TO BE A MUSLIM (Shaykh Nazim, 85 pages, 2/4)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6045
one’s forehead to the ground in prostra- tion;
6.Taªiyyât, kneeling at the end of the prayer while reciting the du‘â’ of taªiyyât.
How salâh is Performed
After having made wu¡û’, and in clean clothing, one stands in a clean place facing the qibla. Then one makes one’s in- tention, by saying: “O my Lord, here I stand in Your Pres- ence for Your good Pleasure, intending to pray ...” – for instance, “... the sunna or the far¡ of the fajr prayer.” The hands are then raised to the level of the ears with the open palms facing the qibla, as one pronounces the takbîr, “Allâhu akbar”. The right hand then grips the left hand at the wrist just below the navel. Then the following is recited in turn:
Subªânaka llâhumma wa bi-ªamdika wa tabâraka smuka wa ta‘âlâ jadduka (and at funerals: wa jalla thanâ’uka is also re- cited) wa lâ ilâha ghayruk 2
A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shaytâni r-rajîm 3
“Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm al-ªamdu li-llâhi rabbi l-‘alamîn ar-raªmâni r-raªîm
2O Allah, glory and praise are for You, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your Majesty (sublime be Your glory); there is no god but You.
3I seek protection in Allah from Satan, the accursed.
mâliki yawmi d-dîn
iyyâka na‘budu wa iyyâka nasta‘în ihdinâ s-sirâta l-mustaqîm
sirâta lladhîna an‘amta ‘alayhim
ghayri l-maghdûbi ‘alayhim wa lâ ¡-¡âllîn. ” 4 – Âmîn
[Sûrat al-Fâtiªa, “The Opening Chapter”, 1]
“Qul huwa llâhu aªad Allâhu s-samad
lam yalid wa lam yûlad
wa-lam yakûn lahu kufuwan aªad. ” 5
[Sûrat al-Ikhlâs, “Purity of faith”, 112]
When this recitation is completed, one says “Allâhu akbar” and bows at the waist to the position of rukû‘. In this posi- tion the back is straightened and both hands are placed over the knees, which are locked. In this position one repeats three times: “Subªâna rabbiya l-‘azîm”. (“Glory to my Lord, the Great!”) Then one straightens up again into standing position while saying: “Sami‘a llâhu li-man ªamidah” (“Allah hears those who praise Him.“); on reaching this position one says: “rabbanâ wa laka l-ªamd ”. (“Our Lord, praise be to You.”) After this, one says “Allâhu akbar” and goes into sajda, prostration.
4In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray. (Qur’ān translations following A. Yusuf Ali.)
5Say: He is God, The One and Only, God, the Eternal, Absolute. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.
Of all the forms of worshipping Allah l, none express- es greater veneration than the posture of prostration. The prostrating servant is at that time closest to his Lord, and
whatever a servant asks of Allah Almighty while he is in saj- da, Allah l will grant it to him. By contrast, there is noth- ing that angers, infuriates Shaytān more than when Allah’s servants bow down to Him in prostration. Shaytān gets angry and flees the presence of anyone performing sajda.
Therefore, to perform frequent prostration is an indication of the strength of faith. Without sajda there can be no faith. On the Day of Judgment Allah l will order all the peo- ple assembled before Him to prostrate themselves. Those who used to prostrate themselves during their lifetime will
prostrate themselves on that day, whereas those who did not will remain standing upright. At that time the faces of those who made sajda will be filled with light and they will be sent to Paradise, while the others’ faces will darken and they will be sent to Hell.
While in sajda, one repeats the words “Subªâna rabbiya l-a‘lâ” (“Glory to my Lord, the Highest.”) three times, then again saying “Allâhu akbar” one raises one’s head and sits upright before bowing down for the second sajda. In this way one rak‘a is complete. After the sajda one says “Allâhu akbar” and rises for the second rak‘a. This rak‘a is performed in the same way as the first, except that the initial “subªânaka llâhumma ...” and “a‘ûdhu bi-llâhi ...” are omitted. One begins by reciting the Basmala and reading al- Fâtiªa, followed by al-Ikhlâs or another sûra one has memo- rised. Then as in the first rak‘a one bends for rukû‘ and bows in sajda. After the two prostrations, this time one remains in the kneeling position and recites the prayer of taªiyyât:
At-taªiyyâtu li-llâhi
wa s-salawâtu wa t-tayyibât
as-salâmu ‘alayka ayyuhâ n-nabiyyi wa raªmatu llâhi wa barakâtuh
as-salâmu ‘alaynâ
wa ‘alâ ‘ibâdi llâhi s-sâliªîn ashhadu an lâ ilâha illâ llâh
wa ashhadu anna Muªammadan ‘abduhu wa rasûluh. 6
If the prayer one has performed consists of only two rak‘aât, this du‘â’ is recited after the taªiyyât:
Allâhumma salli ‘alâ Muªammadin wa ‘alâ âli Muªammadin kamâ sallayta ‘alâ Ibrâhîma wa ‘alâ âli Ibrâhîma
innaka ªamîdun majîd
Allâhumma bârik ‘alâ Muªammadin wa ‘alâ âli Muªammadin kamâ barakta ‘alâ Ibrâhîma wa ‘alâ âli Ibrâhîma
innaka hamîdun majîd
“Rabbanâ âtinâ fi d-dunyâ ªasanatan wa fi-l-âkhirati ªasanatan
wa qinâ adhâba n-nâr.” 7 [Baqara, “The Heifer”, 2:201]
6All prayer is for Allah and worship and goodness. Peace be on you, O prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and bear witness that Mukammad is His servant and messenger.
7O Allah, let Your blessing come upon Mukammad and the family of Mukammad, as you blessed Ibrāhîm and his family, truly You are the Praiseworthy and Glorious.
O Allah, bless Mukammad and the family of Mukammad, as you blessed Ibrāhîm and his family, truly You are the Praiseworthy and Glorious.
If one does not know these supplications, one recites only “at-taªiyyâtu ...”, then turning the head towards the right, one says: “as-salâmu ‘alaykum wa raªmatu llâh” (“peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy“), after that one turns the head to the left side and gives salâmât in the same way, thus end- ing the prayer.
If the prayer consists of four rak‘aât, one gets up after the taªiyyât without giving salâmât, saying “Allâhu akbar” in- stead. Then two more rak‘aât are performed as described above.
At the beginning of the third rak‘a of the first set of sunna rak‘aât of the ‘asr and the ‘ishâ’ prayers, “subªânaka llâhum- ma ...” is recited, though is not read at other prayers. Also, the salawât are recited after the taªiyyât in the first set of sunna rak‘aât of these two prayers.
