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Salat
(namaaz) or prayer is one of the most important pillars
of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wasallam) warned that the first thing man will be
questioned about on the Day of Resurrection is prayer.
Abu Hurairah said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) saying:
The
first act of worship man shall be questioned about
on the Day of Resurrection is prayer. If it was
performed correctly1, man shall certainly succeed
and prosper, if it is not, he shall certainly lose
and fail. If, however, man's prayer was incomplete,
the Lord, the Exalted, would say (to His Angels),
"See if my slave performed supererogatory (nafl)
prayers to make up what he had missed of the obligatory
prayers. The rest of man's deeds will be reckoned
in the same manner2.
Buraidah reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) said, The covenant3
which is between us and those (who embrace Islam)
is prayer. Whoso neglects it, becomes an unbeliever4.
On the other hand, Allah has prepared great rewards
for the believers who observe prayer and are particular
about it. Perfect prayer effaces sins. Abu Hurairah
reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) said: Have you considered, a
river running by the door of you in which he bathes
five times a day; would any of his dirt stay on him?
They said "None of his dirt would stay on him." The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said So does Salah; therewith Allah eliminates
sins5.
Therefore, brothers and sisters it is very important
to be regular on prayer, and perform it correctly.
One may perform prayer according to the way he was
taught by his parents or sheikh, according to their
madthhab. But you should always remember that it is
only the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
who must be followed. The angels will not ask you,
while in the grave, "Did you follow this imaam or
that imaam?" Your imaam will not be with you then,
nor will he defend you on the Day of Resurrection.
The traditions quoted here, and in every issue of
Ad-Deen an-Naseehah, are authentic. Anyone
who rejects the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) exposes himself to destruction,
as stated by Imaam Ahmed.
The following are some common errors committed by
Muslims in their Salah. These errors must be avoided
hoping that Allah would accept this act of worship
and reward us for it.
This
is one of the greatest sins. Abu Dtharr reported that
the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said, There are three people whom Allah shall not
speak to on the Day of Resurrection, nor shall he
look at them, nor shall he purify them, and they shall
have a painful torment: One whose garment hangs down
below his ankles, almanaan6, and (a merchant) who
sells of his merchandise by means of false oath7.
Some people think that wearing clothes that hang below
the ankles is not a sin if they abstain from doing
so while praying only. Others think that wearing such
a garment is a sin only if it is worn out of pride;
otherwise, they believe there is no harm in doing
so. However, the above and many other traditions indicate
clearly that wearing clothes that hang below the ankles
(for men) is a grave sin regardless of whether such
garments are worn out of habit or pride. There are
other authentic traditions that emphasize wearing
clothing that hangs below the ankles out of pride
entails harsher punishment. Abu Hurairah reported
that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said The part of the garment which hangs below
the ankles is (punishable by) Fire (on the Day of
Resurrection)8.
It is commonplace to see brothers folding up the hems
of their pants for prayer. However, as soon as prayer
is completed, they unfold their pants. The belief
that wearing garments that hang below the ankles is
prohibited during prayers only is a misconception
commonly held by many Muslims. Such Muslims are unaware
that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) forbade
praying with folded clothes9.
Based on this prohibition, scholars have agreed that
praying with folded sleeves or pants is unlawful.
Angels
and the praying people are bothered by offensive smell.
On the contrary, one should wear perfume, if available
before coming into mosques. Jabir reported that the
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) said: He
who eats from the smelly plant [garlic or onion],
let him come not near our mosque; the angels are bothered
by that which bothers men11.
This
may disturb those who are already in prayer. The Messenger
of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) said: When
prayer has already started, do not walk quickly to
join in. Proceed calmly and reposefully; then join
in whichever part you catch up, and complete whichever
part you missed (i.e., soon after the imaam ends the
prayer)12.
Many
of those who come late to the mosque and join in prayer
which is already in progress, rush to take the same
posture, while people are in rukoo', and say takbeer
al-Ihram, or the opening takbeer of prayer while bowing
for fear of missing that ruk'ah. Takbeer al-Ihram
is to be pronounced when one is standing upright,
only.
The
heart is the place of intention. Mumbling words such
as "I intend to pray such prayer or such number of
rak'aat, or I intend to fast, or do such act of worship
or another," just before starting prayer is a bid'ah
which was practiced neither by the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) nor his companions, nor by their
followers.
Uttering the above words of niyyah allows shaitaan
to put irrelevant words in the mouth of the person
who utters the niyyah. Do you remember at one time
or another that once you stood up for dhuhr prayer
and discovered yourself saying, "I intend to pray
four rak'aat of Isha," or when you were standing for
Asr prayer you made your intention to pray fajr instead?
