Tag: how muslims pray

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Fasting New Muslims

Qur’anic Gems: Juz’ 16

Welcome to a new interesting episode of Qur’anic Gems series with Nouman Khan.

In this episode Nouman reflects on the verse number 59 of Surat Maryam (the nineteenth chapter of the Qur’an)

He begins his talk by shedding some light on the bad deeds of the late generations and followers of “sons of Israel” who wasted their prayer. They did not care for their prayer and followed their desires, so they will meet deviation in belief.

Follow us on this fascinating episode to learn more about the warning of Allah to the people of Israel.

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New Muslims Prayer

Prayer: The Apple of My Eye

 By Fatma Bayram

A man prostrating

Prayer is a fundamental pillar in the daily life of Muslims.

 Who establish worship and spend of that We have bestowed on them. (Al-Anfal 8:3)

Concerning the guilty: What has brought you to this burning? ) They will answer: We were not of those who prayed. (Al-Muddaththir 74:41-43)

The Qur’an defines the first attribute of sincere believers as those who

“establish worship properly” (Al-A`raf 7:170)

. Verses such as

“Tell My bondmen who believe to establish worship…”(Ibrahim 14:31)

are indicative of the precedence of Prayer in the faith of a believer.

Prayer had been ordained during the first days of prophecy, albeit not in its final form. The fact that Muslims, beginning with Prophet Muhammad, performed Prayer from the first day Islam shows that Islam is not a religion that deals with the essentials of belief alone.

Prayer is important; it is a fundamental  act of worship because it represents the turning into action of belief in the Oneness of Allah and confession of servitude towards Him. Scientists who study human behavior note that a feeling and awareness that is not exhibited through behavior will weaken with time and then eventually fade. Thus we need to place Prayer in the center of our lives in order to demonstrate our loyalty to Allah and maintain consistency in our Prayer.

The proper placement of Prayer is only possible through the maintenance and uninterrupted regular performance of it. The Qur’an refers to believers as

“Those who are constant in their Prayer.” (Al-Ma`arij 70:23)

It is fundamental that we maintain an uninterrupted consistent performance of Prayer so that we may experience the benefits which our Creator desires for us and they adorn the lives of servants until they die.

“Men whom neither merchandise nor sale distracts from remembrance of Allah and performance of Prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs will be overturned.” (An-Nur 24:37)

Due to its performance, Prayer has been called the “column of Islam,” by the Messenger of Allah. Our Beloved Prophet has stated that Prayer is a form of worship that separates belief from associating partners with Allah and denial of Allah’s existence. He even drew attention to the fact that abandoning Prayer leads to distancing one’s self from belief and even likens one to the Pharaoh.

Prayer is very beloved to us as it gives us the opportunity to consciously remove ourselves from the daily occupations of life and give ourselves a break. In one particular hadith, it is stated that,

“If there were a river passing by the front of your house and you were to wash in this river five times a day, would there be any remnants of dirt and filth on you? This is precisely how Prayer is, it washes away sins.”(Muslim)

Prayer cleanses the human soul, making one’s heart pure, impeccable and clean. A person who prays five times a day will have washed their soul many times and purified their heart of any kind of evil.

At this point we may recall people who, despite their five daily Prayers, do not have pleasing manners or personalities. If Prayer elevates the manners of man so much, then we think, how is it that these individuals are not affected for the better?

I think this seeming contradiction bothers us because we don’t pose the question accurately. The proper question should be, “What would these people have done if they didn’t pray?” Because we know that maintaining worship, in the end, plays a role in the spiritual development of a person. Because most of the time we may not able to monitor each others’ spiritual development in terms of where it began, how far it has progressed and what sort of potential it possesses. But we are sure that every Prayer we perform increases our care and awareness towards the Almighty.

Cleanliness is a mandatory requirement of Prayers, which is the greatest form of worship of all. In Islam, cleanliness comes in two forms: the first is physical cleanliness and the other is spiritual cleanliness. Because physical cleanliness is mandatory our body and the area in which we’ll be performing worship must be cleansed of things that are considered impure, and all acts of worship that are performed without this cleansing are not acceptable.

