If one is certain or fairly certain that the time has begun, he may pray. How he
reached his decision is not important.
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "O you who believe, when you rise for the prayer, wash
your faces, your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your hands and (wash) your
feet up to the ankles. If you are unclean, purify yourselves." Ibn 'Umar reported
that 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." (Related by "the group.")
Such objects should be clean of physical impurities as much as possible. If one
can not remove them, he may pray with the impurities present and does not have to
repeat the prayer later. Concerning bodily purity, Anas related that the Prophet
upon whom be peace, said, "Stay clean of urine, as the majority of punishment in
the grave is due to it." This is related by ad-Daraqutni, who said it is hassan.
Reported 'Ali, I used to have a great deal of prostatic fluid flowing, so I asked
a man to ask the Prophet about it (as I was shy to ask him, due to my relationship
with him through his daughter). He asked him and the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "Make ablution and wash your penis." (Related by al-Bukhari and others.)
'Aishah also related that the Messenger of Allah said to women with a prolonged
flow of blood, "Wash the blood from yourself and pray . "
Concerning purity of clothing, we have the following: Says Allah, "And purify your
raiment" (al-Muddathir 4). Jabir ibn Sumrah reported that he heard a man ask 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." This
hadith is related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah. Its narrators are trustworthy. Reported
Mu'awiyyah, "I asked Umm Habibah, 'Did the Prophet pray in the same clothes that
he wore when he had intercourse?' She said, 'Yes, if there were no stains on it."'(Related
by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.) Abu Sa'eed reported that the Prophet
removed his shoes and the people behind him did likewise. When he finished the prayer,
he asked, "Why did you remove your shoes?" They said, "We saw you remove yours."
He said, "Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was some filth on them.
Therefore, when one of you comes to the mosque, he should turn his shoes over and
examine them. If one finds any dirt on them, he should rub them against the ground
and pray with them on." The hadith is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Hakim, Ibn
Hibban and Ibn Khuzaimah. The latter grades it as sahih.
This hadith shows that if one enters the mosque (with his shoes on) and is unaware
of some impurity or has forgotten it, and he suddenly remembers it during the prayer,
he must try to remove it and proceed with the prayer. He does not have to repeat
it later on.
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." (Related by "the group," except
for Muslim.)
Commenting on this subject, ash-Shaukani says, "If what has been produced of proof
is firmly established, then one would know that it is obligatory to have one's clothes
free of impurities. Whoever prays and has impurities on his clothing has left one
of the obligations of the prayer. But his prayer would not be voided." In ar-Rauzhat
an-Nabiyyah it states, "The majority of scholars are of the opinion that it is obligatory
to purify three things: the body, the clothes, and the place of prayer. Some are
of the opinion that this is a condition for the soundness of the prayer, and others
say that it is just a sunnah. The truth of the matter is that it is obligatory.
Whoever intentionally prays with impurities on his clothing has left one of the
obligations (of the prayer), but the prayer is still valid."
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "O Children of Adam, take your adornment (by wearing proper
clothing) for every mosque" ( al-A'raf 31). The meaning of "adornment" here is the
covering of the 'aurah. The meaning of "mosque" is "prayer." Therefore, it means
"Cover your 'aurah for every prayer." Salamah ibn al-Aku' 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." (Related by al-Bukhari in his Tareekh.)
There is disagreement about the navel, thighs and knees. The reports seem to contradict
each other. The following hadith are used to prove that such parts are not part
of the man's 'aurah:
Says 'Aishah, "The Prophet was sitting with his thigh exposed when Abu Bakr asked,
and received, permission to enter. The same thing happened with 'Umar. However,
when 'Uthman sought permission to enter, the Prophet covered himself with his clothes.
When they left, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you permitted Abu Bakr and 'Umar
to enter while your thigh was exposed. When 'Uthman asked permission to enter, you
covered yourself with your clothes.' He said, 'O 'Aishah, should I not be shy of
a man who, by Allah, even the angels are shy of'?" (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari
in mu'allaq form.)
Says Anas, "During the battle of Khaibar, the Prophet's gown was withdrawn from
his thigh until I could see its whiteness." (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari.)
Says Ibn Hazm, "It is correct to say that the thigh is not part of the 'aurah. If
it were so, why would Allah allow His Prophet, who is protected (from sin), to uncover
his so that Anas and others could see it? Allah would have kept him from doing this.
According to Jabir as recorded in the two Sahihs, when the Prophet was young (before
his prophethood), he was one time carrying the stones of the Ka'bah, wearing only
a loincloth. His uncle al-'Abbas said to him, 'O nephew, why don't you untie your
waistcloth and put it on your shoulder for padding?' The Prophet did so and fell
unconscious. He was never seen naked again after that."'
