Description of the Prophet’s Prayer sal Allahu alaihi wasallam

Alhumdulillah

From IslamQA,

1 – Facing the direction of the Ka’bah

1- When you stand up to pray, face the direction of the Ka’bah wherever you are, in both fard (obligatory) and naafil (supererogatory) prayers. This is one of the pillars of prayer, without which prayer is not valid.

2- The obligation of facing the direction of prayer does not apply to one who is engaged in warfare, when he prays the fear prayer (salaat al-khawf) or is engaged in heavy fighting. It also does not apply to those who are unable to do it, such as one who is sick, or one who is traveling on a ship, in a car or on a plane, if they fear that the time of the prayer will elapse (before they reach a place where they can find the correct direction). And it does not apply to one who is praying a naafil prayer or witr prayer whilst riding on a riding-animal etc., but it is mustahabb for him to face the qiblah if he is able to do so when pronouncing the takbeer of ihraam (at the beginning of the prayer), then he may face whatever direction he is facing.

3- Everyone who can see the Ka’bah must face it; those who cannot see it must face its direction.

Ruling on not facing the Ka’bah in prayer by mistake:

4- If a person prays not facing the qiblah, because of clouds [preventing him from working out the direction from the position of the sun] or some other reason, after he did his best to work out the right direction, his prayer is valid and he does not have to repeat it.

5- If someone whom he trusts comes – whilst he is praying – and tells him of the right direction, then he must hasten to turn that way, and his prayer is valid.

2 – Qiyaam (standing in prayer)

6- It is obligatory to pray standing. This is a pillar (essential part of prayer), except for the one who is praying the fear prayer or at times of intense fighting, when it is permitted to pray whilst riding; for the one who is sick and unable to stand, who should pray sitting if he is able, otherwise lying on his side; and the one who is praying a naafil prayer, who may pray whilst riding or sitting if he wishes, and he indicates the rukoo’ and sujood with his head. The one who is sick may also do this, and he should make his sujood lower than his rukoo’.

7- It is not permissible for one who is praying sitting down to put something raised up on the ground in order to prostrate on it. Rather he should make his sujood lower than his rukoo’ – as we have mentioned – if he is unable to touch the ground directly with his forehead.

Prayer on board a ship or airplane

8- It is permissible to pray fard prayers on board a ship or airplane.

9- It is permissible to pray them sitting down if one fears that one may fall.

10- It is permissible to lean on a pillar or stick when standing, if one is old or weak in body.

Combining standing and sitting in prayer

11- It is permissible to pray qiyaam al-layl standing or sitting with no excuse, or to do both. So a person may pray and reciting sitting down, and just before doing rukoo’ he may stand up and recite the rest of the aayahs standing up, then do rukoo’ and sujood, then he can do likewise in the second rak’ah.

12- If he prays sitting down, he should pray sitting cross-legged or in whatever position he finds comfortable.

Praying wearing shoes

13- It is permissible to pray barefoot, or to pray wearing shoes.

14- It is better to pray sometimes barefoot and sometimes wearing shoes, according to what is easy; one should not make it difficult to put shoes on or to take them off in order to pray If a person is barefoot, he should pray barefoot and if he is wearing shoes then he should pray wearing shoes, except when there is a reason not to do so.

15- If he takes them off, then he should not place them to his right; rather he should place them to his left, if there is no one on his left, otherwise he should put them between his feet. There is a subtle hint that he should not place them in front of himself. This is the etiquette which most worshippers ignore, so you see them praying facing their shoes! This is what was narrated in the saheeh reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Praying on the minbar

16- It is permissible for the imaam to pray on an elevated place such as the minbar, in order to teach the people. So he should stand up on it to pray, then say takbeer, recite Qur’aan and do rukoo’ whilst he is on that place, then he should come down backwards so that he can prostrate on the ground at the base of the minbar, then he may go back to it and do the same in the second rak’ah as he did in the first.

It is obligatory to pray facing a sutrah and be close to it

17- It is obligatory to pray facing a sutrah (screen or cover), there is no difference whether that is in the mosque or elsewhere, whether the mosque is big or small, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Do not pray except facing a sutrah, and do not let anyone pass in front of you, and if he insists then fight him, for he has a companion (qareen) with him” – meaning the Shaytaan.

18- It is obligatory to be close to the sutrah, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded.

19- Between the place where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prostrated and the wall there would be a space nearly big enough for a sheep to pass through. Whoever does that is close enough [to the sutrah] as is required. I say: from this we known that what people do in all the mosques that I have seen in Syria and elsewhere, by praying in the middle of the mosque far away from the wall or pillars is but negligence towards the command and action of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

How high should the sutrah be?

20- The sutrah should be approximately a handspan or two above the ground, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When one of you places in front of him something such as the stick on the end of a saddle, he should pray and not worry about anyone who passes in front of that.” This hadeeth indicates that a line on the ground is not sufficient, and the hadeeth narrated concerning that is da’eef (weak).

21- He should face the sutrah directly, because this is apparent meaning of the command to pray towards the sutrah. Stepping slightly to the right or left so that one is not facing it directly, is not correct.

22- It is permissible to pray facing a stick planted in the ground and the like, or a tree, or a pillar, or one’s wife lying down in bed underneath her blanket, or an animal, even if it is a camel.

Prohibition of praying towards graves

23- It is not permitted to pray facing graves at all, whether they are the grave of Prophets or of others.

Prohibition of walking in front of one who is praying even in al-Masjid al-Haraam

24- It is not permitted to walk in front of one who is praying if there is a sutrah in front of him [i.e., it is not permissible to come between him and his sutrah]. There is no difference in this regard between al-Masjid al-Haraam and other mosques, all of them are the same in that this [walking in front of one who is praying] is not permitted, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “If the person who passes in front of one who is praying knew how great a burden of sin resulted from that, standing for forty [years] would be better for him than passing in front of one who is praying.” This refers to passing between him and the place of his prostration. The hadeeth which speaks of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) praying in Haashiyat al-Mataaf without a sutrah and with people passing in front of him is not saheeh, even though it does not say that they were passing between him and his place of prostration. It is obligatory for the one who is prostrating to prevent the one who wants to pass in front of him, even in Masjid al-Haraam.

