It is incumbent upon the Muslims to pray five times a day.
The time of each prayer is as follows:
fajr, zuhr, 'asr, maghrib and 'isha
When the whiteness of the dawn emerges from the darkness of
the night, then this is fajr.
When the sun starts to descend from midday, then this is
When the sun descends below the line of sight, then this is
The time of sunset is maghrib.
When the redness of dusk disappears, this is 'isha.
The time of fajr remains till sunrise, the time of zuhr
remains till 'asr begins, the time of 'asr remains till maghrib, the time of
maghrib remains till 'isha and the time of 'isha remains till midnight. The
times of sunrise and sunset are prohibited for praying since the sun used to be
worshiped at these times. Like the rituals and utterances of the prayer, these
prayer timings have also been transmitted to us through the consensus and
perpetual adherence of the ummah. These timings have remained the same during
the era of other Prophets as well. The Qur'an while referring to these timings
at various places says:
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ
اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّـيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى
And diligently attend to your prayers in both parts of
the day and in some part of the night too because good deeds make amends for
sins. That is a reminder for those who want to be reminded. (11:114)
أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ
اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا وَمِنَ
اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا
Diligently attend to your prayers from the time of the
sun's descent to nightfall, and especially the recital in the fajr prayer
because the fajr prayer is in the presence [of the angels]. And get up in this
manner at night also [for the prayer]; this is an additional duty upon you for
the fulfillment of which your Lord may elevate you [on the Day of Judgement] to
an honourable status. (17:78-9)
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ
وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ
لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى (١٣٠:٢٠)
And give glory to your Lord and praise Him before
sunrise and before sunset and [in a similar manner], glorify Him at night and at
the two sides of the day also so that you may become happy. (20:130)
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ
وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ (٣٠:
Therefore give glory to God evening and morning and
[know that] praise is showered on Him in the heavens and the earth, and [glorify
him] at the time of 'isha and of zuhr. (30:17-18)
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ
وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُوبِ وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَأَدْبَارَ السُّجُودِ (٥٠:
And give glory to your Lord and praise Him before
sunrise and before sunset and give glory to Him at some time of the night, and
also after the sun's prostrations. (50:39-40)
The details of the guidance provided by the knowledge and
practice of the Prophet (sws) in this regard are as follows:
1. He would generally offer the fajr prayer in the darkness
of night. Thus it has been reported that when women would return from the mosque
after the fajr prayer, they could not be recognized.
2. He has asked the Muslims to refrain from the zuhr prayer
at midday and told them that this is the time when Hell is sizzling hot.
He would generally ask people to offer this prayer in summers when the heat
3. He would offer the 'asr prayer when the sun would be
high and fully shining. He would
say that a hypocrite prays while waiting for the sun's decline. When its light
fades to orange and it becomes right in the centre of Satan's horns, he gets up
and carelessly offers four brief prostrations and seldom remembers the Almighty
in this prayer.
4. He would offer the maghrib prayer early and would offer
the 'isha prayer late. It has been reported that he would dislike sleeping
before 'isha and sitting up and talking once it has been offered.
5. If one rak'at of a prayer has been offered before its
time ends, it is his directive that the prayer should be completed and it shall
be considered as being offered on time. Consequently, it has been narrated that
he said that a person who offers one rak'at of fajr before sunrise and one
rak'at of 'asr before sunset, he should rest assured that these prayers have
been offered on time. He is also
reported to have said that if a person sleeps then it is not his fault if he
misses the prayer; however, if a person leaves a prayer while being awake then
he is certainly at fault. Therefore if anyone forgets to offer the prayer or is
asleep at the time of prayer, he should offer it as soon as he realizes it.
6. However, this does not mean that a prayer should be
deferred without any legitimate reason till its ending time. It has been
narrated that when Gabriel offered the prayer for two days to teach the Prophet
(sws), and said that the time of prayer of all the Prophets have remained
between these two times, he did not defer the fajr prayer beyond the light that
appears just before sunrise, the 'isha prayer beyond one-third of the night,
maghrib beyond the time of breaking the fast and the zuhr and 'asr prayer beyond
the time that a person's shadow was equal to his height for the zuhr prayer and
twice his height for the 'asr prayer.
Similar was the case, when the Prophet (sws) asked a person to pray with him for
two days and after the prayers of the second day remarked: "The time of the
prayer is between the two time limits that you have seen." On this occasion,
however, the maghrib prayer was offered on the second day a little before its
7. The Prophet (sws) has emphasized that a Muslim must
vigilantly observe the time which is prohibited for the prayer. Consequently, he
is reported to have said that after the fajr prayer no one should pray until
sunrise and after the 'asr prayer no one should pray until sunset.
8. The Prophet (sws) has said that if a ruler delays the
prayer, Muslims should pray themselves and then later join him in congregation.
A little deliberation would show that these prayer timings
are in the words of Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi very apt for worship, conducive for a
supplication, soothing for the mind of a believer, harmonious with the worship
done by the elements of nature and congruous with the prostrations of the sun
and the moon, the trees and the stones. He writes:
The time of fajr is a very special time in which a
person is mentally free and is peaceful at heart. When a person gets up at this
time after resting at night his heart is very serene. A new step is taken for
worship and a new initiative is required at this time and this new initiative
requires new resolve and guidance from the Almighty. The zuhr time signals
another reality. If a person has a keen eye he witnesses this reality which
urges a person to kneel and prostrate before the Almighty: The sun which the
naïve have regarded as a deity prostrates before the Almighty at this time and
through this practice declares that it is a creation and not the Creator, a
worshipper and not the worshiped.
The time of 'asr proclaims another reality: for every
crest there is a fall, for every zenith there is a nadir and for every youth
there is old age. Nothing is an exception to this rule. There is only one Being
Who is immortal. No one except Him lives for ever. Just as when the day shone
with brightness, then passed through its afternoon and now stands near its
closure, similarly this world was created, will reach its bloom and shall one
day die away. At the time of 'asr it is this silent reminder of the Day of
Judgement which urges a person to bow down before his Lord to seek His mercy and
At the time of maghrib, life enters a new door: this
door is similar to the door between life and death and life and barzakh. The
schemer of this world unveils the sign of the night after the sign of the day
and the light of the moon after the brightness of the sun. The hectic routine of
life starts to cease and the stars come out. The heat and humidity of the day
begins to vanish and the worn out and fatigued man experiences the coolness of
night. The senseless and the naïve might not feel this tremendous change, but
how can the sane and sensible remain unaware of it. How then is it possible that
a person remain indifferent to such a display of power and wisdom by a Powerful
and Wise Being. If his heart has any life in it, he would definitely be
responsive to this change and bow down before his Creator - the Creator whose
might was such that within seconds He transformed the day into night.
The time of 'isha is the time of accountability. The
darkness of night now totally confines activity. A person relishes the rest and
comfort of the night so that he can once again be fresh for the next day. This
time is the most appropriate for a person to once again remember His Lord before
going to bed. This may be his last time and he may never get up after this
The Rak'at of the Prayer
The rak'at of the prayer which have been fixed by the
These are the obligatory rak'at of each of these prayers,
leaving which a person would be held accountable on the Day of Judgement. Thus,
they must necessarily be offered except in cases when qasr has been permitted.
All other rak'at apart from them are optional; they earn great reward for a
person but will not hold him accountable on the Day of Judgement if he does not
Concession in the Prayer
If the time of the prayer arrives in dangerous
circumstances, the Almighty has allowed a person to pray while on foot or riding
in whatever way possible. In these circumstances, it is evident that there shall
be no congregational prayer, facing the qiblah shall not be necessary, and, in
some situations, it shall not be possible to offer the prayer according to the
prescribed method. The Qur'an says:
فَإنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالاً أَوْ رُكْبَانًا فَإِذَا
أَمِنتُمْ فَاذْكُرُواْ اللّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ
When you are exposed to danger, pray on foot or while
riding; but when you are safe remember God in the manner He has taught you which
you did not know. (2:239)
If such a situation arises during a journey, the Qur'an has
further said that people can shorten the prayer. In religious parlance, this is
called qasr. The sunnah established by the Prophet (sws) in this regard is that
the four rak'at prayer shall be shortened to two. No reduction shall be made in
two and three rak'at prayers. Consequently, the fajr and the maghrib prayers
were offered in full in such circumstances. The reason is that while the former
already has two rak'at, the latter is considered as the witr of daytime, and
this status of the maghrib prayer cannot be changed.
