The Conditions of the Prayer
One starts to make the takbfrat al-ihram with the intention in the heart. It
is mustabab to recite the du 'a iftitah after the takbirat al-ihram.
Content
- The Valid Excuses for Delaying Prayer
- The Conditions of the Prayer
- Ritual Impurities (Hadas)
- Types of Private parts
- The Pillars of the Prayer
- Description of the Prayer (salah)
- Commentary and Notes
- Back to Islamic Sharia: Law and Theology
The Valid Excuses for Delaying Prayer
(فصل ) أعذار الصلاة اثنان : النوم والنسيان .
Chapter
The Valid Excuses for Delaying the Prayer from its
Prescribed Time are Two:1
1. Sleep2
2. forgetfulness.3
The Conditions of the Prayer
(فصل) شروط الصلاة ثمانية : طهارة الحدثين والطهارة عن النجاسة في الثوب والبدن
والمكان وستر العورة واستقبال القبلة ودخول الوقت والعلم بفريضتة وأن لايعتقد
فرضا من فروضها سنة واجتناب المبطلات .4
Chapter
The Conditions of the ṣalāh are Eight:
1.
Purity from the two ritual impurities.5
2. Purity of the clothing, the
body,6 and the place7 (of performing prayer).
3. Covering the ʿawrah
(private parts).8
4. Facing the qiblah.9
5. The commencement of the
time of prayer.10
6. Knowledge of it being farḍ.
7. Not to regard
any of its farḍ acts as sunnah.11
8. To abstain from those factors that
nullifies the prayer.
Ritual Impurities (Hadas)
الأحداث اثنان : أصغر وأكبر . فالأصغر ماأوجب الوضوء . والأكبر ماأوجب الغسل *
Ritual Impurities are of two types: (1) minor ritual impurities and (2) major
ritual impurities.
(1) A minor ritual impurity is that which
makes wuḍūʾ wājib
(2) a major impurity is that which is makes bath wājib
Types of Private parts
العورات أربع : عورة الرجل مطلقا والأمة في الصلاة ما بين السرة والركبة .
The ʿAwrahs (Private parts) are Four Types:
1. The ʿawrah of a man
generally12 and that of a slave-girl in ṣalāh is the area between the navel
and the knees.13
2. The ʿawrah of a free woman in ṣalāh includes the
whole body except the face and the two palms.
3. The ʿawrah of a free
woman and that of a slave girl in the presence of a stranger is the entire
body.
4. The ʿawrah of a free woman and a slave girl in the presence of a
mahram (unmarriageable kin) or women is the area between the navel and the
knees..
The Pillars of the Prayer
(فصل ) أركان الصلاة سبعة عشر : الأول النية ،الثاني تكبيرة الإحرام ، الثالث
القيام على القادر في الفرض ،الرابع قراءة الفاتحة ، الخامس الركوع ، السادس
الطمأنينة فية ، السابع الإعتدال ،الثامن الطمأنينة فيه ، التاسع السجود مرتين
،العاشر الطمأنينة فية ، الحادي عشر الجلوس بين السجدتين ، الثاني عشر الطمأنينة
فية ،الثالث عشر التشهد الأخير ،الرابع عشر القعود فيه ،الخامس عشر : الصلاة على
النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ،السادس عشر السلام ،السابع عشر الترتيب .
Chapter
The Pillars of the prayer are Seventeen:
1.
Intention.14
2. Takbirat al-iḥram (The opening statement: “Allahu
Akbar”)15
3. Standing in the fard prayer for those who have the
ability.16
4. Recitation of Surah al-Fatihah.17
5. Rukuʿ
(bowing).18
6. Remaining motionless for a moment therein (rukuʿ).
7.
Iʿtidāl (Straightening up after rukuʿ).19
8. Remaining motionless for a
moment therein (iʿtidāl)
9. Two sajdahs (prostrations).20
10.
Remaining motionless for a moment therein (sajdah).
11. Sitting between
the two sajdahs.21
12. Remaining motionless for a moment therein
(sitting).
13. Recite tashahhud at the end of ṣalāh.
14. Sitting
therein (tashahhud).
15. Ṣalāh upon Nabi therein (tashahhud).
16.
Salām.22
17. To follow the sequence (of the above integral postures of
ṣalāh).
Note: Description of the salah:
Sunan Before Commencing the salah:
To stand for
the salah after the completion of the iqamah, to be in the first row, to
make the row straight, especially for the imam when he should enjoin
upon the jama'ah to do so and to fill up the first row first, then the second,
and so on.
Commencing the salah:
Sunan Before
Commencing the salah:
To stand for the salah after the
completion of the iqamah, to be in the first row, to make the row
straight, especially for the imam when he should enjoin upon the jama ' ah to
do so and to fill up the first row first, then the second, and so on.
