CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER AND LEADING IT

Q.   What is the minimum number of people required to form a congregation?

  Two is the minimum number. One of them would be the head of the prayer (Imam) and the other his follower. But in that case the follower shall stand to the right of the leader (in the same row). If the number of followers is two or more, the head shall stand in front.

Q.   How should people stand in a congregation?

  They should stand adjoining one another, keeping the rows straight. No space should be left out in between. Children should be made to stand behind. It is undesirable for children to join the row of the grown-up people. Row for ladies should be behind that for the children.

Q.   Will salat of the followers be affected if that of the head of the prayer gets nullified for some reason?

  Salat of the followers shall get invalidated the moment that of the head of the prayer gets annulled. The followers shall also have to revise it.

Q.   Who deserves to be the head of a prayer?

  The following persons deserve to be heads of prayers in order of merit –

             i.     A scholar, i.e., a person conversant with matters relating to Salat provided that he is also a person of upright conduct;

           ii.     A person who has more knowledge of the Qur-an and recites it well;

         iii.     One who is more god-fearing;

          iv.     One who is senior in age;

            v.     One who is of a noble nature and of good demeanour;

          vi.     One who is more handsome and commands respect;

        vii.     One who is of nobler blood,

Q.   Who deserves to be the head of a prayer – the permanent Imam of a masjid or a person superior to him, if he happens to be present at the moment in that masjid?

  The permanent Imam is better than the newly arrived person although he is otherwise superior to the permanent Imam.

Q.   Saying Salat behind what sort of people is undesirable (Makruh)?

  It is undesirable to say Salat behind people who are

             i.     Innovators (in religion);

           ii.     Transgressors;

         iii.     Illiterate slaves;

          iv.     Ignorant rustics;

            v.     An unscrupulous blind;

          vi.     Ignorant persons of illegitimate parentage.

     But Salat can be said without any scruples behind

             i.     A slave or rustic if he is a man of learning;

           ii.     A blind person if he is scrupulous and educated or recites the Qur-an well;

         iii.     A person of illegitimate parentage if he is learned and righteous, provided that there is no one else superior to those mentioned above present in the masjid.

Q.   Behind what sort of people is it totally forbidden to say Salat?

   

             i.     Salat offered by a person will not be valid behind a lunatic, a drunkard, a polytheist or an unbeliever.

           ii.     Salat of a major if led be a minor if led by a minor and of men behind women will not be valid.

         iii.     Similarly, Salat of a person who has had a formal ablution will not be valid behind a handicapped person (who has done Tayammum).

          iv.     Salat of a person with covered Satr behind one with uncovered Satr will also not be valid.

            v.     Likewise, Salat of a person performing the Ruku’ (bowing), Sijdah (prostration) will not be valid behind one who is doing these acts by mere sign (because of some excuse or compulsion).

          vi.     Nor that of a person performing the Fard Salat will be valid behind one who is only saying the Nafl prayer.

        vii.     And finally, a person saying Salat for one session (dhuhr, for example) will not be valid behind a person saying Salat of another session (eg. ‘Asr).

Q.   Is it permissible to offer Taravih prayer behind a minor?

  Even Taravih is not allowed to be offered behind a minor. Nevertheless, if a person has attained to the age of fifteen can lead the prayers even if no other signs of puberty are visible in him.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER AND LEADING IT

Q.   What do we mean by Imamah (leading the prayers)?

  A person who leads the prayer so that all others follow him is the Imam (leader or head) of the prayer.

Q.   What do we mean by Jama’ah (congregational prayer)?

  Jama’ah means offering prayer in a congregation with one as the head and the others following him.

Q.   Is congregational prayer an emphasized Sun-nah?

  There is much stress on it. Some of the scholars even hold it to be Fard or Wajib. There are doubtless many virtues in it.

Q.   What are the virtues in offering prayers in congregation?

  Some of the virtues are:

             i.     Al-lah awards twenty seven fold reward for every Salat;

           ii.     It affords an occasion of get-together for Muslims and generates love and harmony among the worshippers;

         iii.     It results in evoking interest among the Muslims for prayers;

          iv.     Al-lah will accept the worship of even sinners offered along with those offered by the pious and the devout in the congregation;

            v.     It is an occasion for the ignorant to benefit by the knowledge of the scholars in matters of religion;

          vi.     It provides Muslims with an occasion to get to know the problems of the poor and the needy;

        vii.     It is the display of the grandeur of a special mode of worship, that is Salat.

