and he pointed to his
nose, the hands, the knees and the ends of the feet." (Related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another narration, he said, "I have been
ordered to prostrate on seven bodily parts and not to fold back the hair
or clothing: the forehead, the nose, the hands, the knees and the
feet." (Related by Muslim and an-Nasa'i.)
Abu Humaid reported that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
prostrated, he placed his nose and forehead on the ground. This hadith
is related by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmizhi who said, "The scholars act
according to this: a person prostrates on his nose and forehead."
According to some scholars, if one prostrates on just the forehead
without the nose touching the ground, it will still be sufficient.
Others say that it would not be sufficient until his nose touches the
ground.
Obligatory acts of prayer, The Final Sitting and Recital of the Tashahud
The Prophet's practice
illustrates that when the final sitting of the prayer has been made,
one must recite the tashahud at that time. In one hadith, he said, "When
you raise your head from the last prostration and sit for the tashahud,
you have completed your prayer."
Says Ibn Qudamah, "It has been related that Ibn 'Abbas said, 'We used to
say, before the tashahud was made obligatory upon us, 'Peace be upon
Allah before His slaves, peace be upon Gabriel, peace be upon Mikhail.'
The Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, 'Do not say, 'Peace be upon
Allah,' but say, 'Salutations to Allah.' This proves that the tashah ud
was made obligatory, although before it was not."
The most authentic report concerning the tashahud is Ibn Mas'ud's, who
said, "When we would sit with the Prophet in the prayer, we would say,
'Peace be upon Allah before His slaves, peace be upon so and so.' The
Prophet said, 'Do not say peace be upon Allah, for Allah is peace. When
one of you sits, he should say salutations be to Allah, and the prayers,
and the good deeds, peace be upon us and upon Allah's sincere slaves
(if you say that, it applies to all of Allah's sincere slaves in the
heavens and the earth). I bear witness that there is no god except
Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.' Then
you may choose whatever supplication you desire." (Related by "the
group.")
Says Muslim, "The people are in agreement over the tashahud of Ibn
Mas'ud, and the companions do not differ over it." At-Tirmizhi,
al-Khattabi, Ibn 'Abdul-Barr and Ibn al-Munzhir all agree that Ibn
Mas'ud's hadith is the most authentic one on this topic.
Said Ibn 'Abbas, "The Messenger of Allah used to teach us the tashahud
like he taught us the Qur'an. He would say, 'Salutations, blessings,
prayers and good deeds for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the
mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and the sincere
slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah. I
bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger." (Related by
ash-Shaifi, Muslim, Abu Dawud and anNasa'i.)
Says ash-Shaifi, "Different hadith have been related about the tashahud,
but that one is the best in my opinion, for it is the most complete.
Al-Hafez states, "Ash-Shaifi was asked about this choice and the
tashahud of Ibn 'Abbas, and he replied, 'I have found it to be the most
encompassing. I have heard it from Ibn 'Abbas (through) authentic
(chains). To me, it is more complete..."
There is another form of the tashahud that Malik chose. In al-Muwatta,
it is stated that 'Abdurahman ibn 'Abdul-Qari heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab
teaching the people, from the pulpit, this tashahud: "Salutations to
Allah, purifications to Allah, the good deeds and prayers be to Allah.
Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Peace be upon us and Allah's sincere slaves. I testify that there is no
god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger."
Commenting on the stature of such hadith, an-Nawawi says, "Those hadith
concerning the tashahud are all sahih. Hadith scholars are agreed that
the strongest of them is the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, and then the hadith
of Ibn 'Abbas. " Ash-Shaf'i said that any tashahud one uses will
suffice, for the scholars agree that every one of them is permissible."
Obligatory acts of prayer, The Salaam (Peace Be Upon You and the Mercy of Allah) at the Prayer's End
Saying the salaam at
the end of the prayer is obligatory. 'Ali related that the Prophet said,
"The key to prayer is purity. One enters into its inviolable state by
the takbir and leaves it by the salaam."
As to its authenticity, the report is related by Ahmad, ash-Shaf i, Abu
Dawud, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi who said, "That is the most authentic
report on this topic and the best."
'Amr ibn Sa'd related that his father said, "I saw the Prophet making
the salaam on his right side and on his left side until I could see the
whiteness of his cheeks." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, anNasa'i and Ibn
Majah.)
Reported Wa'il ibn Hajr, "I prayed with the Messenger of Allah. He would
make the salaam on his right side by saying, 'Peace be upon you and the
mercy of Allah." In Bulugh al-Maram, Ibn Hajr says that Abu Dawud
related it with a sahih chain.
It is obligatory to say one salaam, and it is preferred to say two. Ibn
al-Munzhir comments that all scholars agree that making only one salaam
is permissible. Ibn Qudamah writes in al-Mughni, "There is no clear text
from Ahmad that states that two salaams are obligatory. He only said,
'Two salaams are the most authentic act from the Messenger of Allah.' It
is permissible to say that this is the regualtion, although it is not
obligatory, and others have the same opinion. This is also pointed out
in another of his statements where he said, 'Two salaams are more loved
by me. But 'Aishah, Salamah ibn al-Aku' and Sahl ibn Sa'd narrated that
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, made only one salaam." We can
reconciliate these differences by stating that it is sunnah to say two
salaams, but it is obligatory to say one. This is the consensus that Ibn
al-Munzhir mentioned, and we have no option to reject that. Says
an-Nawawi, "It is the opinion of ash-Shaifi and most of the early and
later scholars that it is sunnah to say two salaams." Malik and a group
of scholars say that only one salaam is sunnah. They adduce this from a
weak hadith that can not be used as a proof. If something of this nature
had been confirmed from the Prophet, the act was probably done just to
show that it is permissible to say only one salaam. Scholars are agreed
that only one salaam is obligatory. If one makes only one salaam, he
should turn to his right for the first one and to the left for the
second one. He should turn until his cheeks can be seen from behind.
That is the most authentic form and it is said, "If one says the two
salaams to the right or to the left while facing forward, or the first
one on the left and the second one on the right, then his prayer would
still be valid and he would have fulfilled the act of the two salaams.
But, he would have lost the virtue of how they are to be performed."

__________________


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IF..

his prayers were somewhat
long, they were still easy compared to how long he could have made them.
The guidance that he came with and practiced is the one that decides
our affairs and disputes for us. This is supported by the hadith
recorded by an-Nasa'i and others in which Ibn 'Umar reported that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, ordered those who lead prayers to be 'easy'
by reciting as-Saffat. Therefore, a surah the length of as-Saffat is
part of what the Prophet, upon whom be peace, meant when he said that
the imams should be easy on the people.

