Fiqh – A Practical Guide to Worshipping Allah

GRATI GRATI TUDE TUDE TO TO ALLAH ALLAH SERI SERI ES ES

FA I T H PUBL I CAT I ONS FA I T H PUBL I CAT I ONS

GRATI TUDE TO ALLAH SERI ES

Fi q h APract ical Guidet o WorshippingAllah

FA I T H PUBL I CAT I ONS

All thanks are due to Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala for enabling us with this effort.

Special thanks to the following contributors: Content Writers: Sheikh Sabr i Benkahla and Dr. Haroon Baqai Contributing Writers: Ar wa Al-Jibaly, Abdul Qaadir Abdul K haaliq, Heba M alick, K hadeej a Raeda and Dalia Elamawy Islamic Studies Curriculum Editing Team: Amal Saadat, Abdul-Qaadir Abdul-Khaaliq, Safi Khan, Heba Malick and Naseema Mariyum Curriculum Coordinator: Samira Hingoro Graphic and Layout Design: Farah Firman 2nd Edition Copyright © 2023 FAITH Publications All rights reserved.

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TO WHOMEVER ALLAH WI LLS GOODNESS, HE GRANTS HI M UNDERSTANDI NG OF THE RELI GI ON. *

Pr oph et M u h am m ad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

* Sah ih Al-Bu k h ar i an d Sah ih M u slim

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONTOFIQH

UN IT 1 | CH A P T ER

PG

01

1 7 Taqwa: The I nvi si bl e Shi el d

02

2 3 Taqwa Act i on Pl an

03

2 9 Fundament al s of I sl ami c

Jur i spr udence 04

4 3 What ar e t he Obj ect i ves of

I sl ami c Law 05

4 7 The Common Maxi ms i n I sl ami c Law

06

5 5 Get t i ng t o Know The School s of

Thought 6 6 Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons

PERSONAL HYGIENE

UN IT 2 | 07

73

Pur i f i cat i on

08

81

The Types of Wat er

09

85

Lawf ul Cont ai ner s and Ut ensi l s

10

89

The Et i quet t es of Usi ng t he Rest r oom

95

Wudhu' , The Mi nor Abl ut i on

105

Speci al Ci r cumst ances: Wi pi ng over Socks, Bandages and Hi j abs

115

Ghusl

121

Menst r uat i on

128

Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons

11 12

13 14

TABLE OF CONTENTS SALAAH: WAYTOPEACE ANDCONTENTMENT

UN IT 3 |

CH A P T ER

PG

15

135

Sal aah Tr ansf or ms Us

16

149

The Adhaan ( An I nvi t at i on t o Al l ah)

17

159

Condi t i ons of Sal aah

18

165

Foundat i on of Sal aah

19

173

Pr ay Wi t h Al l Your Hear t

20

179

Under st andi ng t he Sal aah

21

205

Oppor t uni t i es t o Connect wi t h Al l ah

217

Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons

219

Weekl y Sal aah Pl anner Qur ' an

220

Revi ew Pl anner

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P R EFA CE Shari?ah (Islamic law) is much maligned in the media and in the world today. The term is abused and misunderstood. Yet for a Muslim, shari?ah represents the practical application of Islam in everyday life.

The linguistic root of the word shari?ah is a path or way. Muslims believe that Allah is the law giver and that due to His knowledge and wisdom He already knows what actions are best for us and which will hurt us emotionally, spiritually or physically. The shari?ah represents what Allah, the Maker and Sustainer of all the worlds and Knower of all things, has directed His creation to do in order to live successfully by way of the Qur ?an and the Sunnah of His Final Messenger Muhammad sallallahu ?alayhi wa sallam. It is the key to achieving success in this world and earning the best reward in the Hereafter. The shari?ah encompasses everything from the way Muslims practice the most personal and intimate of matters to how they worship, conduct business or governance. All of that and more is a part of shari?ah and how to apply it is the job of Fiqh.

Therefore, following shari?ah is in our best interest even if due to our limited knowledge, we sometimes fail to see the wisdom of various rulings in the shari?ah. Hence, today it is imperative for Muslims to know the objectives of Islamic law from which fiqh rulings are derived and determined. We need to understand the foundational principles of Islamic jurisprudence to appreciate and uphold shari?ah, not be ashamed of it.

Every Muslim should embark on the journey of learning, so we can make educated decisions in day-today life. This book will help you begin your journey to thank Allah. This journey will transform the way you view and feel about yourself and your relationship with your Lord.

This book introduces some basic rulings of Islamic Fiqh related to personal hygiene, prayer and its effect on our mental health. It is written in sim ple and clear language that allows topics to be easily understood and designed in a manner that reinforces the concepts therein. We have used all authenticated hadeeth references and have put forward the positions of a majority of the scholars or the position which is closest to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. We have cited any difference of opinion when applicable.

This book is part of a courageous, new Islamic Studies curriculum for Al-Huda School. Features like the Brain Teaser boxes and Review and Reflect sections show everyday, practical applications of fiqh. We pray that this curriculum helps you draw closer to Allah. We would love to improve this curriculum with your suggestions. Please send your feedback to info@Faithpublications.org

Lastly, we would like to thank Sheikh Sabri Benkahla and Dr. Haroon Baqai for writin g the units beautifully. May Allah accept the effort of everyone who worked on this book, and more im portantly, may Allah accept your efforts to get closer to Him, aameen.

. . . ALLAH WI LL RAI SE THOSE WHO HAVE BELI EVED AMONG YOU WHO WERE GI VEN KNOWLEDGE, BY DEGREES. AND ALLAH I S AWARE OF WHAT YOU DO.

Al-M u jadila [58:11]

UN IT 1

INTRODUCTIONTOFIQH

UNIT 1 IMPORTANT VOCABULARY FIQH

M USTAHABB

The understanding of the shari?ah, as well

A category of actions that is not mandatory,

as the knowledge of its practical rulings.

but it is encouraged in the Qur ?an or in the Sunnah.

M ADHHAB A school of thought in Islamic

SHARI?AH

Jurisprudence.

In Islam, it means the laws given by Allah to help Muslims practice Islam.

M AKROOH A category of actions that is disliked or discouraged by Allah and His Prophet

USOOL-UL-FIQH The principles by which the Muslim scholars

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

understand the sources of the Shari'ah.

M UBAH WAA JIB A category of actions that is permissible, but not necessarily a good deed nor a sin.

Fi Q H |

A category of actions that is obligatory.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONTOFIQH

UN IT 1 | CH A P T ER

PG

01

1 7 Taqwa: The I nvi si bl e Shi el d

02

2 3 Taqwa Act i on Pl an

03

2 9 Fundament al s of I sl ami c

Jur i spr udence 04

4 3 What ar e t he Obj ect i ves of

I sl ami c Law 05

4 7 The Common Maxi ms i n I sl ami c Law

06

5 5 Get t i ng t o Know The School s of

Thought 6 6 Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS This unit is designed to help answer the following questions.

Fi Q H |

01

Why ar e we st udyi ng Fi qh?

02

Why i s i t i mpor t ant t o under st and t aqwa?

03

I n what way do goal s of I sl ami c l aw i mpact us?

04

Why i s i t i mpor t ant t o know t he 5 t ypes of act i ons?

05

How ar e maxi ms i n f i qh appl i ed i n our dai l y l i ves?

06

Why i s i t i mpor t ant t o know how t he f our school s of t hought wer e devel oped?

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I N TRO D U CTI O N BEI N G GRATEFUL TO A L L A H

Just like we express our gratitude to a friend or a family member, even for the

Have you ever heard the expression,

little things, shall we not thank Allah?

?You don?t appreciate what you have,

Think about it for a moment. After all, if it

until it?s gone"? During the Covid-19

wasn?t for His kindness and generosity,

pandemic of 2020, many people who

we would cease to exist. He shows His

were infected with the SARS-COV-2 virus

care, love and mercy to us in every

temporarily lost their sense of smell

moment of our lives.

which greatly impacted their sense of taste. Suddenly, fresh pizza tasted like paper and coffee tasted like warm

SH OW I N G OUR GRATI TUD E

water. They could no longer differentiate between the smell of clean

So how do we thank Allah? Is it enough to

or dirty laundry. It was then many

only say, ?Thank you, Allah"? Often, we

people realized that, something as

want to do something nice for someone

common as the ability to smell, was

who gave us a gift to show our

truly a gift.

appreciation. Similarly, by taking certain actions we can show our gratitude to Allah. We begin by acknowledging our

Something given to you that you did not

thanks to Allah verbally or in our hearts.

pay for and really did nothing to

We also show our appreciation and

deserve is, essentially, a gift. The list of

gratitude to Allah by doing things that He

gifts from Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala is

has asked us to do and the things we

endless. His gifts are far greater in

know He loves. Additionally, we also

number than His tests. That alone is a

show gratitude to Allah by refraining

gift! Let?s ponder about the obvious gifts

from everything He has asked us to stay

such as having the ability to taste

away from and avoiding what He hates.

delicious food, being able to see, being

This is the essence of Fiqh.

capable of physical strength and movement, thinking and speaking, having a home and a family ? the list never ends! Many times we will realize that some of the greatest gifts are ones we didn?t notice as gifts and took for granted.

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W H AT I S FI QH ?

Fiqh helps us understand how to correctly

In application, fiqh is the laws extracted by

perform actions which Allah likes and

Muslim jurists from the sources of Islamic

reject what He dislikes. All these actions

law (the Qur 'an, the Sunnah, the practices

are part of worshipping Allah. Knowing

of the Sahaabah and the family of the

and performing these acts draws our

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam). Fiqh deals

hearts closer to Allah. This helps us

with the details when it comes to the

properly show our gratitude to Allah. The

observance of rituals, morals, financial and

literal meaning of ?Fiqh? is "deep

social legislation in Islam.

understanding" or "full comprehension".

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CH A PTER 1

TAQWA: THEINVISIBLESHIELD I M PORTA N T V OCA B U L A RY Taqw a: A sincere belief that Allah is

I M A N , TA QW A , A N D FI QH

always watching.

As we delve into Fiqh, it is im portant to Do you ever notice you may have better

understand that taqwa is the underlying

table manners when you are eating at a

foundation of adhering to fiqh. It drives

gathering? Do you make sure to keep

and motivates one to practice fiqh. We

your eyes on your own paper during a

see in the exam ples above that having

test when you know your teacher is

the knowledge and understanding of

watching? Have you seen most people

what?s expected are not all it takes for a

drive slower around a police car or when

person to follow them. One needs iman

they see a red light camera flash?

(belief), which, in turn, leads to Taqwa.

Taqwa, a sincere belief that Allah is always watching. Hence taqwa helps us act upon our belief (iman).

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W H AT I S TA QW A ?

neighborhood that was known for its robbery and murders, he or she would

Taqwa is an invisible barrier between you

likely have fear. Taqwa would be when a

and the displeasure of Allah. This barrier

person takes the necessary precautions

is formulated when you obey Allah (in

to protect against any harm. A good way

what He has asked us to do) and stay

to imagine taqwa is to consider it as a

away from sin and evil (of what He has

powerful shield. The more taqwa we

asked us to to refrain from). In other

have, the stronger our shield will be in

words, taqwa means to protect yourself

protecting us from all the external harm.

from Allah?s displeasure by obeying Him

It would also keep all the good within us

and staying away from His prohibitions.

safe in its boundaries. This helps us draw closer to Allah. The more we love Allah

TA QW A A S A N I N VI SI BL E SH I EL D

the more we would want to do the things He has asked us to do and stay away from what He has asked us to abstain

Many translate taqwa as fear, but it is

from. Hence, taqwa is in the heart and is

more than fear. It is a proactive state. For

reflected in our conduct.

example, if someone was going through a

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YOU A RE PRA CTI CI N G TA QW A W H EN ...

You f eel r em or se if you lie t o som eon e.

You pr act ice Islam even if people t h in k you ?r e w eir d. You pr ior it ize h ow Allah sees you .

You f eel gu ilt y if you h u r t som eon e?s f eelin gs.

You dr ess Islam ically in t h e m asjid and ou t side t h e m asjid.

You gen u in ely r egr et speak in g disr espect f u lly t o a par en t , t o a t each er or an ot h er per son .

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Umar radhiAllahu ?anhu was so impressed by this young woman and her belief in Allah, that he told his son to marry her. Among her descendents came ?Umar Ibn Abdul-Azeez. He was a

TA QW A I N A CTI ON

well-known Muslim ruler recognized in Islamic history for

There is a well-known story of

his justice as a rightly guided

Umar radhiAllahu ?anhu and the

khalifah. He was the grandson of

daughter of a milk seller. While

this woman.

Umar radhiAllahu ?anhu was

Can you think of an example

walking at night (as he usually

where someone?s conduct is

did to check on the people), he

reflecting taqwa?

heard a mother ordering her daughter to dilute the milk they were going to sell with water.

The daughter replied, ?Do you not know that Umar, the commander of the believers, has forbidden that?? The mother said, ?Well, Umar does not see us now.? She replied, ?If Umar does not see us, his Lord sees us.?

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W H AT W I L L YOU GA I N BY PRA CTI CI N G TA QW A ? W H AT ' S I N I T FOR YOU? When you feel Taqwa in your heart and it reflects in your character and conduct you will begin to experience the many benefits of taqwa. Some of these benefits are mentioned in Qur ?an:

@!#$%

Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala helps and support s you. ?Indeed, Allah is with those

Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala

who have Taqwa and those Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala

prot ect s you from shayt aan.

who are virtuous (with His

loves you: "Verily Allah loves

?When those who have taqwa are

help and support).?2

touched by a visitation of Satan,

those with Taqwa.? 1

they remember [Allah] and, behold, they perceive (they can see the plot

2 Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala

and be protected).? 3

1

will adm it you int o Al-

3

Jannah. ?And hasten towards your Lord?s forgiveness and a paradise as vast as the heav-

8

ens and the earth, prepared for those who have taqwa.?8

4 7

Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala will m ake t hings easy for you. ?And whoever has taqwa of Allah, He shall grant him ease in his affairs.?7

TAQWA 6

Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala will give you insight t o dist inguish right from wrong, He will wipe your bad deeds and He will forgive you ?O you who have faith! If you have taqwa of Allah, He shall appoint a criterion for you, and absolve you of your misdeeds, and forgive you, for Allah is dispenser of a great grace.? 6

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Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala will prot ect you from fear and grief. ?O?Children of Adam, if there come to you messengers from among you relating to you My verses, then whoever has taqwa and reforms there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.? 4

5

Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala will give you knowledge. ?Have taqwa of Allah and Allah shall teach you, and Allah has knowledge of all things.?5

1. Surah At-Tawbah [9:4]

5. Surah Al-Baqarah [2:282]

2. Surah An-Nahl [16:128]

6. Surah Al-Anfaal [8: 29]

3. Surah Al-A?raf [7:201]

7. Surah At-Talaaq [65:4]

4. Surah Al-A?raf [7:35]

8. Surah Ale-Imran [3:133]

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CH A PTER 2

TAQWAACTIONPLAN By now, you know about Taqwa. However, as discussed earlier knowledge alone does not suffice, unless it is im plemented in action. Islam is a way of life, not a list of do?s and don?ts. We want to avoid reducing our rituals of Islam to simply rules of regulation. A strong iman spurs our taqwa into action and makes our worship alive.

As a result, you will find yourself naturally understanding how best to worship Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala. And this is the essence of Fiqh. Taqwa is a measure we take as the servants of Allah.

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TA QW A A CTI ON PL A N greet a friend. But far greater than that, is

1

FOCUS ON FARD

?...Nothing endears My servant to Me more than doing what I have made

Allah?s love for the five daily prayers, the yearly payment of Zakaat, fasting in the month of Ramadan, Hajj. In other words, the acts that are dearest to Allah are

obligatory upon him to do? ?9

those that He has made obligatory (fard) upon us. No doubt, that is a When we truly love someone ? a

manifestation of His Mercy! Through

parent, a teacher or even a friend ? we

these obligatory acts, we reach a level of

begin to take their pleasure and anger

nearness to Allah that nothing else can

into consideration. We do things that

give us. So, if we find ourselves rushing

will make them happy and avoid things

for Taraweeh during Ramadan but miss

that might make them angry. Similarly,

praying Salaat-ul-Maghrib; staying up late

when you truly love Allah, you will begin

at night chatting with friends or browsing

to do the things that He loves, and stay

on the internet and sleeping through fajr

away from the things that He hates. The

salaah, then, we have to question

things that He loves are many, and this

ourselves. Do we really want to come

includes even a smile with which you

closer to Allah by leaving what He loves?

9. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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sahaabah (companions of Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam) who were given the glad tidings of Jannah during their lifetime, were known to be among those who went beyond the fard acts. For example, Bilal radhi Allahu ?anhu was informed that his footsteps were heard in Jannah. When the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam asked him about his actions, he

(Bilal) said that he never missed praying two nafl rak?aat every time he made wudhu?.

3 2

SUPEREROGATORY ACTS

VOLUNTARY ACTS BOLSTER YOUR OBLIGATORY ACTS

Engage in the Nawaafil

Beside helping us draw closer to Allah,

?...My servant continues to draw nearer to

voluntary acts also help bolster our

Me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers

obligatory acts. Some of us wrongfully

10

until I love him? ?

believe that as long as we are engaged in the fard acts we don?t need the voluntary

Once your fard (obligatory) actions are in order, you are ready to make a habit out of the nawafil (supererogatory/voluntary) acts. This does not mean you have to wait until you perfect the fared to start engaging in the nawafil. Rather, it means that once you have made the fard your priority, your heart will start yearning for more. This desire will then be satisfied through the nawafil acts. Many of the

acts. For example, believing that praying only fard prayer is good enough. Without realizing the importance of praying sunnah and nafl prayers. For instance, due to a distracted shaytaan infected mind, if we pray our fard prayer without concentration or unconsciously miss an essential part of it, the sunnah or nafl prayers will help fill those deficiencies in our worship. Helping us keep connected with Allah and building a stronger relationship with Him.

10. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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ALLAH'S LOVE ?O Allah I ask of You: Your Love and the love of those who love You and to enable me also to love every act and deed that may bring me closer to You. Oh Allah make my love of You more beloved to me than even myself, my family, and the cool water (on a hot day)? 11.

To show that we love Allah and for our deeds to be accepted, we must obey and follow the example and teachings of the

4

SEEKING ALLAH?S LOVE

Prophet Muhammed sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, as Allah tells us,

As some of the early scholars used to say: It?s not a big deal if you love Allah. It?s natural for us to love Allah and just by Allah

?Say, If you love Allah, then follow me (Muhammad); Allah will love you and

being who He is, we can?t help but love Him.

forgive you your sins, and Allah is

However, it is most important if Allah loves

All-forgiving, All-Merciful.?12

us.

The way of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa Ask Allah to Love You. Allah?s love for us is beyond our imagination. It is His love that keeps us breathing and our hearts beating. Nonetheless, we get even closer to Him with every act of worship. The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam taught us a

sallam is flawless. He knew how best to

worship Allah and spent every moment of his life seeking Allah?s pleasure. We will find the keys to Allah?s love in his Sunnah; it is time we started looking for those keys.

du?aa we could ask in this regard:

11. At-Tirmidhi 12. Surah Ale-Imran [3:31]

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5

RESPECTING ALLAH?S

or want to eavesdrop on a conversation, or enjoy juicy gossip with friends; or

PROHIBITIONS

feeling too lazy to pray, ask yourself, will

In the hadeeth mentioned earlier, Allah

this make Allah happy?

says: ?I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his

TAQWA AND EM OTI ONAL W ELL-BEI NG

hands with which he shall hold, and his feet When you love Allah, you will make sure

with which he shall walk.? 13

you speak the truth no matter how This hadeeth tells us that a person who loves Allah and whom Allah loves, will only listen to that which will please Allah, see that which will please Allah, hold that which will please Allah and walk towards that which will please Allah. In other words, if you love Allah you will be aware that your actions in daily life have an impact on your relationship with Allah. So next time you want to cheat in an exam,

difficult. You will smile often, weep secretly while seeking forgiveness from Allah. You will be kind with your words and generous with your time and money. Making salaah will not feel like a lifeless chore instead; it will bring solace and comfort to your heart. If you work on pleasing Allah and striving to gain His love, Allah in turn will make you happy, content and at peace.

13. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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CH A PTER 3

FUNDAMENTALS OF ISLAMICJURISPRUDENCE As discussed earlier, Islam is a complete

can we not just come up with our own

way of life. From the way we worship to

ways to worship? How do we know if our

the way we handle our finances, Islam

actions are pleasing to Allah or not?

covers all spheres of life. It is a comprehensive system made up of firm pillars and morals that cannot be changed. Islam also has flexible rulings that are designed to make everyday life easier.

A lot of people believe intentions are all that matter. While that is important for an action to be accepted, it is vital to take actions based on the teachings extrapolated directly from revelation: the Qu?ran and the Sunnah. 14 Let?s find out

We know praying is important, but how

how these rulings are derived by learning

do we pray when we are on a road trip?

about the fundamentals of Islamic

How can a person pray if he or she was

jurisprudence.

paralyzed from the waist down?

How do these rulings come about? Why

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14. Sunnah when used as a source of Islamic law it means the sayings the actions, the silent approvals, the physical description of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam and his mannerisms.

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WHAT ARE THE FUNDAM ENTALS OF

never met the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

ISLAM IC JURISPRUDENCE?

sallam, but had met his com panions in-

Fundamentals of Islamic jurisprudence also known as Usool-ul-Fiqh, refers to the principles by which the Muslim scholars understand the sources of the Shari'ah

stead. These students were called the Tabi? oon. These Tabi?oon taught what they learned from the companions to their students who were called the students of the Tabi? oon.

(Islamic law).

From

TH E D EVEL OPM EN T OF USOOL -UL -FI QH

Allah

Scholars of Islam have derived fundamentals of Islamic law from the Qur ?an

Jibrael

and Sunnah. We know, for example, some acts are considered fard (obligatory) and others are considered nafl (good, but optional). Usool-ul-Fiqh comes into play here as a basis for how to differentiate

theProphet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

between mandatory, encouraged, permissible, disliked, and forbidden actions which will be discussed in more detail in this chapter.

Companions of theProphet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

During the time of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, his companions radhiAllahu ?anhum used to consult him in times of

Tabi'oon

doubt. He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would then advise them based on Allah?s commands. After his passing, the companions carried forward his legacy. They taught the knowledge they acquired from the

Students of the

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam to their

Tabi'oon

children and all those who sought it.

Among these people were some who had

(they wrote books and taught it to others so the knowledge won't be lost)

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Qur 'an

&

I slamic Law

Sunnah

'Iji ma

& Qi yas

Primary

Secondary Islam was carried forward in the hearts of

Fiqh refers to the understanding of the

the earnest and upright, and it was taught

shari?ah, as well as the knowledge of its

word for word as the Prophet sallAllahu

practical rulings. This will be easier to

?alayhi wa sallam had taught. Many of the

understand as we proceed. First of all,

Tabi?oon and their students wrote books

let?s take a look at the available sources

in an attempt to preserve this knowledge

of shari?ah. These sources can be divided

while others dedicated their entire lives

into two categories ? primary and sec-

to teaching it. Through these teachings

ondary. The primary sources of shari?ah

and books, we have gained access to var-

are the Qur ?an and the Sunnah. The

ious disciplines and sciences of Islam,

secondary sources of Shari?ah are ?ijm?a

such as Fiqh and Usool-ul-Fiqh.

and Qiyas. We will discuss each in detail.

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TH E QUR'A N

who safeguarded them in their hearts and in writing. Many companions had Qur ?an memorized and were well-known scribes of the Qur ?an. The most

Unlike any book in the history of mankind or texts

famous of them was Zaid ibn Thabith radhiAllahu

of any divinely revealed religion, the Qur ?an, the

?anhu. Many portions of the Qur ?an were recorded

words of Allah, has been preserved and has

on leather, stone and pieces of wood. Abu Bakr

reached us exactly the way it was revealed to

radhiAllahu ?anhu undertook the task of compiling

Prophet Muham mad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

the Qur ?an into a book during his caliphate. Uth-

more than 1,400 years ago. As Muslims, we know it

man ibn Affan radhiAllahu ?anhu, the third caliph,

is true, because the Lord of the heavens and the

later standardized it into the mushaf which is iden-

Earth has vowed to protect it. As Allah promises,

tical to what was written under the supervision of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

?Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur?an and indeed, We will be its Guardian.?15

Through the meticulous care shown by our scholars in the mass transmission of the Qur ?an by way

One of the blessings this Ummah has received is

of mouth and in writing, the chain linking memo-

the preservation of our traditions. This undoubt-

rizers of the Qur ?an to the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

edly includes the Qur ?an through the chain of

wa sallam to Jibreel ?alayhis salaam and ultimately

transmission. The ayaat revealed to our Prophet

to Allah still exists to this day and will continue to

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam through Angel Jibreel

remain so, by the will of Allah, The Most High.

?alayhis salaam were recited to the companions 15. Surah Al-Hijr [15:9]

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TheCompilationoftheQur'an Two ways of pr eser vation of the Qur 'an

The Companions

Allah 1. COM PI LATI ON OF TH E QUR'AN I N A BOOK

(Who memorized it and recorded it on various materials such as leather, stone, wood.)

Jibraeel Abu Bakr radhiAllahu ?anhu

Prophet

(Ordered to compile it in a book form )

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

The Companions

2. It s m em or izat ion t h r ou gh t h e ch ain of t r an sm ission goin g all t h e w ay t o t h e Pr oph et sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

Uthman ibn Affan radhiAllahu ?anhu

(Ordered it to be compiled and standardized into mushaf using a standard script) 16

To this day people are memorizing and being part of the chain of transmission for future generations.

16. Compiled, written pages of Qur 'an in Arabic without any notes and explanation.

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SUN N A H

Linguistically, sunnah means a way, or a

PRESERVATI ON OF TH E SUN N A H

path. The Sunnah in Islam com prises of the sayings, actions, silent approvals,

The Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

physical description and mannerisms of

wa sallam was transmitted from the com-

the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. The

panions of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

Sunnah is considered revelation where

sallam to the next generation which trans-

the message is from Allah in the words of

mitted it to the following generation.

the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi was

Teachers passed down the narrations

sallam. It is also the primary source of Is-

which they heard from their teachers to

lamic jurisprudence after the Qur ?an.

their students. Those students would

Sunnah contains rulings which are oblig-

teach it to their students and so on. These

atory as well as actions which are recom-

transmissions were preserved either by

mended. In Islamic jurisprudence sunnah

memory or in writing just like the Qur ?an

with a lower case 's' refers to actions

from the time of the Prophet sallAllaahu

which are recommended. It is from the

'alayhi wa salaam. Our Ummah prides itself

Sunnah that the scholars are able to de-

for being blessed with outstanding

rive what actions are obligatory, recom-

hadeeth scholars who worked meticu-

mended, allowed, disliked or forbidden.

lously to compile and authenticate the Sunnah. It was a mountainous task especially in the pre-digital era.

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A UTH ORI TY OF TH E SUN N A H

?He says nothing of his own accord. It is only revelation sent down to him.?19

Allah, the Most High, commands us to follow His beloved Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

Even the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

wa sallam in various surahs.

relates his sunnah to the Qur ?an and has warned us of the dangers of relying only

?He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed

on the Qur ?an for evidence. He sallAllahu

Allah ; but those who turn away ? We have

?alayhi wa sallam tells us,

not sent you over them as a guardian.? 17

?Verily I have been given the Qur?an and something similar to it along with it. But

?...And whatever the Messenger has given

soon there will be a time when a man will be

you ? take; and what he has forbidden you

reclining on his couch with a full stomach,

? refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah

and he will say, ?You should adhere to this Qur?an: what you find that it says is

is severe in penalty.? 18

permissible, take it as permissible, and what As mentioned earlier, the Sunnah is also revelation, but in the words and the actions of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

Allah tells us,

you find it says is forbidden, take it as forbidden.?But indeed, whatever the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam forbids is like what Allah forbids.? 20 17. Surah An-Nisaa [4:80] 18. Surah Al-Hashr [59:7] 19. Surah An-Najm [53:3] 20. At-Tirmidhi

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Among the most famous compilation of hadeeth books are the following six

1. SahihAl-Bukhari 2. SahihMuslim Allah has not only sent down His Book for us as a manual on how to live in this world, He was merciful enough to send us a messenger to teach it to us. Just

3. Sunan Abi Dawood 4. Jami?at-Tirmidhi,

think about it, Allah has asked us to establish prayer multiple times in the Qur ?an, but where do we learn the details on how to perform prayer? The

5. Sunan An-Nasa'ee 6. Sunan Ibn Majah

ahadeeth that have reached us taught us how to correctly execute our salaah. Thus, the Sunnah clarifies what is ambiguous, specifies what is general, and expands on what is concise in the Qur ?an.