25- It is not permissible for the one who is praying towards a sutrah to let anyone pass in front of him, because of the hadeeth quoted above, “Do not let anyone pass in front of you…” And because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When one of you is praying towards something which is a sutrah between him and the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, then he should push him in the upper chest and repel him as much as he can.” According to another report: “… he should stop him twice, but if he insists then he should fight him, for he is a devil.”

Stepping forward to prevent someone passing in front of him

26- It is permissible for a person to take one or two steps to the front, in order to prevent one who is not responsible from passing in front of him, such as an animal or a small child, and to make them pass behind him.

What breaks prayer

27- The sutrah is so important to prayer that it prevents a person’s prayer from being invalidated, if someone passes in front of him. This is in contrast to the one who does not use a sutrah, whose prayer is broken if an adult woman, a donkey or a black dog passes in front of him.

3 – Niyyah (intention)

28- The worshipper must have the intention of praying the prayer for which he is standing. He must have the intention in his heart of performing a specific prayer, such as the fard (obligatory prayer) of Zuhr or of ‘Asr, or the Sunnah of those prayers. This is a condition or pillar (essential part) of the prayer, but uttering the intention verbally is a bid’ah which goes against the Sunnah, which was not suggested by any of the imams who are followed.

4 – Takbeer

29- Then he should start the prayer by saying “Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great).” This is an essential part of the prayer, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The key to prayer is purifying oneself (wudoo’), it is entered by takbeer (saying ‘Allaahu akbar’) and exited by tasleem (saying ‘al-salaamu ‘alaykum’)” i.e, once you say takbeer, certain things are prohibited and this prohibition ends when you say tasleem.

30- He should not raise his voice when saying takbeer in all the prayers, unless he is acting as an imaam.

31- It is permissible for the muezzin to convey the takbeer of the imaam to the people, if there is a need to do so, such as if the imaam is sick and his voice is weak, or because there are many worshippers praying behind him.

32- The one who is following the imaam should not say takbeer until the imaam has finished saying takbeer.

Raising the hands – how it is to be done

33- He should raise his hands when saying the takbeer, or before or after doing so. All of these are proven in the Sunnah.

34- He should raise them with the fingers stretched out.

35- He should raise them level with his shoulders, or sometimes until they are level with his earlobes. I say: with regard to touching the earlobes with the thumbs, there is no basis for this in the Sunnah, rather in my view this has to do with waswaas (insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan).

Placing the hands – how it is to be done

36- Then he should place his right hand on his left, immediately after the takbeer. This is the way of the Prophets (peace be upon them), and this is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined upon his companions. It is not permissible to let the arms hang at the sides.

37- The right hand should be placed on the back of the left hand, wrist and forearm.

38- Sometimes the left hand may be grasped with the right. The combination of placing and grasping, which was favoured by some later scholars, has no basis.

Where they should be placed

39- The hands should be placed on the chest only; there is no difference between men and women in this regard. I say: placing them anywhere other than on the chest is da’eef (weak) or has no basis.

40- It is not permissible to put the right hand on the waist.

Humility and looking at the place of prostration

41- The worshipper must be humble in his prayer, and should avoid everything that may distract him from it, such as adornments and decorations. He should not pray where there is food that he wants to eat, or when he needs to urinate or defecate.

42- Whilst he is standing, he should look towards the place where he will prostrate.

43- He should not look to the right or the left, because looking here and there is a snatching away which the Shaytaan steals from the prayer of the slave.

44- It is not permissible for him to look up at the sky.

Du’aa’ al-Istiftaah (du’aa’ at the start of prayer)

45- Then he should start the prayer with some of the du’aa’s which are narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). There are many of these, the most famous of which is “Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaaraka ismuka wa ta’aala jadduka, wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (Glory and praise be to You O Allaah, blessed be Your name and exalted be Your Majesty, and there is no god but You).” The command to do this is proven so we should adhere to it. Whoever wants to see the other du’aa’s may refer to Sifat al-Salaah, p. 91-95, Maktabat al-Ma’aarif, Riyadh, edition. [In English, see “The Prophet’s Prayer described” by Shaykh al-Albaani, al-Haneef Publications, p. 14-19]

Recitation of Qur’aan

46- Then he should seek refuge with Allaah – this is obligatory, and he is sinning if he omits to do so.

47- The Sunnah is sometimes to say “A’oodhu Billaahi min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem, min hamzihi wa nafkhihi wa nafathihi (I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Satan, from his madness, his arrogance and his poetry),” – poetry here refers to blameworthy kinds of poetry.

48- And sometimes he may say, “A’oodhu Billaah il-Samee’ il-A’leem min al-Shaytaan… (I seek refuge with Allaah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the Shaytaan…).”

49- Then he should say silently – whether the prayer is to be recited aloud or silently – “Bismillah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem (In the Name of Allaah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful).”

Reciting al-Faatihah

50- Then he should recite Soorat al-Faatihah (the first soorah of the Qur’aan) in full, including the Basmalah (Bismillaahi il-Rahmaan il-Raheem). This is an essential part of the prayer, without which the prayer is not valid. Those who do not speak Arabic must memorize this soorah.

51- Those who cannot remember it should say: “Subhaan Allaah, wa’l-hamdu-Lillaah, wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah, Allaah is Most Great, and there is no strength and no power except with Allaah).”

52- The Sunnah is to recite it one verse at a time, and to pause at the beginning of each aayah. So he should say: “Bismillaah il-Rahmaan il-Raheem (In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful),” then pause. Then say, “Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen (All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists), then pause. Then say: ‘al-Rahmaan il-Raheem (The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), then pause… and so on, until the end of the aayah.

This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite the whole soorah, pausing at the end of each aayah and not joining one aayah to the next, even if there is continuity of the meaning.

53- It is permissible to read it as Maaliki Yawm id-Deen or Maliki Yawm id-Deen.

