Ad-Durrar Al-Bahiyyah of Imaam Shawkaani رحمه الله
Explanation by
Shaykh Wasiullaah al-Abbas حفظه الله

CLASS #8 - Delivered on May 19th, 2007



After completing Kitaab at-Tahaarah (The Book of Purification) the Shaykh حفظه الله began Kitaab as-Salaah (The Book of Salaah) after which he answered a few questions.

Kitaab as-Salaah

The Appointed Times of Salaah

كتاب الصلاة

بابٌ المواقيتُ
أول وقت الظهر الزوال، وآخره مصير ظلّ الشيء مثلَه، سوى فَيْء الزوال.
وهو أول وقت العصر، وآخره ما دامت الشمس بيضاءَ نقيةً.
وأول وقت المغرب غروب الشمس، وآخره ذهاب الشفق الأحمر.
وهو أول وقت العشاء، وآخره نصف الليل.
وأول وقت الفجر إذا انشق الفجر، وآخره طلوع الشمس.

 

The Appointed Times for the Salaah

It is the time such that when these times come the salaah becomes waajib (mandatory). The Muslim must establish the salaah at those particular times. This shows that the salaah has a timeframe i.e. each salaah has a beginning time and an end time as Allaah سبحانه و تعالى says in the Qur’aan:

إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَاباً مَّوْقُوتاً

{…Verily, As-Salât (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.} [an-Nisaa 4:103]


There are five (5) compulsory prayers in each day which must be prayed within specific timeframes.


THE RULING ON ONE WHO ABANDONS THE SALAAH

It is not permissible for the Muslim to abandon the salaah, whether intentionally or lazily. Establishing the salaah within their timeframes is mandatory upon the Muslims. Some of the ‘Ulamaa’ have gone to the extent in emphasizing the obligation of the salaah by making takfeer of the Muslim who does not pray in totality, whether intentionally or due to laziness.

That is, the individual is considered a Kaafir (Disbeliever). Many ‘Ulamaa’ from the past and the present hold this position i.e. that the one who intentionally abandons the salaah is not a Muslim. What must be explained is that the person who abandons the salaah is of two types:

  1. الجاحد al-Jaahid – The one who leaves it off intentionally. He rejects the fact that salaah is an obligation upon him. By the consensus of ‘Ulamaa’ this individual is taken out of the fold of Islaam and he is not considered a Muslim.
  2. The one who abandons the salaah out of laziness. Some of the ‘Ulamaa’ have gone to the extent to say that this individual is also not a Muslim. There is some differing amongst the ‘Ulamaa’ in this issue. Some say that the one who abandons the salaah due to laziness is not a Kaafir but must be disciplined by the Leader of the Muslim.



That which is most correct is what the majority of the ‘Ulamaa’ say, and that is that both these individuals are outside the fold of Islaam and therefore not Muslims.

I would like to draw attention to the statement of the Taabiee’ who said “The Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم did not see abandoning any action to be kufr, except the salaah.” [1] Many of the ‘Ulamaa’ have emphasized this issue like Imaam Ishaaq al-Raahaweeh’, the well-known Imaam, who said: “From my time (3rd century) up until the time of the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم the people considered the one who left the salaah as a kaafir.”[2]
So my brothers and sisters, I advise you to be diligent in performing your salaah on time. No doubt before it you must have wudū’’, or ghusl if necessary. The purification gives you strength and assist you in performing the acts of ‘eebaadah (worship). This is from what contributes to virtuousness as Allaah purifies his heart by the salaah:

إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ

{…Verily, As-Salât (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahshâ' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)…} [al-Ankabut 29:45]




THE APPOINTED TIMES FOR THE SALAAH

The times for the salaah are five (5) as there are five (5) obligatory salaah: Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, Eeshaa and Fajr.

  1. Dhuhr
    • The time starts when sun leans towards the right or the left going towards the west after reaching its peak (zenith) just a little bit. Some of the ‘Ulamaa’ say that it should be the size of a spearhead.
    • The time ends when the shadow of a thing is the same size as the object. At this time salaatul ‘Asr starts.


