Some notes about prayer

Some notes about prayer

For performing prayer perfectly and increasing its reward:

❶A praying person should put a widthwise barrier in front of him, in his prostration position, so as not to allow people to pass in the spot in which he is praying, thus he prevents embarrassment of the others who want to pass in the remaining area.

●Ibn ᶦUmar reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah went out on the festival day (ᶦId day), he ordered to carry a bayonet and it was fixed in front of him, and he prayed towards its direction, with the people behind him. He used to do it in the journey. [AL-Bukhari].

❷It is prohibited for a Muslim to pass in front of a praying person in his prostration spot.

●It was narrated from Abi-Juhaim that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said: “If the one who passes in front of a person who is praying knew what (burden of sin) there is on him, it would be better for him to stand for forty than to pass in front of him.” [AL-Bukhari].

❸It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said: “When one of you finishes the last testification, he should seek refuge in Allah from four things: the punishment in Hell, the punishment in the grave, the afflictions of life and death, and the evil of the false Christ.” And in the narration of ᶦAᶦishah: “from the punishment in the grave, from the affliction of the false Christ, from the afflictions of life and death, and from sin and debt.” [Muslim].

●ᶦAᶦishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) gave salutation, he would not remain seated except long enough to say: “O Allah, You are Peace, and peace comes from You, blessed are You, O Possessor of Glory and Honor.” [Muslim].

●Muᶦadh ibn Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah held my hand and said, “O Muᶦadh, By Allah, I love you and advise you not to miss invocation after every prayer saying: O Allah, help me in remembering You, in giving You thanks, and worshipping You well.” [Abu-Daoud].

●AL-Mughirah ibn Shuᶦbah reported: The Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) used to say at the conclusion of prayer: “There is no god but Allah. He is alone, Who has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him praise is due and He is Potent over everything. O Allah! No one can withhold what You have given, and no one can give what You have withheld, and no wealth or fortune can benefit anyone, for from You comes all wealth and fortune.” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah said, “If anyone exalts Allah after every prayer thirty-three times, praises Allah thirty-three times, declares His Greatness thirty-three times, ninety-nine times in all and says to complete a hundred: ‘There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs dominion and to Him is praise due, and He is Potent over everything.’, his sins will be forgiven even if these are abundant as the foam of the sea.” [Muslim].

❹Severe hunger prevents humbleness in prayer. Also who resists urination or defecation can not be humble in his prayer.

●ᶦAᶦishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah say, “No prayer can be (rightly said) when the food is there (before the worshipper), or when he is prompted by the call of nature (urination or defecation).” [The Two Scholars].

❺When you are standing in your prayer, you should point your eyes to the spot of your prostration. And in your bowing, make your body as a 90-degree angle and do not raise your head, but point your eyes to your feet.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said: “How is it that some people raise their eyes towards the sky during the prayer?!” He stressed (this point) and added, “People must refrain from raising their eyes towards the sky in prayer; otherwise, they will lose their eyesight.” [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].

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●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet said, “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are night prayers and morning prayers. And if they knew their merits, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.” [The Two Scholars].

To overcome this impasse, you should get out of bed immediately after waking up, remember Allah using any form, and seek refuge in Allah from the Devil. If you got up lazily, you would give the Devil an opportunity to sneak to you and arouse laziness and sickness in yourself.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “When anyone of you sleeps, the Devil (Shaytan) ties three knots at the back of his neck, and he seals the place of each knot with ‘You have a long night, so sleep.’ If he wakes up and remembers Allah, a knot is untied. If he performs ablution, a knot is untied. If he prays, a knot is untied. He begins his morning in a happy and refreshed mood; otherwise, he gets up in bad spirits and lazy.” [The Two Scholars].

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Making up for the missed prayer

A menstruating woman, a woman in confinement period, and crazy persons, do not make up for the missed prayer.

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Times in which prayer is disliked

●ᶦUqbah ibn ᶦAmir reported: there were three times at which Allah’s Messenger forbade us to pray, or bury our dead: when the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, when it is directly overhead at noon till it passes its zenith, and when it draws near to setting till it sets. [Muslim].

●And in another tradition, the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “The sun rises and with it the horn of the Devil, then when it gets higher the horn leaves it. When the sun is in the middle of the sky the horn joins it, and when the sun declines the horn leaves it, when it is closer to setting it joins it. And when it has set it leaves it.”

The following are excluded from this dislike:

①The missed obligatory prayer. It must be performed at any time.