This confusion is from shaitan. Had you kept silent,
shaitan would have no chance of confusing you.
Abdullah
bin Umar said, "I saw the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wasallam) raising his hands to the level of his shoulders,
upon starting prayer, and before bending for rukoo'
and when he stood up again13.
Raising hands with every takbeer, subsequent to the
first takbeer in janazah, Eed or rain prayers is not
recommended. The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wasallam) used to put his hands on his chest (while
standing in prayer)14.
T'awwudth
is saying "Aoudhu billahi min ashshaitan ir-rajim"
and basmalah is saying "Bismillah hirRahmaan irRaheem."
The
sutrah is an object, such as a wall, or a post, which
a person faces while praying. Or any other object
which a person places to serve as a sutrah, by putting
it on the ground in order that no one may cross in
front of him while praying. The Messenger of Allah
SAWS said: Pray facing a sutrah, and let no one
cross in front of you while praying. If he insists,
then prevent him by force because he is accompanied
by shaitan15.
And he said: When one of you prays facing a sutrah,
let him pray close to it so that shaitan may not be
able to nullify his prayer16.
The above tradition indicates clearly that shaitan
crosses in front of a praying person who prays without
a sutrah, causing his prayer to be null and void without
being aware of it. Even if one prays in an open field,
he should place a sutrah in front of him.
Allah says:
(Verily)
He (the shaitan) and his own people see you while
you do not see them17.
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said: Were people to realize the value of making
adthan (the call for prayer), and the great reward
(for doing so) and the virtue of standing in the first
line (in congregational prayer), and had no choice
but to make a draw (to decide who makes adthan or
stands in the first line) they would have justifiably
done so. And were people to know the significance
of coming early to (congregational) prayer, they would
have raced with one another (to reach the mosque first).
And if they were to know the great reward (for coming
to mosque) for Isha' and Fajr prayers, they would
have come even if they had to crawl (i.e. even if
they were disabled, they would have come crawling
for fear of missing its great reward.)18.
This
may cause loss of concentration. We are commanded
to lower our gaze, and look at the point at which
the head rests during sujood. The Prophet (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) warned: Let those who raise their
gaze up during prayer stop doing so, or else their
sights would not return to them. [i.e. lose their
eyesight]. (Muslim)
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
commanded: Straighten your lines, level your shoulders
and block the gaps. Shaitan passes through [line]
gaps19.
The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) used to pause
after each verse of this surah20.
All
of this diminish the reward for prayer. Submissiveness
is a condition of acceptance of prayer. Allah's command
signifies: And
stand [in prayer] to Allah submissively21.
This
act distracts the person who is doing so and prevents
him from concentration. It is a dispraised act during
salah.
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said: Move not before the imam does. When the imam
says. Allahu akbar, you say, Allahu akbar. When he
says, waladh-dhalleen' you say, aameen. In another
narration, he said: Surely the imam is there to
be followed22. He also said:
Does not the one who raises his head before the
imam does fear that Allah would transform his head
into a donkey's head23.
The
head must be kept in normal position, while the back
must be straight during rukoo' to form with legs a
right angle.
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said: Let not one of you support himself on his
forearms (in sujood ) like the dog. Let him rest on
his palms and keep his elbows away from his body24. The Messenger
of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) used to keep
his arms away from his body during rukoo' and sujood
that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen25.
This
happens to those who wear tight and short shirts or
tight pants; when they bow or prostrate, part of their
backs are exposed. Such part of the body is awrah,
or the part which must be covered always. Exposing
part of the back during salah, renders salah null
and void.
The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) commanded:
When the imam says, 'waladh-dhalleen', say 'Aameen',
because the angels also say, 'Aameen', and the imam
says, 'Aameen'. He whose aameen coincides with the
aameen of the angels, Allah forgives his past sins26.
In another narration, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wasallam) said: Then say, 'Aameen', Allah loves
you27.
The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) said: I am
commanded to prostrate on seven bones the forehead
and the nose, the two hands [palms], the two knees,
and the two feet28.
Applying the above command necessitates resting the
forehead and the nose on the ground during sujood.
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
saw a man who did not complete his rukoo' [bowing],
and made a very short sujood [prostration]; he said:
If this man dies while praying in this manner,
he would die upholding a religion other than the religion
of Muhammad. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased
with him, said: My beloved friend, Muhammad (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) forbade me to perform postures of
prayer copying the picking of a rooster; (signifying
fast performance of prayer), moving eyes around like
a fox and the sitting like monkeys (i.e. to sit on
thighs)29.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said: The worst thief is the one who steals from
his own prayer. People asked, 'Messenger of Allah!