In Surah Nisa, this directive has been revealed in the
وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ
جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقْصُرُواْ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَن يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ إِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَانُواْ لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا (١٠١:٤)
And when you travel, there is no offence for you to
shorten your prayers if you fear that the disbelievers may put you through some
trial because these disbelievers are your open enemies. (4:101)
The concession of shortening the prayer and that
of offering it while on foot or while riding are stated in these verses with the
condition: إِنْ خِفْتُمْ (if you fear). It is evident from the Ahadith that on
the basis of this condition the Prophet (sws) analogously offered the qasr
prayer when there was uneasiness and discomfort while travelling in general. He
similarly offered the optional prayer while riding his camel in order to save
the caravan from bother. 'Umar (rta) says that he
deemed it strange for the Prophet to offer the qasr prayer in such
circumstances, and therefore he asked the Prophet (sws). Upon this, he replied:
"This is a favour of God upon you; so you should accept it."
From this concession granted in the prayer, the Prophet
(sws) has also deduced a concession in the times it is offered, and in such
journeys he has led the Muslims in prayer by combining the zuhr and 'asr prayers
together and the maghrib and 'isha prayers together. It is narrated by Mu'adh
Ibn Jabal that in the journey undertaken by the Prophet (sws) for the battle of
Tabuk he would combine the zuhr and 'asr prayers if the sun would descend before
the caravan set off, and if the caravan began its journey before the sun's
descent, he would defer the zuhr prayer and combine it with the 'asr prayer.
Similar was the case with the maghrib prayer. If the sun would set before the
caravan set off, he would combine the maghrib and 'isha prayers together and if
the caravan set off before sunset he would pray the maghrib and 'isha prayers
together at the time of 'isha.
A similar situation arose at the time the Prophet (sws)
offered the hajj. Since in the hajj, the battle against Satan is symbolized
through various rituals, he established the Sunnah in consideration of this
symbolism that whether people are residents or outsiders, they shall shorten the
prayers at Mina and shorten and combine them at 'Arafat.
A subtle reference
to this deduction of the Prophet (sws) that prayers can be combined in such
situations is found in the Qur'an itself. The words of Surah Nisa on which this
directive ends: إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا
مَّوْقُوتًا (because the prayer is incumbent upon the Muslims at appointed
times) require that words like "and pray at the appointed times" or similar to
these be understood to be present before them as per the linguistic principles
of Arabic. It is evident from this understood expression that besides shortening
the prayer, people can also reduce its timings. Consequently, the succeeding
words are that once peace is restored Muslims should pray the full rak'at and
pray at the appointed times because the prayer is incumbent upon the Muslims at
In the lifetime of the Prophet (sws), an important issue
was that no Muslim could have agreed to have been left out from a prayer that
the Prophet (sws) led right in a battlefield. Every soldier desired to pray
behind him. Though this was a very natural desire, it was essential that proper
arrangements of defence be made in the battlefield. One solution to this problem
could have been that the Prophet (sws) pray four rak'at and the army be divided
into half with each half praying two rak'at behind him. At some instances, this
solution was adopted as well (Muslim, No: 843). However, to save the Prophet
(sws) from difficulty that this way could have created, the Qur'an suggested
another way: the Prophet (sws) as the imam and all the soldiers should shorten
their prayers and each half of the army should pray one rak'at each behind the
Prophet (sws) and pray the other rak'at by themselves.
Consequently, the first half after completing the first
rak'at including its prostrations should retreat and take up the task of defence
and the other half should now stand behind the Prophet (sws) to pray in the
Prophet's second rak'at. The Qur'an says:
وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ
مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُواْ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلْيَكُونُواْ
مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّواْ فَلْيُصَلُّواْ
مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُواْ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم
مَّيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ
أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَن تَضَعُواْ أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ وَخُذُواْ حِذْرَكُمْ إِنَّ
اللّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ
فَاذْكُرُواْ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِكُمْ فَإِذَا
اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا (٤:
And [O Prophet (sws)!] when you are among them, and stand to lead them in the
prayer [in a battlefield], let one group stand behind you such that they are
armed with their weapons. After making their prostration, let them withdraw to
the rear and then let the other group who have yet to pray come forward and pray
with you; and let these also be armed with their weapons. The disbelievers
desire that if you even slightly desert your arms and your gear, they attack you
united together. But it is no offence for you to put aside your weapons if you
are inflicted with heavy rain or are stricken with an illness, though you should
still take necessary protection and you should be certain that God has prepared
a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers. When the prayer you have offered
in such a manner ends, remember God standing, sitting and lying down [in
whatever circumstances you are in]. So when the circumstances become peaceful
offer the full prayer, [and, for this, pray at the appointed times] for the
prayer is incumbent on the believers at the appointed times. (4:102-103)
It is evident from the narratives that various ways were adopted to offer the
rak'at which each half of the army had to offer on its own as per this
directive. At one instance, the Prophet (sws) waited until those behind him
completed their rak'at and then withdrew and at
another the army later completed the rak'at. There
remains no need to state the details of this because this measure as is evident
from the words وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ (when you are among them) related to the
presence of the Prophet (sws). After him, neither can the desire to pray behind
one imam be as strong nor as important. Today, if there does arise a possibility
of congregational prayers in such circumstances, then soldiers can easily prayer
behind different imams.
The Congregational Prayer
Although the prayer can be offered alone, yet the Sunnah of the religion of
the Prophets has always been that for the purification of the collectivity, it
be offered in congregation and if possible in a place of worship. For this very
purpose, the Prophet (sws) built a mosque as soon as he reached Madinah and with
this the practice of building mosques in all localities and settlements of
Muslims was initiated. These mosques can now be observed all over the world.
Islam has not fixed a specific form for their construction. Yet Muslims, with a
few differences, have generally maintained a uniform structure for them. In the
lifetime of the Prophet (sws), it was essential for all those who heard the
adhan to come to the mosque. Later, when the truth had been fully communicated
to the people of Arabia by the Prophet (sws) and these people became guilty of
deliberate denial and various measures were taken to isolate the Muslims from
the Hypocrites, a blind person once asked relief from the Prophet (sws) in
coming to the mosque, he was at first given the permission; then the Prophet
(sws) asked him: "Do you hear the voice of the adhan?" When he answered in the
affirmative, the Prophet (sws) said that he would then have to come to the
mosque. On this very occasion, the Prophet (sws)
warned people: "Those who do not come for the prayer, I want to burn their
houses and have them thrown over these people."It is narrated by Ibn Mas'ud
(rta) that even the sick in those times would come to the congregational prayer
by limping on the shoulders of two people.
Obviously, after the departure of the Prophet (sws), the directive of coming to
the mosques for the congregational prayer is not incumbent upon the Muslims;
however this is a highly rewarding practice earning the blessings of the
Almighty. Thus a Muslim should not deprive himself of this without any valid
The narratives ascribed to the Prophet (sws) in this regard are the
The congregational prayer is twenty seven times more rewarding than the lone
If people knew how highly rewarding is reaching the mosque at the time of the
adhan and standing in the first row and if for this they had to caste lots, they
would have done this. And if they knew the reward of outdoing others for the
zuhr prayer, they would have done so. And if they knew the reward for the fajr
and 'isha prayer they would have reached [the mosque] even if they had to drag
themselves for this.
A person who prayed the 'isha prayer in congregation is like a person who
stood [for worship] till midnight and a person who prayed the fajr prayer in
congregation is like a person who spent the whole night standing [in worship].
Women, however, are exempted from this directive. For them the sunnah is that
they can come to the mosque for the prayer but the prayer offered at home is
better for them. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: "Do not stop your
women from coming to the mosque, but they should know that it is more
appropriate for them to pray at home."
Following is the way which has been prescribed by the shari'ah for offering
the congregational prayer.
1. Before this prayer, the adhan shall be called so that people are able to
join the prayer after hearing this call. The words which the Prophet (sws) has
prescribed for the adhan are:
اللهُ اَكْبَر،ُ اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ
مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ ،
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ
God is the greatest; I bear witness that there is no god besides Him; I bear
witness that Muhammad is God's messenger; Come towards the prayer; come towards
salvation; God is the greatest; there is no god besides Him.