If the prayer to be performed is a far¡ prayer of three or four rak‘aât, one should only recite the Basmala and al-Fâtiªa af- ter the second rak‘a when standing for the third and fourth rak‘a. In the far¡ prayers, only in the first and second rak‘aât an additional sûra is recited after al-Fâtiªa.
If one prays the far¡ prayer following an Imam, one makes this intention: “I intend to pray the far¡ of fajr (or any other prayer time) behind the Imam for the sake of Allah’s Pleasure.” When the Imam intones “Allâhu akbar”, one repeats the takbîr after him and joins one’s hands. If one makes the takbîr before the Imam does so, the prayer will not be valid.
Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the fire!
Therefore the congregation must be careful to repeat the takbîr after the Imam has done so. Following an Imam, one only recites “subªânaka llâhumma ...” and then remains si- lent. The tasbîª (praise of Allah) and taªiyyât for rukû‘ [cf.
p. 30/31] and sajda [cf. p. 32] are however recited.
If someone comes late and reaches the congregation while the Imam is in the position of rukû‘, he stands and makes takbîr, then immediately bends for rukû‘; as long as the Imam has not yet raised his head from this position, this rak‘a (of the latecomer) is counted as valid. The rak‘aât one has failed to reach on time, need to be made up. After the Imam gives salâm, one stands up and completes the missed rak‘aât, then ends one’s prayer by giving salâm.
After the salâmât one recites:
Allâhumma anta s-salâm wa minka s-salâm tabârakta ya dhâ l-jalâli wa l-ikrâm.8
For each prayer performed in congregation one receives twenty-seven times more rewards than for a prayer per- formed on one’s own. Prayers performed in congregation are much more pleasing to Allah l than those performed alone. Therefore, to attend prayers in jamâ‘a (in congrega-
tion) carries much reward. Even if one prays by oneself, one should call out the iqâma for one’s far¡ prayers. Women do not need to call the iqâma.
8O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace, blessed are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Bounty. (Hadith Muslim i. a.)
If going to pray out in the wild, on a mountain or in the plains, one first calls the adhân (call to prayer), then the iqâ- ma, and then prays as one would in jamâ‘a. A multitude of angels, as far as the eyes can see, will be the jamâ‘a for that person and join him in prayer.
Adhân and Iqâma
It is sunna for men to call the adhân and the iqâma. This is the call to prayer (adhân):
4 times Allâhu akbar
2 times ashhadu an lâ ilâha illâ llâh
2 times ashhadu anna Muªammadan rasûlu llâh
2 times ªayya ‘alâ s-salâh 2 times ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪠2 times Allâhu akbar
1 time lâ ilâha illâ llâh 9
Only in the adhân for fajr (the morning prayer), “as-salâ- tu khayrun mina n-nawm” (“prayer is better than sleep”) is recited twice after “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔. In the iqâma, “qad qâmati s-salâh” (“The prayer has begun.”) is repeated twice after “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔.
9 Allah is the Greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Mukammad is Allah’s messenger. Hasten to the prayer. Hasten to salvation. Allah is the Greatest. No god except Al- lah.
The Reward of Calling the Adhân
Since the adhân informs the believers that the time for prayer has come, it has very great rewards. Our Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “If people knew about the value of the call to prayer – of the rewards for the adhân – they would draw their swords and compete with each other for calling the adhân.”
And he, on whom be peace, also said: “Whoever fulfills the office of the mu’adhdhin (the one who calls the adhân), for a whole year for the sake of Allah will have become deserv- ing of Paradise.”
To call the adhân one should have wu¡û’. It is to be called from a high place and facing the qibla. The louder it is called, the more reward it carries. For every creature that hears the adhân of the mu’adhdhin will bear testimony to him on the Day of Judgment. When intoning “ªayya ‘alâ s-salâh” one turns to the right, and at the words “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔ one turns to the left; then one faces the qibla again and com- pletes the adhân. Whoever hears the adhân being called, should stop whatever he is doing out of respect for it; if he is talking, he should fall silent and listen to the adhân and repeat the phrases as the mu’adhdhin is calling them. When one hears the words “ªayya ‘alâ s-salâh” and “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔ being called, one should say:
Lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata
illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘azîm.10
Having shown respect for the adhân will ensure that one leaves this world with one’s faith intact. After the adhân
10 There is no power and no strength save in Allah, All-High and Al- mighty.
has been called, one recites salawât, blessings on the Holy Prophet, followed by this du‘â’: “O our Lord, on account of any adhân that has been called grant us pardon for the sake of Your Most Beloved Servant.” Allah l accepts the sup- plications that are recited following the adhân. Wherever the adhân-i Muªammadî is recited five times a day, Allah l will protect that place or village from the calamities that would befall it on that day. Wherever the adhân-i Muªam- madî is not called, abundance will wither and blessings will cease, while hardship will increase.
Tasbîª and Du‘â’ after the Formal Prayer (salâh/namâz)
When the formal prayer is finished, the mu’adhdhin says: “‘alâ rasûlinâ salawât”11. At that time salawât upon our Holy Prophet are recited. After that the mu’adhdhin says:
“Subªâna llâh wa l-ªamdu li-llâh, wa lâ ilâha illâ llâhu wa- llâhu akbar, wa lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘azîm,”12 followed by A‘ûdhu bi-llâh and Basmala, then he recites the following verses:
“Wa ilâhukum ilâhun wâªid
lâ ilâha illâ huwa r-raªmânu r-raªîm.”13
[Sûrat al-Baqara, „The Heifer“ 2:163]
11On our messenger praise and blessings.
12Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is Greatest. Und there is no power and no strength save in Allah, All-High and Almighty.
13And your god is One god, no god but He, the Beneficent, the Merci- ful.
“Allâhu lâ ilâha illâ huwa l-ªayyu l-qayyûm(u) lâ ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa lâ nawm
lahu mâ fî s-samawâti wa mâ fi l-ar¡
man dhâ lladhî yashfa‘u ‘indahu illâ bi-idhnih(i) ya‘lamu mâ bayna aydîhim wa mâ khalfahum
wa lâ yuªîtûna bi-shay’in min ‘ilmihi illâ bi mâ shâ’ wasi‘a kursiyyuhu s-samâwâti wa l-ar¡a
wa lâ ya’ûduhu ªifzuhumâ wa huwa l-‘aliyyu l-‘azîm.”14
[Sûrat al-Baqara, Âyat al-kursî, “The Verse of the Throne”, 2:255]
After this recitation, everyone recites subªâna llâh, al-ªamdu li-llâh, and Allâhu akbar thirty-three times each. Then the mu’adhdhin recites:
“Lâ ilâha illâ llâh waªdahu lâ sharîka lah, lahu l-mulku wa lahu l-ªamdu wa huwa ‘alâ kulli shay’in qadîr,”15 after which he says: “Subªâna rabbiya l-‘aliyya l-a‘lâ l-wahhâb.” 16 At this point everyone raises their hands in supplication and be- seeches Allah l in his own words. It is Allah Almighty who accepts His servants’ prayers.