Can you recognize these names in the footnote section of this book whenever a hadeeth is quoted?

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FUN FACTS Without question, Sahih Al-Bukhari is the most famous of the authentic hadeeth books. Here are 6 interesting facts about how Sahih Al-Bukhari was written:

1

It took Imam Al-Bukhari over

4

His compilation consists of

16 years to complete his

approximately 2,700 unique

book that was inspired by his

ahadeeth (without repetition)

teacher who mentioned it

and before adding a single

would be a good idea if

hadeeth to his book, he

someone was able to collect

prayed salaat-ul-istikhara.21

a summary of hadeeth into a book.

5

The last chapter and table of contents was completed in

2

3

He aspired to complete this

the Rowdah, a special place in

task, but he was not sure

Masjid An-Nabawi in Madinah

until he saw the Prophet

from the minbar of the

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam in a

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam to

dream.

his home.

Imam Al-Bukhari started the

6

Upon completion, even

selection of the most

though he was a scholar of

authentic ahadeeth in his

hadeeth, Imam Al-Bukhari

book Al-Jami?As-Sahih, which

went back to his teachers to

we call Sahih Al-Bukhari, in

get their opinions and

Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah.

feedback.

21. Prayer made when making a decision.

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THE SECONDARY SOURCES OF SHARI?AH

Ijmaa?

Qiyaas

I JM A A' : CON SEN SUS OF TH E SCH OL A RS

QI YA S Qiyaas refers to an alogy. Scholars make

Ijmaa?refers to the majority agreement of the most qualified scholars of the Ummah. A ruling deduced through Ijmaa? is more binding if it was done by the sahaabah (companions) radhiAllahu ?anhum or the scholars from the three best generations. An example of a modern-day ijmaa?is the prohibition of representing the Prophets alayhumus salaam in motion

qiyaas when there are similarities between a new issue and an issue that took place during the life of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. For example, an

intoxicant of any form ? whether it is a pill, liquid or even in the form of food ? the scholars will unanimously agree that it is haraam, because it shares the same traits as intoxicants.

pictures.

It must be noted that the scholars who engage in ijmaa?and qiyaas are not among ordinary teachers. They are experts in every field of Islam, Qur ?an and the Sunnah, as well as Arabic grammar and linguistics. These scholars spend their entire life in the pursuit of knowledge in order to benefit the Ummah and help us follow the Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam as closely as possible.

Based on such exhaustive studies and understanding, the scholars of the past managed to come up with five main categories or rulings under which any action can be classified.

5 TYPES OF ACTIONS

WAA JI B

M USTAH ABB

M UBAH

M AKROOH

HARAAM

[Preferable]

[Permissible]

[Disliked]

[Forbidden]

[Mandatory/ obligatory]

W A A JI B

M USTA H A BB

Waajib refers to an action that is fard,22

Mustahabb refers to an action that is not

because it was explicitly commanded as

mandatory, but it is encouraged in the

such in the Qur ?an or the Sunnah.

Qur ?an or in the Sunnah. If you do a

Performing a waajib action is rewarding,

mustahabb action, you will get rewarded.

and neglecting it is punishable. An

However, if you don?t do it, it is not a sin.

example of a waajib act is the

The mustahabb actions will bring you

establishment of the five daily prayers.

closer to Allah and His mercy. For example,

Some scholars even went as far as to

it is mustahabb to pray two voluntary

question the Islam of a person who gives

raka?aat before the Fajr prayer. The reward

up on their prayers.

for these two raka?aat is greater than the world and everything in it.

22. Fard and waajib are used synonymously in this text. However,

some scholars differentiate between fard and waajib.

M UBA H

staying away from the makrooh actions, you can fortify your iman and develop taqwa.

Mubah refers to all the actions that are

An example of a makrooh action is laying on

permissible. There is no reward nor

your stomach.

punishment for performing these actions.

However, if you performed a mubah act for the sake of Allah, you can get rewarded for it.

H A RA A M

For example, eating a sandwich is mubah, but if you eat it so you can give yourself

Haraam refers to actions that are strictly

energy to worship Allah, it becomes a

prohibited in the shari?ah. Committing such

rewarded action. In fact, the basic ruling in

actions will earn sins, and staying away

Islam is that everything is mubah unless, the

from them will earn rewards. Actions that

Shari?ah states otherwise. This is why

are haraam are never permissible except in

scholars wonder at those who are desperate

life threatening situations. An obvious

to consume what is haraam when the halal

haraam action is to consume pork or pork

greatly outnumbers it. However, this ruling

products. However, if you had no access to

that everything is mubah unless stated

any food except pork, then it would not be

otherwise does not apply when it comes to

haraam in that circumstance.

acts of worship. This is because nobody can worship Allah better than the Prophet

Now that you know more about the various

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, and he completed

rulings pertaining to our everyday actions,

Islam before his death. If anyone innovates

your journey towards becoming closer to

new ways of worshipping Allah, they are

Allah should be easier. It starts with

claiming that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

commitment to the waajib actions, and

sallam had not completed his task, which

refraining completely from what is haraam

would be a blatant lie.

or could lead to haraam. Then, you will further adorn your life with what is mustahabb and keep away from what is

M AKROOH

makrooh ? all for the sake of Allah.

Makrooh refers to actions that are disliked or discouraged by Allah and His Prophet sallallahu ?alayhi wa sallam. Performing these

actions won?t earn you a sin, but staying away from them will earn you rewards. By

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A CTI ON PL A N FOR TH E 5 A CTI ON S Think of some actions that are waajib, mustahabb, mubah, makrooh and haraam that you personally struggle with. What would help you settle these struggles? If you struggle with waking up for Fajr, could you download an app that forces you to solve a math problem or scan your toothpaste barcode before turning off the alarm? Reflect on the areas that you need to improve in your relationship with Allah.

A CTI ON PL A N PRIORITIZE THE WAA JIB

EXTRA SUNNAH ACTS

Which waajib acts can you improve

Start small and continue to add as

on? Ask others around you that are

many mustahabb actions as you are

committed to these acts for tips on

able to. Begin with what you

how to be consistent.

genuinely enjoy doing and then challenge yourself with actions that you may find difficult.

NO SIN IS WORTH IT! Let go of a haraam action that you know you should not be doing.

AVOID M AKROOH

Bonus points for replacing it with a

As you live your life with beautiful

mustahabb action.

acts of sunnah, start to let go of unnecessary makrooh acts that waste your time or serve no real benefit.

STAY ON THE LOOKOUT Be cautious and aware of accidentally slipping back into old habits of sins.

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CH A PTER 4

WHATARETHEOBJECTIVES OFISLAMICLAW? Now that you know the sources of the I M PORTA N T V OCA B U L A RY M aqasid-u l-Sh ar i?ah : The objectives of Islamic law

Shari?ah and the 5 types of actions, the next step is to understand this: Wh at is t h e pu r pose beh in d all of t h ese r u lin gs?

?Shari?ah (Islamic law) is all about wisdom and achieving people?s welfare in this life and the afterlife. It is all about justice, mercy, wisdom, and good. Thus, any ruling that replaces justice with injustice, mercy with its opposite, common good with mischief, or wisdom with nonsense, is a ruling that does not belong to the Islamic law, even if it is claimed to be so according to some interpretation.?? Ibn al-Qayyim

Fortunately, that answer was given to us by early Muslims.23 They researched extensively from the Qur ?an and Sunnah and derived five objectives of the Shari?ah which are referred to as the Maqasid-ul-Shari?ah.

These objectives should help you understand the wisdom behind the rulings of the Shari?ah. As well as dispel the negative connotations which are often promoted in the media about the Islamic law (Shari?ah).

23 All the Muslims committed to the Qur 'an and the Sunnah as practiced by the first three generations.

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OBJECTI VES OF I SL A M I C L AW (Maqasid-ul-Shari?ah)

1

To pr eser ve t h e r eligion

2

To pr ot ect lives

3

To pr ot ect w ealt h / possession s

4

To pr eser ve t h e in t ellect

5

To pr eser ve f am ily/ h on or

2 . PRO T ECT I O N O F L I V ES There is no doubt that the Shari?ah does not allow a single drop of blood to be shed except through a legal war. This is why killing innocent people is forbidden in Islam. We know from the Qur ?an that a single human life is valuable. As Allah mentions, ?...And whoever saves one life, it is as if he had saved mankind entirely? .?24

1 . PRESERV E T H E REL I G I O N Islam is the most important thing that Allah gave us. It is the purpose of our ex-

3 . PRO T ECT I O N O F W EA L T H

istence, the key to binding the society,

Crimes such as usury, stealing and falsely

and the solution to the crises of human-

claiming inheritance are grave sins. Such

ity. There was and is no doubt in the

sins are crimes that compromise the se-

hearts of Muslims that whenever Islam is

curity of the community at large. The

threatened, preserving it is vital. For ex-

Shari'ah safeguards the wealth and pos-

ample, clearing misunderstandings by

sessions of each individual in the com-

having a meaningful dialogue with people

munity. Severe penalties for various

who have misinformation about Islam (or

felonies dissuade people from even

referring them to someone who is knowl-

thinking about such offenses.

edgeable) is important to a sincere be24. Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:32]

liever.

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4 . PRO T ECT I O N O F T H E I N T EL L ECT

5 . PRO T ECT I O N O F FA M I L Y A N D H ON OR

Have you ever wondered why Muslim

Finally, the preservation of future gener-

scholars are strictly against intoxicants?

ations is also essential for the Ummah of

One of the reasons is because it damages

the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam to

one of the most honorable characteristics

grow. In fact, the more children we man-

of human beings: their intellect. The

age to raise properly, the more prayers

Shari?ah prohibits anything that could

we can expect from them once we have

damage our precious faculty of thinking

passed away. Their du?aa is among the

which differentiates us from animals. Af-

three things that will benefit a Muslim

ter all, when Allah created Adam ?alayhis

even in the grave. To protect the honor of

salaam the most important thing Allah

an individual, sins like adultery and forni-

gave him was knowledge and

cation carry hefty punishments.

understanding.

The study of the Maqasid-ul-Shari?ah is

BRAIN TEASER

one of today?s most important intellec-

Can you think of some organiza-

world problems and share our beautiful

tions in the West that could benefit

faith with others. In a time when the con-

from the study of

cepts of ?human rights?are being re-

Maqasid-ul-Shari?ah?

evaluated, we must contribute to the dia-

tual means for us to offer solutions to

logue with our rich heritage and Islamic scholarship.

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CH A PTER 5

COMMONMAXIMS IN ISLAMICLAW I M PO RTA N T VO CA B U L A RY Qaw aa?id u l-Fiqh iyah : General rules, or fundamental principles, of Islamic Jurisprudence.

similar to these disciplines has such maxims called Qawaa?id ul-Fiqhiyah.

These qawaa?id were derived by our pious predecessors and are funda-

Many people find mathematics, as an abstract subject, to be difficult.

Eventually, when the principle, or maxim, upon which a solution lies is understood, it becomes easier to solve the problem. Similarly, even biology, chemistry, and physics rely on maxims that make the subject matter easier to teach. Islam, too,

Fi Q H |

mental principles upon which the entirety of Fiqh lies. These maxims are obtained solely from the primary sources of the Shari?ah and were chosen because they represented a trend. Below are five of the commonly used maxims that are used by scholars to resolve issues that we face as Muslims.

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3 Har m M u st be Elim in at ed; Th er e

5 M A JOR M A X I M S

Sh all be No Har m Nor Recipr ocat ion of Har m

1 Act ion s ar e Ju dged by In t en t ion s

This principle was derived from the This particular principle was derived from

hadeeth, ?There should be neither harming

the famous hadeeth, narrated by Umar

(darar) nor reciprocating harm (dirar).? 27

radhiAllahu ?anhu: ?Indeed, actions are by their

intentions.? 25

4 Har dsh ip Allow s f or Ease

2 Cer t ain t y is Not Rem oved (Over r u led) by Dou bt

This principle was derived from the following ayah: ?...Allah wills for you ease, and He does not will difficulty for you...?28

This principle was derived from various

5 Cu st om (can be) t h e Basis of

ahadeeth narrated by Sa?eed al-Khudri radhiAllahu 'anhu: The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

Ju dgm en t

wa sallam said,

This principle was derived from the follow"If any of you doubts during his prayer and

ing ayah:

he does not know how many (raka?aat) he has prayed, whether it is three or four, then he should discard and cast away his doubt.

He is to continue upon what one is sure of

?And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We

(i.e. the lesser) then perform two prostrations before making tasleem. If he ends up praying five (raka?aat), then his prayer will

will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.?29

be an intercession for him; and if he ends up completing the four (raka?aat) then it is targheeman (humiliation) for shaytaan."

Now, let?s try to put these maxims into 26

perspective. Why did the scholars choose them?

25. Sahih Al-Bukhari 26. Sahih Muslim 27. Ibn Majah 28. Surah Al-Baqarah [2:185] 29. Surah An-Nisaa [4:115]

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1. A CTI ON S A RE JUD GED

BY TH EI R I N TEN TI ON

When he came back to his senses, he feared that he had committed a grave sin and rushed to the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

had good news for him. Allah subhaanahu wa

INTENTION:

ta?aala had revealed an ayah regarding this

THE MAKER OR BREAKER OF ACTIONS

case:

When you have enough exposure to the

?Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief,

Qur ?an, the Sunnah and the various rul-

except for one who is forced (to renounce his

ings mentioned within, you will come to

religion), while his heart is secure in faith. But

understand that the Shari?ah places a lot

those who (willingly) open their chests to dis-

of emphasis on the intention. This inten-

belief, upon them is the wrath from Allah,

tion is what makes or breaks an action. It

and for them is a great punishment.? 30

is what differentiates the two sunnah raka?aat before the Fajr prayer from the actual Fajr prayer. It is what allows a per-

Therefore, a person who was previously

son to consume something that is

unaware of a particular ruling is excused

haraam during times of need or difficulty.

when they fall into error. Their intention was not to defy the commands of Allah,

During the early years of Islam, the pagans of Makkah had resorted to severe persecution of the Muslims. Among those who were persecuted was Ammar bin Yaasir radhiAllahu ?anhu. Both his mother, Sumayyah, and his father, Yasir, were killed by their persecutors. Although Ammar hadn?t died, his heart and body were consumed with pain until a point came when he lost consciousness and uttered words of disbelief to end the persecution.

rather it was out of genuine ignorance.

However, it?s important to note you can?t intend good, then cause corruption and commit sins either. The Shari?ah needs to be implemented at all times. If your actions are not in alignment with the Shari?ah, and you are aware of this, then it is considered as a sin. For exam ple, you can?t socialize in a casino or a sit in a bar and justify by saying that your intention is to talk to your friends about Islam.

30. Surah An-Nahl [16:106]

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2.CERTA I N TY I S N OT REM OVED ( OVERRUL ED ) BY D OUBT

Let t h er e be n o dou bt If doubt and uncertainty ever enter your heart, know that in Islam we accept what we are sure of and leave what is uncertain. As previously mentioned, if you aren?t sure whether you are in your third or fourth rak?ah during salaah, you accept it to be the third, because that is what you are certain of. Likewise, if a particular person is missing, you assume they are still alive until evidence proves otherwise.

3. H A RM M UST BE EL I M I N ATED ; H A RM M AY N EI TH ER BE I N FL I CTED N OR RECI PROCATED I N I SL A M

Peace an d Secu r it y in Islam As the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam mentioned, "The best of the Muslims is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.?31

In everyday life, a Muslim shouldn?t even utter a statement that could offend a person.

31. Sahih Muslim

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This is the extent to which Islam promotes

panions to leave the desert Arab as

peace and security. Based on this principle,

he was in order to elim inated a

a Muslim cannot cause harm to another

greater harm which could be physi-

Muslim or even to his own self, by consum-

cal from disturbing his urination or

ing drugs, tobacco, alcohol. Since this will

spreading the impurity to more than

harm one?s life, such activities are prohib-

one place and also emotionally be-

ited. Like the previous legal maxims, upon

cause it could have greatly angered

which many rulings are based, this maxim

the Bedouin.

has many sub-divisions to name a few: -

Necessity (life threatening situa-

-

Prevention of evil takes priority over the attraction of benefit, such

tion) makes the haraam lawful.

as leaving the group prayer or Friday -

prayer due to illness or even if you

Necessity is measured in accor-

have to take care of someone who is

dance with its true proportions,

very ill.

such as only eating from something haraam the amount needed to keep -

oneself alive.

A greater harm can be eliminated by means of a lesser harm. It is bet-

If a Muslim is forced to consume what is

ter to prevent a greater harm than

haraam, he or she must only consume the

to acquire a smaller benefit. For ex-

amount that is needed.

ample, if a Muslim suffers from a contagious illness, it is better for

-

Harm cannot be eliminated by in-

him to stay away from the Friday

flicting harm upon another. For ex-

congregation than to join it.

ample, a Muslim who is in a state of hunger cannot eat the only meal of

BRAIN TEASER

another person.

-

A greater harm is eliminated by

Can you explain the following hadeeth with respect to the maxim: ?Harm must be eliminated??

means of a lesser harm. This is derived from the incident of the desert

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

Arab (the one who was not used to

said, "If you hear of an outbreak of

civilized norms and customs) who urinated in the mosque, and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and

plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.?32

give him peace) ordered the com32. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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4. H A RD SH I P A L L OW S FOR EA SE

Do you see the pattern the scholars see in the Shari?ah?

There is ease, in every aspect of the religion. What this means is that Allah made laws that are flexible in certain situations.

Tak e it Easy!

If our circumstances change, He gives us When you are traveling, you are allowed

ways to ease these laws. However, does

to shorten and combine your prayers. If

that mean we can take His generosity for

water isn?t available, you can wipe your

granted and try to find the easy way out,

hand over sand (tayyamum) instead of the

every time? No. So, for those who claim

wudhu?one does with water. If you are

that praying five times a day is too diffi-

sick, you are allowed to break your fast. If

cult, if your Creator knows that you are

you sin out of ignorance or forgetfulness,

able to do so, what makes you underesti-

you won?t be held accountable for it.

mate your capability?

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5. CUSTOM ( CA N BE) TH E BA SI S OF JUD GEM EN T

should be avoided completely. Also, custom is only considered when it is continuous and uninterrupted. An exam ple of this maxim is the case of Hind bint ?

Utbah, who complained to the Prophet

Cu st om s an d Cu lt u r es

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam that her husband,

The custom of the believers is the basis

Abu Sufyan radhiAllahu ?anhu wasn?t giving

for judgment in the Shari?ah. If you live in

her enough money. The Prophet sallAllahu

an area where Muslims are a minority

?alayhi wa sallam then advised her to take

and the customs do not contradict with

from him the amount of money that is

the Shari?ah, it is also permissible to

needed according to the culture or cus-

apply them in Islamic rulings.

tom of that time. Another example of custom being the basis of legal Islamic

The custom being referred to in this maxim should not have any trace of

judgment is shortening and combining the salaah during travel.

haraam or shirk in it. If it does, then it

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CH A PTER 6

Get t ingt oKnow t heSchools of Thought I M PO RTA N T VO CA B U L A RY M adh h ab: A school of thought in

distance yourself from that which displeases Him. May Allah make us among those who have great love for Him and

Islamic Jurisprudence.

understand the religion.

Imagine sitting for an exam without knowing what you will be tested on or

In times of confusion, however, we must

how to answer the given questions. Does

turn to our teachers and scholars sincerely

that seem like a good idea? Of course not!

and seek advice, because they have a bet-

Why do we assume we can make it

ter understanding of Islam. We are asked

through the greatest test ? life itself ?

to do so in the Qur 'an and the Sunnah.

without understanding what we are being tested on?

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said,

Wit h gr eat er u n der st an din g of t h e r eli-

?...the scholars are the successors of the

gion com es gr eat er love f or Allah .

prophets. Verily, the prophets do not pass on gold and silver coins, but rather they only

Loving Allah is unlike loving any other. You

impart knowledge...? 33

strive to spend your life pleasing Him and 33. Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi

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W H AT I S A M A D H H A B? The madhaahib are paths to make it easier for us to understand and practice the laws of Islam. As Islam expanded, some of the sahaabah moved to different parts of the Islamic world to help teach people. As they passed away, their students continued the task of teaching the next generation.

It is essential to show respect to our

Through their efforts came some of the

teachers and scholars. The scholars stood

greatest scholars of Islam. In order to help

against those who tried to alter the reli-

Muslims practice Islam in everyday life,

gion and instead united people. Most of

some of the scholars began to derive and

the issues that we face today were ad-

record rulings from the primary34 and sec-

dressed by the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

ondary35 sources of Islam. This became a

sallam either explicitly or implicitly. The is-

school of thought in Fiqh, commonly re-

sues that weren?t addressed directly were

ferred to as a madhhab.

analyzed and studied carefully. As a result, today, we find that most of our tasks are easier for us. However, new issues still arise and these issues must be consulted with scholars who are specialized in Islamic law.

TH E TA L E OF TH E FOUR M A DH A A H I B Let us learn about some of these scholars who did this foundational work. This work has benefited Muslims for generations and continues to do so today. This indi-

?Do not live in a land in which there is

cates that their contributions (and sincer-

neither a scholar to inform you about

ity) to preserving this religion were so

your religion, nor a doctor to tell you

great that Allah chose to preserve their

about your body.?

teachings for centuries. So, who are these scholars? We will get to know the follow-

? Imam Ash-Shafi?i

ing four, most well-known Muslim scholars of all time. There is a consensus that following the teachings of any one of

34. Primary sources are the Qur ?an and sunnah.

35. Secondary sources are ijmaa?and qiyaas.

these four imams will keep us within the parameters of the Qur ?an and the Sunnah.

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THE FOUR FAM OUS SCHOLARS OF FI QH IM AM ABU HANIFAH (AH 80-150 )

IM AM M ALIK (AH 93-179)

IM AM ASH-SHAFI'I (AH 150-204)

IM AM AHM AD IBN HANBAL (AH 164-241)

93

AH 80

150

164

TH E FOUR SCH OOL S OF TH OUGH T I N FI QH 36

179

204

241

These four Imams were ordinary human beings who were gifted by Allah with the extraordinary capacity

By the third century AH (after Hijrah)

to understand the knowledge of the

there were many different madhaahib.37

Qur ?an and the Sunnah. They lived

However, four madhaahib remain today.

among the best generations and

Each of these four madhaahib were

studied from the best teachers of

named after the scholar who founded it.

their time. When they attained scholarship and started teaching,

TH E FOUR M A JOR M A DH A A H I B

their students preserved their outstanding work and passed on the knowledge. Let us begin with

1

HANAFI M ADHHAB

2

M ALIKI M ADHHAB

3

SHAFI?I M ADHHAB

4

HANBALI M ADHHAB

the earliest of the four Imams, Imam Abu Hanifah.

36. Madhaahib (schools of thought)

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37. Plural for madhab (school of thought)

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Im am Abu Han if a rahimahullah

in an environment that was filled

80 AH- 150 AH

with corruption, he relied heavily upon the Qur ?an and analogy. He

Abu Hanifah an-Nu?man ibn Thabit rahimahullah was born in Iraq, around

80 AH. He was born during a time when deviant and corrupt ideologies were penetrating the minds of the people, so he worked exhaustively to uphold the true religion of Allah. He was a successful businessman who was known for his integrity.

only accepted ahadeeth from those who were known to be honest and upright. The teachings of Ali bin Abi Talib and Abdullah bin Mas?ood radhiAllahu ?anhuma had found their way

to Iraq, since Khalifah Ali radhiAllahu ?anhu moved the capital to Kufa, Iraq.

So, the knowledge Abu Hanifah acquired was traced directly back to the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam t hrough the teachings of these two

great sahaabah. However, when One day as he was heading to the

corruption spreads on the Earth,

market, he met another great

the earliest targets are always the

scholar who guided him towards

honest scholars. Abu Hanifah was

the study circles. It was then that his

not spared. The Khalifah 38 during

journey towards scholarship began.

his time ordered for this great Imam

It has been recorded that he re-

to be im prisoned for not appeasing

fused to accept payment for his

his deviant requests. In jail, he was

teaching (which was com mon at the

tortured and beaten severely, but

time) and hired someone to take

that didn?t stop him from teaching.

care of his business on his behalf.

His students used to sit outside his

He would then use his earnings to

prison cell and learn from him.

sponsor some of the poorer knowl-

Imam Abu Hanifah passed away in

edge seekers.

the year 150 AH. May Allah have mercy on this great Imam!

Because Imam Abu Hanifah grew up

38. Leader of the Muslims.

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Im am M alik rahimahullah

the name of Ash-Shafi?i. Despite his

93 AH- 179 AH

vast knowledge, Malik only began to issue fatawa after consulting over

Born in 93 AH, Abu Abdullah Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik rahimahullah, was the second of the four great imams in chronological order. He was born in the peaceful city of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, Madinah.

Madinah thrived in the presence of

seventy scholars of the time. It is said that he would always make wudhu? and put on his best clothes before doing so. He also collected some of the ahadeeth of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, which he compiled un-

der the title, Al-Muwatta.

the companions radhiAllahu 'anhum and their pious students. It was a land

The Fiqh of Malik ibn Anas contained

where the Qur 'an was embedded in

a very special element: He paid close

the hearts of many and the ahadeeth

attention to the behavior of the peo-

of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam

ple of Madinah. He wasn?t born very

were abundantly available.

long after the death of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam and the sahaabah radhiAllahu ?anhum. They spent

It has been recorded that a boy, Malik ibn Anas wanted to become a singer. He was often compared to his brother, who was more dedicated to learning and understanding the deen. However, his mother saw his potential and guided him towards the study circles instead. Allah

most of their lives in Madinah, where they established the society based upon the Shari?ah. So, if an ayah from the Qur ?an or a hadeeth of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam was not to be found regarding an issue, he would take the behavior of the people of Madinah as a ruling. As time

opened Malik?s heart to Islam and by the age of 17, he had become a master of various disciplines. He learned from the notable Imam Abu

passed by, the environment in Madinah grew tense as the rulers became more and more distant from the Qur ?an and the Sunnah.

Hanifah and taught a young boy by

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Malik ibn Anas was known to be a

nah that he fell ill and eventually

scholar who didn?t entertain any form

passed away, in the year 179 AH. He

of deviant ideologies, not even if it

was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi, where

came from the ruler or the governor

many of the sahaabah are buried.

of the land. Naturally, this angered

May Allah have mercy on this great

the governor and resulted in impris-

Imam!

onment and public flogging. When the Khalifah found out about this, he

Imam Malik left behind many stu-

immediately dismissed the governor

dents who passed on the knowledge

and offered money as compensation

they acquired from him. There was

to Imam Malik. He also invited this

one student who was known for his

great Imam to Baghdad which was

knowledge, phenomenal memory,

becoming the center of knowledge

language, and integrity. A man who

and wisdom. Imam Malik turned

was compared to an encyclopedia:

down this offer and chose to remain

Imam Ash-Shafi?i

in the city of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam i nstead. It was in Madi-

BRAIN TEASER The Maliki Madhhab has a special element of Fiqh. Which of the 5 maxims studied earlier apply to this special element?

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extensive travel helped him under-

Im am Sh af i?i rahimahullah

stand the differences in the practice

150 AH -204 AH

of Fiqh. It became clear to him that a

He was Muhammad ibn Idris Ash-

uniform system of judgment must

Shafi?i rahimahullah, originally from

be established. For this reason, he

Quraish tribe, born in Gaza, Pales-

wrote his famous book, Risala, which

tine in the year 150 AH. He lost his

is the foundation for the science of

father at a very young age and grew

Usool-ul Fiqh. Since we recently dis-

under the care of his righteous

cussed Usool-ul-Fiqh in a previous

mother, who played an important

chapter, we can thank Imam Ash-

role in his quest for knowledge.