2. If there is only one follower, he will stand adjacent to the imam on his
right side and if there are many followers they shall stand behind him and he
shall stand in the centre ahead of them.
3. The iqamah shall be called before the prayer begins. All the words of the
adhan shall be uttered in it; however, after حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ the words
قَدْ قَامَتْ الَّصلَاة shall be said by the person who says the iqamah.
The words of the adhan and the iqamah can be repeated more than once for the
purpose they are said.
This method of the congregational prayer has been given to us through the
ummah's consensus and perpetual adherence. The details of this method which are
mentioned in various narratives are presented here:
According to the dream of the Companions (rta) regarding the adhan mentioned
in the narratives and as per which the Prophet (sws) directed them to say the
adhan and the iqamah, the words of the adhan have been repeated in the following
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ
اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ
اَنْ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ؛ حَيَّ
عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ؛ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ ، حَيَّ عَلَى
الْفَلَاحِ ؛ اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ
Thus it has been reported that in the times of the Prophet (sws), the words
of adhan were generally repeated twice.
Abu Mahdhurah reports that when the Prophet (sws) taught him the adhan, he
said: You should say
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ
اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلَاَ اللهَُ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ
اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ
؛ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ
حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ؛ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ ،
حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ ؛ اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ
He also reports: "The Prophet (sws) asked me to say اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ
اِلاَّ اللهَُ twice in a low tone and twice loudly. He also said that in the
fajr prayer say: الصَّلوةُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ النَّوُمِ، الصَّلوةُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ
النَّوُمِ after حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ."
It is reported that in times of rain and severe cold the Prophet (sws) would
ask the pronouncer of the adhan to say: َالَا صَلَّوا فى الرِّحَال (People! Pray
at your homes).
Similarly, it has also been narrated that in order to raise the voice and
transmit it around, Bilal (rta) would insert his fingers into his ears and turn
his face right and left.
'Uthman Ibn al-'As says: "When I asked the Prophet (sws) to grant me
permission to lead the prayers, he said: 'Appoint that person as the mu'adhdhin
who does not charge money for saying the adhan.'"
In response to the adhan, the Prophet (sws) urged Muslims to repeat the words
of the mu'adhdhin and to send blessings on the Prophet (sws). He also asked
Muslims: "Pray for me that I be granted the place of nearness in Paradise
because this is a place in Paradise which has been reserved for just one servant
of the Almighty and I hope that I would be that one person; so whoever will pray
for this will deserve my intercession."
In a narrative attributed to 'Umar (rta), it is further explained that the
Prophet (sws) directed Muslims to respond to the words حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ and
حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ by saying لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ اِلاَّ بِاللهِ, and
said that a person who responded in this manner from the depth of his heart has
glad tidings of Paradise.
The supplications which are attributed to the Prophet (sws) after the adhan
are the following:
اللّهُمَّ ، رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ
، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ ، وَ ابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا
O Lord! of this complete call and of the prayer which stands as its result,
bless Muhammad (sws) and grant him a rank of nearness and raise him up on the
Day of Judgement in a manner that he earns the praise of the people - something
which you had promised him.
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ، وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ
مُحَمَّدٌا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ، رَضِيْتُ بِاللهِ رَبَّا ، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ
رَسُولاً ، وَباِلْإِسْلَامِ دِيناً
I bear witness that there is no Lord except God. He is the one and no one is
His partner. I bear witness that Muhammad (sws) is His servant and Messenger. I
am happy and content that Allah is my Lord and that Muhammad (sw) is His
Messenger and that Islam is my religion.
About the first supplication, the Prophet (sws) has said: "Whoever vigilantly
said it, will deserve my intercession."
About the second one, he has said: "the sins of the person who says it will
The iqamah is generally said such that the expressions are said once only.
The words of the iqamah which have been narrated in the dream of the Companions
(rta) referred to above are:
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ،
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ؛ حَيَّ عَلَى
الْفَلَاحِ ؛ قَدْ قَامَتُ الصَّلوةُ ، قَدْ قَامَتُ الصَّلوةُ؛ اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ،
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ
Abu Mahdhurah says that the Prophet (sws) taught him the following seventeen
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ، اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ
اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ ؛ اَشْهَدُ
اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ؛ حَيَّ
عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ؛ حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلوةِ ؛ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ ؛ حَيَّ عَلَى
الْفَلَاحِ ؛ قَدْ قَامَتُ الصَّلوةُ ، قَدْ قَامَتُ الصَّلوةُ؛ اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ،
اللهُ اَكْبَرُ ؛ لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللهَُ
The prayer can be offered behind every person whether he is pious or impious.
However, if it is possible to select an imam, the Prophet (sws) is reported to
have said that this responsibility should be given to the person who reads the
Qur'an the most. Then if all the people among whom the selection is to be made
are equal as far as reading the Qur'an is concerned, then the one who is the
most aware of the Sunnah should be selected and if in this aspect too the
concerned individuals are equal, then the person who was the first to migrate
and if in this aspect too they are equal then the person who is the eldest. He
further said that a person should not lead the prayer when he goes to the place
of some other imam; in such a case, he should pray behind that imam.
The Prophet (sws) has said that an imam should not prolong the prayer because
there can be sick people behind him, and the weak and the elderly.
Anas (rta) reports: "I have never seen anyone offer the prayer lightly and yet
in a thorough manner than the Prophet (sws); such was his concern that he would
shorten the prayer if he heard a child crying thinking that his mother would be
apprehensive for him."
An imam should straighten the rows of the prayer with great care and
vigilance. Nu'man Ibn Bashir says that the Prophet (sws) would straighten our
rows of the prayer as if he would be straigtening arrows from them.
The Prophet (sws) has directed those who stand behind an imam in prayer to
not supersede him; rather they should say the takbir after him. They should say
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْد (Our Lord! All gratitude is for you) after he has
recited سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه (God heard him who expressed his gratitude
to him) and follow this procedure in all practices of the prayer.
Anas (rta) narrates: "Once the Prophet (sws) turned to us after the prayer and
said: 'O People! I am your imam. Do not supersede me in the ruku' or the
prostration or while standing straight in the prayer or while ending the
He similarly emphasized that the rows of the prayer should be kept straight,
the shoulders should be in line and there should be no space in between and
people should stand right adjacent to one another.
The mentally mature should stand ahead, then those who are younger to them and
then those who are even younger.
The first row of the congregational prayer shall first be filled, then the
second and then the third. Keeping the rows
straight has been regarded by the Prophet (sws) as an essential for the iqamah.
He is reported to have said: "O People! Be gentle with your brothers and do not
leave spaces for Satan in between the rows and remember he who endeavoured to
unite a row, the Almighty will unite him [with others], and he who broke a row,
the Almighty will break his relation with people."
He similarly said: "Make rows like the angels do; they stand close to one
another before the Almighty and complete the front rows first."
One should try to reach the first row. Narratives relate the blessings of
praying in the first row. However, if at times, a
person is not able to reach on time, he should walk with calmness and dignity.
Whatever congregational prayer remains, he should offer it in congregation and
then complete the remaining himself.
The rows for the prayer should be made at the arrival of the imam
and a row should not constitute a single person. It has been narrated that when
once the Prophet (sws) saw someone praying in this manner, he asked him to
repeat his prayer. Women were however exempted from
this. Anas (rta) narrates that once the Prophet (sws) led a prayer such that two
men stood in the front row and Umm Sulaym stood alone in the row behind.
The oldest mosque of the world is the Bayt al-Haram. It was built by Abraham
(sws). The founder of the Jerusalem mosque is Da'ud (sws), while the mosque at
Madinah was built by Muhammad (sws). All these three mosques carry unique
significance. The Prophet (sws) has said that it is toward these three mosques
that people can travel to pay homage to them and to pray in them.
Praying in these mosques earns great reward. Consequently, about his mosque at
Madinah, the Prophet (sws) has said that praying in it is hundred times more
rewarding than praying in any other mosque except the bayt al-haram.
Apart from these, all mosques of the world have equal status with regard to the
reward they earn for a believer who prays in them. These mosques are not made
for trade, entertainment or merry-making; they are reserved for the worship of
the Almighty. The dearest of buildings in the sight of Allah are these mosques.
Waiting for prayer time in them is like praying itself.
The farther people come to these places for worship, the more the reward they
will earn. Following is the etiquette of coming to
the mosques prescribed by the shari'ah:
1. Once a person comes to the mosque, he should offer two rak'at before
sitting down, unless something prevents him to do so.