How could one steal from his own prayer?' He said:
By not completing its rukoo' and sujood30.
To complete rukoo' is to stay in that posture long
enough to recite 'subhana rabbiyal Adtheem' three
times, slowly, and 'subhana rabbiyal-a'ala' three
times, slowly, in sujood. He also announced: He
who does not complete his rukoo' and sujood, his prayer
is void31.
 It
is praiseworthy to take tawarruk position only in
the last rak'ah of Dhtuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha'
prayers. Tawarruk is described in Sahih al-Bukhari
as resting the body, during sitting position, on the
left thigh and putting the left foot under the right
leg, while setting the right foot upright; and supporting
the body by the left hand with which the left knee
is grasped. See the accompanying diagram, which was
hand-drawn (not copied) after looking at "The Reliance
of the Traveler."
The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) saw some of
his companions doing so. He objected: Why do I
see you moving your hands like the tails of wild horses.
They never did that again32.
The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) used to count
tasbeeh on the fingers of his right hand after salah.
Abdullah bin Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) said, (There are)
two good deeds, any Muslim who does them shall enter
Jannah but few are those who do them: to say, "subhanAllah"
ten times, and "alHamdulillah" ten times, and "AllahuAkbar"
ten times. And I have seen the Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) counting them on his
hand. lbn Qudamah said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) used his right hand for tasbeeh33.
The above hadeeth indicates clearly that the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) used only one hand
for counting tasbeeh. No Muslim with sound mind would
imagine that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
used his left hand for counting tasbeeh. Aa'ishah,
with whom Allah is pleased, said that the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) used his left hand
only for Istinjaa', or cleaning himself after responding
to the call of nature. He never used it for tasbeeh.
Yasirah reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wasallam) commanded women to count tasbeeh on their
fingers.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said: They (the fingers) will be made to speak,
and will be questioned (on the Day of Resurrection.)34
The above hadeeth indicates that it is preferable
to count tasbeeh on the fingers of the right hand
than to do so on masbahah (rosary).
This
is a bid'ah which was never practiced by the Prophet's
companions or their followers, may Allah be pleased
with them.
This
was not the practice of the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam). The Sunnah is to start with dthikr
soon after salah is over. The Prophet (sallallaahu
'alaihi wasallam) said: When you recite, 'At-tahiyyat...',
(just before tasleem), choose whichever du'a you like35.
The best forms of du'a are those authentically related
to the Prophet, (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam).. Insha'
Allah, we will publish the authentic du'a masnoon,
soon.
Dthikr
is reciting subhanal-Lah 33 times, alhamdu Lilah 33
times Allahu Akbar 33 times, reciting La ilaha illal-Laah
10 times reciting ayat al-Kursi [i.e. verse 255 of
surah 2 al Baqarah], or other authentic dthikr.
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
warned: Were the one who crosses in front of a
praying person to know the consequences of doing so,
he would have waited for forty better than to cross
in front of him36. The forty
in the tradition may be days months or even years.
Allah knows best.
Salah
is one of the most important pillars of Islam. The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
never neglected it during his sickness, nor while
combating enemies. Prayer must be performed regardless.
If one cannot perform ablution for one legal reason
or another, then he must perform dry ablution tayammum
by patting with his palms a dusty surface, then wiping
the face and hands. If he cannot stand up in prayer,
he may pray while sitting or lying down on his side.
Otherwise, it is enough for him to pray by moving
his eyes up for rukoo' and down for sujood, and complete
the rest of the prayer postures in the same manner.
The
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)
said: Pray not in graveyards, nor sit on graves37.
The format of prayer is enjoined by the Messenger
of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam). No imam or
a scholar has the right to alter it by adding to or
deleting from it. There is no book of authentic hadeeth
or Prophetic tradition reporting that the Messenger
of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) commanded
men to pray in one way, and women in another. He commanded:
Pray as you saw me praying38.
The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) did not
differentiate between men and women in prayer.
Some scholars opine that it is better for women to
gather themselves in sujood. As every body knows,
prayer is an act of worship, and like every other
act of worship, there must be a textual proof for
it in the Qur'an or the authentic Sunnah. A future
issue of Naseehah will, insha'Allah, include the format
of prayer as reported in the authentic traditions.
Let us pray to Allah, extolled be His glory, seeking
His forgiveness, and asking him to guide us to the
straight path. Aameen.
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