FUNERAL PRAYER

FUNERAL PRAYER

Q.   Is the funeral prayer Fard or Wajib or Masnun?

  Funeral prayer is a sufficing command. The entire locality shall be absolved of the bonus even if as few as one or two persons have said it. But if no one has said it, the entire locality shall be presumed to have sinned.

Q.   What are the preconditions to the funeral prayer?

  The preconditions are as follows:

             i.     The dead person having been a Muslim;

           ii.     The dead body being clean;

         iii.     The shroud of the body being clean;

          iv.     The Satr being covered;

            v.     The dead body being placed before the one who is offering the Salat.

As for those who join the Salat, the same preconditions will operate (excepting the condition regarding timings) as have been discussed in respect of other kinds of Salat.

Q.   What is the complete formula for the funeral prayer?

  It is like this: Forming a row by standing for the prayer. If the assembly is large, it is better to form three, five or seven rows. After the rows have been properly formed, one should affirm the intention as follows: “I hereby offer the funeral Salat for the sake of Al-lah to pray for His mercy on this deceased person, behind this Imam”.

Then the Imam will call the Takbir aloud and those behind him shall say it outside the hearing of others. While doing so, they shall raise their hands to both their ears and fold the hands below the navel. The Imam and his followers then shall say the Thana at a low pitch. It is better to interpolate the words JAL-LA THANA’UKA after TA’ALA JAD-DUKA.

Then the Imam shall call the second Takbir aloud and the followers will do it a lower pitch without anyone raising their hands. The entire assembly including the Imam will then recite the two Daruds meant for usual Salats at a low pitch. Then they shall call Takbir for the third time in the manner of the second.

If the dead body is of an adult the Imam and the assembly will recite the following formula:

AL-LAHUM-MA-GHFIR LIHAY-YINA WA MAY-YITINA WA SHAHIDINA WA GHA’IBINA WA SAGHIRINA WA KABIRINA WA ZAKARINA WA UNTHANA. AL-LAHUM-MA MAN AHYAITAHU MIN-NA FA AHYIHI ‘ALAL-ISLAM WA MAN TAWAF-FAITAHU MIN-NA FATAWAF-FAHU ‘ALAL-IMAN.

(O Al-lah accord peace to the living, the dead, the present, the absent, the young, the old, the male and the female from amongst us. O Al-lah, those whom thou woudst keep alive keep them on Islam and strike dead whom thou woudst on Iman.)

If the dead body is of a male minor the following formula should be recited:

AL-LAHUM-MAJ’ALHU LANA FARTA(N)W-WA-J’ALHU  LANA AJRA(N)W-WA ZUKHRA(N)W-WAJ’ALHU LANA SHAFI’A(N)W-WA MUSHAF-FA’AN.

(O Al-lah make him [the deceased child] a forerunner for our salvation and make it [the affliction of his separation] a thing of reward and a deposit for us and make him the one who will intercede on our behalf and whose intercession is accepted by thee.)

If the dead body is of a female minor, the same formula should be repeated with the changes of gender in the Arabic text at three places: WAJ’ALHU  is to be changed to WAJ’ALHA and SHAFI’A(N)W-WA MUSHAF-FA’AN  to SHAFI’ATA(N)W-WA MUSHAF-FA’ATAN.

This done the Imam will say the fourth Takbir aloud and those behind him shall say it at a low pitch. After it, the Imam will turn his face for Salam first to the right and then to the left.

Q.   What things should we do after the completion of Salat?

  Immediately on completion of Salat, the bier should be carried for burial. While doing so, the verse or the formulas that one feels like repeating, may be said at a low pitch. Saying it aloud is undesirable. We should give thought to the dead person’s immediate next stage, i.e., the grave and the reckoning he or she shall be subjected to and to the transience of this world. We should also pray for salvation and peace for the dead. On reaching the graveyard the dead body should be consigned to the grave.

