Ahkaam of Salaat

1. Ahkaam of Salaat Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer Masumeen Islamic Centre February 2013

2. Ahkaam of Salaat • Overview of Rules: • Books used: • Minhaaj as-Saliheen of Syed Sistani • Ahkaam al-Ibaadaat of Syed Mohammad Taqi Modaressi • Al-Masa’il al-Muntakhaba of Syed Sistani • Taudhi ul-Masail of Syed Sistani • Duroos al-Tamhidiya Fi al-Fiqh al-Istidlaali of Sheikh Baqir al-Ayrawani • Qawaaid al-Fiqhiya of Sheikh Baqir al-Ayrawani

3. Ahkaam of Salaat • Subjects covered (tentative): • Importance of Salaat • The Conditions of Salaat – Muqadimaat as-Salaat • The Parts of Salaat – Ajzaa as-Salaat • That which Negates the Salaat – Mubtilaat as-Salaat • Doubts in Salaat – Shak fis Salaat • Incorporated into these subjects, are important rules: • Qaeedatu La Tu’aad • Qaeedatul Firaagh wa at-Tajaawuz

4. Ahkam – Islamic Laws • Importance of Salaat • رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): لِكُلِّ شَيءٍ وَجهٌ، ووَجهُ دِينِكُمُ الصَّلاةُ ‘Everything has a face, and the face of your religion is the prayer. • Salaat is a condition for the completion of Faith • The faithful are only those whose hearts tremble] with awe [when Allah is mentioned, and when His signs are recited to them, they increase their faith, and who put their trust in their Lord, maintain the prayer and spend out of what We have provided them. It is they who are truly the faithful. They shall have ranks near their Lord, forgiveness and a noble provision (Anfaal 2-4)

5. Ahkaam of Salaat • The Obligatory Prayers: • Daily prayers (included in this is SalaatulJum’a) • SalaatulAayaat • Salaat at-Tawaaf al-Wajiba • Salaat which becomes Wajib on account of hire, vow or oath • Salaat al-Mayyit • Conditions of Salaat: • Time (Waqt) • Direction (Qibla) • Purity (Taharat) • Place of worship (Makaan) • Clothes worn in Salaat (Libaas) • An Important Rule: ‘Qaeedatulaatu’aad’:

6. Salaat – Important Rule ‘Qaeedatulaatu’aad’: Zurara reports from AbiJa’far AS that he said: Do not repeat your salaat expect for 5 reasons: Taharat, Time, Qibla, Ruku and Sujood. Then he said: Qira’a is Sunna, and Tashahud is Sunna and a Sunna does not negate a Faridha. (Wasail Vol. 1 pg. 339) • What does Sunna and Faridha mean? • Faridha are those which have been ordered by Allah SWT and made obligatory • Sunna are those which were being practiced by the Prophet SAW and hence made part of the religion (Shari’a) • This hadith does not cover those who leave ‘the Sunna’ on purpose • What about the other Arkaan? (Niyyat, Takbir and QiyammutasilbilRuku)

7. Ahkaam of Salaat • First Condition: Time of Salaat (Waqt) • The Holy Qur’an has ordained three specific times for the 5 daily prayers: َقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلىَ‏ غَسَقِ الَّيْلِ وَ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ كاَنَ مَشهُْودًا • Maintain the prayer from the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and] observe particularly [the dawn recital. Indeed the dawn recital is attended] by angels (17:78) • Time for Dhuhrayn (Dhuhr and Asr) • Time for ‘Isha-ayn (Maghriband Isha) • Time for Fajr

8. Ahkaam of Salaat • Time for Dhuhrayn (Dhuhr and Asr) • The time for Dhuhr and Asr is from the declining of the sun until it gets dark • Proof: • ‘Maintain the prayer from the sun's decline… (17:78) • From Zurara reporting from AbiJa’far AS that he said: When it becomes midday, two (salat) times have begun: Dhuhr and Asr, and when the sun sets two times have begun: Maghrib and Isha. (Wasailvol 4 pg. 125)