Commencing
the salah:
One starts to make the takbfrat al-ihram with the
intention in the heart. It is mustabab to recite the du 'a iftitah after
the takbirat al-ihram.
After the du'a iftitah , it is mustabab (preferable) to recite the ta'awwudh. Ta 'awwudh is mustabab in every rak'ah and more emphasized in the first rak' ah. Then a person recites Surah al Fatilhah in every rak ' ah and the basmsalah is one of its verses. One says ''Amrn" at the end of the al-Fatil)ah, when following an imam, one says "Amin" when he does, and then a second time when he completes his own recital of the al-Fatil)ah.
If one is the imam or praying alone, it is mustal)ab in the first and second rak ' ah only to recite one complete surah even if it be short after the al-Fatil)ah. It is mustabab to recite the Qur' an in a tartil (distinct and pleasant way) observing the rules of tajwid and to reflect upon its meanings and lessons. One recites a longer siirah in the first rak' ah than in the second.
Then one makes ruku' (bows) from the waist. The best way is to raise one's hands and say, "Allahu akbar" so that a person begins raising the hands as he starts the takbir and when the hands are at shoulder level, he bows. It is mustal)ab to prolong the words of takbir until one reaches the posture of ruku ' .
Then one makes i 'tidal (straightening up), the best way is to raise the hand lifting them from the knees as one starts straightening up, raising them to shoulder level and the head together, saying, "sami 'allahu liman l:zamidah." When one is standing upright, one says, "Rabbana lakal hamd."
Then one makes sajdah (prostrates), the best way is to say, "Allahu Akbar," and to put the knees down first, then the hands, and then the forehead and nose, keeping the hands directly under one's shoulders, with the fingers together, extended towards the direction of qiblah, and the hands uncovered. For men to maintain a one span gap between the two knees and two feet whilst women keep them together. For men to keep the stomach away from the thighs, and forearms from the sides, whilst women keep them together, and to recite "tasblh" three times. It is commendable to supplicate before Allah while prostrating.
Then one raises the head and sits before prostrating a second time, the best way is to say, "Allahu akbar," as one raises the head, to sit in "iftirash," which is to place the left foot on its side and to sit upon it while keeping the right foot on the bottom of its toes, heel up. To place both one's hands on the thighs near the knees, fingers extended and held together and to recite the du ' a, "Rabbighfirlf, war(zamnz, wajburnz, warfa 'nz, warzuqnz, wahdinz, wa 'afinz, wa 'fu 'annl."
Then one prostrates again just as before and after this one raises the head, saying, "Allahu akbar," as one first raises it, prolonging the takbir until one is standing upright.
It is sunnah, here and in each rak ' ah that is not followed by the tashahhud,
to briefly rest in the iftirash style of sitting before rising. Then one
rises, supported by both hands, palms down, and prolonging the takbir until
standing. This is called ''jilsat al istirahah" and is not done after
"sajdah al-tilawah".
Then one performs the second rak ' ah of the salah
just like the first, except for the initial intention, the takblrat al-ifzram,
and dua iftitah.
If one's salah exceeds two rak'ahs, one sits in iftirash after the first two rak ' ahs and recites the tashahhud and the salah upon the Nabi ' but not upon his family (which is done in the final tashahhud). Then one rises, saying, "Allahu akbar," and supported on one's hands as before. When standing, one raises the hands to shoulder level (which one does here, but not after rising form the first or third rak ' ah), and then goes on to perform the remainder of the salah as one did in the second rak ' ah, except that one recites the al-Fatil)ah to oneself and does not recite a siirah after it.
One sits at the end of one's salah for the last tashahhud in the "tawarruk"
style of sitting, with one left posterior on the ground and left foot on its
side, emerging from under the right, which is vertical.
In the two
tashahhuds, the left hand rests on the left thigh near the knee, its fingers
extended and held together. The right hand is similarly placed, but is held
closed with its thumb touching the side of the index finger, which alone
is left extended. One raises the index finger and points with it when
one says the words, "illallah," in the tashahhud.
Closing the
salah:
Then one says the final "salam". The best way is to say, "Assalamu
'alaykum waral:zmatullah," and to turn the head to the right enough to show
the right cheek to those behind. One thereby intends to finish the salah and
intends to make salam to the Angels and Muslims whether human or jinn
on the right. Then turns one's head to the left and repeat the
salam, intending to greet those on the left. The follower may intend one of
the salams to be a response to the salam of the imam.
It is
mustal)ab to make dhikr and du'a silently after salah. Al-Imam al-Shafi 'I
mentioned in al-Umm, "I prefer that the imam and follower make dhikr
after the salam, and do so silently, unless the imam wants to be learned from,
in which case he says the dhikr aloud until he believes that the congregation
has learned from him, after which he will say it silently."