14Allah! There is no god But He, – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence ex- cept as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme.
15There is no god but Allah, He is One, no partner has He. His is the Kingdom and all praise, and He is over all things powerful.
16Glory be to my Lord, All-High, Supreme, Most Munificent.
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The Jum‘a prayer, the Congregational Prayer on Friday
There is an obligatory prayer of two rak‘aât on the day of Jum‘a, Friday being the most honoured day of the week. A congregational prayer can be performed if there are at least two other people present besides the Imam. The Jum‘a prayer is a binding duty on all those who are male, free, resident at that particular place, and in good health. It is not obligatory for women, travellers, captives, the sick, the blind, and the lame. However, if they do perform it, they will partake of its rewards. If they do not participate, they commit no sin.
The Greatness of the Day of Jum‘a
The most honoured day of the week is the day of Jum‘a, Fri- day. Allah Almighty has granted to each prophet’s nation a particular day for worship. As the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, is the greatest and most honoured of all prophets, Allah Almighty has reserved the most honoured of all days for his nation, the day of Jum‘a. Friday is the
holiday for Muslim believers. Allah l forgives those who perform the Jum‘a prayer all the sins they have committed
between one Jum‘a and the next. He extends His mercy to them and accepts their prayers. Therefore, to honour the day of Jum‘a or to allow it to be honoured is a very praise- worthy act of worship in the eyes of Allah l. In particular, for parents to teach their children the importance of this
day and to impress it upon their minds, raising a generation that will be of use to its country, will bring joy to the par-
ents and likewise to the teachers who carry responsibility for this most precious and honourable task.
It is our Holy Prophet’s sunna to wash oneself on Jum‘a, i.e. to perform ghusl, to put on clean clothes, to use perfume, and to go to the mosque ahead of time.
When the time for Jum‘a prayer has come, Allah Al- mighty commands the believers to leave all their worldly business aside and to focus instead on spiritual business and the remembrance of Allah l. While the Jum‘a prayer is in progress, it is definitely ªarâm to conduct one’s business in
the marketplace and to occupy oneself with worldly affairs. Whoever does so will not benefit from his transactions and in the end will meet with disaster and misery.
The Jum‘a prayer was made obligatory during the hijra of our Holy Prophet, that is his migration from Mecca to Medina. In the khutba (sermon) of his first Jum‘a our Holy Prophet, the Most Excellent of all Creation, spoke:
“O my nation, on this day, at this hour, and in this very place Allah Almighty imposes on you as a binding duty the Jum‘a prayer, the congregational prayer on Fridays, up un- til the Day of Judgment. May Allah bring ruin upon those who leave out this Jum‘a prayer, not taking it seriously. Allah accepts the prayers of His prophets concerning their nations; therefore, those who ignore the Jum‘a prayer and fail to observe it, will no doubt face misery and ruin as a result of this du‘â’.”
The Prayers to be Performed on Jum‘a
Whoever enters the mosque on the day of Jum‘a, before the adhân is called, should pray two rak‘aât of taªiyyâtu l-mas- jid, that is in order to salute the mosque and then sit down. When the adhân is sounded, one rises and prays the four rak‘aât of the first sunna of the Jum‘a prayer. Then one lis- tens to the khutba (sermon) and prays the two rak‘aât of the Jum‘a prayer following the Imam. After this, one prays four rak‘aât of the final sunna of the Jum‘a prayer. This is followed by another four rak‘aât, with the intention of praying the noonday prayer (zuhr) before the time for it has passed. Af- ter this one prays two rak‘aât for the sunna of that time, thus completing the prayer. Whoever prays his Jum‘a prayer in this way, will have completed the prayer without leaving out any of the sunna pertaining to it. One could also just pray the two obligatory rak‘aât in congregation and then leave the mosque, the prayer would be valid, but one would be deprived of many of the rewards and fail to gain our Holy Prophet’s pleasure. Therefore, one should pray at least two rak‘aât of sunna prayer after the far¡ in order to try to please our Holy Prophet.
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The Five Daily Prayers
It is far¡ for believers to observe the five periods of prayer. It is never permissible to abandon these five prayer periods or to delay praying. On the Day of Judgment the first thing for which a servant will be taken to account is his prayer. If he has performed his prayers dutifully, he will easily pass the rest of his interrogation; if he has not performed all
his prayers, he will be stuck. Our Holy Prophet said that prayer is the mainstay of Islam. Therefore, one must pay the utmost attention to prayer.
–morning prayer, fajr: two rak‘aât sunna, two rak‘aât far¡, altogether four rak‘aât.
–noon prayer, zuhr: four rak‘aât first sunna, four rak‘aât far¡, two rak‘aât final sunna, ten rak‘aât in all.
–afternoon prayer, ‘asr: four rak‘aât sunna, four rak‘aât far¡, eight rak‘aât in all.
–evening prayer, maghrib: three rak‘aât far¡, two rak‘aât sunna, five rak‘aât in all.
–night prayer, ‘ishâ’: four rak‘aât first sunna, four rak‘aât far¡, two rak‘aât final sunna, three rak‘aât witr (cf. p. 45 f.), making thirteen rak‘aât in all.
Prayers that have been missed must be performed at a later time. If one misses a prayer, only the far¡ rak‘aât of that prayer time need to be made up, not the sunna rak‘aât. The rak‘aât of witr, however, do need to be made up. If someone has not found time to pray all day and has missed all five of the daily prayers, he should take wu¡û’ at night and belat- edly pray the far¡ of all five prayers, and then go to bed.
It is a wâjib (required) to make an effort not to go to sleep without having made up the missed prayers. Nobody should leave his home in the morning without having made sajda to Allah l. Even if one only wakes up after the sun has already risen, one should wash one’s hands and face,
and feet and complete one’s ablution and say: “O my Lord, for the sake of Your good pleasure I have made this ablu- tion, and to gain Your pleasure I intend to pray the two rak‘aât far¡ of today’s fajr prayer incumbent on me.” Then one prays two rak‘aât, and makes du‘â’. Whoever persists
in this practice every day will be protected from accident or misfortune along with his entire family. His affairs will prosper and his physical being will be sound. If someone makes the morning prayer his daily practice, Allah l will grant him love of worshipping, his heart will be filled with
light, and it will become easy for him to observe the other prayer times. Because a person can succeed in what he con- siders easy, whereas he will not be able to do what appears difficult to him. For a person of sound faith there is nothing in the world that is too difficult, too troublesome, for in every respect he hopes for Allah’s support. Those lacking this faith will always consider their own inability and lack of power and hence will avoid undertaking difficult tasks. Therefore, those with great faith are able to accomplish great works, and he who can withstand the greatest diffi- culties will ultimately triumph. If a person finds it difficult to make sajda (prostrate himself) before his creator Allah Almighty even once a day, how should he be able to wear himself out for the sake of his religion or his nation? Every page of our glorious history is adorned with magnificent victories. Beyond any doubt, it was the boundless faith in Allah Almighty which they carried in their hearts that be- stirred the noble blood in the veins of our heroic race to the utmost exertions.