Sunnah acts of prayer, Reciting a Specific Surah

The Prophet, upon whom be
peace, did not confine his recitation of the Qur'an in prayers to some
specific surahs, (except for the Friday and 'Id prayers). Concerning the
other prayers, Abu Dawud has recorded a hadith from 'Amr ibn Shu'aib
from his father on the authority of his grandfather who said, "There is
no separate surah, large or small, except the ones I heard the Prophet
recite while leading the people in one of the obligatory prayers. He
used to recite the entire surah in two rak'ahs, or just the initial part
of the surah. It has not been recorded from him that he would recite
from the middle or the end of the surah, nor that he would recite two
surahs in one rak'ah during the obligatory prayers. He would, however,
do so during voluntary prayers. Said Ibn Mas'ud, "I know the surahs the
Prophet used to recite together in one rak'ah: ar-Rahman and an-Najm,
al-Qamar and al-Haqqah, at-Tur and azh-Zhariyat, al-Waqi'ah and Noon,
and so on." But this hadith does not tell us if this was during
obligatory or voluntary prayers. The latter is more probable. He rarely
recited one surah in two (both) rak'ahs. Abu Dawud records that a man
from the tribe of Juhainah heard the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recite
the complete surah az-Zil~al twice in both rak'ahs of the morning
prayer. The man commented, "I do not know if he did this out of
forgetfulness or if he recited it twice intentionally."




Sunnah acts of prayer, Lengthening the First Rak'ah of the Morning Prayer
The Prophet,
upon whom be peace, would make the first rak'ah of the morning prayer
longer than the second. At times, he would continue to prolong his
recitation until he heard no more footsteps (of the people coming to
catch the prayer). He made the morning prayer the longest of his
(obligatory) prayers. This is because its recitation is witnessed by
Allah and the angels. It is also stated that it is witnessed by both the
angels who record the daytime deeds and those who record the nighttime
deeds. Whether it is Allah and His angels or His angels alone who
witness that time, or does it continue until the morning prayer is over
or until the sun rises cannot be said with certainty, though both of the
statements are correct.
Furthermore, since the morning
prayer has the least number of rak'ah, the recitation is prolonged to
compensate for it. It is prayed right after sleep. As such, people are
well rested. Also, it occurs before they have engaged themselves in
their livelihood and other worldly affairs. The spirit as well as the
body is responsive to the words of Allah. This makes the recital easier
to ponder over and comprehend. Also, prayer is the basis and the first
of all works. Therefore, it is preferred to prolong the recital of the
morning prayer. This would be recognized by one who is familiar with
Islamic law and its aim, purpose and wisdom.




Sunnah acts of prayer, How The Prophet Would Recite the Qur'an
He would
draw out his voice over the long vowels, pause at the end of every
verse, and elongate his voice with the recital. This ends the section
that has been taken from the writings of Ibn al-Qayyim.




Sunnah acts of prayer, What Is Preferred to be Done During the Recitation
It is sunnah
to make one's voice beautiful and nice while reciting the Qur'an. The
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Beautify your voices with the
Qur'an." He also said, "He is not one of us who does not chant the
Qur'an," "The one with the best voice with the Qur'an is the one that
when you hear him, you feel that he fears Allah," and "Allah never
listened to anything like he listened to his Prophet chanting the Qur'an
with a beautiful voice."
Says an-Nawawi, "It is sunnah
for anyone who is reciting the Qur'an, whether he is praying or not, to
ask Allah for His blessings when he comes to a verse of mercy. When he
comes to a verse (describing) punishment, he should seek refuge in Allah
from Hellfire, punishment, evil, from what is hated, or he may say,
"Allah, I ask You for well-being, etc." When he comes to a verse that
glorifies or exalts Allah, he should say, "Glory be to Allah," or
"Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds," and so on. Huzhaifah ibn
al-Yaman is reported to have said, "I prayed with the Prophet, upon whom
be peace, one night, and he started reading al-Baqarah. I said to
myself, 'He will bow after one hundred verses,' but he continued. Then I
said, 'He will complete it and bow,' but he d
to recite very slowly al 'Imran and then an-Nisa'. When he came to a
verse glorifying Allah, he would glorify Him. If he came to a verse that
mentioned a request, he would request it. If he came to something that
(one should) seek refuge from, he would seek refuge." This was related
by Muslim. Among the Shafiyyah, the glorifying, requesting and seeking
refuge should be done during the prayer and at other times. The imam,
followers and one praying by himself should all do so, for they are
supplications that one should say, like 'ameen. It is preferred that
when reading, "Is not Allah the most conclusive of all judges?" /
at-Tin:8 / one should say, "Certainly, and I am one of the witnesses to
that. When one reads, "Is not He (who does so) able to bring the dead to
life? / al-Qiyamah:40 /, he should say, "Certainly, and I bear witness
(to it)." When one reads, "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most
High," ( al-A'la: 1 ), he should say, "Glory to my Lord, the Most High."
That should be said during prayer and otherwise.




Sunnah acts of prayer, When The Prayer is to be Aloud or Subdued
It is sunnah
to recite aloud in the two rak'ah of the morning and the Friday
congregational prayer, in the first two rak'ah of the evening and the
night prayer, in the two 'id prayers, the prayer for eclipses, and the
prayer of asking for rain. The recital should be subdued during all of
the noon
and the afternoon prayer, during the last rak'ah of the evening prayer,
and during the last two rak'ah of the night prayer. Concerning
voluntary prayers, those made during the days should be subdued, while
those made during the night can be either loud or subdued.



__________________



Sunnah acts of prayer, It is best to be moderate in one's recital




One night, the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, passed by Abu Bakr when he was praying in a very low
voice, and he passed by 'Umar who was praying with his voice raised.
(Later), when they were together with him, he said, "O Abu Bakr, I
passed by you and you were praying in a very low voice." He said, "O
Messenger of Allah, the one who I was praying to could hear me." And he
said to 'Umar, "O 'Umar, I passed by you and you were praying with a
raised voice." He said, "O Messenger of Allah, this was to stop the
drowsiness and to drive away Satan." The Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "O Abu Bakr, raise your voice somewhat. And 'Umar, lower your
voice somewhat." (Related by Abu Dawud and Ahmad.) If one forgets and
recites aloud when he should be silent or vice-versa, there is no blame
upon him. If one recalls the correction while he is doing the mistaken
act, he may change to the correct way.

Sunnah acts of prayer, Reciting Behind an Imam

One's prayer is not accepted
unless al-Fatihah is recited in every rak'ah. But, one who is praying
behind an imam is to keep quiet while the imam is reciting aloud, as
Allah says in the Qur'an, "When the Qur'an is recited, listen and remain
silent that you may attain mercy." The Prophet, upon whom be peace,
also said, "When the imam makes the takbir, (you too) make the takbir.
When he recites, be silent." (Related by Muslim.) One hadith states,
"Whoever is praying behind an imam, the imam's recital is his recital.
If the imam reads quietly, then all of the followers must also make
their own recital. If one cannot hear the imam's recital, he must make
his own recital.

Commenting on this subject,
Abu Bakr al-'Arabi says, "What we see as the strongest opinion is that
one must recite during the prayers in which the imam's recital is
subdued. But, during the prayers where the imam recites aloud, one may
not recite. This is based on the following three proofs:
-1- This was the practice of the people of Madinah,
-2- it is the ruling of the Qur'an, as Allah says, "When the Qur'an is recited, listen and remain silent," and
-3- this is supported by two
hadith: one from 'Imran ibn Hussain states, 'I know that some of you
compete with me (in my recital...),' and 'If it is recited, you should
listen.' The preceding hadith is the weightiest position according to
the following argument: If one cannot recite along with the imam, then
when can one recite? If one says, 'While he is silent,' then we say, 'It
is not necessary for him to be silent,'7 so how can something that is
obligatory be dependent on something that is not obligatory? But we have
found a way in which the person may 'recite' with the imam, and that is
the recitation of the heart and of concentrating on what is being
recited. This is the method of the Qur'an and the hadith, and the way
the worship has been preserved. It is also part of following the sunnah.
One is to act by what is the strongest (opinion). This was also the
choice of az-Zuhri and Ibn al-Mubarak, and it is a statement from Malik,
Ahmad and Ishaq. Ibn Taimiyyah supports it and shows it to be the
strongest opinion.