  2. ’Asr
    • The time starts when the shadow of a thing is the same size as the object. For example, if you stood in the sun and you are a metre long and the shadow is 1 metre long then the time for salaatul ‘Asr has started. Dhuhr ends here and ‘Asr starts and there is no break between them. You cannot differentiate between the end of Dhuhr and the start of ‘Asr.
    • The ending time is when the sun has a wet look to it, and it has not turned yellow. When the sun turns yellow it is the time for Maghrib as comes in the hadeeth where the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “The time for salaatul Maghrib is as long as the sun does not turn bright yellow.” [3] After this yellow colour it becomes a reddish colour. Before turning yellow the sun has a whitish colour and it is permissible during this time, if an individual has an excuse, to delay his salaah to this time.

      Some of the ‘Ulamaa’ differ regarding after that time – just before the sun begins to turn yellow. Some say that he should wait whilst others say it is okay if he has a valid excuse. For example, if he was at work and was not able to get away, or he was asleep; then when he woke up and the sun still had its whiteness just before turning yellow then at that moment he should pray as the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “Whoever catches a rak’ah of ‘Asr before the sun sets has caught the salaah; and whoever catches a rak’ah of Fajr before the sun rises has caught the salaah.”[4] When he says ‘catches the rak’ah’ it means that he catches the ‘time’ of the rak’ah i.e. he has enough time before the sun sets to pray one rak’ah, then he would have caught the ‘Asr salaah. If he catches one rak’ah of salaatul-Fajr before the sun rises then he has prayed Fajr in its timeframe. So as long as the sun does not set, and it does not become yellow, the individual can pray ‘Asr.


  3. Maghrib
    • The time for Maghrib starts when the sun has set and you can no longer see it, and redness in the sky is seen. Once this redness is seen it is time for salaatul Maghrib.
    • The time for Maghrib ends when the redness is completely gone from the sky and the time for Eeshaa enters.


  4. ’Eeshaa
    • The time for salaatul Eeshaa starts when the redness is completely gone from the sky and there is darkness.
    • The ending time for salaatul Eeshaa is the middle of the night. After that, the time to perform the salaah in its timeframe is gone. This does not mean that you should not pray after that, but it means that you are not establishing the prayer in its proper time; rather, you are making up the salaah as the timeframe has gone.

      Unlike the other compulsory salaah it should be delayed if possible until what is before half the night – if it is not a difficulty on the community. This is in order to make praying Eeshaa the last thing that is done at night before going to sleep. For example, if half of the night in a given country is 12:00 p.m., then no doubt one must complete salaatul Eeshaa before 12:00 p.m. The best time for praying all the other four (4) salaah is at their beginning time, however there is no problem if there is an excuse to delay it.


  5. Fajr
    • Regarding the starting time for salaatul Fajr, we don’t say what was applicable for the preceding salaawaat i.e. that when the time for one salaah ended the time for the following salaah started right away e.g. when Dhuhr ended ‘Asr began and when ‘Asr ended Maghrib started and when Maghrib ended Eeshaa started right away. No, we don’t say this, but after the ending time for salaatul Eeshaa there is an interval before the start of salaatul Fajr.

      Salaatul Fajr starts when the light of dawn starts to come up from the East. This is called the second time of Fajr, as salaatul Fajr has two times. The first time of salaatul Fajr is the false Fajr and not the time when the salaah is established. At that time part of the sky is black and part is white. The true time is when the blackness starts to go away and the whiteness of the dawn starts to appear – this is when the salaah is established as Allaah تعالى said:

    • حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ

      {…until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)…} [al-Baqarah 2:187]

      • The time for salaatul Fajr ends when the sun rises.




Questions & Answers


1. Question: It was mentioned in the last class that it is mandatory for one to make wudū’ after they fell unconscious. Does this mean that the wudū’ has to be made for the salaah, or is it because it is legislated to be made when one regains consciousness even if they don’t intend to perform salaah?

Answer: Wudū’ is not an obligation upon an individual unless the time for the salaah has approached or the individual wants to pray. At this time wudū’ becomes obligatory. As for the individual who loses consciousness and he wants to pray afterwards, then he must make wudū’. This is because the verdict regarding the one who was sleeping is the same verdict that applies to the one who has lost consciousness. The one who was unconscious does not know what took place whilst he was unconscious, just like the one who sleeps – he doesn’t know if he passed gas or did anything else to nullify his wudū’. So when he regains consciousness and wants to perform salaah he should make wudū’.



