Table Of Content"" ~ ~ • -
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/A Summary Described of the
PROPHET'S
PRAYER
/>
Shiekh Muhammad Nasir-udeen Al-Bani
Translated by
Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Shabhir Usmani
!
:
■ •
In the name of Allah the Most merciful the Most Gracious
A summary described of the
prophet’s prayer
!
By
Shiekh Muhammad Nasir-udeen Al-Bani
Translated by
Dr, Hafiz Muhammad Shabbir Usmani
Published by
Maktabah Darussalam U.K.
P.O. Box 3114 Birmingham
BIO ODE
Tel. & Fax: 0121 772 1572
CONTENTS
Preface .............................................................................. 5
Facing to wards Qiblah.................................................... 7
Mistakenly, offering the prayer facing other than Qiblah 7
Standing for the prayer-Qiyaam...................................... 8
Praying on a ship or plane............................................... 8
Combining the both positions, sitting and standing, while praying ... 8
Praying with shoes................................................................... 9
Praying on the Minber-pulpit................................................. 9
Praying near to Sutrah............................................................. 9
(to place something in front while praying)
The height of the Sutrah......................................................... 10
Offering prayer while facing the tombs or grave is prohibited 10
Prohibition of passing in front of a praying person,
even in the Mosque of Makkah.............................................. 10
Preventing someone from passing in front of himself
while praying, even in the Holy Mosque of Makkah............. 11
Stepping forward to prevent a passing person in
front of a praying person......................................................... 11
Things that cut off the prayer.................................................. 11
Saying the intention in words................................................. 11
Takbeer Tahreemah-proclaiming Allah -u-Akbar................... 12
Lifting the hands and the authentic way.................................. 12
Placing the hands and the correct way.................................... 13
Where to put the hands............................................................ 13
The Opening Supplication....................................................... 14
Recitation................................................................................. 14
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The recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha............................................ 15
Reciting Fatiha behind an Imam.............................................. 16
Reciting any other Surah-chapter after reciting Fatiha.......... 16
Reciting the Fatiha in every Rakah of the prayer................... 17
Reciting the Holy Quraan loudly and in a low voice............. 17
Recitation in a slow, clear, rythmic tone-Tarteel.................... 17
Correcting the Iman’s mistake in reciting.............................. 18
Bowing down in prayer-Ruku................................................ 18
How to make Ruku................................................................. 18
Paralleling the duration is one of the essential acts of prayer 19
Rising up from Ruku............................................................. 19
Sujud-prostration.................................................................... 20
Placing the hands before the knees........................................ 20
Conformation the bodily parts in Sujad................................. 21
The second Sujad................................................................... 23
The Sitting of “Rest”............................................................. 23
Sitting for Tashahhud............................................................. 24
Pointing with the right finger and looking at it..................... 25
The manner of performing “Tashahud” and supplications.... 25
The third and the Fourth Rakahs........................................... 27
Supplications for particular use during calamities and trial... 28
Timing and performing the “Witr”
and Qunut-invocation while standing.................................... 29
The last sitting and reading the Tashahhud........................... 30
Greeting for the prophet (saw) and seeking refuge with Allah during
the last sitting................................................................ 31
Supplication before ending the prayer.......................... 31
Ending prayer with the Greeting “Assalaam Alaykum” 32
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Preface
All kinds of praises are only for Allah, the Almighty. We all praise Him, seek
assistance from Him and ask forgiveness from him. We seek refuge with Him
from the evil of our souls, and the protection from evil deeds and wrong doings.
He, whom, Allah the Almighty leads, no one can mislead him. And whom
Allah, the Almighty misguides, no one can guide him. I testify that there is no
god able to be worshipped, except Allah, the Almighty alone, and I testify
that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger.
This is an effort to concise the book named: “Description of the prayer of
Allah’s Prophet I hope and ask Allah the Almighty to make it beneficial
to common people in this form.
I have added some more elements, which are not found in the first book’s
extract, which are explanations of specific terms for the benefit of beginners.
A particular emphasis was also stated about some Ahaadith or special
supplications and invocations at certain places in the prayer. Every act of the
prayer was classified as an essential (rukn) or obligatory (Waajib). Those
acts which were not classified, are themselves considered as Sunnah acts.