Sunnah acts of prayer, Making the Takbir upon Moving from Position to Position

It is sunnah to make the
takbir upon every rising, lowering, standing or sitting, except when one
comes up from bowing, in which case one should say, "Allah hears him
who praises Him." Reported Ibn Mas'ud, "I saw the Messenger of Allah
make the takbir upon every lowering, rising, standing and sitting." This
is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi, who called it shaih.

Says at-Tirmizhi, "The
companions of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, including Abu Bakr,
'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali and others, acted according to this hadith, as did
their followers and the majority of the jurists and scholars." Abu Bakr
ibn 'Abdurahman ibn al-Harith reported that he heard Abu Hurairah say,
"When the Prophet, upon whom be peace, stood for prayer, he would make
the takbir while standing. Then he made the takbir while bowing. When
coming up from the bowing, he would say, "Sami'Allahu liman hamidah
(Allah hears him who praises Him). While standing, he would say,
"Rabbana lakal-hamd (Our Lord, to You is the praise)." Then he would
say, "Allahu akbar" when he would go down for the prostration, when he
raised his head, and when he stood from his sitting after the two
prostrations. He did that in every rak'ah until he finished the prayer.
He prayed in that manner until he left this world." (Related by Ahmad,
al-Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud.)
'Ikrimah said to Ibn 'Abbas, "I prayed the noon
prayer in al-Butha behind a foolish old man. He would make twelve
takbirs by saying it when he prostrated and when he raised his head."
Ibn 'Abbas said, "That is the prayer of Abu al-Qasim (the Prophet)."
(Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari.) It is preferrable to start the takbir
when one begins one's changing of position.



Sunnah acts of prayer, The Manner of Bowing

When one bows, one's hands
must reach one's knees. It is sunnah to make the height of the head
equal to that of the hips. The hands should be supported by the knees
and should be apart from one's sides. The hands should be open upon
one's knees and thighs, and the palms should be flat. It is reported
that 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr would bow with his arms separated, his hands on his
knees, and his fingers opened beyond his knees. He said, "This is how I
saw the Messenger of Allah pray." (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and
an-Nasa'i.)

Abu Humaid reported that when
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, bowed, he would be straight, his head
neither up nor down (with respect to his hips), and he would place his
hands on his knees as if he was holding them." (Related by an-Nasa'i.)
Muslim
records 'Aishah reporting that when the Prophet bowed, his head would be
neither risen nor lowered, but rather between those two positions. Said
'Ali, "If you put a
of water on the back of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, while he was
bowing, its contents would not spill." This is related by Ahmad. Abu
Dawud recorded it in his Kitab al-Muraseel.
Said Mus'ab ibn Sa'd, "I
prayed next to my father. I joined both of my hands and put them between
my thighs (while bowing). He stopped me and said, 'We used to do that,
but were later ordered (by the Prophet) to put our hands on our knees."'
(Related by "the group.")



Sunnah acts of prayer, The Remembrance of Allah During the Bowing

It is preferred to remember
Allah with the following words, "Subhana Rabiyy al-'Azheem (Glory to my
Lord, the Great.)" Reported 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr, "When 'Glorify the name of
your Lord, the Great,' was revealed, the Prophet told us, 'Do so in your
bowings." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others with a good
chain.

Reported Huzhaifah, "I prayed
with the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, and while bowing he
would say, 'Subhana Rabiyy al-'Azheem." (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud,
an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmizhi and Ibn Majah.)
The phrase
Subhana Rabiyy al-'Azheem wa bihamdihi has been related through a number
of chains, but all of them are weak. Ash-Shaukani maintains, "The
different chains support each other. It is perfectly acceptable for one
who is praying to limit himself to Subhana Rabiyy al-'Azheem or to add
one of the following:
-1- 'Ali reported that while
bowing, the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, would say, "O Allah,
for You have I bowed, and it is You that I have believed in and to You
have I submitted. You are my Lord. My hearing, sight, marrow, bones and
nerves and what is carried by my feet are for Allah, the Lord of the
Worlds." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud and others.)
-2- 'Aishah reported that
while bowing and prostrating, the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, would say, "Glorified and Holy are You, Lord of the angels and
the souls."
-3- Reported 'Auf ibn Malik,
"I prayed with the Messenger of Allah one night. He recited al-Baqarah
and while bowing said, 'Glory be to the One of Omnipotence, the Master
of the dominions, of grandeur and of honor."' (Related by Abu Dawud,
at-Tirmizhi and an-Nasa'i .)
-4- 'Aishah said that when the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, bowed or prostrated, he would often say,
"Glory and praise be to You, O Allah, our Lord. O Allah, forgive me."
This was how he applied the Qur'an. (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari,
Muslim and others.)



Sunnah acts of prayer, What Is Said Upon Rising From Bowing and Standing

It is preferred for the one
who is praying, whether he be the imam, follower or praying by himself,
to say, "Allah hears him who praises Him," upon coming up from the
bowing. When he is standing straight, he should say, "Our Lord, and to
You is the praise," or "O Allah, Our Lord, and to You is the praise."
Abu Hurairah reported that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, rose
from bowing he would say, "Allah hears him who praises Him," and while
standing (straight) he would say, "Our Lord, and to You is the praise."
(Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Bukhari records in the
hadith from Anas, "When he says, 'Allah hears him who praises Him,' you
say, 'O Allah, our Lord, and to You is the praise." Ahmad and others
record a hadith from Abu Hurairah in which the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, is quoted as saying, "When the imam says, 'Allah hears him who
praises Him,' you say, 'O Allah, our Lord, and to You is the praise.' If
one's statement corresponds to that of the angels, all of his previous
sins will be forgiven." The Prophet said, "Pray as you have seen me
pray." This applies to all of his glorifying and praise statements, even
if the person is following the imam. The answer to those who say, 'One
should not combine both of these sayings' ('Allah hears him...' and 'O
Allah, our Lord...') but only say the one of praise, has been given by
an-Nawawi who said, "Our companions say that the mentioning of the
command, 'And you should say, O Allah, our Lord...' is in conjunction
with 'Allah hears him who praises him.' But the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, only mentioned the statement, 'O Allah, Our Lord, to you is the
praise,' because they had already heard the statement, 'Allah hears him
who praises Him' aloud from him. It was his sunnah to say that phrase
aloud, but they did not hear him say, 'Our Lord, to You is the praise'
because he said it in a subdued voice. They knew the Prophet's words,
'Pray as you have seen me pray,' and knew that it was to be taken in the
general sense without any restrictions. They used to say, 'Allah hears
him who praises Him,' and therefore there was no need for the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, to order them to say it again. But they did not
know, 'Our Lord, to You is the praise,' and therefore he ordered them to
say it."
The two
phrases are the least that one should say while standing. But one may
add any of the supplicatory words mentioned in the following hadith:
-1- Said Raf ah ibn Rafa',
"One day we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace.
When he raised his head from bowing, he said, 'Allah hears him who
praises Him,' and a man behind him said, 'Our Lord, to You is the
praise, as much as it can be and as blessed as it can be.' When the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, finished the prayer he said, 'Who said that
phrase earlier?' A man said, 'I did, O Messenger of Allah.' The Prophet
said, 'I saw more than thirty angels chasing after you to see who would
record it first."' (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Malik and Abu Dawud.)