2. Question: Once, after making wudū’ during the time for salatud-Duhaa, I passed wind then wore my socks and prayed Duhaa. I then made wudū’ for salaatud-Dhuhr and wiped over my socks. Was this wiping valid (because the wudū’ was still valid for prayer when I wore my socks) or was it invalid (because I had passed wind)?

Answer: As for the salaatud-Duhaa that you prayed then it is not correct. Then for salaatud-Dhuhr you wiped over your socks, but you were not in a state of tahaarah (ritual purity) when you put on your socks. Before you put on your socks you must make wudū’ completely including washing your bare feet. Then if you break your wudū’ afterward, you can make wudū’ and wipe over your socks. But, the salaah that you prayed as salaatud-Dhuhr is not correct because your wudū’ was not correct. Wiping is allowed only when the socks were put on in a state of purification.
So, as it relates to salaatud-Dhuhr, the salaah must be redone. As for salaatud-Duhaa this is not mandatory to be made up as it is not an obligatory salaah. It is from the salaah that are highly recommended but if one does not perform it then there is nothing upon him.



3. Question: Regarding one who suffers from incontinence (passing wind frequently), if after making wudū’ for one prayer (e.g. Dhuhr), the wudū’ is valid for that prayer even if the person passes wind. Is this correct?

Answer: As it relates to this issue of an individual who continuously passes gas, and we will add to this an individual who has drops of urine leaking from him on a constant basis; then the individual does not make ghusl, but he washes the private area where the urine is leaking from and makes wudū’ for the compulsory prayer. If the passing of gas is continuous and is something that cannot be controlled, then he may prayer as much as he wants of the Sunnah prayer from the time of salaatud-Dhuhr until the time of salaatul-‘Asr. However, when the time of salaatul-‘Asr comes and he wants to perform the compulsory prayer of salaatul ‘Asr then he must once again wash the private area, make wudū’ and perform the compulsory prayer. As long as he makes wudū’ for the initial compulsory prayer, any Sunnah salaah associated with that timeframe may be performed with the same wudū’ even if he passes gas continuously during that time.



4. Question: Also regarding a person who suffers from incontinence (passing wind frequently): He makes wudū’ for salaatud-Dhuhr and keeps the wudū’ until salaatul-‘Asr and whilst in salaatul-‘Asr he breaks his wudū’, is it mandatory upon him to make a new wudū’?

Answer: If the individual did not in fact pass gas, and there was nothing else to nullify the wudū’ then he can enter into salaatul-‘Asr with the same wudū’ that he prayed salaatud-Dhuhr with. But, if he has passed gas then he has nullified the wudū’, and as the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said in an authentic hadeeth “Perhaps one of you finds some difficulty in his stomach but he should not leave the salaah until he observes the smell or hears the sound.”[] This is very clear and shows that passing gas nullifies the wudū’. At that point it is incumbent upon him to leave the salaah, make a new wudū’ and re-enter the salaah as passing gas breaks the wudū’.




Footnotes and References

[1] Reference Pending

[2] Reference Pending – The following was mentioned by the Shaykh حفظه الله during the lesson:

ما زال الناس من أهل الصحابة يقولون أن تارك الصلاة كافر

However the following was mentioned by Shaykh al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله in his answer to a question asked in his Fataawa Noor ‘alad-Darb, in the section Janaa’iz as an answer to the question:

هل يجوز للابن الدعاء لأبيه الذي مات تاركاً للصلاة

ونقل إسحاق بن راهويه الإمام المشهور نقل إجماع الصحابة على كفر تارك الصلاة كفراً مخرجاً


[3] Reported with the following wording as part of a hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Masaajid wa-Mawaad’i as-Salaah (#612)

وقت الظهر ما لم يحضر العصر. ووقت العصر ما لم تصفر الشمس. ووقت المغرب ما لم يسقط ثور الشفق. ووقت العشاء إلى نصف الليل. ووقت الفجر ما لم تطلع الشمس


[4] Reported with the following wording in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Kitaab Mawaaqeet as-Salaah (#554).