②When it is time of eclipse prayer, rain-invoking prayer, funeral prayer, circumambulation prayer, mosque greeting prayer, ablution prayer, a prostration of recitation, or a prostration of thankfulness.

③Prayer in the Sacred House.

The Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, “O Banu ᶦAba Manaf, do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House and praying at  any time he wants of night or day.” [AL-Tirmidhi].

Prostration of forgetfulness

PROSTRATION OF FORGETFULNESS

Before beginning to pray, a Muslim must finish everything concerns him and devote himself to standing in front of Allah. It is preferred that the place be empty of  inscriptions and drawings, because if there are any of them, the Devil will not let him perform prayer well.

Devil promised Allah to do so and said in Chapter of the Heights (Surat AL-ᶦAaraaf) ﴾Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait   for them on Your straight path(16)Then I will come to them before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You](17)﴿

It is God’s mercy to us that if a Muslim forgot something in his prayer, he would not stop performing it, instead, he would continue it and then he would prostrate twice after testification and before prayer-end greeting.

When does a praying person perform forgetfulness prostration?

1) The pillar of prayer: Prostration of forgetfulness does not deputize for it. If you remember it soon, perform it, complete your prayer, and perform the two forgetfulness prostrations at the end of the prayer. But Imam Malik sees that forgetting a pillar makes prayer invalid, therefore the praying person should perform prayer-end greeting and perform this prayer again.

2) When you forget the first testification in the four unit-prayers.

3) If there is a doubt about the number of prayer units, then you pray according to the least number.

4) Perform forgetfulness prostration also when you are sure that you have added  something in your prayer.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “I am made forget, in order to legislate laws.” It means that the Prophet’s forgetfulness was intended to legislate prostration of forgetfulness. It is not a defect in fulfilling his mission.

●Abu-Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah led us in the afternoon prayer and     gave salutation (Tasleem) after two prayer units. Dhul-Yadain stood up and said: “O Messenger of Allah, has the prayer been shortened or have you forgotten?” 
The  Messenger of Allah said, “Nothing like this happened (neither the prayer has been shortened nor have I forgotten).”
Dhul-Yadain said: “O Messenger of Allah, something   has definitely happened.” The Messenger of Allah turned towards people and said: “Is Dhul-Yadain true (in his assertion)?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, he is true.” 
Then the Messenger of Allah completed the rest of the prayer and then performed two prostrations. [The Two Scholars].

*Some jurisprudents see that forgetfulness prostration is to be performed after the two prayer-end greetings.

   

Prayer times

Prayer Times

Obligated Prayers:

1) Morning prayer (Salat AL Sobh).                                 

2) Noon prayer (Salat AL Dhuhr).

3) Afternoon prayer (Salat AL Asr).                                 

4) Sunset prayer (Salat AL Maghrib).

5) Night prayer (Salat AL ᶦIshaᶦ).

Prayer times:

●Jabir ibn Abd-Allah reported: The Prophet used to pray the noon prayer at midday, the afternoon prayer when the sun was still hot, and the sunset prayer after sunset. The night prayer was offered early if people gathered, and used to be delayed if their number was less, and the morning prayer was offered when it was still dark.

- Each prayer time has four degrees relating to its provision: great reward time, permissible time, disliked time, and prohibited time.

For example: Suppose that the noon prayer call is at 12 p.m. and the afternoon prayer call is at 3 p.m. Great reward time starts after the noon prayer call. The prayer is still permissible till disliked time starts at 2.30 p.m. If the afternoon prayer call is due and the noon prayer has not been performed, this will be the prohibited time.

◊ Whoever is lazy about noon prayer till afternoon prayer call is due, he commits a great sin.

God says ﴾Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times﴿ Chapter of Women. And He also says ﴾So woe to those who pray(4)[But] who are heedless of their prayer﴿(5) Chapter of Neighborly Needs (Surat AL-Maaoon).

- If the one who has not performed the noon prayer dies, he will go to hell.

- Delaying prayer beyond its time, without an excuse, necessitates seeking forgiveness of Allah from this sin and performing the missed prayer.

Means of seeking forgiveness:

* Performing Sunnah prayers, or paying optional charity, or optional fasting, or reading Qurᶦan.

* Then, seeking forgiveness of Allah and promising Him not to do so again.

An important question is remaining: Will Allah accept his repentance? And if he repeated it intentionally, would Allah accept his repentance?

The answer for this question is unknown, as Allah forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills.

A Muslim has only to avoid these problems and perform prayers on their times.