-2- 'Ali reported that when
the Prophet raised his head from bowing he would say, "Allah hears him
who praises Him, and to You is the praise filling up the heavens and the
earth, what is between them and filling up whatever You wish in
addition to that." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud and
at-Tirmizhi.)
-3- 'Abdullah ibn Abu 'Aufa
reported that when the Prophet raised his head from bowing he would say,
"O Allah, to You is the praise filling up the skies and the earth and
filling up whatever You wish in addition to that. O Allah, purify me
with snow, hail and d
water. O Allah, purify me from sins and cleanse me from them as one
cleans a white garment from filth." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud
and Ibn Majah.)
-4- Said Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri,
"When the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say, 'Allah hears him who
praises Him,' he would (also) say, 'O Allah, to You is the praise
filling up the skies and the earth, and filling up what You wish in
addition to that. You are the One who is worthy of praise and glory.
This is the most correct statement that a slave could make. And we are
all slaves unto You. There is no one who can prevent what You have
given. And there is no one who can give what You have prevented. No one
can benefit from fortune (in the face of) Your fortune."' (Related by
Muslim, Ahmad and Abu Dawud.)
-5- It has also been
authentically reported from the Prophet, upon whom be peace, that after
saying "Allah hears him who praises Him," he would say, "To my Lord is
the praise, to my Lord is the praise," until he would be standing for as
long as he was bowing.



Sunnah acts of prayer, How To Prostrate

Most scholars prefer that one
place his knees on the floor before his hands. Ibn al-Munzhir related
this from 'Umar an-Nakha'i, Muslim ibn Yasar, Sufyan al-Thauri, Ahmad,
Ishaq and other jurists including Ibn al-Munzhir himself. Abu at-Tayyeb
said that most jurists agree with this. Ibn al-Qayyim said, "When the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, prayed, he would place his knees (on the
floor) before his hands, then his hands, his forehead and nose. This is
what is authentic and has been related by Shuraik from 'Asim ibn Kaleeb
on the authority of his father from Wa'il ibn Hajr who said, 'I saw the
Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, while prostrating, placing his
knees (on the floor) before his hands. Upon getting up, he would raise
his hands before his knees. I never saw him do otherwise." Malik,
al-Auza'i, Ibn Hazm and Ahmad maintain that it is preferred to place the
hands down first and then the knees. Says al-Auza'i, "I saw the people
placing their hands on the floor before their knees." Ibn Abu Dawud
comments, "That is the statement of the people of hadith." There is also
a difference of opinion concerning how one should stand up from the
prostration after the first (or third) rak'ah. Some say one should raise
the hands from the floor first while others say that one should raise
the knees first.

It is preferred for the one who is prostrating to follow the following points:
One should place one's nose, forehead and hands upon the floor
They should be separated from
the sides of the body. Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that when the Messenger
of Allah prostrated, he would place his forehead between his palms and
separate his arms from the sides of his body. (Related by Abu Dawud.)
Abu Humaid reported that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
prostrated, he would place his nose and forehead upon the floor, keep
his arms away from his sides, and place his hands parallel to his
shoulders. This is related by Ibn Khuzaimah and at-Tirmizhi, who called
it hassan sahih.
One should place one's hands parallel to one's ears or shoulders
As both of these acts have
been related. Some scholars combine these two acts by placing the ends
of the thumbs parallel to the ears and the palms parallel to the
shoulders.
One should have one's fingers together and stretched out
AlHakim and Ibn Hibban record
that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, bowed he would have his
fingers separated and when he prostrated he would keep his fingers
together.
One should have one's fingers facing the qiblah
Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu
Humaid that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prostrated, his
fingers would be neither spread out nor clasped together, and his toes
would be directed toward the qiblah.


TO BE CONTINUED

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
Sunnah acts of prayer, The length of time of the prostration and what is to be said therein




It is preferred
for the one who is prostrating to say Subhana Rabiyy al-A'la (Glory to
my Lord, the Most High). 'Uqbah ibn 'Aamr related that when, "Glorify
the name of your Lord, the Most High" was revealed, the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, said, "Do so in your prostrations." This is related by
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and al-Hakim. Its chain is good.