Muslim records from Abu al-'Aliya that 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit struck his thigh and
said, "I asked Abu Zharr, and he struck my thigh as I struck yours, and he said,
'I asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, and he struck my thigh as I
have struck yours and said, 'Perform the prayer in its time..." Ibn Hazm said, "If
the thigh was 'aurah, why would the Messenger of Allah touch it?" If the thigh was
'aurah according to Abu Zharr, why would he have struck it with his hand? The same
can be asked for 'Abdullah ibn as-Samit and Abu al-'Aliya. It is not allowed for
a Muslim to strike with his hand another man's pubic area, or the clothes over the
pubic area. Nor can a man touch the clothing over a woman's 'a urah .
Ibn Hazm mentions that Hubair ibn al-Huwairith looked at Abu Bakr's thigh when it
was uncovered, and that Anas ibn Malik came to Qas ibn Shamas when his thigh was
uncovered.
However, the following hadith are used to show that the thighs and so on are part
of the 'aurah:
Reported Muhammad Jahsh, "The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, passed by
Ma'mar while his thighs were uncovered. He said, to him, 'O Ma'mar, cover your thighs,
for they are (part of the) 'aurah." This is related by Ahmad, al-Hakim and al-Bukhari
in Tareekh and in mu'allaq form in his Sahih.
Reported Jurhad, "The Messenger of Allah passed by me when the cloak I was wearing
did not cover my thigh. He said, 'Cover your thigh, for it (is part of the) 'aurah."
This is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan, and by
al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form in the Sahih.
There is no such dispute over what constitutes a woman's 'aurah. It is stated that
her entire body is 'aurah and must be covered, except her hands and face. Says Allah
in the Qur'an, "And to display of their adornment only that which is apparent (do
not expose any adornment or beauty save the hands and face)." It has been authentically
related from Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar and 'Aishah that the Prophet said, "Allah does
not accept the prayer of an adult woman unless she is wearing a headcovering (khimar,
hijab)." This is related by "the five," except for an-Nasa'i, and by Ibn Khuzaimah
and al-Hakim. At-Tirmizhi grades it as hassan.
It is related from Umm Salamah that she asked the Prophet, "Can a woman pray in
a long shirt (like a night shirt) and headcovering without a loincloth?" He said,
"If the shirt is long and flowing and covers the top of her feet." This is related
by Abu Dawud. The scholars say it is sahih in mauqoof form (as a statement of Umm
Salamah and not that of the Prophet.)
It is also related that 'Aishah was asked, "In how many garments is a woman to pray?"
She answered, "Ask 'Ali ibn Abu Talib and then return to me and tell me what he
said." 'Ali's answer was, "In a headcover and a long flowing shirt." This was told
to 'Aishah and she said, "He has told the truth."
The clothes worn must cover the 'aurah, even if they are tight enough to highlight
those features. If the clothes are so thin that one's skin color can be seen, they
are not suitable for prayer.
It is preferred for a person to wear at leat two garments, but he can wear just
one if that is all he has. Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "If one of you is going to pray, he should wear two garments, for Allah has
the most right that you should look good for Him. If one does not have two garments,
he shoud cover himself with a cloak when he prays, but not like the Jews do." (Related
by at-Tabarani and al-Baihaqi.)
'Abdurazaq related that Ubayy ibn Ka'b and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud had an argument.
Ubayy thought it was permissible to pray in one garment, while Ibn Mas'ud said that
that was allowed only if one had no other clothes. 'Umar mounted the pulpit and
said, "The correct position is: If Allah gives you more provisions, you should wear
more clothes. A man can gather his clothes about him, or pray in a waist cloth and
a cloak, or in a waist cloth and a shirt, or in a waist cloth and a caftan, or in
trousers and a cloak, or in trousers and a shirt, or in trousers and a caftan, or
in leather trousers and a caftan, or in leather trousers and a shirt.' And I (a
narrator) think he said, 'Leather trousers and a cloak."
Buraida reported that the Prophet forbade one to pray using an improperly-affixed
sheet to cover his 'aurah, and to pray in trousers while not wearing a cloak. (Related
by Abu Dawud and al-Baihaqi.) It is related that when al-Hassan ibn 'Ali prayed,
he would wear his best clothes. He was asked about that and he said, "Verily, Allah
is beautiful and He loves beauty, so I beautify myself for my Lord." Such a view
is in accord with Allah's words, "And wear your adornment for every prayer."
Ibn 'Asakir related that the Prophet would sometimes remove his cap and place it
in front of him as a sutrah. According to the Hanifiyyah, one can pray with his
head uncovered. In fact, they prefer this if it is done out of a sense of humility
and awe.'� There is no evidence whatsoever that it is preferred to cover one's
head while praying.
All scholars agree that one must face the Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah) during every
prayer. Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Direct your face to the Masjid al-Haram. Wherever
you may be, turn your faces to it" ( al-Baqarah 144).