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The ‘Îd Prayers
There are two ‘Îd prayers in the year. It is wâjib (required) to perform these prayers, i. e. those who do not attend them will be punished. The ‘Îd prayers are performed on the ‘Îd al-Fitr (marking the end of the Rama¡ān fast), and on the
‘Îd al-A¡ªâ (the Feast of Sacrifices, marking the end of the ªajj). It is a prayer of two rak‘aât prayed in congregation at the mosque forty minutes after sunrise. Afterwards there is a khutba, a sermon. It is sunna to perform ghusl on the morning of the ‘Îd, to dress in new or clean clothes, to wear pleasant-smelling perfume, and to be at the mosque early. Allah Almighty is always pleased to see evidence of the fa- vours He has granted to His servants. It is wâjib (required) for believers to fulfill their servanthood towards Allah Al- mighty in the most perfect way by always eating the best food, dressing in the best clothes, and arranging their lives in the best way. Essentially, the blessings of this world and the hereafter are all for the believing servants. Therefore, it is the duty of the believers to avail themselves of these blessings as best they can. To strive towards benefitting from these blessings is a way of expressing one’s gratitude for them.
On the days of the ‘Îd one should try to do as much good as one is able to do. It befits believers to bring happiness to those who are poor and lonely, to visit one another, and to try to increase mutual respect and affection. On the ‘Îd al-A¡ªâ, it is wâjib to intone the takbîr at 23 prayer times, starting from the day before the feast. This is the takbîr that is recited:
“Allâhu akbar, Allâhu akbar, lâ ilâha illâ llâh
wa-llâhu akbar, Allâhu akbar wa li-llâhi l-ªamd.” 17
17Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no God except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and praise be to Allah.
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The Tarâwîª Prayer
This is a congregational prayer of twenty rak‘aât that is prayed during the month of Rama¡ān after the ‘ishâ’ prayer, the night prayer. It is a sunna both for men and women to perform this prayer. The tarâwîª prayer can be performed alone, but it is more meritorious to pray along with the con- gregation.
A person following an Imam prays the twenty rak‘aât be- hind him, without reciting on his own. Allah Almighty will shower all sorts of mercy on those who perform this prayer, He will give them Paradise as their inheritance and forgive them their sins.
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The Witr Prayer
This is a prayer of three rak‘aât, which it is wâjib to perform after the ‘ishâ’ prayer. During Rama¡ān it is performed in congregation after the tarâwîª prayer, following the Imam. In the third rak‘a, after reciting al-Fâtiªa and another sûra, one raises one’s hands while saying “Allâhu akbar” and re- cites the du‘â’ of qunût (“obedience to God”):
Allâhumma innâ nasta‘înuka wa nastaghfiruka wa nastahdîka wa nu’minu bika wa natûbu ilayka wa natawakkalu ‘alayka wa nuthnî ‘alayka l-khayra kullahu
wa nashkuruka wa lâ nakfuruka
wa nakhla‘u wa natruku man yafjuruk(a)
Allâhumma iyyâka na‘budu wa laka nusallî wa nasjudu
wa ilayka nas‘â wa naªfidu
wa narjû raªmataka wa nakhshâ ‘adhâbaka innâ ‘adhâbaka bi l-kuffâri mulªiq(un).18
Whoever does not know this du‘â’ can just recite: “Rabbanâ âtinâ fi d-dunyâ ªasanatan
wa fi l-âkhirati ªasanatan
wa-qinâ ‘adhaba n-nâr.”19 [Baqara, 2:201]
If one does not know this either, it is enough to say “yâ rabbî ” thrice.
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The Janâza Prayer (Funeral Prayer)
To perform the funeral prayer is far¡-i kifâya, that is to say, if a number of Muslims are present to pray over a dead per- son, then the other Muslims (of that place) are exempted from the obligation of praying the funeral prayer. If there is no one there to pray janâza, then all the inhabitants of that place have sinned. Those who pray the funeral prayer will receive the reward of those who have fulfilled a far¡-i
18O Allah! We implore You for help and beg forgiveness of You and we ask for guidance. We believe in You and rely on You and extol You and we are thankful to You and are not ungrateful to You and we alienate and forsake him who disobeys You.
O Allah! You alone do we worship and for You do we pray and prostrate and we betake to please You and present ourselves for the service in Your cause and we hope for Your mercy and fear Your chas- tisement. Undoubtedly, Your torment is going to overtake infidels.
19Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the fire!
kifâya, whereas those who do not attend the prayer are left without this reward.
The janâza prayer is prayed with four takbirât (Allâhu akbar). To begin with, one must make an intention, speci- fying whether the deceased is a man or a woman, a girl or a boy child, saying, “O my Lord, for the sake of Your pleasure I intend to pray behind the Imam the funeral prayer for this man or this woman.” When the Imam pronounces the first takbîr, one repeats Allâhu akbar to oneself and joins one’s hands. One then recites subªânaka llâhumma ..., including the phrase wa jalla thanâ’uka (cf. p. 29), and when the Imam calls the second takbîr, one repeats this after him, and re- cites Allâhumma salli ... and Allâhumma bârik ... When the Imam calls the third takbîr one recites this du‘â’:
Allâhumma ghfir li-ªayyinâ wa mayyitinâ
wa shâhidinâ wa ghâ’ibinâ wa saghîrinâ wa kabîrinâ wa dhakarinâ wa unthânâ
Allâhumma man aªyaytahu minnâ
(or: aªyaytahâ, if the deceased is female)
fa-aªyihi (aªyihâ) ‘alâ l-islâm wa man tawaffaytahu minnâ
fa-tawaffahu (tawaffahâ) ‘alâ l-imân
Allâhumma in kâna (kânat) muªsinan (muªsinatan)
fa-zid fî iªsânihi (iªsânihâ)
wa in kâna (kânat) musî’an (musî’atan)
fa-tajâwaz ‘anhu (‘anhâ)
wa laqqihi (laqqihâ) l-amna
wa l-bushra wa l-karamata wa z-zulfa bi-raªmatika
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6045
one’s forehead to the ground in prostra- tion;
6.Taªiyyât, kneeling at the end of the prayer while reciting the du‘â’ of taªiyyât.