Huzhaifah
reported that when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prostrated, he would
say "Subhana Rabiyy al-A'la. " This is related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu
Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan sahih.
It is a must that one not repeat these sayings less than three times
during the bowings and prostrations. Says at-Tirmizhi, "The scholars
prefer the one bowing or prostrating to make the glorifications at least
three times." According to the majority, the minimum that is sufficient
for the prostrations or bowings is one glorification. We have already
mentioned that "calmness" is obligatory, and this requires a time of at
least one glorification.
According
to some scholars, the complete glorification is ten. This is based on
the following hadith: Sa'eed ibn Jubair related that Anas said, "I have
not seen anyone being more similar to the Prophet's prayer than this boy
('Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz). We estimated the number of the glorifications
that he made during his bowing to be ten and in his prostrations also
to be ten." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i with a
good chain.
Commenting on
the subject, ash-Shaukani says, "Some hold that this proves that the
complete (number of) glorifications is ten. The more sound opinion is
that an individual who is praying may offer as many glorifications as he
wishes. There are authentic hadith that state that the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, elongated his glorifications during prostrations. The
imam may also do so if he knows the followers will not get tired by
making it longer."
Says Ibn
'Abdul-Barr, "It is a must that every imam should be easy (by not making
the prayers too long) as has been ordered by the Prophet, even if he
knows that those behind him are strong, because he does not know what
may have happened to them and what needs they may have to tend to."
Ibn al-Mubarak
maintains, "It is preferred for the imam to make five glorifications.
Therefore, all the people behind him would be able to make (at least)
three. It is preferred that one not limit his remembrance during the
prostrations to just the glorifications, but he should add some
supplications to it. In an authentic hadith, it is recorded that the
Prophet said, 'The closest one of you comes to his Lord is while he is
prostrating, (therefore) make many supplications therein.' And he also
said, 'I have prohibited you from reciting while bowing or prostrating.
During the bowing, glorify the Lord. During the prostrations, strive
your hardest in making supplications. Most likely, you will be listened
to." This was related by Ahmad and Muslim.
Many hadith are related on this topic, including:
-1- 'Ali
reported that when the Prophet prostrated he would say, "O Allah, to You
have I prostrated, in You have I believed, and to You have I submitted.
I have prostrated my face to the One who created me and formed me in
the best of forms. He is the One who gave it hearing and sight. Blessed
be Allah, the Best of Creators." (Related by Ahmad and Muslim.)
-2- While
describing the Prophet's late night prayers, Ibn 'Abbas said, "Then he
would go to pray and during his prayer or prostration, he would say, 'O
Allah, place light in my heart, in my hearing, in my sight, on my right,
on my left, in front of me, behind me, above me, below me, and make me
light." Reported Shu'bah, "Or he said, 'And make for me light." (Related
by Muslim, Ahmad and others.)
Talking of
light, an-Nawawi observes, "The scholars say that asking for light for
all organs and sides means (asking) to have the truth and guidance made
clear for one's self. He asked for this so that there would be no
deviation or misguidance left in him."
-3- Reported
'Aishah, "I once noticed the Prophet missing from his place of sleep. I
felt over his place with my hand and found him prostrating. He was
saying, 'O Lord, give my soul God-consciousness and purify it, for You
are the best of those who purify. You are its Guardian and Protector."
(Related by Ahmad.)
-4- Abu
Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say while
prostrating, "O Allah, forgive all of my sins, the small and large, the
first and last, the public and private." (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud
and al-Hakim.)
-5- Reported
'Aishah, "One night I missed the Prophet from his bed. I looked for him
and found him praying. He was prostrating, his feet were in an upright
position and he was saying, 'O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure
from Your anger. I seek refuge in Your granting of well-being from Your
punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. The praise cannot encompass
You and You are as You have praised Yourself." (Related by Muslim, Abu
Dawud and an-Nasa'i.)
-6- She also
reported that one night he was missing and she suspected that he had
gone to another one of his wives. She found him while he was bowing or
prostrating, and he was saying, "Glory be to You, O Allah, and to You be
praise. There is no god besides You." She said, "May my father and
mother be sacrificed for you. I thought you were doing something and you
were doing something else." (Related by Muslim, Ahmad and an-Nasa'i.)
-7- While
prostrating the Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say, "O Allah,
forgive me (those things that I have been) mistaken in or ignorant, and
the action that I have been extravagant in, for You are more
knowledgeable of them than me. O Allah, forgive me my serious mistakes
and my joking mistakes, my mistakes (that I was unaware of) and of my
intentional mistakes, and everything of that which I have done. O Allah,
forgive me my past sins and later sins and what was private and what
was public. You are my God, and there is no god except You."
__________________Sunnah acts of prayer, Sitting Between the Two Prostrations
It is sunnah to
sit "spread out" between the two prostrations (to put the left foot
down and to sit upon it and to keep the right foot upright with the toes
pointing toward the qiblah). 'Aishah reported that the Prophet would
lay out his left foot and keep his right foot upright. (Related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Ibn 'Umar reported that it is from the sunnah to
keep the right foot upright, with its toes pointing toward the qiblah,
and to sit upon the left foot. (Related by an-Nasa'i.) Reported Nafa',
"When Ibn 'Umar prayed, he would face the qiblah, even his shoes."
(Reported by al-Athram.) In the hadith of Abu Humaid, in which he
described the prayer of the Prophet, he stated, "Then he would lay down
his left foot and sit upon it until all of his bones were in place, and
then he would go to make the prostration (again)." (Related by Ahmad,
Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmizhi who classified it as sahih.)
It has also
been related that ifa'a (laying out both feet and sitting upon one's
heels) is a preferred act. Comments Abu 'Ubaidah, "This is the statement
of the people of hadith." Abu az-Zubair related that he heard Tawus
say, "We asked Ibn 'Abbas about ifa'a, and he said, 'It is sunnah to do
so.' We said, 'We think it to be too harsh for the man.' He said, 'It is
a sunnah of your Prophet, upon whom be peace." (Related by Muslim.)
Ibn 'Umar
reported that when the Prophet rose from the first prostration, he would
sit upon his toes. He used to say, "That is from the sunnah." Reported
Tawus, "I saw the 'Abdullahs ('Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
and 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubair) sitting with their feet laid flat." The
last two reports were related by al-Baihaqi. Talking of its
authenticity, Ibn Hajr says, "Its chain is sound."
Concerning
iqa'a--sitting with the buttocks on the ground and with the thighs
straight on the ground--it is disliked by all scholars. Said Abu
Hurairah, "The Prophet prohibited us from three things: pecking like a
rooster (making the prostration very quickly), sitting like a dog (iqa
'a), and not turning one's whole head like a fox." This is related by
Ahmad, al-Baihaqi, at-Tabarani and Abu Tala with a hassan chain. It is
preferred for the one who is sitting between the two prostrations to put
his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh
with the fingers stretched out and directed toward the qiblah. The
fingers should be slightly separated and should not go beyond the knees.





Sunnah acts of prayer, Supplications Between the Two Prostrations
It
is preferred to make one of the following supplications between the two
prostrations. One may repeat them more than once if one wishes to do
so. An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah recorded that Huzhaifah reported that
between the two prostrations, the Prophet would say, "O Lord, forgive
me." Abu Dawud recorded from Ibn 'Abbas that while prostrating, the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, would say, "O Allah, forgive me, have mercy
on me, grant me well-being, guide me and provide for me."




Sunnah acts of prayer, The Sitting of "Rest"
This
refers to a quick sitting that one makes after the second prostration
of the first and third rak'ah. The scholars differ over this regulation
due to the differing hadith. Says Ibn al-Qayyim, "The jurists differ
over this act. Is it a sunnah of the prayer that one should perform, or
is it only done due to some necessity? There are two statements on this
question and two narrations from Ahmad. Said al-Khallal, 'Ahmad referred
to the hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwairith regarding the intermediate
position of rest (between the two prostrations). He said, 'Yusuf ibn
Musa informed me that Abu Umamah was asked about standing up (in the
prayer) and he said, 'It should be done on the tops of the feet
according to the hadith of Rafa'.' In the hadith of Ibn 'Ajlan there is
no proof that he would stand on the tips of his feet. Many of the
companions and others who described the prayers of the Prophet did not
mention this sitting, except in what is related by Abu Humaid and Malik
ibn al-Huwairith. If it was part of his guidance, he would always do it,
and those who described his prayers would have mentioned it.
The fact that
he may have done so does not necessarily make it one of the sunnahs of
the prayer, unless he did it as a regular practice for the people to
follow. Otherwise, he may have done it out of some need to do so, and
this would not prove that it is a sunnah of the prayer.~�"