من أدرك من الصبح ركعة قبل أن تطلع الشمس، فقد أدرك الصبح، ومن أدرك ركعة من العصر قبل أن تغرب الشمس فقد أدرك العصر


[5] Reference Pending.

Last edited by s_ali : January 31st, 2008 at 05:07. Reason: Formatting changes

 

CLASS #9 - Delivered on June 23rd, 2007



After praising Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and sending the salaat and salaam upon the best of creation, our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم, his family members and all his companions. The Shaykh حفظه الله then said:

Kitaab as-Salaah

Conditions of the Salaah

كتاب الصلاة:

بابٌ شروطُ الصلاة
ويجب على المصلي تطهير ثوبه وبدنه ومكانه من النجاسة، وسَتر عورته.
ولا يشتملُ الصَّمَّاءَ، ولا يُسدِلُ، ولا يُسبلُ، ولا يَكفِتُ.
ولا يصلي في ثوب حرير، ولا ثوب شهرة، ولا مغصوبٍ.
وعليه استقبال عين الكعبة إن كان مشاهداً لها أو في حكم المشاهد. وغير المشاهد يستقبل الجهة بعد التحري.

 

The salaah is the second pillar of Islaam after the Shahaadah (شهادة – testimony of Faith) “Laa ilaaha illallaah” (لا إله إلا الله – there is no deity worth of worship besides Allaah) and its importance is well known to the general Muslims.

Meaning of Salaah:

  • Linguistically it means ad-Du’aa (الدعاء – to supplicate).
  • In the Legislation (Sharee’ah) it means: specific actions done in a particular manner i.e. it is obligatory to do them according to the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم based on his statement: “Pray as you have seen me pray.”[1]



Shart (شرط) – Condition

  • Definition: That which if it is not present then what you are trying to do will also not be present.[2]
  • Likewise, if it is present it does not necessitate that the thing which is based upon it, is also present. For example, the absence of wudu’ implies the absence of salaah, but when you have wudu’ it does not mean that you are praying.
  • The plural is shuroot (شروط – conditions).
  • The shuroot of the salaah are the most obligatory aspects of what has been made waajib. This is based on the principle ‘That by which the waajib will not be fulfilled except by doing so, also becomes waajib.’



Conditions of the Salaah

  1. Removal of Impurities
    It is waajib (obligatory) upon the one performing salaah to purify his garments, self and place of prayer from impurities. The evidence is the Speech of Allaah:

  1. وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ

    {And purify your garments!} [al-Muddaththir 74:4]


    2. In the ayah, the word thiyaab is the plural of thawb, and it is anything which is worn on the body. It may even refer to the thing that you sit on because it touches the body.

    1. Cover the ‘awrah
      The ‘awrah (عورة) is that which must be covered. The ‘awrah in the salaah is different for men and women.
      • For men it is from navel to the end of the thigh. Some say the thigh is not considered ‘awrah based on the hadeeth where the thigh of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم was exposed when he was sitting with some companions.[4] However there are other aahaadeeth where he صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “Cover the thigh because it is ‘awrah.”[5] This is the correct opinion. However, regarding the salaah, the thigh must be covered.

      • For the woman more must be covered. It is based on the hadeeth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم where he said: “Indeed Allaah does not accept the salaah of the woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a khimar.”[6] This is not binding upon the men as they do not need to cover their necks, bosom etc. in salaah.

      • Is it obligatory for the men to cover anything other than his ‘awrah in the salaah? Some have said that they must cover their shoulders based on the hadeeth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم: “Let not one of you pray except that he covers his two shoulders.”[7] The Scholars say this is from the waajibaat (obligatory acts) but not from the shuroot (conditions).

      • A woman must cover all of her body except her hands and face.



      Difference between the waajibaat and the shuroot

      • Leaving off an action from the waajibaat is something that is impermissible and the individual is a sinner, but the salaah is not invalidated and may be made up by something optional such as the sajdatus-sahu.
      • Leaving off a shart (condition) invalidates the salaah.