In addition to the physical and true cleanliness in Islam, there is also a symbolic cleansing. Performing ablution before Prayer and the complete cleansing of the body (ghusl) following the state of being junub (unclean) are part of this symbolic cleansing.

A person without ablution may be physically clean, however, they are not considered physically clean. And for this reason they cannot face Allah in this state; they cannot pray. In order to be accepted in the divine presence, they must perform a symbolic cleansing. This is why ablution is not just a simple washing of the face and hands. It contains both a physical and spiritual cleansing. The requirement of those who are not able to find water to cleanse through tayammum (dry ablution) (An-Nisa’ 4:53) is proof that the purpose of this cleansing is not just physical, but also spiritual

Prayer is a fundamental pillar in the daily life of a believer. A day is programmed around Prayer. During five different times throughout the day, our day is spent in a state of awareness towards Allah as we declare his Almightiness in the Prayer saying,

“You (alone) we worship; You (alone) we ask for help.” (Al-Fatihah 1:4)

Man, who faces Allah the Almighty through the words “Allahu Akbar,” leaving all of his worldly concerns and material matters behind, is never as close to Allah as he is during Prayer. For this reason, the Prayer is a believer’s ascension to heavens. It is meaningful that the tahiyyat that is read at the end of Prayer is a memoir of Prophet Muhammad saluting his Creator and the inclusion of excited angels in this salutation.

Prayer is the intensified and systematized version of supplication.

Prayer is a form of worship which contains and gathers all other forms of worship such as declaring the Oneness of Allah, remembering and honoring Him, expressing gratitude to Him, praising Him, asking for help from Him, asking for forgiveness and repenting from sins, supplication, invoking Him, showing humility, reverence and remembrance of Him and contemplation of His creation.

Movements within Prayers, such as standing, bowing, and prostration, encompass the forms of worship employed by all of creation in addition to containing and symbolically convening all of the forms of worship that exist within Islam.

All creations, from the minutest to the largest, all remember Allah in a way that is conducive to their form of creation. When we think of this as a choir that sees participation from the smallest particle of matter to the largest galaxy and all of creation, we may feel as though we are taking part in this universal activity when we allow for our worldly actions to be set aside and face Allah in Prayer. It is at every instance when we catch this feeling that Prayer will cease to be a mandatory responsibility for us and become a source of joy.

The universality of Prayer can also be felt through the scheduling of Prayer times according to the worlds rotation around the sun, which in turn causes for every moment to become a time for the commencement of Prayer and there always being people prostrating to Allah at every second. And again, the fact that there is no need for a special venue or religious leader and that Prayer can be performed in every clean area on an individual basis also speaks to its universality.

Prayer is not just a form of worship that effects the internal phases of an individual. Contrarily, it is the most important determinant that shapes all of his relations, beginning with his immediate environment and his outlook on life.

Prayer takes on the role of a measure in determining the direction and form in relations with humans.

“Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who establish Prayer and give zakah, and they bow (in worship).”(Al-Ma’idah 5:55)

In its essence, Prayer comprises sincere tranquility in the presence of Allah (a complete respect and reverence), the remembrance of Allah on the tongue and utmost respect of the body towards Allah. Prayer that is performed without peace in the heart and honoring in the body, although appearing to be Prayer in shape and form, is not truly and completely Prayer.

The Qur’an refers to Prayer as “dhikr,” in other words, remembrance. The more a person remembers Allah during their Prayer, the more authentic their Prayer is. If a person is able to gain hold of the fact that they are in the presence of Allah even for one second in their prayer, then that is a great accomplishment for that person. It is most appropriate for this second to take place at the initial takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar) leading into Prayer. This moment can serve to ferment the whole of Prayer, spreading throughout it, transforming the remainder of Prayer to its own attributes. The reference to the spot of worship as the “mihrab” alludes to the fact that Prayer is a battle against the one’s self and the Satan. In this case, “giving the mihrab its due right,” means making the self triumphant.