Sunnah acts of prayer, Sitting for Tashahud
One should sit for the tashahud and place his hands in the following manner:
-1- Ibn 'Umar
reported that when the Prophet sat for the tashahud, he would place his
left hand on his left knee and his right hand upon his right knee, and
he would form a ring like (fifty-three) and point with his index finger.
In another narration it is reported, "He would close his hand and point
with his index finger." (Related by Muslim.)
-2- Wa'il ibn
Hajr reported that the Prophet would place his left palm on his left
thigh and knee. He would place the end of his right elbow upon his right
thigh and would then close his right hand, forming a circle. In another
narration it states, "He would make a circle with his middle finger and
thumb and point with his index finger. Then he would raise his finger,
and (Wa'il) saw him moving it to make supplications." (Related by
Ahmad.) Explaining the hadith, al-Baihaqi says, "The implication of 'he
would it' is that he would point with it, not that he would continue to
it." This would be in agreement with the narration of Ibn az-Zubair who
reported, "The Prophet would point with his finger while supplicating,
and he would not it." This is related by Abu Dawud with a sahih chain. An-Nawawi also mentioned it.
-3- Reported
az-Zubair, "When the Prophet sat for tashahud, he would place his right
hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. He would
point with his middle finger, and would not look beyond his pointing."
(Related by Ahmad, Muslim and anNasa'i.) This hadith shows that one is
to place the right hand on the right thigh without closing the hand
(making a fist), and that he is not to look beyond his pointing.
The preceding three hadith are all authentic, and one may act by any of them.
One should
point with one's right index finger, bending it a little, until one says
the salaams at the end of the prayer. Reported Numair al-Khaza'i, "I
saw the Messenger of Allah sitting in the prayer with his forearm along
his right thigh. His index finger was raised, curved (or bent) a little,
and he was supplicating." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud,
an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaimah with a good chain.
Said Anas ibn
Malik, "The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, passed by Sa'd while
he was making supplications (and using) two fingers. The Prophet said
to him, 'Just one, Sa'd"' This is related by Ahmed, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i
and al-Hakim.
Ibn 'Abbas was
asked about a man who pointed with his finger while supplicating, and he
said, "This is sincere devotion." Says Anas ibn Malik, "That is
imploring." Mujahid maintains "Doing this hinders Satan." According to
the Shai'iyyah, one points with the finger only once, when saying
"except Allah" in the statement bearing witness. The Hanifiyyah raise
the finger in the denial part of the statement (there is no god) and put
it back down during the confirmation part (except Allah). The
Malikiyyah
the finger to the left and right until they finish the prayer. The
Hanbaliyyah point with the finger every time they mention Allah, as a
reflection of the oneness of Allah, and they do not it.




Sunnah acts of prayer, Sitting for the First and Second Tashahud
When
Abu Humaid described the prayer of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, he
said, "When he sat after two rak'ah, he would sit upon his left leg and
keep his right foot upright. When he sat for the last rak'ah, he would
pull over his left foot and put his right foot upright (over the left
foot) and sit upon his entire posterior." (Related by al-Bukhari.)
Most scholars say that the first tashahud is sunnah
This is based on the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Buhainah who reported that once the Prophet stood during the noon
prayer when he should have sat ( for the first tashahud). When he
finished the prayer, he made two prostrations. He made a takbir for each
prostration (and it was) while he was sitting before he made the
tasleem. He made those two prostrations because he had forgotten to sit
(for the first tashahud). (Related by "the group.")
In Subul
as-Salaam, it is stated that this hadith proves that one who forgets the
first tashah ud must make the prostrations of forgetfulness. The
Prophet is, however, reported to have said, "Pray as you have seen me
pray." This would point to the first tashahud being obligatory, and one
would have to do some act to make up for it. But, this also proves that
it is not obligatory, for if one misses an act that is obligatory, the
two prostrations of foregetfulness are not sufficient to make up for it.
That is what Ibn Hajr says in Fath al-Bari.
Says Ibn Batal,
"The proof is that the two prostrations due to forgetfulness cannot
replace something that is obligatory. If one forgets the opening takbir,
they will not replace it. In the case of the tashahud, it is a
remembrance that is not said aloud and it is not obligatory." Some say
otherwise, because the Prophet used to perform it and, as such, he let
others follow him in performing it after he found out that they were
leaving it intentionally. But there is some doubt about this argument.
Those who say that it is obligatory include al-Laith Ibn Sa'd, Ishaq,
ash-Shaf'i and the Hanafiyyah. At-Tabari argues that it is obligatory
because originally only two rak'ah and the tashahud were obligatory.
When they were made longer, the original obligations were not done away
with. Therefore, it is still obligatory.
It is preferred to make the first tashahud quickly
Reported Ibn
Mas'ud, "When the Prophet sat after the first two rak'ah, it seemed as
if he was (sitting) on hot stones." This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud,
an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmizhi and Ibn Majah. At-Tirmizhi grades it as hassan
and says, 'Ubaidah (ibn 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud) did not hear (hadith) from
his father. He also says, "The scholars act according to this hadith.
They prefer that one should not sit too long after the first two rak'ah,
and that he should not add anything to the tashahud."
Says Ibn
al-Qayyim, "It is not reported from the Prophet that he would say
prayers upon himself or his family during the first tashahud. Nor would
he seek refuge from the torment of the grave or the Hell-fire, or from
the test of life, death and of the false Messiah. Those who say such
supplications are deducing their arguments from the general application
(of the supplications and the word tashahud), but the correct position
is that their proper place is in the last tashahud.




Sunnah acts of prayer, Prayers upon the Prophet, Upon Whom Be Peace
In the last tashahud, it is preferred for the person to say prayers upon the Prophet in one of the following manners:
-1- Reported
Mas'ud al-Badri, "Basheer ibn Sa'd said, 'O Messenger of Allah, we have
been ordered to make prayers upon you. How are we to do it?' The Prophet
was quiet and then said, 'Say, O Allah, shower blessings upon Muhammad
and upon the family of Muhammad as you showered blessings upon the
family of Abraham. And grant favors to Muhammad and to the family of
Muhammad as you granted favors to the family of Abraham in this world.
You are the Praiseworthy and Glorious.' And make the salutations as I
have taught you." (Related by Muslim and Ahmad.)
-2- Reported
Ka'b ibn 'Ajazah, "We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, show us how we are to
make salutations and prayers upon you.' He said, 'Say, O Allah, shower
blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as you have
showered blessings upon the family of Abraham. You are the Praiseworthy,
the Glorious. O Allah . grant favors to Muhammad and the family of
Muhammad as you granted favors to the family of Abraham.''
The salutations
upon the Prophet, upon whom be peace, is a preferred act and is not
obligatory. This contention is based on a hadith recorded by at-Tirmizhi
(who said it is sahih), Ahmad and Abu Dawud from Fizhalah ibn 'Ubaid
who said, "The Messenger of Allah heard a man supplicating in his prayer
and he did not make the prayers on the Prophet. The Prophet said, 'He
has hastened.'
Then he called
him and said, 'When one of you prays, begin with the praise and lauding
of Allah. Then make prayers upon the Prophet, and supplicate whatever
you wish of Allah." The author of al-Muntaqi says, "This is a proof for
those who say that the prayers upon the Prophet are not obligatory,
because he did not order the one who did not do it to repeat his prayer.
This is supported by his statement to Ibn Mas'ud, after mentioning
(only) the tashahud, 'Then choose whatever you wish to ask (of Allah)."
In his comments on this hadith, ash-Shaukani observes, "In my opinion,
there is no confirmed proof that it is obligatory."