2. If a person has already prayed and then has come to a mosque, he should
join the congregational prayer if it is in progress unless he has some solid
reason for not doing so.
Both these etiquette have been mentioned in the narratives with great
emphasis. It has also been narrated that when the
Prophet (sws) would enter the mosque he would seek the refuge of the Almighty in
the following words:
أَعُوذُ باِللهِ الْعَظِيمِ ، وَبِوَجْهِهِ الْكَرِيمِ ، وَسُلْطَانِهِ
الْقَدِيمِ ، مِنْ الشَّيْطَان الرَّجِيمِ
I seek refuge with Allah the Almighty, the benevolent, the eternal King from
the cursed Satan.
It is also narrated that the Prophet (sws) said: "When anyone among you
enters a mosque, he should say: اللّهُمَّ ، افْتَحْ لِى أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ (O
God! Open for me the doors of your mercy) and when he leaves it, he should say:
اللّهُمَّ ، إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (O God! I seek from you your
Rectifying Mistakes in the Prayer
In case a person makes a mistake or thinks that he has made a mistake in the
utterances and practices of the prayer, the amendment prescribed as a sunnah is
that if amends can be made for the mistake then they should be made and two
prostrations (called "prostrations in lieu of a mistake") should be offered
before ending the prayer, and if making amends is not possible then only the
prostrations should be offered.
Following are the details of the incidents which occurred during the lifetime
of the Prophet (sws) in which such prostrations were offered.
says that once the Prophet (sws) led our zuhr prayer but did not sit down after
the first two rak'at and stood up for the third rak'at. People also stood up
with him until the time when the prayer was about to end and the people were
waiting for the salam to be said, the Prophet (sws) uttered the takbir and
before saying the salam offered two prostrations and then said the salam.
It is narrated by Ibn Mas'ud (rta) that once when the Prophet (sws) led the
zuhr congregational prayer, he prayed five rak'at. He was asked: "Has the prayer
being lengthened." He replied: "What happened?" The people declared that he had
prayed five rak'at. At this, the Prophet (sws) turned his feet while sitting and
faced the qiblah and then offered two prostrations and then said the salam. Then
he turned towards the people and said: "If some new directive had been revealed
about the prayer, I would have told you; the fact is that I am a human being
like you; I also forget the way you do; so when I forget, remind me and remember
that if any of you has any doubt in the prayer, he should ascertain what is the
right course and then complete his prayer according to it, say the salam and
then offer two prostrations."
Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrates that [once] the Prophet (sws) prayed two rak'at
for the zuhr or the 'asr prayer and then said the salam. There was a wood lying
in the front portion of the mosque. He went and rested against it in some anger.
Abu Bakr (rta) and 'Umar (rta) too were present there but were not able to speak
because of great respect for him. In the meantime, some impetuous people came
out from the mosque and started saying that the prayer had been reduced. At this
a person called Dhu al-Yadayn mustered some courage and went over to the Prophet
(sws) and asked him: "Did you forget or has the prayer been shortened?". The
Prophet (sws) replied: "I have neither forgotten nor has the prayer been
shortened." "Something has happened, O Messenger of God!" he continued. The
Prophet (sws) asked for corroboration from the people. They also declared
similarly; so the Prophet (sws) prayed two more rak'at and then turned to say
the salam and then said the takbir; then again said the takbir and then offered
two prostrations as per his usual routine or increased their length a little. He
then raised his head and again said the takbir and then offered two prostrations
as per his usual routine or increased their length a little. He then raised his
head and said the takbir.
'Imran Ibn Husayn says that the Prophet (sws) prayed the 'asr prayer and
after three rak'at turned to say the salam and then went over to his room. A
person called Khirbaq who had very long hands told him of this. He came out in
anger dragging his cloak behind him and asked the people: "Is he telling the
truth." When they confirmed it, the Prophet (sws) prayed one more rak'at then
turned to say the salam. He then offered two prostrations and then again turned
to say the salam.
It is evident from a Hadith narrated by Mu'awiyyah Ibn Hudayj that on one
occasion when the Prophet (sws) came back again to the mosque to offer a missed
rak'at, Bilal (rta) said the iqamah at the behest of the Prophet.
The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: "When anyone among you is
doubtful that whether he has prayed three rak'at or four, he should try to base
his decision about which he is more sure and leave aside what is doubtful; he
should then offer two prostrations before the salam. If [ultimately] he has
prayed five rak'at, these prostrations will make them into an even number and if
he has prayed four, then these prostrations will become a source of humiliation
If an imam makes a mistake and does not realize it, the followers should
correct him. For this, the sunnah prescribed is that they shall say سُبْحَانَ
الله. If women do not prefer to utter any such word of correction, they should
correct him by striking one hand on the other. The
Prophet (sws) similarly said: "If there is some mistake in the recital of the
Qur'an, the listeners should sound a reminder."
Etiquette of the Prayer
The prayer is worshipping God and earnestly presenting one's supplications
before Him. So where the Qur'an directed Muslims to safeguard the prayer, it has
٢٣٨) وَ قُوْمُوا لِِلّهِِ قَانِتِيْنْ (And stand before the Almighty
with great respect), (2:238).
Following are the directives of the Prophet (sws) that explain this verse of
1. Conversation should be avoided during the prayer. He has said: "The prayer
is only glorifying the Almighty and declaring His sovereignty and reciting the
Qur'an and no one is allowed to converse in any way during it."
Zayd Ibn Arqam says: "Previously we used to converse with one another during the
prayer, but after the revelation of وَ قُوْمُوا لِلهِ قَانِتِيْنْ , we were
stopped from it and we were told to pray in silence."
Ibn Mas'ud (rta) narrates: "When we used to say the salam to the Prophet (sws)
in the prayer, he would reply; however, once he returned from Negus he did not
reply to our salam. We inquired: "O Prophet of God! You used to respond to the
salam." He replied: "One can only have a single involvement in the prayer."
2. One should not look here and there in the prayer. 'A'ishah (rta), the
mother of the believers, says: "When I asked the Prophet (sws) about it, he
replied: 'This is like Satan snatching the prayer away from a person.'"
Similarly, the Prophet (sws) severely admonished people for looking towards the
sky. He has reported to have said: "What is the matter with people that they
raise their eyes during the prayer towards the sky; they should refrain from
this, otherwise there is a possibility that their eyesight shall be snatched
3. The prayer should be offered with complete calmness and serenity. The
Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: "What is it that I see you raising your
hands the way the tails of unruly horses are raised; remain calm during the
4. During the prayer, hair and clothes should not be tampered with. The
Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: "I have been directed to prostrate
myself on seven limbs and to not tuck my clothes and hair during the prayer."
5. There should not be anything in front of the prayer place which can become
a source of distraction. Anas (rta) narrates that 'A'ishah (rta) had hung a
curtain in the house. When the Prophet saw it, he asked her to remove it because
the pictures [imprinted on it] kept coming before him during the prayer.
6. If food is at hand, then one should eat it and then calmly offer the
prayer so that one is not thinking of food during the prayer and is in fact
thinking of prayer during food. The same directive was given by the Prophet
(sws) if a person felt a call of nature. He is reported to have said: "If food
is in front of you or one feels like urinating or defecating, one should not
offer the prayer."
7. If a person is compelled to do something during the prayer, then one
should not prolong it. It has been narrated that a person was levelling the mud
at the place of prostration. When the Prophet (sws) saw him, he said: "If you
had to do it, you should have done it once only."
8. While standing in prayer, a person should not place his hands on his hips,
and while sitting he should not take support. The Prophet (sws) has stopped us
9. Yawning should be refrained from during the prayer. The Prophet (sws) is
reported to have said: "If anyone of you feels like yawning during the prayer,
he should try to control it as far as possible; otherwise, he should place a
hand on his mouth."
10. A person should be decently and appropriately dressed while praying. The
Prophet (sws) is reported to have said that if there is only one cloth, it
should not be worn in a manner that some of its portion is not on the shoulder".
He has similarly said that Allah does not accept the prayer of mature women who
do not wear a cloak during the prayer.
The above mentioned etiquette relates to the external form of the prayer.