How salâh is Performed
After having made wu¡û’, and in clean clothing, one stands in a clean place facing the qibla. Then one makes one’s in- tention, by saying: “O my Lord, here I stand in Your Pres- ence for Your good Pleasure, intending to pray ...” – for instance, “... the sunna or the far¡ of the fajr prayer.” The hands are then raised to the level of the ears with the open palms facing the qibla, as one pronounces the takbîr, “Allâhu akbar”. The right hand then grips the left hand at the wrist just below the navel. Then the following is recited in turn:
Subªânaka llâhumma wa bi-ªamdika wa tabâraka smuka wa ta‘âlâ jadduka (and at funerals: wa jalla thanâ’uka is also re- cited) wa lâ ilâha ghayruk 2
A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shaytâni r-rajîm 3
“Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm al-ªamdu li-llâhi rabbi l-‘alamîn ar-raªmâni r-raªîm
2O Allah, glory and praise are for You, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your Majesty (sublime be Your glory); there is no god but You.
3I seek protection in Allah from Satan, the accursed.
mâliki yawmi d-dîn
iyyâka na‘budu wa iyyâka nasta‘în ihdinâ s-sirâta l-mustaqîm
sirâta lladhîna an‘amta ‘alayhim
ghayri l-maghdûbi ‘alayhim wa lâ ¡-¡âllîn. ” 4 – Âmîn
[Sûrat al-Fâtiªa, “The Opening Chapter”, 1]
“Qul huwa llâhu aªad Allâhu s-samad
lam yalid wa lam yûlad
wa-lam yakûn lahu kufuwan aªad. ” 5
[Sûrat al-Ikhlâs, “Purity of faith”, 112]
When this recitation is completed, one says “Allâhu akbar” and bows at the waist to the position of rukû‘. In this posi- tion the back is straightened and both hands are placed over the knees, which are locked. In this position one repeats three times: “Subªâna rabbiya l-‘azîm”. (“Glory to my Lord, the Great!”) Then one straightens up again into standing position while saying: “Sami‘a llâhu li-man ªamidah” (“Allah hears those who praise Him.“); on reaching this position one says: “rabbanâ wa laka l-ªamd ”. (“Our Lord, praise be to You.”) After this, one says “Allâhu akbar” and goes into sajda, prostration.
4In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray. (Qur’ān translations following A. Yusuf Ali.)
5Say: He is God, The One and Only, God, the Eternal, Absolute. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.
Of all the forms of worshipping Allah l, none express- es greater veneration than the posture of prostration. The prostrating servant is at that time closest to his Lord, and
whatever a servant asks of Allah Almighty while he is in saj- da, Allah l will grant it to him. By contrast, there is noth- ing that angers, infuriates Shaytān more than when Allah’s servants bow down to Him in prostration. Shaytān gets angry and flees the presence of anyone performing sajda.
Therefore, to perform frequent prostration is an indication of the strength of faith. Without sajda there can be no faith. On the Day of Judgment Allah l will order all the peo- ple assembled before Him to prostrate themselves. Those who used to prostrate themselves during their lifetime will
prostrate themselves on that day, whereas those who did not will remain standing upright. At that time the faces of those who made sajda will be filled with light and they will be sent to Paradise, while the others’ faces will darken and they will be sent to Hell.
While in sajda, one repeats the words “Subªâna rabbiya l-a‘lâ” (“Glory to my Lord, the Highest.”) three times, then again saying “Allâhu akbar” one raises one’s head and sits upright before bowing down for the second sajda. In this way one rak‘a is complete. After the sajda one says “Allâhu akbar” and rises for the second rak‘a. This rak‘a is performed in the same way as the first, except that the initial “subªânaka llâhumma ...” and “a‘ûdhu bi-llâhi ...” are omitted. One begins by reciting the Basmala and reading al- Fâtiªa, followed by al-Ikhlâs or another sûra one has memo- rised. Then as in the first rak‘a one bends for rukû‘ and bows in sajda. After the two prostrations, this time one remains in the kneeling position and recites the prayer of taªiyyât:
At-taªiyyâtu li-llâhi
wa s-salawâtu wa t-tayyibât
as-salâmu ‘alayka ayyuhâ n-nabiyyi wa raªmatu llâhi wa barakâtuh
as-salâmu ‘alaynâ
wa ‘alâ ‘ibâdi llâhi s-sâliªîn ashhadu an lâ ilâha illâ llâh
wa ashhadu anna Muªammadan ‘abduhu wa rasûluh. 6
If the prayer one has performed consists of only two rak‘aât, this du‘â’ is recited after the taªiyyât:
Allâhumma salli ‘alâ Muªammadin wa ‘alâ âli Muªammadin kamâ sallayta ‘alâ Ibrâhîma wa ‘alâ âli Ibrâhîma
innaka ªamîdun majîd
Allâhumma bârik ‘alâ Muªammadin wa ‘alâ âli Muªammadin kamâ barakta ‘alâ Ibrâhîma wa ‘alâ âli Ibrâhîma
innaka hamîdun majîd
“Rabbanâ âtinâ fi d-dunyâ ªasanatan wa fi-l-âkhirati ªasanatan
wa qinâ adhâba n-nâr.” 7 [Baqara, “The Heifer”, 2:201]
6All prayer is for Allah and worship and goodness. Peace be on you, O prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and bear witness that Mukammad is His servant and messenger.
7O Allah, let Your blessing come upon Mukammad and the family of Mukammad, as you blessed Ibrāhîm and his family, truly You are the Praiseworthy and Glorious.
O Allah, bless Mukammad and the family of Mukammad, as you blessed Ibrāhîm and his family, truly You are the Praiseworthy and Glorious.
If one does not know these supplications, one recites only “at-taªiyyâtu ...”, then turning the head towards the right, one says: “as-salâmu ‘alaykum wa raªmatu llâh” (“peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy“), after that one turns the head to the left side and gives salâmât in the same way, thus end- ing the prayer.
If the prayer consists of four rak‘aât, one gets up after the taªiyyât without giving salâmât, saying “Allâhu akbar” in- stead. Then two more rak‘aât are performed as described above.
At the beginning of the third rak‘a of the first set of sunna rak‘aât of the ‘asr and the ‘ishâ’ prayers, “subªânaka llâhum- ma ...” is recited, though is not read at other prayers. Also, the salawât are recited after the taªiyyât in the first set of sunna rak‘aât of these two prayers.