THE TWO ‘ID PRAYERS

THE TWO ‘ID PRAYERS

Q.   What things are the Prophet’s precepts or desirable on ‘Id days?

  These are as follows:

             i.     Taking bath and during the teeth (with a tooth-stick);

           ii.     Putting on the best possible clothes;

         iii.     Applying perfume;

          iv.     Eating dates or other sweet things before going for ‘Id-ul-Fitr prayer;

            v.     Partaking of one’s sacrificial meat after prayers on ‘Id-ul-Adha;

          vi.     Covering the distance on foot;

        vii.     Going by one route and returning by another;

      viii.     Saying no Nafl prayers before ‘Id prayer;

          ix.     Saying no Nafl Salat in the special ‘Id masjid after congregational prayers.

Q.   How is it to say Takbir (Al-lah’s glorification) enroute to the masjid?

  There is no harm in going to the masjid with Takbir on a low pitch on ‘Id-ul-Fitr. On ‘Id-ul-Adha, however it is preferable to say it audibly.

Q.   Is the ‘Id prayer Wajib (ordained) or Masnun (the Prophet’s precept)?

  Both the ‘Id prayers are ordained. They are ordained only for those who are duty bound to say the Jum'ah prayer. Conditions precedent for the Jum'ah prayer also hold good for ‘Id prayers. Time for the two ‘Id prayers, however elapses before the first sign of the decline of the sun. The ‘Id oration is not commanded. Nor is it to be given before the Salat. It is the Prophet’s precept to give it after the prayers.

Q.   How many Rak'ahs are there in each one of the two ‘Id Salats and what is the procedure laid down for them?

  ‘Id Salats have two Rak'ahs each. There is no Azan or Takbir to be called for them. First, we affirm the intention to say the ordained Salat for ‘Id-ul-Fitr or ‘Id-ul-Adha, as the case may be, behind a particular Imam with the case may be, behind a particular Imam with six extra Takbir. Then we say Al-lahu Akbar with hands raised up to the ears, then drop the hands and fold them as usual and recite the Thana. We again raise both hands to our ears saying Al-lahu Akbar and drop them. We raise the hands and drop them saying Al-lahu Akbar the second time and repeat the action the third time with the difference that now (on completion of three extra Takbirs) we again fold our hands. The Imam then will say       Ta’aw-wuz and Tasmiah, recite Al-Fatihah and the surah and move on to bowing. When we are again on our legs for the second Rak'ah, the Imam will raise our hands to our ears and drop them and repeat the action three times. Then we say Takbir for the fourth and last time without raising the hands and pass on to bowing and complete the Salat in the usual manner.

After the Salat is over the Imam will give his oration and the congregation will listen to him in silence. Like the Jum'ah oration, the two ‘Id orations have also two parts each and it is the Prophet’s precept to sit for respite in between the two parts.

Q.   What are the special acts and directions for ‘Id-ul-Adha?

  They are as follows:

             i.     Repeating the Takbir aloud while on way to the venue of ‘Id prayer;

           ii.     Eating nothing before the prayer; and

         iii.     Obligation to say the Takbir for Tashriq.

Q.   What do we mean by the Takbir for Tashriq?

  The Takbir said during the Tashriq days after commanded prayers is known as Takbir for Tashriq.

Q.   Which days are known as the days of Tashriq?

  Three days in the month of Zil-Hij-jah (11^th, 12^th and 13^th) are known as the days of Tashriq.

Q.   When do the Takbir of Tashriq begin and end?

  The Takbir is said for five days beginning on the day of ‘Arafah (9^th Zul-Hij-jah) followed by the day of Nahr (10^th of Zul-Hij-jah) and the three days of Tashriq.

The Takbir is started along with Fajr prayer on the 9^th and is continued till the ‘Asr on the 13^th. It is ordained to say it after every commanded prayer. It must be called audibly immediately after a worshipper has turned his face in Salam. Women shall not say it aloud. The congregation must say it even if the head of the prayer forgets to repeat it.