There are some inner etiquette too under وَ قُوْمُوا لِلهِ قَانِتِيْنْ , which
every Muslim should observe. They are:
1. One should not be lazy and sluggish during the prayer. This is a very
common form of negligence in prayer and a person who is guilty of it is neither
able to be punctual in his prayer nor vigilant in offering the prayer in
congregation. Similarly, a person also is not able to focus his attention
towards the Almighty during the prayer. Its apparent reasons can be many. For
example, sleep can be one of its causes. Likewise, pre-occupation and worldly
involvements can cause laziness. However, if one reflects deeply, its real
reason is found within the heart of a person and every Muslim should try his
best to remove it. In the words of Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, the measures which
can be adopted for this, are:
The first thing is that one should fully understand the importance which the
prayer has in Islam. The prayer is the first manifestation of faith. The first
thing that originates from faith is the prayer, and then it is from the prayer
that the rest of Islam originates. The foremost pillar among the pillars on
which the edifice of Islam rests is the prayer. So, if anyone razes this pillar
to ground, it is as if he has razed to ground the whole structure of Islam. The
Companions (rta) of the Prophet (sws) considered the prayer to be the
distinction between belief and disbelief. The Caliph 'Umar (rta) had directed
his administrators and representatives that their greatest responsibility is
showing vigilance to the prayer; a person who is negligent to the prayer will be
even more negligent to the rest of the directives of Islam. Since the source and
fountainhead of Islam is the prayer, hence if one has to adhere to religion he
must foremost adhere to the prayer. By adhering to the prayer he actually is
able to adhere to the rest of religion. If he shows laziness in prayer or is
indifferent to it, he breaks all bounds set by religion and hands over his reins
to base desires. About the People of the Book, the Qur'an says that their
negligence to the prayer led them to lewdness and vulgarity.
It must also be kept in consideration that each part of religion has a status
which the Almighty Himself has ascertained. Something which has been regarded as
a pillar of religion is nevertheless a pillar. Unless it is erected the edifice
of religion will not be erected. If a person does not adhere to the prayer and
is involved in welfare work, all his efforts are in vain as regards adopting
religion is concerned because he is constructing a building that has no
foundation. Just as nothing can replace the foundations of a building, similarly
nothing can replace the role of the prayer in religion. It is to make people
comprehend this reality that it is narrated in a Hadith that the optional
prayers of a person will not be accepted until he offers the obligatory ones.
The second thing which is necessary to curb laziness is that a person should
try to become vigilant in remembering God. This means that as soon as a person
hears the adhan, he should leave everything aside and start preparing for the
prayer and get ready to go to the mosque. Slackness should not be displayed in
this preparation; in fact, it should bear the mark of vigour and liveliness.
Just as a dutiful servant is always ready to receive the directive of his master
and as soon as he hears his voice he rushes to his presence leaving aside
everything, in the same manner a person should attend to the prayer as soon as
he hears the adhan. It should be kept in mind that at the time of the prayer,
the most important and foremost obligation in the eyes of God is to offer it.
Except for compelling circumstances in which a person might have a reason, in no
other circumstances can some task be given any preference, even if it concerns
religion. If for some period, a person makes it a point to attend to the prayer
as soon as he hears the adhan, there is all the probability that the Almighty
help him by making this a habit for him and he is able to get rid of this
laziness regarding the prayer.
The Prophet (sws) has suggested an excellent remedy to do away with the
laziness caused by sleep ... No doubt it is really a difficult thing to overcome
as long as a person dallies around while lying in bed. However, as soon as he
shows resolve and gets up from the bed, remembers the Almighty, does the wudu
and offers the prayer, his laziness and lethargy gradually turn into vigor and
vitality until he reaches a stage that he no longer has any desire to sleep. In
fact, the desire which does remain in him is that why was not he able to acquire
this bliss of remaining awake earlier on. It should be remembered that a person
will never regret sacrificing his sleep for the prayer. After a small period of
this struggle against sleep, the remembrance of the bliss of remaining awake
becomes so dominant in a person that it wakes him up from the deepest of
2. The prayer should be protected from latent thoughts and suggestions that
keep bombarding a person. Everyone knows that it is not easy to remain shielded
from them. The reason for this is that Satan is the enemy of the prayer to the
same extent as the Almighty is pleased with it. Thus he launches his onslaught
on the heart and mind of a person as soon as a person begins the prayer. Imam
Amin Ahsan Islahi, while delineating the various measures to counter the
onslaught of Satan, writes:
A general remedy for this is that as soon as a person witnesses such a
situation, he should seek refuge with Allah and should resolve to complete and
show vigilance in the prayer much like the person who has been informed of an
imminent enemy attack but he has made up his mind to complete his prayer come
what may and will become indifferent to such latent suggestions. Sometimes, it
is this resolve and enthusiasm which destroys the spell caste by Satan.
The second thing which becomes effective in this matter is that he should say
the words of the prayer in an audible manner and is able to give attention to
their meanings. However, it is essential that one must not say them so loudly
that others who may be offering the prayer nearby get disturbed. This becomes
very helpful in combating such latent murmurs of Satan. When a person's mind is
focused on meanings of the prayer he is greatly protected from such onslaughts.
The third thing which becomes very effective in this regard is that in
general life also one should try to keep one's thoughts very pure. One should
try to always think about things which are beneficial to him and to others in
both worldly and religious affairs. One should keep in mind that the handmill of
one's mind keeps churning. If he inputs pure raw material in it, it will keep
crushing it and produce high quality flour. On the other hand, there are the
evil suggestions of Satan. As soon as he gets the opportunity, he throws a
handful of stones and pebbles in it and the handmill starts grinding them and
this really hampers its working. If this mishap occurs frequently, the handmill
starts to malfunction and is unable to churn out pure flour. The best of grains
will produce substandard flour.
A person who has endeavoured hard to generally keep his thoughts clean will
encounter less evil whisperings from Satan because he will find the spiritual
fodder in the prayer which he is generally used to and if certain thoughts do
disturb him they are not as improper so that they contradict the objective.
Sometimes, a person as near to God as 'Umar (rta) would find his prayer being
invaded with distractive thoughts. At times, during the prayer, he would think
of arranging his armies busy fighting in Iran and Syria. A person can object
that even such pre-occupation distracts a person during the prayer. No doubt,
this is a distraction but there is tremendous difference between getting
distracted by evil thoughts and by thoughts which are primarily pure and needed.
3. A person should fully understand and pay full attention to whatever he
says in the prayer. The utterances of the prayer delineated earlier consist of
celebrating the praises of the Lord, expressing His sovereignty, beseeching Him
and to top these all reciting Surah Fatihah and some portion of the Qur'an. The
relationship between Surah Fatihah and the Qur'an is that of a supplication and
its response and the order in which these utterances occur in a prayer show that
they remind us that the very first thing which should be asked from the Almighty
in this world is His guidance and it is only the Qur'an which provides guidance
now till the Day of Judgement. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:
This [Surah Fatihah] is the greatest supplication that a person can think of
in this world. This supplication has been taught to us by the Almighty Himself.
A better way of asking from the Almighty than what is expressed in this surah
cannot even be imagined and nothing better than what he asks in this prayer can
be imagined either. The Almighty Himself has taught us the right way to ask from
Him and has also informed us of what to ask from Him. When the prelude to what
is being asked is also correct and what is being asked is also befitting and is
something which can be asked only from Whom it is being asked and the bestower
is the Most gracious of all, then what doubt remains that it will not be
After this, he has written about the recital of the Qur'an in the following
It is the inimitability of the Qur'an that whichever of its portion one
reads, featured in it is the basic message of this divine book. Mentioned
everyone now and then is the true comprehension of the Almighty, the way one
should lead one's life, the Hereafter and the reward and punishment which will
take place in it. The only thing is that the style and manner would be
different. At one place, something is set in legal style; at another, one will
find the Qur'an earnestly urging the believers to adopt something; at some
instances tales and anecdotes would be narrated to drive the point home while in
some verses one would find effective parables to convey the meaning. Similarly,
at some places, people would be asked in a polite and gentle way and at others
they would be threatened because of their misdeeds. However, this much is
certain that whatever portion is read, even if it constitutes three verses, one
would find that it contains a very powerful and effective reminder of what is
really required to keep oneself on the right path.