Sunnah acts of prayer, Supplications After the Last Tashahud and Before the Tasleem
It
is preferred for the person to supplicate after the final tashahud and
before making the final salutations (that end the prayer). The person
may ask for whatever he wishes of the good of this life and the
hereafter. Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
taught him the tashahud and then said, "Then choose whatever you wish to
ask (of Allah)." (Related by Muslim.)
Supplications
are preferred acts in general, regardless of whether they are reported
from the Prophet or not, although supplications authenticated by the
sunnah are better. Some of these are:
-1- Abu
Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said,
"When one of you finishes the final tashahud, he should say, 'O Allah, I
seek refuge in You from the torment of the Hell-fire and the grave,
from the trials of life and death, and from the trials of the false
Messiah." (Related by Muslim.)
-2- 'Aishah
reported that the Messenger of Allah would supplicate in his prayer, "O
Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave, from the
trials of the anti-Christ, and from the trials of life and death. Allah,
I seek refuge in You from sin and debt." (Related by Muslim and
al-Bukhari.)
-3- 'Ali
reported that when the Prophet prayed, the last thing he would say
between the tashahud and the tasleem was, "O Allah, forgive my past and
later sins, what was in private and what was in public, and what I have
been extravagant in. You are more knowledgeable of it than I. You are
the Promoter and the Retarder. There is no god except You." (Related by
Muslim.)
-4- 'Abdullah
ibn 'Amr reported that Abu Bakr said to the Messenger of Allah, "Teach
me a supplication that I may use in my prayers." He told him, "Say, O
Allah, I have wronged my soul a great wrong and no one forgives sins
except You, so forgive me with such forgiveness that only comes from You
and have mercy on me. Verily, You are the Oft-Forgiving, the
Oft-Mercful." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
-5- Hanzhalah
ibn 'Ali said that Muhjan ibn al-Adra' related to him that the Prophet
entered the mosque while a man was just about to finish his prayer. The
latter made the tashahud and said, "O Allah, I am asking You, O Allah,
the One, the Only, the Absolute, who begets nor is begotten, nor is
anyone like Him, to forgive my sins, for You are the Forgiving, the
Merciful." The Prophet then said three times, "He has been forgiven."
(Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.)
-6- Shaddad ibn
Aus reported that during his prayer, the Prophet would say, "O Allah, I
ask You to confirm me in the affairs, to keep me on the correct path,
to make me thankful for your blessings and excellent in Your worship. O
Allah, I ask You for a tranquil heart and truthful tongue. O Allah, I
ask You for the good of what You know, and I seek refuge in You from the
evil of which you are aware, and I ask Your forgiveness from what You
know." (Related by an-Nasa'i.)
-7- Said Abu
Mijlaz, " 'Ammar ibn Yasar led us in the prayer and he made it very
short. The people blamed him for that and he told them, 'Did I not
complete my bowings and prostrations ... and did I not supplicate
therein what the Prophet used to supplicate, saying, 'O Allah by Your
knowledge of the unseen and Your power over the creation, let me live if
You know that living is best for me, and let me die if You know that
dying is better for me. I ask You (to forgive me) for fear of You in
what is not seen and what is seen, to make my speech truthful while
angry or pleased, and to have the same aim in poverty and riches. Grant
me the pleasure of looking to Your face and of the longing to meet You. I
seek refuge in You from a harmful loss and from the trials of a
misguider. O Allah, embellish me with the beauty of faith, and make us
of the guided of the guiders." This is related by Ahmad and an-Nasa'i
with a good chain.
-8- Abu Saleh
related from one of the companions that the Prophet said to a man, "What
do you say in your prayer?" He said, "I say the tashahud and then I
say, 'O Allah, I ask of you Paradise
and seek refuge in You from Hell-fire.' But I cannot murmer as good as
you or Mu'azh (as eloquent as you are)." The Prophet said, "We ask
concerning Paradise and the Hell-fire." (Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.)
-9- Ibn Mas'ud
reported that the Prophet taught him to say this supplication: "O Allah,
bring our hearts together and make our relations good. Guide us to the
paths of peace and bring us out of the darkness and into the light. Keep
us away from lewdness, both hidden and open. O Allah, bless us in our
hearing and our sight, in our hearts, our wives and our offspring. Turn
unto us, for You are the Oft-Turning, the Oft-Merciful. Make us thankful
for Your blessings and complete it upon us." (Related by Ahmad and Abu
Dawud.)
-10- Said Anas,
"We were sitting with the Prophet and a man stood up and prayed. When
he bowed and made the tashahud, he would supplicate, 'O Allah, I ask of
You, for to You is the praise. There is no god except You, the Giver
without question, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. O Sublime
and Honorable One, O Living and Sustaining One, I ask of You.' The
Prophet said to his companions, 'Do you know who he made his
supplication with?' They said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He
said, 'By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, he supplicated
Allah by His greatest name. If one supplicates by that name, it will be
listened to. If he asks by it, it will be given." (Related by
an-Nasa'i.)
-11- 'Umair ibn
Sa'd said, "Ibn Mas'ud used to teach us the tashahud of the prayer and
then he would say, 'When one of you finishes the tashahud, he should
say: O Allah, I ask you for all good, that which I am aware of and that
which I am not. I seek refuge in You from all evil, that which I am
aware of and that which I am not. O Allah, I ask you for the good that
your devoted servants asked for. I seek refuge in You from all evil,
that which I am aware of and that which I am not. O Allah, I ask you for
the good that your devoted servants asked for. I seek refuge in You
from the evil that your devoted servants sought refuge for. Our Lord,
give us the good of this life and the good of the Hereafter.' He said,
'No prophet or righteous person supplicated for anything except that it
is contained therein." (Related by Ibn Abu Shaibah and Sa'eed ibn
Mansur.)