If the prayer to be performed is a far¡ prayer of three or four rak‘aât, one should only recite the Basmala and al-Fâtiªa af- ter the second rak‘a when standing for the third and fourth rak‘a. In the far¡ prayers, only in the first and second rak‘aât an additional sûra is recited after al-Fâtiªa.
If one prays the far¡ prayer following an Imam, one makes this intention: “I intend to pray the far¡ of fajr (or any other prayer time) behind the Imam for the sake of Allah’s Pleasure.” When the Imam intones “Allâhu akbar”, one repeats the takbîr after him and joins one’s hands. If one makes the takbîr before the Imam does so, the prayer will not be valid.
Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the fire!
Therefore the congregation must be careful to repeat the takbîr after the Imam has done so. Following an Imam, one only recites “subªânaka llâhumma ...” and then remains si- lent. The tasbîª (praise of Allah) and taªiyyât for rukû‘ [cf.
p. 30/31] and sajda [cf. p. 32] are however recited.
If someone comes late and reaches the congregation while the Imam is in the position of rukû‘, he stands and makes takbîr, then immediately bends for rukû‘; as long as the Imam has not yet raised his head from this position, this rak‘a (of the latecomer) is counted as valid. The rak‘aât one has failed to reach on time, need to be made up. After the Imam gives salâm, one stands up and completes the missed rak‘aât, then ends one’s prayer by giving salâm.
After the salâmât one recites:
Allâhumma anta s-salâm wa minka s-salâm tabârakta ya dhâ l-jalâli wa l-ikrâm.8
For each prayer performed in congregation one receives twenty-seven times more rewards than for a prayer per- formed on one’s own. Prayers performed in congregation are much more pleasing to Allah l than those performed alone. Therefore, to attend prayers in jamâ‘a (in congrega-
tion) carries much reward. Even if one prays by oneself, one should call out the iqâma for one’s far¡ prayers. Women do not need to call the iqâma.
8O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace, blessed are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Bounty. (Hadith Muslim i. a.)
If going to pray out in the wild, on a mountain or in the plains, one first calls the adhân (call to prayer), then the iqâ- ma, and then prays as one would in jamâ‘a. A multitude of angels, as far as the eyes can see, will be the jamâ‘a for that person and join him in prayer.
Adhân and Iqâma
It is sunna for men to call the adhân and the iqâma. This is the call to prayer (adhân):
4 times Allâhu akbar
2 times ashhadu an lâ ilâha illâ llâh
2 times ashhadu anna Muªammadan rasûlu llâh
2 times ªayya ‘alâ s-salâh 2 times ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪠2 times Allâhu akbar
1 time lâ ilâha illâ llâh 9
Only in the adhân for fajr (the morning prayer), “as-salâ- tu khayrun mina n-nawm” (“prayer is better than sleep”) is recited twice after “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔. In the iqâma, “qad qâmati s-salâh” (“The prayer has begun.”) is repeated twice after “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔.
9 Allah is the Greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Mukammad is Allah’s messenger. Hasten to the prayer. Hasten to salvation. Allah is the Greatest. No god except Al- lah.
The Reward of Calling the Adhân
Since the adhân informs the believers that the time for prayer has come, it has very great rewards. Our Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “If people knew about the value of the call to prayer – of the rewards for the adhân – they would draw their swords and compete with each other for calling the adhân.”
And he, on whom be peace, also said: “Whoever fulfills the office of the mu’adhdhin (the one who calls the adhân), for a whole year for the sake of Allah will have become deserv- ing of Paradise.”
To call the adhân one should have wu¡û’. It is to be called from a high place and facing the qibla. The louder it is called, the more reward it carries. For every creature that hears the adhân of the mu’adhdhin will bear testimony to him on the Day of Judgment. When intoning “ªayya ‘alâ s-salâh” one turns to the right, and at the words “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔ one turns to the left; then one faces the qibla again and com- pletes the adhân. Whoever hears the adhân being called, should stop whatever he is doing out of respect for it; if he is talking, he should fall silent and listen to the adhân and repeat the phrases as the mu’adhdhin is calling them. When one hears the words “ªayya ‘alâ s-salâh” and “ªayya ‘alâ l-fal⪔ being called, one should say:
Lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata
illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘azîm.10
Having shown respect for the adhân will ensure that one leaves this world with one’s faith intact. After the adhân
10 There is no power and no strength save in Allah, All-High and Al- mighty.
has been called, one recites salawât, blessings on the Holy Prophet, followed by this du‘â’: “O our Lord, on account of any adhân that has been called grant us pardon for the sake of Your Most Beloved Servant.” Allah l accepts the sup- plications that are recited following the adhân. Wherever the adhân-i Muªammadî is recited five times a day, Allah l will protect that place or village from the calamities that would befall it on that day. Wherever the adhân-i Muªam- madî is not called, abundance will wither and blessings will cease, while hardship will increase.
Tasbîª and Du‘â’ after the Formal Prayer (salâh/namâz)
When the formal prayer is finished, the mu’adhdhin says: “‘alâ rasûlinâ salawât”11. At that time salawât upon our Holy Prophet are recited. After that the mu’adhdhin says:
“Subªâna llâh wa l-ªamdu li-llâh, wa lâ ilâha illâ llâhu wa- llâhu akbar, wa lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘azîm,”12 followed by A‘ûdhu bi-llâh and Basmala, then he recites the following verses:
“Wa ilâhukum ilâhun wâªid
lâ ilâha illâ huwa r-raªmânu r-raªîm.”13
[Sûrat al-Baqara, „The Heifer“ 2:163]
11On our messenger praise and blessings.
12Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is Greatest. Und there is no power and no strength save in Allah, All-High and Almighty.
13And your god is One god, no god but He, the Beneficent, the Merci- ful.
“Allâhu lâ ilâha illâ huwa l-ªayyu l-qayyûm(u) lâ ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa lâ nawm
lahu mâ fî s-samawâti wa mâ fi l-ar¡
man dhâ lladhî yashfa‘u ‘indahu illâ bi-idhnih(i) ya‘lamu mâ bayna aydîhim wa mâ khalfahum
wa lâ yuªîtûna bi-shay’in min ‘ilmihi illâ bi mâ shâ’ wasi‘a kursiyyuhu s-samâwâti wa l-ar¡a
wa lâ ya’ûduhu ªifzuhumâ wa huwa l-‘aliyyu l-‘azîm.”14
[Sûrat al-Baqara, Âyat al-kursî, “The Verse of the Throne”, 2:255]
After this recitation, everyone recites subªâna llâh, al-ªamdu li-llâh, and Allâhu akbar thirty-three times each. Then the mu’adhdhin recites:
“Lâ ilâha illâ llâh waªdahu lâ sharîka lah, lahu l-mulku wa lahu l-ªamdu wa huwa ‘alâ kulli shay’in qadîr,”15 after which he says: “Subªâna rabbiya l-‘aliyya l-a‘lâ l-wahhâb.” 16 At this point everyone raises their hands in supplication and be- seeches Allah l in his own words. It is Allah Almighty who accepts His servants’ prayers.