Shafi?i for his work in developing the system that would help Muslim

His journey began in Makkah, where

scholars for generations. A thousand

he studied under great teachers

years later, this book is still used as

who had studied under the sahaabi

the cornerstone of Usool-ul-Fiqh by

Abdullah ibn Abbas radhiAllahu ?anhu.

Muslim scholars today.

He mem orized the Qur ?an and various ahadeeth at a very early age.

Imam Ash-Shafi?i also has a collec-

That did not quench his thirst for

tion of hadeeth and fiqh called

knowledge, so he journeyed to

Kitabul-Umm which contains various

Madinah to study with the famous

legal rulings. His death came after

Imam Malik ibn Anas. After the

people, who disagreed with his fiqhi

death of Imam Malik, Imam Ash-

opinions, decided to injure him.

Shafi?i continued on his journey to

Shortly after his injury, He passed

learn.

away in Egypt in 204 AH. May Allah have mercy on him!

He studied Fiqh under several other scholars from Madinah to Egypt. His

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Im am Ah m ed ibn Han bal

during a time of great turmoil.

rahimahullah

Greek philosophy was making inroads into the beliefs of the

164 AH -241 AH

Muslims.

The last of the four great Imams was a man who was known to represent the sincerity and determination of true scholarship. He was a

Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal took his role as a scholar very seriously, and he knew that his silence during a time like this would be misunder-

man who remained steadfast against oppression: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. His quest for knowledge started under the guidance of Imam Ash-Shafi?i. He was known to have memorized more than a million ahadeeth. He collected 30,000 ahadeeth in his book, known as ?Musnad.? Among his students were Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim.

In addition to his passionate pursuit of knowledge, he was also recognized for his generosity and love for

stood as acceptance. He refuted these false ideologies even though his life was at risk. What further strengthened his determination was an incident between him and his teacher, Imam Ash-Shafi?i. Imam Ash-Shafi?i related a dream to Ahmad ibn Hanbal. In that dream, the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam had asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal to stay firm on the path of the truth and to protect the religion. His reward was to be Al-Jannah.

the poor.

Some scholars say Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal methodology in fiqh was different from others. His methodology was mainly to rely on the hadeeth, even if it was a weak narration as long as there was no other proof available. Like the other great scholars, Imam Ahmed had to face

Imam Ahmed is also known as Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah because of his stance in defending the proper Aqeedah (belief). Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was confronted by a ruler and asked to agree to his deviant ideology. He refused. He was then im prisoned and beaten every day

oppression by tyrant rulers. He lived

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for two years. In such a dire situation, he knew he had permission to lie in order to protect his life. In

-

used the Qur 'an, logic and

fact, other scholars had done so.

analogy to make legal judg-

However, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

ments;

would not renounce his faith. His resilience became proof that the truth will always conquer false-

-

Madinah.

after a severe illness. It is recorded people attended his janazah. May

-

Imam ash-Shafi?i used textual analysis.

Allah have mercy on this great Imam!

Imam Malik used the practice of the people of

hood. He passed away in 241 AH that approximately one million

Imam Abu Hanifa mainly

-

Imam Ahmad?s methodology was primarily to rely on

While all these four great imams

the hadeeth.

differed regarding finer issues of jurisprudence, their differences were not regarding the fundamentals of belief.

Because their approaches to interpretation and extraction from the primary sources were different, the imams came to different

Alhamdulillah, in these madhaahib

judgments in particular areas. For

the differences are not in the fun-

example, there are subtle differ-

damentals of faith, but in the finer

ences in the methods of salaah

issues of jurisprudence. This is a

among the four madhaahib, yet

result of the independent reason-

the belief in the foundations of the

ing and the methodologies of the

salaat are the same. Someone

imams and the scholars who fol-

who adheres to any particular

lowed them.

madhhab can pray behind an imam of another madhhab without any confusion.

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W H Y I S I T I M PORTA N T FOR YOU TO L EA RN A BOUT M A D H A A H I B?

You might wonder why we are advised to follow the madhaahib of these four scholars? These imams passed on the teachings of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. Since they paid extra attention to his Sunnah, they were able to recognize principles, maxims, and methods of deducing laws from the primary sources of the Shari?ah (Qur ?an and the Sunnah).

with the intention of practicing Islam properly and not create division among us.

Now you have learned the basics of Fiqh and the tools that will help you make the right choices in your practice of Islam. Remember, ?actions are by their intentions? so make sure you purify your intention as you study this beautiful way of life - known as Islam. The knowledge you have acquired so far should help you understand the purpose behind the various laws and rulings that govern Muslims. Ultimately, all of

As a result of their scholarship,

these sciences are for your own

there is an agreement upon using

benefit. You are now about to start

their teachings as a basis of

your Fiqh of worship training (laws

practicing fiqh. There were many

and rulings governing rituals related

other madhaahib at the time, but

to worship like, salaah). We hope

Allah allowed these four madhaahib

and pray that this knowledge will

to thrive and survive. By following

benefit you for the rest of your life,

their teachings, it makes it easier for

and that you will find it easy to

us to come closer to the way of the

practice and share it with others. We

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. We

ask Allah to be with you!

should learn from these madhaahib

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LESSON S FOR REFLECTI ON 1

Islam differs from other ideologies. The rulings are based on proof and evidence from the Qur 'an and Sunnah. Scholars who can derive the rulings are well versed in Qur 'an and the Sunnah and the rulings of the pious predecessors on a particular issue. Unlike other faiths and systems where principles are changed based on the popular culture, media, people's whims and opinion without any criteria for it being right or wrong.

2

The humility of the scholars and their adherence to the Qur 'an and Sunnah. For example, Imam Shafi?i revised his rulings based on new evidence from the Qur ?an and Sunnah.

3

Scholars differed among each other not in matters of belief, but in various rulings related to every day practice of fiqh based on their understanding of the knowledge. However, that did not let them disrespect each other. For instance, Imam ash-Shafi?i differed from Imam Malik in many cases, but that never caused him to backbite, dishonor or disrespect Imam Malik. He understood it was merely a difference of opinion in fiqh and both parties sought to implement the law of Allah.

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REVI EW AN D REFLECT QUESTI ON S 1

How can you pr act ice you r t aqw a in

people in this class have been

t h e f ollow in g sit u at ion s?

doing it for years and your grade

I.

will be lower than everyone else?s

You are at the mall shopping

if you don?t cheat, too. What

with your friends and Maghrib

would you do?

prayer time has arrived. You can't leave the mall, because your ride is still shopping. What

2

should you do?

Nar r at e a st or y t h at in spir es you f r om a h adeet h , Islam ic h ist or y or con t em por ar y t im es depict in g t aqw a

II. You have an important exam

in act ion .

coming that you know will require a lot of studying due to the substantial amount of information. Your classmate suggests writing notes from the book on your water bottle label to read during the exam. He says

Fi Q H |

3

While we don?t know what is in a person?s heart, what attributes would hint that a person has a strong taqwa shield? Would you trust a person with taqwa more than someone without? Explain your answer.

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4

Th e Pow er of You r In t en t ion s: Wh at

III. Sarah loves reading stories, but

can you r in t en t ion do?

I.

reading stories about the seerah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

Convert an action that is

sallam is particularly close to her

mubah into one that is

heart. How can she convert this

rewarding.

mubah action into one that is

II. Differentiate between two

rewarding?

actions: a fard and a sunnah, or a fard and a fard.

IV. Ali has come to the masjid for the

III. Combine two actions into one

Friday prayer. He makes wudhu'

earning the reward for both!

and realizes that he has only a few minutes before the khutbah

5

You h ear d on t h e n ew s t h at

begins. He wants to pray the two

Sh ar i?ah is bar bar ic an d does n ot

sunnah raka?aat after wudhu?and

valu e h u m an lif e. Un der st an din g

the sunnah prayer of entering the

t h e object ives of Sh ar i?ah , h ow

masjid (tahiyyat-ul-masjid). What

w ou ld you dispel t h is m yt h , w h ile

is the most efficient (and

m ak in g su r e t h at you ar e

rewarding) action he can take?

ar t icu lat in g you r poin t in a r espect f u l m an n er by em ployin g

V. Zaid realizes that a particular tree

ef f ect ive com m u n icat ion sk ills?

is hindering the walkway and that it is affecting everyone in the

6 6 Can you explain the following

neighborhood. Zaid decides on

scenarios using your understanding

his own to cut it down. Has he

of intentions in Islam?

acted in accordance with the

I.

Shari?ah?

Ahmed takes a shower every day, but on Fridays he takes a special shower called, ghusl.

How can he differentiate between these two actions?

7

Which maxim can be applied in the following situations?

I.

During illness

II. During coercion II. What is the biggest difference between Dhuhr prayer and Isha prayer aside from the

III. In times of forgetfulness or ignorance IV. In times of difficulty

time in which it is performed?

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THERE I S NO ENVY EXCEPT I N TWO: A PERSON WHO ALLAH HAS GI VEN WEALTH AND HE SPENDS I T I N THE RI GHT WAY, AND A PERSON WHOM ALLAH HAS GI VEN WI SDOM ( I . E. RELI GI OUS KNOWLEDGE) AND HE GI VES HI S DECI SI ONS ACCORDI NGLY AND TEACHES I T TO THE OTHERS. *

Pr oph et M u h am m ad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

* Sah ih Al-Bu k h ar i

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UN IT 2

PERSONAL HYGIENE

UNIT 2 IMPORTANT VOCABULARY AL-HADATH AL-AKBAR

extreme dislike or hatred.

Major impurities that require

TAHAARAH The act of removing ritual

ghusl (bath) for purification

KIBR

such as sexual intimacy or

A spiritual disease of the

menstruation.

heart that best translates as

TAHOOR

arrogance.

Pure water that is also

AL-HADATH AL-ASGHAR

and physical impurities.

purifying and can be used to

Minor impurities that require

RIYA

wudhu?for purification such

To brag or show off.

as using the restroom or

remove physical impurities.

TAYAM M UM

passing gas.

NA JIS

To wipe over sand instead of

Minor impurities that are also

the wudhu?one does with

HASAD

physical impurities and are

water.

To dislike that another should

required to be removed for

possess a blessing and to

our acts of worship to be

TAZKIYAH

want that blessing to be

correct.

To spiritually sanctify or

removed from that

purify.

individual; envy.

TAHIR Water that is pure but not

HIQD

purifying because it has been

An inappropriate and

altered.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PERSONAL HYGIENE

UN IT 2 | CH A P T ER

PG

07

73

Pur i f i cat i on

08

81

The Types of Wat er

09

85

Lawf ul Cont ai ner s and Ut ensi l s

10

89

The Et i quet t es of Usi ng t he Rest r oom

95

Wudhu' , The Mi nor Abl ut i on

105

Speci al Ci r cumst ances: Wi pi ng over Socks, Bandages and Hi j abs

115

Ghusl

121

Menst r uat i on

128

Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons

11 12

13 14

PERSONAL HYGIENE

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

This unit is designed to help answer the following questions.

01

What does i t mean t o be pur e?

02

Why does pur i f i cat i on come f i r st ?

03

What i s t he connect i on bet ween spi r i t ual and physi cal pur t i y?

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CH A PTER 7

PURIFICATION Almost every book of fiqh from over 1,000 years ago begins the opening chapter with pu r if icat ion or tahaarah. Primarily, it reminds us spiritually to purify our hearts, our minds and our intentions along with our physical hygiene.

Allah orders us what is for our own benefit, as He tells us:

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?O you who believe! When you stand up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe a part of your heads and your feet, up to the ankles.?1

The first obligation upon a Muslim is the salaah and you cannot offer the salaah except in a state of purification.

Purification of the body - physically and

TYPES OF PURI FI CATI ON

ritually - is the essential first step towards worshipping Allah. Therefore, purifying ourselves is a pre-requirement for praying properly.

Spir it u al Pu r if icat ion : In t er n al

1

Pu r if icat ion As the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said:

Ph ysical Pu r if icat ion : Ext er n al

2

Pu r if icat ion

2

3

Rit u al Pu r if icat ion

2

?The key to the prayer is purification.?

W H AT I S TA H A A RA H ?

1. Spir it u al Pu r if icat ion The most important type of purification is

Linguistically t ah aar ah is to remove

the purification of our hearts. Purifying

physical and moral impurities. Tahara from

ourselves from the sicknesses of the

physical impurities would be to remove

heart such as having other people or

some dirt from your clothing. In terms of

priorities above Allah (shirk), showing off

moral impurity, tahara includes removing

(riya), arrogance (kibr), envy (hasad),

envy or hatred towards someone from

having inappropriate hatred (hiqd) and

your heart.

similar spiritual diseases that destroy our relationships, peace and affect our iman.

However, in the fiqh, tahara is the act of

These spiritual diseases drain our energy

removing ritual and physical impurities.

and hinder us from worshipping Allah

Purification (tahara) involves a

properly.

comprehensive set of guidelines to help us maintain physical and ritual purity at all times.

1. Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:06] 2. Sunan Ibn Majah

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Purifying ourselves spiritually is a subject

2. Ph ysical Pu r if icat ion : Ext er n al

in itself called tazkiyah. It?s primary focus

Pu r if icat ion

is purifying our hearts. This is one of the main goals of the Shari?ah.

Physical purification includes purification from impure substance from a person's clothing, body or place of worship.

Allah highlights this in the Qur ?an when describing the du?aa that Ibrahim alayhis salam made for our Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

3. Rit u al Pu r if icat ion

wa sallam while building the Ka?bah with his

Ritual purification is purification after acts

son Ismael alayhis salaam:

which nullifies one's state of purity.4 Allah in His wisdom has mandated ritual purification when performing certain acts of worship, such as; making salaah, holding Qur 'an 5, performing tawaf around the Ka'aba, etc. We must know what are the types of ritual impurities which nullifies ones ritual purity as well as how to remove it to attain the state of ritual

?Our Lord, raise amongst them a messenger

purity. Let us find out!

from among them, who should recite to them Your signs, and teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the All-mighty, the All-wise.? 3 3. Surah Al-Baqarah [2:129] 4. Excerpt from ?Fiqh Made Easy? by Salih Al-Sadlaan 5. Qur ?an with the Arabic text only without translation.

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BRAIN TEASER Can you see the direct correlation between the linguistic and the Islamic definitions of taharaah?

We must remove the physical AND the ritual impurities from our hearts, minds, and bodies so we can worship Allah correctly, as

TYPES OF RI TUA L I M PURI TI ES

He deserves to be worshipped.

There are two types of ritual impurities:

ritual impurities which occur in

Can you think of examples of our hearts and minds?

1. M in or Im pu r it ies: Also known as al-hadath al-asghar .

These impurities include using the

Tahaarah is mentioned in the Qur ?an

restroom for a bowel movement,

many times, not only in terms of ritual

urination or passing gas, and requiring

purification for salaah, but also in the

wudhu?for purification. Physical

sense of purifying wealth and removing

impurities are identified in the Shari?ah as

sins, purifying the Ka?bah (Makkah) from

urine or feces, which must be removed in

shirk and idols, and keeping people pure

order for our acts of worship to be

and chaste as well as many other ayaat

correct. These are called physical

describing the different types of

impurities or Najis.

purification.

2. M ajor Im pu r it ies: Also known as al-h adat h al-ak bar .

These include impurities from sexual intimacy and menstruation. This requires ghusl (bath) for purification.

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BEN EFI TS OF PURI FI CATI ON

Bilal replied, "I did not do anything worth mentioning except that whenever I performed ablution during the day or

There are also numerous ahadeeth in

night, I prayed after that ablution as

which the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

much as was written for me." 9

teaches us the blessings of purification.

REM OVAL OF SINS Half of Fait h The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said:

?When a person performs ablution and

?Purity (cleanliness) is half of faith.?6

washes his hands, his sins exit through his hands. When he washes his face, his sins

IT IS ONE OF THE PROOF?S OF IM AN In other narrations the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam informed us that, ?No one

maintains his wudhu?except a believer.? 7

exit through his face. When he washes his forearms and wipes his head, his sins exit though his forearms and head. When he washes his feet, his sins exit through his feet.?10

YOUR DU?AAS ARE ACCEPTED The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, ?If a Muslim sleeps while remembering Allah in

SAVED FROM THE PUNISHM ENT OF THE GRAVE

the state of purification, is alarmed while asleep at night, and asks Allah for good in

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said,

this world and in the Hereafter, He certainly

?Beware of (smearing yourselves with)

gives it to him.? 8

urine, because it is the main cause of punishment in the grave.?11

A M EANS TO ACHIEVE JANNAH At the time of the Fajr prayer the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam asked Bilal, "Tell me

of the best deed you did after embracing Islam, for I heard your footsteps in front of

6. Sahih Muslim 7. Sunan ibn Majah 8. Sunan Abi Dawood 9. Sahih Al-Bukhari 10. Sunan ibn Majah 11. Ad-Daaraqutni

me in Paradise."

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CL EA N L I N ESS: A PRA CTI CE N OT A PROJECT

?O?Allah, separate me from my sins as you have separated the East from the West.

O?Allah, cleanse me of my transgressions as

Being clean is something we strive to

the white garment is cleansed of stains.

maintain regularly, not something only

O?Allah, wash away my sins with ice and

done once in a while. We are taught even

water and frost.? 12

in our du?aas to ask for cleanliness and purity like in this du?aa that is to be said before we start a prayer:

SELF-CARE The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam saw a dishevelled man

whose hair was untidy. He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, ?Could

this man not find something to make his hair lie down??He saw another man wearing dirty clothes and said, ?Could this man not find something to wash his garments with??13

12. Sahih Muslim 13. Sunan Abu Dawood

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CH A PTER 8

THETYPES OFWATER In order to purify ourselves physically it is

2 TAHIR

necessary for us to know what types of

It is pure but not purifying. It can be used

water can be used. This is very helpful

for mundane purposes or drinking.

when we are in a situation where water is

However, it is mixed with something that

scarce. There are three types of water.

has changed one of its qualities (scent, taste, or color) to the point it cannot be

1 TAHOOR

used for purification purposes to remove

It is the pure water that is also purifying. It

impurities. An example would include a

can be used for ritual purification and

warm cup of green tea.

also to remove physical impurities. This type of water includes the oceans, rivers,

3 NA JIS

lakes, and rain, snow, hail, ice, as well as

It is impure water that has been

well water.

contaminated with something that the

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Shari?ah has declared it to be impure

If you are sure something is pure and

such as feces, urine, menstrual blood

you have doubts that an impurity may

or pig flesh. This type of water

have mixed with it, make a decision

obviously cannot be used. In general, if

based on what is certain. Remember

you see water and there is no apparent

the maxim, ?Cer t ain t y is n ot r em oved

change in its color, taste or scent you

w it h dou bt .? This maxim can be

can assume it is tahoor.

applied to decide what to do in these types of situations.

BRAIN TEASER Once, Umar ibn Al-Khatab radhiAllahu ?anhu was walking along

with some companions radhiAllahu ?anhum. As they passed by a gutter,

some of the water from the gutter splashed on Umar radhiAllahu ?anhu.

The companions asked the owner if the water was najis and Umar told the man not to answer and continued on his way. He wanted to maintain the assumption that

TIP!

the water was pure as long as they

If you have a container of pure water

did not see a change in its

and another of impure water and you

characteristics. Can you think of a

are unable to distinguish between

similar scenario today where you

the two, make t ayyu m u m .14 If one is

would make a similar assumption?

tahoor and the other tahir, perform wudhu?with both.

14. To wipe over sand instead of the wudhu' one does with water.

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H OW CA N W E REM OVE PH YSI CA L I M PURI TI ES? If any impurity needs to be removed, it should be washed three times. However, some scholars say there is no specific number, but rather as many times as

2

needed to remove the impurity.

SPRINKLING WATER

In certain situations, such as a small

I m pu r i t i es can be r em oved t h ese 3 w ays

amount of blood, pus, prostate fluid or the urine of a young male child, or an infant who has not started eating food yet can be cleaned by sprinkling water over it.

7x 1

POURING WATER

Pouring water over it as the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam had the companions do to the

urine of the bedouin who relieved him self in

3 WASHING

the masjid.

Washing until the impurity is removed.

However, If a dog licks a utensil, it must be

Anas bin Malik radhiAllahu ?anhu narrated

washed seven times and one of those

that a bedouin urinated in the masjid and

times should be with soil. Some scholars

the people ran to (beat) him. Allah's Mes-

say soap can be used instead of soil which

senger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, "Do not

can achieve the same result. In addition,

interrupt his urination (let him finish)." Then

this act of washing 7 times is specific to

the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam asked for

dishes and eating utensils, but not clothing,

a tumbler of water and poured the water

because the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

over the place of urine.15

only mentioned utensils.

15. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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CH A PTER 9

LAWFUL CONTAINERS ANDUTENSILS After briefly discussing water, now let?s take a look at the containers16 we can use to hold the water, as well as food and

?Do not drink from gold or silver vessels, and do not eat from dishes made (from) them, for they are for them (the unbelievers) in this life and for you in the hereafter.? 17

other things.

CA N W E USE GOL D A N D SI L VER UTEN SI L S A N D CON TA I N ERS?

This rule also applies to gold or silver plated utensils. Likewise, if the vessel or utensil is soldered with gold or silver, we

Scholars agree that all vessels (containers)

should not use it unless it is a small

and utensils made of gold and silver are

amount of silver solder. In that case, some

not permissible. This is because the

scholars make an exception. All other

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said,

types of vessels made from pure materials are permissible.

16. Containers in this context is the vessel to hold water, plates, mugs, cups, pitchers, tumblers, etc 17. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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?Leave that which is doubtful for that which is not doubtful.?18

Exert effort to opt for halal options like halal, seafood or vegetarian restaurants.

Acceptance of our du?aas are linked among other things to the kind of food USI N G UTEN SI L S A N D CL OTH I N G OF JEW S A N D CH RI STI A N S

and drink we take. This was mentioned in a hadeeth of a man who had all of the conditions for his du?aa to be accepted.

Also, vessels, utensils, and clothing of the

However, his consumption of haraam had

people of the book (Jews and Christians),

become an obstacle from it being

in general, are also considered pure

accepted.

unless you know that there are im purities in it. An example of such impurities is the

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam mentioned

remnants of pork. It is known that the

the case of a man who, having journeyed

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam and his

far, is disheveled and dusty, and who

companions radhiAllahu ?anhum used to eat

raises his hands to the sky saying, ?O Lord!

food from the people of the book without

O Lord!?while his food is haraam, his

asking about the status of their utensils.

drink is haraam, his clothing is haraam, and he has been nourished with haraam,

EATI N G AT RESTA URA N TS

Can we eat in a restaurant that cooks and serves pork or alcohol? It is a good idea to

so h ow can h is du ?aa be an sw er ed?? 19

BRAIN TEASER

check the menu online before going to

Kintsugi is a Japanese art of

the restaurant and call the restaurant to

repairing broken pottery with

see how they handle the food. Do they fry

powdered gold, silver or platinum.

fish or vegetables in the same oil or use

Based on your understanding of

the same pan as pork? If you can?t be sure

the ruling on utensils with gold or

that the meat is separated from the pork

silver, discuss the use of utensils

or the dishes are properly cleaned, it is

that have been repaired through

best to avoid that restaurant. The

kintsugi.

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam advised us, 18. Sahih Al-Bukhari 19. Sahih Muslim

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CH A PTER 1 0

THEETIQUETTES OFUSING THERESTROOM Allah in His infinite wisdom has revealed

forbidden us to face the qiblah at the time

to us through His Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

of excretion or urination, or cleansing with

sallam everything we need to know of ben-

the right (hand), or cleansing with less

efit in this life and in the Hereafter includ-

than three pebbles or with dung or bone.?

ing how to use the restroom properly.

20

It is reported by Salman radhiAllahu ?anhu

This is a natural habit that all humans have

that it was said to him: ?Your Prophet

to deal with, so there?s no need to laugh or

taught you about everything, up until the

make jokes. It is one of the things that

excrement.? And Salman replied: ?Yes, he

make us human.

(the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam) has 20. Sunan Abi Dawood.

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Allah says in the Qur ?an:

Some people have a chronic condition ?The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; certainly messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.? 21

that they have to carry around a pouch for their feces, or have their urine manually removed. Unfortunately, we tend to take this gift for granted. Those who get their urine manually removed have to go to their local hospital or dialysis centers and get attached to machines for three to five hours at a time,

Some of the scholars explain the

three times a week to take out the

statement, ?They both used to eat food?

impurities from their blood. This is

about Isa ?alayhi as-salaam and his mother, a

because their kidneys are not functioning.

polite way of saying they also used the

It can not clean the blood and remove the

restroom. So, this ayah also demonstrates

impurities through urine as it is designed

to us, the power and independence of

to do. This exchange of impurities

Allah, Who needs no food or drink or to

separating from the blood is occurring in

relieve any lower bodily functions. Yet, the

our bodies without any machine on a

Christians took Prophet Isa alayhi as-salaam

constant basis and we don?t even give this

to be their god.

a second thought! That is why we are reminded by our beloved Prophet sallAllahu

As humans, we eat and drink and have to

?alayhi wa sallam to recite certain du? aas

use the restroom to relieve ourselves. It is

before and after relieving ourselves, in

actually a gift from Allah to have this

order to keep us protected from the devils

ability. Can you imagine not being able to

(shayateen) and to be reminded of Allah?s

relieve yourself?

bounties upon us so that we may be thankful.

21. Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:75]

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yourself hanging out in the restroom

ETI QUETTE OF USI N G TH E RESTROOM

beyond necessary.

DO NOT M ENTION ALLAH?S NAM E BE PRIVATE You should not enter the restroom with You must be away from the sight and hearing of people to ensure utmost privacy. Muslims should keep this in mind and ensure that one does not use open areas such as urinals. Neither should you hold conversations with others while at the toilet unless out of necessity.

anything bearing the mention of Allah or religious texts, unless it is a necessity. For example, the fear of it being stolen or disrespected by someone if you were to leave it out in a public space. In this case, try to keep it concealed within your clothing or bag if you are carrying one. It is also disliked to mention Allah?s name in

ENTERING THE RESTROOM

the restroom or to talk in general.

Enter the restroom with your left foot.

However, again, it is permissible upon necessity, for example, to alert someone

SAY THE DU?AA

that you are using the restroom or to

Seek protection from Allah.

comfort a child who is looking for you.

WHEN SHOULD YOU DO THIS?

DO NOT HANG AROUND

Either as you enter the restroom or just before you enter it or just before you lower your clothes (if you are outdoors).

The du?aa to be recited is:

Always bear in mind that restrooms are not places to spend much time in. Take care of your business and keep it moving.

SCREEN YOURSELF While relieving yourself, try to screen yourself as best as possible. One should not lower clothes until the door of the

?In the name of Allah, I seek refuge in Allah from the evil male and female jinn.? 22

restroom or the stall is closed. As mentioned earlier, Muslim men should refrain themselves from using urinals in

Some scholars explain that we seek Allah?s protection from the shaytaan (who is a jinn) since jinns like to hang around filthy areas. Avoid this next time you find

the public restrooms. Exposing your private area and relieving oneself in front of others are not part of a Muslim etiquette, modesty and decency.

22. Sunan Abi Dawood

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DO NOT STAND UP

wipe yourself an odd number of times (at

It is from the Sunnah to relieve yourself

least three) until the area is cleaned and

while squatting or sitting down. However,

then to use water. While it is permissible

under certain situations men can be

to only wipe or to only use water, the best

permitted to urinate while standing. For

is to use both means. You can use any

example, if the sitting area is filthy.

pure (taahir) substance to wipe yourself with a few exceptions which are not

DIRECTION

usually used in modern times.23

One should avoid facing the qiblah if

SEEKING FORGIVENESS

possible while relieving yourself. It is better if you are able to put your back to the qiblah (avoid facing it). Some scholars

Seeking forgiveness from Allah upon exiting the restroom.

say that this doesn?t apply if you are indoors. However, if there is a choice in

When the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

designing the bathroom, it is best to build

exited from the restroom he would say:

it in a way that is compliant with this etiquette. If you are outdoors, make sure ?(Oh Allah) I seek your forgiveness.? 24

to follow this etiquette.