9. Ahkaam of Salaat • Time for Dhuhrayn (Dhuhr and Asr) • The times of these two salaat are broken up into 3 specific times: • One can only recite Dhuhr during the beginning time of Dhuhr for as long as it takes to recite 4 rakaat • One can only recite Asr during the last part of the day before sunset for as long as it takes to recite 4 rakaat • The time in between these two times is shared for Dhuhr and Asr • Proof: • From Dawood bin Farqad reporting from some of our companions from AbiAbdillah AS: If midday arrives, it is the time of Dhuhr for as long as it takes to recite 4 raka’at. Once that time has passed, then the time of Dhuhr and Asr has entered and it remains so until the sun is only out for enough time to recite 4 raka’at. When that much time is remaining, the time for Dhuhr has ended and it is now the time for Asr only until the sun disappears. (Wasail vol. 4 pg. 127)

10. Ahkaam of Salaat • How do we know when Midday has set in? • If a stick, a pole, or anything similar to it, which acts as an indicator (shakhis) is made to stand on a level ground, its shadow will fall westwards when the sun rises in the morning, and as the sun continues to rise the shadow cast by the indicator will reduce in size. And in our cities it becomes smallest at the time of the commencement of Midday. • And as Midday passes the shadow cast by the indicator turns eastwards, and as the sun moves towards west the shadow gets longer. • Based on this, when the shadow is the shortest, and it begins getting longer again, it is known that Zuhr has taken place.

11. Ahkaam of Salaat • Time for Maghrib and Isha • The time for Maghrib and Isha is from when it gets dark (i.e. the Sun sets) • Proof: • Maintain the prayer from the sun's decline till the darkness of the night (17:78) • First: Abdullah bin Sinaan reporting from Abi Abidllah AS: I heard him say: The time for Maghrib is when the sun sets and disappears. (Wasail Vol 4 pg 178) • Second: Bareed bin Mu’awiyah reporting from Abi Ja’far AS: When the redness disappears from this side, meaning the Eastern side, the sun has truly disappeared from the east and the west of the earth. (Wasail Vol 4 pg 176) • Hence, when we take both of these Hadeeth together: the time for Maghrib is when the sun sets which is when the redness disappears from the Eastern Horizon

12. Ahkaam of Salaat • In normal circumstances, the prescribed time for Maghrib and Isha prayers is till midnight (Halfway mark between sunset and dawn). • But if forgetfulness, oversleeping or being in Hayz and similar unusual situations prevent one from performing the prayers till midnight, then for them the time will continue till Fajr sets in • Proof: • Abi Baseer reporting from Abi Abdillah AS: If a person is asleep and has not prayed Maghrib and Isha or forgot to recite them, if he happens to wake up before fajr with enough time to recite both, then he should. However if he is afraid that time will expire, then he should recite Isha. (Wasail Vol. 4 pg 288) • The times of these two salaat are broken up into 3 specific times as well

13. Ahkaam of Salaat • Time for Fajr: • Just before dawn a column of whiteness rises upwards from the east. It is called the first dawn (al-fajr al-Kazib). When this whiteness spreads, it is called the second dawn (al-Fajr as-Sadiq), and the Prime time for Subh prayers. The time for Subh prayers is till sunrise. • Hence we will be able to see the time of Fajr set it: وَ كلُُواْ وَ اشْرَبُواْ حَتىَ‏ يَتَبَينَ‏َ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الخَْيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ And eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn (2:187)

14. Ahkam – Islamic Laws • General Rules Regarding Salaat Times: • A person can start offering prayers only when he becomes certain that the time has set in or when two just (Adil) persons inform that the time has set in. In fact, one can rely upon the Adhan, or on advice of a person who knows the timings and is reliable. • If a person cannot be certain about the Prime time for prayers due to a personal handicap like blindness or being in the prison cell, he should delay the prayer till such time when he feels sure that the time has set in. And as an obligatory precaution, he should act the same way when there are general hindrances like dust or clouds. • If the time left for Namaz is so little that if we perform some Mustahab acts of the prayers, an obligatory part of the prayers will fall beyond the prescribed time, one should not perform those Mustahab acts. For example, if on account of reciting qunut a part of the prayers will lapse beyond time, one should do without qunut. • It is Mustahab that a person should offer prayers at the Prime time prescribed for it, and great emphasis has been laid on it; alternatively, the nearer the prayers are to its Prime time, the better, except where there is good reason for delay, like, waiting to join the prayers in congregation (Namaz-e-Jamaat).