Despite the fact that Prayer has been made mandatory during certain times (An-Nisa’ 4:103), the Qur’an has not clearly stated the number and rak`ahs (units) of Prayers explicitly, only touching on the times for Prayer briefly. As is the case with many other religious applications, the details of these have been left the instructions of the Messenger of Allah, which are based on the divine education he received.

The religion of Islam places a great deal of significance on the unity and convening of a religious community. To facilitate this, praying with a congregation and the places in which congregations convene, mosques, have special importance.

Muslims are encouraged to perform their five daily Prayers in congregation at mosques, while the Friday Prayer performed once a week at a mosque has been made mandatory, the two annual `Eid Prayers have been made supererogatory  and similarly the annual convening of Muslims in Mecca has been made mandatory.

The facing of the direction of Mecca, regardless of where you are on the planet, is an attestation to the universal unity of Islam. The selection of an imam to lead the Prayer, the following of the imam by the congregation, the precision of straight lines formed by the congregation, the performance of all physical activities and recitation within the Prayer in synchrony and unity carries both spiritual and physical significance. The rows of the Muslim, whether rich or poor; worker or administrator; young or old, that is based on whomsoever arrives first, side by side in order of arrival, mentally prepares Muslims right before Prayer for espousing the notion that they are equals in the sight of Allah.

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Taken with kind permission from: www.lastprophet.info. 

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New Muslims Prayer

The Prophet’s Prayer (1)

Payer is the most important act of worship in the believer’s life since it was the only act of worship that was ordained directly by Almighty Allah to His Prophet (peace be upon him) during the journey of Al-Mi`raj – when the Prophet ascended to heaven without any intermediary – unlike any other act of worship because of its significance. This series comes in response to massive requests to produce a program that explains exactly the importance of the Prayer and how the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray and how one can gain khushu` in his Prayer.

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New Muslims Prayer

The Prophet’s Prayer (2)

Prayer is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned after saying the Shahadah (the testimony of faith), by which one embraces Islam. In this Episode, Dr. Muhammad Salah explains in some detail the importance of the Prayer in Islam.

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New Muslims Prayer

Prayer in Islam

brunei-ramadan-mosque-water-reflection

God is accessible at anytime and in any place.

Nowadays the media reports a lot on the religion of Islam and the Muslims; but the majority of this ‘primetime’ is used to mar the image of Islam. Muslims are often depicted as being fanatical or extreme for simply following the basic tenants of Islam.

The media goes a step further in marring the image of Islam by confusing cultures with what Islam really is. Basic practices and pillars of Islam begin to take on strange connotations when the reality is they are acts of worship that denote piety and God consciousness.

Muslims testify with certainty that there is none worthy of worship except God alone. They believe that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His messenger. They fast, they give in charity, and they try to go to Mecca for pilgrimage. Muslims also pray five times per day.

Five times! When some hear this, they throw their hands up in shock and wonder just how much time this must take and how it can be slotted into a 24 hour period.

Others, who are used to communicating with God in their own form of prayer will often question the rules and regulations that are attached to Prayer in Islam. God, they say, is accessible at any time.

According to the Muslim belief, God is accessible at anytime and in any place. Muslims call on God frequently throughout the day and night. They raise their hands in supplication and ask for His help, mercy, and forgiveness.

This, however, is not the act that Muslims refer to as Prayer. This is called making du`a’ (supplications) wherein one calls unto God asking Him for His help. For Muslims Prayer is a set of ritual movements and words performed at fixed times, five times per day.

God says in Qur’an, “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specific times.” (An-Nisa’ 4:103) Muslims pray in the early morning before sunrise, in the middle of the day, in the afternoon, at sunset and at night. Muslims pray in obedience to God because they believe God created humankind for no other purpose except to worship Him. We read in the Qur’an: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

Consequently, for a believer, worship is a way of life. Prayer at fixed times serves as a reminder of why we are here and helps to direct a person’s thoughts and actions away from sin and onto remembrance of God.

Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of Prayer when he explained its ability to remove sin. He said, “What would you think if there was a river by the door of any one of you and he bathed in it five times a day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?” They said, “No trace of dirt would be left on him.” He said, “That is like the five daily prayers, with it God erases sin.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Prayer is just one act amongst many acts of worship; it holds a very special place in Islam because of the way it was enjoined. It was not brought down to earth by an Angel rather it was bestowed upon Prophet Muhammad during his unique ascension into the Heavens.

Fifty prayers were first enjoined upon the believers but this was reduced to five, while the reward for Prayer remains as if it were still fifty. This reduction shows just how great God’s love for humanity is, a few minutes throughout the day are rewarded as if they were continuous worship.

Muslims pray five times per day. If possible men should pray in a mosque or in a congregation of men. Women have the option of praying at home. The believers stand alone, or surrounded by others, they stand in their homes and workplaces, the parks and the mosques. They stand, bow, prostrate, and sit. Their voices are sometimes raised and sometimes silent, but the words remain the same.

When a Muslim prays he or she addresses God in the Arabic language and uses the same words and movements as every other Muslim across the globe. Muslims unite in the ritual and language of Prayer.

For Prayer, Muslims stand facing the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where the House of God, known as the Ka`bah is situated. If a person is ill or injured it is possible to pray sitting, or even lying down. The leader of the Prayer known as the imam, is not an intermediary between the people and God; rather, he is usually the person able to recite the most Qur’an. Women may also pray with a congregation of women. When Muslims pray together they stand shoulder to shoulder. Their proximity to each other demonstrates unity. No one person is better than another except by his or her piety.

Kings stand next to the poor, the white stand next to the black, Arabs stand beside Europeans. The believers then raise their hands to ear level and proclaim that God is the greatest. This indicates that the Prayer has begun and that all matters related to this world are left far behind. The connection is made and in the few minutes, it takes to pray each person stands before God in full submission. Interestingly the Arabic word for Prayer is Salah and it is derived from a root word that means to connect. Muslims then recite the opening chapter of the Qur’an, al-Fatihah, and sometimes another chapter from Quran. They then go through a set of ritual movements bowing and then prostrating, all the while proclaiming God’s greatness, glory and majesty.

In prostration, when the forehead touches the ground, the believer is closer to God than at any other time. There is now an opportunity to make supplication, asking God for help, mercy or forgiveness (this can be in any language).

Towards the end of the Prayer, Muslims sit to praise and ask God to bless Prophets Muhammad and Abraham (peace and blessings be upon them). The Prayer concludes with the words As-salamu `alaykum wa Rahmatullah (may God’s peace and blessings be upon you) spoken while turning the head towards the right and then the words are repeated while turning towards the left.

The Prayer has now ended and the world comes rushing back. However, for those few minutes the believer was alone with God. Whether he or she was praying alone or within a congregation, the connection was between God and the individual. It was a moment of bliss, peace, and tranquility. Prayer is a reminder and a comfort. Every hour of every day somewhere in the world, a Muslim is praying. The believer is seeking the comfort that comes from feeling close to God and the peace that comes from feeling God’s love and mercy.

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Taken with modification from: islamreligion.com.

 

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New Muslims Prayer

Prayers: A Special Connection with God

Prayers: A Special Connection with God

The important aspect of a believer’s faith is his or her relationship with God.

 

Islam signifies the subjection of all activities in all walks of life to the Law of God Almighty, and leaving nothing to the whims and fancies of anyone else. God has commanded the believers to declare:

Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life, and my death, are (all) for Allah (God), the Cherisher of the Worlds (Al-An`am 6:162)

This means that a Muslim is a person who has submitted his or her whole self and whole life to God, so that the first duty of a Muslim is to lead a life of obedience to God alone.

And the above quoted commandment also implies that it is wrong to consider our lives to consist of water-tight compartments, saying that “this is the part of my life within the bounds of religion where I am bound to obey God, and these are the secular areas of life where God’s laws are irrelevant.”