14Allah! There is no god But He, – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence ex- cept as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme.
15There is no god but Allah, He is One, no partner has He. His is the Kingdom and all praise, and He is over all things powerful.
16Glory be to my Lord, All-High, Supreme, Most Munificent.
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The Jum‘a prayer, the Congregational Prayer on Friday
There is an obligatory prayer of two rak‘aât on the day of Jum‘a, Friday being the most honoured day of the week. A congregational prayer can be performed if there are at least two other people present besides the Imam. The Jum‘a prayer is a binding duty on all those who are male, free, resident at that particular place, and in good health. It is not obligatory for women, travellers, captives, the sick, the blind, and the lame. However, if they do perform it, they will partake of its rewards. If they do not participate, they commit no sin.
The Greatness of the Day of Jum‘a
The most honoured day of the week is the day of Jum‘a, Fri- day. Allah Almighty has granted to each prophet’s nation a particular day for worship. As the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, is the greatest and most honoured of all prophets, Allah Almighty has reserved the most honoured of all days for his nation, the day of Jum‘a. Friday is the
holiday for Muslim believers. Allah l forgives those who perform the Jum‘a prayer all the sins they have committed
between one Jum‘a and the next. He extends His mercy to them and accepts their prayers. Therefore, to honour the day of Jum‘a or to allow it to be honoured is a very praise- worthy act of worship in the eyes of Allah l. In particular, for parents to teach their children the importance of this
day and to impress it upon their minds, raising a generation that will be of use to its country, will bring joy to the par-
ents and likewise to the teachers who carry responsibility for this most precious and honourable task.
It is our Holy Prophet’s sunna to wash oneself on Jum‘a, i.e. to perform ghusl, to put on clean clothes, to use perfume, and to go to the mosque ahead of time.
When the time for Jum‘a prayer has come, Allah Al- mighty commands the believers to leave all their worldly business aside and to focus instead on spiritual business and the remembrance of Allah l. While the Jum‘a prayer is in progress, it is definitely ªarâm to conduct one’s business in
the marketplace and to occupy oneself with worldly affairs. Whoever does so will not benefit from his transactions and in the end will meet with disaster and misery.
The Jum‘a prayer was made obligatory during the hijra of our Holy Prophet, that is his migration from Mecca to Medina. In the khutba (sermon) of his first Jum‘a our Holy Prophet, the Most Excellent of all Creation, spoke:
“O my nation, on this day, at this hour, and in this very place Allah Almighty imposes on you as a binding duty the Jum‘a prayer, the congregational prayer on Fridays, up un- til the Day of Judgment. May Allah bring ruin upon those who leave out this Jum‘a prayer, not taking it seriously. Allah accepts the prayers of His prophets concerning their nations; therefore, those who ignore the Jum‘a prayer and fail to observe it, will no doubt face misery and ruin as a result of this du‘â’.”
The Prayers to be Performed on Jum‘a
Whoever enters the mosque on the day of Jum‘a, before the adhân is called, should pray two rak‘aât of taªiyyâtu l-mas- jid, that is in order to salute the mosque and then sit down. When the adhân is sounded, one rises and prays the four rak‘aât of the first sunna of the Jum‘a prayer. Then one lis- tens to the khutba (sermon) and prays the two rak‘aât of the Jum‘a prayer following the Imam. After this, one prays four rak‘aât of the final sunna of the Jum‘a prayer. This is followed by another four rak‘aât, with the intention of praying the noonday prayer (zuhr) before the time for it has passed. Af- ter this one prays two rak‘aât for the sunna of that time, thus completing the prayer. Whoever prays his Jum‘a prayer in this way, will have completed the prayer without leaving out any of the sunna pertaining to it. One could also just pray the two obligatory rak‘aât in congregation and then leave the mosque, the prayer would be valid, but one would be deprived of many of the rewards and fail to gain our Holy Prophet’s pleasure. Therefore, one should pray at least two rak‘aât of sunna prayer after the far¡ in order to try to please our Holy Prophet.
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The Five Daily Prayers
It is far¡ for believers to observe the five periods of prayer. It is never permissible to abandon these five prayer periods or to delay praying. On the Day of Judgment the first thing for which a servant will be taken to account is his prayer. If he has performed his prayers dutifully, he will easily pass the rest of his interrogation; if he has not performed all
his prayers, he will be stuck. Our Holy Prophet said that prayer is the mainstay of Islam. Therefore, one must pay the utmost attention to prayer.
–morning prayer, fajr: two rak‘aât sunna, two rak‘aât far¡, altogether four rak‘aât.
–noon prayer, zuhr: four rak‘aât first sunna, four rak‘aât far¡, two rak‘aât final sunna, ten rak‘aât in all.
–afternoon prayer, ‘asr: four rak‘aât sunna, four rak‘aât far¡, eight rak‘aât in all.
–evening prayer, maghrib: three rak‘aât far¡, two rak‘aât sunna, five rak‘aât in all.
–night prayer, ‘ishâ’: four rak‘aât first sunna, four rak‘aât far¡, two rak‘aât final sunna, three rak‘aât witr (cf. p. 45 f.), making thirteen rak‘aât in all.
Prayers that have been missed must be performed at a later time. If one misses a prayer, only the far¡ rak‘aât of that prayer time need to be made up, not the sunna rak‘aât. The rak‘aât of witr, however, do need to be made up. If someone has not found time to pray all day and has missed all five of the daily prayers, he should take wu¡û’ at night and belat- edly pray the far¡ of all five prayers, and then go to bed.
It is a wâjib (required) to make an effort not to go to sleep without having made up the missed prayers. Nobody should leave his home in the morning without having made sajda to Allah l. Even if one only wakes up after the sun has already risen, one should wash one’s hands and face,
and feet and complete one’s ablution and say: “O my Lord, for the sake of Your good pleasure I have made this ablu- tion, and to gain Your pleasure I intend to pray the two rak‘aât far¡ of today’s fajr prayer incumbent on me.” Then one prays two rak‘aât, and makes du‘â’. Whoever persists
in this practice every day will be protected from accident or misfortune along with his entire family. His affairs will prosper and his physical being will be sound. If someone makes the morning prayer his daily practice, Allah l will grant him love of worshipping, his heart will be filled with
light, and it will become easy for him to observe the other prayer times. Because a person can succeed in what he con- siders easy, whereas he will not be able to do what appears difficult to him. For a person of sound faith there is nothing in the world that is too difficult, too troublesome, for in every respect he hopes for Allah’s support. Those lacking this faith will always consider their own inability and lack of power and hence will avoid undertaking difficult tasks. Therefore, those with great faith are able to accomplish great works, and he who can withstand the greatest diffi- culties will ultimately triumph. If a person finds it difficult to make sajda (prostrate himself) before his creator Allah Almighty even once a day, how should he be able to wear himself out for the sake of his religion or his nation? Every page of our glorious history is adorned with magnificent victories. Beyond any doubt, it was the boundless faith in Allah Almighty which they carried in their hearts that be- stirred the noble blood in the veins of our heroic race to the utmost exertions.