Some of the unclassified acts, may befall under the compulsory category, but
is put in one of the two mentioned classes in an unclassified method. It happens,
owing to the lack of real proof from the Sunnah.
The elementary act of the prayer is an act, which if not performed in correct
way, brands the prayer imperfect, its instance is Ruku-bowing down in prayer.
If someone does not perform this act, the prayer is unacceptable. The Shart-
conditional act is very similar to the recently mentioned act, in a prayer, but it
is not necessarily attached to it physically. Performing Wudhu-Ablution before
starting prayer, is its example. If one does not make ablution before starting
the prayer, then no prayer is acceptable.
The Waajib-obligatory act in a prayer is declared particularly either in the
Quraan or in the Sunnah of the prophet *%. The person who performs such
acts shall be rewarded and who does not offer it, shall be punished, while a
person with a valid excuse is exempt. Its illustrative example is the obligatory
and elementary act of the prayer. Other present terminology meanings of
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Waajib are in fact, new dimensions of thought stemming from new terminology
of jurisprudence. The Sunnah of the prophet are general acts, especially
acts of worship, accomplished by the prophet with the regular basis, or
often, during all his life. He saw did not ask the believers to copy his acts
strictly, however, those who performed these acts of emulation would be
rewarded. Those who did not act upon these acts would not be punished.
Some times a saying attributed to the holy prophet it is related: “He who
gives up my acts will not be deserved of my intercession.” As though another
saying is related by some schools of thought, and this narration was not based
on reliable chain and it must not be attributed to the prophet because he
saw stated: “He who attributes to me something which I did not say, let him
make his place in the Hell.”
Of course, I did not follow and swung to anyone of the four major, renown
schools of thought in this entire booklet. I simply follow the pattern of Hadith,
which is, truly, the most reliable, definite and out spoken pattern. Truly, this
pattern has been admired by some fame scholars of the Hanafi school, as Abu
Al-Hasan Lakhnavi said: “following schools of thought of those who follow
the Hadith are the true inheritors of the prophet and the real representatives
of Allah’s messenger And it is much better than sticking to the thoughts of
someone else. We pray, may Allah make us alive again with this group and
give us death on the same way.”
Furthermore, the well known scholar of Muslim Ummah, Imaam Ahmad bin
Hanbal said in his poetry sayings:
“The religion of Allah’s messenger saw, is only a collection of authentic news.
It is in the best interest for someone to obey these statements. One must not
accept anything else besides hadith and those who reported it as a guide. The
opinion of someone is the darkness of the night, while the Hadith is daylight.”
The Writer
Muhammad Nasir-uddeen AF Albaani
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Facing towards the Qiblah
1: Facing towards the Qiblah is obligatory, when a Muslim makes
intention to pray any where and any kind whether it is obligatory prayer-
Fardh or any voluntary, he must direct his face towards the Ka’bah. It
is one of the mandatory rules of prayer. If this condition is not performed
then the prayer is unacceptable.
2: Being fearful of a sudden attack or when he is engaged in fighting in
battle, Muslim is not required to perform this condition when he prays.
Likewise, a person who is severely ill and unable to fulfil this condition
owing to physical disability or travelling in a ship, car or plane and
may miss his prayer, thereupon this rule is not applied for him.
As well, a person praying voluntary prayer while riding any type of
vehicle is free from this condition. Hence, it is preferable facing towards
the Qiblah prior to starting this kind of prayer, and keeping on offering
the prayer in whatever direction the vehicle may turn, is right.
3: Praying near the Holy shrine of the Kaa’bah, every Muslim must
direct his face towards it. Those who are not near the Kaa’bah must
face to the exact direction of it.
Mistakenly, offering the prayer facing other than Qiblah
4: If the sky is cloudy, and one faces towards Kaa’bah according to his
knowledge and understanding, his prayer is acceptable and needs not
to offer prayer again although his face was not in the direction of
Kaa’bah.
5: If anyone is praying in the incorrect direction and he was told the
right direction by a reliable person, then one must accept it immediately
and face to the correct direction, his prayer in this situation is still
acceptable.