It is apparent from the above discussion that it is essential that one must
understand what he utters during the prayer. The Prophet (sws) is reported to
have said: "A person who prays, whispers to His Lord; thus he should know what
he is whispering." Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:
One should not think that there is no need to reflect on the surahs and
supplications everyday when they are read repeatedly in every prayer and that
understanding them once is enough. Those who hold this view are not aware of the
essence of the prayer and its supplications. The prayer is not offered to
increase one's knowledge: it is offered to renew one's pledge with the Almighty
and to seek help, guidance and mercy from Him. How can this purpose be achieved
by offering it without knowing what one is uttering unless a person is not
4. One should take care that the prayer does not become a pretentious
display. This is the most common and most dangerous affliction of the prayer. In
the words of Islahi, the reason that this is the most common affliction is that
there are so many variations in being showy of the prayer that even the most
careful of persons is unable to ward off its attacks from his prayer; similarly,
in his opinion, it is the most dangerous because sincerity is a pre-requisite of
the prayer and showing off is opposite to sincerity. In his opinion, two things
are required for its remedy. He writes:
One of them is that a person should be well aware of the various forms of
pomposity and showing off. Books such as Ghazzali's Ahya al-'Ulum are very
useful in making a person aware of these forms. It is only after knowing
something thoroughly that one is able to check it and get rid of it if he wants
to. Whereas this awareness is required by the common man, it is required much
more by scholars of Islam and the pious. The reason is that pomposity seldom
manifests itself through worldly affairs; it often comes in the guise of
religiosity and such are its alluring forms and types that the greatest of
scholars and religious pundits end up being its targets, and, at times, lose
their religiosity and piety they attained in their life.
The second thing that is an effective remedy for this affliction is the
tahajjud prayer. This prayer is offered alone at night and it is very taxing for
one's self; it has been emphasized that one should keep it a secret; thus those
who only pray to brag and show off they never find the strength to offer the
tahajjud prayer; only those people are able to find the strength to offer it who
are either miles away from pomposity or are fully aware of its evils and in
order to save themselves from these evils have found refuge in this prayer. The
tahajjud prayer is the most effective remedy of this affliction as long as a
person is able to maintain its secrecy. There are people who even brag and show
off their tahajjud prayer. Either they start advertising this in the guise of
various insinuating statements, or their students and disciples do this job for
them. In such circumstances, not only is this prayer of no use as a remedy, it
helps a person even more in his tendency of showing off.
If the prayer is offered while giving due consideration to these etiquette,
then in the words of Islahi, it is characterized by the following:
When a person stands in prayer he is an embodiment of humility. With hands
tied, eyes lowered, neck bending downwards, feet placed adjacent, he stands
while being cut off totally from his surroundings; dignity and honour seem
personified in him, he is a portrait of silence and seriosity. At times, he
kneels before his Lord, and, at others, places his forehead and nose on the
ground and some times spreads his hands in prayer. In short, whatever forms of
humility that can be adopted, are with dignity and honour adopted by a person
who stands to pray. The picture which thus emerges of this person bears clear
evidence that he is observing his Lord and if this is not the case, he knows for
sure that the Lord is observing him. It is this prayer which can be termed as a
pinnacle among prayers. This prayer is entirely different from the prayer
offered with a juristic mind. It is this prayer which is in fact required for
the purification of the soul. The prayer is a reflection of a person's inner
self. In this prayer is reflected the humility and meekness for the Almighty
present within his heart. Not only is his back bent in the prayer, his heart is
also bent before the Almighty. Not only does his forehead touches the ground,
his soul also prostrates before the Lord of the worlds.
The Friday Prayer
On Fridays, it has been made incumbent upon Muslims to pray in congregation
at the time of zuhr prayer and in place of it. The way prescribed by the
shari'ah for this prayer is the following:
1. There are two rak'at of this prayer.
2. In contrast with the zuhr prayer, the recital shall not be silent.
3. The takbir shall be said before the prayer.
4. Before the prayer, the imam shall deliver two sermons to remind and urge
people about various teachings of Islam. He shall deliver these sermons while
standing. The imam shall sit for a short while after he ends the first sermon
and then stand up to deliver the second one.
5. The adhan for the prayer shall be recited when the imam reaches the place
where he is to deliver the sermon.
As soon as the adhan is said, it is incumbent upon all Muslim men to leave
all their involvements and come to the mosque if they have no legitimate excuse.
The sermon shall be delivered and the prayer shall be led by the rulers of
the Muslims and this prayer shall only be offered at places which have been
specified by them or where a representative of theirs is present to lead the
The Qur'an has mentioned this prayer in the following words:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِي لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ
الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ
خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا
فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا
لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (٦٢:
Believers, when you are summoned to Friday prayers, hasten to the remembrance
of God and cease your trading. That would be best for you, if you but knew it.
Then, when the prayers end, disperse and go your ways in quest of God's bounty.
Remember God greatly so that you may prosper. (62:9-10)
The Prophet (sws) has directed those who lead the prayer to shorten the
sermon and prolong the prayer. He has said that it is enough for a person to be
sensible if he has this trait.
It is evident from certain narratives that for reminding and counseling
people and for the purpose of collective worship, it was this day that had in
reality been fixed in the religions of the Prophets.
According to historians, before the advent of Muhammad (sws), Ka'b Ibn Luyy or
Qusayy Ibn Kalab would also assemble the people of Quraysh on this day.
Regarding the selection of this day, the Prophet (sws) has said that it was on
this day that Adam was created and on this day was he cast into the orchard and
on this day was he cast out and the Day of Judgement will also be a Friday.
The Prophet (sws) is also reported to have said that there comes a time in
this day in which the Almighty grants a rightful wish of a believer.
Consequently, he warned people that if they do not come for the Friday prayer,
their hearts shall be sealed and indifference shall overcome them.
On the other hand, the Prophet (sws) has given glad tidings to people - who take
a bath, fully cleanse themselves, are befittingly adorned and attired, try not
to pierce and sit between two people, pray whatever they can at the beckoning of
the Almighty and sit silently to listen to the sermon of the imam - glad tidings
that the Almighty will forgive the sins they have committed between the two
Fridays. He has also said that on Friday, angels
stand at the door of the mosques and write the names of people in order of their
entry to the mosques. Consequently, those who come very early are similar to a
person who has sent a camel for sacrifice, then he who sends a cow for this
purpose and then he who sends a sheep for this purpose and then a hen and then
an egg. Then once the imam comes to deliver his sermon they fold their scrolls
and listen to his advice and counsel.
The Id Prayers
On the days of 'id al-adha and 'id al-fitr, it is essential for the Muslims
that they arrange a collective prayer like that of the Friday prayer. Following
is its methodology:
1. This prayer shall consist of two rak'at.
2. In both rak'at, the Qur'an shall be recited loudly.
3. While standing in qiyam some additional takbirs shall be recited.
4. Neither will there be any adhan for the prayer nor takbir.
5. After the prayer, the imam shall deliver two sermons to remind and urge
people regarding the basic message of Islam. Both these sermons shall be
delivered with the imam standing. He shall sit for a while in between the two.
6. Like the Friday prayer, this prayer too shall be led and its sermon
delivered by the rulers of the Muslims and their representatives and it shall be
offered only at those places which have been prescribed by them, where either
they or their representatives are present to lead the prayer.
The Funeral Prayer
In the religion of the prophets, the prayer for a deceased is held
Once the dead body of the deceased is bathed and enshrouded, this prayer
shall be offered in the following manner:
People shall stand in rows behind the imam after placing the dead body
between themselves and the qiblah.
The prayer shall begin by saying the takbir and by raising hands.
Like the 'id prayer, some additional takbirs shall be said in this prayer.
The prayer shall end after the salam is said while a person is standing once
the takbirs and the supplications have been offered.
The above method of the funeral prayer is attested by the consensus of the
Muslims and their perpetual adherence to it. Narratives which depict the
knowledge and practice of the Prophet (sws) in this matter are detailed out
Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): "You should show haste in
taking away the dead body [to its destination] because if the deceased is pious,
some good awaits him towards which you send him, and if this is not so then he
is an anathema from which you should relieve your necks from."
Abu Sa'id (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): "When you see a funeral
procession, stand up, and those walking in it should not sit down also until it
is placed on ground."
Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): "A person who walks in
the funeral procession of a Muslim while professing full faith in the Almighty
and with a feeling of accountability [to Him], then remains there till the
funeral prayer is offered and the deceased is buried, he returns with two carats
worth of reward with each carat being [as big as] the mountain of Uhud. And he
who offers the funeral prayer, but comes back before the burial, he too returns
with one carat from them."
Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrates that the day king Negus died, the Prophet (sws)
had it announced, then reached the place of the prayer with the people, made
rows [for the prayer] and said four takbirs in the prayer.
Ibn Abi Laylah narrates that Zayd Ibn Arqam usually said four takbirs in our
funeral prayers. In one funeral, he said five takbirs. When we asked him, he
replied: "The Prophet (sws) too used to do this at some instances."
It is narrated by Talhah Ibn 'Abdullah: "I prayed behind Ibn 'Abbas and he
read Surah Fatihah in it and remarked: 'I have recited [this out to you] so that
you should know that this was the practice of the Prophet (sws).'"
'A'ishah (rta) narrates that the Prophet (sws) said: "Do not speak ill of the
dead because they have reached the place where their deeds led them to."
Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): "When you offer the
funeral prayer for someone, pray specifically for him."
The supplications of this prayer which are ascribed to the Prophet are the
اللهم اغفر له وارحمه واعف عنه وعافه وأكرم نزله ووسع مدخله واغسله
بماء وثلج وبرد ونقه من الخطايا كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس وأبدله دارا خيرا
من داره وأهلا خيرا من أهله وزوجا خيرا من زوجه وقه فتنة القبر وعذاب النار
O Lord forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him and [O Lord] grant him
prosperity and be a good host to him. Broaden his grave and wash him with water
and with snow and with hail. Cleanse him of his sins just as a white piece of
cloth is cleansed from dirt. [O Lord!] Grant him a better house in place of his
own house and a better family than his own family and a wife better than his own
and protect him from the punishment of the grave and from the torment of the
اللهم اغفر لحينا وميتنا وشاهدنا وغائبنا وصغيرنا وكبيرنا وذكرنا
وأنثانا اللهم من أحييته منا فأحيه على الإسلام ومن توفيته منا فتوفه على الإيمان
اللهم لا تحرمنا أجره ولا تضلنا بعده
O Lord! Forgive our living and our dead, those [who are] present [here] and
those who are not and forgive our young ones and old ones, our men and our
women. Lord! Whoever you give life, give him life such that he [follows] Islam
and whoever you give death, let him die on faith. Lord! Do not deprive us of the
reward of this deceased person and do not lead us astray after him.
اللهم إن فلان بن فلان في ذمتك وحبل جوارك فقه من فتنة القبر وعذاب
النار وأنت أهل الوفاء والحمد اللهم فاغفر له وارحمه إنك أنت الغفور الرحيم
Lord! Such-and-such a person who is the son of such-and-such a person is in
your refuge and in the covenant of your asylum. So, [O Lord!] protect him from
the trial of the grave and the torment of the Fire. Only You are worthy of all
praise and of the fulfillment of your promises. So, O God! Forgive him and have
mercy on him. Indeed, you are Forgiving and Ever-Merciful.
The Optional Prayers
The Qur'an (2:158) says: وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللّهَ
شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ (He who does a virtue of his own will God will accept it and is
fully aware of it). Similarly, in 2:45, it has been said that in case of
difficulty, help should be sought from the prayer and from perseverance:
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ . Thus in the light of these verses,
besides the obligatory prayer, Muslims also offer the optional prayer. The
optional (nafl) prayers which the Prophet (sws) has offered or has urged people
to offer are detailed out below:
Before the Prayer
Before the fajr prayer, the Prophet (sws) would generally offer two light
Hafsah (rta) says that he would pray these rak'at as soon as the time of fajr
would begin. 'A'ishah (rta) says that she never
saw him more punctual than in offering these rak'at.
She has also narrated from the Prophet (sws): "Thes rak'at of fajr are better
than this world and everything it has."
Before the zuhr prayer, he would sometimes pray two rak'at and sometimes
Before the maghrib prayer, the Prophet (sws) himself, in all probability,
never offered any rak'at, but he urged others to offer them if God provides them
with the will and opportunity. Consequently, it
has been narrated that in his lifetime, the Companions (rta) would be vigilant
in offering these rak'at.
After the Prayer
The Prophet's routine was to offer two rak'at at home once he returned from
the mosque after praying zuhr, maghrib and 'isha.
He followed a similar routine after the Friday prayer.
A narrative from Abu Hurayrah (rta) says that the Prophet (sws) asked people to
pray four rak'at also after the Friday prayer.
Similarly, there are narratives which depict the blessings of praying four
rak'at after the zuhr prayer.
Of the rak'at which are offered before and after prayers, the Prophet (sws)
is reported to have said that those who adhere to offering two rak'at of fajr,
six of zuhr, two each of maghrib and 'isha, the Almighty will make for them a
house in Paradise.
In mid-morning (chasht) too, the Prophet (sws) urged people to offer two
rak'at. He has said: "As soon as morning comes,
charity becomes obligatory upon each of your joints. If a person wants to do it
[then he should know that] every word of tasbih is charity, every takbir is
charity, urging others to do a pious deed is charity, stopping others from bad
deeds is charity and if two rak'at are offered in mid-morning, then they suffice
for all these."
However, one cannot be certain whether the Prophet (sws) offered this prayer
since the narratives in this regard are contradictory.
At the time of Eclipse
When once in the time of the Prophet (sws), a solar eclipse occurred, he led
the believers in offering two rak'at. It is narrated that in this prayer, he
recited the Qur'an loudly, did very long ruku's and prostrations and while in
the qiyam also celebrated the praises of the Lord, glorified Him and beseeched
and implored Him. He even repeated the ruku' and the qiyam more than once while
waiting for the eclipse to disappear. Then after finishing the prayer remarked:
"The sun and the moon are two signs of the Almighty. Solar and Lunar eclipses do
not occur because of the life or death of someone; in fact, the Almighty warns
His people through such phenomena. So, when you see them, beseech the Almighty,
celebrate his sovereignty, offer the prayer and spend in His way."
To ask for Rain
Narratives mention that the Prophet (sws) offered two rak'at to beseech the
Almighty to send rain. In religious parlance, this prayer is called istisqa.
These narratives say that the words of the prayer were recited out loud and
before the prayer, the Prophet (sws) supplicated before the Almighty by raising
his hands for a long time while facing the qiblah.
One of the supplications uttered by him on such occasions is:
اللهم اسقنا غيثا مغيثا مريئا مريعا نافعا غير ضار عاجلا غير آجل
O Lord drench us with rain that answers our calls; whose consequences are
good, which makes things cheeper, which is beneficial and not harmful and which
comes soon and not late.
In the Solitude of Night
Besides the five prayers during the day and night times, there was another
prayer which was obligatory for the Prophet (sws). It is called "the night
prayer" or the tahajjud prayer. In the seventy ninth verse of Surah Bani
Isra'il, this obligatory nature of the prayer for the Prophet (sws) is mentioned
by the words نَافِلَةً لَكَ . Then in Surah Muzzammil it is further stated that
when the Prophet (sws) was asked to deliver open warning to his people, he was
specially directed to be diligent in this prayer. The Qur'an says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ أَوِ
انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا إِنَّا
سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ
وَطْءًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا إِنَّ لَكَ فِي اَلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا وَاذْكُرِ
اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا (٧٣:
O you enfolded in your shawl! stand [in prayer] by night, but not all night.
Half the night, or even less or a little more and [in this prayer of yours]
recite the Qur'an in a slow measured tone. Because soon We shall lay on you the
burden of a heavy word [the burden of open warning]. Verily, this rising by
night is very suitable for the mind's peace and the heart's resolve and for the
speech's correctness. Because during the daytime you will be hard-pressed with
[this task; so pray at this time], and remember the name of your Lord, and [in
this loneliness of the night] devote yourself entirely to Him. (73:1-8)
For common Muslims, this is an optional prayer and it is a great blessing for
them if in following the Prophet (sws) they offer this prayer. It has been
narrated that he would at most offer eleven rak'at in this prayer and would
stand, kneel and prostrate for great lengths of time in it. Indeed some
narratives do mention thirteen rak'at but two of them are the optional rak'at.