      1. ولا يشتملُ الصَّمَّاءَ - The Arabs of the past were destitute and some could not afford both the upper and lower garments. They had one garment and they would wrap the whole body with it. However, from the conditions of the salaah is that this must not be done so tightly that it does not permit the proper movement of the body parts e.g. raising the hands for the takbeer; as this invalidates a waajibaat. This comes directly from the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم where he prohibited that type of wrap.[8]

      2. ولا يُسدِلُ - As-sadl – This is to leave your garment hanging. At that time the Arabs would wear their garment hanging over their shoulders and there was a great possibility that the garment would open in the middle and their ‘awrah would become exposed, particularly when they made ruku’ and sajdah. Therefore, the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said that they should ‘wrap one side over the other’. [9] It should be wrapped such that it covers whatever is in the middle, as well as the rear.
        If the ‘awrah would be exposed then it must be covered and this is a condition by consensus of the ‘Ulamaa’. There are two (2) ways of doing this:
        a. If by doing sadl the ‘awrah would be exposed then leaving it off is a condition.
        b. If it is hanging during the ruku’ (like the ghutrah) then it is disliked as it causes distraction.
        If by not leaving it off the ‘awrah is exposed then the salaah becomes invalid.

      3. ولا يُسبلُ - Isbaal – the author رحمه الله says ‘he does not do sadl nor isbaal’. He says that leaving off isbaal is a condition. However, there is a difference of opinion amongst the Scholars. We need to refer to the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم to determine what is correct.
        Isbaal is when whatever you wear on the lower body goes past the ankle – whether pants, izaar or thawb. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: The izaar (lower garment) of the Believer is worn to the middle of the shin and if longer than that, then to the ankle and what is below the ankle is in the fire.”[10]
        So, isbaal is a condition for the correctness of the salaah. The proof of this is the hadeeth where the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم saw a man praying whilst his lower garment was below his ankles and he told him to make wudu’ and repeat his salaah.[11] This shows that the one who prays whilst he is musbil, his salaah is invalid. The meaning of this hadeeth which is authentic, is that not being musbil (wearing the lower garment below the ankle) is a condition for the correctness of the salaah.
        However, if one prays behind an imaam who is musbil then in general the salaah of the imaam is invalid, but the salaah of the follower is valid. This is based on the hadeeth that refers to the imaams that transgress the bounds in the salaah, and they do not protect the salaah at its proper time etc. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “You all pray behind them for indeed your salaah is for you and their salaah is theirs.”[12] This is as it relates to an imaam assigned by the Government where if you left off praying behind him it would lead to fitnah (trials).
        If it is not this type of imaam, but a general imaam who has not been appointed by the Government, then it is waajib not to pray behind him, and to warn others from praying behind him so that he may rectify his affair.

      4. ولا يَكفِتُ - Do not roll up sleeves or play with clothes in salaah as this affects khushoo’ (خشوع – submissiveness, reverence).

    2. قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ {1} الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

      Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their Salât (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness. [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]


      3. These actions would negate one’s khushoo’ in the salaah. However, it is not from the shuroot of the salaah, but from the waajibaat.

      1. ولا يصلي في ثوب حرير – Do not pray in a silk garment.
        This is because the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم prohibited silk and gold for the men of this Ummah.[13] As for the woman it is okay as the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم permitted the women to wear silk, so it is not a problem for her to wear it whilst praying.

        Question: Since the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم has prohibited the men from wearing silk garments, if a man prays in a silk garment is his salaah valid or invalid? Meaning, is this prohibition one that shows that leaving it off is a shart, or waajib?
        Answer: Inshaa Allaah the correct answer is that leaving it off is waajib. Meaning, if one prays in a silk garment he is a sinner for wearing silk, even though his salaah is valid. However, it is not a complete salaah as he has done something that is impermissible and it is like one who prays upon stolen property e.g. in a stolen building, or with stolen clothing on. In this case his salaah is valid but he is a sinner for praying in a stolen place or with stolen clothing.