Q.   Which people are excused from joining the congregation?

  Women, minor children, the sick, those who have to attend on the sick, the lame, the maimed and the handicapped (e.g. footless people), very old people and the blind are exempted from joining congregational prayers.

Q.   Under what circumstances and compulsions does it become permissible for a well and able-bodied person to miss the congregational prayer?

  Obligation to offer the prayer in congregation is waived in the following circumstances:

             i.     There being heavy rain;

           ii.     The path to the mosque being slushy;

         iii.     It being chilly cold;

          iv.     It being night and the wind blowing in gales;

            v.     Time for departure on journey by train, ship or aeroplane etc., being very near;

          vi.     One’s feeling the call of nature;

        vii.     Meals having being served before one while he is very hungry. In the presence of anyone of the above compulsions, obligation to offer the prayer in congregation shall go.

Q.   In which Salats congregational prayer is an emphasized precept of the Prophet?

  Offering Salats in congregation is an emphasized precept of the Prophet (Peace be on him) in all commanded Salats as well as in Salat for the two ‘Ids. Congregational prayer for Taravih is a sufficing Sun-nah. (i.e. a Sun-nah which, if performed by a certain number of people in a locality, ceases to be binding on others).

RECITATION OF QUR-AN IN SALAT

LESSONS IN ISLAM

(Ta’limul-Islam)

BOOK IV

SECTION II

BISMIL-LAHIR-RAHMANIR-RAHIM

(In the name of Al-lah, the Beneficent, the Merciful)

ISLAMIC ACTS

RECITATION OF QUR-AN IN SALAT

Q.   Is it ordained to recite the Qur-an at a higher pitch if one is offering Fajr, Maghrib or ‘Isha prayer singly?

  It is not ordained, but preferable to recite audibly.

Q.   What is the injunction in the matter if one is offering these Salats as deferred prayers?

  In deferred prayers the head of the prayer shall recite at a higher pitch. Individual worshippers are however; free to recite either audibly or otherwise.

Q.   How much of the Qur-an must one recite  in Fard Salats?

  A person on journey can recite any surah after Al-Fatiha. For those on station reciting given amounts of the holy Qur-an (for different Salats) is the Prophet’s precept.

Q.   What is the Prophet’s precept in the matter of recitation of Qur-an in Salat by a person on station?

  The Prophet’s precept for an on-station worshipper is like this : long surahs in Fajr and Dhuhr prayers; not-so-long surahs in the ‘Asr and ‘Isha prayers and shorter surahs in the Maghrib prayer.

Q.   What is along surah, a not-so-long surah and a shorter surah?

  Surahs from Al-Hujrat (part 26 of the Qur-an) to Al-Buruj are known as long surahs. Surahs from Tariq to Lam Yakun are the not-so-long surahs. Surahs from Iza Zulzilat  till the An-nas are the shorter surah’s.

Q.   Does the Prophet’s precept regarding recitation in Salat apply to the Imam (head) or to the Munfarid (individual) as well?

  It applies to both, the head of the congregation and the individual.

Q.   What if an on-station worshipper does not (for some reason) follow the Prophet’s precept with regard to the length of the recited matter?

  It is allowed.

Q.   Is there any particular chapter of the Qur-an commanded to be recited in any Salat in which no other chapter is permitted?

  No, there is no such particularization of any chapter in any Salat. For convenience sake the shariah has permitted recitation of any and every portion of the Qur-an in all Salats. Any particularization in this behalf is against the tenets of shariah.’

Q.   What is Prophet’s precept regarding recitation in the two Masnun Rak’ahs of Fajr?

  The Holy Prophet (peace be on him) very often recited: QUL YA AY-YUHAL-KAFIRUN in the second QUL HUWAL-LAHU AHAD.

Q.   What portion of the Qur-an is the Prophet’s precept to be recited in Witr prayer?

  It is like this

             i.     1^st Rak’ah – SAB-BIHISMA RAB-BIKAL A’LA;

           ii.     2^nd Rak’ah – QUL YA AY-YUHAL-KAFIRUN;

         iii.     3^rd Rak’ah – QUL HUWAL-LAHU AHAD.