The twin sources of Islam — the Qur’an and the Sunnah — teach  that when God Almighty is accepted as the Creator, Sustainer, and Lawgiver, we cannot go after “other gods”.

Islam is a complete way of life that asks its followers to mold their entire lives in accordance with its principles laid down in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This in fact is not an unrealistic idea; it only means a change of perspective or approach.

Of course, such a change is bound to have its impact on our life, both internal and external; but for those who wish to lead a good life here, Islam is the way.

The important point to note here is that Islam does not impose on its adherents rituals for the sake of rituals, as they are likely to be performed mechanically without understanding their meaning in life.

God says in the Qur’an, which Muslims believe is His word, what means:

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and give zakah (regular charity); to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. (Al-Baqarah 2:177)

That is to say, if our rituals do not have any impact on our day-to-day life, they are of little value. Similarly, if we do our daily duties that are considered to be outside the generally recognized borders of religious ritual with sincerity and faith expecting reward from God, they too become acts of worship.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once told his Companions that they will be rewarded even for having sexual intercourse with their wives. The Companions were astonished. They asked: “How are we going to be rewarded for doing something we enjoy very much?”

The Prophet asked them: “Suppose you satisfy your desires illegally, don’t you think that you will be punished for that?”

They replied, “Yes”. “So” he said, “by satisfying it legally with your wives, you are rewarded for it.” (Muslim)

This all-inclusive approach to worship encourages people to purify and spiritualize their whole lives. But this is not to disparage ritualistic worship. In fact, rituals, if performed with a full understanding of their inner significance, equip the worshippers with a moral and spiritual power that help them to carry out their daily activities in the various spheres of life informed by the guidance of God.
Thus in Islam, the term “worship” (in Arabic, `ibadah) does not signify merely the “pillars of Islam” such as Prayer, fasting, charity or pilgrimage. It includes all the activities of a believer; in fact, it stands for everything a Muslim believes, says, or does. When believers perform all the activities of their lives seeking the pleasure of God, then all their deeds become worship. Naturally, this also includes the rituals they perform, such as prayer.

We can see that the worship of God as visualized in Islam — whether it is ritual or non-ritual — prevents evil thoughts and actions, thereby purifying life. Indeed, sincere Islamic worship trains the individual to lead a life of complete obedience and submission to God.

Prayers

Of all the forms of ritual worship in Islam, Prayer (in Arabic, salah) is unique. It is typical of Islam and is entirely different from the usual kind of Prayer familiar in other religions.
The prostration in Prayer symbolizes the worshipper’s total and unconditional submission to God Almighty. Of course, certain supplications are recited in Prayer, following the Prophetic teaching.
But the objective of Prayer is not this-worldly. Muslims can pray to God for the solution of the immediate problems they confront any time, in any language. But they are not authorized to change the language of the utterances in Prayer, nor can they change its form or content. Muslims have to strictly adhere to its form as taught to by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Muslims believe that God has made Prayer compulsory for all His prophets as well as their followers, as it is evident from the Qur’an. To Moses, God said what means,

Verily I am Allah: There is no god but Me: so worship Me only and establish regular prayer for My remembrance( Ta-Ha 20:14)

The important aspect of a believer’s faith is his or her relationship with God; and nowhere is this relationship exemplified as in Prayer. Prayer lifts a person spiritually towards his or her Creator and if it is done with devotion and sincerity, his or her heart will be filled with the love of God and the hope of Paradise.
Praying five times a day helps Muslims to constantly remember God and seek His forgiveness and pleasure. Besides, it offers an occasion for repentance, so that they earnestly ask Allah for forgiveness of the sins they committed. Prophet Muhammad said: “Imagine a stream outside a person’s door and imagine that he bathes in it five times a day; do you think he would have any dirt on him?” The people said, “Not at all.” The Prophet then said, “The five daily prayers are like that: Allah wipes away the sins by them.” (Al-Bukhari)
The most important aspect of a person’s relationship with God, is his or her strong faith and sincerity. This relationship with God is clearly borne out and strengthened by Prayer. If the Prayer is performed with true devotion to God and with a sincere heart, it will have a lasting effect on the person.
God says in the Qur’an what means:

Establish regular prayer: for prayer restrains from shameful and evil deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that you dd. (Al-`Ankabut 29:45)

Certainly a person’s God-consciousness awakened by Prayer strengthens him or her against temptations arising from the weakness of the flesh.
Again God says in the Qur’an what means:

Truly man was created very impatient; fretful, when evil touches him; and niggardly, when good reaches him; not so those devoted to Prayer and those who remain steadfast to their prayer(Al-Ma`arij 70:19-23)

Thus, it is the Prayer that enables believers to keep in constant touch with their Creator and to keep steady in the face of the temptations and the pressures life.

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Taken with slight modifications from Onislam.net.

 

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New Muslims Prayer

Doubt Concerning Ablution

If someone is in the middle of a prayer, and he has doubt in his ablution, what should he do?

Watch this episode of Ask Huda by Dr. Muhammad Salah to know the answer.

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New Muslims Prayer

Delaying the Fajr Prayer

 

What is the deadline for Fajr prayer? To know the answer, watch this short video by Dr. Muhammad Salah produced by Huda TV.

 

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Source: Huda TV.

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New Muslims Prayer

Prerequisites for Prayer

Each prayer has its own particular time at which it must be performed.

Each prayer has its own particular time at which it must be performed.

Some prerequisites exist regarding the offering of Prayers. These prerequisites must be fulfilled before the commencement of the Prayer, otherwise the Prayer will not be considered valid. The following are the prerequisites:

1. Knowledge that the Time for the Prayer Has Begun

Each prayer has its own particular time at which it must be performed. Allah says:

…Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times. (An-Nisaa’ 4:103)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has clarified when the time of each prayer starts and when it ends. So anybody who prays a given prayer before its fixed time, his prayer is invalid.

2. Purity from Major and Minor Impurities

A minor impurity is one that may be removed by the performance of wudu’ (ablution). A state of minor impurity results after defecation or urination. A major impurity requires the performance of ghusl or ritual bathing. A state of major impurity results after sexual intercourse or sexual discharge for both men and women. Menstruation and postpartum bleeding are considered forms of major impurities. In those cases, after such conditions come to an end, women are required to make ghusl before praying.

Allah Almighty says:

O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of Janaabah (major impurity), then purify yourselves… (Al-Ma’idah 5:6)

The Prophet said: “Allah does not accept any prayer that was not performed while in a state of purity, nor does He accept charity from what has been stolen from booty.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

3. Purity of the Body, Clothes and Place

Such objects should be clean of physical impurities as much as possible. If one cannot remove them, he may pray with the impurities present and does not have to repeat the prayer later. Concerning bodily purity, it was related that the Prophet said: “Stay clean of urine, as the majority of punishment in the grave is due to it.” (Ad-Daraqutni)

`Ali (may God be pleased with him) reported: “I used to have a great deal of prostatic fluid flowing, so I asked a man to ask the Prophet about it. He asked him and the Prophet said: ‘Make ablution and wash your genital organ.’” (Al-Bukhari)

Concerning purity of clothing, God says: “And your clothing purify.” (Al-Muddaththir 74:4)

Jabir Ibn Samurah reported that he heard a man asking the Prophet: “May I pray in the same clothes that I had on during intercourse with my wife?” He said: “Yes, but if you see some stains on it, you must wash it.” (Ahmad and Ibn Majah)

Concerning the purity of the place where one is praying, Abu Hurairah said: “A Bedouin stood and urinated in the mosque. The people got up to grab him. The Prophet said: ‘Leave him and pour a container full of water over his urine. You have been raised to be easy on the people, not to be hard on them.’” (Al-Bukhari)

4. Covering the `Awrah

Allah says:

O children of Aadam, take your adornment at every masjid (mosque)… (Al-A`raf 7:31)