      2. ولا ثوب شهرة – Do not pray in clothes which draws attention.
        It is not permissible to pray in a thawb shuhrah. For example, in Saudi the men wear a thawb and a shamaagh (scarf), so if a person in this environment wore Nigerian-styled colourful clothing, this would be considered to be thawb shuhrah – a garment that is worn to ‘stand out’. This does not refer to a Nigerian wearing this type of clothing, but to a Saudi wearing it as it would cause people to look at him in a strange way to try to determine ‘what’s going on’.
        Likewise, one who wears very expensive garments which would cause the people to look at him and wonder where he got it, how much it costs etc. Or, if in Saudi an imaam would wear a suit and tie to lead the salaah – like if Shaykh Sudais حفظه الله wore a suit and tie to lead the people in the Haram.
        It is also in opposition to murooah (مروءة – sense of honor) which is a part of ‘adaalah (عدالة – equity) i.e. when someone is morally upright they conform to the norms or status of a particular group of people. Each people have their own murooah, for example the People of Knowledge have their own murooah which is particular to them and which would differ from the murooah of the regular people. Each class of people have a different murooah. Likewise the murooah changes from country to country and place to place according to the norms and customs of the people.
        Just as it has been prohibited for the men to wear silk for the salaah; it has also been prohibited to wear garments that draw attention and stand out. This also applies to a woman wearing a garment which stands out.
        To determine whether this is a shart or waajib, we must look at the rest of the texts that come in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. When we look at the hadeeth where the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “The salaah of one of you will not be accepted if he breaks wudu’ until he makes wudu’.”[14] Here it says that the salaah ‘will not be accepted’ so we fear that the salaah will not be accepted in this case, so this is a shart as it indicates the salaah is not accepted without wudu’. However, when we look at the texts that mention these other aspects – like praying in silk, praying in a garment that draws attention; the texts do not seem to indicate that they are strong enough to be considered conditions. For this reason, the majority of the Scholars do not consider leaving this off as a condition.

      3. ولا مغصوبٍ – Do not pray in something that has been taken forcibly
        Likewise, if he compelled someone to give him his garment, took it by force, then put it on and entered the Haram and prayed. Based on the Statement of Allaah:

    3. فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ {7} وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ

      {So, whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.
      And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.}       [az-Zalzalah 99:7]


      So, the good that he has done is salaah, and the bad that he has done is wearing a garment which was forcibly taken. In the dunya, as it relates to our affairs, it will be ruled that this person has prayed and his prayer is valid. So, not wearing a garment which has been forcibly taken is not considered a condition of the salaah based on the speech of most of the Scholars and Allaah knows best.


    4. Facing the Qiblah
      وعليه استقبال عين الكعبة إن كان مشاهداً لها أو في حكم المشاهد. وغير المشاهد يستقبل الجهة بعد التحري
      This without doubt, is a condition. As for those who are at the Ka’bah (and it is within their view) they must face it directly in salaah i.e. the actual structure itself, provided that they are from those who see the Ka’bah or take the ruling of one who sees the Ka’bah. That is, if the Ka’bah is in view of an individual, but he is blind – in this case he has to ask to be directed regarding the direction of the structure of the Ka’bah itself.
      As for the one who does not see the structure of the Ka’bah, he has to face the direction of the Ka’bah after being diligent to find the actual direction. The closer you get to the Ka’bah the narrower the Qiblah gets and the further away one is, the wider it gets. For example, the Ka’bah is 14 meters long and 18 meters wide, the closer you get to the Ka’bah the narrower the Qiblah gets, and the further away you are from the Ka’bah, the wider it gets. So the one who does not see the Ka’bah and prays towards the direction of the Ka’bah – it may be such that if you took a line from him to the Ka’bah it may miss the Ka’bah, but this is okay, because what is required of him is to pray in the direction of the Ka’bah.
      The daleel for facing the Ka’bah being a condition is the Speech of Allaah سبحانه و تعالى where He addressed the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم:

  2. فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ

    {… so turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Harâm (at Makkah)...} [al-Baqarah 2:144]


    Then Allaah سبحانه و تعالى addressed all of the Believers by saying:

    وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوِهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ

    {…And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction...} [al-Baqarah 2:144]


    It is by consensus of the Scholars that facing the Qiblah is a condition of the salaah. For the one who does not know the direction, it is upon him to investigate so that he can determine the direction. He may do this by asking the people or looking at the direction of the sun and the direction in which it is moving. For example, if he came out at Duhaa time and the sun was at a particular point and then it moved to another point so that it may be determined that the direction it is moving is West etc. and then he may deduce what direction he has to face to perform his salaah. If he finds out later that he made a mistake and prayed in the wrong direction, his salaah is still valid.



