AS-SALAT - BASIC RULES OF AS-SALAT (PRAYER)

  

BASIC RULES OF AṢ-ṢALᾹT (PRAYER)

By: Dr. Issah Abeebllahi Issah

SIGNIFICANCE OF SALAT

·        Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam, and without Salah Islam is not complete.

·        Prayer is the first thing a Muslim will be asked about on the day of judgment.

aAbu Hurayrah reported: the messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "The first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be his Salah. If it is complete (all well and good), otherwise Allah will say: 'Look and see if My slave did any voluntary prayer.' If he is found to have done voluntary prayers, his obligatory prayers will be completed therewith." (Sunan an-Nasa'i 466).

·        Muslims show their humility and submission to Allah through Salah.

·        Salah helps the believer to remember Allah.

·        Salah is a sign that distinguishes Muslims from Kafir.

CONDITIONS OF SALAT (SHURŪṬ)

Condition: what its inexistence necessitates the inexistence of another thing, but its existence does not necessitate the existence of another thing.

A person must fulfill these conditions for his/her Salah to be considered and accepted by Allah.

·        Islam

·        Sanity

·        Knowing right from wrong

·        Being in a state of purity

·        Removing impurities from the body, wears, and place

·        Covering the body properly (awrah).

·        Praying on time

·        Facing the Qiblah

·        Intention.

PILLARS OF SALAT (ARKᾹN)

Pillars of Salah are the parts of Salah that must be fulfilled, not fulfilling them for someone that has ability to do so nullifies Salah.

·        Standing.

·        Takbirat al-Ihram (Opening Takbir).

·        Recitation of Fatihah

·        Ruku‘

·        Standing after Ruku

·        Sujud

·        Rising from Sujud

·        Sitting between the two sujud

·        Tranquility in all actions of Salah

·        The two Taslim (or one).

·        Sitting down for al-Tasahud

·        Sending blessing to the Prophet (SAW).

·        Performing all actions of Salah in order.

OBLIGATORY ASPECTS OF SALAT

Some act that a Muslim must be fulfilled in Salah, but if they are forgotten, the Salah is still valid and complete.

·        All takbir except the opening one.

·        Saying tasbīḥu of ruku‘

·        Saying سمع الله لمن حمده

·        Saying ربنا ولك الحمد

·        Saying tasbīḥu in sujud

·        Seeking istighfar between the prostration

·        The first tashāhud

·        Sitting down for the first tashāhud

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PILLARS AND OBLIGATORY PARTS OF SALAT

The pillar is not waived if it is forgotten intentionally, unintentionally, or out of ignorance, rather it must be performed. Obligatory is waived if it is forgotten, or it is not done out of ignorance, but the prostration of forgetfulness should be done after or before Salam in both cases.

If a person forgets a pillar of Salah, he should go back to that pillar and do the prostration of forgetfulness before or after As-salam. If a person forgets an obligatory part of Salah, he doesn’t need to go back to it, but he would just perform the prostration of forgetfulness.

If a person intentionally abandons any obligation of Salah, the Salah is invalid.

SUNAN OF SALAT

Sunan of Salat are the things that the Prophet (SAW) said or did in Salah which are not obligatory. Whoever does them in the prayer will be rewarded. If they are not performed in the prayer, the prayer is considered and there is no sin. However, it is greatly disliked to omit the Sunan of Salah without any genuine reason. The Prophet (SAW) had said: “pray as you see me praying”.

There are two categories of Sunan in Salah: (1) actions, (2) sayings.

The verbal Sunan Parts of Salah

·        Opening supplication.

·        Al-Isti‘ādhah.

·        Basmalah.

·        Saying Amin after surah al-fatiah.

·        Saying more than one tasbīḥ in ruku‘ and sujud.

·        Asking for forgiveness between both sujud and tashahud.

·        Al-Ṣalat al-Ibrahimiyyah during the first tashahud.

·        Making du‘a during the last tashahud.

The Sunan Parts of Salah which are Actions:

·        Raising hands during opening takbir, while going into ruku‘, when rising from ruku‘, and while rising from the first tashahud to the third rak‘ah.

·        Placing one’s right hand over the left on the chest.

·        Looking at the place of sujud.

·        Placing the hands on the knees when in ruku‘.

·        Placing a sutrah (barrier) in front.

·        Sitting on the left foot with the right foot facing upwards between the two prostrations and in tashahud.

INVALIDATORS OF THE PRAYER

The number of the things that invalidate prayer differ according to the differences of the scholars in some of them, and they are as follows:

(1)  Anything that invalidates ablution also invalidates prayer.

(2)  Deliberately uncovering the ‘awrah (the part of the body that is supposed to be covered during prayer), but if it was revealed unintentionally, and the exposed parts of the ‘awrah were little or much, but they are covered again immediately, the prayer is not invalidated.

(3)  Too much deviation from the direction of the qiblah.

(4)  Impurity of the body, clothes, or the place of the prayer. If someone knows about it or remembers it during the prayer and removes it immediately, the prayer is valid. Likewise, if he did not know about it until, after the end of the prayer, his prayer is also valid.

(5)  Unwarranted consecutive moves in prayer.

(6)  Omitting one of the pillars of Salah.

(7)  Intentionally increasing a pillar of Salat.

(8)  Intentionally praying disorderly.

(9)  Deliberately pronouncing at-taslim before the completion of Salat.

(10) Deliberately changing the meaning of the Qur’an.

(11) Deliberately omitting one obligatory aspect of Salat.

(12) Terminating intention.

(13) Laughing.

(14) Deliberately talking in prayer.

(15) Eating and drinking.

THE ACTS THAT ARE DISLIKED DURING

 PRAYER

1)    Deliberately leaving any of the sunnah of Salat.

2)    Turning the face to the side, except if is warranted.

3)     Closing the eyes, except if it is warranted.

4)     Looking up to the sky.

5)     Putting the hands on the waist.

6)     Praying while preventing urine or excretion.

7)     Covering of the mouth.

8)     Resting on something while praying.

9)    Putting the arms on the floor during sujud.

10)   Playing while praying.

11)   Looking at something that distracts attention.

12) Praying in a place where the photo is found.

13)  Praying towards the fire.

14) Praying in presence of the food with appetite.

15) Crossing and snapping of the fingers.

16) Spitting to the right side or towards the qibla while praying.

 

THINGS THAT ARE PERMISSIBLE IN PRAYER

1-    Little move for a purpose.

2-    Carrying a baby.

3-    Killing a snake or scorpion or any other harmful entity.

4-    Little turning of the face for a purpose.

5-    Crying and groaning.

6-    Saying subhana Allah by men and clapping by women to call attention.

7-    Correcting Imam.

8-    Making a signal with a hand for a purpose.

9-    Saying Alhamduli Allah if it is warranted.

10-  Spitting to the left side.

11-  Preventing someone from passing between you and sutrah.

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