How the one who is praying behind the imaam should recite it

54- The one who is praying behind the imam should recite it behind the imaam in prayers where Qur’aan in recited silently and in prayers where it is recited aloud, if he cannot hear the imam’s recitation, or if he pauses after completing it so that those who are praying behind him can recite it. We think that this pause was not proven in the Sunnah. I say I have mentioned the evidence of those who think that this pause is permissible and the refutation of that evidence, in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah, no. 546, 547, part 2, p. 24-26, Dar al-Ma’aarif edition.

Recitation after al-Faatihah

55- It is Sunnah to recite – after al-Faatihah – another soorah, even in Salaat al-Janaazah (funeral prayer), or some aayahs, in the first two rak’ahs.

56- The recitation may be made lengthy sometimes, and shorter sometimes, for reasons of travel, coughing, sickness or the crying of an infant.

57- The recitation varies according to the prayers. The recitation in Fajr prayer is longer than it is in all the other prayers. Next longest is Zuhr, then ‘Asr, then ‘Isha’, then Maghrib, usually.

58- The recitation in the night prayers (qiyaam al-layl) is longer than all of these.

59- The Sunnah is to make the recitation longer in the first rak’ah than in the second.

60- He should make the recitation in the last two shorter than in the first two rak’ahs, half the length. If you want more details on this topic, see Sifat al-Salaah p. 102 (Arabic original).

Reciting al-Faatihah in every rak’ah

61- It is obligatory to recite al-Faatihah in every rak’ah.

62- It is Sunnah to add to it in the last two rak’ahs as well.

63- It is not permissible for the imaam to make his recitation longer than that which is described in the Sunnah, because that is difficult for those who may be praying behind him, such as the elderly and sick, or nursing mothers, or those who have other things to do.

Reciting aloud and reciting quietly

64- Qur’aan should be recited aloud in Fajr and Jumu’ah prayers, Eid prayers, prayers for rain (istisqaa’), prayers at the time of an eclipse (kusoof) and in the first two rak’ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’.

He should recite silently in the first two rak’ahs of Zuhr and ‘Asr, in the third rak’ah of Maghrib and in the last two rak’ahs of ‘Ishaa’.

65- It is permissible for the imaam occasionally to make an aayah audible in the prayers where recitation is to be done silently.

66- In Witr and Qiyaam al-Layl, he should recite silently sometimes and aloud sometimes, and he should be moderate in raising his voice.

Tarteel – reciting at a measured pace

67- The Sunnah is to recite the Qur’aan at a measured pace, not quickly or hastily. It should be read in a manner that clearly distinguishes each letter, beautifying the Qur’aan with one’s voice. He should observe the well known rulings of the scholars of Tajweed and he should not recite it in the innovated manner of singers or according to the rules of music.

Prompting the imaam

68- It is prescribed for the one who is praying behind the imaam to prompt the imaam if he hesistates in his recitation.

6 – Rukoo’ (bowing)

69- When he has completed the recitation, he should pause briefly, to catch his breath.

70- Then he should raise his hands in the manner described for takbeerat al-ihraam (the takbeer at the beginning of prayer).

71- And he should say takbeer (“Allahu akbar”). This is obligatory.

72- Then he should do rukoo’, bowing as deeply as his joints will let him, until his joints take the new position and are relaxed in it. This is an essential part of prayer.

How to do rukoo’

73- He should put his hands on his knees, firmly, spacing the fingers out, as if he is grasping his knees. All of this is obligatory.

74- He should spread his back and make it level so that if water were poured on it, it would stay there (not run off). This is obligatory.

75- He should not lower or raise his head, but make it level with his back.

76- He should keep his elbows away from his sides.

77- In rukoo’, he should say “Subhaana Rabbiy al-‘Azeem (Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty) three times or more. There are others kinds of dhikr which may be said in rukoo’, some of which are long, some of medium length and some short. See Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 132, Maktabat al-Ma’aarif edition [The Prophet’s Prayer Described, p. 44].

Making the essential parts of prayer equal in length

78- It is Sunnah to make the essential parts of prayer equal in length, so the rukoo’, the standing after rukoo’, the prostration and the sitting between the two prostrations should be make approximately the same in length.

79- It is not permissible to recite Qur’aan in rukoo’ or in sujood.

Straightening up from rukoo’

80- Then he should straighten up from rukoo’. This is an essential part of the prayer.

81- Whilst straightening up, he should say, “Sami’a Allaahu liman hamidah (Allaah listens to the one who praises Him).” This is obligatory.

82- He should raise his hands when straightening up, in the manner described above.

83- Then he should stand straight until every vertebra has returned to its place. This is an essential part of the prayer.

84- Whilst standing thus, he should say, “Rabbanaa wa laka al-hamd (our Lord, to You be all praise).” (There are other kinds of dhikr which may be said at this point. See Sifat al-Salaah, p. 135/The Prophet’s prayer described, p. 47). This is obligatory for every person who is praying, even if he is following an imaam, because this is the dhikr of standing after rukoo’, and saying “Sami’a Allaahu liman hamidah” is the dhikr of straightening up from rukoo’. It is not prescribed to put the hands one over the other during this standing, because this was not narrated (from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). For more details, see Sifat Salaat al-Nabi, 1 – Istiqbaal al-Qiblah (The Prophet’s Prayer Described – Facing the Ka’bah).

85- He should make this standing equal in length to the rukoo’, as stated above.

7 – Sujood (prostration)

86- Then he should say “Allaahu akbar” – this is obligatory.

87- He should raise his hands sometimes.

Going down on the hands

88- Then he should go down into sujood on his hands, putting them down before the knees. This is what was commanded by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is proven that he did this, and he forbade imitating the manner in which a camel sits down, which camel is by kneeling with its forelegs first.

89- When he prostrates – which is an essential part of the prayer – he should put his weight on his palms and spread them out.

90- He should keep the fingers together.

91- And point the fingers towards the qiblah.

92- He should put his palms level with his shoulders.

93- Sometimes he should make them level with his ears.

94- He should keep his forearms off the ground. This is obligatory. He should not spread them along the ground like a dog.