The meaning of “adornment” here is the covering of the `awrah (parts of the body that must be covered). The meaning of “mosque” is ‘prayer’. Therefore, it means ‘Cover your `awrah for every prayer.” Salamah ibn Al-Akwa` said to the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah, may I pray in a long shirt?” He said: “Yes, but button it, even with just a thorn.” (Al-Bukhari)

5. Facing the Qiblah

All scholars agree that one must face the qiblah (direction of the Ka`bah) during every prayer. Allah says:

…Turn your face toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram. And wherever you (believers) are, turn your faces toward it (in prayer)… (Al-Baqarah 2:144)

If one cannot determine the direction of the qiblah, he should ask one who knows. If he finds no one to ask, he should try his best to determine it. In such a case, his prayer will be valid, and he needs not repeat it even though he discovers later on that he had faced in the wrong direction. If it is made clear to him while he is praying that he is facing the wrong direction, he needs only turn in the proper direction without stopping his prayer.

There are two cases in which one doesn’t have to face the Ka’bah.

The first one is performing voluntary prayers while riding (an animal, car and so on). The rider may bend his head slightly for the bowings, but he should bend a little bit lower for the prostrations. He may face in whatever direction his ride is going.

He did not, however, do this for the obligatory prayers. Ahmad and Muslim recorded that he would pray on his mount while traveling from Makkah to Madinah, facing away from Makkah. Upon this, Allah revealed: “…Wherever you (might) turn, there is the Face of Allah…” (Al-Baqarah 2:115)

Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said: “They would pray on their mounts and animals in the direction in which they were facing”. Ibn Hazm commented: “This has been related from the companions and those of the following generation, during travel and residence”.

The second case is praying while having to deal with forced conditions, illness and fear. Under such circumstances, it is allowed to pray without facing the Qiblah. The Prophet said: “If I order you to do something, do what you are capable of doing.”

Allah says:

And if you fear [an enemy, then pray] on foot or riding… (Al-Baqarah 2:239)

Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Facing the Qiblah or not facing it.” (Al-Bukhari)

On these two cases in which one doesn’t have to face the Ka’bah, `Amr Ibn Rabi`ah  reported: “I saw the Messenger of Allah  praying while riding and he  faced the direction in which he was going.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

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Source: islamweb.net

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New Muslims Prayer

Is Tarawih Mandatory on Women?

What is the ruling of Tarawih prayer? Is it permissible for women to offer it at the masjid? Click here to find the answers to these questions and more…

Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an, fasting, and qiyam (prayer at night). Ramadan comes with mercy, forgiveness of sins, patience, spiritual nourishment and hygiene. Fasting in Ramadan is a way to perfect our behavior, sharpen our sense of responsibility and unite our nation.

In his response to a question about performing Tarawih (night prayer in Ramadan) for women, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

According to the consensus of Muslim scholars, Tarawih is not considered mandatory on either men or women. It is only considered a recommended act. There is no evidence that it is an obligatory act of worship. As far as I know, no jurist or imam of Fiqh has expressed such an opinion.

Moreover, Tarawih can be performed individually at home or at the mosque. If for some reason you cannot go to the mosque, you can offer it at home.

It is reported that the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and other companions would pray Tarawih at home. Some of them even would open the mushaf (copy of the Qur’an) and read from it while performing Tarawih.

Based on the above, if you are not able to go to the mosque, you would not be deprived of the reward or blessings if you perform Tarawih at home.

The prominent Muslim scholar Dr. Muhammad Abu Laylah, professor of the Islamic Studies & Comparative Religions at Al-Azhar Univ., adds:

Tarawih prayer is recommended and performing it in a Mosque is desirable.

Nevertheless, all Muslims, whether women or men or even children, should attend it at the Masjid because this displays the unity of Muslims and cements their relationships.

Finally, remember that we should honor the month of Ramadan to the utmost of our ability because in this month the Qur’an, which is our light, guide, and legal and spiritual force, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

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Source: onislam.net.

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