Sunnah acts of prayer, Words of Remembrance and Supplications After the Tasleem
It
is sunnah for the person to use a number of words of remembrance and
supplications which have been related from the Prophet. The many reports
include the following:
-1- Reported
Thauban, "When the Prophet would finish his prayer, he would seek
Allah's forgiveness three times and then say, 'O Allah, You are the
peace, and from You is peace. You are filled with good, O Sublime and
Honorable One." This is related by "the group," except for al-Bukhari.
Muslim has the addition, "Waleed said, 'I asked al-Auza'i, 'How did he
seek Allah's forgiveness?' He said, 'By saying, 'I seek Allah's
forgiveness, I seek Allah's forgiveness, I seek Allah's forgiveness."
-2- One day the
Prophet took Mu'azh ibn Jabal's hand and said to him, "O Mu'azh, I love
you." Mu'azh responded, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for
you, O Messenger of Allah, I love you." Then the Prophet said, "I advise
you, O Mu'azh, say at the end of every prayer, 'O Allah, aid me in Your
remembrance, Your thanks, and in perfecting Your worship." This is
related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Hibban and
al-Hakim, who said it is sahih according to al-Bukhari's and Muslim's
criterion. Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom
be peace, said, "Do you strive your utmost in making a supplication?
Then say, 'O Allah, aid us in making Your remembrance, in giving You
thanks and in perfecting Your worship."
-3- Reported
'Abdullah ibn Zubair, "When the Prophet made the tasleem at the end of
the prayer, he would say, 'There is no god but Allah the One. There is
no partner with Him, to Him belongs the sovereignty and to Him is the
praise. He has power over all things.
There is no
might or power save with Allah. We do not worship any but Him. To Him
belongs the fortune, the grace and the best praise. There is no god
except Allah, and religion is sincerely for Him even if the disbelievers
abhor it." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim. )
-4- Al-Mughirah
ibn Shu'bah reported that the Prophet would say at the end of every
obligatory prayer, "There is no god except Allah, the One. There is no
partner with Him. To Him is the dominion and the praise. He has power
over all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You have conferred, nor
can one confer what You have withheld. A fortune does not benefit its
owner against You." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
-5- Abu Umamah
reported that the Prophet said, "For whoever recites the verse of the
throne al-Baqarah:244 at the end of every prayer, nothing will prevent
him from entering Paradise except that (he must) die (first)." (Related by an-Nasa'i and at-Tabarani.)
'Ali reported
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever recites the verse
of the throne at the end (after) of every obligatory prayer will be in
Allah's protection until the next prayer." This is related by
at-Tabarani with a hassan chain.
-6- Abu
Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "Whoever glorifies Allah after
every prayer thirty-three times, and praises Allah thirty-three times
and extols Allah's greatness thirty-three times and then says, 'There is
no god except Allah, the One. There is no partner with Him. His is the
dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things,' is
forgiven, even if his sins are as abundant as the foam of the sea."
(Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud.)
-7- Ka'b ibn
'Ajrah related that the Prophet said, "There are certain statements
which, if one were to utter or observe them at the end of every
obligatory prayer, one would not be dismayed. (They are) glorifying
Allah thirty-three times, praising Allah thirty-three times and
extolling His greatness thirty-four times." (Related by Muslim. )
-8- Sumayy
reported from Abu Saleh on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the poor
emigrants went to the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, and said,
"The wealthy have gotten the high ranks and everlasting bounties." The
Prophet said, "Why is that?" They said, "They pray as we pray and they
fast as we fast. (But) they give in charity and we do not give in
charity. They free the slaves and we do not free the slaves." The
Messenger of Allah told them, "Shall I teach you something by which you
may overtake those who surpass you, by which you will surpass those who
will come after you, and none will then be better than you except if he
does what you do?" They said, "Certainly, O Messenger of Allah." He told
them, "Glorify Allah thirty-three times, praise Him thirty three times,
and extol His greatness thirty-four times." So I returned to Abu Saleh
and told him what they had said. He took my hand and said, "Allahu
akbar, subhaan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, Allahu akbar, subhaan Allah,
al-hamdu lillah..." until all of them reached thirty-three." (Related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
-9- The Prophet
would say each of the following twenty-five times: Subhaan Allah,
al-hamdu lillah, Allahu akbar and La ilaha illa Allah, wa ashadu anna la
shareeka lahu. Lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shaian
qadeer (There is no god except Allah, the One. He has no partner. His is
the dominion, His is the praise, and He has power over all things.)
-10- 'Abdullah
ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "There are
two characteristics which, if one observes them, will cause him to
enter Paradise.
They are very easy actions, but very few perform them." The people
said, "What are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "To praise Allah,
extol His greatness and glorify Him at the end of every obligatory
prayer ten times each. When one goes to bed, he should glorify Allah,
praise Him and extol His greatness one hundred times each. Those are, in
total, only 250 actions of the tongue, yet they are equal to 2500 on
the scale. Does any of you commit 2500 sins during one day and night?"
They asked, "How come those easy actions are performed by so few?" He
said, "Satan comes to one during his prayer and reminds him of such and
such need, and he fails to say the (above). He comes to him in his bed
and makes him sleep so that he can not say them." 'Abdullah said, "I
have seen the Messenger of Allah counting them on his fingers.'' This is
related by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan sahih.)
-11- It is
related from 'Ali that he and Fatimah were seeking a servant to make
their work easier. The Prophet refused and said to her, "Shall I tell
you of something better than what you have asked for?" They said,
"Certainly." He said, "These are words that were taught to me by
Gabriel, peace be upon him. Glorify Allah at the end of every prayer ten
times, praise Him ten times and extol His greatness ten times. When you
go to bed, glorify Allah thirty-three times, praise Him thirty-three
times and extol His greatness thirty-four times." Said 'Ali, "By Allah, I
never neglected to do what the Messenger of Allah taught us."
-12-
'Abdurahman ibn Ghanim reported that the Messenger of Allah said,
"Whoever says, 'There is no god but Allah, the One. There is no partner
with Him. His is the dominon and His is the praise. In his hand is all
the good. He gives life and death, and He has power over all things,'
ten times after the sunrise and dawn prayer, before turning away and
lifting his leg, will have written for him for each repetition ten good
deeds, and will have erased for him ten evil deeds. He will also be
raised ten degress, will be protected from every plot, and he will be
protected from the outcast Satan. No sin will lead to his destruction
except idolatry, and he will be the person with the best deeds,
surpassed only by the one who does more and says more than what he has
said." This is related by Ahmad and at-Tirmizhi, but without "In His
hand is all the good."
-13- Muslim ibn
al-Harith reported that his father said, "The Messenger of Allah said
to me, 'When you pray the morning prayer, before you talk to anyone say,
'O Allah, I seek your protection from the Hell-fire' seven times. If
you should die on that day, Allah will record for you protection from
the Hell-fire. When you pray the sunset prayer, say before you speak to
anyone, 'O Allah, I ask Paradise
of You. O Allah, I seek Your protection from the Hell-fire' seven
times. If you die during that night, Allah will record for you
protection from the Hell-fire." (Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud.)
-14- Al-Bukhari
and at-Tirmizhi related that Sa'd ibn Abu Waqqas used to teach the
following words to his children, "The Messenger of Allah would seek
refuge at the end of every prayer (by saying), 'O Allah, I seek refuge
in you from cowardice. I seek refuge in You from miserliness, I seek
refuge in You from senility, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of
this world, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave."
-15- Abu Hatim
related that the Prophet would say, upon finishing his prayers, "O
Allah, make my religion, which encompasses all of my affairs, good. O
Allah, make this world of mine in which I live good. O Allah, I seek
refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger. I seek refuge in Your pardoning
from your vengeance. I seek refuge in You from You. None can withhold
what You have conferred, no one can confer what You have withheld. No
possesser of fortune can benefit from his fortune against you."
-16- Abu Dawud
and al-Hakim recorded that at the end of every prayer the Prophet would
say, "O Allah, give me well-being in my body. O Allah, give me
well-being in my hearing. O Allah, give me well-being in my seeing. O
Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief and poverty. O Allah, I seek
refuge in You from the torment of the grave. There is no god but You."
-17- Ahmad, Abu
Dawud and an-Nasa'i recorded, with a chain containing Dawud at-Tafawi
who is a weak narrator, from Zaid ibn Arqam that the Prophet would say
at the end of his prayers, "O Allah, our Lord, Lord of everything. I
bear witness that You are the Lord, You are One, You have no partner. O
Allah, Our Lord, Lord of everything. I bear witness that Muhammad is
Your servant and Messenger. O Allah, our Lord, the Lord of everything. I
bear witness that all of your worshippers are brethren. O Allah, our
Lord, Lord of everything. Make me and my family sincere to you during
every moment of this life and the Hereafter. O Sublime and Honorable
One, listen and respond. Allah is the greatest of the greatest, the
light of the heavens and the earth. Allah is the greatest of the
greatest, Allah is sufficient for me and He is the most blessed
guardian. Allah is the greatest of the greatest.''
-18- Ahmad, Ibn
Shaibah and Ibn Majah recorded, with a chain that contains an unknown
narrator, from Umm Salamah, that the Prophet would say after the tasleem
of the morning prayer, "O Allah, I ask of You beneficial knowledge,
sufficient provisions, and acceptable deeds."

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer

Every Thing You Want To Know About Salah ...prayer
jazakom allah kheran