95- He should place his nose and forehead firmly on the ground. This is an essential part of the prayer.

96- He should also place his knees firmly on the ground.

97- The same applies to his toes.

98- He should hold his feet upright with his toes touching the ground. All of this is obligatory.

99- He should make his toes point in the direction of the qiblah.

100- He should put his heels together.

Being at ease in sujood

101- He should be at ease in sujood, distributing his weight equally on the parts of the body which should be in contact with the ground during sujood. They are: the nose and forehead, the palms, the knees, and the toes.

102- Whoever is at ease in his sujood in this manner has got it right. And this being at ease is also an essential part of the prayer.

103- In sujood, he should say, “Subhaana Rabbiy al-‘A’laa (Glory be to my Lord Most High)” three times or more. (There are other kinds of dhikr also, see Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 145/The Prophet’s Prayer described, p. 55).

104- It is mustahaab to offer a lot of du’aa’ during sujood, because it is a time when du’aa’ is likely to be answered.

105- He should make his sujood almost as long as his rukoo’, as described above.

106- It is permissible to prostrate on the bare ground, or on something covering the ground such as a garment or carpet, or a mat, etc.

107- It is not permitted to recite Qur’aan whilst prostrating.

Iftiraash and Iq’aa’ between the two sajdahs

[Iftiraash means sitting on the left thigh with the right foot upwards and its toes pointed towards the qiblah; iq’aa’ means resting on both heels and feet]

108- Then he should raise his head, saying takbeer. This is obligatory.

109- He should raise his hands sometimes.

110- Then he should sit at ease, until every vertebra returns to its place. This is obligatory.

111- He should spread his left leg and sit on it. This is obligatory.

112- He should put his right foot upright.

113- And make its toes point towards the qiblah.

114- It is permissible to sit in iq’aa’ sometimes, which means resting on the heels and feet.

115- Whilst sitting thus, he should say, “Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wajburni, warfa’ni, wa’aafini warzuqni (O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, strengthen me, raise me in status, pardon me and grant me provision).”

116- If he wishes, he may say, “Rabbi ighfir li, Rabbi ighfir li (My Lord, forgive me, my Lord, forgive me).”

117- He should make this sitting almost as long as his sujood.

The second sajdah

118- Then he should say takbeer – this is obligatory,

119- He should raise his hands sometimes when saying this takbeer.

120- He should do the second prostration – this is also an essential part of the prayer.

121- He should do in the second prostration what he did in the first.

The sitting of rest

122- When he raises his head from the second prostration and he wants to get up for the second rak’ah, he should say takbeer. This is obligatory.

123- He should raise his hands sometimes.

124- He should sit up straight, sitting on his left foot, until every bone returns to its place.

The second rak’ah

125- Then he should get up for the second rak’ah, supporting himself on his hands with his fists clenched as if kneading dough. This is an essential part of the prayer.

126- He should do in the second rak’ah what he did in the first.

127- Except that he should not recite the du’aa’ for starting the prayer.

128- He should make it shorter than the first rak’ah.

Sitting for the Tashahhud

129- When he completes the second rak’ah, he should sit for the Tashahhud. This is obligatory.

130- He should sit in iftiraash, as described above for the sitting between the two prostrations.

131- But it is not permitted to sit in iq’aa’ at this point.

132- He should put his right hand on his right thigh and knee, and the end of the right elbow on the thigh, not far from it.

133- He should spread his left palm on his left thigh and knee.

134- It is not permissible to sit resting on one’s arms, especially the left arm.

Moving the finger and looking at it

135- He should clench all the fingers of his right hand, and put the thumb on the middle finger sometimes.

136- Sometimes he should make a circle with them.

137- He should point with his index finger towards the qiblah.

138- He should look towards it.

139- He should move it, making du’aa’ with it, from the beginning of the Tashahhud until the end.

140- He should not point with the finger of his left hand.

141- He should do all of this in every Tashahhud.

How to say Tashahhud and the du’aa’ following it

142- The Tashahhud is obligatory, and if he forgets it, he must do the two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw).

143- He should recite it silently.

144- The wording of the Tashahhud is: “Al-tahiyyaatu Lillaahi wa’l-salaawaatu wa’l-tayyibaat. Al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu. Al-salaamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibaad-Illaah il-saaliheen. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allaah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy and blessings of Allaah. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allaah. I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the slave and Messenger of Allaah).” [Other versions are mentioned in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi/The Prophet’s Prayer Described, but what is mentioned here is the most sound].

Sending salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): this is what was prescribed after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and is narrated in the Tashahhud of Ibn Mas’ood, ‘Aa’ishah and Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them). For more details see Sifat Salaat al-Nabi, p. 161, Maktabat al-Ma’aarif, Riyadh, edition/ The Prophet’s Prayer Described, p. 67).

145- After that, he should send prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), by saying: “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innak hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem); You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”

146- If you wish you may shorten it and say: “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad, kama salayta wa baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka haamedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers and blessings upon Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem;..)

Talkhees Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) min al-Takbeer ila al-Tasleem ka annaka turaahaa

by Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him).

Description of Ghusl as per the Sunnah

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatuh

With regard to how to do ablution (ghusl) for major impurity,

There are two forms of ghusl:

Acceptable form: in the sense that if a person only does ghusl in this manner, his ghusl is valid and he becomes purified from major impurity. But if a person this kind of ghusl properly, his ghusl is not valid.

Complete and preferred form: this is the type which it is mustahabb to do but is not obligatory.

As for the obligatory and acceptable form it is as follows:

1. Form the intention to purify oneself from impurity: janaabah (impurity following sexual discharge), menses or nifaas (postpartum bleeding). The intention is not uttered out aloud.

2. Wash the entire body with water once, making sure that the water reaches the roots of the hair and the places that it cannot reach easily, such as the armpits and backs of the knees, as well as rinsing the mouth and nose, according to the correct scholarly opinion.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/423):

The evidence that this ghusl is valid is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “If you are in a state of Janaaba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourselves (bathe your whole body)” [al-Maa’idah 5:6]. Allaah did not mention anything apart from that. If a person washes his entire body once, then it is true to say that he has purified himself. End quote.