●Abdullah ibn Masᶦud reported that the polytheists kept the Messenger of Allah on the Day of the Battle of the Trench (AL Khandaq) from the afternoon prayer till the sun became red or it became yellow. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said: “They have distracted us from (performing) the middle prayer. May Allah fill their bellies and their graves with fire.” Ibn Masᶦud says, “Then, the Prophet performed it between the sunset prayer and the night prayer.”

●Abdullah ibn Masᶦud reported: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds is nearer to Paradise?” He (the Prophet) replied: “Prayer at its proper time (at the beginning of its time).” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet said, “Shall I not tell you something by which Allah erases sins and elevates (your) ranks?” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Performing ablution thoroughly in spite of difficult circumstances, frequent going to the mosque, and waiting eagerly for the next prayer after a prayer is over; indeed that is the firm hold (AL Ribat).” [Muslim].

●Anas ibn Malik reported: the Messenger of Allah said, about those who delay the afternoon prayer, “That is how hypocrites pray: One of them sits until the sun becomes yellow and between the horns of the Devil, then rises and prays four prayer units quickly, hardly remembering Allah in them at all.” [Muslim and Malik].

۞This division, which we have mentioned, includes all prayers except sunset and night prayers.

Sunset prayer:

 Its time is specified. It is equivalent to the time required for ablution, prayer call, and performing five prayer units (three obligatory and two optional units); the only time remaining after that is the disliked and prohibited time. 

And as for night prayer: 

Its delaying to midnight is a Sunnah, but it is NOT delayed to the morning prayer call.

●Abdullah ibn ᶦUmar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: “We stayed one night waiting for the Messenger of Allah to pray the night prayer. He came to us when one-third of the night or more had passed, and he said when he came out: ‘You are waiting for a prayer for which the followers of no other religion are waiting.  Were it not a burden on my people, I would have normally led them in prayer at this time.’ Then he ordered the caller to prayer (AL-Muᶦadhin) who declared that the time of the prayer had come.” [Muslim].

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said: “If it were not that it would be too difficult for my people, I would have ordered you to delay night prayer until the third of the night, or its half.” [Ahmad, AL-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah].

Prayer (Salah)

(PRAYER (Salah

It is words and deeds which begin with (Takbeer) which means saying “Allah is the Greatest (Allaahu Akbar)”, and end with prayer-end greeting (Tasleem).

The five prayers have been made obligatory in Makkah in the Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem and his Ascent to the Seventh Heaven, when he reached to the Lote Tree of the farthest limit (Sidrat AL-Muntaha). 

God says ﴾Certainly the believers have succeeded(1)They who are during their prayer humble﴿(2) And says ﴾And they who carefully maintain their prayers﴿ And says ﴾And enjoin prayer up on your family [and people] and be steadfast therein﴿.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Allah enjoined fifty prayers upon my nation (Ummah), and I had been going back to Him and asking Him for reduction till He made them five prayers every day and night.” [The Two Scholars].

Upon Whom Prayer is Obligatory?

It is obligatory on the rational adult Muslim (male or female). However, the command of performing it begins at an early age, so that the Muslim accustoms to it from his childhood.

It is the responsibility of parents in this stage of their child’s life till he becomes an adult at the age of eleven or thirteen, then their charge will be providing advice, and applying “Carrot and Stick” approach.

●It was narrated from Amr ibn Shuᶦaib (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet said: “Command your children to perform prayer when they are seven years old, and beat them for (not performing) it when they are ten, and do not let (boys and girls) sleep together.” [Abu-Daoud].

Prayer is The Most Important Pillar of Islam:

Many Prophetic and Sacred traditions are provided in priority and importance of the five prayers, and in warning against leaving or neglecting them. They were one of the Prophet’s priorities. When it was time to pray, the Prophet used to say, “O Bilal, give us comfort by it.” He also said, “My comfort has been provided in prayer.” And if he had a distress, he used to pray and talk intimately to Allah. The Prophet’s last words (recommendation), before his death, were: “Prayer and those your right hands possess (slaves)... Prayer and those your right hands possess." 

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Why are the Five Prayers the Most Important Pillar of Islam

❶They are the only pillar that the Prophet has received from God directly from above seven heavens without inspiration: 
That occurred in the Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem and his Ascent to the Seventh Heaven, and Muslims committed to performing them in Makkah, in spite of severity of conditions. 
But, obligatory charity, fasting, and pilgrimage have been made obligatory after migration to AL-Madinah, by the trustworthy of inspiration “Gabriel”.

❷They are personal physical worship:
No one can deputize for a Muslim in performing them, and no ransom is accepted instead of them.