Q.   What is the formula for Takbir and how many times it is to be  repeated?

  The Takbir of Tashriq is as under:

AL-LAHU AKBAR AL-LAHU AKBAR LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHU WAL-LAHU AKBAR AL-LAHU AKBAR WA LIL-LAHIL-HAMD.

It is ordained to recite it once.

SALAT OF A PERSON ON JOURNEY

SALAT OF A PERSON ON JOURNEY

Q.   For how long great a distance must one have intended for travel to quality for the definition of a person “person on journey”?

  According to Shariah a “person on journey” is one who intends to travel as far as takes three days to walk (on foot). It does not mean three days continuous walking but traveling from morning till the decline of the sun. Walk means walk on ordinary pace and the day for the purpose is to be the shortest day.

Q.   What do we mean by walk on ordinary pace and three days journey means how many miles?

   

             i.     Walk on ordinary pace means walk of a man travelling on foot.

           ii.     Three days walk may, for the sake of convenience, be taken to mean forty eighty miles or eighty kilometers.

Q.   What does the Shariah say about a person who covers the distance (walkable in three days) by train, bus or chaise drawn by the horses?

  He is to be rested as “on journey” howsoever speedily he covers the distance.

Q.   In what respect is the Salat of a person on-journey different from the normal prayer?

  A person on-journey offers two Rak'ahs instead of four for Dhuhr, ‘Asr and ‘Isha. There is, however no change in the prayers for Fajr, Maghrib and for Witr.

Q.   What is the technical name given to this act of shortening the Salat from four Rak'ahs to two?

  It is called Qasr (shortening).

Q.   When should a person on-journey start availing himself of the Qasr (shortening) provision?

  He should start doing Qasr from the time he gets out of the bounds of his locality.

Q.   How long should he avail himself of the provision for Qasr?

  He can avail it as long as he is on-journey and does not make the intention to stay in any one city, town or village for a minimum of fifteen days. But the moment he makes up his mind to stay at any one place for a period of fifteen days or more, he should start saying unabridged (full) Salat.

Q.   What is the injunction about a  person who had the intention to stay for three four days, but the stay to be prolonged for another term of three four days as the job in hand could not be finished and again the process was repeated in like manner until the stay went beyond the stipulated period of fifteen days?

  As long as he does not make an intention to stay for full fifteen days at a time, he should offer shortened prayers. The provision will hold even if the total period of stay exceeds fifteen days.

Q.   What is the stipulation for one who by mistake says, full four Rak'ahs of the Salat?

  If he has done the sitting after the second Rak'ah, one remedial prostration at the end will set the Salat right. Deliberate flouting the stipulation will amount to sin. But there is no blame if it is a genuine lapse. In this case two of the Rak'ahs will be counted towards Fard while the other two will be Nafl prayers.

In case no sitting was done after the second Rak'ah, the commanded prayer will not be deemed to have been consummated. The whole exercise will turn Nafl. Fard will have to be said once again.

Q.   What is the injunction about a person on journey saying his Salat behind an on-station Imam?

  The person on journey following an on-station Imam also becomes under obligation to say full four Rak'ahs.

Q.   What is the injunction about a person on journey leading the prayers of those who are on-station?

  In this case the on-journey head of the prayer will turn his face in Salam after two Rak'ahs and ask his on-station followers to go ahead with the remaining part of their Salat without him. Others in congregation will stand on their legs without turning their faces in Salam and complete their remaining two Rak'ahs. They should neither recite Surahs after Al-Fatihah in these two Rak'ahs nor will they execute the remedial prostration in case of a lapse in Salat.

Q.   Is Salat permissible on board a running train, aeroplane or ship?

  Yes, Salat is permissible to be said on a running train, aeroplane or ship. If it is possible to stand and say the Salat without fear of feeling giddy and falling down we must do it in the standing posture. If it is not possible we are allowed to sit and say it. If, during the prayer the train, the aeroplane or the ship changes its direction so that the worshipping no longer faces the Qiblah, let him also adjust himself so that the Qiblah remains before him.