As for the complete form, it is as follows

1. Form the intention in the heart to purify oneself from major impurity: janaabah (impurity following sexual discharge), menses or nifaas (postpartum bleeding).

2. Then say Bismillah and wash the hands three times, then wash any dirt from the private part.

3. Then do wudoo’ as for prayer, a complete wudoo’.

4. Then pour water over the head three times, and rub the hair so that the water reaches the roots of the hair.

5. Then wash the body, making sure that the water reaches all parts, starting with the right side of the body and then the left, and rubbing it with the hands so that the water reaches the entire body.

The evidence for this mustahabb form of ghusl is:

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allaah sal Allahu alaihi wasallam did ghusl for janaabah, he would wash his hands and do wudoo’ as for prayer, then he would wash himself, then he would run his fingers through his hair, then when he thought that it [the water] had reached his skin, he would pour water over it [the head] three times, then he would wash the rest of his body.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (248) and Muslim (316).

And it was narrated that she (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allaah sal Allahu alaihi wasallam did ghusl from janaabah, he would call for something like a vessel used for milking and take water in his palm. He started with the right side of his head, then the left, then he took water in both palms and poured it all over his head.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (258) and Muslim (318).

One of the important rulings concerning this matter is that ghusl for major impurity takes the place of wudoo’, so the person who has done ghusl, whether the complete or the acceptable form, does not have to repeat wudoo’, unless he does something that invalidates purity whilst doing ghusl.

And Allah Knows best

Description of Wudu as per the Sunnah

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatuh

With regard to how wudoo’ is to be done, there are two ways.

1 – Obligatory parts of wudoo’, which are as follows:

(i) Washing the face completely once, which includes rinsing the mouth and nose.

(ii) Washing the arms up to the elbows, once.

(iii) Wiping the entire head, including the ears.

(iv) Washing the feet up to ankles, once.

What is meant by once in all the above is that the entire part of the body mentioned must be washed thoroughly.

(v) This must be done in order, so one washes the face first, then the arms, then wipes the head, then washes the feet, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did wudoo’ in this order.

(vi) This must be done continuously, i.e., the parts of the body must be washed one after the other with no lengthy interruption between washing one part and the next.

These are the obligatory parts of wudoo’ which must be done in order for wudoo’ to be sound.

The evidence for these obligatory parts of wudoo’ is the aayah in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salaah (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are in a state of Janaaba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourselves (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey, or any of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse), and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allaah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour to you that you may be thankful” [al-Maa’idah 5:6]

2 – Mustahabb parts of wudoo’. These were narrated in the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the details of which are as follows:

(i) You must have the intention of purifying yourself and removing impurity. The intention should not be spoken out loud for its place is in the heart. This applies to all acts of worship.

(ii) You should say Bismillaah.

(iii) Then you should wash your hands three times

(iv) Then you should rinse your mouth three times, swirling the water around inside your mouth, and rinse your nose three times, blowing the water out and using the left hand to remove the water from your nose.

(v) You should wash you face three times, from the hairline to the jawbone and chin, and from ear to ear. A man should wash the hair of his beard because it is part of the face. If his beard is thin he has to wash it inside and out, and if it is thick and covers the skin, he should wash the surface of it only and run his wet fingers through it.

(vi) Then he should wash his arms up to the elbows three times. The arm extends from the fingertips, including the nails, to the lower part of the upper arm. It is essential to remove anything stuck to the hands before washing them, such as dough, mud, paint, etc, that could prevent the water from reaching the skin.

(vii) Then after that he should wipe his head and ears once with fresh water, not the water left over from washing his arms. The way in which the head is to be wiped is that you put your wet hands at the front of your head and bring them to the back of your head, then bring them back to the place where you started. Then put your index fingers in your ears and wipe the back of the ears with your thumbs. With regard to a woman’s hair, she should wipe it whether it is loose or braided from the front of her head to the roots of the hair at the nape of her neck, but she does not have to wipe the entire length of her hair.

(viii) Then you should wash your feet three times up to the ankles, namely the bones at the bottom of the leg.

The evidence for that is the hadeeth narrated by Humraan the freed slave of ‘Uthmaan, who said that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) called for water to do wudoo’. He washed his hands three times, then he rinsed his mouth and nose, then he washed his face three times, then he washed his right arm up to the elbow three times, then he washed his left arm likewise. Then he wiped his head, then he washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then he washed his left foot likewise. Then he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) doing wudoo’ as I have done it, then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever does wudoo’ as I have done it, then prays two rak’ahs in which he focuses completely on his prayer, his previous sins will be forgiven.’” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Tahaarah, 331)

The conditions of wudoo are: being Muslim, being of sound mind, having reached the age of discernment and having the intention of doing wudoo’. Wudoo’ is not valid on the part of a kaafir, an insane person, a small child who has not yet reached the age of discernment or one who does not have the intention of doing wudoo’ because his intention is to cool himself down, for example. The water must also be pure (taahir), for impure (naajis) water cannot be used for wudoo’. One must also remove anything that could prevent water from reaching the skin and nails, such as nail polish.

It is prescribed to say Bismillaah according to the majority of scholars, but they differ as to whether it is obligatory or Sunnah. If one remembers to say it, it may be said either at the beginning of wudoo’ or during it.

There is no difference between men and women in the way wudoo’ should be done.

It is mustahabb to say, when one has completed wudoo’: “Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah),” because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no one among you who does wudoo’ and does it properly and does it well, then he says, ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu,’ but the gates of Paradise will be opened to him and he may enter through whichever of them he wishes.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Tahaarah, 345). A report narrated by al-Tirmidhi adds: “Allaahumma ij’alni min al-tawwaabeena wa’j’alni min al-mutatahhireen (O Allaah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves).” (al-Tahaarah, 50; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, no. 48)

See al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi by al-Fawzaan, 1/36)

With regard to your saying “may Allaah have mercy on the Prophet “, what is prescribed in Islam is to send blessings and peace upon him, as Allaah commanded us to do when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah sends His Salaah (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad), and also His angels (ask Allaah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salaah on (ask Allaah to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation, i.e. As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum)” [al-Ahzaab 33:56]

And Allaah knows best.