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Standing for the prayer-Qiyaam
6: Offering prayer, one must perform obligatory standing. This is also
a compulsory part of prayer, unless one is observing prayer under fear
through severe and continuous fight in the battle. Similarly, a Muslim
riding in a vehicle can offer prayer. Likewise, a sick Muslim, who is
not capable to stand, can pray while sitting. Even, if any sick person is
not able to sit down, then he can pray while lying. For the person, who
is praying voluntary prayer, he is permitted to offer prayer while
standing, riding even sitting. In this case, he can signal up and down
with his head for bowing down-Ruku and prostration- Sujud. One
restraint must be performed. The Sujud signal must be lower than the
Ruku one. Likewise, a sick person who cannot pray standing, should
do so.
7: One who prays while sitting should not put any thing in front of him
upon which he may prostrate, like a pillow or a stool etc. He is allowed
to prostrate a little lower than bowing-Ruku if some is not capable to
place his forehead on the ground.
Praying on a ship or plane
8: Offering the obligatory prayer, both on a ship or a plane is permitted.
9: If the person who is praying while standing, fears from falling down,
he is permitted to offer prayer while sitting.
10: An old or sick person who cannot stand up proper for prayer, he
may lean on a cane, stick or any kind of device for standing proper.
Combining the both positions, sitting and standing,
while praying
11: Voluntary prayer, like night prayer, may be offered in both positions
sitting and standing, and one can combine both positions. One can
pray sitting and reading. Hence, one must stand up for a while prior
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bowing down to make end of his recitation while standing. This also
be repeated in the second Rakah.
12: It is permitted for a person who is praying while sitting, to sit with
legs crossed or any other position considered easier or more suitable.
Praying with shoes
13: Offering prayer, while taking off shoes or on, is allowed.
14: It is better to have shoes on for one prayer and to be barefooted for
another one. But it must not be considered compulsory to stick strictly
to any one of the both opinion.
15: Offering prayer while barefooted, one should not place the shoes
to the right side he may place them to the left side or between the feet.
It is the proved and confirmed position of the prophet
Praying on the Minber-pulpit
16: The Imam of a prayer can pray on an elevated place, like pulpit, in
order to teach prayer to the people. He will make Qiyaam- standing
while reciting, and bowing down on the pulpit, then will step backward
to make Sujud-prostration at the base of the pulpit-on the ground. He
can return again to the pulpit to complete his prayer likewise.
Praying near to Sutrah
(to place something in front while praying)
17: The person offering prayer must face a Sutrah-barrier, whether he
is praying inside the mosque or outside. This applies to all Muslims
regardless of age. This is founded upon a correct Hadith: “do not pray
except to a Sutrah-barrier. Do not let anyone pass in front of you. ‘If
any of you prays toward a Sutrah and someone tries to pass in front of
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you, then turn him away. If he refuses, use force, for he is a devil.”
18: Offering prayer one must stand as close as possible to the Sutrah in
order to follow the prophet’s command.
19: Once upon a time, the prophet % left distance between his place of
Sujud and the wall, which he was using as a Sutrah, for a sheep to pass.
So this proximity of distance explains the limits of nearness for the
Sutrah.
The height of the Sutrah
20: The Sutrah used for a prayer must be at least one or two hand in
length from the surface of the ground. It was founded on a hadith: “if
one puts something like the back of a camel saddle. In this case, one
should not pay attention to anything within his sight.”
21: The person who is praying must face towards the Sutrah, not looking
at the left or the right. Except this, nothing has been confirmed from
the prophet saw.
22: The permitted Sutrah-barriers which may be used for prayer are: a
stick or a cane set up into the ground, a tree, a pillar even one’s wife
sleeping in her bed covering with a blanket or other cover, or an animal
which is used for riding, like camel or other animal.
Offering prayer while facing the tombs
or graves is prohibited
23: Offering prayer facing towards a tomb or a grave is prohibited,
whether the tomb is of a prophet or a general man.
Prohibition ofpassing in front ofa praying person, even
in the Mosque ofMakkah
24: It is prohibited to pass in front of a praying person even in a mosque,
including the Holy Mosque of Makkah. According to a Hadith: “if a
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