The scholars explain various reasons for AVOID CAUSING HARM TO OTHERS While outdoors, you should be careful not to relieve yourself in a hole or groove, upon a path people use, in a place where people seek the shade of a tree and under a fruit-bearing tree. This is out of respect and to avoid causing any harm to others.

seeking forgiveness upon exiting the restroom. Some say, it could be because we have not thanked Allah enough for all the bounties He has given us. Maybe we did not clean well enough and there may still be impurities on us. Perhaps also, because as Muslims we mention Allah as much as possible, and during the time we were in the restroom we were not

USE LEFT HAND TO CLEAN

mentioning Allah?s name. After all, a true You should not use your right hand while

believer always tries to use his time wisely

relieving yourself nor should you use it to

in the worship of Allah and remembers

clean yourself.

Allah often.

WIPE ODD NUM BER TIM ES If you have defecated, then it is sunnah to

23. Bones, the excrement of animals, honorable things, like pages of religious texts can?t be used to wipe oneself clean.

24. At-Tirmidhi

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CH A PTER 1 1

WUDHU' THEMINORABLUTION Islam places a high emphasis on physical

considered carriers of germs, and poor

and spiritual cleanliness. It guides us to

hand hygiene is often associated with

what is of benefit to us in this world as

transmission of various viruses. Allah , ou r

well as what will benefit us in the

Cr eat or , t au gh t u s h ow t o m ain t ain

Hereafter.

pr oper h ygien e f or ou r ow n pr ot ect ion an d ben ef it . Among many merits and

Today, we understand the benefit of

benefits of wudhu?, one is also prevention

proper hygiene and especially the

of diseases.

importance of hand washing. Hands are

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Allah commands us,

FUN FACT We also find wudhu?being legislated for the previous nations as well.

Today, in the Bible, there is mention of how some of the prophets such as Isa ?alayhis salaam used to wash before prayer.

?O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your

Imagine early Muslims from previous

forearms to the elbows and wipe over your

nations and as well as Muslims from

heads and wash your feet to the ankles.? 26

the time of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam asked to perform wudhu?.

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam also

Thus, maintaining the highest

emphasized it: ?There is no prayer for one

standards of cleanliness and hygiene

who does not have ablution, and there is no

in an era when knowledge of

ablution for one who does not mention the

hygiene was not known. People were

name of Allah (before it).? 27

accustomed to not washing themselves for days, months, and

BEN EFI TS OF W UD H U'

even years!

Beside the health benefits of personal hygiene, the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

W H AT I S W UD H U' ?

sallam has shared its benefits in various

ahadeeth. Some of these are:

Wudhu?, also referred to as ablution, is the washing and wiping of certain parts of the body in a specific manner with the intention of removing ritual impurity (hadath).25

1 PURITY IS HALF OF FAITH 28 This is a hadeeth of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam indicating the importance

of purification and cleanliness. Wudhu?is

W H Y SH OUL D YOU D O W UD H U' ?

considered to be an integral part of our Faith.

25. This is the Islamic definition. Linguistically, wudhu?is

Wudhu?is mandatory; without it your salaah is not valid.

related to radiance and beauty.

26. Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:06] Sunan Abi Dawood Sahih Muslim

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28.

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2 YOU GET REWARDED BY DOING THE WUDHU? The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam informed us of the reward,

"Whoever performs ablution and rinses his mouth and nose, his sins will exit through his mouth and nose. When he washes his face, his sins will exit from his face, even from

TH E CATEGORI ES OF W UD H U'

beneath his eyelids. When he washes his hands, his sins will exit from his hands. When he wipes his head, his sins will exit from his head, and even from his ears. When he washes his feet, his sins will exit from his feet, even from beneath his toenails. Then his prayer and walking towards the masjid will

THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF WUDHU?:

1 Th e Arkaan (Pillar s) 2 Th e Su n an The pillars of wudhu?are the foundations of wudhu?. If any one of these is missing, the wudhu?is invalid.

earn extra merit for him." 29

PI L L A RS OF W UD H U' A N D I TS I M PORTA N CE

3 EXPIATION OF SINS The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us.

"Sins are expiated by well-performed ablution despite difficulties, increasing the number of steps one takes towards the masjid (and waiting for the next prayer after

It?s important to know the difference between what we are obligated to do (the fard) as opposed to what we are recommended to do (the sunnah). Knowing this would help us in situations when water

prayer)." 30

is scarce. For instance, what if you only had enough water to fulfill the obligations of

4 RADIANCE DUE TO THE

wudhu?to pray? Once you know the pillars

PERFORM ANCE OF WUDHU?

of wudhu?, you can make sure they are

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us

fulfilled in such a circumstance. Let us find

in a hadeeth how the believers will be

out more about these pillars.

recognized on the Day of Judgment, ?...they will come with radiant faces, hands, and feet, because of the traces of ablution...?

29. Sunan Ibn Majah 30. Ibid 31. Sahih Muslim

31

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The 5 Pil l ar s of Wudhu' Here are the 5 pillars of wudhu?which must be performed for wudhu?to be valid.

1. Th e in t en t ion 2. Wash in g t h e f ace, ar m s, an d f eet at least on ce.

3. Wipin g over t h e h ead on ce.

4. Per f or m in g w u dh u ?in sequ en ce 5. Not delayin g in bet w een

1 INTENTION ?O you who believe! When you stand up for Intention is of major importance that we are all familiar with. As the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said,

prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe a part of your heads and your feet, up to the ankles.?33

?All actions are judged by intention and everyone will earn what they intended.? 32

3 WIPING OVER THE HEAD ONCE. 4 PERFORM ING THE ABLUTION IN

Therefore, neither wudhu?nor any other form of worship is accepted without the proper intention. We must distinguish

THE RIGHT SEQUENCE.

5 NOT DELAYING THE WASHING OF ANY PART.

between just washing up and actually doing the ritual purification to get us

This means that the part that was

ready for salaah.

washed prior does not become dry before the next part is washed. Of course, this ruling does not apply if you live in

2 WASHING OF FACE, ARM S AND FEET

extreme weather conditions.

Washing of face, arms and feet as mentioned in the Qur ?an at least once.

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PERFORM I NG W UDHU 1

In t en t ion m ade silen t ly in t h e h ear t

6

Wash h an ds 1-3 t im es u p t o t h e (in clu din g t h e) elbow , w ipin g bet w een t h e f in ger s.

2

Say Bism illah

3

Wash h an ds 1-3 t im es

7 Wipe t h e en t ir e h ead f r om f r on t t o back an d back t o f r on t

4

5

Fir st , r in se m ou t h 1-3 t im es & t h en r in se n ose 1-3 t im es

8

Wash t h e en t ir e f ace

9 Wash f eet , in clu din g

1-3 t im es

Wipe ear s in an d ou t

an k les, w ipin g in bet w een t h e t oes.

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TH E SUN A N OF W UD H U'

43

RINSING THE NOSE AND THE M OUTH It is encouraged to breathe in the water as far back as possible [unless you are

The sunan of wudhu?are the sunnah acts

fasting]. Rinsing both parts with one

that are preferred to be performed when

handful of water is found in the sunnah

doing your wudhu?. However, unlike the

as it is reported in this hadeeth, ?When

pillars, they are not obligatory. The

anyone amongst you [performs ablution]

following are the sunan of wudhu?.

41

he must snuff his nostrils with water and then clean them.?35

M ENTIONING THE NAM E OF ALLAH The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said,

4

RUNNING THE FINGERS Another sunnah act is to run the water between the fingers, toes, and, if applicable, beard.

45

WIPING THE EARS After the head, wiping the ears, while

?There is no prayer for the one who

not obligatory, is a recommended act of

doesn?t have wudhu?, and there is

the sunnah.

no wudhu?for the one who doesn?t mention Allah?s name upon it.? 34

46

BEGINNING WITH THE RIGHT BEFORE THE LEFT

42

WASHING THE HANDS BEFORE

Begin with right hand before left, right

STARTING THE WUDHU?

arm before left arm, right foot before

This step helps to remove any

left foot, etc.

impurities from the hand. Don?t confuse this with the mandatory

47

WASHING EACH BODY PART 1-3 TIM ES

washing of the entire hand up to

This applies to the face, arms and feet. It

[and including] the elbow. That is a

is encouraged occasionally to vary the

pillar of wudhu?and is not until after

number of times you wash. For

you have washed your face. This

example, sometimes you can wash the

hand washing is as we start making

body part once or twice and sometimes

the wudhu?. We must always make

you can choose to vary the number. For

wudhu?in the order prescribed to us

example, you could wash the face twice,

by Allah and His Prophet sallAllahu

the arms three times and the feet once.

?alayhi wa sallam.

34. Sunan Abi Dawood 35. Sahih Muslim

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Extravagance in wudhu?is to use water without any purpose, like washing the parts more than three times. As Muslims, we are always encouraged to be moderate in our affairs and to maintain the bounties Allah has entrusted to us.

The above-mentioned ahadeeth are proof

8

AVOID WASTING WATER

in protecting our natural resources and

When it comes to worship, to go

the environment.

beyond what is recommended is disliked. The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

49 DU?AA AFTER M AKING THE WUDHU?

wa sallam used to make ghusl (ritual

bathing) with one s?aa. One s?aa is about 2 liters (or four small water bottles) and wudhu?with one mudd (about half a liter or one 16 oz water bottle).

Abdullah ibn Umar radhyiallahu 'anhumaa narrated that the Prophet

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam passed by Sa'ad radhyiallahu 'anhu while he was

?I bear witness there is no god but Allah alone, without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam is his servant and his messenger.38 O

performing wudhu?and said, "What is

Allah! Make me among those who repent

this excessiveness, Sa'ad?" Sa?ad said,

and make me among those who purify

"Is there excessiveness in the use of

themselves.?39

water?" The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, "Yes, even if you are at a

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said whoever makes this dua?a... ?then eight

flowing river." 36

gates of Paradise are opened for him, that He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam was also

he may enter by whichever of them he

heard saying: ?In this community,

wishes." 40

there will be some people who will

36. Musnad Imam Ahmed

exceed the limits in purification as well

37. Sunan Abi Dawood

as in supplication.? 37

38. Sahih Muslim 39 At-Tirmidhi 40. Sahih Muslim

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Although these steps are among the sunan (preferable and not obligatory), the

D i d yo u k n o w ?

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam did these and it is best to follow his example in acts

Saying the du'aa after wudhu'

of worship as best as we can. It will

sincerely helps you cleanse

increase your rewards and make it more

yourself on three levels:

likely that you will have performed the ablution correctly, and sufficiently covered all the parts that need to be washed since some scholars consider

1.

Spiritually from the worst type

of corruption: Shirk (associating partners with Allah). How? By saying:

some of the sunan such as washing the mouth and nose or wiping the ears as obligatory.

2.

From Sins: By asking Allah to

make you among those who frequently repent to Allah.

3.

From Physical Impurities: By

asking Allah to make you of those who remain clean and pure.

Why wouldn?t you want to be clean on all levels? Is it not the least you could do? After all, you

BRUSH I N G TEETH

are about to stand and engage in a conversation with the One who

The sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

is the most important in your life!

wa sallam encourages you to have your

teeth cleaned often. It is recommended to clean your teeth when you have a bad 41

taste or odor in the mouth, upon waking up from sleep and before prayers.

Fi Q H |

41. It is recorded in the books of Hadeeth that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam disliked eating garlic because it would leave a lasting odor in his mouth.

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TIP! An easy sunnah to implement in our daily lives is to sleep in a state of wudhu?.

Starting from today, try to make a habit out of it.

N UL L I FI ERS OF W UD H U' 1 These following acts nullify one

-

Tou ch in g on e?s pr ivat e par t .

wudhu.?Wudhu?will have to be renewed

-

M an t ou ch in g h is w if e w it h

if any one of the following situations

desir e an d w if e t ou ch in g h er

occurs:

h u sban d w it h desir e.

-

-

san it y (f ain t in g, in t oxicat ion ,

An yt h in g w h ich com es ou t

et c)

via t h e pr ivat e par t s.

2

-

Deep sleep

-

Eat in g cam el m eat .

Fi Q H |

Losin g con sciou sn ess or

Impure substances which comes out of any other part of the body also nullifies the wudhu'.

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CH A PTER 1 2

? ?

?

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: WIPINGOVERSOCKS, BANDAGES ANDHIJABS Wipin g over t h e Kh u f f ayn (sock s) The Khuff refers to that which is worn upon the foot and is made of leather.

himself, and Mughirah followed him with a vessel of water. When he finished relieving himself, he performed ablution and wiped over his leather socks.?42

Wiping over the khuffayn is permissible in Islamic law and is regarded by the vast majority of scholars to be from the Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam as indicated by the following

narration, narrated by Urwah bin Mughira bin Shu'bah from his father Mughirah bin

This act of wiping over the khuffayn is a concession from Allah in order to make things easy for us. Aisha radhiAllahu ?anha said, ?Whenever the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam was given an option between two

things, he used to select the easier of the

Shu'bah, that:

two as long as it was not sinful; but if it was sinful, he would remain far from it.?43 ?The Messenger of Allah went out to relieve 42. Sunan Ibn Majah 43. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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Allah wants His servants to take these

wa sallam indicating that they used to wipe

concessions that He has granted us as

over socks [or the equivalent]. It is highly

mentioned by the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

unlikely that such a large number of the

wa sallam, ?Allah loves for you to take the His

Companions would do something against

concessions, just as He hates for you to be

the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet

44

disobedient.?

Can you think of other

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

areas of worship where Allah has given us concessions?

Using various evidence, scholars have agreed that the Sunnah is to wash our feet if they are uncovered and to wipe over them if they are covered by the

CA N I W I PE OVER TH I N SOCK S? Imam An-Nawawi states that there are narrations from Umar and ?Ali radhiAllahu ?anhuma that it is permissible to wipe over

khuffayn. This seems to be the closest to

the socks even if they are thin. This is also

the way of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa

narrated by other scholars. However, to

sallam and his Companions radhiAllahu ?anhum.

avoid difference of opinion among the scholars, it is recommended to wear socks which are not flimsy.

CA N I W I PE OVER M Y REGUL A R SOCK S? Some say the khuff that was used at the time of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam and the socks that we use today are different. Hence, the ruling of wiping over it should be different. The socks we wear are made of cotton and they are called jawarib. However, there are many narrations from the lives of the Companions of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

44. Musnad Imam Ahmad

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for three days and three nights,

TH E 4 CON D I TI ON S OF W I PI N G OVER TH E SOCK S

whether we had to answer the call of nature or we slept.?However, he

Wh at ar e t h e est ablish ed con dit ion s

mentions that if they were in a

f or w ipin g over t h e sock s or k h u f f ayn ?

condition which necessitated ghusl, the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

41

To be in a state of purity when you

commanded them ?to remove the

wear them, because the Prophet

leather socks.?48

sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam told Mughirah,

"Leave them, for indeed my feet were in a state of purity when I wore them."

45

4

Duration of wiping must be for the time period determined by the Shari'ah, which is a day and a night for the non-traveler, and three days

42

Khuffayn or socks must be pure and

and nights for the one on a journey.

clean and come over the ankle. If

This is based on the hadeeth 'Ali

they have filth on them, then it is not

radhiAllahu ?anhu narrated when he said,

permissible to wipe over them. The

"The Messenger sallAllahu 'alayhi wa

Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam

sallam permitted (wiping over the

prayed with his Companions one day

khuffayn) for three days and nights

in shoes, and during the prayer he

for the traveler, and one day and

removed them. Afterwards he

night for the resident.? 49

informed his companion that he did so because Jibraeel ?alayhis salaam had

If a resident performs wudhu?and

informed him that the shoes had

puts on his socks for the Dhuhr

impurity on them. This indicates that

prayer, then he can wipe over the

the prayer is not accepted when

socks for ?Asr prayer. In this case, he

there is something on the socks or

will be allowed to wipe over the socks

on the khuffayn which is impure.

43

as needed until 'Asr on the following day. If he was a traveler, he would be

You can wipe over the socks when in a state of minor impurity,46 not when you are in any state that necessitates ghusl.47

allowed to wipe over the socks for up to three days. It?s important to note that the wudhu?does not become void when the period of wiping ends.

Safwan ibn Asal radhiAllahu ?anhu said, ?When we were on a journey, the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam used to command us to wear our leather socks

45. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 46. Which necessitates wudhu' 47. For example, end of menstruation 48. Sunan An-Nasa'ee 49. Sahih Muslim

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The Messenger sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam did

BRAIN TEASER

not set a time period for the state of purity, but set a time period for the wiping

Can I still wipe over the socks

only. When the period for wiping over the

after the period is over?

socks has ended, it is not allowed to continue to wipe over the socks. However, if

If someone ? a traveler or a

you are still in a state of purity, you can

resident? wipes over the socks

pray. There is no evidence that a person?s

after the period has expired, their

wudhu?is nullified after one day or three

wudhu?becomes incomplete.

days. Wudhu?is not nullified except by the

Thus, the prayer becomes invalid.

causes stipulated in the Shari?ah. This is an

It is obligatory upon this person

example of a famous fiqh principle which

to renew their wudhu?, making

states everything stays according to what it is

sure to wash their feet, and to

upon until it's termination is made clear.

repeat the prayers that were prayed with the invalid wudhu?.

D URATI ON OF W I PI N G OVER TH E SOCK S

REM OVI N G TH E SOCK S D URI N G TH E STI PUL ATED PERI OD

This period starts the first time one wipes over the socks.50 If you are not traveling, then this period ends after 24

Let us see the scenarios regarding this:

41 Rem ovin g t h e sock s w h ile h avin g

hours. This period ends after 72 hours

t h e w u dh u ?(m ade w h en you

for the traveler.

41

washed your feet)

When a resident (non-traveler) wipes over his socks and then

If you remove your socks when you have

starts a journey, he is allowed the

the wudhu?you made (in which you

same time period as a traveler (3

washed your feet), and you maintain the

days and nights) according to the

wudhu?until you put your socks back on,

strongest opinion.

then you can still wipe over them the next time you make wudhu?.

42

If a person was traveling and he returns home from the journey, he

42

Rem ovin g t h e sock w h ile h avin g t h e

is allowed only the wiping period

w u dh u ?(m ade w h en you wiped over

of a resident, even if the journey

your socks)

was only two days long.

Fi Q H |

50. According to Ibn Uthaymeen

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If the wudhu?you have is one in which you

the wiping to be done on the shoes as long

wiped over your socks, then it is not

as the period of wiping is maintained.

permissible for you to put your socks on and continue wiping over them.

If you were to wipe over your shoes, then

Remember, it is necessary that you wear the

remove them and later make wudhu?

socks when your feet have been purified with

again, you can wipe over your socks.

the water of wudhu?.

Likewise, if you were to wipe over your socks, and then put on another pair, or put

The above scenarios are regarding the

on a pair of shoes, then there is no

permissibility to wipe over the socks after

problem in wiping over the upper layer for

removing the socks. Simply removing them

as long as the period of wiping remains.

after you have wiped over them, does not

Note, that this period is calculated from

invalidate the state of purification you

the point of the first wiping and not the

were in. And this is the strongest opinion.

second.

However, as previously mentioned, you won?t be able to wipe over them when the next need for wudhu?arises, because your

TAYA M M UM A N D W I PI N G OVER TH E SOCK S

last wudhu?did not include washing the feet. The important point to remember is

It is not permissible for someone to wipe

that it is necessary to have your socks on

over the socks when the state of

when you are in a state of wudhu? (in

purification is achieved through tayammum

which you wash your feet). Only then can

due to the saying of the Prophet sallAllahu

you wipe over the socks the next time you

'alayhi wa sallam, "... for indeed my feet were in

make wudhu?.

a state of purity when I wore them."

However, if someone does not have water

I S I T PERM I SSI BL E TO W I PE OVER TH E SH OES?

with them, or they are sick and unable to use water for wudhu?, then they can wear the socks even without being in a state of

There is a difference of opinion among the

purity. They can also wear the socks for an

scholars concerning this issue. Some

unlimited time [making tayammum] until

scholars say that if you want to choose

they find water or are cured from their

between wiping over either the socks or

illness, because the feet are not connected

shoes, then the permissibility is restricted

to tayammum in terms of making the

to wiping over the socks and not on the

wudhu?.

shoes. Others say that it is permissible for

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H OW D O YOU W I PE OVER SOCK S?

COM M ON M ISTAKES Many people make the mistake of using

You can w ipe over t h e sock s as f ollow s: Pass the hand over the feet from the extremity of the toes to the start of the shin. This means that the part of the sock that should be wiped is the upper part

both hands to wipe each foot. If this method has a basis, then it must be based on weak evidence. Most scholars teach wiping the right foot with the right hand, and the left foot with the left hand.

only and not the bottom.

Wiping is done by passing both hands over both feet simultaneously. In other words, it is done just as you wipe your ears when making wudhu?: the right hand wipes over the right foot and the left hand over the left foot (at the same time). This method is what is clear and obvious in the Sunnah as mentioned in the hadeeth earlier narrated by Mughirah bin Shu'bah in which he narrates that the Prophet sallalahu ?alayhi wa sallam,"... wiped over them,?

and not ?...he started with the right or left.?

As such, we take the clear and literal

W I PI N G OVER TH E H I JA B OR TURBA N ( FOR M EN )

meaning unless there is evidence to prove Women can wipe over their hijabs as long

otherwise.

as the hijab drapes below their necks and If one of the hands can not be used to

only in situations of extreme hardship.

wipe over the socks in this situation, you

Such as, if a woman is making wudhu?in a

should start with wiping the right foot first

public area, she is afraid that taking off

and then the left foot as per the Sunnah.

her hijab will expose her to men. Or, if she is making wudhu?in extreme cold weather, exposing her head may cause a health risk. In situations of hardship,

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women are allowed to wipe over their heads as there are narrations which indicate that some of the female companions of the Prophet sallalahu ?alayhi wa sallam wiped over their hijabs (may

Allah be pleased with them).

Wiping over the turbans is from the Sunnah of the Messenger sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Thus, it is permissible to wipe over

them. This must be done by wiping over the turban or the majority of it, and it is also Sunnah to wipe over the bare regions of the head like the forehead and the

Wiping W I PI N Gover OVER a bandage, A BA N DAcast GE, CA STand A Nspl D SPL intsI N TS

back of the head and the ears.

A hat or cap would not be considered a turban, because of the ease of its removal (unlike the turban).

A bandage or splint refers to that which is used to cover wounds or to set broken bones. If it is placed over a part of the body which needs to be washed while purifying oneself, the person is allowed to wipe over the bandage or splint under such circumstances.

This is because such a person is in a state of necessity. For instance, if there is a bandage over your forearm, you can wipe over it rather than removing the bandage and washing the arm in order to attain purity. This purification will be complete, and so, if you were to remove this bandage or splint later on, your state of purity remains intact. Unlike in the case of the socks, there is no evidence to suggest that removing the bandage breaks the state of purity.

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H OW TO M A K E A W UD H U' W I TH A W OUN D ?

can do so to remove both major and minor impurities, unlike wiping over the socks. So, if you are making ghusl due to

If we find a wound on a limb that needs to be washed during wudhu?, then we can

the obligatory situation, then you could wipe over the bandage just as you would wipe over it when making wudhu?.

take these possible approaches.

411. The wound can be uncovered and washing it will not harm us. In this case, washing the area is obligatory.

422. The wound, if uncovered and washed, will harm us but wiping over it will not. In this case, wiping over it is obligatory and washing is not.

433. The wound is uncovered and both washing it and wiping over it will harm us. In this case, tayammum is

H OW TO W I PE OVER TH E BA N DA GE?

the best approach.

When it comes to wiping over the

44. The wound is covered by a plaster

bandage, wipe over all of it. In this case,

or something similar due to dire

wiping replaces washing, so just as it was

need. In this case, wiping over the

necessary to wash the whole limb, it is

plaster is better and washing the

necessary to wipe over the whole

area is not required.

bandage. In contrast to wiping over the socks, which is a concession from Allah

The bandage is not wiped over except when there is a need. Furthermore, wiping

and we know clearly from the Sunnah how socks should be wiped.

over the bandage is not like wiping over the socks, because the latter has a specific

It must be noted that wiping over the

time period. As for bandage, you can wipe

bandage or splint removes the need for

over it as long as the need remains. You

tayammum.

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CH A PTER 1 3

GHUSL Making ghusl, like wudhu?, is an act of

major impurity such as; sexual intimacy,

worship and it is fulfilling one of Allah?s

menstruation, etc. This is so that we are

subhaanahu wa ta?aala commandments. It is

always in a state of purity and prepared

something that Allah loves and is

to worship Allah. The purification is an

pleased with: "Indeed, Allah loves those

outwardly one which purifies our body;

who are constantly repentant and loves

the believer himself is never inherently

those who purify themselves." 51

dirty or impure, as our Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said: ?Indeed, a believer is

Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala commanded us

never najis (filthy)." 52

to purify ourselves either by making wudhu?or ghusl after the occurrence of 51. Surah Al-Baqarah [2:222] 52. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

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W I SD OM OF GH USL -

Ghusl allows us to be in a

W H EN I S GH USL RECOM M EN D ED BUT N OT M A N DATORY?

complete state of purity before

-

initiating the greatest act of

-

For Friday Prayer

worship ? prayer, performing the

-

For the Eid Prayer

tawaaf (circumambulating around

-

After washing a deceased person

the Ka'aba), etc.

-

For the Eclipse Prayer

Making ghusl after physical

-

For the Prayer for Rain

intimacy or the menstruation

-

Before entering Makkah

helps to re-energize and invigorate the body after a period of low energy.

-

Ghusl is recommended for events of large gatherings of Muslims such as Friday prayer or Eid prayers. This is to ensure that the congregation is not disturbed by

D URI N G H A JJ A N D UM RA H

the unpleasant body odors or unsightly appearance of each other.

-

W H EN M A K I N G GH USL I S M A N DATORY?

of ? ajj -

-

After sexual intimacy or sexual

Before making ihram (for ? ajj and/or ?Umrah)

discharge 53

-

Before standing on ?Arafah

At the end of monthly periods (for

-

Before spending the night in Muzdalifah

women).

-

Before performing the Farewell Tawaf

-

Before performing the ?awaf

At the end of postpartum bleeding (after child birth).

-

Before stoning the Jamarat.

53. This also includes a man waking up with a wetness (sexual discharge) due to a wet dream or without

-

When a non-Muslim accepts 54

remembering a wet dream. However, if he had a wet dream without sexual discharge, he doesn't have to perform the

Islam.

ghusl. This also applies to a woman.

-

After someone dies ghusl is performed before the burial.

54. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars of fiqh. Hanbali and Maliki Madhhab scholars consider it mandatory while Hanafi and Sh?afi Madhhab scholars consider it recommended.

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W H AT I S PROH I BI TED W H EN I N TH E STATE OF JA N A BA H ( SEX UA L I M PURI TY) ?

-

To recite Qur ?an audibly

-

To stay in the masjid

-

To pray

He would then scoop water with his right

-

To touch the Mushaf (Arabic Qur ?an

hand, pour it into his left hand, and wash

without translation or explanation)

his private parts (with it). He would then

To make Tawaf

perform wudhu?as he normally did for

-

prayer, insert his fingers into the water TH ESE A RE SOM E OF TH E A CTS OF W ORSH I P A PERSON I N TH E STATE OF JA N A BA H CA N D O:

container, and then run them through the base of his hair. He would then pour over his head (with both hands) three scoops of water, and then pour water over the rest of his body.? 55

-

Listen to the Qur ?an

-

Spell out the Qur ?an

-

Read the Qur ?an without touching it

In su m m ar y, t h e gh u sl is per f or m ed in

-

Recite the Qur ?an without being

t h e f ollow in g sequ en ce:

audible

1

-

To fast

-

Pass through the masjid (but not

1

Making the intention to do ghusl with the intention to remove major impurity.

2

Removing of any impurity first then

stay in it)

TH E PROPH ET ' S M ETH OD OF M A K I N G GH USL :

washing the private parts.

3

Performing regular wudhu?on the hands, face, and head.

A?ishah radhiAllahu ?anha reported: ?When Allah's Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

4

Pouring water over the head and

sallam performed ghusl because of

the rest of the body, making sure

janabah, he would wash his hands before

the water reaches the base of the

inserting them into the water container.

hair.