The imam turns for dhikr and du ' a so that his right side is towards the jama ' ah and his left side towards the qiblah. He leaves his place as soon as he finishes. If there are no women (in which case he waits for them to leave first). It is mustal)ab for the followers to remain seated until the imam stands.
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Notes and Commentaries
1 A third excuse is for a person who delayed the alah to combine two alahs during a journey.
2 A person was asleep before the time of alah commenced and remained asleep until the time ended. When any alah is due but not yet performed, and one wishes to lie down for a while and he is certain to awaken in time to carry out this duty, it will be makrah for him to sleep or lie down. However, if he is not at all certain as to whether he will wake up in time or not, it is haram.
3 A person forgot that he did not perform the salah and only remembered after
the time of alah expired. This should not be due to unmindfulness due to
engrossment in playing chess etc. in which case he will be sinful.
4 The author does not mention Islam and M umayyidh as a condition because they are well known.
5 Purification from minor and major ritual impurity ( hadath and janabah through wud11' and ritual bath respectively as well as from haid and nifas).
6 One's alah is invalid if one is holding the end of a rope connected with something impure.
7 One's alah is valid if performed on the pure portion of a rug which is affected with some impurities, even if the rug or bed moves when one moves. The principle is that it is not permissible for a person in alah to support or carry any impurity but it is permissible for him to be supported by it, provided he is not in direct contact with the impurity.
8 It is a necessary condition that the clothing prevents the colour of the skin from being exposed and covers the ' awrah from all sides including above. It is not necessary to cover the ' awrah from below. A thin garment through which the colour of the skin is visible is not sufficient.
9 This is a necessary condition for the five fard salah which must be performed while facing the proper direction of qiblah whether a person is a musafir (traveller) or a muqim (non-traveller), riding in a vehicle or not. A musafir may perform sunnah salah without facing the direction of qiblah.
10 A person must be certain about the commencement of the time of salah. If a person is uncertain about the commencement of the time of the salah which he has performed, that particular salah will not be correct, even if the salah was in fact carried out in its required time, unless he applies his ijtihad (discretion) to determine the time of the salah, in which case it will be correct. If he applies ijtihad and the salah was carried out before or after the time of the salah, the salah performed will be considered a qada ' salah if he has qada ' salah in his responsibility otherwise it will be considered a nafl salah.
11 A person 's salah is not invalidated if he thinks that all of the actions
in salah are fard.
12 Men includes young boys, even if they are not yet of the age of understanding. It generally means in all conditions; whether in alah or outside salah.
13 The knees and the navel themselves are not part of the ' awrah, but
it is wajib to cover them in order to fulfil the command of
covering the ' awrah completely.
14 To make intention in the heart is wajib and mustab.ab to utter it with the tongue. The intention should be simultaneous with the takblrat al iflram and remains till the completion of the takbir.
15 Takblrat al-ihram can only be in Arabic with the word, "Allahu akbar," or "Allahul akbar". The minimal valid audibility is that it can be heard through normal hearing. The imam calls out the takblr aloud every time in alah. It is mustab.ab to raise the hands from the beginning of the takblrat al-iflram to shoulder level, meaning that one's fingertips are even with the tip of the ears, thumbs with the earlobes, and palms with one's shoulders, fingers slightly outspread, the palms face the direction of qiblah and the hands are uncovered (i.e. not hidden beneath a shawl). After the takbir, one places the hands below the chest and above the navel, grasping the left wrist with the right hand , and fixing one's gaze on the place where one 's forehead will prostrate. The complete takblrat al-iflram must be made while standing.
16 Standing is a rukn (integral) in all fard alah for one who can stand, whether by himself or assisted by another, however it is not a rukn in nafl alah. Standing requires that the spine be straight. One is not standing if one leans so forward that the backbone is no longer straight, or bends so that one is closer to ruku ' (bowing) than to standing.
17 Surah al-Fatihah can be recited from memory or by looking into the mushaf etc. It is wajib to recite it in every rak ' ah of alah whether loudly or silently, whether an imam, a follower or alone.
18 The best method is to raise one's hands and say, "Allahu Akbar" so that a person begins raising the hands as he starts the takbir and when the hands are at shoulder level, he bows. It is mustahab to prolong the words of takbir until one reaches the next posture in every takbir so that no part of the alah is without dhikr. Thereafter, the hands are placed on the knees, fingers apart, with back and neck extended, leg straight and elbows out, although women keep them close, then one recites tasbih three times.
19 The i ' tidal is to return to the posture one was in before the ruku ' , whether one was standing or sitting. It is wajib to intend nothing by one's movement except i ' tidal.
20 In every rak ' ah.
21 In every rak ' ah and to intend nothing but sitting by one's movement.
22 Ending the salah with salam. Someone who is not a masbuq (latecomer)
to a jama ' ah alah may sit as long as he wishes after the imam's salam to
supplicate, finishing with his own salam whenever he wishes.
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