The Dress of the Woman in Salaah
There is an issue that was not discussed, which relates to the clothing of the woman, or how she should dress during salaah. Without a doubt, she does not dress like the man does in the salaah. Rather, she must cover everything of her body except for her face and hands; even the tops of the feet must be covered as the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said; and this if for the one who has the ability to do so.

One who does not have sufficient clothes to cover the ‘Awrah
As it relates to those who were so poor that they did not have sufficient clothes, some of the ‘Ulamaa; have said that they should not pray in jamaa’ah (congregation), but he should pray at home. He حفظه الله said that these are issues of ijtihaad (opinion based on reasoning), and others have said that he goes to the masjid and prays sitting down, and he doesn’t make ruku’ and sujood, in order that his ‘awrah is not exposed.

Better for the women to pray at home
The women should pray at home as it is better than praying at the masjid based on the hadeeth [15] of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. This is because she prays just as the man prays and when she makes ruku’ or sujood something may become exposed of her breasts etc. So it is better for her to cover herself in general, not just for the salaah, so that she is hidden.


Questions & Answers


1. Question: Regarding isbaal – wearing the lower garment below the ankles. The hadeeth have come specifying the izaar (lower garment) and the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم did not mention pants. So, some of the people say that it is permissible to wear pants below the ankle. How do we deal with this issue?

Answer: Some of the people have claimed that it is only considered isbaal when you are wearing an izaar. Their daleel for this is that the hadeeth have not come, except by mentioning the izaar – ‘azratul-Mu’min (أزرة المؤمن – the izaar of the Believer) is until the middle of the shin’. However, the way that we answer this is that it has come in an authentic narration that has been collected by Imaam an-Nasaa’ee that the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: ‘thawbul-Mu’min’ – “the garment of the Believer is to the middle of his shin.”[16] And, that which adds to this is that ‘it must be above the ankle, and whatever is below the ankle is in the hellfire.’ Here, the word thawb is general. The statement that it only applies to the izaar is incorrect.
It is important that the Muslim remains distinguished in his dress. From this, is that his lower garment is above his ankles. This is in all of his affairs and more so in the salaah.



2. Question: In the West most of the people wear pants, suits, ties and the likes of this. So if we wear a thawb in the West, is our wearing of the thawb considered as libaas shuhrah i.e. a garment that draws attention?

Answer: The clothing of the Muslims is not unknown to the people of the world. So when you wear it, they know that by your wearing it, you are a Muslim. At this point it is not considered to be libaas shuhrah because as mentioned if the Bengali comes and he wears the two-piece Bengali garb, everyone knows that this is the way he typically dresses. Similarly when the Nigerian comes to make Hajj and he wears his Nigerian garb, tailored and with the colourful fabric that they use, no one considers this libaas shuhrah for him. However, if a Saudi or someone else wore that type of clothing it would be libaas shuhrah for them. So the Muslims wearing the thawb in the West is not considered libaas shuhrah because they know that by our wearing it we are Muslims.



3. Question: Was Imaam ash-Shawkaani a Shia from Yemen?

Answer: The Shia are well known and there are many different sects amongst themselves. From amongst the sects is one known as the Zaydiyyah or the Zaydees. The early Zaydees were not like the later Shia as they did not curse the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم but they favoured ‘Ali رضي الله عنه over the other Companions, and this is what took them outside of the Sunnah. For this reason, some of the scholars of the past used to say “Bring me a Zaydee and I’ll show you a Raafidhee.” Meaning that there is no one who is Zaydee but he has some remnants of cursing the Companions and these types of things. However, in general, they were upon the Sunnah as it relates to most of their affairs. Both ash-Shawkaani and as-Sana’aani grew up upon Zaydiyyah but they left off this madhab in totality. Therefore, ash-Shawkaani cannot be considered to be a Shia because he left off this madhab. Ash-Shawkaani and as-Sana’aani were both from Yemen and they were the two Mujtahid of Yemen, rather they were the Mujtahids of the Ummah at that particular time. As-Sana’aani did affirm some of the things mentioned about the virtues of ‘Ali رضي الله عنه and they are not authentic. So based on this, some of the people accuse them of being Shia, but this does not mean that. They were affected by their environment, but when one looks at their books it can be seen that they left off this madhab in totality.