Working in a Bank

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatuh

In the hadeeth of Jaabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah sal Allahu alaihi wasallam cursed the one who consumes riba (interest or usury), the one who gives it, the one who writes it down and the one who witnesses it. He said: ‘All of them are equal in sin.'” (Reported by Muslim, may Allaah have mercy on him, in his Saheeh, no. 1598)

Commenting on this hadeeth, al-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: This is clearly a prohibition of the writing down or witnessing of a contract between the two parties involved in a riba-based deal. It also includes a prohibition of helping others to commit wrong acts.

The major scholars have issued fatwas stating that working in riba-based banks is haraam, even if the job does not involve dealing with riba as such, e.g. guards, cleaners and other services. some of their fatwas are quoted.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 15/41:

It is not permissible for a Muslim to work in a bank that deals with riba, even if the work that the Muslim does has nothing to do with riba, because he is giving the employees who do work with riba with what they need and he is helping them with their calculation of interest. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but do not help one another in sin and transgression”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]

The Standing Committee (15/38) was asked: what is the ruling on working in the existing banks?

They replied:

Most of the transactions that are done nowadays involve riba, which is haraam according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah. The Prophet sal Allahu alaihi wasallam ruled that whoever helps the one who consumes riba or pays it by writing it down for him or bearing witness to it, etc, is a partner of the one who consumes it and the one who pays it, and they are all cursed and expelled from the mercy of Allaah. In Saheeh Muslim and elsewhere it is narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said, “They are all the same.”

Those who work in banks are helping the owners of the banks by administering their operations, whether in writing or bearing witness, or transferring papers or handing over money, or doing other things that help those who deal in riba. Hence it is known that working in an existing bank is haraam. The Muslim should avoid that and should try to earn a living in a way that Allaah has permitted; and there are many such ways. He should fear Allaah his Lord, and not expose himself to the curse of Allaah and His Messenger.

And the Standing Committee (15/55) was asked:

(a) Is working in banks, especially in Muslim countries, halaal or haraam?

(b) Is there any specific section of the bank that is halaal, as many think, and if that is correct could you explain further?

They replied:

Firstly: working in banks that deal with riba is haraam, whether that is in a Muslim country or a kaafir country, because it involves cooperating in sin and transgression, which Allaah has forbidden as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but do not help one another in sin and transgression”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]

Secondly: There is no section in the riba-based bank that is exempt from this ruling according to what we know of the pure sharee’ah, because all the bank employees are cooperating in sin and transgression.

And the Standing Committee (15/18) was asked:

What is the ruling on working as a maintenance engineer for one of the electronics companies that deal with some of the riba-based banks, where the company sells equipment (calculators, cameras, telephones) to the bank, and tells us, as maintenance engineers, to go to the bank to service this equipment on a regular basis? Is this work haraam on the basis that the bank does its accounts and organizes its work on these machines, and are we thus helping them in sin?

They replied:

It is not permissible for you to work for companies that are as you described, because that involves cooperating in sin and transgression.

And it says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (15/48):

It is not permissible for a Muslim to work in banks that deal with riba, because that involves helping them to engage in riba-based transactions in one way or another, by writing them down, witnessing them, guarding the bank, etc. Helping them in that manner is cooperating in sin and transgression, which Allaah forbade when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“but do not help one another in sin and transgression”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: is it permissible to work for a riba-based organization as a driver or guard?

He replied:

It is not permissible to work for a riba-based organization even if you are a driver or a guard, because accepting employment with a riba-based organization implies that you approve of them, as whoever denounces something could not work to serve its interests. If he works to serve its interests, he must approve of it, and the one who approves of something haraam has a share in its sin. With regard to those who are directly involved in writing down transactions, transferring money, depositing money, etc, are undoubtedly dealing directly with something that is haraam. It was proven from the hadeeth of Jabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah sal Allahu alaihi wasallam cursed the one who consumes riba, the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the two who witness it, and he said, “They are all the same.”

From Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/401

And there are other well-known fatwas which forbid working in riba-based banks, no matter what the kind of work involved. Based on this, anyone currently working in a bank has to repent to Allaah from what he has done in the past, and leave this work, seeking the help of Allaah, putting his trust in Him and being certain that He will grant him provision. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things”

[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]

We ask Allaah to make us independent by means of that which is halaal so that we will have no need of that which is haraam.

See also
http://www.islamqa.com/en/search2/ruling%20on%20working%20in%20bank/AllWords/t,q,a

And Allah knows best.

Ahadeeth on Etiquette of eating

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

Narrated by Abu Huraira(Radhiallaho anho):

Allah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam never criticized any food (he was invited to) but he used to eat if he liked the food, and leave it if he disliked it.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 7 : No. 320

Narrated by Abu Juhaifa(Radhiallaho anho):

While I was with Allah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam he said to a man who was with him, “I do not take my meals while leaning.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 7 : No. 311

Welcoming back the Shaytaan

Assalamu Alaikum

By Adil Bin Manzoor Khan,

Hurray … Eid is here.
We are Free.
We can now return back to our Daily Routine.

Is this what you just said to yourself after the Ramadhan got over ?
Then read on , this article is specially meant for you.

Eid is now over and we are busy meeting our family and relatives and giving them the Eid greetings.
But in doing so, how many of you bothered to pray the “zohar” (afternoon) salat ?
How many of us prayed Asr / Magrib / Esha ?

Hey “Esha” , but ‘Taraweeh” is now over , isnt ?
Now who cares to go, we will just read it at home after this tv daily soap. We have truly missed so many episodes of our daily soap.
I truly need to catch up with the story.

Wait a sec my dear brothers (and sisters) , think.
During Ramadhan , why was it so easy to abstain from evil and do our salat on time ?
Was it we are only muslim during Ramadhan ?
Is it not because your good friend “Shaitaan” was not near you to fill your hearts with “waswas” that you could easily pray all 5 salat on time ?