Reported al-Barra', "We prayed with the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace,
for about sixteen or seventeen months towards Jerusalem, after which time he turned
towards the Ka 'bah." (Related by Muslim.)
If he can not see it, he must turn in its direction, as this is all that he is able
to do. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "The qiblah is between the East
and the West." This is related by Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi. The latter considers
it hassan sahih. This hadith refers to the people of Madinah and whoever has a position
similar to them (i.e., the people of Syria, the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. For
the people of Egypt, the qiblah is between the East and the South.)
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 need 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 need only turn in the proper direction without stopping his prayer. This is based
on the following incident: Ibn 'Umar reported that the people were praying the morning
prayer in the Quba' mosque when a person came to them and said, "Allah has revealed
some of the Qur'an to the Prophet in which we have been ordered to face the Ka'bah,
so face it." They immedately turned their faces from Syria to the Ka'bah." (Related
by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
If one prays according to what he determined and then wants to make another prayer,
he should again try to determine the qiblah's direction. If it turns out to be different
from what he had determined earlier, he should pray in the new direction without
repeating his earlier prayer.
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 and prostrations of the
prayer, but he should bend a little bit lower for the prostrations. He may face
in whatever direction his ride is going.
Reported 'Amr ibn Rabi'ah, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, pray
while riding, and he faced the direction in which he was going." This hadith is
related by Muslim, at-Tirmizhi and al-Bukhari. The latter added that "he bent his
head slighty."
He did not, however, do this for the obligatory prayers. Ahmad, Muslim and at-Tirmizhi
recorded that he would pray on his mount while travelling from Makkah to Madinah,
facing away from Makkah. Upon this, Allah revealed, "Wherever you turn, you will
find Allah's face." Says Ibrahim an-Nakha'i, "They would pray on their mounts and
animals in the direction in which they were facing." Ibn Hazm comments, "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, upon whom be peace, said, "If I order you to do something, do what
you are capable of doing." Says Allah, "If you go in fear, then (pray) standing
or on your mounts..." (al-Baqarah 239). Ibn 'Umar added, "Facing the qiblah or not
facing it." (Related by al-Bukhari.)
There are many prophetic hadith on this topic. Here, we will mention just two of
them, one describing his actions and other quoting his statements.
'Abdullah ibn Ghanam related that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari gathered together his people
saying, " O Tribe of Ash'ari, gather together, and gather your women and children
to teach them how the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, prayed with us in
Madinah." They all gathered to watch him perform ablution. After it, he waited until
the sun had just passed the meridian and there was some shade, and then he made
the azhan. He put the men in the row closest to him, the children in a row behind
the men, and the women in a row behind the children. After the iqamah, he raised
his hands and made the takbir, silently recited Surah al-Fatihah and another surah,
repeated the takbir and bowed while saying, "Glory be to Allah and Praise be to
Him" three times, after which he said, "Allah hears him who praises Him" and stood
straight. He then made the takbir and prostrated, made another takbir, raised his
head (and sat), repeated the takbir and prostrated again, after which he said the
final takbir and stood up. In the first rak'ah he made six takbir, and he made another
one when he stood for the second rak'ah. When he finished the prayer, he turned
to his people and said, "Guard the number of my takbir and learn my bowings and
prostrations, for this is how the Prophet prayed with us during this part of the
day." (Then he said) when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, finished the prayer,
he turned toward the people and said, "O people, listen and understand. Allah has
slaves who are neither prophets nor martyrs, but both the prophets and martyrs envy
them for their closeness to Allah." A bedouin stepped forward, pointed to the Messenger
of Allah and said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about these people." The Prophet
was pleased with the bedouin's request and said, "They are from various peoples
and tribes who have no ties of relationship between them. They love each other purely
for the sake of Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will present them pulpits
of light for them to sit on. Their faces will be light and their clothes will be
light. The people will be scared on the Day of Resurrection, but they will not be
scared. They are the friends of Allah who will not have any fear upon them nor will
they grieve.
As to the authenticity of this report, it is related by Ahmad and Abu Ya'la with
a hassan chain. Al-Hakim says its chain is sahih.
Reported Abu Hurairah, "A man entered the mosque and, after praying, went to the
Prophet, upon whom be peace. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, responded to his salutations
and said, 'Return and pray, for you have not prayed.' This happened three times,
and the man finally said, 'By the One who sent you with the Truth, I do not know
any better than that, so teach me.' He said, 'When you stand for the prayer, make
the takbir and then recite what you can from the Qur'an. Then bow until you attain
calmness and then come up again until you are standing straight. Then prostrate
until you attain calmness in your sitting, and prostate until you attain calmness
in your prostration. Do that during all of your prayer." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim
and al-Bukhari.)
These are general hadith that describe how the Prophet, upon whom be peace, prayed
or what he said about its performance. Now we shall discuss those acts of the prayer
which are obligatory and those which are sunnah.
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