5

Washing the feet.

55. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

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You don?t h ave t o m ak e w u dh u ?if

However, even though it is permissible to

you m ak e gh u sl t o r em ove m ajor

remain junub overnight or for a brief

im pu r it y.

duration, it is better to rush to perform

Ghusl covers for wudhu?, and one does

ghusl.

not need to perform wudhu?after

You don?t h ave t o u n br aid you r

completing the ghusl as wudhu' is part of

h air f or gh u sl u n less gh u sl is bein g

ghusl. ?A?isha radhiAllahu ?anha reported:

43

don e at t h e en d of m en st r u at ion .

?Allah's Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam did

Umm Salamah radhiAllahu ?anha reported

not use to perform wudhu?after ghusl.?56

that she said to Allah's Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, "O Allah's Messenger, I am

On ce in a st at e of janabah, on e sh ou ld r u sh t o m ak e t h e gh u sl

a woman who tightly braids my hair.

Should I unbraid it for the ghusl of janabah?" He replied:

One should rush to end their state of

?No. It would suffice you to pour over your

janabah and avoid delaying ghusl. A

head three cups of water, and then spread

person in a constant state of janabah

the water over the rest of your body; that

denies herself or himself the angels'

would make you clean.?60

company and protection. Ibn ?Abbas radhiAllahu ?anhu reported that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said:

Do m ak e su r e t o get t h e h ar d t o r each spot s w h en m ak in g gh u sl

?There are three individuals whom the

su ch as:

angels do not approach: a junub, a drunk

The roots of your hair, behind your ears,

person, and a man who wears khaluq57.?58

your armpits, your belly-button, the back

However, one can go to sleep while in a

of your legs and between them, etc. Note:

state of janabah, but it is recommended

It is enough to have dhann (a strong

to performu the wudhu?first before

assumption) that the water has reached

sleeping. Aisha radhiAllahu ?anha reported:

these spots. Certainty is not required.

?When the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam was junub and wanted to eat or sleep, he would wash his private parts and perform wudhu?like he would for the prayer.?59

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56. Sunan Abi Dawood 57. Khaluq: A yellowish/reddish mixed perfume made from Saffron and other perfumes 58. Sahih Al-Bukhari 59. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 60. Sahih Muslim

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CH A PTER 1 4

MENSTRUATION Menstruation is a natural function of the

?If the blood you see is menstrual blood, it

body which Allah has decreed on women.

would be dark and easy to distinguish. In

Rulings regarding it reflect His mercy and

that case, stop praying.?61

compassion for women as the body goes through this stressful period.

For some women, their menstruation may begin with pink, brown, or yellowish colored discharge. If it comes

W H AT I S CON SI D ERED TH E STA RT OF M EN STRUATI ON ?

at the normal time of menstruation, it is considered the beginning of menstruation.

Menstruation starts when you first see a dark red discharge. Fa?imah Bint Abi ? ubaysh radhiAllahu ?anha reported that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told her: 61. Sunan Abi Dawood

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W H EN D OES M EN STRUATI ON EN D ?

For example, if one?s menstruation is normally six days. However, one month the woman?s bleeding extends for twelve

Menstruation ends the moment you see

days, the extra six days are considered

completely clear discharge or in some

istihada. Ghusl can be made after the

women, white discharge. Yellow or

regular six days of ?menstruation.? One

brownish discharge indicates that

can make wudu after that for the

menstruation has not ended yet. During

remaining six days.

?Aisha?s time, women would send her rolled-up pieces of cloth containing yellowish discharge, asking if they should start praying. She radhiAllahu ?anha would tell them:

Fatima Bint Hubaysh radhiAllahu ?anha asked the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, ?O Allah?s Messenger, I am never clean (from bleeding), so should I continue to hold off praying?? He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam replied:

?Do not hasten until you have seen a white discharge.?62

?That is only bleeding from a blood vessel, and is not menstruation. Thus, only when your actual menstruation comes should you stop praying for as many days as you used to menstruate (prior to this problem). After that, wash the blood traces off yourself, perform ghusl, and pray.?63

Istihada is not menstruation so it does not take any of the rulings of menstruation. If one experiences istihada, they should

W H AT I S I STI H A DA ?

continue to pray and fast as normal.

However, it is obligatory to make wudu?

Istihada is abnormal bleeding that is

before every prayer, regardless of

experienced outside of regular period. If

whether one broke their wudu?or not.

one can determine the normal duration of their actual menstrual bleeding, any bleeding beyond is considered istihada.

62. Sahih Al-Bukhari 63. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

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RUL I N GS REGA RD I N G M EN STRUATI ON Follow in g act s ar e n ot allow ed at t h e on set of m en st r u at ion an d du r in g it :

1. PRAYER

2. I ' TI K A A F

( N O M A K E UP PRAYERS A RE REQUI RED )

( STAYI N G I N TH E M A SJI D W I TH TH E I N TEN TI ON OF W ORSH I P)

4. TO FA ST

5. TO STAY I N TH E M A SJI D

6. TO M A K E TAW A F

7. D I VORCE

8. W UD U

9. SEX UA L I N TI M A CY

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A CTS W H I CH A RE A L L OW ED D URI N G M EN STRUATI ON "Take a cloth soaked in musk and cleanse M an y act s of w or sh ip ar e per m issible

yourself with it three times.?

f or a w om an w h o is m en st r u at in g, su ch as: The woman inquired, ?How do I do that??

41

Reciting Qur 'an in an audible voice

And he repeated, ?Cleanse yourself with it.?

42 Making dhikr of Allah

Again, she asked, ?How do I do that??

43 Entering the masjid to pass through it

Covering his face with his hand, the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said,

?Aisha radhiAllahu ?anha was once reluctant to

?Exalted be Allah! Just cleanse yourself with

enter the Masjid to bring a mat to the

it.?Finally, observing the Prophet?s

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. He told her

embarrassment, ?Aisha took the woman

to go ahead and enter it, saying:

aside and explained to her, ?Rub it over the location of where the blood was.?

?Indeed, your menses is not in your hand (or

?Aisha radhiAllahu ?anha commented: ?How

within your control).?64

excellent are the women of the Ansar!

Shyness did not prevent them from seeking understanding of the religion.? 65

D O' S A N D D ON ' TS 42 Do attend the Eid prayer: 41

Making sure to clean oneself from any menstrual blood because it is

All Muslims, male and female, should

najis (filthy). It should be thoroughly

attend the Eid prayer. If a woman is in

removed from the body before

menses, she should attend and listen to

performing any acts of worship.

the khutbah, but not enter the prayer area.

?Aisha radhiAllahu ?anha reported that a woman from the Ansar asked the Prophet

Umm ?A?iyyah radhiAllahu ?anha said:

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam how she should

cleanse herself after menses. He told her to take a bath, and added:

64. Sahih Muslim 65. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

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?We (women) were commanded to go out (for the Eid prayer) on the day of Eid ? to

4 Do expect that whatever good deeds that one normally does but have to

the extent that we would take the

stop because of the menstruation are

unmarried young woman out of their

still recorded for the person. The

rooms, and take the menstruating women

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said:

so that they would sit behind the people, echoing takbeer and supplicating with them, and looking forward to (gaining good from) the blessings and purity of that day.?

?A traveler?s or sick person?s deeds are recorded in accordance with what he used to do when he was resident or well.?67

66

And: ?Indeed, when a person who is good in his

43 Once menstruation ends, one should hurry and make ghusl.

worship becomes sick, the angel who is appointed to record his deeds is told, ?Record

One should make ghusl as soon as

for him the equivalent of his deeds when he

menstruation ends because one is

was free (from illness) ? until I free him

not allowed to pray, make tawaf, stay

(from it) or bring him to Me (by death).?68

in the masjid, touch the Mushaf, etc, until ghusl is made.

66. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 67. Sahih Al-Bukhari 68. Musnad Ahmad

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COM M ON M YTH S A N D M I SUN D ERSTA N D I N GS -

In some cultures, a woman is

away from women during

required to wash her menses

menses ? ?69 So Allah?s

clothes separately from other

Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

clothes ? even if there was

sallam said: ?Stay with them in

absolutely no blood on them,

the (same) room, and do

and to utter the Shahaadah

everything together except sexual

over them to purify them. This

intercourse.? 70

has no basis in the Sunnah.

-

In some cultures it is forbidden

In some cultures, a woman is

for a woman to be near those

required to utter a particular

who are engaged in acts of

du?a at the end of her menses

worship. In actuality, it is

to cleanse herself from

permissible for a woman in

impurity. This has no basis in

menses to sit in the proximity

the Sunnah.

of a person who is reciting Qur ?an or praying. ?Aisha

-

In some cultures, a woman is

radhiAllahu ?anha reported: ?While

not allowed to sleep, eat, drink

I was in menses, the Prophet

or sit with her family members

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would

while menstruating. Anas

rest his head on my lap and

reported that when a woman

recite Qur?an.? 71 Maymuna

from among the Jews

radhiAllahu ?anha reported: ?Allah? s

menstruated, her husband

Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

would not sleep, eat, drink, or

sallam would pray on his mat

sit with her. The Prophet

while I was next to him and

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam was

while I was in menses. His

asked about that, upon which

garment would touch me

Allah revealed: ?They ask you

when he performed sujood.?72

concerning menstruation. Say, ?It is a (cause of) harm, so keep

69. Sural Al-Baqarah [2:222] 70. Sahih Muslim 71. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 72. Ibid

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D I D YOU K N OW ?

1. Despite the fact that one

3. Just like the traveler is

cannot fast or pray during

exempted from fasting, a sick

menstruation, a woman is

person is allowed to not fast,

actually in a state of obedience

and pregnant or breastfeeding

to Allah because she has

women are allowed to break

submitted to His decree and

their fast, Allah gave women

order.

who are menstruating a break from praying and fasting due

2. Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala

to the stress that menstruation

commanded us to purify

can have on the body. This is

ourselves either by making

from the compassion and

wudhu?or ghusl after

mercy of Allah.

discharge from the body such as blood, fluid, urine, etc. This

4. Sexual intercourse during

is so that we are always in a

menstruation is harmful for

state of purity and prepared to

both the male and female,

worship Allah. The purification

and thus forbidden. As Allah

is an outwardly one which

tells us, ?And they ask you about

purifies our body; the believer

menstruation. Say, ?It is harm,

himself is never inherently

so keep away from wives during

dirty or impure, as our Prophet

menstruation. And do not

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said:

approach them until they are

?Indeed, a believer is never najis

pure. And when they have

(filthy).?

73

As long as discharge

purified themselves, then come

due to menstruation

to them from where Allah has

continues, the prohibition of

ordained for you..?74

prayer and other acts of worship continues.

73. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 74. Surah Al-Baqarah [2:222]

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REVI EW AN D REFLECT QUESTI ON S 1

How w ou l d you r espon d t o t h e f ol l ow i n g scen ar i os?

I.

IV. Layla makes wudhu' at 9:30am and puts on her socks. Two hours

If you can?t remember if you

later, she decides to go on a

broke your wudhu' or not, do

journey. How long does she have

you assume you made it or that

until her wudhu' under her socks

you didn?t? What principle of

is still valid?

fiqh (maxim) is applied here?

V. Your father 's friend gives your II. Sarah skips some of the

family a silver cutlery set. Your

Mustahab steps of wudhu'

mother wants to use it. What

without any reason. Is her

would you say to her when she

wudhu' valid?

tells you about it?

III. Your friend was waiting for

VI. Wafa is visiting a friend who lives

Dhuhr salaah in the masjid. Due

10 minutes away, while using her

to lack of sleep he was dozing off

bathroom she realizes that her

without completely falling

periods have stopped. Asr is an

asleep. Is his wudhu' valid?

hour away. What should she do?

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4

2

Ah m ad is in a st at e of m ajor an d

4

Cr eat e t w o scen ar ios in w h ich an

m in or r it u al im pu r it y, an d h e h as

im pu r e su bst an ce f alls in t o w at er ,

im pu r it y on h is clot h es. He does

bu t in t h e f ir st scen ar io t h e w at er

n ot h ave access t o w at er .

can n ot be u sed f or Wu dh u an d in

Descr ibe exact ly w h at h e n eeds

t h e secon d scen ar io t h e w at er can

t o do.

st ill be u sed f or Wu dh u . Explain 5 w h y f or each scen ar io.

Nam e on e n at u r al su bst an ce t h at 32 5 1 cou ld be m ixed w it h w at er an d t h e w at er w ou ld r em ain Pu r if yin g.

Explain t h e pr in ciple.

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5

Adam is t ak in g a w alk an d f alls dow n in t o a dit ch . He br eak s h is leg an d en ds u p in t h e h ospit al w it h a cast on h is leg an d f oot .

It is t im e f or Dh u h r . How sh ou ld Ali m ak e w u dh u '?

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I S ONE WHO I S DEVOUTLY OBEDI ENT DURI NG PERI ODS OF THE NI GHT, PROSTRATI NG AND STANDI NG ( I N PRAYER) , FEARI NG THE HEREAFTER AND HOPI NG FOR THE MERCY OF HI S LORD, ( LI KE THE ONE WHO DOES NOT) ? SAY, " ARE THOSE WHO KNOW EQUAL TO THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW?" ONLY THEY WI LL REMEMBER ( WHO ARE) PEOPLE OF UNDERSTANDI NG.

Az-Zu m ar [39:9]

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UN IT 3

SALAAH: WAYTOPEACE ANDCONTENTMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS SALAAH: WAYTOPEACE ANDCONTENTMENT

UN IT 3 |

CH A P T ER

PG

15

135

Sal aah Tr ansf or ms Us

16

149

The Adhaan ( An I nvi t at i on t o Al l ah)

17

159

Condi t i ons of Sal aah

18

165

Foundat i on of Sal aah

19

173

Pr ay Wi t h Al l Your Hear t

20

179

Under st andi ng t he Sal aah

21

205

Oppor t uni t i es t o Connect wi t h Al l ah

217

Revi ew and Ref l ect Quest i ons

219

Weekl y Sal aah Pl anner Qur ' an

220

Revi ew Pl anner

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS This unit is designed to help answer the following questions.

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01

Why sal aah i s i mpor t ant ?

02

How does sal aah af f ect our ment al heal t h?

03

Why i s i t i mpor t ant t o engage t he hear t i n sal aah?

04

Why i s i t i mpor t ant t o pr ay cor r ect l y?

05

What i s t he r ol e of vol unt ar y pr ayer s?

06

How i s f l exi bi l i t y of I sl ami c l aw demonst r at ed i n t he sal aah?

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I M P O R TA N T V O CA B U L A RY Al-?Adh eem :

Ar k aan: The Pillars of salaah that the prayer is incomplete without.

One of Allah?s names that means ?The Supreme?

At -t ah iyyah :

Waajibaat : The obligatory acts of salaah that must be performed or compensated for.

Su jood u s-sah w :

A greeting in the tashahhud that means royal or highest compliments.

As-salaw aat :

Two extra sujood at the end of the salaah offered to compensate for a missed waajib act during salaah.

Everything that can be considered prayer and worship.

At -t ayyibaat :

Kh u sh oo?:

It signifies all that is good and pure ie

The quality of having humility in salaah

our good conduct, our best behavior,

where the heart is engaged with Allah.

the best of speech, and encompasses our iman.

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CH A PTER 1 5

SALAAHTRANSFORMS US I M PO RTA N T VO CA B U L A RY

Allah turns His face towards us and

Khushoo': It is a state of humility in

listens to us. This is how Allah taught us

prayer where the heart is engaged

and wants us to communicate with Him.

with Allah, paying close attention to

We empty our mind and focus on Him.

the meaning of the salaah such that it

This is our instant moment with Allah.

has a strong effect on the one praying.

Salaah helps you refocus on what matters the most - Allah.

SA L A A H : W H Y I S I T I M PORTA N T? Salaah is ou r dir ect con n ect ion w it h

Example of its?importance is illustrated

by Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam just before his death. He was very

Allah. This is how we thank Allah for

ill, to the point that he would fall

allowing us to breathe, walk, talk, eat,

unconscious. He would regain

think, see, hear, for every moment of

consciousness and immediately ask,

our life. When we stand up for salaah,

?Did the people pray??The people

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around him would tell him, ?No, they

THE FIRST QUESTION

are waiting for you O Messenger of

We will have to go through a test on the

Allah.? So, the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa

day of Judgment, where we will have to

sallam would ask them to pour some

answer to Allah about what we did in this

water for him in a pitcher. He sallAllahu

world. Out of His mercy, Allah has already

?alayhi wa sallam would sit, bathe, and then

told us the first question that He will ask

try to get up. He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

us. As we explained in the example

would fall unconscious again. And then

above, that first question will be the most

he, sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, would wake up

important one. The Prophet sallAllahu

again and the same thing would

?alayhi wa sallam told us:

happen all over again. Can you imagine how concerned he was about his salaah, even during the throes of death? He wanted to maintain his connection with Allah. Salaah was the most important thing on his mind.

BEN EFI TS OF SA L A A H

?Verily among the first deeds the slave will be taken to account for on the Day of Judgement is his salaah, if it is in order he will be successful and prosperous, and if it is not in order, he will have failed and lost.?1

YOUR GOOD DEEDS DEPEND ON

Benefits of salaah are numerous, some of the benefits are:

YOUR SALAAH

The Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam also told us,

41 Accept an ce of You r Good Deeds

"Salaah is three parts: Purification is one Imagine that you are about to take an exam. The teacher tells you that the first question on the exam is the most important and accounts for 90% of your exam. And now, let?s say that the teacher tells you exactly what that question will

third, bowing is one third, and prostration is one third. Whoever performs the prayer while giving it its due right, will have it accepted, and all of his deeds will also be accepted from him. And as for the one

be. Chances are that you will spend most

whose salaah is rejected, all of his (other)

of your time preparing for that question.

deeds will (also) be rejected.?2

You already know the question and your success in the exam, for the most part,

1. At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'ee, Ibn Majah and Ahmed.

lies in that question.

2. Musnad Al-Bazzar

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Shaytaan sits and waits for us on the

BRAIN TEASER

st r aigh t pat h . Have you noticed that his distractions are strongest when

Why has Allah put so much

you are trying to do something good?

emphasis on the salaah? Why is it

For example, he will whisper to you

the first question? What is so important about it that the acceptance of all of our other deeds is contingent on the quality of our salaah?

during your salaah. He will encourage you to ignore your parents when they are asking you to do something. He can make you feel that memorizing the Qur ?an is too challenging. He will put in your mind that fasting is

42 Pr ot ect ion Fr om Bad Deeds

unbearable. While at the same time, he will never remind you about Allah if

We all struggle with different actions in

you are listening to music or watching

our lives. Some of us tend to get angry

a movie. He doesn?t need to distract

quickly. Some of us struggle to be

you when you are wasting hours

truthful. Some of us cheat. Some of us

scrolling through social media. He has

cannot stop ourselves from talking bad

what he wants - your attention!

about people or talking to those who are a bad influence on us. All of this

Allah knows we are weak but He wants

and more happens because we are not

good for us. He has strengthened us

paying attention to what we are saying

with the tools to avoid the distractions

in our salaah. Shaytaan keeps us

of shaytaan. The most important of

distracted. He vowed to Allah at the

these tools is salaah. Allah tells us:

time of the creation of Adam ?alayhi as-salaam.

He said: ?Because You have put me in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come to

"Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing" 4

them from in front of them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them grateful (to You).?3 3. Surah Al-A?raaf [7:16-17] 4. Surah Al-Ankabut [29:45]

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43

Allah?s For given ess

We are weak human beings with lots of Pr ayin g + Per f or m in g Bad

shortcomings. We tend to disobey Allah

Deeds = ?

sometimes and do things that are

We hear people justify not praying

displeasing to Him. Allah is very Merciful.

by saying that people who pray

He does not want us to disobey Him, and

also lie, cheat and steal. A similar

if we do, He wants to forgive us. That is

incident occurred at the time of

why, He gives us many opportunities

the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

during the day to have our sins forgiven.

where a man came to the Prophet

Of those opportunities is the salaah. If we

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam and

are mindful about our salaah, Allah

complained that another person

forgives us.

would pray at night in Qiyam (the

The Prophet sallAllahu Alayhi wa sallam told

late night prayer) but then he

us:

would steal in the morning. He, sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, responded:

?Allah has obligated five (daily) prayers.

Whoever perfects their ablutions, prays them in their proper times, completes their bows, and their khushoo' 6 has a promise from

"It (praying late into the night)

Allah that He will forgive him. Whoever does

will prevent him from doing

not do that has no promise from Allah so He may either forgive him or punish him.?7

what you say." 5

The reminders of Allah in the salaah will eventually prevent the person from doing evil actions and create the awareness of Allah which will lead the person towards good actions.

5. Musnad Ahmed 6. Khushoo' is a state of humility in prayer where the heart is engaged with Allah.

7. Sunan Abi Dawood

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obeying their parents. They succumb to

4 Salaah M ak es it Easy t o

deviant ideas on social media or friends'

Do Good Deeds

teasing and pressure. They think of many Imagine a tree that has not been watered

excuses to avoid helping someone in need

for ages. What happens to its trunk and

or volunteering in their community. On

its branches? They become really dry.

the other hand, when a person turns to

What if you pull one of those dried

Allah, honoring what Allah likes us to do

branches down? Well, they will be very

becomes very easy. Murky deviant

stiff and difficult to move. Also, if you try

thoughts, ideas and acts become clear

too hard to move them, they will break.

from the right path. Getting the courage

Now compare this to a tree that is

not to succumb to wrong ideas and

watered well on a regular basis. How are

actions under immense pressure. Reading

the branches? They are flexible, easy to

the Qur 'an becomes a joy. Helping others

move, and bear fresh fruit. Now, what

makes one happy. Wearing Hijab makes

does this all have to do with salaah?

sisters confident in their identity as Muslims. Waking up for Fajr is easy. Late

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, one of the famous

nights wasting time become less frequent

scholars of Islam, gave this analogy for a

and are replaced with conversing in night

person who remembers Allah

prayer with Allah.

consistently in salaah versus a person who does not remember Allah often.

"The remembrance of Allah is like

45

Salaah Ben ef it s Us Ph ysically

In addition to the many spiritual benefits, salaah provides many physical benefits as

water to our bodies. When we don?t

well. Allah is extremely merciful. He knows

remember Allah often, our body and

His creation very well. He tells us:

soul are not nurtured. As such, we find it difficult to do things that are pleasing to Allah.?

"Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted? " 8

You find people who have a difficult time remembering Allah. They find it difficult to memorize or even read the Qur ?an. They

As such, when He ordains something, it is for our own physical, spiritual, mental, and intellectual well-being.

can?t get up for Fajr. They struggle a lot when it comes to respecting elders and

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8. Surah Al-Mulk [67:14]

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A . POSI TI ON S OF SA L A A H Recent scientific research conducted by University of Malaya's Biomedical Engineering department and reported by New Straits Times in an article has found that postures during the prayers are beneficial to the heart, spine and increasing the capacity for memory and

42

Ru k u '

The posture of ruku' is one of the best forms of stretches for the human body without overdoing it. Moreover, in the ruku' position, the back, thighs, calves, and the abdominal muscles of a person get fully stretched. The blood flow towards the upper part of the body also improves.

attention.

43 Sajdah The posture of sajdah controls the belly

41 St an din g st r aigh t

from expanding and accumulating fats.

When a person stands straight in the salaah with his or her feet apart and body straight, and he or she recites the Qur ?an, it improves the function of the glands and the lungs. It leads to overall better physical and mental health.

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With the knees, hands, and head on the ground, when a person prostrates, refined pressure is placed on the abdominal muscles, making them strong. This is an excellent exercise for the body that makes the abs slim and strong.

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B. BL OOD PRESSURE

ACTI VI TY Various medicines and dietary

Se l f A s s e s s m e n t

modifications are prescribed to regulate blood pressure. The positions of salaah

-

Where do you stand in terms of doing good deeds?

aid the blood flow in different parts of the body. Standing straight (Qiyam position) helps the blood flow normally. The ruku'

-

Do we find it easy and

position improves blood flow in the upper

comfortable doing good

part of the body; whereas the sitting

deeds? Or is it extremely

(tashahhud) position improves blood flow

hard?

in the lower part of the body.

-

Analyze your current situation; How often do you remember Allah during any given day?

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46 Salaah im pr oves ou r M en t al Healt h

lifeless motions. Hence, we don?t get

Praying regularly with concentration has

anything out of it or feel anything when

a powerful effect on a person?s mental

we pray. Therefore, some decide not to

health and well-being. Various scientific

pray at all or drag themselves to pray as if

and medical studies show the correlation

doing a boring chore or a favor on

of prayer and spirituality on the mental

someone.

and physical well-being of a person. It

SALAAH AS A DE-STRESSOR

makes you happy and peaceful. Allah has created us and knows what will give us happiness, peace and tranquility instead of us trying to experiment different ways to achieve temporary happiness and learn the hard way. Throughout this unit we will discuss how salaah when properly performed with the correct mindset can transform our mental health.

In reality, when you stand up for salaah you are throwing your problems, issues, anxiety, stress, fear aside and focusing on the one who can solve your problems.

If things are not going your way during the day, through the reminders in salaah you understand that Allah is in control.

You can mentally de-stress and relax. You have done everything in your power to solve a problem and it is only Allah Who

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam found

can inspire you with a solution or solve it

great comfort in the salaah. Think about

for you. Your dire need for Allah makes

the one thing which you enjoy the most.

you depend on Him more and not on the

You can?t wait for it. In the same way the

people in your life.

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would look forward for the salaah as he used to ask Bilal radhiAllahu 'anhu,

Repeating ?Allahu Akbar?(Allah is the greatest) in salaah reminds you that everything around you is insignificant compared to Allah. Realizing that everything and everyone around you is temporary, but Allah will always be there

?O Bilal call iqamah for the salaah: Relax us by it.?9

for you helps you trust and love Allah more. Once your trust and love for Allah increases it will make you less anxious

He, the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam understood salaah and its benefit on

instead it will give you contentment, peace, security and hope.

mental health. Today, unfortunately most of us think of salaah as a set of

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9. Sunan Abi Dawood

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loves you and is always ready to listen if you make Him a priority in your life. The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam described the salaah as a private, close, intimate conversation with Allah. He said, ?When any one of you is engaged in prayer, he is holding an intimate conversation with his Lord, so one should pay attention as to how he conducts this intimate conversation with Him.?10

When you are having a conversation with someone, do you like it if they give you their full, undivided attention? Do you feel happy if this someone that you love, SALAAH CURES LONELINESS

lovingly faces you as you talk to them?

Do you struggle to connect deeply with

Likewise, if t h e on e f acin g you is t h e

others? Do you feel you don?t have real,

On e Wh o cr eat ed t h e h eaven s an d t h e

genuine friends? Do you feel that the

ear t h an d loves f or you t o ask f or h elp,

people you love are not really there for

He is you r Pr ot ect in g Fr ien d, should we

you when you need them the most?

not treat these special moments with

Sometimes you feel no one understands

honor? The Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam

you? As discussed earlier, salaah is a

tells us:

practical solution to all of these and many more issues we face in our lives. When

?Indeed Allah has commanded you to pray,

you realize that Allah is facing you; that

so when you pray, do not turn (here and

reciting Surah Al-Faatihah is like a two-way

there) because Allah directs His Face to the

conversation with Allah subhaanahu wa

face of His servant as long as he does not

ta?aala; that Allah promises to hear you

turn (to and fro).? 11

and you praise Him - all of this helps you realize that you are not alone in this world. There is someone who dearly

10. Ahmad 11. At-Tirmidhi

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Allah, the One Who can solve any and all

Read the scenarios depicting the effects

of our problems by simply saying one

of loving something which is temporary

word

versus the effect of loving Allah which

(which means Be, and it will be);

the One Who does not need us at all but

brings lasting happiness.

we direly need Him - turns His face toward us when we are in the salaah. Should we not take these moments very seriously?

Is this not the most important activity in our day leaving everything else as secondary or tertiary as compared to the salaah?

SALAAH AND YOUR HAPPINESS As discussed earlier, once we perform the salaah correctly (while engaging our heart) it will transform us mentally.

