Islamic Culture and Religious Studies Book -4

Lesson 15 : Philosophy of Prayer Part 2

Having looked at the reasons behind certain actions related to prayer, let us now study a couple of the parts of Salaat in particular that are extremely profound in their philosophy.

Of course, we can do no justice to the depth of the matter but if you think more about these things on your own, you will find that they do have great effect on you.

1. Niyyah

All actions in Islam are based on the intention of the person performing them. If a person does good deeds with the aim of gaining praise from others then his action is of no use. The aim of every act must be only to gain nearness to Allah (S.W.T.).

A man who depends on the praise of others, is destined to be disappointed because not everyone will admire him and it is impossible to please everyone all the time. His dignity will depend on the people and he will be respected according to their personal whims.

However, a man who performs good deeds for the pleasure of Allah (S.W.T.) has no such problem because he understands that as long he aims to gain the Mercy of his Lord, he will receive his just due. He therefore gains a distinction that does not depend on any human being.

Allah (S.W.T.) says, many times in the Holy Qur'an "Surely all dignity belongs to the Almighty Allah."

The sign of a sincere action (Amal-e-Khaalis) is that the performer does not expect any praise or appreciation as a result of it. For example, when a person gives out charity, he should publicize the act and preferably keep it a secret.

Even in acts of ebadat, one should not involve Riyaa (showing off). Praying in the front line in the mosque, coming to Salaat punctually, dressing with great care for salaat are all admirable acts as long as they are done solely for the sake of Allah (S.W.T.). If the aim of impressing others or showing off ones piety comes into the ebadat, then it is nullified and considered a grave sin.

We should remember that our acts - big or small - are the only things that can help us in the hereafter. The people in this world have no influence in the aakhira and we should not waste our time getting their approval.

Ikhlaas (sincerity) in worship is the only way that we can both attain perfection and be close to Allah (S.W.T.).

2. Takbiratul - Ehraam

After niyyah, we proclaim Allaho Akbar! (God is the Greatest!) as a signal of the beginning of our prayer. Once we have recited this Takbiratul Ehraam, we have left the world around us and entered the communion with Allah (S.W.T.). This state lasts until we finish our Salaat and we should allow nothing to distract us from it.

Whilst in prayer, we do not turn away, speak or divert our attention to something else.

This automatically nullifies Salaat. We should keep in mind that by reciting Salaat, we have asked Allah (S.W.T.) to listen to our pleas and our proclamation of Faith, we cannot then turn our concentration away from our Lord until the end of this conversation. In order to help retain maximum concentration, it is recommended to focus on the place of Sajdah.

By beginning our Salaat with the words 'God is the Greatest!', we admit our weakness and dependence to Him. It allows us to create a feeling of total submission in our hearts as we stand before the All-Powerful Creator who gave life to us. Imam Ali (a.s.) says, "The pious men see Allah (S.W.T.) as the Greatest, everything besides the Almighty is small."

In another hadith, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) says, " Whoever says with his tongue 'Allahu Akbar!' but in his heart believes others to be greater than Him or put his reliance on other worldly powers, is indeed a liar and a hypocrite."

Reciting Takbiratul Ehraam at the start of every prayer serves a reminder and a boost to our courage in standing up against the oppressors in our daily lives.

The Spirit of Salaat

Salaat, through its words, movements, prostrations, bows and supplications, provides a person with a means of rebuilding his personality afresh. Properly performed with understanding of the recitations and the philosophies involved, it is a spiritual journey of sorts - a me'raj (Heavenly Ascension) for the Believer. On the other hand, prayer performed as a ritual and with no concentration is like a dead body without a spirit.

As we attempt to understand and focus on our salaat, it may help to choose a place that is simple, quiet and private when praying to avoid any distractions. Salaat is not a sport or a play that we can perform it as we wish in a hurried manner. Discipline is the of the utmost importance. Remember, if we wish to fully exploit this treasure trove, then we must be prepared to put some effort into our actions.

NOTE:

It is highly recommended that one should recite Tasbih of Hadhrat Fatema al- Zahra (a.s.) after the completion of every Salaat.

Reciting Salaat Correctly

There are many conditions of salaat and we have discussed the actual way in which to pray before. Some other general rules of importance which validate Salaat include:

  • Correct pronunciation of the Arabic words.
  • Qiyaam must be performed and if it is left out - intentionally or unintentionally - Salaat is baatil.
  • Two sujud must be performed. The forehead should be placed on earth, paper, wood, or leaf but not on anything edible or artificially coloured e.g. carpets. If a person feels that something is preventing his forehead from touching the mohr or earth he is performing sajdah on, he should carefully remove that thing without raising his head off the mohr.

As Muslims, we must learn all the rules regarding Salaat and other Ebadat and understand how to refer to the Masa'el (Laws) book when we need to.

Things that Invalidate Salaat

Certain things invalidate Salaat and are called Mubtilaatus Salaat. In this lesson, we shall list a few. These are:

a) Najasat of clothes. b) Ghasbi place of prayer. c) Breaking of wudhoo through sleep, visiting the toilet etc. d) Lack of discipline in Salaat e.g. looking away or speaking to someone.

Doubts in Salaat

There are times when a person finds himself doubting his actions in Salaat. There are different types of Shak (doubts) that may occur. Out of these:

  • Some invalidate a prayer as soon as they occur,
  • Some should be ignored and
  • Others have remedial procedures to correct them.