Since the tahajjud prayer was obligatory on the Prophet (sws), he prayed two
optional rak'at before them much like the optional rak'at Muslims pray before or
after the obligatory part of their prayer. This status of the optional rak'at
was not properly understood by people and they counted it among the rak'at of
the tahajjud prayer. In this regard, the
narrative which holds primary importance is the following:
عن أبي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن أنه سأل عائشة رضي الله عنها كيف كانت صلاة رسول الله
في رمضان فقالت ما كان يزيد في رمضان ولا في غيره على إحدى عشرة ركعة
Abu Salamah, the son of 'Abd al-Rahman narrated that he asked 'A'ishah:
"Describe the Prophet's prayer in the Ramadan?" She replied: "Never did the
Prophet pray more than eleven rak'at either in ramadan or in any other month."
As per the verbal or practical corroboration of the Prophet (sws), the
various ways in which this prayer was offered are the following:
1. After offering two rak'at, the prayer should be ended with the salam and
then one more rak'at should be offered as witr.
2. After praying two, four or six rak'at in groups of two rak'at the prayer
should be ended with the salam, and then five rak'at should be offered in a
manner that one does qa'dah in the last rak'at only.
3. After praying four rak'at or eight rak'at in groups of four rak'at, three
rak'at should be offered in a manner that one does qa'dah only in the last
4. After praying two, four, six or eight rak'at in groups of two without the
qa'dah, which should be done in the last rak'at, one rak'at should be offered
standing up after the qa'dah without saying the salam and then after the qa'dah
the salam should be said.
It is evident from the narratives that initially in this prayer, the Qur'an
was at times recited loudly and at times silently. Later, the Almighty directed
the Prophet (sws) to recite it in a medium pitch:
وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاَتِكَ وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ
And pray neither with too loud a voice nor in a soft one, but, between these
extremes, seek a middle course. (17:110)
Consequently, the Prophet (sws) also directed his Companions (rta) to recite
in this way. Abu Qatadah narrates that the Prophet told Abu Bakr (rta): "When I
passed by you, you were reciting the Qur'an in a low pitch [in the night
prayer]." He replied: "I recite it to Him Who hears [even my] whispers." The
Prophet continued: "Raise your pitch a little." Then he told 'Umar (rta): "When
I passed by you, you were reciting the Qur'an in a very loud pitch." He replied:
"I awake those who sleep, and make Satan run away." The Prophet said: "Lower
your pitch a little."
It is evident from Surah Bani Isra'il and Surah Muzzammil, the real time of
this prayer is when one gets up at night, and for this reason it is called
tahajjud. The Qur'an says that this is the time when one is in the presence of
the Almighty. The Prophet (sws) has said: "Every night, the Almighty directs His
attention upon our world. When one-third night remains, He says: 'Who is there
at this moment to call me so that I can respond to his call; who is it that can
ask from Me so that I give him; who is it that seeks mercy that I forgive him.'"
However, if a person is not able to reap the blessings of this prayer, he can
offer this prayer before going to sleep. This inference is also evident from the
verses of Surah Muzzammil which mention a reduction of the amount of the prayer
in the following words:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ
وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ
اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَؤُوا
مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَى وَآخَرُونَ
يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ
فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَؤُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ
وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا
لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ
أَجْرًا وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (٧٣:
[O Prophet! We had enjoined upon you to stand by night]. Your Lord, indeed,
knows that sometimes you stand two thirds of the night and sometimes half and
sometimes one third of it, and so does a group among your followers. And Allah
alone [keeping in regard the need of people] appoints the day and night in due
measure. He knew that you would not be able to follow this [routine]. So He
turned towards you mercifully. Recite then from this Qur'an [in this prayer] as
much as you are able to. He knows that there are among you who will be sick and
others who will be travelling to seek the bounty of Allah and others who will be
fighting for the cause of Allah; so, recite then from this as much as is
possible for you. (73:20)
The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:
أيكم خاف أن لا يقوم من آخر الليل فليوتر ثم ليرقد ومن وثق بقيام من الليل
فليوتر من آخره فإن قراءة آخر الليل محضورة وذلك أفضل
Whoever among you fears that he would not be able to get up in the last part
of the night, he should offer the witr; but he who is certain that he would be
able to get up, he should offer this prayer in the last part of the night
because the recital [of the Qur'an] at that time is in the presence of the
Almighty and it is this which is more blessed.
The Prophet (sws) always offered this prayer alone. However, once in a
ramadan when he got up and came out from his retiring enclosure into the mosque
and offered this prayer within the mosque, Muslims started to gather with the
desire to pray behind him. When the Prophet (sws) saw this, he discontinued
offering this prayer fearing that this prayer might also become obligatory for
the Muslims. 'Urwah Ibn Zubayr narrates:
أن عائشة رضي الله عنها أخبرته أن رسول الله خرج ليلة من جوف الليل فصلى في
المسجد وصلى رجال بصلاته فأصبح الناس فتحدثوا فاجتمع أكثر منهم فصلى فصلوا معه
فأصبح الناس فتحدثوا فكثر أهل المسجد من الليلة الثالثة فخرج رسول الله فصلى فصلوا
بصلاته فلما كانت الليلة الرابعة عجز المسجد عن أهله حتى خرج لصلاة الصبح فلما قضى
الفجر أقبل على الناس فتشهد ثم قال أما بعد فإنه لم يخف علي مكانكم ولكني خشيت أن
تفرض عليكم فتعجزوا عنها
'A'ishah informed him that the Prophet came out at midnight and offered the
prayer in the mosque. Some people also prayed behind him there. When in the
morning, these people mentioned [this incident], more people gathered the next
day. In this night also, when he prayed in the mosque, people prayed behind him.
When again in the morning people mentioned this, the third night a large number
gathered at the mosque. In this night too, the Prophet came out and people
prayed behind him. In the fourth night, the mosque was packed to capacity with
people, but in that night he did not come out until it was fajr time. Then he
turned to the people and bore witness to the oneness of the Almighty and said:
"I was not unaware of your presence; I only feared that it might be made
obligatory upon you and then you would not be able to offer it."
Until the time of 'Umar's (rta) rule, people generally offered this prayer
alone at their homes or in the mosques when one day he came to the mosque of the
Prophet (sws), and saw that people were praying in different groups such that
some of them were reciting individually and others behind an imam. Since in this
prayer the recital is loud, there was a state of indiscipline in the mosque.
'Umar (rta) deeming this to be a show of disrespect to the Qur'an, appointed
Ubay Ibn Ka'b (rta) as the overall imam of the prayer. After this, when another
night he happened to chance by and saw the people praying thus, he remarked:
"This new thing is good, but that which they leave because of sleep is better
It is evident from this narrative that not only did 'Umar (rta) not join the
congregational tahajjud prayer, but opined that if this prayer is offered at its
actual time, then it earns more blessings than if it is offered before going to
The Prophet (sws), as is mentioned earlier, never offered more that eleven
rak'at for this prayer. However, since the number of rak'at of this prayer is
not fixed, when one imam was appointed to lead the people, they started to pray
twenty three rak'at in ramadan and called it tarawih. Ever since that time,
Muslims have generally been offering the tarawih prayer in this manner and most
of them are unaware of the fact that it is in fact the tahajjud prayer which
they are offering with the 'isha prayer.
Besides these optional prayers, the Prophet (sws) has regarded two rak'at
after wudu and adhan as a means of earning great blessing and reward.
Narratives also mention that he would offer two rak'at after returning from a
journey. The Prophet (sws) has also asked
Muslims to offer two rak'at and pray to the Almighty for forgiveness of sins and
for istikharah. This supplication of istikharah
is as follows:
اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك وأستقدرك بقدرتك وأسألك من فضلك العظيم فإنك تقدر ولا
أقدر وتعلم ولا أعلم وأنت علام الغيوب اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر خير لي في
ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري أو قال في عاجل أمري وآجله فاقدره لي وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا
الأمر شر لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري أو قال في عاجل أمري وآجله فاصرفه عني
واصرفني عنه واقدر لي الخير حيث كان ثم رضني به
O Allah! I seek goodness through Your Knowledge and through Your Might I seek
strength, and I beg from You Your great blessings, because You have the might
and I do not have the might. You know everything and I do not know, and You have
knowledge of the unseen. Oh Allah! If in Your Knowledge this action [which I
intend to do] is better with regard to my religion, my life and my fate then
destine it for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings to it for me. O
Allah! In Your knowledge if this action is bad for me, for my religion and for
my fate, then turn it away from me and [O Allah!] whatever is better for me,
ordain that for me wherever it is, and then make me satisfied with it.