Think ?
If you have indeed changed after the Ramadhan then you have truly “Welcomed Back The Shaitaan”.

Hmmm,,, not me.
Why would anyone welcome the shaitaan and why would anyone call him a “good friend” when we all know it is he who would take us to hell ?

Now lets see and analyze for yourself.

Have you gone back to your old habbits ?
Backbitting , giving foul words , cheating , fighting ?

Do you now stare lustfully to other womens walking on the street.
Is watching Fashion TV and other haraam things back on your “sin list” ?

Do you now get angry everytime your mothers tells you something to do ?

And yes Salaats.
Asr : I am in office , cannot pray.

Magrib : I am driving home , inshallah I will pray once I reach home.

Esha : Yes I will surely pray after I finish my meal and watching tv.

Fajr , did not hear the alarm clock. Sorry + I will read once I get up for my office.

Do you know that its “good friend” (shaitaan) who sleeps next to you and ties knot around your head making it difficult for you to wake for fajr.

During Ramadhan, we prayed “tahajjud” salat during nights , now why does it appear like a huge task as if we are told to climb the mountain. Its because Shaitaan knows tahajjud is the time when Allah swt Himself says “is there anyone praying at this time of the hour, if yes I will answere his prayers” , so Shaitaan tricks us and makes our bed comfortable and cozy so that we will not leave the bed and pray.

During Ramadhan, we protected our eyes from committing zina by not looking at non-mehram ladies. Its was because of our will power and fear of Allah swt, we could achieve.
But now are you back to the old routine ? Doesnt that mean the fear of Allah swt has gone and you now trust your good friend (shaitaan)more ?

These are just few of the examples and if answer to even one of them is “true” then.. you have indeed Welcomed Back The Shaitaan.

Dont you know that on the Day of Judgement , it would be you who would be answerable to everything you did ?
That time your supposedly “good friend” (shaitaan) wont be standing next to you to answere your test ?

Choice is all yours… Either welcome your good friend (shaitaan) and stay and doom yourself in hellfire or Summit your will to Almight Allah swt and ask protection from Shaitaan.

Lets not destroy the rewards we have inshaAllah earned in Ramadaan!!

Virtue of fasting six days of Shawwaal

Alhumdulillah

Fasting six days of Shawwaal after the obligatory fast of Ramadaan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not waajib. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwaal, and in this there is great virtue and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Abu Ayyoob (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime.” (Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained this when he said: “Whoever fasts for six days after (Eid) al-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it).” According to another report: “Allaah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.” (al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah. See also Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/421). It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording: “Fasting for the month of Ramadaan brings the reward of ten like it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, and that is the fasting of the whole year.” The Hanbali and Shaafa’i fuqaha’ explained that fasting six days of Shawwaal after fasting Ramadaan makes it as if one has fasted for an entire year of obligatory fasts, because the multiplication of the reward applies even to naafil fasts, because each hasanah brings the reward of ten like it.

Another of the important benefits of fasting six days of Shawwaal is that is makes up for any shortfall in a person’s obligatory Ramadaan fasts, because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that have a negative effect on his fasting. On the Day of Resurrection, some of his naafil deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory deeds, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salaah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He knows best – ‘Look at the salaah of My slave, whether it is complete or incomplete.’ If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if something is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allaah] will say, Complete the obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.’ Then all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

And Allaah knows best.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Guidance of the Prophet sal Allahu alaihi wasallam regarding Eid Prayer

Alhumdulillah

From Islam QA

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to offer the Eid prayers in the prayer-place (musalla). There is no report of his offering the Eid prayer in his mosque.

Al-Shaafa’i said in al-Umm: It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on the two Eids to the prayer-place in Madeenah, as did those (caliphs) who came after him, unless there was an excuse such as rain etc. The people of other lands did likewise, apart from the people of Makkah.

He used to wear his most beautiful garments to go out to pray. He had a suit (hullah) which he would wear for Eid and Jumu’ah (Friday prayer). A hullah is a two-piece suit of the same kind of fabric.

He used to eat dates before going out on Eid al-Fitr, and he would eat an odd number of them.

Al-Bukhaari (953) narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates, and he would eat an odd number.

Ibn Qudaamah said: We do not know of any differing opinion concerning the fact that it is mustahabb to eat early on the day of Eid al-Fitr.

The reason for eating before the prayer is so that no one will think that it is essential to fast until the prayer has been offered.

And it was said that this was in order to hasten to obey the command of Allaah Who enjoined breaking the fast after He enjoined fasting.

If no dates are available, he should have something else for breakfast, even if it is only water, so that he can fulfil the Sunnah in principle, which is to have something for breakfast before praying on Eid al-Fitr.

With regard to Eid al-Adha, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used not to eat anything until he came back from the prayer-place, then he would eat some of the meat of his sacrifice.

It was narrated that he used to do ghusl for both Eids. Ibn al-Qayyim said: Two weak (da’eef) hadeeths have been narrated concerning this… but it was proven from Ibn ‘Umar, who was very keen to follow the Sunnah, that he used to do ghusl before going out on the day of Eid.

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to the Eid prayer walking, and come back walking.

Ibn Maajah (1295) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking and come back walking. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

Al-Tirmidhi (530) narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib said: It is Sunnah to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Al-Tirmidhi said: Most of the scholars followed this hadeeth and said that it is mustahabb for a man to go out to the Eid (prayer) walking. It is mustahabb for him not to ride unless he has an excuse.

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reached the prayer-place, he would begin the prayer with no adhaan or iqaamah, and without saying “Al-salaatu jaami’ah (prayer is about to begin).” The Sunnah is not to do any of these things.

And he did not offer any prayer in the prayer-place before or after the Eid prayer.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would start with the prayer, before the khutbah. He prayed two rak’ahs, with seven consecutive takbeers in the first rak’ah, including takbeerat al-ihraam (the takbeer with which the prayer begins), and a brief pause between each two takbeers. There is no report of him saying any particular dhikr between the takbeers, but it was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood would praise Allaah and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

But Ibn ‘Umar, who was always keen to follow the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), used to raise his hands with each takbeer.