●It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, let him pray it when he remembers it. There is no expiation for it, except this.” [Muslim].

❸They make a Muslim meet his God five times daily, while fasting makes him meet  God for one month per year. 
Obligatory charity and pilgrimage are performed by the one who is capable of them.

❹A rational adult Muslim is not exempted from them at all, as long as he is alive.
They are lapsed only in the case of a menstruating woman and in confinement. 
In case of illness, a Muslim (a man or a woman) prays the patient’s prayer. 
In case of travel, a Muslim can shorten prayers and combine between them.
In case of war, he prays fear prayer.

●Imran ibn Husain reported: “I had piles, so I asked the Prophet about the prayer. He said, ‘Pray while standing and if you cannot, pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that, then pray lying on your side.’” [AL-Bukhari].

●Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: “Allah has enjoined the prayer on the tongue of your Prophet (P.P.B.U.H): two prayer units (rakᶦatain) for the traveller, four prayer units (rakᶦaat) for the resident, and one prayer unit (rakᶦah) in danger.” [Muslim].

❺They include the five Islam pillars:
 They involve testification, which includes the two testimonies. 
Their performance represents the charity of the day that human lives. 
Also, they include fasting; a Muslim refrains from eating and drinking during their performance. 
Finally, in prayer, a Muslim is heading to Kaᶦbah as other Muslims do when they perform pilgrimage.

❻They are the only pillar that has many forms and types.
 For example:

The five obligated prayers, Friday prayer which is performed in a particular way and under special conditions, regular Sunnah prayers which follow each obligatory prayer, occasions prayers as: the two festivals prayers, funeral prayer, or rain-invoking prayer……etc, and emphasized Sunnah practices (Sunan Muᶦakkadah) like optional   night prayer, forenoon prayer…..etc.

❼They are the only pillar that if a Muslim is lazy in performing it or he forgets it, he will be in the group of hypocrites.
God says ﴾Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily﴿ Chapter of Women.
  
And He says ﴾They have disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend    except while they are unwilling﴿ Chapter of Repentance.

He also says ﴾So woe to those who pray(4)[But] who are heedless of their prayer﴿(5) Chapter of Neighborly Needs [Surat AL-Maaoon].

❽They are the pillar that if a Muslim leaves it, he will be an unbeliever:

●It was narrated from Buraidah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “The covenant that differentiates us from them (the unbelievers) is our performance of prayer. Whoever leaves it becomes an unbeliever.” [AL-Tirmidhi].

●Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said: “Between a man and polytheism and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer.” [Muslim].

❾They are the first deed for which a servant of Allah is held accountable on the Day of Judgment.

●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “The first of man’s deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Judgment will be prayer. 
If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful; if it is incomplete, he will    be unfortunate and a loser. 
If any shortcoming is found in the obligatory prayer, the Lord (Almighty and Sublime) says: ‘Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayers with which to complete what is lacking from his obligatory prayers.’ Then, the rest of his actions will be treated in the same manner.”   [AL-Tirmidhi].

❿They are the key way leading to Paradise.

●It was narrated from Ibadah ibn AL-Samit that the Prophet said: “Allah (The Almighty and Sublime) has written five prayers for mankind and whoever does them and    does not neglect any of them out of disregard towards them, will have a promise   from Allah that He will admit him to Paradise.” [Abu-Daoud, AL-Nasaᶦi, and Ibn Majah].

●Uthman ibn Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) saying, “When the time for a prescribed prayer comes, if any  Muslim performs its ablution and its acts of humbleness and bowing well, it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin, and this applies for ever.” [Muslim].

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The Provision of The Abandonment of Prayer

a) If a Muslim abandons prayer denying its obligation and not confessing it, he will be an unbeliever. Prayer is one of the five Islam pillars, so the one who abandons it is      considered an apostate, i.e., he is killed, not washed, not shrouded, not prayed over him, and not buried in Muslim graveyards.

b) If he abandons it due to laziness, but he confesses its obligation, he will be invited to repentance. If he does not perform prayer again, he will be killed and considered a  hypocrite. But he will be dealt as a Muslim, i.e., he will be washed, shrouded, prayed over him and buried in Muslim graveyards.

Read also
Prayer times
Prayer validity conditions, pillars, and Sunan
Things in which a man differs from a woman in prayer
Prostration of forgetfulness
Some notes about prayer
Prayer shortening and combination
Group prayer
Friday prayer (Salat Al-Jumuaa)
Sunnah and Voluntary prayers