Building one to one connection with Allah creates internal, lasting happiness which

-

Yusuf is a soccer fanatic. He loves

is different from temporary happiness.

his team and loves to win. At the

We all know that feeling of elation and

start of soccer season, he is

happiness when we finally get something

ecstatic. When it ends, he feels

we badly wanted. However, as you may

empty with a sense of boredom.

have experienced, that feeling is short

How would you help Yusuf cheer

lived and disappears quickly. The

up and better regulate his

happiness which you feel loving Allah and

emotions when soccer season is

connecting with Him through the salaah

over?

is not fleeting, no one can snatch it away from you. Allah is permanent, He is always there for you. Salaah is your means to build your relationship with Him so your love for Him increases. As

Yusuf, if he prioritizes salaah, will know Allah has and will always be there for him and won?t depend on sports as his source of happiness.

your love for Him increases you will turn to Him in every situation, you will put your trust only in Him. This will create the inner and lasting happiness in you.

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-

Noor loves love (or the idea of it), and as a hopeless romantic, she

-

Sarah has a passion for fashion.

She spends money to buy trendy clothes and accessories. When the trends change, she feels the need for new clothes and continues to

pursues her crushes and seeks relationships as an outlet. She gets a high off what she thinks of as the ?fun? aspects of this relationship, and also feels extremely sad and depressed

spend irresponsibly. She sometimes asks to borrow money from you, but if you ask her not to spend it on clothing, she is upset that you are taking away her

when it does not work out. What are some things you can share with Noor about the harm in what she is doing?

?happiness.? How would you This unhealthy cycle continues for Noor

respond to Sarah?

until she realizes no one person or group of Sarah's relationship with Allah does not cost her any money. It is not a fad that comes and goes. The happiness she can find in connecting with Him is entirely up to her and how much time she makes to obtain that happiness, instead of replacing it with

people can really satisfy her needs nor give real happiness. Getting to know Allah gives the heart the inner peace and contentment that so many people are longing for.

However, most people end up looking for it in the wrong places. Celebrities and famous people are the perfect example of this. They

shopping.

have fame, fortune, and a large social circle, yet they still feel empty from inside. They do not know how to acquire this inner peace through salaah, a special one-to-one connection with Allah.

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that person? Allah is continuously helping us. We cannot even breathe if He does not want us to. Yet, we are often too lazy to thank Him. The best way to thank Him is the salaah. He is very Merciful and He allows us to enjoy life regardless of if we turn to Him or not, however, He is also very Just. In the Hereafter, He is going to reward or penalize people based on the level of their turning to Him in this world.

One of the first reasons people will land in Hell-fire is the salaah. Look at how Allah portrays this picture in the Qur ?an regarding those in Hell-fire who are asked what they did to earn it, All of these examples have one common theme, that Allah should be the priority in one?s life. He is your protecting friend and you draw close to Allah through your salaah. This will improve anyone?s overall mental, emotional, and spiritual health significantly. If shaytan ever whispers thoughts to make you feel down, you must know and understand that Allah was, is, and will always be there for you, provided you are ready to connect with Him and are interested to get to know Him better.

"They will say, ?We were not from those who prayed, nor did we feed the poor, and we engaged in vain discourse, And we denied

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT PRAYING Imagine if you keep doing nice things for

the Day of Recompense Until there came to us the certainty (i.e., death)?12

someone and that person does not even acknowledge or thank you. Instead he or

12. Surah Al-Muddaththir [74:42-47]

she prefers to spend time with others instead of you. What would you think of

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And where does it start? The salaah!

POI N T OF REFLECTI ON !

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL Wh at do you n ot ice in t h e ayah discu ssed above?

Notice the gradual downward trend

GRADE YOUR SALAAH!

depicted in the ayat above. The first reason for people to be in the Hell-fire is that they did not pray. That leads to

If you were to grade yourself on

a weaker level of faith, and thus a

your salaah, what would your

weaker relationship with Allah. Slowly

average be?

that affects their relationship with the people and they stop feeding people and giving charity. And then they start

Would you be in the A+ range?

Would you be passing?

getting involved in things that are

In order for us to get the

simply worthless [consider making a

benefits of salaah that we have

list for yourself, just between yourself

discussed so far, our salaah

and Allah]. Inevitably, the material

must be of good quality. It must

world takes over, causing doubts in

not be a series of motions, but it

their minds, until they get to the point of denying the day of Judgment

must be filled with lots of emotions.

completely.

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CH A PTER 1 6

THEADHAAN ANINVITATIONTOALLAH I TS I M PACT ON HUM AN

attention. The expression on her face changes. It is a mixture of puzzlement and

HEART

surprise while simultaneously joyful even

Just as the sun descends below the

though she cannot make out every word.

horizon and its orange glow permeates

She stands mesmerized as the melodious

the sky, an evening breeze wafts through

tones engulf her and just as suddenly and

the air. A woman stands on the rooftop of

surprisingly, she feels the warmth of tears

a villa where she is a guest and

running down her cheeks. She places her

overlooking the patchwork of dwellings

hand on her heart as it too wells up with

stretching into the distance as calm

overwhelming emotion and profound

settles over the city. She suddenly hears

peacefulness. The woman, who neither

myriad voices rise from all directions

speaks or understands Arabic asks her

repeating an Arabic refrain that seems to

host, ?What was that?? and he answers,

build until it reverberates through the

?It is the call to prayer. It is the adhaan."

atmosphere. She becomes transfixed and

In truth, such reactions are neither

inwardly compelled to pause and pay

unusual nor uncommon in people who

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visit Muslim lands. Many people have given such testimonies about experiencing the adhaan for the first time, especially if they have open hearts and minds. It has even led people to look into Islam for

and it signals the entrance of the time for the most important action in a believing Muslim?s day, the salaah. Therefore, it is called at the start of each of the five daily obligatory prayers. It is a daily renewal of

themselves. It has also happened on the streets of London, New York and Berlin. Yet, how much more should that reaction occur in the one who is in fact a believer who does understand the language and the significance and meaning of the message within? This tremendous and unique call is a distinguishing, and ubiquitous feature wherever Muslim believers reside are not suppressed. Do we perhaps take it for granted? Have we allowed it to become just

the declaration of faith which includes the affirmation that Allah is Greater than anything and the only deity deserving of worship, that Muhammad is His Final Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, and that nothing is more important than acknowledging, appreciating and demonstrating our gratitude for the many favors and blessings we have received, most important of which is to just be a Muslim.

another routine which we rarely reflect Stopping what we are doing to respond to

upon?

the adhaan is in itself a key to success in this life and the hereafter. It is not only a

ADHAAN'S SI GNI FI CANCE

reminder but a bringer of comfort, rest and peace of mind to the believers. The iqaamah which is said to indicate when

The call to prayer is called, ?One of the most distinctive soundscapes associated with travel in the Islamic world? ." There are people who perform the adhaan, going on tours to concert halls and other venues and bringing delight and wonder to audiences gathered to listen. You can hear the adhaan in the background of nearly every other

the believers should stand and line up to perform the salaah with the imaam, is also called adhaan. As mentioned earlier, when the time for the prayer arrived the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallamused to say to the first caller

(mu'adhdhin) to the salaah, Bilal ibn Rabah radhiAllahu ?anhu,

movie with a scene in a Middle Eastern setting. Although certainly melodic, and

?Oh Bilal, say the iqaamah for the salaah

some mu?adhdhins become world famous

and comfort us with it?.13

for their calls, the adhaan is neither a tune or a song. Rather, it is a form of worship 13. Sunan Abi Dawood

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T H E ST ORY OF T H E A D H A A N The adhaan was made part of ?shari?ah?

that we would use it to call the people to

(Islamic jurisprudence) during the first year

Prayer. He said: "Shall I not guide you to

of the Muslims?migration to Madinah.

something better than that?" I replied:

Before its legislation, Muslims used to agree

"Certainly," Then he told me to say the

about fixed times for congregational

adhaan and he told me its wordings.

prayers. Even still, they sometimes found it difficult to remember the exact timings.

When I told to Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam in the morning about the vision that I

One day, the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu

had seen, he sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said: "It

?alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims discussed

is a true vision, ?In shaa?Allah?, so get

the matter of calling the people to prayer at

(together) with Bilal radhiallaahu ?anhu, and

the exact time. Many opinions were given by

when you have taught him what you have

the companions of Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi

seen, let him use it in making the call to

wa sallam about the issue. Some suggested

Prayer, for he has a stronger voice than

the use of a bell like the Christians, others

you." So, I got (together with) Bilal radhiallaahu

suggested the use of a horn like the Jews, but

?anhu, and began to teach it to him, and he

?Umar, radhiallaahu ?anhu, suggested sending

used it in making the call to Prayer.

someone to announce the prayer.

Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, radhiallaahu ?anhu, heard

Then Allah's Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

this when he was in his house, and came out

sallam agreed to use a bell, but he, sallAllahu

trailing his cloak and said: "Allah's

?alayhi wa sallam, was not happy to use it

Messenger, by Him Who has sent you with

because of its similarity with the Christians.

the truth, I have seen the same thing (during

After the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam had ordered a bell to be made so that it could be struck to gather the people to prayer, a

sleep) as has been said." To this Allah's Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam replied: ?Praise be to Allah!?" 14

companion, Abdullah Ibn Zayd Ibn Abd Rabbih, radhiallaahu ?anhu, said: "I was sleeping when I saw in my dream that a man carrying a bell in his hands, and I said:

14. Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi.

"Slave of Allah, will you sell this to me?" Then he asked what I would do with it? I replied

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TH E W ORDS OF ADH AAN Allah is the Greatest,

(4 times)

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah Come to prayer

Come to prayer

Come to success

Come to success 15

Allah is the Greatest

Allah is the Greatest There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah 15. For fajr adhaan words "As-salaat-ul-khayrum min al-naumm" are added after this. and repeated twice. It means, prayer is better than sleep.

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THE M EANI NG OF THE W ORDS OF ADHAAN

?Allah is t h e gr eat est ?

This is a reminder for us to realize that

Say, ?Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the Worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims?16

Allah is greater than anything and everything. Therefore, no matter what we are doing when the time of salaah has come we can step away from it to pray first. This is the practical everyday life application of internalizing that truly Allah is the greatest in our lives.

?I bear w it n ess t h at M u h am m ad is t h e M essen ger of Allah' This statement is the second part of the testimony of our faith. It reminds us that we must love Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. It also reminds us

?I bear w it n ess t h at t h er e is n o deit y

that actions in order to be accepted

w or t h y of w or sh ip except Allah?

should be done the way the Prophet

This first part of the testimony of our faith reiterates our purpose of existence on this earth. It reminds us that we were

Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam did it.

Therefore, we should perform our our salaah as he told us to pray.

sent to this world only to worship Allah.

Hence, nothing gets priority over salaah -

?Offer your prayers in the way you see me praying.?17

the highest form of worship. It also reminds us that in order for any action

Not only that, we must also emulate him

to be accepted by Allah it has to be truly

in our daily lives, in our practices, our

done for Allah's sake. Therefore, it

relationships, and our transactions that

teaches us sincerity in all our actions

we conduct on a daily basis.

including salaah, which should be done purely for Allah's sake. As Allah tells us,

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W HAT TO DO W HEN YOU HEAR THE ADHAAN? 1. Repeat Af t er t h e M u 'adh in ?Hu r r y t ow ar ds salaah ; h u r r y t o su ccess?

The Prophet sallallaahu ` alayhi wa sallam told The invitation to come to prayer is coupled with the invitation to success. Both of these statements are asking us not just to come to prayer and to success but they are asking us to rush towards it. Since in it lies our success. As some of the scholars say this invitation to Muslims to come to that which is the reason for entrance into Al-Jannah. In the Qur 'an whenever any good action which will lead a person to enter Al-Jannah is mentioned, Allah encourages us to do it quickly.

us, ?When the mu?adhdhin says: ?Allah is greater, Allah is greater,?and one of you says: ?Allah is greater, Allah is greater?; [and when the mu?adhdhin] says: ?I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah,?and one says: ?I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah?; [and when the mu?adhdhin] says: ?I testify that Mu?ammad is the Messenger of Allah,?and one says: I testify that Mu?ammad is the Messenger of Allah?; [and when the mu?adhdhin] says: ?Come to prayer,?and one says: ?There is no might and no power except with Allah?; [and when the mu?adhdhin] says: ?Come to success,?and one says: ?There is no might and no power

'Th er e is n o deit y w or t h y of w or sh ip except Allah'

except with Allah?; [and when the mu?adhdhin] says: ?Allah is greater, Allah is greater,?and one says: ?Allah is greater,

The adhaan ends by reiterating the

Allah is greater?; [and when the

Oneness of Allah. Reminding us again

mu?adhdhin] says: ?There is no deity worthy

that no one or nothing deserves the

of worship but Allah,?and one says: There is

our attention and priority except Allah.

no deity worthy of worship but Allah?; from

Once we realize that, getting up and

his heart will enter Paradise.?18

praying right away becomes easier.

This lead us to success in this world

18. Sahih Muslim and Abu Dawood

and in the hereafter.

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DU'AAS AFTER ADHAAN 2. M ak e Du 'aa Af t er Adh aan

The Prophet sallAllahu` alayhi wa sallam said,

3. M ak e Du 'aa Bet w een t h e

?He who says upon hearing the adhaan: ?O

Adh aan an d t h e Iqam ah

Allah, Rabb (Lord) of this perfect call and of the established prayer, grant Mu?ammad al-wasilah (intercession) and superiority, and raise him up to a praiseworthy position which You have promised him,?it becomes incumbent upon me to intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection?19

The Prophet sallAllahu` alayhi wa sallam told us the benefit of making du'aa between the adhaan and the iqamah as he said, "The supplication made between the adhaan and the iqamah is not rejected." 20

19. Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhii 20. Abu Dawood

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FA CT S A B OU T A D H A A N -

The adhaan distinguishes the

-

Muslims from other religious

There is no adhaan called for the ?eid prayers.

groups.

-

Calling the adhaan is fard kifayah

The person who makes the

(a communal obligation) meaning

adhaan should also make the

if someone who is competent

iqamah.

does it, the rest of the people don?t have to do it.

-

It is not allowed to leave the masjid after adhaan has been

-

made without some valid excuse.

According to authentic ahadeeth, the words, as-salaatu khayrun min an-nawm (prayer is better than

-

Only during live adhaan should

sleep) are added in fajr salaah.

we repeat the adhaan and make the du?aa as specified earlier

-

Among the Sunnahs for

under ?what to do when you hear

welcoming the newborn, the

the adhaan?? section. Recorded

scholars mentioned that the

adhaan in any form such as

adhaan should be recited into the

adhaan clocks, videos or apps do

baby?s right ear so that the first

not require us to repeat the

thing the baby hears in this world

adhaan or say the du?aa.

will be the words of Tawheed, which will have a great and

-

A person is recommended to call

blessed effect on the child.

the adhaan even if they are all alone. Giving adhaan in your house may attain the reward of

-

It is forbidden to sing the adhaan or to take wages for it.

this great ritual.

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ACTI VI TY 1. Tr y it !

How is your adhaan? Practice and record yourself and share it with your class. The teacher can play them anonymously and each classmate rates them on a scale of 1 - 5.

2. How does it m ak e you f eel?

I.

Do you have a favorite mu'adhdhin? Why? How does it

BRAIN TEASER

make you feel when you hear it?

Wh at To Do? You are in a department store in the line, or shopping and suddenly your phone app sounds off with the adhaan. Do you turn it off? Do you get out of the line? Do you

II. Have you ever heard a caller whose voice is unpleasant or who makes mistakes while calling the adhaan? How does that make you feel?

take out your phone to make sure everyone hears it? Start calling the

3. Diver sit y in t h e t on es

adhaan yourself?

Have you noticed that in different Muslim cultures, the tonality of the

You are on the road and time for

adhaan differs although they follow

salaah comes in. Do you pull over

the rules of pronunciation? How

and call the adhaan? Call it in your

would you describe these differences?

car? Not call it at all?

What distinct differences do you hear between various regions?

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CH A PTER 1 7

CONDITIONS OFSALAAH W HAT ARE THE PRE-CONDI TI ONS OF SALAAH? There are certain pre-conditions which

41

need to be met in order for salaah to be

must pray salaah within the specified time

valid. These pre-conditions are:

for each salaah. Allah has told us in the

Pr ayin g at t h e appoin t ed t im e: You

Qur 'an that he has appointed specific General pre-conditions for any act of worship to be accepted.

times for each salaah to be prayed.

Praying before the time invalidates the salaah.

1. Being a Muslim.

The proper times of salaah are discussed

2. Having a sound mind.

3. Having reached adolescence.

more in detail later in this chapter.

4. Conditions specific to salaah.

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42 Tah aar ah : You must be in a state of purity from major and minor impurity. In addition, you must have wudhu' (ablution). Performing salaah without wudhu' is invalid. The person should not have impurity in three areas during the salaah:

1. Per son sh ou ld n ot h ave n ajaasa (im pu r it ies) on h is body.

2. Per son sh ou ld n ot h ave n ajaasa

Times of Salaah Islam teaches us to be timely and

(im pu r it ies) on h is clot h in g.

disciplined. Everything has a time and

3. Th e place of pr ayer sh ou ld be

place. We pray at specific times, fast at

pu r e an d clean of an y n ajaasa (im pu r it y).

specific times, and perform Hajj at a specific time in the year.

43 Cover in g t h e Aw r ah (t h e pr ivat e

Allah tells us:

par t s): The private parts for men are considered from the navel to the knees.

Tight clothing should not be worn neither lower back should be exposed by following a fashion trend. For women the whole body is considered a private area except the face and hands.21 Tight, thin,

?Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers at specified times.?22

transparent clothing that outlines the body like a skin should not be worn.

As is the case with many other rulings of Islam, the Qur ?an tells us in general that

4 Facin g t h e Qiblah : Praying in any other direction than the direction of the Qiblah (Masjid Al-Haraam in Makkah)

we have to pray at specified times. The Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam then tells us more details about

those timings. In other words, the

invalidates the salaah.

Sunnah explains the Qur ?an.

45 In t en t ion: Intention is a premise for acceptance of deeds. In the same way

21. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars in regard to uncovering of the feet during the salaah.

one needs to have a proper intention for 22. Surah An-Nisaa [4:103]

the salaah.

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The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

the sun turns yellow. The time for Maghrib

specified the times of salaah for us:

lasts until the twilight has faded. The time for ?Isha?lasts until midnight. The time for

?The time for Dhuhr is from when the sun has passed its zenith and a man?s shadow is equal in length to his height, until the time for ?

Asr comes. The time for ?

Asr lasts until

?subh (Fajr) prayer lasts from the beginning of the dawn so long as the sun has not yet started to rise. When the sun starts to rise then stop praying, for it rises between the two horns of the shaytaan.?23

DHUHR

FA JR:

Dhuhr salaah time

The time of Fajr starts at

starts from the time

dawn and ends with the

when the sun has passed

rising of the sun.

the highest part of the sky and starts to descend towards the west.

?ISHA: The time of ?Isha starts as soon as the time of Maghreb ends. There is a difference of opinion among scholars about the time when ?Isha ends. Majority of scholars say that the time ends at midnight.

Ti m es of Sal aah ?ASR: The time of ?Asr begins when the time of Dhuhr ends, which is when the shadow of any object becomes equal to the length of the

M AGHRIB:

object itself. The time of ?Asr ends with the sunset.

The time of Maghrib begins when the sun sets until the light of the sun has totally disappeared from the sky.

23. Sahih Muslim

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COM M ON M I SCONCEPTI ONS ABOUT THE SALAAH ?I will make up my salaah when I get home!? You may hear some people say when they don?t want to pray during the time of salaah due to various reasons.

They think they should pray at their

You can still pray the salaah on time if you have any medical condition where you can not keep your wudhu' including incontinence. You just have to clean yourself and make wudhu' once at the time of the salaah. Your salaah is still valid if during the salaah your wudhu' is broken due to the medical condition.

convenience.

Some people don?t pray when they are Making salaah comes first! All the prayers should be prayed at their appointed time.

Which means you are not allowed to miss or delay salaah because you are at work, shopping in a store or a mall, sightseeing around town, playing sports, in an important meeting, visiting someone, or at a lawyers, dentist or doctor ?s office. If you are busy, you have to unbusy yourself so that you can benefit from the salaah as mentioned earlier. It is

sick. You can still pray when you are sick.

If you can?t stand up you can pray sitting down, if you can not sit down you can pray laying down and if you can?t move your arms or hands you can even pray with moving your head and if you can?t move your head you can pray with your eyes. The only time one is excused from praying is if they are in a coma or have involuntary loss of mental faculty. May Allah protect all of us from these illnesses.

considered a sin to delay or miss a salaah intentionally.

ACTI VI TY Some people don?t pray, because they feel that medically they have an

Can you think of other

exemption from making the salaah. They

misconceptions? Make a list and

consider medically not staying in the state

explain why it is a misconception.

of wudhu' as an excuse from not praying.

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Did you Know?

-

If someone had a temporary

make up the salaah missed

loss of consciousness due to a

during that period.

concussion or fainting they can make up the missed salaah if the unconsciousness is temporary or short term.

However, if someone is coming out of a comatose state (from a coma) they are not obligated to

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-

If someone had a bout or fit of insanity where they had a temporary loss of their mental faculties, once they recover they should make up the missed salaah.

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CH A PTER 1 8

FOUNDATIONS OFSALAAH In order to perform salaah correctly we I M PO RTA N T VO CA B U L A RY

must know and understand various parts

Ar k aan : The Pillars of salaah that

of salaah. Knowing and understanding

the prayer is incomplete without.

these parts along with terms used to refer to them and the rulings associated with it

Waajibaat : The obligatory acts of

helps when we forget or make mistakes in

salaah that must be performed or

salaah. These parts of salaah are as

compensated for.

follow:

Su jood u s-sah w : Two extra sujood at the end of the salaah offered to compensate for a missed waajib

-

Arkaan (Pillars): The Arkaan of salaah are those acts that the salaah is incomplete without. If a person leaves one of the Arkaan,

act during the salaah.

deliberately or by mistake, he or she must repeat the salaah (or a portion thereof).

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-

Waajibaat: The Waajibaat of

-

Sunan: The Sunan are

salaah are those that must be

recommended acts of the salaah. If

performed. If a person misses a

a person performs these Sunan

Waajib by mistake, then he or

then he or she is rewarded. If a

she can compensate for it by

person leaves a Sunnah, their

making two extra sujood, called

salaah is still valid. However, we

sujood us-sahw, at the end of

should be diligent to perform the

the salaah.

Sunan to the best of our ability, so we can get closer to Allah.

The following chart summarizes the differences.

Many of the rulings pertaining to the

Abu Hurayrah radhiAllahu ?anhu narrated that

Arkaan of the salaah are derived from a

the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

famous hadeeth about the man who

entered the masjid and a man came in and

prayed improperly, and then the

prayed, then he came and greeted the

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam taught

Messenger of Allah sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. The

him the correct way of salaah.

Messenger of Allah sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam returned the greeting and said: ?Go back

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and pray, for you have not prayed.?

The man went back and prayed as he had prayed before, then he came

A r k aan ( Pi l l ar s)

to the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

o f Sal aah

and greeted him, and the Messenger

There are twelve pillars of the salaah.

of Allah sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, ?Wa ?alayk al-salaam.?Then he said: ?Go back and pray, for you have not

25

prayed.?When he had done that three times, the man said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do more than that. Teach me.

He (the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam) said: ?When you go to pray, say takbeer, then recite whatever you can of the Qur?an. Then bow until you are at ease in bowing, then rise until you are standing up straight.

Then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration, then sit up until you are at ease in sitting. Then do that throughout the entire prayer 24 26

24. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 25. Also called Takbeerat ul-Ihram 26. Saying salaam at the end of the salaah.

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WAAJI BAAT (HI GHLY RECOM M ENDED ACTS)* OF SALAAH

THERE ARE SEVEN WAA JIBAAT:

43

42

41

Saying takbeer

Saying "sami'ullaahu

between the different

Saying "subhaana rabbiyal-'adheem"

li-man hamidah" while

positions of salaah

and "subhaana rabbiyal-'alaa" in ruku' and

rising from ruku' and

(outside of the first

in sajdah, once, respectively

then saying "rabbana

takbeer)

wa lakal-hamd"

4

45

46

Saying

The first

Sitting for the

"rabbigh-fir-lee" twice

tashahhud

first tashahhud

between the two

47 Sending salutations on the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam in the

sajdahs

last tashahhud

* Majority of the scholars consider waajibat as highly recommended acts, while Hanbali school of thought considers it as obligatory acts.

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HOW TO PRAY 43

41

42

The opening of t he prayer

Place t he right hand over t he

(t akbeerat -ul-ihram ) is t o say Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) while m aking t he int ent ion in t he heart . It is

left hand upon t he chest . It is best t o look a t he place of sujood.

4

Bow wit h t he back and head st raight

Raise t he hands while

(not t ilt ing) and looking at t he ground

saying t he t akbeerah

at t he place of sujood while saying

before bowing (ruku').

"subhaana rabbiyal-'adheem" (how (absolutely) perfect is my Lord, the

sunnah t o accom pany t he

Supreme) at least once. 3 or m ore

t akbeerah wit h raising your

t im es is sunnah. Hands should grasp

hands t o shoulder level or t o

t he knees wit h arm s away from t he

ears.

sides.

45

47

46

48

Prost rat e in a dignified m anner by put t ing hands or feet on t he ground first and put t ing t he forehead and nose t o t he ground wit h hands on

Raise head from sajdah saying "Allahu Akbar " and sit wit h left foot horizont ally

bot h sides or at shoulder level wit h

underneat h and right foot

fingers point ing t owards t he qiblah.

upright wit h t oes point ing

Rise from ruku' saying

St anding fully aft er ruku'

Elbows should not be on t he ground

t owards t he qiblah. This

"sami'ullaahu li-man

saying "rabbanaa wa

but away from t he sides when t here is

posit ion is called ift iraash.

lakal-hamd" ('O' our Lord all our

room . Feet are upright wit h t oes

Ask for forgiveness saying

praises are for you) and

point ing t owards t he qiblah. Say

"rabbigh-fir-lee" (O my Lord,

pausing before going int o

"subhaana rabbiyal-'alaa" (how

forgive me) m ult iple t im es.

prost rat ion (sajdah). Say

(absolutely) perfect is my Lord, the Most

"Allahu Akbar" before going

High) at least once. Saying it 3 or m ore

int o t he sajdah.

t im es is t he sunnah.

hamidah" ( Allah has answered the one who praises Him) raising one's hands

as before.

10 4

49 REPEAT STEPS 1-8.

Rise from t he second sajdah

on t he ground and bot h feet are

saying "Allahu Akbar" In a 2 or 4

on t he right side. This way of

rakah prayer you recit e t he

sit t ing is t he sunnah.

t ashahhud wit h t he right index finger raised and point ing

While in t he FINAL sit t ing you

slight ly curved t owards t he

recit e t he t ashahhud, salaah

qiblah.

upon t he Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, seeking refuge in Allah

Make sajdah again.

As m ent ioned earlier, t his is t he posit ion in t he final sit t ing or t he

In t he FINAL sit t ing of t he

from four t hings, m ake du'aa and

final t ashahhud of t he salaah. It

salaah, t he left leg ext ends

finally say t he t asleem by t urning

is not required but it is t he

under t he right leg while sit t ing

t he head fully t o t he right and

sunnah and recom m ended way

left .

of sit t ing.

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Th e Pr oper Si t t i n g Posi t i on s Accor di n g t o t h e Su n n ah ( except in a 3 or 4 r a ka at sa la a h )

Al-If t ir aash

Al-Iqaa'

(Th e Rest in g Posit ion )

Sitting between the two prostrations

The correct sitting position in a 2 rakaat salaah or prior to the final tashahhud in more than 2 rakaat salaah.

Th e Pr oper Si t t i n g Posi t i on s i n t h e FI NAL Tash ah h u d (in a 3 or 4 r a ka at sa la a h)

Si t t i n g NOT Accor di n g t o t h e Su n n ah

PROHIBITED WAY OF SITTING IN THE SALAAH

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REVI EW AN D REFLECT QUESTI ON S Consider the following scenarios.