When he had completed the takbeers, he would start to recite. He would recite al-Faatihah then recite Qaf wa’l-Qur’aan il-majeed (Soorah Qaaf 50) in the first rak’ah and Aqtarabat il-saa’ah wa anshaqqa al-qamar (Soorat al-Qamar 54) in the other. Sometimes he recited Sabbih isma rabbika al-A’la (Soorat al-A’laa 87) and Hal ataaka hadeeth al-ghaashiyah (Soorat al-Ghaashiyah 88). Both were narrated in saheeh reports, but no other soorahs are mentioned in saheeh reports. When he had finished reciting he would say takbeer and bow. When he had finished bowing and prostrating and had stood up again, he would say five takbeers. When he had completed the takbeers he would start to recite again. The takbeer was the first thing that he would do in each rak’ah and his recitation was followed by rukoo’ (bowing).

Al-Timridhi narrated from the hadeeth of Katheer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited takbeer in the Eid (prayer), seven times in the first rak’ah before reciting Qur’aan and five times in the second rak’ah before reciting Qur’aan. Al-Tirmidhi said: I asked Muhammad – i.e., al-Bukhaari – about this hadeeth and he said: There is nothing more sound than this concerning this topic. And I say likewise.

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished the prayer, he would move away and stand facing the people, with the people sitting in their rows, and he would address them, preaching and exhorting, with commands and prohibitions. If he wanted to dispatch anyone on a mission he would do so, and if he wanted to enjoin anything he would do that.

There was no minbar on which he would stand, and the minbar of Madeenah was not brought out. Rather he would address them standing on the ground. Jaabir said: I attended Eid prayer with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan and no iqaamah, then he stood, leaning on Bilaal, and enjoined us to fear and obey Allaah. He preached to the people and reminded them, then he went over to the women and preached to them and reminded them. Agreed upon.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go out on the day of al-Fitr and al-Adha to the prayer place. He would start with the prayer, then he would go and stand facing the people, with the people sitting in their rows… This hadeeth was narrated by Muslim.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started all his khutbahs with praise of Allaah. It is not narrated even in one hadeeth that he started the khutbah of Eid with takbeer. Rather Ibn Maajah narrated in his Sunan (1287) that Sa’d al-Qaraz, the muezzin of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say the takbeer between the two sermons and he used to say takbeer a great deal throughout the khutbah of Eid. This was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Ibn Maajah. Although the hadeeth is da’eef, it does not indicate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to begin his khutbah with takbeer.

It says in Tamaam al-Mannah: Although it does not indicate that it is prescribed to begin the Eid khutbah with takbeer, its isnaad is da’eef and includes one man who is da’eef (weak) and another who is majhool (unknown), so it is not permissible to quote it as evidence that it is Sunnah to say takbeer during the khutbah.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

People differed as to how the khutbah on Eid and on the occasion of prayers for rain (istisqa’) should begin. It was said that they should begin with takbeer and it was said that the khutbah of istisqa’ should begin with prayers for forgiveness, and it was said that they should begin with praise. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: this is the correct view. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to begin all his khutbahs with praise of Allaah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a concession allowing those who attended the Eid prayers either to sit and listen to the khutbah, or to leave.

Abu Dawood (1155) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Saa’ib said: I attended Eid (prayer) with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and when he had finished the prayer he said: “We are going to deliver the khutbah, so whoever wants to sit and listen to the khutbah, let him do so, and whoever wants to leave, let him go.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to vary his route on the day of Eid. He would go by one route and come back by another.

Al-Bukhaari narrated (986) that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: On the day of Eid, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would vary his route.

And Allah knows best

To Whom should Zakaat al-fitr be given?

Alhumdulillah

Zakaat al-fitr should be given to the poor Muslims in the land or city where it is given, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, to be paid in Ramadaan to feed the poor…” It is permissible to send it to the poor of another land whose people are in greater need. It is not permissible to spend it on building a mosque or other charitable projects.

The Standing Committee for Research and Issuing Fatwas.

Zakaat Al-Fitr is food, not money

Alhumdulillah

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made giving a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley as Zakaat al-Fitr an obligation for all Muslims, slave and free, male and female, young and old, and ordered that it should be given before the people went out to pray (Salaat al-Eid).” (Al-Bukhaari, 1503).

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pay as Zakaat al-Fitr a saa’ of food or a saa’ of barley (which was their food at that time) or a saa’ or dates or a saa’ of aqit (dried yoghurt) or a saa’ of raisins.” (1506)

From this it is clear that Zakaat al-Fitr must be food, not money, so we must adhere to what has been recorded in the Sunnah. So give one saa’ of whatever is the staple food in your country, such as rice or wheat, for example, on behalf of yourself and each member of your household. (A saa’ is equivalent to approximately 3 kilograms). It is not permissible to give it to anyone except a needy Muslim. If you cannot find anyone in your own country, you can delegate someone else to give it on your behalf in another country. May Allaah help us and you to do the duties that He loves.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/113):

It is not acceptable to pay the cash value of zakaat al-fitr in our view. This was also the view of Maalik, Ahmad and Ibn al-Mundhir.

Abu Haneefah said: It is permissible. This was narrated by Ibn al-Mundhir from al-Hasan al-Basri, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez and al-Thawri.

He said: And Ishaaq and Abu Thawr said that it is not acceptable except in case of necessity. End quote.

See: al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 23/343-344.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

If a person pays zakaat al-fitr in cash, following the opinion of the scholars of his country, then comes to learn the more correct view, what should he do with regard to his charity??

He replied:

He does not have to do anything. If a person does something on the basis of a fatwa from a scholar or following the scholars of his country, he does not have to do anything. An example of that is if a woman does not pay zakaah on her jewellery and remains for several years not knowing that zakaah is due on jewellery, or on the basis that her scholars have advised her that no zakaah is due on it, then she learns the ruling; she has to pay zakaah after she learns the ruling, but before that she does not have to. End quote.

Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 191, question no. 19

And Allaah knows best.