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The ‘Îd Prayers
There are two ‘Îd prayers in the year. It is wâjib (required) to perform these prayers, i. e. those who do not attend them will be punished. The ‘Îd prayers are performed on the ‘Îd al-Fitr (marking the end of the Rama¡ān fast), and on the
‘Îd al-A¡ªâ (the Feast of Sacrifices, marking the end of the ªajj). It is a prayer of two rak‘aât prayed in congregation at the mosque forty minutes after sunrise. Afterwards there is a khutba, a sermon. It is sunna to perform ghusl on the morning of the ‘Îd, to dress in new or clean clothes, to wear pleasant-smelling perfume, and to be at the mosque early. Allah Almighty is always pleased to see evidence of the fa- vours He has granted to His servants. It is wâjib (required) for believers to fulfill their servanthood towards Allah Al- mighty in the most perfect way by always eating the best food, dressing in the best clothes, and arranging their lives in the best way. Essentially, the blessings of this world and the hereafter are all for the believing servants. Therefore, it is the duty of the believers to avail themselves of these blessings as best they can. To strive towards benefitting from these blessings is a way of expressing one’s gratitude for them.
On the days of the ‘Îd one should try to do as much good as one is able to do. It befits believers to bring happiness to those who are poor and lonely, to visit one another, and to try to increase mutual respect and affection. On the ‘Îd al-A¡ªâ, it is wâjib to intone the takbîr at 23 prayer times, starting from the day before the feast. This is the takbîr that is recited:
“Allâhu akbar, Allâhu akbar, lâ ilâha illâ llâh
wa-llâhu akbar, Allâhu akbar wa li-llâhi l-ªamd.” 17
17Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no God except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and praise be to Allah.
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The Tarâwîª Prayer
This is a congregational prayer of twenty rak‘aât that is prayed during the month of Rama¡ān after the ‘ishâ’ prayer, the night prayer. It is a sunna both for men and women to perform this prayer. The tarâwîª prayer can be performed alone, but it is more meritorious to pray along with the con- gregation.
A person following an Imam prays the twenty rak‘aât be- hind him, without reciting on his own. Allah Almighty will shower all sorts of mercy on those who perform this prayer, He will give them Paradise as their inheritance and forgive them their sins.
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The Witr Prayer
This is a prayer of three rak‘aât, which it is wâjib to perform after the ‘ishâ’ prayer. During Rama¡ān it is performed in congregation after the tarâwîª prayer, following the Imam. In the third rak‘a, after reciting al-Fâtiªa and another sûra, one raises one’s hands while saying “Allâhu akbar” and re- cites the du‘â’ of qunût (“obedience to God”):
Allâhumma innâ nasta‘înuka wa nastaghfiruka wa nastahdîka wa nu’minu bika wa natûbu ilayka wa natawakkalu ‘alayka wa nuthnî ‘alayka l-khayra kullahu
wa nashkuruka wa lâ nakfuruka
wa nakhla‘u wa natruku man yafjuruk(a)
Allâhumma iyyâka na‘budu wa laka nusallî wa nasjudu
wa ilayka nas‘â wa naªfidu
wa narjû raªmataka wa nakhshâ ‘adhâbaka innâ ‘adhâbaka bi l-kuffâri mulªiq(un).18
Whoever does not know this du‘â’ can just recite: “Rabbanâ âtinâ fi d-dunyâ ªasanatan
wa fi l-âkhirati ªasanatan
wa-qinâ ‘adhaba n-nâr.”19 [Baqara, 2:201]
If one does not know this either, it is enough to say “yâ rabbî ” thrice.
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The Janâza Prayer (Funeral Prayer)
To perform the funeral prayer is far¡-i kifâya, that is to say, if a number of Muslims are present to pray over a dead per- son, then the other Muslims (of that place) are exempted from the obligation of praying the funeral prayer. If there is no one there to pray janâza, then all the inhabitants of that place have sinned. Those who pray the funeral prayer will receive the reward of those who have fulfilled a far¡-i
18O Allah! We implore You for help and beg forgiveness of You and we ask for guidance. We believe in You and rely on You and extol You and we are thankful to You and are not ungrateful to You and we alienate and forsake him who disobeys You.
O Allah! You alone do we worship and for You do we pray and prostrate and we betake to please You and present ourselves for the service in Your cause and we hope for Your mercy and fear Your chas- tisement. Undoubtedly, Your torment is going to overtake infidels.
19Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the fire!
kifâya, whereas those who do not attend the prayer are left without this reward.
The janâza prayer is prayed with four takbirât (Allâhu akbar). To begin with, one must make an intention, speci- fying whether the deceased is a man or a woman, a girl or a boy child, saying, “O my Lord, for the sake of Your pleasure I intend to pray behind the Imam the funeral prayer for this man or this woman.” When the Imam pronounces the first takbîr, one repeats Allâhu akbar to oneself and joins one’s hands. One then recites subªânaka llâhumma ..., including the phrase wa jalla thanâ’uka (cf. p. 29), and when the Imam calls the second takbîr, one repeats this after him, and re- cites Allâhumma salli ... and Allâhumma bârik ... When the Imam calls the third takbîr one recites this du‘â’:
Allâhumma ghfir li-ªayyinâ wa mayyitinâ
wa shâhidinâ wa ghâ’ibinâ wa saghîrinâ wa kabîrinâ wa dhakarinâ wa unthânâ
Allâhumma man aªyaytahu minnâ
(or: aªyaytahâ, if the deceased is female)
fa-aªyihi (aªyihâ) ‘alâ l-islâm wa man tawaffaytahu minnâ
fa-tawaffahu (tawaffahâ) ‘alâ l-imân
Allâhumma in kâna (kânat) muªsinan (muªsinatan)
fa-zid fî iªsânihi (iªsânihâ)
wa in kâna (kânat) musî’an (musî’atan)
fa-tajâwaz ‘anhu (‘anhâ)
wa laqqihi (laqqihâ) l-amna
wa l-bushra wa l-karamata wa z-zulfa bi-raªmatika
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6045