3

Fatimah went into sajdah in the

Discuss what should be done in these

first Rak?ah. She made one sajdah

cases.

and then got up straight for the

11. Abdullah is extremely sick and in the hospital. He is not able to stand up from his hospital bed,

the second sajdah). During her fourth Rak?ah, she remembered that she had only done only one

because he has a lot of machines and intravenous injections. How should he pray?

22. Muhammad entered the Masjid and joined the salaah. In a hurry, he forgot to say Takbeerat ul-Ihraam and only remembered it at the very end of the salaah.

What should he do?

second Rak?ah (without making

sajdah in the first Rak?ah. What should she do?

43. Sarah was in a rush to catch a flight. She was praying at the airport. She went into ruku', and then came half way up to stand after the ruku', and then quickly went into sajdah. Is her salaah valid?

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CH A PTER 1 9

Pray Wit hall Your Heart Salaah is a conversation between Allah and you, then shouldn?t you know what you are saying to Allah in the salaah in order for your heart to be engaged?

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam compared the recitation of Surah Al-Faatihah as a two-way conversation between a person and Allah.

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In a beautiful hadeeth Qudsi, the

He would say, ?My servant entrusted (his

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam conveyed

affairs) to Me.?

the following,

?Allah, the Exalted, had said, ?I have

When he (the servant) says, ?It is You we

divided the prayer into two halves

worship and You we ask for help,?He

between Me and My servant, and My

(Allah) says, ?This is between Me and My

servant will receive what he asks.?

servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.?

?

When the servant says, ?Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds,?Allah, the Exalted, says, ?My servant has praised Me.?

?

Then, when he (the servant) says, ?Guide us to the straight path - The path of

When he (the servant) says, ?The Most

those upon whom You have bestowed

Compassionate, the Merciful,?Allah, the

favour, not of those who have evoked

Exalted, says, ?My servant has praised

(Your) anger or of those who are astray.?

Me.?

He (Allah) says, ?This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.??27

When he (the servant) says, ?Master of the Day of Judgment,?He (Allah) says, ?My

27. An-Nasa?ee

servant has glorified Me,?and sometimes

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Certainly the believers will have succeeded

The ones who, during their prayer, are humbly submissive 28

PRAYI NG W I TH ALL YOUR HEART (KHUSHOO')

After mentioning all the qualities of believers who will enter Jannat-ul-Firdous, He mentions salaah again by saying:

Knowing the meanings of what we are saying helps us gain humility and focus in our salaah. This quality of having humility in salaah is called k h u sh oo?. Khushoo is a

And they who carefully maintain their prayers;

state of humility in prayer where our heart is engaged with Allah, paying close attention to the meaning of the salaah such that it has a strong effect on us.

Those are the inheritors;

Khushoo?is one of the qualities associated with those who will enter the highest levels of Al-Jannah, Al-Firdous. As believers striving to achieve Jannah we

Who will inherit al-Firdaus. They will abide

should strive to attain khushoo?in our

therein eternally.29

salaah. Allah describes the qualities of those believers who will enter

28. Surah Al-Mu?minoon [23:1-2] 29. Surah Al-Mu?minoon [23:9-11]

Jannat-ul-Firdous.

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flows within the tree to make it and its branches strong. When the remembrance of Allah is not there, the tree becomes dry. Its branches stiffen ? so much so that when one tries to flex them, they are very difficult to

ALLAH

move or simply break. When the water flows through the tree and its branches are moist, then they produce good fruit and are easier to flex and benefit from.?

Similarly, when your heart is filled with the love of Allah, it is easier for the body parts to do actions that are pleasing to Him. You

When you foster a personal relationship with Allah on a regular basis, Allah makes it easy for you to do things which will benefit you in this world as well in the hereafter. On the other hand, when you show an attitude towards Allah and are heedless to His likes and dislikes; your salaah is limited to a few movements

do not feel lazy to wake up for Fajr or bored to read and understand the Qur 'an.

You start to love what Allah and His Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would like you to do for your own good, and hate to get near anything that Allah and His Messenger sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam dislike for you to do for your own good.

without the heart part. When you go through the salaah without understanding or internalizing what you

PREPARI NG FOR SALAAH

are saying, then it becomes harder to develop this one-to-one connection with

The process of turning to Allah in salaah

Allah as if you have a bad phone

starts well before you say the first

connection. As previously mentioned,

?Allahu Akbar also known as Takbeerat

one of the famous scholars, Al-Qayyim,

ul-Ihram. It starts from the time you

analogizes this to a tree,

start preparing for the salaah by making

?The human body is like a tree: its body

are going to the Masjid, as you walk and

parts like its branches, and the remembrance of Allah is like water that

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Wudhu', dressing for salaah, and if you enter the Masjid.

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As mentioned in the previous unit, we are told by the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam that sins fall off during wudhu'. As you perform wudhu', think of the following: -

Mercy of Allah as He wipes away sins that you committed with your hands, eyes, and feet.

-

The time when you were looking at something that you were not supposed to look at, or when you used your hands to do something

Allah

displeasing to Allah.

-

As you finish and wash your feet, think of a time when you walked toward a place that Allah would not have liked for you to walk to.

As long as those sins were minor, those sins get wiped away while you make Wudhu'.

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam gave us an example when he said, ?Say, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would any soil remain on him?" They

ACTI VI TY

replied, "No soiling would be left on him." He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, "That is the five

Discuss with your classmates some

(obligatory) Salaat (prayers). Allah wipes

of the minor sins that we commit

all sins as a result of performing them." 30

with our eyes, hands, and feet. Make

Is not Allah so Merciful? Just by praying

a list of such daily sins that we com-

your five daily prayers, He forgives all of

mit that Allah wipes away as we

your (minor) sins. Do we practice this

make wudhu'. Think of ways you can

quality of forgiveness among ourselves, with

avoid being involved in these sins.

our peers, friends, family, and relatives?

Bew ar e: Try not to fall in the trap of shaytaan that encourages you to think those sins are not a big deal

30. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim

since they get wiped away anyway.

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CH A PTER 2 0

UNDERSTANDINGTHESALAAH I M PO RTA N T VO CA B U L A RY

Conversation with Al lah

Al-?Adh eem : One of Allah?s names that means ?The Supreme?

After making your wudhu' and cleansing yourself from any and all physical impuri-

At -t ah iyyah : A greeting in the tashahhud that means highest

ties; you have reminded yourself about the oneness of Allah and have asked Allah to cleanse you of any sins.

compliments.

You are now about to start a very private and intimate conversation with Allah. As

As-salaw aat : Everything that can

we learned in a hadeeth earlier,

be considered prayer and worship.

?When any one of you is engaged in prayer, he is holding an intimate conversation with

At -t ayyibaat : It signifies all that is

his Lord, so one should pay attention as to

good and pure i.e. our good conduct,

how he conducts this intimate conversation

our best behavior, the best of speech,

with Him.? 31

and encompasses our iman.

31. Musnad Ahmed

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Now that you are ready to converse with Allah let us first check out our intention.

maghrib time. Your parents keep calling you to get up and pray. Annoyed, you reluctantly get up to pray. What do you think happened to your intention? Did you get up to pray because someone in the family

W H AT ' S YOUR I N TEN TI ON ?

nagged you to pray or did you get up yourself to pray because you felt that

You walk into the Masjid and you see a

praying will make Allah happy?

person praying. The person prays two rak?ahs and finishes his salaah. Do you know which salaah he just prayed? Follow-

BRAIN TEASER Abdullah was playing outside the

ing are some possibilities:

masjid. After the adhaan, he saw -

He may have prayed the two rak?ahs of entering the Masjid (Tahiyyat Al-Masjid).

-

He could have prayed two rak?ahs of Sunnah after one of the prayers (like Dhuhr, Maghrib, or Isha).

-

He could have prayed Fajr prayer.

one of his father ?s friends going to the masjid. He did not want his father to know that he did not pray while he was at the masjid. His father will not be happy, so he rushed inside the masjid to pray.

What do you think happened to Abdullah?s intention?

Regardless of which salaah the person prayed, their actions were exactly the same. So do those two rak?ahs get

H OW TO M A K E I N TEN TI ON FOR SA L A A H ?

recorded with Allah? What determines that? The intention.

?I intend to make two rak?ahs of Fajr, for Allah, while facing the Qiblah. Allahu Akbar.?

We have studied earlier that intention is

Have you heard something like this

an important condition for the acceptance

before? There are many people who say

of any good deeds. Without proper inten-

something like this before they start their

tion, our good deeds can totally go to

salaah, they feel that they are saying their

waste. For example, you are working on a

intention for the salaah. However, the

class project or texting a friend and it is

majority of the Muslims scholars have unanimously agreed that you should not say the intention like this.

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W H Y I N TEN TI ON I S M A D E I N TH E H EA RT? When you start your salaah, you must know and recognize what salaah you are praying; whether it is Fajr, Dhuhr, ?Asr, Maghrib, Ishaa, Taraweeh, or sunnah. Allah

mind. This will help you focus on your conversation with Allah in salaah. It puts you in a different mindset and enriches the quality of your salaah. Remind yourself you are responding to a personal invitation of your Lord and you are going into a meeting with Him.

knows what is in your heart. Hence, your

You raise your hands and say ?Allahu Ak-

intention does not need to be spoken out

bar.? You start this conversation by pro-

loud.

claiming that Allah is the Greatest. This means that Allah should be the center of your life; He should be the first priority in

ACTI VI TY Can you imagine if you become mindful of Allah and try to say and do things which are pleasing to Him, then your day-to-day activities, chores can become acts of worship?

your life. It means that you should love Him the most; obey Him the most; and want to please Him the most. He has solutions to all your problems.

FOCUS TI P As you start the salaah, shaytaan will come to you with all kinds of

Can you make a list of at least ten

thoughts, distractions and even

such things that you do as part of

ideas in salaah. He makes the

your daily routine that could be

most trivial things of life seem the

acts of worship if you are mindful

most important to you so you

of Allah?

make those things more important in your lives. Think of the beautiful names of Allah. Here are some

A L L A H U A K BA R

examples of such thoughts that come to many of our minds and

You have made your intention. You pause to clear your mind. It is very important to pause and unwire your mind to de-clutter various thoughts running through your

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how we can dispel them by reframing our thoughts and thinking of these names of Allah every time we say Allahu Akbar.

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Th ou gh t / I deas

Nam e of Al l ah t o Th i n k

I want those nice clothes and shoes; I want to have enough money to live comfortably.

Ref r am e Th ou gh t

M ean i n g The One Who

He has provided you with

provides.

everything; He provides for the smallest of insects in the darkest part of the night in the most remote of areas.

His kingdom is infinite. He is the ultimate in charge over everything. Focus on Him and He will take care of you.

Allahu Akbar!

I feel alone. I don?t have any true friends. Everyone is too busy to hang out with me.

The One who

I am so stressed.

The Helper

Loves immensely

Allah loves you more than you can imagine and wants the best for you!

The Protecting Friend

From homework to

The Disposer of

exams, I feel

affairs

Allah is there for you; He will take care of everything that worries you; for Him, it

everything is piling

is just a matter of saying

up. I don?t know

(Be) and it will be! He is

how I will manage

greater than ALL of these

all of this.

problems and pressures.

Focus on Him. Have trust in Him.

I messed up

Most Forgiving

Allah will forgive you and wipe your slate clean. Just

again and did

The One who

something

pardons

focus on Him, repent to Him,

wrong. I?m an

ask Him for forgiveness, and

awful person.

do good things (like focusing in salaah). He will not just forgive you, but even replace your bad deeds with good deeds. Allahu Akbar!

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TH E BEST OF SPEECH

ACTI VI TY

Now that you have started the salaah by

shaytaan promised to sit on the

proclaiming the greatness of Allah, you say

st r aigh t pat h . Don?t you find it

what the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam

happening often that whenever

called the most beloved of speech to Allah.

you are trying to do something good, shaytaan somehow finds a way to distract you?

1. Write down three activities that are pleasing to Allah that whenever you try to do, shaytaan tries to distract you. How can you

?Verily the best of speech for Allah is when a

fight shaytaan?

servant says: ?How perfect You are O Allah,

2. Now write down three activities

and I praise You. Blessed be Your name,

that are not pleasing to Allah that

lofty is Your position, and none has the

you find yourself doing. Does

right to be worshipped except You.?"

32

shaytaan ever bother you during those activities? Does he remind

After realizing that Allah is the greatest, you further acknowledge that He is

you of Allah, the salaah, the Qur ?an, during those times?

Perfect in all aspects: in His being, in His speech, in His commandments and prohibitions, and in His actions. The One Who is most Perfect, undoubtedly, only

BRAIN TEASER

deserves the right to be worshipped

Recall the maxim of Fiqh we

alone, loved, and obeyed the most out of

discussed earlier: ?Certainty is not

everyone else.

removed (overruled) by doubt.?

In the unfortunate event that shaytaan makes you forget how many rakah?s you have prayed, how would you apply this maxim in figuring out what to do?

32. An-Nasa'ee

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SURA H A L -FA ATI H A H After saying and

you start reading

the most comprehensive Surah of the Qur ?an: Surah Al-Faatihah. You are about to engage in a conversation with Allah. You will ask Allah and He has already promised to answer.

CON TROL L I N G SH AYTA A N Someone gave a beautiful analogy:

FOCUS TI P

Imagine you are taking a walk and all of a

It is vital to know the meanings

sudden you see a dog barking and

of what you are saying.

coming towards you aggressively. You call

Understanding the meaning of

out to the owner of the dog to take

what you say in the salaah can

control of his dog. In the same way, we

help you be more mindful and

ask Allah?s help to protect us from

attain khushoo?in your salaah .

shaytaan and his whispers. Since Allah is the Master of shaytaan. He can only control him and protect us from him.

That?s why we are asked to seek refuge in Him every time we start the recitation of the Qur ?an.

So when you recite the Qur?an, (first) seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled (from His mercy).33

33. Surah An-Nahl [16:98 ]

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Meaning: All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. ? amd encompasses praise and thanks with love and respect, as such it is the right of Allah. Making ?amd of Allah is an affirmation of the perfection of His being, His names, attributes and His actions.

Rabb encompasses the meanings of Maalik (owner), raaziq (sustainer), khaaliq (creator), and mudabbir (controller) ?of everything.

What does that mean in our daily lives? Consider these contemporary examples: He is the Creator; He created Adam with His Own Hands. We are all the children of Adam. Meaning, we did not evolve from apes!

Believing in superstitions is not part of Imaan. Have you ever wondered why many high-rise buildings do not have the 13th floor? Because some people wrongly believe that the number 13 can bring bad luck. We only believe that Allah ? the Rabb ? is in control of everything.When we need sustenance, we only turn to Allah and rely on Him. We don?t depend on other people or ourselves, the connections we may have or the degrees that we may earn. Those are only m ean s. Only Allah is the One who can provide us with what we want.

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EX A M PL ES OF A L L A H ' S M ERCY

Meaning: The Lord of mercy, the Giver of mercy This is the first introduction to Allah in the Qur ?an: Two names, both of which have to do with His Mercy. Look at a few examples of His mercy which are mentioned in the Qur 'an and in ahadith: "He is more merciful toward us than our own mothers." 34 "He has sent 1/100th of his mercy in this world, by virtue of which, all humans and non-humans are able to show their mercy to others. He has saved 99/100th of His mercy for the Day of Judgment, when even a disbeliever would think he or she may be able to get his mercy." 35 "When you do one good deed, He rewards you ten times or even more. When you do one bad deed, He only records one bad deed." 36 34. Sahih Al-Bukhari 35. Sahih Muslim 36. Surah Al-An'aam [6:160]

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Meaning: Owner of the Day of Judgement He is the Owner of this world and also the Day of Judgment. Whatever you do is recorded and you will be held accountable for it. He tells us: So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.

As a believer, you ought to live with a healthy balance of hope and fear in Allah. Some people go to extremes in how they think of Allah. There are some who become so hopeful in the mercy of Allah that they do not care to do the good. They keep doing bad and justify their actions by saying that Allah is merciful and that He will forgive. That is a trap of shaytaan.

Living Between Hope and Mer cy

Others go to the extreme that they become so afraid of Allah?s punishment that they feel

As Muslims, you should have a

nothing will be accepted from them. As

balanced approach such that it

such, they do not see any point in doing

encourages you to do good and

good because at the end of the day, it will

st ay aw ay from evil. You should

not be accepted.

always try to do good and hope from Allah that He will accept it. At the same time, if you fall short, you should be quick to realize and repent and hope for Allah to forgive you.

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Meaning: You alone we worship, you alone we seek assistance from This aayah is the crux of Surah Al-Faatihah. It summarizes the meaning of the entire surah, and according to the scholars the message of all the previous books that Allah sent. Consider these points as you read this ayah: -

This ayah requires exclusivity in worshipping and seeking help from Allah. Meaning, you worship Him alone and seek help ONLY from Him.

-

This also conveys similar meaning as discussed earlier for ?Allahu Akbar ?. That Allah should be your main focus; your first priority; the center of your life.

-

In that sense, worship does not just mean prostrating or bowing down to someone or something. It also means obeying and following. So, you do not worship your feelings. You do not worship money. You do not worship fads and trends. You do not worship celebrities. What does that mean? You follow what Allah likes even if you do not feel like it. You do not earn money by cheating, lying or stealing because you know that will displease Allah. You do not follow fashion if it goes against the modest dress code that Allah has mentioned for us in the Qur ?an and the Sunnah.

-

This ayah encourages sincerity. Since you only worship Him, that means you should do things only for Him and not to show off to other people.

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Meaning: Guide us to the straight path After praising Allah, glorifying Him, exalting Him, and acknowledging that you only worship and seek help from Him, you now ask Allah for the biggest blessing: Guidance! Guidance to the straight path.

Consider the following key points as you recite this ayah: You cannot be guided just by your own effort; you n eed Allah?s help.

So you make this du'aa to Allah while engaging your heart.

Again, the pronoun used in the ayah is in its plural form. You ask Allah to guide u s (and not just me), highlighting the importance of a community. We all together need to be guided.

You know that the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line. So you are asking Allah to guide you on this straight line that leads you to Jannah. You don?t want to tread a long path to Jannah, certainly not one that may make you stop over in the Hell-fire for even a second!

Notice that in Arabic, the ayah does not use a preposition. When that happens, it encompasses any and all prepositions that may apply here. In this case, you are asking Allah to guide you t o the straight path (meaning, give you the correct knowledge guidance so you can identify it) and also on it (by giving you the ability and steadfastness to actually follow it). You need both types of guidance. If you are missing either one, you won?t get to Al-Jannah.

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Meaning: The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked (Your) anger or of those who are astray.

Here Allah talks about three categories of people: 1.

Those whom Allah bestowed His favor upon: These are the

people who followed Allah and His messenger, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam; they essentially had the guidance t o the straight path and

on it as well. They knew the right thing and they acted on it.

2.

Those who have evoked (Allah?s) anger: These people who

were guided t o the path but they did not stick on it. They did not want to follow it. They felt they were above or exempt from doing so, They knew the right thing but did not take the action to follow the right thing.

How many times do you find someone hanging out in the masjid bathroom waiting for the salaah to be over or playing outside while people are praying inside? They know that they should be praying but decide not to.

3.

Those who are astray: These are people who were n ot guided

to the path. They did not have the knowledge. They tried to follow the path without knowledge and took their whims and desires as their guide. As one would expect, they did not get to the destination: Al-Jannah Which path do you want to follow?

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ACTI VI TY Complete the following equations using these variables and mathematical operators.

How (absolutely) perfect is my Lord, the Supreme

You have two variables: 1) Knowledge and 2) Action. You

Wh at does t h e w or d " subhaana" m ean ?

can use two mathematical

This word originates from the root

operators: 1) + (addition) or

sa-ba-?a, which means ?to swim?. This

2) ? (subtraction).

entails ?keeping one?s head above water ? and the basic idea here is that Allah is above all imperfection. 37

A L L A H ' S PERFECTI ON Simply put, Allah is Per f ect in all sen ses.

He is Perfect in His being ? His names and attributes. He is Perfect in what He says.

He is Perfect in what He does. He is Perfect in what He decrees. When you say

RUK U'

this word subhaana with all your heart,

Ruku?is a position of humility and submission to Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala. In bowing your back is horizontal

you will find that you will always be happy. Why? Because no matter what happens, you will always remember that it happens by the decree of the One who

toward the qiblah; this position, physically, is rather unstable. As such it

is above all imperfections.

embodies our weakness in front of Allah, and it is appropriate then that while demonstrating our weakness physically, w e glor if y an d pr oclaim Allah?s per f ect ion , m igh t an d gr eat n ess. In this state, you say:

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37. Swimming is the effort toward staying afloat by means of constant, precise, movement. Inactivity will either lead to sinking and / or drowning. Scholars say that tasb?? (the glorification and remembrance of Allah?s perfection) keeps creation afloat in the middle of a world filled with turmoil and distractions. When we desist from our remembrance of Allah and neglect praising Him we find ourselves enveloped in this darkness.

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Rabbi: You refer to Allah as M Y Lord. It gives you a sense of closeness to Allah, engendering a sense of love towards Him. It reminds you of the special bond,

Ways t o int er nal ize Al l ah's Gr eat ness

connection and love that you have with Allah. It is an acknowledgement that He is

1. To respect His law and commands.

my Lord (Rabb?), the One who has raised

2. To remember and praise Him often.

me in His care, clothed, fed, healed, and

3. To follow Him and His Messenger

nurtured me.

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

Al-?Adheem: The Supreme. Allah is supreme, greater and mightier than

4. Striving to seek His pleasure and staying away from His displeasure.

anything and everything that we can ever imagine. Take a look at some examples of this might.

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam tells us,

SI N S FA L L I N G D OW N !

?The universe compared to Allah?s kurs? (footstool) is like a ring in a desert. And Allah?s kurs?compared to His ?arsh (throne) is like a ring in a desert.?38

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us: ?When a servant stands up for salaah all of his sins are brought forth and placed on his head and shoulders. Every time he makes

He sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam tells us, ?...one of Allah?s angels who bears the throne that the distance between the lobe of his ear and his shoulder is a journey of seven hundred years.?39

ruku?or sajdah, his sins fall off?40 This hadeeth itself should encourage you to take your time in making ruku' and sajdah, and not rush through them. You want as many of your sins to fall off as possible.

Shouldn?t we only bow down to the Rabb who is so great? Shouldn?t we stay away from bowing down and obeying other things that take us away from Allah? Like

38. Ibn Hibban 39. Abu Dawood 40. Ibn Hibban

our feelings, money, fashion, trends, gadgets, sports figures, etc?

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STA N D I N G UP FROM RUK U'

an gels racing with each other to see who writes it down first? That can happen in every salaah, in every rak?ah.

As you stand up from ruku', you say: One time one of the companions said that they were praying behind the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam. When he Allah has answered the one who praises

raised his head from ruku?, he said,

him!

?sami'ullaahu li-man ?amidah?. A man

You are getting ready to go into a position

behind him said,

in which you will be the closest to your Rabb: The position of sajdah. The Prophet sallAllahu Alayhi wa sallam has recommended

us to make lots of du'aa in this position.

One of the etiquettes of making du'aa is to start off by praising Allah, which is what you do when you are standing up

?O our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises.?When the Prophet sallAllahu Alayhi wa sallam completed the prayer, he asked, ?Who

after ruku'.

has said these words??The man replied, ?I?. The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, ?I saw over thirty angels 'O' Our Lord, All the Praises are for You!

competing to write it first?41

Can you imagine saying something and 41. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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Lessons f r om Saj dah Allah Raises Ou r St at u s Wh en We ar e Hu m ble

SA JDA H : CL OSEST TO A L L A H Sajdah is the state in which we are the closest to Allah. Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us:

?Wealth does not diminish by giving Sadaqah (charity). Allah augments ?A slave becomes nearest to his Rabb when

the honor of one who forgives; and

he is in prostration?42

whoever shows humility before Allah, Allah will exalt him in ranks.? 43

Hu m ilit y: Sajdah entails lowering your face ? your honor and dignity ? to the

Ret u r n in g Back t o Ear t h

floor, and embodies complete humility

Allah tells us,

and submission to Allah. In this state of humility, you put your head on the floor, testifying to the fact that whereas Allah has given you a brain to reason, yet its

?From it (the earth) We created

reasoning and rationalizing ability has to

you, and into it We will return

be subservient to Allah?s commandments

you, and from it We will extract

and the teachings of His Prophet sallAllahu

you another time.?44

Alayhi wa sallam. That is the essence of

Islam, which means to submit (to Allah).

In this state of utmost humility, we say:

It is befitting for us to return to this earth by placing our foreheads on it, several times a day, and be reminded of both our origin and our final end.

How (absolutely) perfect is my Lord, the Most High

42. Sahih Muslim 43. Sahih Muslim 44. Surah Taha [20:55]

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POI N T OF REFLECTI ON !

Wh y w as sh ayt aan expelled f r om

they say? They rationalize. They justify.

Jan n ah ?

They argue in their arrogance. After doing

Iblis (shaytaan) did not submit to what Allah ordered him to do because he was arrogant, and considered him self superior. Allah ordered him to do sajdah (prostrate) to Adam ?alayhi wa salaam.

He refused. Why? Because he tried to rationalize his disobedience with

all that, does arrogance at the end make them happy? Not really. Because their own feelings and societal practices keep changing. What?s cool one day is backwards the next day. What?s trendy one month becomes obsolete the next. For such people, their happiness vanishes

qiyas,45 though the analogy was wrong.

with the fashions and practices of society.

He thought he was better because he

The teachings of your religion are time-

was created from fire. What was the re-

less. They were applicable 1400 years ago

sult? He was expelled from the com-

in Makkah and Madinah. They are applic-

pany of the noble angels.

able today in the United States, Japan, Eu-

Do you see that happening around you?

rope, the Middle East, and everywhere else. They will be applicable for thousands

Do you see that people feel they are

of years from now. Allowing Allah to guide

superior to others because they come

you and submitting to His guidance brings

from a certain part of the world, or they

you the ultimate happiness and peace.

have a wealthy family, or have a certain

The world is badly looking for this happi-

skin color or want to live a certain

ness and peace yet Allah has guided you

lifestyle that jibes with what they feel is

to it. What a blessing indeed!

right; or what society practices? And when someone advises them, what do

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Suggest ed Du?aa

Si t t i n g Bet w een t h e Tw o Saj d ah s This position is likened to the kneeling

f or Sajdah There are many du'aas narrated in

that all of creation will face when waiting before Allah for the commencement of Judgment:

the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam that you should try to memorize and say in the sajdah. One of those du'aas is:

?And you will see every nation kneeling (from fear). Every nation will be called to its record (and told), ?Today you will be recompensed

O Allah! Forgive all my sins, the small

for what you used to do.??47

and the great, first and the last, the open and the secret.46

During this sitting position, the Prophet

Know and understand well, that

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would repeatedly

Allah knows everything that you

ask for forgiveness and say,

do, publicly or privately. After acknowledging that, ask Allah for forgiveness for all those things that you have done. Perhaps, at times

O Lord, forgive me; O Lord, forgive me.

when you thought no one was

If the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam,

watching.

whose past and future sins were forgiven, would repeatedly ask for forgiveness, h ow m u ch an d h ow of t en sh ou ld w e ask Allah f or His f or given ess?

46. Sahih Muslim 47. Surah Al-Jaathiyah [45:28]

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TA SH A H H UD

A L -TAYYI BA AT

?Abd Allah bin Masud radhiyAllahu ?anhu

It signifies all that is good and pure ( our

reported that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

good conduct, our best behavior, the best

sallam taught him the tashahhud while his

of speech, and encompasses our iman).

hands were between the Prophet?s two hands: After complimenting Allah, you invoke Allah?s peace, mercy, and blessings on the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam, this is an important etiquette of

du?aa.

?The highest compliments, all worship and the best of deeds are for Allah (alone). Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us

?Say, ?Praise be to Allah, and peace upon His

and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I

servants whom He has chosen.?? 50

bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah (alone) and I bear witness that Mu?ammad is His slave and Messenger?48

This invokes the peace and safety of Allah upon us and His righteous slaves ? those

A L -TA H I YYA H

whose affairs are in order ? teaching us to prioritize ourselves when supplicating,

It is a greeting; in the context of the

while at the same time instructing us

tashahhud it means (highest)

against being selfish by including our

compliments.

other Muslim brothers and sisters.