Doubts that invalidate a prayer

  1. Doubts about number of rakaats prayed in Fajr.
  2. Doubts about number of rakaats prayed in Maghrib.

Doubts that should be ignored:

These refer to Salaat with 4 rakaats.

  1. Doubts about the number of rakaats that a person has performed.
  2. If after completing the prayer, a person doubts if he performed tashahhud in the second rakaat or if he recited dhikr of ruku/sajdah.
  3. Doubts of a person who has a habit of scepticism.
  4. Doubts of the Imam leading prayers regarding the number of rakaats when the Ma'mun (Follower) knows the number or vice verse if the Ma'mun is sceptical.
  5. Doubts that occur in Mustahab prayers and Salaat-e-Ehtiyaat.

Doubts that can be remedied:

Certain doubts that occur in a salaat of 4 rakaats have remedies that correct the prayer. A person should think about the doubt and if he arrives at a decision, he should act according to it. However, if the doubt remains then he should follow one of the rules below as relevant.

  1. Doubt: A person after finishing the 2nd Sajdah of the rakaat doubts whether it was the second or third rakaat.

Solution: He should assume it is the third rakaat and pray one more to finish the Salaat. Then he should offer one rakaat of Salaatul Ehtiyat, standing, as an obligatory precaution.

  1. Doubt: A person after finishing the 2nd Sajdah of the rakaat doubts whether it was the second or fourth rakaat.

Solution: He should assume it is the fourth rakaat and finish the Salaat. Then he should offer two rakaats of Salaatul Ehtiyat, standing, as obligatory precaution.

  1. Doubt: A person after finishing the 2nd Sajdah of the rakaat doubts whether it was the second, third or fourth rakaat.

Solution: He should assume it is the fourth rakaat and finish the Salaat. Then he should offer two rakaats of Salaatul Ehtiyat, standing and two rakaats, sitting as an obligatory precaution.

  1. Doubt: A person after finishing the 2nd Sajdah of the rakaat doubts whether it was the fourth or a fifth rakaat.

Solution: He should assume it is the fourth rakaat and finish the Salaat. Then he should perform Sajdatus Sahw as obligatory precaution. This rule applies to every situation of doubt in which a person suspects he may have prayed more than four rakaats.

Important Notes:

When a suspicion arises regarding number of rakaats being less or more than 4, the general rule is that for a doubt of less rakaats correction is through Salaatul Ehtiyat and for a doubt of more rakaats correction is through Sajdatus Sahw.

If doubt occurs at any time before the completion of the second Sajdah, then the prayer is void and must be performed again.

Salaatul Ehtiyat

This is a corrective prayer performed straight after the completion of the Salaat in which the doubt has occurred. The procedure is as follows:

Make your niyyah then recite Takbiratul Ehram followed by Sura al-Hamd. Go into Ruku and Sajdah as for normal Salaat.

If the corrective measures require praying of only one rakaat then recite Tashahhud and Salaam at this time and complete the prayer, otherwise stand for a second Rakaat and recite it in the same way as the first ending with the Tashahhud and Salaam.

Note that in Salaatul Ehtiyat, no second surah or Qunoot is recited. It is also Ehtiyate Waajib to recite Bismillah and Sura al-Hamd very softly.

Sajdatus Sahw

In certain cases, a person must perform Sajdatus Sahw to remedy his doubt. This is usually defined in the rule when it concerns number of rakaats. There are, however, some other times when it must be prayed. These include:

  • When one forgets to perform one of the two Sajdahs.
  • When one talks in Salaat unintentionally.
  • When Salaam is recited in the wrong place.
  • When one forgets Tashahhud in Salaat.

The manner in which it is performed is to make niyyah, then perform two sajdah in the normal fashion but with the following dhikr : "Bismillahi wa Billahi Allahoma Swalli A'laa Muhammadin."

Or

"Bismillahi wa Billahi, Assalaamu Alaikum was Rahmatullahi was Baratuhu." After the second sajdah, sit up and recite tashahhud and Salaam.

Carelessness in Prayer

Salaat as we have mentioned time and again is the central pivot of all worship in Islam. It must be prayed and there is no excuse for not performing it. In fact, even if a person is too sick to pray standing up, it is recommended he sit and pray and if this is not possible, he should sleep with his right side facing Qiblah and perform his Salaat with his head and eyes. All this shows us how important Salaat to Allah (S.W.T.).

According to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.)

"Allah (S.W.T.) takes away all the blessings from a person who does not pray or is careless of his salaat. He will dies in a very bad state, be tortured in Barzakh and face extreme hardship during the Day of Judgement." In another hadith he says:

" Whosoever takes his salaat lightly, he will not be from my ummah." The Holy Qur'an also speaks of Salaat, saying: "And Woe! To the praying one who are unmindful of their prayers, who do good to be seen and withhold the necessities of life." Sura Ma'un, Verses 4 - 6

A Muslim must constantly try to improve the quality of his Salaat. He should avoid indulging in vices such as jealously, backbiting, pride and usurping the rights of others in any way. We should avoid praying Salaat when sleepy or tired and instead wait a little until our minds are fresh enough to concentrate full on what we are saying and doing.

In conclusion let us ponder on the salaat of our Ma'soomeen (a.s.) and how they used to prepare themselves for meeting their Lord. Imam Ali (a.s.) would turn pale whilst performing wudhoo and used to say, "It is time for me to give back the Divine trust to the Almighty (S.W.T.)"