PROPHET’S PRECEPT (SUNNAH) IN SALAT

PROPHET’S PRECEPT (SUN-NAHS) IN SALAT

Q.   What do we mean by the Sun-nahs (masnun acts) in Salat?

  Sun-nahs are acts which are confirmed to have been practiced by the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) but which are not so much emphasized upon as to assume the status of command (Fard) or ordained (wajib) acts. If a person omits anyone of these acts by mistake, neither his Salat gets disturbed nor the remedial Sijdah becomes essential for him nor is it a sin. If omitted deliberately, the defaulter is liable to be punished by Al-lah.

Q.   How many precepts of the Prophet (masnun acts) are there in Salat?

  Twenty one acts are Masnun in Salat;

             i.       Raising the two hands up to the ears before saying Takbir tahrimah;

           ii.     Keeping fingers of both hands straight as they are, facing the Qiblah in saying Takbir;

         iii.     Abstaining from lowering the head in saying Takbir;

          iv.     Uttering of Takbir tahrimah and all other Takbirs by the Imam while making movement from one position to another on required pitch;

            v.     Gripping the left hand with the right hand below the navel;

          vi.     Reciting thana;

        vii.     Reciting Ta’aw-wuz: A’UZU BIL-LAH….. till the end;

      viii.     Reciting complete bismil-lah;

          ix.     Reciting only Al-Fatiha in the third and fourth rak’ahs of Fard Salat;

            x.     Saying ameen;

          xi.     Reciting thana, ta’aw-wuz and bismil-lah and amen on a low pitch;

        xii.     Reciting text from the holy Qur-an to extent practiced by the Prophet in various Salats;

      xiii.     Reciting tasbih thrice in each one of the ruku’s and Sijdahs;

       xiv.     Keeping the head and waist level with each other in ruku’ and gripping the two knees with the two scooped palms;

         xv.     For Imam to say: SAMI’ AL-LAHU LIMAN HAMIDAH  and for the followers to say: RAB-BANA LAKAL HAMD and for the individuals to says both the tasmi’ and the tahmid.

       xvi.     Resting first the knees, then the palms finally the forehead on the ground while going in for Sijdah;

     xvii.     Folding the left leg, keeping it on the ground and sitting on it in jalsah and qa’da and keeping the right foot vertical in a way that the tips of the toes are turned towards Qiblah and place the palms of both hands on the thighs;

   xviii.     Pointing with the first finger of the right hand in tashah-hud at the point of: ASHHADU A(N)L-LA ILAHA;

       xix.     Reciting the holy darud after tashah-hud;

         xx.     Pronouncing invocation (du’a) after the holy darud;

       xxi.     Turning the face in Salaam first to the right, then to the left;

DESIRABLE ACTS (MUSTAHABS) IN SALAT

Q.   How many acts are desirable (Mustahab) in Salat?

  Five acts are desirable:

             i.     Taking palms of the two hands out of sleeves;

           ii.     For the individual to say tasbih more than thrice in ruku’ and Sijdah;

         iii.     Keeping eyes fixed or the spot for Sijdah in Qiyam, on the back of one’s feet during ruku’; on one’s lap in jalsah and qua’dah and over one’s right and left shoulders in saying salaam;

          iv.     Controlling the cough as much as one can;

            v.     Closing one’s mouth in yawning and if it does open, covering it with the back of the right palm in Qiyam and with that of the left in other positions for Salat.

AZAN - CALL FOR PRAYER

CALL FOR PRAYER (AZAN)

Q.   What do we mean by the term Azan?

  The word “Azan” means to proclaim. In Shari’ah Azan means making proclamation about particular Salat in particular terms.

Q.   Is Azan a command or the Prophet’s precept?

  Azan is the Prophet’s precept. But since it has come to signify the glory of Islam, it is much stressed upon.

Q.   For what Salat is Azan, the Prophet’s precept?

  Azan is the Prophet’s precept for all the five commanded Salat of the day plus the one for Jum’ah. It is not so for other Salat.

Q.   At what time should Azan be proclaimed?

  Azan should be proclaimed on time for every Fard Salat. It must be called again if it has been said before time.

Q.   What is the mustahab way of Azan?

  There are seven mustahab (desirable) acts in Azan:

             i.     To face the Qiblah;

           ii.     To say each part of it slowly and distinctly;

         iii.     To put the first fingers of both hands into one’s ears while saying the Azan;

          iv.     To say it from a raised place;

            v.     To call it in a loud voice;

          vi.     To turn the face to the right while pronouncing HAY-YA ‘ALAS-SALAH and to the left, while saying HAY-YA ‘ALAL-FALAH

        vii.     To proclaim AS-SALATU KHAIRUM-MINAN-NAUM twice after in the Azan of Fajr.

Q.   What does Iqamah (standing) mean?

  The formula for the Azan is also repeated before the Fard Salat, but the words QAD-QAMATIS-SALAH are also repeated twice in Iqamah after HAY-YA ‘ALAL-FALAH.

Q.   How is it to proclaim Iqamah?

  Iqamah too is Prophet’s precept for Fard Salat. It is not so for the other Salats.

Q.   Are Azan and Iqamah masnun both for men and women?

  No, it is masnun only for men.

Q.   How is it to say the Azan or Iqamah without making ablution?

  It is allowed to call the Azan without ablution, but to form a habit of it is bad. To say the Iqamah without ablution is undesirable.

Q.   Must a person say the Azan and Iqamah while offering the Fard Salat at home?

  The Azan and the Iqamah said in the neighbouring mosque will suffice. But it is better to say it there also.

Q.   Must a person on journey say the Azan and Iqamah?

  Yes, if one is on journey and out of a populated area, both Azan and Iqamah should be said. But there is no harm if he says only the Iqamah and no Azan. It is undesirable to give up both.

Q.   Is it allowed that two different persons say the Azan and the Iqamah?

  Yes, it is allowed if the person who has said the Azan is not present or if present has no objection to the other person’s calling the Iqamah. If however, another man’s calling causes unhappiness to the former it would be undesirable.

Q.   How long should we wait for the Iqamah after the Azan?

  In all Salats except Maghrib prayer the interval should be sufficient to allow people engaged in eating meals etc., or satisfying nature’s call to be free from these acts and join the prayers. In Maghrib, the interval should be just sufficient for one to repeat three verses (Ayahs) from the Holy Qur-an.

Q.   What do we mean by the Ijabah of Azan and Iqamah and what is its position in Shari’ah?

  Responding to both Azan and Iqamah is desirable. Responding means repeating the words being proclaimed by the person calling the Azan or the Iqamah. But the words HAY-YA ‘ALAS-SALAH and HAY-YA ‘ALAL-FALAH shall be responded to by the words :

LA HAULA WALA QUW-WATA ILLA BIL-LAH

In the Azan for Fajr, on hearing AS-SALATU KHAIRUM-MINAN-NAUM we should say :

SADAQTA WA BARARTA

And in Iqamah :

AQAMAHAL-LAHU WA ADAMAHA

      should be the response to QAD QAMATIS-SALAH.

Q.   What formula (invocation) should be said after the Azan?

  The formula to be chanted is as follows:

AL-LAHUM-MA RAB-BA HAZIHID-DA’WATIT-TAM-MATI WAS-SALATIL-QA-IMATI ATI MUHAM-MADANIL-WASILATA WAL-FADILATA WAB’ATHU MAQAMAM-MAHMUDANIL-LAZI WA’ AT-TAHU IN-NAKALA TUKHLIFUL MI’AD.