Footnotes and References

[1] Reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-Adhaan (#605), Kitaab al-Adab (#5662), Kitaab at-Tamannee (#6819).

أتينا إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، ونحن شببة متقاربون، فأقمنا عنده عشرين يوما وليلة، وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رحيما رفيقا، فلما ظن أنا قد اشتهينا أهلنا، أو قد اشتقنا، سألنا عمن تركنا بعدنا فأخبرناه، قال: (ارجعوا إلى أهليكم، فأقيموا فيهم وعلموهم ومروهم). وذكر أشياء أحفظها، أو لا أحفظها: (وصلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي، فإذا حضرت الصلاة، فليؤذن لكم أحدكم، وليؤمكم أكبركم).

[2]

ما يَلْزَمُ مِنْ عَدَمِهِ العَدَم

[3]

ما لا يَتِمُّ الواجبُ إلا به فهو واجب

[4] Reference Pending.

[5] Reported as part of a longer hadeeth in Jaami’ at-Tirmidhee 5/110 (#2795). Shaykh al-Albaanee رحمه الله says with a Saheeh isnaad. See also Saheeh al-Jaami’ (#1683, #4157, #7906) for other narrations which Shaykh al-Albaanee رحمه الله says are Saheeh.

إن الفخذ عورة


[6] Reported in Sunan Abi Daawuud, 1/173 (#641), Sunan Ibn Maajah 1/215 (#655). Shaykh al-Albaanee رحمه الله says Saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’ (#7747).

لا يقبل الله صلاة حائض إلا بخمار


[7] Reported with the following wording in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree in the Chapters of Salaah in Garments (#352-353).

لا يصلي أحدكم في الثوب الواحد، ليس على عاتقيه شيء


[8] Reported as part of a longer hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree in the Chapters of Salaah in Garments (#361), Kitaab al-Libaas (#5481) and in Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Libaas waz-Zeenah (#2099).

نهى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عن بيعتين: عن اللماس والنباذ، وأن يشتمل الصماء، وأن يحتبي الرجل في ثوب واحد



[9] Reported with the following wording in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree in the Chapters of Salaah in Garments (#353).

من صلى في ثوب واحد، فليخالف بين طرفيه


[10] Reported with the following wording in Sunan ibn Maajah, 2/1183 (#3573). Shaykh al-Albaanee رحمه الله says with a Saheeh isnad.

إزرة المؤمن إلى أنصاف ساقيه لا جناح عليه ما بينه وبين الكعبين وما أسفل من الكعبين في النار يقول ثلاثا لا ينظر الله إلى من جر إزاره بطرا

The last part also reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-Libaas as a Chapter heading (#3), Hadeeth (#5450).

ما أسفل من الكعبين فهو في النار

[11] Reference Pending.

[12] Reference Pending.

[13] Reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-Libaas (#5499). See also (#5110, 5309, 5310, 5312, 5326 and others).

نهانا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن نشرب في آنية الذهب والفضة، وأن نأكل فيها، وعن لبس الحرير والديباج، وأن نجلس عليه


[14] Reported with the following wording in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-Hayl (#6554).

لا يقبل الله صلاة أحدكم إذا أحدث حتى يتوضأ


[15] Reference Pending.

صلاة المرأة في بيتها أفضل من صلاة المسجد

Reported with this meaning in the hadeeth with the following wording in Sunan Abi Daawood, 1/155 (#567). Shaykh al-Albaanee رحمه الله says with a Saheeh isnaad.

لا تمنعوا نساءكم المساجد وبيوتهن خير لهن


[16] Reference Pending