Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer

1. Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer Lecture 10 March 30, 2014

2. Pre-conditions of Prayer

3. Pre-conditions of the Prayer It is not valid to begin the prayer without having fulfilled its pre-conditions (shara’it), which are: • Being in a state of ritual purity, from both minor and major ritual impurity • Being free from physical impurity on one’s body, garments and place of prayer • Recall discussion of impurity from previous chapter, as to what is and is not allowed • All areas of the place one is praying that the body touches (both feet, knees, hands and the forehead) must be pure

4. Pre-conditions of the Prayer • Covering one’s nakedness (‘awrah) • Men: from right below the navel until right below the knees • Women: entire body except face, hands and feet • If ¼ or more of any limb of the ‘awrah is exposed before beginning prayer, or becomes exposed during prayer for longer than duration of 3 “subhanAllah”, prayer will become invalid • Less than ¼ is excused • Clothing cannot be tight-fitting nor see-through

5. Pre-conditions of the Prayer • Facing the Qibla (the Ka’ba) • One who can see Ka’ba must stand directly facing it • One who cannot see Ka’ba must face its direction • 45-degree leeway on each side • Must make best educated guess • North America: north-east • If made best guess toward Qibla but discovered direction was incorrect, prayer will remain valid • If discover direction is incorrect during prayer, must change direction immediately and continue • Facing Qibla while traveling in car, plane, etc.

6. Pre-conditions of the Prayer • Entrance of the prayer time • Necessary to have personal conviction that prayer time has entered • Intention for the prayer • Intention is in the heart • For fard or wajib prayer, should specify intention for which prayer (i.e. Asr) • For sunnah or nafl, intention of “prayer’ is adequate • When praying behind imam, must make intention of such

7. Pre-conditions of the Prayer • TakbirTahrima • The opening “Allahu Akbar” of the prayer • Must be recited on the tongue, audibly enough that one can hear oneself • Must be done in standing position • Must be tied to the intention, without any “non-prayer” action coming in-between • i.e. Making the intention, then answering a phone-call, then saying takbir without remaking intention – prayer would be invalid • Dhikr, wudu, walking to the prayer, etc. are not considered “non-prayer” actions

8. Pre-conditions of the Prayer • TakbirTahrima • This is the only takbir for which the hands are raised • Except Witr and Eid prayers • For men: Sunnah to raise hands until thumbs are level with earlobes, with fingers spread normally, and palms facing Qibla • Hands should be outside of one’s garment • For women: Sunnah to raise hands until chest/shoulders, with fingers close together, and palms facing Qibla • Hands should be under the outer garment

9. Pre-conditions of the Prayer • Some of the conditions may be overlooked if valid excuse is present Examples: • Not enough water to purify impurities • Fear of an enemy, illness, etc. which prevents one from facing the Qibla • Lack of a garment to cover oneself

10. Integrals of Prayer

11. Integrals of the Prayer The following 5 components are the integrals (arkan) of the prayer itself, all of which are fard • Standing (Qiyam) • Standing is defined as: if one were to extend one’s arms toward knees, they would not reach them • Standing is fard for all fard and wajib prayers • If valid excuse, may sit • For sunnah/nafl prayers: may sit, but will earn ½ reward (unless valid excuse) • Emphasized Sunnah for men to stand with feet spaced at normal distance, no less than width of 4 fingers • Women with feet close together

12. Integrals of the Prayer • Recitation of Qur’an (Qira’ah) • Of at least a single verse consisting of at least 2 words • Fard in at least 2 rak’at of a fard prayer • Fard in every rak’at of wajib, sunnah and nafl prayers • Must be performed in standing position • Must be in Arabic • If person does not know Qur’an, recite tasbih until one learns • Must be audible to the reciter • Recitation of Qur’an behind an Imam is makruhtahrim

13. Integrals of the Prayer • Bowing (ruku’) • Bowing is defined as: bending of back to extent if one were to extend arms towards knees they would reach them • Emphasized Sunnah for men to bend at 90-degree angle, such that head is level with hips • Hands gripping knees with fingers spread apart • Elbows away from body • For women, bend only slightly with knees slightly bent, place palms on knees without gripping them, fingers close together, and keep elbows close to body

14. Integrals of the Prayer • Prostration (sujud) • Fard in every rak’at of every prayer (except Janazah) • Both sujud are fard • Must touch forehead, hands, knees, and bottom of toes to the ground • Wajib to place most of forehead, hard part of nose, both hands, both knees, and toes of both feet on ground • Emphasized Sunnah for toes to face Qibla • Prostration is not valid until the place bears the weight of the head – should press down nose and forehead • Place of forehead cannot be elevated above place of feet by more than 25 cm

15. Integrals of the Prayer • Prostration (sujud) • When going into sujud, recommended for first the knees, then hands, then nose, then forehead to touch ground • When rising, order reversed • Fingers should be together, facing Qibla • Face between both hands • For men: arms held apart from sides of body and raised off ground, with hips raised (so stomach away from thighs) • For women: body contracted in (arms drawn in, thighs touching stomach), with forearmsresting on ground

16. Integrals of the Prayer • Final Sitting (Qa’dahakhirah) • For at least length of the tashahhud • Must be after all other integrals of prayer are performed • For men: sunnah to put left foot down flat on its side and sit upon it, while keeping right foot upright with toes facing Qibla • Hands placed upon thighs, not past the knees • Fingers pointing toward Qibla, spread normally • For women: sit on left hip, taking both feet out to the right, with right lower-leg resting upon left foot • Feet lay flat on ground • Hands rest on thighs with fingers close together

17. Integrals of the Prayer • Maintaining order of 5 integrals is fard • i.e. if one performed sujud before ruku, sujud will need to be performed again • If any integral is left out without a valid excuse, prayer is invalid and must be repeated

18. Questions?