A S-SA L AW A AT 49 It signifies everything that can be

48. Sahih Al-Bukhari 49. Plural of salaah 50. Surah An-Naml [27:59]

considered prayer and worship.

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This renews and reaffirms our faith, it can only be declared on behalf of oneself and is said in the first person. The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam mentioned,

?O Allah, send your special mercy upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, just as You sent prayers upon "No slave says: 'None has the right to be

Ibr?h?m and upon the followers of Ibrahim.

worshipped but Allah' and then later on he

Verily, You are ever deserving of praise and

dies while believing in that, except that he

majesty. O Allah, send blessings upon

will enter Paradise." 51

Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent blessings

TAYYI B ( GOOD ) A L L A ROUN D !

upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibr?h?m. Verily, You are ever deserving of praise and majesty.? 54

The tashahhud affirms that all that is ?ayyib (pure and good) is from and for Allah. As the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

Salli: Salaat when being done by Allah is

sallam mentioned,

?His special mercy?. According to some scholars, it means to ask Allah to praise him in the company of the highest of ?Verily Allah is pure, He only accepts that which is pure.? 52

angels.

Aal: This encompasses more than just family and includes anyone who may be

Allah also mentions,

affiliated to the Prophet for example, his family, his companions and the Muslims.

Barik: This means to send special

"To Him ascends good speech." 53

SA L A A H ON TH E PROH PH ET M UH A M M A D SA L L A L L A H U 'A L AYH I W A SA L L A M

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blessings.

51. Sahih Al-Bukhari 52. Sahih Muslim 53. Surah Al-Fatir [35:10] 54. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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REW A RD OF SEN D I N G SA L A AT ON TH E PROPH ET SALLALLAH U 'ALAYH I W A SALLAM

The one who invokes Allah?s special mercy on the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam is sent this mercy from Allah ten times over, ten bad deeds are erased from his records and he is raised by ten degrees. As the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us.

?Whoever sends one salaat on me, Allah sends ten salaat on him, and wipes off ten of his bad deeds and elevates

?When one of you performs salaah, let him

his status by ten degrees.?55

begin with praising and extolling Him, then let him send salaat upon the Prophet, then let him supplicate after

D U'A A A FTER TH E SA L A AT ON TH E PROPH ET

that, whatever he wishes.? 56

SALLALLAH U 'ALAYH I W A SALLAM

After you have glorified and exalted Allah This is another prime time for making

and sent the salaat on the Prophet

du?aa to Allah, asking for the good things

sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam during the

of the world and the Hereafter.

tashahhud, it is now time to make the du?aa.

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam 55. An-Nasa'ee 56. At-Tirmidhi

taught us:

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Suggest ed Du'aas in t he Sal aah You can make any du?aas you like.

Seek in g Ref u ge f r om Fou r Th in gs

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam

A?ishah radhiAllahu ?anha narrated another

taught the following dua?aa to Abu

du?aa:

Bakr radiAllahu 'anhu when he asked to teach him a du?aa that he might recite in his prayer:

?O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the O Allah! I have considerably wronged myself. There is none to forgive the sins but You. So grant me pardon and have mercy on me. You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.?57

GI VI N G TH E SA L A A M As-salaamu 'alaykum wa-Rahmatullah

torment of the grave and I seek refuge in You from the trials of the Dajjaal and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death. O Allah! I seek refuge in You from sin and debt.? 59

we are praying in congregation. If we are praying alone then we are giving salaams to the angels who are with us all the time.

The prayer is concluded with the salaam (also known as the taslim)58. The scholars tell us that when we say salaam we are

57. Sahih Al-Bukhari 58. Saying salaam at the end of the prayer.

59. Sahih Muslim

giving salaam to fellow worshippers when

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PRAYI N G W H EN SI CK What happens if someone gets sick and they are unable to stand up to pray? Or what happens if someone is hospitalized and not allowed to or able to leave their bed to pray?

Again, Allah is so merciful and compassionate. He gives us the allowance to pray in whatever way we are able to.

What do we learn from this hadeeth?

HOW TO PERFORM THE SALAAH WHEN SICK?

1. Salaah is very essential for us and

The Prophet sallallaahu ?alayhi wa sallam taught us,

our well being. We must pray no matter what, even if we are sick.

"Pray standing, but if you are unable, do it

2. Allah is extremely merciful; He has

sitting; If you are unable to do that, do it

given us the allowance to pray in

lying on your side." 60

whatever way we comfortably can.

Out of His mercy, He still rewards us with the full reward, as long as we are regular in our salaah while in a state of good health.

60. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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TRAVEL ER' S SA L A A H

COM BINING AND SHORTENING OF PRAYERS:

Allah gave us Islam for all times and ages

1. Combine 2 rak'aats of Dhuhr with 2

and provided flexibility in it. He wants us

rak'aats of Asr.

to worship Him, and do so comfortably.

2. Combine 3 rak'aats of maghrib with 2

He tells us:

rak'aats of Ishaa.

HOW TO PERFORM THE SALAAH? Fajr ?Allah intends ease for you, not hardship?61

It is prayed as usual there is no combining or shortening.

Out of His love and mercy toward us, He has given us certain allowances in the religion. And He loves it when we take advantage of these allowances.

Duhur and Asr Pray 2 rak'aat for Dhuhr first and finish the prayer. Then pray 2 rak'aat of Asr.

One of those allowances is that we are allowed to shorten our prayer while we

Maghrib and Ishaa Pray 3 rak'aat of maghrib first after

are traveling.

How do you pr ay salaah du r in g t r avel?

finishing maghrib salaah then pray 2 rak'aats of Ishaa.

1. Shorten 4 rak'aats prayers to 2 rak'aats (Dhuhr, Asr, Ishaa).

Sunnah

2. Fajr and Maghrib salaah is prayed as usual without shortening it.

3. Beside sunnah of fajr and witr prayer all other sunnah prayers are not prayed.

Sunnah are not prayed

Witr Witr is prayed as usual.

61. Surah Al-Baqarah [2:185]

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WHAT TIM E TO PRAY? Dhuhr and Asr Pray at any time during Dhuhr time all the way before the end of Asr time.62

Maghrib and Isha You can pray maghrib and Ishaa together

WHAT CONSTITUTES ?TRAVELING??

at maghrib time or at Isha time (from There is a difference of opinion as to what

sunset to midnight)

distance constitutes traveling. The CHECK OUT THIS AM AZING M ERCY OF

majority of the scholars say that if you travel 50 miles or more, then that is

ALLAH!

considered traveling.64 While some say what is usually considered travel.

The Prophet sallallaahu ?alayhi wa sallam taught us, HOW M ANY DAYS? ?When a slave of Allah suffers from illness or sets on a journey, he is credited with the

-

If you know for sure that you would be traveling to a place for

equal of whatever good works he used to do

less than four days, then you

when he was healthy or at home.? 63

should shorten your salaah.

That means when we travel and shorten

-

If you know for sure that you

our salaah or skip our Sunnahs as

would be traveling to a place for

mentioned above, we still get rewarded

more than four days, then you

for it as long as we used to pray them

should pray your full salaah.

while we were at home. Don?t you feel a deep sense of gratitude and love toward

-

If you are unsure how long you will

Allah? He makes it easy on us while we

be staying at a place - whether it

are traveling so we are comfortable, yet

would be four or more days - then

rewards us as if we prayed the full salaah.

you should shorten your salaah.

Allahu Akbar!

62. According to some of the scholars.

63. Sahih Al-Bukhari.

64. While some scholars say what is usually considered travel in your area will have the travel ruling applied to.

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CH A PTER 2 1

OPPORTUNITIESTOCONNECT WITHALLAH W I TR PRAYER The word Witr means ?odd". Witr prayer is a Sunnah that Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam would never miss. The

time for Witr starts after praying Isha until the time for Fajr.

?He who fears that he may not get up in the later part of the night, should pray the Witr

Sh ou ld you pr ay Wit r at n igh t bef or e goin g t o sleep, or sh ou ld you pr ay it at t h e en d of t h e n igh t , bef or e Fajr ?

prayer in the first part of it; and he who is certain to get up in the last part of it, he should pray Witr at the end of the night, because salaah at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better.?65

Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu Alayhi wa sallam answered this question:

65. Sahih Muslim

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H OW M A N Y RA K 'A H S?

?O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those You

As the name suggests, you pray an odd

have pardoned, turn to me in friendship

number of rak?ahs for Witr. So you can

among those on whom You have turned in

pray one, three, five, seven, nine, or

friendship, and bless me in what You have

eleven rak?ahs.

bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and

W H AT TO RECI TE I N W I TR?

none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended.

If you pray three rak?ahs, it is a Sunnah

Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted.? 66

to read Surah Al-A?la (Surah #87) in the first rak?ah, Surah Al-Kaafiroon (Surah

TRA N QUI L I TY W I TH TA H A JJUD

#107) in the second rak?ah, and Surah Al-Ikhlas (Surah #112) in the third rak?ah.

In the last rak?ah of Witr, either before

Tahajjud salaah is the late night salaah

ruku' or after ruku', you can choose to

that Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

say the following du'aa:

sallam strongly recommended for us to

pray. The time starts after the middle of the night.67 You can pray any even number of rak?ahs for Tahajjud, two rak?ahs at a time.

If you are lonely, depressed, sad or in desperate need of help this is your way out of various problems. This is your opportunity to beg Allah to help you.

Why? Let?s find out the some of the significance of praying Tahajjud.

66. Sunan An-Nasa'ee 67. This means the time between sunset and the adhaan of Fajr. For example, if the sunset is at 6 pm and the adhaan of Fajr is at 5 am, then the middle of the night starts at 11:30 pm (five-and-a-half hours after sunset).

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?Indeed, the righteous will be among 1. A L L A H A N SW ERS YOUR D U'A A S

gardens and springs, Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good.? 70

One of the most profound benefits of praying Tahajjud is the closeness you feel to Allah subhaanahu wa ta?aala. Prophet

Look at the first two of their qualities which made these people enter Al-Jannah.

Muhammad salAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam told us: ?They used to sleep, but little of the night, And in the hours before dawn they would ?When half of the night or two-third of it is

ask forgiveness, And from their properties

over. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted,

was (given) the right of the (needy) petitioner

descends to the lowest heaven68 and says: Is

and the deprived.?71

there anyone asking (for anything), so that he be given? Is there anyone making du'aa so that he will be answered? Is there anyone asking for forgiveness, so that he may be

Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam gave us a list of actions that we can

do that can help us get to Al-Jannah.

forgiven? Allah continues until it is daybreak.? 69

Think about this! Allah comes down to the lowest heaven every night and asks these questions. What better time to ask? Beg Allah and plead to Allah to help you In your ruku?or sajdah during this salaah.

?O people, extend greetings (saying salaam

Develop your connection with Allah

to each other), keep relations with your kin,

during this quiet time of night and find

provide food (to people) and pray at night

tranquility and contentment in your life.

when people are asleep and you will enter Paradise in peace.? 72

2. QUA L I TY OF TH OSE EN TERI N G A L -JA N N A H

68. As befits His Majesty.

69. Sahih Muslim 70. Surah Adh-Dhaariyaat [51:15-16]

Praying Tahajjud is a quality of those people who will enter Jannah. How do we

71. Surah Adh-Dhaariyaat [51:17-19] 72. At-Tirmidhi

know this? Allah tells us,

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3. TH E BEST PRAYER A FTER TH E OBL I GATORY PRAYER Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us, ?The best salaah after the prescribed salaah is salaah at night.?73

POI N T OF REFLECTI ON !

Why do you think that is the case? There are many reasons. We will briefly mention

Imagine you knew someone who needed

three of them:

help. You go to their house and knock at their door, but they don?t answer. You keep knocking, knowing that they are in the house,

1 1. It is a sign of a person?s ikhlaas

but they don?t open the door. What would

(sincerity). No one sees or knows

you do? Most likely, you assume they do not

that you wake up in the middle of

want your help and won?t go back.

the night, worshipping Allah. You

Allah descends to the lowest heaven ever y

only do it for Allah.

n igh t and asks if anyone wants to make a du'aa and ask for anything. You can beg Allah

22. It requires you to push yourself for the sake of Allah, which is a sign of your love for Allah.

for forgiveness, you can ask Him to help you in whatever is bothering or worrying you.

Allah is there to listen to you and help you, but many of us sleep through that part of the

3.

3 It?s a quiet, peaceful time to conclude your day while everyone

night. You find yourself staying up late,

is asleep. You should be able to

through social media and can?t motivate

recite the Qur ?an with a lot of

yourself to pray during this special time.

concentration and focus, while

Despite you not getting up to pray, Allah

reflecting on its meaning and

continues to give you a chance every night.

application in your life.

He keeps asking you. Isn?t Allah so merciful?

texting a friend, watching a movie or scrolling

Shouldn?t it make you so grateful to Allah?

73. Sahih Muslim

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D UH A PRAYER Duha refers to the morning brightness.

Praying Salaat-ud-Duha 74 is a Sunnah Mu?akkadah.75 It is two rak?ahs (at least). It can be prayed up to eight rak?ahs by praying four times in two rak?ah units.

Prophet sallAllahu Alayhi wa sallam narrated that Allah, Blessed and Most High said: "Son of Adam: Perform four rak'ah for Me in

Abu Hurairah radhiAllahu ?anhu stated that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us

the beginning of the day, it will suffice you for the latter part of it." 77

about the Duha prayer: If you pray these four rak?ahs, Allah will take care of everything for you during the rest of your day. What better benefit than having Allah, the One Who controls the Universe, take care of everything for us?

2 Get Rewarded for Hajj & Umrah My friend (the Messenger of Allah) sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam directed me to observe fast

for three days in every month, to perform two rak'ahs of Duha prayer at forenoon and to perform the Witr prayer before going to bed.?76

If you go to the Masjid for Fajr (brothers should always try to go), then you can also take advantage of another unique opportunity that the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam informs us:

M A JOR BEN EFI TS OF D UH A PRAYER*

74. Also known as Shurooq prayer.

75 Sunnah that the Prophet sallAllahu Alayhi wa sallam regularly did except once in a while he missed it.

1

Your affairs are taken care of for you.

76. Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 77. At-Tirmidhi * There are several ahadeeth mentioning the benefits of Duha prayer, we have listed just a few here.

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The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam also called Friday, a day of Eid for Muslims, which means it is a day of happiness and celebration for us. Isn?t Allah so merciful?

He gives us an opportunity, not just once or twice or a few times a year, but every week, to celebrate, be happy, and enjoy His mercy. ?Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun has risen, then he prays two rak'ah, then for him is the reward like that of a Hajj and Umrah." Anas

W h at ar e som e of t h e t h i n gs you can do on Ju m u 'ah ?

radhiAllahu ?anhu said: "The Messenger of Allah

said: 'Complete, complete, complete.?78

1. Look good: Take a bath, wear clean clothes.

This is another example of the mercy of Allah, where He asks us to do so little but

2. Arrive early at the masjid: Arrive

rewards us so much.

earlier than the imam.

3. Pray two rak?ahs when you enter

SA L A AT UL -JUM U'A H

the masjid. It is a Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam to

In Arabic, Jumu?ah refers to Friday. The

pray two rak?ahs upon entering the

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam taught us

Masjid. These two rak?ahs are called

that Jumu?ah is the best day of the week.

Tahiyyat ul-Masjid.80

He said: 4. Listen to the khutbah: Listen to the khutbah and sit quietly, without talking to others, looking at your phone, looking at the watch or fidgeting. ?The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday. On that day Adam was created, he was admitted to Jannah, and he was expelled from there.?79

78. At-Tirmidhi 79. Sahih Ibn Hibban, Sahih Muslim 80. Greetings to the Masjid

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W H AT I S TH E REW A RD OF D OI N G TH I S?

charity, all of which are wonderful acts of worship. We celebrate Eid Al-Adha after the day of Arafah, which is one of the best

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us

days of the year. On that day, people who

the reward,

are at Hajj spend their entire day remembering Allah and making du'aa to

?Whoever takes a bath on Friday, and bathes completely, and goes early, arriving

him, while people who do not go for Hajj fast and remember Allah.

early, and walks and does not ride [to the masjid], and sits close to the Imam and

W H AT D O W E D O AT EI D ?

listens to him, and does not engage in idle talk; for every step he takes he will have the reward of one year, the reward of a year?s fasting and praying [at night].? 81

Here are some etiquettes for the day of Eid: -

Taking a bath and wearing good clothes before leaving for the Eid

SA L A AT-UL -EI D

prayer, early in the morning, after sunrise.

As Muslims, we have two annual

-

Eating before going for Eid ul-Fitr

celebrations, called Eid. We celebrate Eid

(and after returning from Eid

Al-Fitr the day after the last day of

ul-Adhaa) prayers.

Ramadhaan, and Eid Al-Adha on the tenth

-

Saying Takbeer on the way to the Eid prayers.

day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, right after the Day of ?Arafah (Hajj).

As Muslims, we get the happiest when we

-

do something that is pleasing to Allah.

The biggest accomplishment that we have is when we worship Allah. That?s why, you

Going and returning to and from Eid prayer using different paths.

-

Greeting each other on the day of Eid by saying,

notice that we celebrate the two Eids after we have done something that is pleasing to Allah. We celebrate Eid Al-Fitr after having fasted for a whole month, praying Taraweeh and Qiyam Al-Layl, and giving

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which means, ?May Allah accept from us and you!?

81. Sunan Ibn Majah

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H OW TO PRAY EI D PRAYERS Eid prayers are offered in a slightly different way than the regular prayers.

There is no adhaan or iqaamah for the Eid prayer. People line up in rows and the Imam leads them in salaah. The procedure of the prayers is as follows.

There are two rak?ahs in Eid-ul-Fitr:

regular salaah until he stands up for the second rak?ah.

5. Before reciting Surah Al-Faatihah in the second rak?ah, the Imam says Allahu Akbar five times. And then starts reciting Surah Al-Faatihah and another Surah. It is a Sunnah to recite Surah Al-Qamar (Surah #54) or Surah Al-Ghaashiyah (Surah #87) in the second rak?ah.

1. The Imam starts the salaah by saying Allahu Akbar as usual.

People behind him follow him.

6. After that, the Imam continues the rest of the salaah as usual.

2. After saying Allahu Akbar, and before starting the recitation, the Imam says Allahu Akbar six more times and raises his hands each time.82 3. Then the Imam recites Surah

The other different thing about the Eid prayers is that the Imam gives a khutbah af t er the Eid prayer. You should try your best to listen to this khutbah attentively.

Sisters are strongly recommended to

Al-Faatihah just like in our regular

come to the place where the Eid prayers

salaah, and then recites another

are held. If they are indisposed, then they

Surah. The Sunnah is to recite

should still come and listen to the

Surah Qaaf (Surah #50) or Surah

khutbah. If they are able to pray, then

Al-A?laa (Surah #87).

they should do so with everyone else.

4. The Imam then continues like a

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82. There is a slight difference of opinion among the scholars about the number of these takbeers.

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Whenyouneedtodecide, MakeIstikhaara!

Whenever you have to make a decision in life, the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam taught us to make salaat-ul-istikhaara. It is a du'aa we make to Allah to

guide us to the best decision with the best outcome in this world and in the Hereafter.

How is Salaat -u l-ist ik h aar a per f or m ed?

Salaat-ul-istikhaara is performed exactly like any nafl prayers. In the last rak'aah before the salaam (in the sitting position), you need to make a du'aa seeking Allah's advice on the matter on hand. This is done by saying the du'aa of istikhaara as told to us by the Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

After making the du'aa you can say the salaam. You can now make the decision based on what you feel is right (considering you have done your due diligence by researching the matter and consulting with experts or scholars). If the decision is good for you, everything will proceed smoothly.

However, if the decision is not good for you, there will be hurdles and obstacles in your path. This could be an indication for you that this decision in the long run is not good for you. Allah knows the future therefore, He knows what is best for us.

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Du'aaof Sal aat-ul-istikhaara

O' Allah, I?m asking You for goodness through Your [Infinite] Knowledge, and I?m asking You for strength through Your Divine Ability, and I?m asking You from Your Infinite Grace. Because You?re completely able to do, while I simply cannot. You know everything, and I do not, and You know everything that?s unseen. O' Allah, if You know that this decision [mention decision here] is good for me in terms of my religiosity, my worldly life, and afterlife, then decree it, facilitate it for me with ease, and bless me through it. But if You know that this has bad consequences on my religiosity, my worldly life, and afterlife, then get it away from me and get me away from it, and [instead of that] decree what?s better for me, whatever it may be, and make me content with it.

83. Sahih Al-Bukhari

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JA N A Z A H PRAYER

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam told us,

Death is an inevitable reality. Whether we like to read and hear it or not, all of our lives will come to an end one day. When a Muslim passes away, it is a communal obligation (fard kifaayah) 83 for the people

?He who offered prayer over the dead, but

to pray the Janaazah prayer for the

did not follow the funeral procession, for

deceased.

him is the reward of one qirat, and he who followed it, for him is the reward of two

When you hear of someone passing away, you should try your best to attend their

qirats.?When it was asked what the qirats were, he sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam said, ?The smaller of the two is equivalent to Uhud (a

Janazah prayer.

huge mountain in Madina).?85

H OW TO PRAY JA N A Z A H PRAYERS? ?If a company of Muslims numbering one hundred pray over a dead person, all of them interceding for him, their intercession for him will be accepted.?84

Janazah prayer is different from our daily prayers. Just like the Eid and eclipse prayers, there is no adhaan or iqaamah.

Additionally, there is also no ruku?or

We love each other as brothers and

sajdah in the Janazah prayer. You pray the

sisters. Therefore, whenever a Muslim

entire prayer while standing.

passes, we should try our best to pray for them, and ask Allah for forgiveness. After all, when you die, wouldn?t you want more

84. There are two types of obligations. Individual obligations that every Muslim must carry out (salaah,

than a hundred people asking Allah for

fasting, giving Zakaah, etc) called fard ul -?ayn. There are

forgiveness for you?

communal obligations (also known as fard Kifaayah) that at least some people in the community must carry out on behalf of everyone else. If no one carries them out,

There is also a tremendous reward for praying the Janazah prayers.

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then everyone in the community is held accountable.

85. Sahih Muslim 86. Sahih Muslim

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Hereishowyou pray janazah prayer -

The body of the deceased is placed in front of everyone. The Imam stands right behind it. If the deceased is a man, then the Imam stands by his head. If the deceased is a woman, then the Imam stands in the middle.

-

-

make du'aa for the deceased.

There are several du'aas that we

There are four takbeerat (saying

learn from the Sunnah of the

Allahu Akbar). The Imam says

Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

Allahu Akbar.

-

After the first takbeer, you recite

-

all Muslims.

from the Qur ?an.

After the second takbeer, you send the salawaat (salutations) on the Prophet Muammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam just like you do at

After the four takbeers, you make a general short du'aa for

Surah Al-Faatihah and some ayaat

-

After the third takbeer, you

-

After the four takbeers, the Imam says salaam to end the salaah. You can say salaam on one side, or both sides.

the end of the salaah.

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REVI EW AN D REFLECT QUESTI ON S 1. How w ou ld you advise t h e per son in

before. Help Hassan navigate this feeling

t h e f ollow in g scen ar ios?

through words of encouragement and reminders about the spirituality of salaah.

I. Hassan is suddenly feeling overburdened by the stress of exams,

II. You notice a faint glow from under the

internships, and college applications. A

door of your sister 's bedroom at 3 am.

feeling of guilt creeps over Hassan every

When you knock, your sister opens the

time he hears the adhaan- because he

door and says she can't sleep so she

hates that his first reaction upon hearing

watches cat videos on YouTube to pass

it is annoyance. Now he has to get up to

the time. She's been sleepless like this for

pray just as he finally got into "study

the past 5 nights or so because she is

mode" for his big exam. Hassan wonders

anxious about her blood test results that

regretfully why salaah has become a

will come in soon. She asks you what else

burden to him - a series of empty actions

should she be doing at this time of night,

that he rushes to complete five times a

anyway?

day without any meaning to it. Hassan feels a numbness inside he's never felt

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2. Have you f elt k h u sh oo' in you r salaah bef or e? M ean in g, h ave you been in a st at e of com plet e f ocu s an d h u m ilit y t o Allah in you r salaah ? A h allm ar k ef f ect of k h u sh oo' is t h at it gives you an in t er n al peace t h at r em ain s w it h you even af t er you 'r e

I. You hear on the news there is a lunar eclipse to happen tonight. However, when you go out to look, the sky is overcast and foggy and you can't see the moon. Should you pray the eclipse prayer?

don e w it h you r salaah , n o m at t er w h at 's goin g on in you r lif e. How do you t h in k k h u sh oo' w ou ld af f ect you r over all m en t al h ealt h if it w er e t o

II. Someone enters the masjid and prays 2 raka'ahs with a double intention of tahiyyatul masjid and the sunnah before

h appen each t im e you pr ay?

Fajr. Was he correct to do this?

3. Can you explain h ow t h e sen sor y exper ien ce of each of t h ese posit ion s h elps k eep you r h ear t en gaged an d f ocu sed t h r ou gh ou t t h e salaah ?

III. You are praying Eid salaah and the imam missed the number of takbeerat (Allahu Akbar) in the beginning of the salaah. Is your salaah still valid?

I. Raising your hands up to your shoulders for the opening takbeer.

IV. Zainab is traveling to visit her aunt II. Standing and reciting Surah Al-Faatihah.

II. Ruku'

who is sick and isn't sure how long she will stay with her. She prays all of her prayers without shortening them and

III. Sajdah

prays all of the sunnah prayers. Did IV. Sitting between the the two sujood

Zainab pray correctly?

V. The Tasleem

QUI CK FI RE CH A L L EN GE

V. During the Jumu?ah khutbah we are not supposed to talk to anyone or be on our phone what should you do if you arrive

4. An sw er yes or n o t o each qu est ion w it h a ver y br ief (ju st a sen t en ce)

during the khubah, should you just sit down or pray tahiyyatul masjid first before sitting down?

explan at ion f or each :

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WEEKLYSALAAHPLANNER

Mont h / year

SUN

N OTES

M ON

TUE WED

THR FRI

SAT

DATE FA JR SUN N AH DUH A DH UH R SUN N AH ASR M AGH RI B SUN N AH I SH A SUN N AH WI TR TAH A JJUD

conscious of the m om ent you fir st r ealized that it is tim e for salaah, tip: Be w hat w er e your thoughts at that tim e? It w ill pr om pt you to pr ay on tim e.

REFLECTIONS

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Qur'anReviewineachrak'ah RAK'AH

SUN

M ON

TUE

WED

THR

Mont h / year

FRI

SAT

DATE FA JR SUN N AH DUH A DH UH R SUN N AH ASR M AGH RI B SUN N AH I SH A SUN N AH WI TR TAH A JJUD

Review the sur ah's and var ious par ts of the Qur 'an you have m em or ized

Focus tip: in the salaah. It w ill help you keep focus in your salaah. Plan your r eview.

NOTES

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FREQ U EN TLY U SED EX PRESSI O N S

1

Subhaanahu wa ta?aala: May He (Allah) be

"The one who offers salaat for me from my

Glorified and Exalted.

Ummah, sincerely from their heart, Allah will then offer ten salaats for them, will raise

This expression is used in combination

them ten degrees, write for them ten good

with Allah?s name or when referring to

deeds, and cancel for them ten sins." 88

Him.

3 'Alayhis salaam: May Allah?s peace be on 2

SallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam: May Allah?s

him.

peace and blessings be upon him.

This expression is a du?aa which is used This is the du?aa that Allah has asked us

whenever referring to a Prophet of Allah

to make whenever the name of the

other than Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu

Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa

?alayhi wa sallam.

sallam is mentioned. Allah commands us,

4 RadhiAllahu ?anhu: May Allah be pleased 'Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the

with him.

Prophet, and His angels (ask Him to do so).

O you who have believed, ask (Allah to confer) blessing upon him and ask (Allah to grant him) peace.?87

This expression is a du?aa which is usually used whenever referring to a companion of the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam.

The Prophet sallAllahu ?alayhi wa sallam also told us,

87. Surah Al-Ahzab [33:56] 88. An-Nasa?ee

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i

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